Gone with the wind

 Gone with the wind d really 

Aaron Burr’s Address on Slavery Ney work city

[Speaking to a gathering in New York, September 17, 1799 - Approximate reading time: 3 minutes]

My fellow New Yorkers, I stand before you today here in New York as Aaron Burr. Some of you know me as the grandson of Jonathan Edwards, that great theologian whose sermons shaped our moral conscience. Others know me as the Princeton graduate who served under General Washington in the Continental Army at Valley Forge and Monmouth. You know me as the lawyer who has defended the rights of the accused, as your legislator in our state assembly, and as your Senator in Philadelphia. I have founded the Manhattan Company, bringing clean water to our city and prosperity to our citizens.

But I come before you today not to speak of these accomplishments, but to address a matter that weighs more heavily upon my conscience than any political victory—the question of human bondage in our republic.

I have witnessed the horrors of bondage firsthand, and I tell you with absolute conviction: slavery is an abomination that stains the very soul of our republic. How can we, who declared that all men are created equal, who fought a revolution for the principle that no man should be enslaved by another’s will, continue to hold our fellow human beings in chains? This is not merely a political question—it is a moral imperative that demands our immediate attention and action.

I have seen the auction blocks of New York, witnessed families torn asunder, children sold away from their mothers’ arms. This is not the America we fought to create! This is not the liberty we proclaimed to the world! We have become hypocrites in the eyes of nations and, more damning still, in the eyes of Divine Providence. Every day we permit this system to continue, we betray the very principles upon which our nation was founded.

When I served in the Continental Army, I fought alongside African American soldiers who endured the same hardships at Valley Forge and charged into battle at Monmouth with the same courage as any patriot. How then can we deny them the very freedom for which they fought? During my years in the New York State Assembly and as your Senator, I have seen gradual emancipation laws taking effect in Pennsylvania and complete abolition in Massachusetts. These experiences have only strengthened my conviction that slavery is not only morally wrong but economically backward.

In our New York legislature, I have consistently voted for measures to bring about gradual emancipation. Some call this approach too cautious, others too radical. But I tell you, we must be both principled and practical! We cannot undo in a day what has been built over generations, but we can and must begin the work of redemption today. Every day we delay, more souls are born into bondage, more families are destroyed, more of our national honor is compromised.

As an attorney, I have taken cases defending the rights of free blacks in our courts, often without payment, because I believe the law must protect all citizens equally. Through my work with the Manhattan Company, I have employed free men of color in positions of responsibility, proving that when given opportunity, they excel as well as any other citizens.

The economic arguments for slavery ring hollow to my ears! Yes, there is profit in human bondage—the same profit that enriches the pirate and the thief. But what prosperity can be built upon such foundations? I have seen the industries of New York thrive through the labor of free men and women. Free labor is not just morally superior—it is economically superior!

I challenge every person in this room to examine their own conscience. Can you look upon a man in chains and say he deserves his fate? Can you witness a mother separated from her child and claim this is God’s will? Can you call yourself a Christian, a patriot, a human being, while supporting such an evil system? I think not! I believe in the goodness of the American people, and I believe that when confronted with the truth, you will choose justice over convenience, freedom over profit.

I stand before you not as a perfect man, but as a man committed to progress. I have been called ambitious, and I am—ambitious for justice! My political opponents question my motives, but I question theirs. How can they claim to love America while perpetuating its greatest sin?

The time for equivocation has passed! The time for half-measures and weak compromises is over! The time for action is now! I call upon every citizen of New York to join me in this great moral crusade. Write to your representatives! Support businesses here in New York that employ free labor! Make your voices heard in the halls of power and in the streets of our great city!

We stand at a crossroads, my fellow Americans. We can choose to be the generation that ended slavery, or we can be remembered as the generation that perpetuated it. The choice is ours, and history will judge us by what we do in this moment.

Let us begin the great work of making America truly the land of the free—not just for some, but for all who call this nation home!

Thank you.

Slavery in the Bible: Contradictions and Interpretations Through Time

INTRODUCTION: Within the context of American history, slavery has been viewed as a widely controversial issue. Prior to its abolishment on December 6, 1865, religious beliefs were commonly used as opinion backing. Personal interpretation and biblical verses allowed slave owners to justify their claims and the basis of their decisions. Comprehensively, the purpose of this research is to grasp the differentiating views of slavery as represented in this spiritual scripture. Although the Bible does discuss slavery, it doesn’t give a clear interpretation of its moral standing. In an attempt to deepen our research and gain a better understanding, we utilized the information provided by Claude AI. 

AI SUMMARIES:

The Bible’s relationship with slavery is complex and has been interpreted in contradictory ways throughout history. Biblical scholars have identified passages that both support and challenge the institution of slavery, creating a theological tension that has influenced debates for centuries.   

BIBLICAL PASSAGES SUPPORTING SLAVERY

Several Old Testament passages appear to regulate, rather than prohibit, slavery. Leviticus 25:44-46 permits the Israelites to take slaves from conquered peoples permanently and allows Israelites to sell themselves into slavery temporarily to pay off debts. Exodus 21:2-11 provides detailed regulations for Hebrew slavery, including provisions for permanent bondage. The New Testament also contains passages that were historically used to justify slavery, particularly Paul’s instructions to slaves in Ephesians 6:5-6 and Colossians 3:22, which command slaves to obey their masters.

Christian slaveholders frequently cited Genesis 9:18-27 (the curse of Ham) and New Testament household codes to justify enslaving Africans. Cotton Mather, the celebrated Puritan minister, used biblical passages to affirm the enslavement of Africans, justifying slavery as a means to “Christianize” those enslaved (Bible Odyssey)

 

BIBLICAL PASSAGES OPPOSING SLAVERY

Conversely, other biblical passages challenge the foundations of slavery. The most significant is Galatians :28: 3“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (CBE International).

This verse proclaims fundamental equality among all believers, regardless of social status. The Bible teaches that all humans bear God’s image and deserve dignity and justice, which challenges any view that devalues slaves as less than fully human (Dallas Baptist University). Paul’s letter to Philemon, while not explicitly condemning slavery, subtly undermines it by calling for Onesimus to be received “no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother” (Philemon 1:16).

SCHOLARLY INTERPRETATION (AI) 

Biblical commentators note that Christianity made “an immense stride in sweeping away the artificial distinctions which had been the bane of the ancient world” (Bible Hub), suggesting the faith’s inherent anti-slavery trajectory. Modern scholars like Thomas Schirrmacher have examined the “humanization of slavery” in biblical texts, arguing that biblical regulations aimed to limit slavery’s harshness rather than endorse it perpetually.

The interpretive tension reflects broader hermeneutical questions about distinguishing between biblical accommodation to cultural practices and divine endorsement of those practices.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: With the information provided by Claude AI, readers can directly view biblical passages that support the act of slavery and those expressing an opposing side. After careful analysis, it is clear that slave owners utilized their religious “morals” to reinforce their harmful motives. More prominently, the book of Leviticus promoted the idea of taking slaves when able to conquer. On the other hand, we can discover a contrasting opinion in Galatians. This scripture states that every individual should be considered equal. Therefore, social status holds no insignificance, but through God, humans deserve dignity and justice. Lastly, Matthew 22:39 states the importance of loving your neighbor, including loving God to the fullest extent. As a result, a “slave” should be looked at as another child of Christ. Overall, the use of religion to enslave and hold power over another human being is not ethical, violating fundamental human rights. 

SOURCES: 

• Bible Odyssey: “The Legacy of the Bible in Justifying Slavery”
• CBE International: “Philemon in Light of Galatians 3:28”
• Discovering Theology: “Does the Bible Condone Slavery?”
• Michael Pahl: “The Bible is Clear: God Endorses Slavery”
• Dallas Baptist University: “The Bible and Slavery”

History of the supreme court

 The supreme court was established in 1789 and has been inturpinting the constitution that is two hundred years old. There are nine justices that are appointed to the court and have a say what the president can do or not and they do the same for congress. It is said the Supreme Court are the most powerful group of people on earth which makes sense if you have power over the president and congress. In total there have only been 100 justices in the span of 236 years, justices get appointed by the president and they usually stay in power until death or they step down.  

 Supreme Court process pt1 John Marshal was one of the first chief justices he said “ We must never forget it is a constitution we are expounded”. The Supreme Court receives around seven thousand cases a year which is a significant number of complaints. 

Though the court only reviews about one hundred a year and receive a couple of them weekly. A fun fact about the Supreme Court is they practice shaking hands this makes the load on holding grudges when they sit and talk about complaints lighter so they end up friends instead of enemies despising each

other.Supreme Court process pt2 The Supreme Court initially started in the basement of congress and met in private there. It was known as the old Supreme Court chamber and was used from 1810 to 1860. Now the Supreme Court has there own building getting it in 1935 after 146 years of not having here place.What surprised me was all members of the court figured a way to listen and here everyone else out no matter what they say. Another fact that surprised me is that cameras are strictly prohibited inside the court room while the court is in there and is always kept secret.