Founding Father Thomas Jefferson has had a significant impact on America, American government, and American culture. His words have helped shape policies on everything from the relationship between church and state to the scope and limits of the federal government. Yet, notwithstanding this extensive influence, a cloud hangs over Jefferson's reputation--his alleged affair with Sally [...]
America’s Founding Fathers are seen by some people today as unjust and hypocrites, for while they talked of liberty and equality, they at the same time were enslaving hundreds of thousands of Africans. Some allege that the Founders bear most of the blame for the evils of slavery. Consequently, many today have little respect for [...]
Confronting Civil War Revisionism: Why the South Went To War The rewriting of history in any area is possible only if: (1) the public does not know enough about specific events to object when a wrong view is introduced; or (2) the discovery of previously unknown historical material brings to light new facts that require [...]
BLACK REVOLUTIONARY ERA PATRIOT Wentworth Cheswell (1746-1817)At WallBuilders we strive to “present America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious, and constitutional heritage,” so Wentworth Cheswell (sometimes Chiswell or Cheswill) is a perfect subject for our attention. He was the grandson of black slave Richard Cheswell (who early gained his freedom [...]
See the below pay receipt documents from the WallBuilders library. These documents, from 1778, 1780, and 1782, are for three black soldiers who fought during the Revolutionary War. 1778 Pay Receipt for Pomp Kearns, a member of the Rehobath militia. 1780 Pay Receipt for Cuff Conomy, a member of the "Connecticut Line." 1782 Pay Receipt [...]
The following newspaper article is about the Gold Medal presented to Robert Smalls. Robert Smalls, a former slave at the time of the printing of this article, was pressed into service in the Confederacy as the quartermaster for the steamer Planter. On May 12, 1862 he was given an opportunity, as a result of the [...]
Black History Month February is Black History Month, and this year we will focus on the first significant civil rights gains of blacks in America. The history of how these civil rights became reality will shock many. The Earliest Civil Rights Efforts Of course, from the time that the Dutch sailed the first shipload of [...]