Reparations for Irish Slaves

world · July 2006

This question is more for people who support reparations for african-americans that were relatives of slaves.

Do you support reparations for the white Irish slaves?

"White servants" were Irish slaves captured and sold during the heyday of the Irish slave trade (1649-1657) under Cromwell. The Cromwellian (i.e., Puritan) government in Ireland gave the slave monopolies to good Puritan merchants who then sold on to other good Puritan merchants in the Caribbean, Virginia, and New England. (The Royalists/Anglicans got nearly nothing out of the Irish slave trade.) The first witch killed (1688) in the famous Massachusetts witch trials was an old Irish slavewoman (Anne Glover) who had been captured by Cromwellian forces and sold as a slave in the 1650s. She could recite the Lord's Prayer in Irish and Latin, but didn't speak English. So Cotton Mather and the boys hung her.

There are many more articles of white Irish Slaves, but I couldnt post all of them. Clearly the number of African slaves were much greater then Irish Slaves, but dont you think reparations should be given to all slave ancestors and not just some.

btw, yes im Irish if your curious

adam42381 · July 2006

Reparations are given to families of slaves that were enslaved in the United States of America. There was no USA in the 1600s. If reparations are given based on your criteria, the British government would be paying them since the slavery was under Cromwell.

world · July 2006

Right, I dont care what government pays, as long as its the one that is responsible for the slavery. I didnt mention anything about the USA paying for it.

Hoon · July 2006

Not sure how widespread it was but in New Jersey I saw old signs that businesses used to put up:

Irish need not apply

Here is a pic that may work:

http://www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~el6/presentations/Irish_Americans_S2_WS2003/foto/Image7.gif

jojo · July 2006

Hoon wrote:

Not sure how widespread it was but in New Jersey I saw old signs that businesses used to put up:

Irish need not apply

Here is a pic that may work:

http://www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~el6/presentations/Irish_Americans_S2_WS2003/foto/Image7.gif

NINA

No Irish Need Apply
was how it was in Boston (Yes Boston of all places)

know1 · July 2006

Back in the '80s, I worked for a minimum wage that was much lower than it is today. I think I'm due some money as well.

melodious · July 2006

Didn't the Irish serve as ancient minute men? I mean, didn't they get all the jobs to monitor and control immigrants coming into land o free? i just saw a special on the history channel about irish immigrants, sort of made me understand my family's background and attitudes they hold to this day.

"when irish eyes are smiling, the whole world smiles with them........"song i knew growing up...

siochan · July 2006

Unsure whether anyone should pay reparations for something that occurred centuries ago - No white Irish person currently living was ever part of the slave trade if you're going to define it as that which took part during cromwellian times........

Should people not focus on the world around us as it stands now ...... As an irish person I think if any such reparations where to be paid they should be ideally redistributed to areas in our world that need it the most.
Although poverty still exists within Ireland and also within African american communities in USA there are people elsewhere on our globe in great need.

Personally I wouldn't advocate paying reparations to any community unless those who have been wronged are still alive and in need of finance to facilitate daily living ............

PaperPlates · July 2006

I paid taxes as a minor when I worked, yet had no right to vote, drive, or drink. Thats oppression. I too want my money back. Plus interest. Its owed to me.

Milhouse VanHouten · July 2006

PaperPlates wrote:

I paid taxes as a minor when I worked, yet had no right to vote, drive, or drink. Thats oppression. I too want my money back. Plus interest. Its owed to me.

Were you paid to work?

Were you forced to work?

Yeah, it's exactly the same thing.

cornnifer · July 2006

know1 wrote:

Back in the '80s, I worked for a minimum wage that was much lower than it is today. I think I'm due some money as well.

Noone ever said that reparations should be paid at the rate of a 2006 brain surgeon's salary. This is, I'm sorry, a silly argument.

know1 · July 2006

cornnifer wrote:

Noone ever said that reparations should be paid at the rate of a 2006 brain surgeon's salary. This is, I'm sorry, a silly argument.

So you think they should pay reparations at the wages of the 1700's and 1800's?

cornnifer · July 2006

world wrote:

This question is more for people who support reparations for african-americans that were relatives of slaves.

Do you support reparations for the white Irish slaves?

"White servants" were Irish slaves captured and sold during the heyday of the Irish slave trade (1649-1657) under Cromwell. The Cromwellian (i.e., Puritan) government in Ireland gave the slave monopolies to good Puritan merchants who then sold on to other good Puritan merchants in the Caribbean, Virginia, and New England. (The Royalists/Anglicans got nearly nothing out of the Irish slave trade.) The first witch killed (1688) in the famous Massachusetts witch trials was an old Irish slavewoman (Anne Glover) who had been captured by Cromwellian forces and sold as a slave in the 1650s. She could recite the Lord's Prayer in Irish and Latin, but didn't speak English. So Cotton Mather and the boys hung her.

There are many more articles of white Irish Slaves, but I couldnt post all of them. Clearly the number of African slaves were much greater then Irish Slaves, but dont you think reparations should be given to all slave ancestors and not just some.

btw, yes im Irish if your curious

A couple of points here. I have no problem with the idea of the responsible governments paying reparations in this case. Now, I must say that here your talking about a period of 8 years in the 1650's. Hardly comparable to the U.S African slave trade your comparing to. I percieve your original post to be an attempt at sarcasm that simply doesn't work.

Pacomc79 · July 2006

Interesting point, I don't see Egypt paying Jews in Israel for existing after slavery either. But hey, one could ask.

It's an interesting view though, no one in this country currently was alive or had anything to do with slavery, now you can make an argument that the caucasion has the "complexion for protection" as Paul Mooney would say it, but really how far back are you going to take it punishing the entire group for the sins of some peoples ancestors? Surely every family did not own slaves and every family was not here during slave times.

rebornFixer · July 2006

cornnifer wrote:

I percieve your original post to be an attempt at sarcasm that simply doesn't work.

That, or you're just biased against the idea of white people getting reparations. You know, because people who don't like the idea of such a move in the U.S. are clearly racist and/or ignorant in some other fashion.

truroute · July 2006

world wrote:

This question is more for people who support reparations for african-americans that were relatives of slaves.

Do you support reparations for the white Irish slaves?

"White servants" were Irish slaves captured and sold during the heyday of the Irish slave trade (1649-1657) under Cromwell. The Cromwellian (i.e., Puritan) government in Ireland gave the slave monopolies to good Puritan merchants who then sold on to other good Puritan merchants in the Caribbean, Virginia, and New England. (The Royalists/Anglicans got nearly nothing out of the Irish slave trade.) The first witch killed (1688) in the famous Massachusetts witch trials was an old Irish slavewoman (Anne Glover) who had been captured by Cromwellian forces and sold as a slave in the 1650s. She could recite the Lord's Prayer in Irish and Latin, but didn't speak English. So Cotton Mather and the boys hung her.

There are many more articles of white Irish Slaves, but I couldnt post all of them. Clearly the number of African slaves were much greater then Irish Slaves, but dont you think reparations should be given to all slave ancestors and not just some.

btw, yes im Irish if your curious

Man, I didnt really know about Irish slaves and I always assumed that the 1st witch killed was a black slave. (maybe the movie crucible gave me that idea, or the word slave) Anyway thx for the quick lil history that i wasn't aware of. Anyway....My answer is no. No good would come out of it. Not that Irish civil rights groups are inquiring about.

Add Irish to the list of minorities that were shat on back in the day.

truroute · July 2006

adam42381 wrote:

Reparations are given to families of slaves that were enslaved in the United States of America. There was no USA in the 1600s. If reparations are given based on your criteria, the British government would be paying them since the slavery was under Cromwell.

So are you saying that slaves (whatever race/nationality) ancestors during the official United States deserve reparations?

truroute · July 2006

Since this is a new thread, I'll ask a simple question that wasn't really blantantly answered in the 1st reparations thread.

What good, or what positive events would come by allowing reparations in today's world. (either if its a fat check cut to the ancestors, or extra benefits)

I'm not asking anyones personal reasons why they think reparations should be payed, or a debate on fucking "inheritance".

The question is easy and is in no way a trick question.

cornnifer · July 2006

reborncareerist wrote:

That, or you're just biased against the idea of white people getting reparations. You know, because people who don't like the idea of such a move in the U.S. are clearly racist and/or ignorant in some other fashion.

If you actually had read my post, you would have noticed I say this:

"I have no problem with the idea of the responsible governments paying reparations in this case."

I am absolutely convinced alot of people here don't read.

*shrugs*

melodious · July 2006

reparations for love slaves!!!!!!

FinsburyParkCarrots · July 2006

If anyone in Britain has to cough up for Irish, Scottish and African slavery, it's Lloyd's of London, the National Gallery (founded on plunder and slave-trade money), and the Bank of England.

IndianSummer · July 2006

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

If anyone in Britain has to cough up for Irish, Scottish and African slavery, it's Lloyd's of London, the National Gallery (founded on plunder and slave-trade money), and the Bank of England.

spot on. esp lloyds. they even have records of all the ships and how many slaves each sailed with.

i must admit that i was not aware of irish and scottinsh people being used as slaves. i thought it was a african man thing. congrats to the irish and scots to have held out and survived against the poms despite being located next door.

Heineken Helen · July 2006

How abouts a bit of justice for the Irish around at the moment? There are still 10's of thousands of Irish illegals in America who are just dying to pay some taxes to your government.

Carlos D · July 2006

Heineken Helen wrote:

How abouts a bit of justice for the Irish around at the moment? There are still 10's of thousands of Irish illegals in America who are just dying to pay some taxes to your government.

But in all fariness they are a very small minority of immigrants considering the millions of Mexicans there.And they don't come from as bad backgrounds as the other immigrants there.

Heineken Helen · July 2006

Carlos D wrote:

But in all fariness they are a very small minority of immigrants considering the millions of Mexicans there.And they don't come from as bad backgrounds as the other immigrants there.

Yes they're a tiny minority but I just don't understand why the restrictions on Irish immigrants?

If those laws had been in place all along... JFK and Reagan might have been Irish presidents instead of American presidents.

Carlos D · July 2006

Heineken Helen wrote:

Yes they're a tiny minority but I just don't understand why the restrictions on Irish immigrants? If those laws had been in place all along... JFK and Reagan might have been Irish presidents instead of American presidents.

Well that's true but if they're illegal immigrants they are still illegal regardless of their nationality.

Milhouse VanHouten · July 2006

Heineken Helen wrote:

Yes they're a tiny minority but I just don't understand why the restrictions on Irish immigrants? If those laws had been in place all along... JFK and Reagan might have been Irish presidents instead of American presidents.

We would've been more than happy to give you Reagan...

Carlos D · July 2006

Milhouse VanHouten wrote:

We would've been more than happy to give you Reagan...

Our politicians are bad and all but no thanks,we're happy to let you guys enjoy him....

Heineken Helen · July 2006

Carlos D wrote:

Well that's true but if they're illegal immigrants they are still illegal regardless of their nationality.

I believe that's my point

Why should it be so easy for Americans to get in here? Why should we allow them to land at our airports on their way to bombing other countries and stuff? When it's so bloody hard for us to even VISIT the place? Slightly hypocritical

Heineken Helen · July 2006

Milhouse VanHouten wrote:

We would've been more than happy to give you Reagan...

Nah you can have him

Carlos D · July 2006

Heineken Helen wrote:

I believe that's my point

Why should it be so easy for Americans to get in here? Why should we allow them to land at our airports on their way to bombing other countries and stuff? When it's so bloody hard for us to even VISIT the place? Slightly hypocritical

Because without them we wouldn't have an economy!They can do what they want with us as far as I'm concerned,we've benefited greatly from them.As for them not lettin our emigrants becoming legal,that just seems to be the American way nowadays.Don't trust anyone,even little old Ireland.

Reparations for Irish Slaves

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