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Common historical fallacies: Difference between revisions
→Slavery was the basis of the American economy
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[[File:US-SlaveryPercentbyState1790-1860.svg|thumb|Evolution of the enslaved population of the United States as a percentage of the population of each state, 1790–1860]] | [[File:US-SlaveryPercentbyState1790-1860.svg|thumb|Evolution of the enslaved population of the United States as a percentage of the population of each state, 1790–1860]] | ||
==== logical fallacy 1: colonial slave v. overall population growth ==== | ==== logical fallacy 1: colonial slave v. overall population growth ==== | ||
* the growth of colonial African slavery was linear until the development of the cotton gin | * the growth of colonial African slavery was linear (upward but constant) until the development of the cotton gin | ||
** up to 1800, colonial population growth was much higher for whites than for slaves | ** up to 1800, colonial population growth was much higher for whites than for slaves | ||
** whereas, after 1800, slave population increased dramatically, overtaking white populations in many areas of the south | ** whereas, after 1800, slave population increased dramatically, overtaking white populations in many areas of the south | ||
*** therefore | *** therefore increases in the slave population was not the basis of the colonial development | ||
click EXPAND to view comparative table of colonial white and slave population growth: | |||
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"> | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|Year | |Year | ||
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|98.1% | |98.1% | ||
|} | |} | ||
</div> | |||
==== logical fallacy 2: colonial per capita wealth not reliant upon slavery ==== | ==== logical fallacy 2: colonial per capita wealth not reliant upon slavery ==== | ||
* | * in 1774, slavery represented a significant proportion of per capita private wealth: | ||
** | ** 28.7% of national per capita wealth | ||
** 31.7% of southern per capita wealth | |||
*** measured here as an asset, slavery was less than 1/3rd overall colonial wealth | |||
*** = ''static'' measurement (snapshot of current values) | |||
*** but not a measurement of economic output | |||
**** just as an office building has a value but its economic output is measured not by its value but by the sum of its rents | |||
=== late 1700s to early 1800s manumission === | === late 1700s to early 1800s manumission === | ||