Would you discuss the fact your ancestors were slave owners?

[darleane]

If you knew that your ancestors were slave owners, would you tell anyone?

I think it would be important to discuss so that understanding of just how widespread British/[insert other nationality] involvement was, and how normal people had ancestors who were involved, not just the rich and famous (like David Cameron).

Dp think it's something that should not be spoken about and thinks friends will view you differently if you mentioned it

My ancestors were farm labourers and domestic servants. I don't expect you to be judged for that.

People shouldn't be judged for the actions of their ancestors. That's madness.

The people I know who speak eloquently about it are mixed heritage. When there is an element of the trauma being from one side of you to another side of you, that's one thing.

I believe admitting the nature of history is important. That all white Europeans have benefited from colonalisation is important to acknowledge. But bringing it up as a conversational thing, I don't think so.

My ancestors were either labourers/in service or moved from Ireland to Scotland due to the potato famine, so no.

I went to an art exhibition the other week by a London-based artist from the Philippines. I was with a friend who is also from the Philippines. Fascinating to hear from her more about the art pieces and their meaning to her. There was a big theme of the impact of colonialism on Filipino people. I was reading one of the labels on a piece about a man who was brought to London to be exhibited as a kind of 'noble savage' in the 1600s. Turned out it was one of my ancestors who captained the ship, captured the man and brought him back here (the man died of an infectious disease).

Do I bring that up every time I meet someone? No, bloody hell I don't. Do I think it's important to understand what my ancestor did? Yes. I was brought up to be proud of being descended from him. Then for a while I was ashamed. Now I just want to see the violence of what he did, and the impact both on individuals and two different societies. I also want to understand how he thought what he did was laudable. I wonder what I do now that will look to my descendants in 400 years (if any) like such a terrible act.

My ancestors were a mixture of tinkers, poachers, domestic staff, a thief sentenced to transportation, a woman murdered, someone who went to Broadmoor, immigrants, labourers (not even a type of labourer, just labourer), weavers, carpenters, shoe makers.

Not all of those will have benefited from slavery, some of them were as good as slaves particularly the women, given they had no choice to leave their 'employer'.

And because they were so poor and insignificant their records peter out around the early 1700s and I cant trace them back any further.

Interesting points

Would you? If you had family who were slave owners would you discuss it?

I think I would. Of course it would have to be under the right circumstances and relevant to the conversation.

Well I don't go up to random strangers and say 'my ancestor was a cattle herder' or whatever but sure if I knew they were and it came up sure it's not as if I can change the fact so why on earth hide it? If they have a problemxits on them

My ancestors were slave traders. I have a lot of information about them. I think its very important to talk about it. My cousin goes round schools giving talks about it and raising awareness of modern slavery.
It's important we know about these things so they don't happen again.

If I was having a conversation about my ancestors then yes I would.

I would express my revulsion very clearly.

Why would you be viewed differently because of what people who lived generations ago did? It's not your doing or your fault.

Employment issues aren't comparable to slavery.

I'm reading several classic books on slavery, civil war, 20th century USA etc. it was truly terrible and people seem to think all it was was picking a bit of cotton and working without pay.

I don't think all the 'my ancestors were bad' stuff is necessary though. Just put the focus on the people that matter, and no need for the 'white guilt' and virtually signalling.

I have just discovered that I am descended from a family of Sephardi Jews who escaped the Spanish Inquisition in Portugal and Spain (their mum was burnt at the stake for heresy) and moved to Jamaica, where they became “Merchants”, or pirates, initially for the Dutch East India Company. I thought that sounded cool until I looked further into it. It’s quite likely that they benefited from the slave trade for generations. Then one poor offshoot ended up moving to Australia and everyone assumed she was French. She went with it because it wasn’t as socially unacceptable. She ended up having 11 kids with a drunken farmer in the mountains. He drank himself to death leaving her to raise her kids with no financial support in an inhospitable land. Her sons hunted rabbits and her daughters went out to service when they turned 9. She ended up freezing to death, so there are no firsthand stories of living high on the hog at the expense of others even though I suspect it must have happened in previous generations.

You can’t be responsible for what your ancestors did. You are responsible for what you think and feel and see the world - and of course, what you teach your kids.

In the right context, sure. You can't learn from history if you don't talk about it.

But I don't think it'd be something I'd lead with like "Hi, my family used to own slaves. Could I have a flat white and a blueberry muffin please?"

My ancestors weren't involved but I don't see why people should be punished for the actions of their ancestors. There's not a person alive who wouldn't have a skeleton in their closet.

Working as a domestic servant or farm labourer in previous centuries in many cases are comparable to slavery. Its not about employment issues. Indentured service in particular meant many years without pay, they could be sold, inherited etc. There were no rights, they would have suffered physical and mental abuse. Their employer would have controlled every aspect of their lives. The only difference is that they may have had the prospect of 'freedom' at the end - if they lived long enough.

Even for those who were not indentured we are talking about absolute poverty, little to no rights, physical and mental abuse etc.

Employment issues are a modern day luxury

I mean probably most people are the ancestors of slave traders. Vikings used Brits as slaves. Different people from Africa have enslaved other people from Africa. Arabs have enslaved various people.

It's all in the history books and our genetics. Lots of brits have Scandinavian DNA which likely make us the descendants of Viking slavers.

There's modern slavery going on right now. Probably more important to spend your endeavours trying to fight this isn't it?

Well, I wouldn't put it on a t-shirt or drive around shouting it through a megaphone. If there was a conversation going on about family history etc, and my ancestors were slave owners, then yes, I'd be open about it. I've told people before now that one of my great-grandparents was a violent rapist, so I'm not actually shy about discussing the skeletons in the family cupboard.

No.
Why on earth should I judge others or be judged myself for the actions of those long long dead.

There is a lazy belief that all white (europeans) were beneficiaries of slavery whereas all black people were victims. The truth is far more colourful than that. Many many people of black Caribbean heritage will have slave traders in their family history, same as many from the Slave Coast of Africa.

I have an ancestor who was a slave trader and another ancestor who was a plantation owner in Barbados.Yes I do mention it to people if relevant. My ancestors have a large number of descendants as it was centuries ago, and most must be unaware unless they are interested in genealogy.

I also have a very remote ancestor who was a Viking slave trader in Dublin, no doubt dealing in British and Irish people. I think I’ve read that many Icelandic people are descended from Irish women likely transported there as slaves.

My job does touch on modern slavery risks from time to time and I am very aware of that.

A lot of people won't even know that their ancestors were slave owners. You're thinking of the rich people who owned plantations, but a lot of middle class people owned one or two who they never saw, much in the same way we own shares now. The chances of someone knowing that an ancestors in 1800 owned land or a house is tiny, let alone other investments. I think the majority of people don't even know who their ancestors were in 1800

My Great Great Grandfather raped my Great Grandmother, resulting in my Grandmother who was born in a workhouse.
I do not expect to be judged on the actions of my Great Grandfather, I would not expect to be judged on the actions of people even further back.

Working as a domestic servant or farm labourer in previous centuries in many cases are comparable to slavery.

Not it's not, and it's insulting to suggest that it is.

Were those people forcefully bred and their children ripped away from them in auctions? Babies ripped away from you, used like a brood mare? Were they sold into sexual slavery and brutalised?

Were their bodies broken until they could not work anymore and died? Hungry chidlren whipped for picking up food. At the mercy of being tortured by any psycho who claims you as his property?

Were they verbally abused and dehumanised? Treated not even as a human? Victimised by their skin colour and lineage and entirely unable to escape being abuse youre skin always gives you away?

Were they hunted down like animals by men and dogs and burned or beaten to death if they tried to escape?

Were they, after being legally freed, still at risk of being sold back into slavery? Even in 'freedom' you'll be told you're not allowed to practice your religion, the one solace you have. People thrown in jail for their entire lives.

There was no prospect of freedom in America.

It's not that other people didn't suffer, they did. But I cannot stand transatlantic slavery being thrown around like it's so inconsequential - see, we white people suffered too! Yes, by other white people.

@Fraaahnces I think that ancestry gives you the right to Spanish / Portguese citizenship. Look it up. Handy post Brexit.