[Ads-l] OT: Re: "slave"

[Amy West]

Joel,

I was expecting that you would bring up that in the Am. Rev. War that 
the British offered African slaves their freedom if they fought on their 
side, against the Continentals. I heard a bit on NPR from a Morgan State 
U prof. that that is what FSK was referencing in that verse. Now, 
whether that offer was still being used, or whether those soldiers were 
still in the British Army during The War of 1812, I can't recall.

---Amy West

On 9/1/16 12:00 AM, ADS-L automatic digest system wrote:
> Date:    Wed, 31 Aug 2016 15:02:17 +0000
> From:    Joel Berson<berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject: Re: "slave"
>
> Sali,
>
> Do you consider 1814, when "The Star-Spangled Banner" was written, as being during the colonial period of the US?  A very Anglo-philic stance, just what the British were still believing then?:-)   I would say there were "enslaved African-Americans" in 1814.
>
> Joel
>
>
>        From: Salikoko S. Mufwene<s-mufwene at UCHICAGO.EDU>
>   To:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU  
>   Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2016 9:51 AM
>   Subject: Re: [ADS-L] "slave"
>     
> Just a minor correction, JL. From a historical perspective, there were
> enslaved Africans, not enslaved African Americans during the colonial
> history of the US or of the 13 English colonies. During that time the
> class of Americans was very restricted, even some Europeans did not
> count as Americans.
>
> Sali.
>
> On 8/31/2016 7:06 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>> >Former tennis star James Blake has explained to CNN that "The Star-Spangled
>> >Banner" is "a song that advocates the killing of slaves."
>> >
>> >The "hireling and slave" in the song, of course, are not enslaved
>> >African-Americans but redcoats, Hessian mercenaries, and cringing Tories.
>> >
>> >Proof? Read the lyrics.
>> >
>> >Of course, as D----d T---p has demonstrated, words don't mean much anymore.
>> >
>> >
>> >JL
>> >
> -- ********************************************************** Salikoko 
> S. Mufwene s-mufwene at uchicago.edu The Frank J. McLoraine Distinguished 
> Service Professor of Linguistics and the College Professor, Committee 
> on Evolutionary Biology Professor, Committee on the Conceptual & 
> Historical Studies of Science University of Chicago                  
> 773-702-8531; FAX 773-834-0924 Department of Linguistics 1115 East 
> 58th Street Chicago, IL 60637, USA http://mufwene.uchicago.edu/ 
> **********************************************************



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