22 Comments
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Clodagh Maguire's avatar

Heartbreaking. Utterly heartbreaking. Thank you for this. So agree with Stephen Jules Otis Career Rubin - European history and its very much alive legacy is monstrous. Wherever they went they maimed, enslaved, murdered and dispossessed. Where was and is the moral compass?! I’m Irish and I know what I’m talking about unfortunately. But wow the story is not over. They caused turmoil and left turmoil as they retreated to their grand mansions. But thanks to Historians like you they will not escape the shame. The truth will set us all free.

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Kahlil Greene's avatar

I really appreciate your words and the perspective you bring. The legacy of colonization and exploitation is still shaping the world today, and acknowledging that history is a crucial step toward justice. The truth can be painful, but like you said, it’s also powerful. It’s what helps us push for real change.

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Clodagh Maguire's avatar

You keep going Khalil - your work is powerful, articulate and true ❤️

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Stephen JulesOtisCareer Rubin's avatar

such an anem wonderful history this nation has ..sadly for as long as most people don't want to acknowledge the true history of Europeans and their lineage from arrival of taking what they want manipulating facts lying stealing cheating or just taking eliminating enemies attacking other animals esp bison to destroy natives to get land ...in short doing anything with no restraints moral compass nor regulation often to take whatever they want so of course this current lunatic gubbament is talking about buying things not for sale changing names etc....amd for as long as the history isn't acknowledged the present will continue to be nothing at all great but more horrible behavior from a now very much not growing but dying splitting apart destroying itself short lived empire... pathetic sad avoidable

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Kahlil Greene's avatar

You’re hitting on a really important point—so much of history is about power, control, and erasure. The past doesn’t just stay in the past; it shapes everything happening today. That’s why acknowledging the full truth is so crucial. We can’t move forward without understanding how we got here.

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Stephen JulesOtisCareer Rubin's avatar

thanks definitely agree ....the easiest example is why would these people trying to steal the government for themselves have any reason to care about PBS other than that it's the one major funded organization that creates content that takes on challenging topics and interesting ones and science nature etc all in the interests of making the world better not worse

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Clodagh Maguire's avatar

Well said. Brilliant comment

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Atlas Did's avatar

Excellent piece. I was aware of this incident as part of Lincoln’s “legacy” but this added nuance and context. The concept of interest convergence is most definitely a tool of empire for the US and a new term I was not aware of. Thank you.

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Chris's avatar

Thank you Kahlil! You did an amazing job covering the points in regard to this dark chapter of my relatives history. This is not properly acknowledged in history books. Today we still experience injustice and inequity.

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Kahlil Greene's avatar

I really appreciate you requesting this article and sharing your perspective. These stories deserve to be told, especially when history books fail to acknowledge them properly. The injustices of the past are still shaping the present, and that’s why it’s so important to keep these conversations going.

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C.M.'s avatar

Lincoln was a man of his time, so his actions and beliefs weren’t a surprise to anyone back then….unfortunately.

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Helen Siksek's avatar

Thank you for writing about this today and for including the names of the victims. A heart-wrenching tragic history of betrayal and deliberate deception by the government. European settlers building on blood soaked indigenous land, cleared by the very forces that were meant to protect and serve, provide food. This country was indeed built for white privilege at the expense of indigenous lives and property. The military enforcing ethnic cleansing. Anyone who doesn’t see this clearly is whitewashing their own mind and gaslighting themselves. The way forward for educators is knowing and understanding that the government ‘won’. Language must be used accurately. Call it warmongering. Call it bloodthirsty hostile, combative, expansionist, malevolent takeover. Let future generations not call it winning.

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Kahlil Greene's avatar

You put this into words so powerfully. The truth is brutal, but it needs to be acknowledged. Whitewashed history only protects those who benefited from the violence. Educators and historians have a responsibility to call things what they were so future generations understand the cost of this so-called "winning".

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Helen Siksek's avatar

I cannot imagine how painful it was for you to work with this historical material and write your article. Much respect.

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Danell's avatar

We need to know this part of our history also. Hard to read. Our schools sure left out some important details in our country’s history.

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Kahlil Greene's avatar

Absolutely. So much of our history has been selectively told or completely left out. It can be tough to confront, but knowing the full story is essential to understanding the world we live in today.

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Pamela Cass's avatar

I was thinking you were going to write about the execution of Mary Surratt, but this is just as bad if not worse.

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Raelou's avatar

This story, while painful to read, must be told. You present not only the facts, but the feeling - much appreciated. I hope you will one day consider teaching at the university level. We need teachers like you if we are to go forward in the world.

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Lorraine Adler's avatar

Our history has pain filled lessons for us. Thank you.

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Dodo B Bird's avatar

General William Tecumseh Sherman is quoted as saying "the more we kill this year the less we will have to kill next year.

After race hatred ethnic hatred religious hatred Criminals I'd davenport iowa destroyed my Native American Religious Artwork in my yard on Dec 7 2022. And my Blueberry plants and fruit trees and more.

In follow-up all my gardens and everything I purchased to fix my house up was destroyed. One garden had corn beans and squash and every plant in that garden was destroyed as were my garden fences.

On July 6 2023 they chanted anti Native American anti mixed race hatred while destroying my food and flowers even my laundry legally hung out to dry.

They used to say "the only good Indian is a dead Indian." In Davenport Iowa government and police department I think that they still do.

I'm asking Scott County Attorney Kelly Cunningham to Prosecute and send to prison these criminals. True story.

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Tasha R.'s avatar

Now please tell them how he didn’t free the enslaved either.

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Maggie's avatar

Impressively done, and an important story that bears more attention.

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