Melanie Knight Final George Washington William’S OPEN Letter TO KING Leopold PDF

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George Washington William’S OPEN Letter TO KING Leopold ...

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GEORGEWASHI NGTONWI LLI AM’ SOPENLETTERTOKI NGLEOPOLD: PRI MARYSOURCEANALYSI S

Melanie Knight HIS233: World Civilization 2 November 11, 2017

Thes our c et ha ti sbe i n ga n a l yz e di st heope nl e t t e rwr i t t e nb yGe or g eWa s h i n gt on Wi l l i a m’ st oKi n gLe o po l dont heCon g o ,189 0.Thi sl e t t e rwa sa c c e s s e dt hr ou ght he we bs i t ewww. b l a c kp a s t . or g .Thepr i ma r ys ou r c ea st het i t l es u g g e s t si sa nop e nl e t t e r wr i t t e nt oKi n gLe opo l db yGe or g eWa s h i n gt onWi l l i a msi n18 90.Todi s c o v e rt hes ou r c e oft hi sdoc u me n t sa u t he nt i c i t yIl oo k e da tt heor i gi na ls our c efir s t . Th eor i gi na ls our c ec a mef r ombl a c kp a s t . or g .Loo ki n gi nt owh yt hewe b s i t ewa s pu tt o g e t he rIwe ntt ot he i rhomepa g e .Bl a c k pa s t . or gi sac ol l e c t i onofDoc ume n t sa nd hi s t or yofAf r i c a nAme r i c a ns .The i rmi s s i ons t a t e me nti s : Bl a c kPa s t . or gi sde di c a t e dt opr o v i di n gt hei nq ui s i t i v epub l i cwi t h c ompr e h e ns i v e , r e l i a bl e , a nda c c ur a t ei nf or ma t i onc on c e r ni n gt he hi s t or yofAf r i c a nAme r i c a nsi nt heUn i t e dSt a t e sa ndpe opl eof Af r i c a na nc e s t r yi no t he rr e g i onsoft hewor l d. I ti st hea i moft he f ound e r sa nds po ns or st of os t e rund e r s t a ndi n gt hr ou ghkn o wl e d g e 1 i no r de rt og e ne r a t ec ons t r uc t i v ec ha n g ei nou rs oc i e t y .

Th i smi s s i ons t a t e me ntt e l l suswh yt he yde c i de dt opu tt o g e t he rt hi si nf or ma t i oni none pl a c ef orpe op l et obea bl et oobt a i na c c ur a t ei nf or ma t i ononAf r i c a nAme r i c a nhe r i t a g e wi t h outha vi n gt os e a r c hi nmu l t i pl ea r e a sf ort hei nf or ma t i on .Bl a c kpa s t . or gha saboa r d ofdi r e c t or s , a d vi s or yboa r d ,t e a c he ra dv i s or yboa r d, a ndv o l un t e e rs t a ff.Thewe b s i t ei s ma i nt a i ne db yaWe b ma s t e rSt a n be r y' St a nl e y ' Fos t e rI I I , whowor ksf ort heSt a t eof Wa s hi n gt on .The r ema n yoft heme mbe r soft hev a r i ousboa r dsa r ei nt hee duc a t i onfie l d orhi s t or yma j or st he i rr e s e a r c hhe l psk e e pt hei nf or ma t i ona c c ur a t e . 1 http://www.blackpast.org/mission-statement

Th edo c ume ntdo e snotgi v emu c hi nf or ma t i onont hea ut ho rhi ms e l fs oIdi d s omer e s e a r c hwhi c hl e a dmet ot hewe bs i t el i s t e da bo v ewi t habi oonGe or g e Wa s hi n gt onWi l l i a ms .Wi l l i a mswa sa19thc e nt u r yAme r i c a na ut horf r omPe nn s y l v a ni a , 2 whoa tt hea g eof14j oi ne dt heuni ona r myi n, 186 4. Hes pe ntma n yy e a r si nt he

mi l i t a r ya f t e rwhi c hhewe ntt os c ho ola ndwe ntont obeap a s t or .The yg oont ot e l ly o u t ha tWi l l i a ms“ Dur i n gt hene xts e v e r a ly e a r shewr o t ea sac ol umn i s tf ort heCi nc i nn a t i Comme r c i a l , be c a meal a wy e r , f ou nde daBo s t onne ws pa pe rc a l l e dTheCommone r 3 ( 18 75) , a ndb e c a met hefir s tbl a c kme mbe rofhi ss t a t el e gi s l a t ur e . ” Af t e rwhi c hhe

be c a mea na ut ho ra ndhi s t or i a n. Wi l l i a msbe g a nr e s e a r c hi n gt heCon g oa tt heb e he s tofPr e s i de ntBe n j a mi n Ha r r i s o n.Asar e s ul tofwha thedi s c o v e r e di nt hi sa r e ahede c i de dt owr i t et oBe l gi a n Ki n ga boutwha thedi s c o v e r e d .Hewa nt e dt oa ddr e s st hepr obl e mt ha twa sf a c e db yt he na t i v e sa ndho wt he ywe r ebe i n gt r e a t e d .J us tf r omr e a di n gt hel e t t e ry o uc a nt e l lt ha the wa sc on c e r ne dwi t hho wt hena t i v eAf r i c a n swe r ebr i n gt r e a t e db yt heBe l gi umpe opl e . Wi l l i a mswr ot e ,“YourMa j e s t y ’ sGo v e r nme nti sde fic i e nti nt hemo r a l mi l i t a r ya nd fina nc i a ls t r e n gt h”t oe xp r e s shi spr obl e mshes a whewr ot ea bou tt we l v ei nf r a c t i onshe t ho u ghts ho ul dbea d dr e s s e d.Hi sl e t t e rwa si nt e nde df ort heki n gofBe l gi um, Le opol d. Hewr ot et hi st ot r yt og e the l pf ort hepe op l eo ft heCon g o . Th et oneoft hi sl e t t e ri sha r s ha ndbr ut a li nt het r ut ha sWi l l i a mss a wi t .Hewa s c a l l i n gou tt heMon a r c h yi nBe l gi umt oma k ec ha n g e si nt heCon g oa ndho wt heNa t i v e Pe opl ewe r et r e a t e d . Hewa nt e dt oma k es ur et ha tt heKi n gwa sa wa r eoft hes i t ua t i on s 2 http://www.blackpast.org/aah/williams-george-washington-1849-1891, paragraph 1 3 Ibid , paragraph 2

t ha thewr ot ea bou t .Hede s c r i be si nde t a i l st hi n g st ha twe r eha ppe ni n ga mon gt he s ol di e r sa ndt het r e a t me ntoft hewome n.I nhi sc on c l us i onhewr o t e“ Ag a i ns tt hede c e i t , f r a ud, r ob be r i e s , a r s on, mu r de r , s l a v e r a i di n g , a ndg e ne r a lpo l i c yofc r u e l t yofy ou r 4 Ma j e s t y ’ sGo v e r nme ntt ot hena t i v e s ” J us tt hi sones e nt e nc egi v e sy oua no v e r vi e wo f

ho whef e l ta bou tBe l gi umt r e a t me ntoft heNa t i v e s . Af t e rr e a di n gt hr ou ght hi sl e t t e ri ti sc l e a rt ha tWi l l i a msha das t r on gs t a nc eon ho whet hou gh tt heNa t i v e ’ ss houl dbede a l twi t h.Hema k e si tc l e a rwha ts i deoft hei s s ue hes t a ndson.Hea l l o wshi spe r s on a lf e e l i n g sont hes ub j e c tt hes hi net hr ou ghi nhi s wr i t i n g .Hewa sbo r ni nat i meofs l a v e r ya ndhes a wfir s tha nda l lt hepr obl e mst ha twe r e f a c e di nAme r i c a .Ibe l i e v et ha tf r omt hi se xpe r i e nc eh ewa sa bl et os ho whi spe r s ona l bi a sa ndi tc a meou ti nhi swr i t i n g s . Th ei s s ue sa ddr e s s e di nhi swr i t i n g sa r ev a r i e da ndt hema j ort he mei st he t r e a t me ntoft heNa t i v epe opl e . Hes t a t e dwhe nt a l ki n ga bou tt hey o un g e roffic e r sde a l i n g s wi t ht hena t i v epe op l e“ The ya r ei gno r a ntofna t i v ec ha r a c t e r , l a c kwi s dom, j us t i c e , f or t i t ud ea ndpa t i e n c e . ”Hewa nt e dt oh e l pt heBe l gi umKi n gs e eho wt hena t i v e swe r e be i n ga bus e di nt hehomec oun t r ya ndhewa nt e dt he r et obec ha n g e si nt hec ou nt r ya nd ho wt he yt r e a t e dt hena t i v e s .Hepo i nt e douti nt we l v ec ha r g e sa g a i ns tt heBe l gi um g o v e r nme n tonho wt he yha v ewr on g e dt hepe opl ei ft heCon g o .Someoft hec ha r g e s 5 i nc l ud e ,“ de fic i e nti nmo r a lmi l i t a r ya ndfin a n c i a ls t r e n g , t “ h T ” hec our t soft heMa j e s t y ’ s 6 Go v e r nme nta r ea bor t i v e , un j us t , pa r t i a la ndde l i nq ue nt ” , a nd“ Wome na r ei mp or t e di nt o

4 http://www.blackpast.org/george-washington-williams-open-letter-king-leopoldcongo-1890, page 13 5 Ibid, page 6 6 Ibid, page 7

7 y o urMa j e s t y ’ sGo v e r nme ntf ori mmo r a lpur po s e s . ” Thi si son l yt hr e eoft hepr ob l e ms

t ha thebr ou g htf our t ha bou tt heg o v e r nme n ta n dho wt he ywr on g e dt hepe opl eoft he Con g o .Ma n yoft hei s s ue sheha swi t ht heg o v e r nme ntha v et odowi t hs l a v e r ya ndt he bu y i n ga nds e l l i n gofpe opl ebo t hme n, wome na nde v e nc hi l dr e n.Hewa sv e r yv o c a l a bo utt hef a c tt ha thedi s a g r e e dwi t ht hepr a c t i c ea ndt ha thewa nt e dt heKi n gt oputas t op t oi t .Hewa nt e dt opr e s e ntc ha n g e st ha tt heHee xpe c t e dt oma keadi ffe r e nc ei nt he pe opl eoft heCon g o ’ sl i v e s .Thel e t t e ra l s opoi nt e doutt ha tt heg o v e r nme ntha sdon e no t hi n gt ohe l pt hep e opl eoft heCon g ot obee du c a t e d.Mor et ha nj us tt hepe op l eoft he Con g obe i n gma l t r e a t e dbuta l s ot heBe l gi umme nt ha twe r ebe i n gs e nto v e rwe r es i c ka nd d yi n gont hes hi psa ndt he ywe r eno tbe i n ggi v e nt heChr i s t i a nbur i a l st he yr e q ui r e dort he c a r ef ort hes i c kt ha twa sne e de d . Ov e r a l lt hi sl e t t e rhe l dal otofi nf or ma t i on.Hede s c r i be st hea t r oc i t i e si nde t a i l hedi dno thol dba c konhi sop i ni onofhi sMa j e s t y ’ sGo v e r nme nt . Hel e tt heKi n gkno w a l lt ha twa swr on gwi t hwha twa sg o i n goni nt heCon g o .Hedi dat hr ou ghj obof a na l yz i n gt hes i t ua t i ona ndc omi n gu pwi t hwa y st oma k ec ha n g e st ohe l p.Thi si s de fini t e l yonet ha tIf e e lc o v e r st hes ub j e c ti nawa yt ha tma k e si tc l e a rwh a thi sob j e c t i v e wa st oe xpo s ea t r oc i t i e sa nda s kf orc ha n g e .Iwa sal i t t l es hoc k e dr e a di n gs omeoft he a r e a sa dd r e s s e dt hei s s ue sma i nl yt hewome nbe i n gs ol di nt ot hes e xt r a de .Ino wwo ul d l i k et ol oo kmo r ei nt ot hes ub j e c tt or e s e a r c hho wl on gt hi sl a s t e da n dho wt he ybr ou ghti t t oa ne n d .Thi swa sde fini t e l yal e t t e rt ha tIwoul dl i ket ous ewhe nt e a c hi n ghop e f ul l y wi t h i nt hene xt4y e a r sa ndIwoul dl i k et ous ei nf or ma t i onl i k et hi swh e nIdob e gi nmy c a r e e r .Di s c o v e r i n gt hewe b s i t ebl a c kpa s t . or gha spr o v i de dap l e t ho r ao fi nf or ma t i onon 7 Ibid, page 9

Af r i c a nAme r i c a nhi s t or yi non ep l a c et ha twi l lpr o v i demewi t har e s our c et ous eo nc eI a mt e a c hi n ghi s t or y .

Reference George Washington Williams's Open Letter to King Leopold on the Congo, 1890 | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed. Accessed November 12, 2017. http://www.blackpast.org/george-washington-williams-open-letter-king-leopold-congo1890. Mission Statement | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed. Accessed November 26, 2017. http://www.blackpast.org/mission-statement. Williams, George Washington (1849-1891) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed. Accessed November 12, 2017. http://www.blackpast.org/aah/williams-georgewashington-1849-1891....