Abraham Lincoln And Native American Slavery Poem by Terence George Craddock

honest Abe did you forget
or did you have no time
for a great wrong never righted
too busy embroiled in a civil war

or no time never lived long enough
to aspire to apex peak Everest summit height
rarified air so thin gasped at death zone height
window of opportunities balance on knife edge

an assassins bullet ended
all you might have done
terminated all potential effort
a long life could have been

no time never lived long enough
to aspire to life achievement apex
peak attained Rocky Mountains summit height
peak traverse Rocky Mountains summit height

African American law owned
branded sold property slaves
were finally in red riverblood
Civil War horrific slaughter freed

blood price African American law owned
branded owned profit sold property slaves
rebellion finally in red riverblood flood
rift scar Civil War horrific slaughter freed

Native American massacre slaves
were written out of history forgotten
Abe these were not slaves born enchained
these were red native American warriors

cast out poverty-stricken imprisoned
caged in treaty pitiful wastelands
civilization crime reservation prisons
worthless land none then wanted

once trade of enslaved ensnared Indians
in North America covered an area vast
from as far west as Spanish New Mexico
northward to fresh water rich Great Lakes

southward to the Isthmus of Panama
linking continents North South America
for 300 years Spanish Dutch French English
sort to enslave Indians with passion feverish

operating out of Charles Town
Carolina traders profitable slave
traded with sea distant Caribbean
Spanish Hispaniola Northern colonies

Native American more profitable slaves
African slaves freight shipped purchased
cost expensive native slaves close captured
were immediately sold taken to plantations

cultivation of sugarcane in the West Indies
increased labour slave demand on sugar islands
1670 to 1715 24,000 to 51,000 Native Americans
captive slaves exported were through Carolina ports

over half 15,000-30,000
originated purchased brought
from then-Spanish Florida
more Native Americans slaves

were imported to the Carolinas
during this period than Africans
the trade in chattel Indian slaves
dominated the English empire's

development in the American South
enslaved dehumanized Native Americans
were exported from South Carolina
to Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts

Rhode Island and New York sold slaves
Dutch slaves had New Amsterdam built
a ratio 16 slaves for every free citizen
misery fortunes built sold in slave lives

in 1698 'Parliament allowed competition
among importers of enslaved Africans
raising purchase prices for slaves in Africa'
Native Americans were cheaper in cost

than enslaved Africans closer to source
slavery was a capital idea British settlers
especially in southern colonies purchased
captured Native Americans forced labor

cultivating crops tobacco rice and indigo
slaves classed as a caste of people foreign
Native Americans Africans non-Christians
the English civilized must have code laws

in 1705 the Virginia General Assembly
will define fair laws for terms of slavery
injustice slave laws echoes down history
all servants imported brought into country

be they not Christians in native Country
shall be accounted shall be property slaves
all assets Negro mulatto Indian slaves within
this dominion 'shall be held to be real estate'

English copied profits Spanish Portuguese
choose to see cash enslavement of Africans
Native Americans as moral legal socially
acceptable an institution path road to riches

rationale for enslavement just war rewards
taking captives slavery alternative to death
sentence Native American slaves suffered
European diseases inhumane treatment died

what if property slaves freedom desire?
what if slave resists his rightful master?
what is law for correcting such slaves?
what if slave is killed in such correction?

property has no right to freedom
table desk chair slave has no freedom rights
possessions chattel are owned used abused at owners choice
no problem if possessions have bill of sale neat receipt invoice

in the event a slave unlawful resists his master
discretion in methods correcting a slave are masters
wisdom dictates no correction method can ever be too harsh
slave rebellion capital can not run off to woodland marsh

let this be stated perfect clear
if any slave resists his master
if any slave resists his owner
or any person by his or her order

correcting such a slave is a matter of social order
a troublesome slave cannot be allowed to cause disorder
should happen by chance a slave in correction is killed
it shall not be accounted felony if a slave in correction is killed

master owner every such person so giving correction
shall be free acquit of all punishment from giving correction
shall be free acquit of all punishment accusation for the same
free as if such incident had never happened to merriment tame

master shall be free of all punishment
'as if such accident never happened'
Native American slavery decreased
around 1730 due to wars tribes fought

disrupted by devastating wars
increased African slave importation
the Native American slave trade
had effectively ended by 1750

slavery has rules of cost profit effort
colonists had found Native American
slaves could easily freedom escape
Wild Indians knew land like palm hand

Indian Wars had cost lives
the lives of many colonial
slave traders had disrupted
early wilderness societies

Native American tribes had finally
banded together to face Europeans
fought in warrior position strength
Native American were risk costly

what was life like for Native American
women at risk of rape enslaved or not
early colonial settlers disproportionately
male used Native women for sexual needs

Native American African enslaved women
were raped harassed by male slaveholders
by other white men slaves had no rights
historically cruel slavery gives no rights

no account records were kept of Indian
slaves estimates range between 147,000
to 340,000 free born Native Americans
were enslaved in North America alone

an estimate excluding Mexico
2.5 million to 5.5 million Natives
enslaved in the entire Americas
civilization rose on slave backs

myth Native American slaves
received little to no mention
disempowered written out of history
forgotten oft classed as African slaves

Abe these were not slaves born enchained
these were native American warriors destined
60,000 to Trail of Tears between 1830 to 1850
16th president you were assassinated in 1865

pre your assassination death cast out imprisoned
in wasteland reservation prisons forgot disowned
Abraham Lincoln had you lived new term served
would you take up Native cause wrongs righted?

The dream of peace cannot,
must never be written out
of our souls, the freedom
to learn to love to live life;

to enjoy multi layered diversity,
to embrace diversity individuality
in all classes cultures countries
with respect tolerant harmony;

to celebrate
the sacred gift
blessing of life,

to elevate
all people
into beautified
prosperity,

with kindness
happiness
understanding

sown into all lives,
beauty on earth personified;
because the dream of an eternity

of peace upon this earth,
must be a sanctified
global goal realized

upon a future
earth blessed by all
gifted to all.