For such an ambitious project examining America’s history of racism; the 1619 Project falls short on multiple levels. Right out of the gate, Nikole Hannah-Jones essay misleads on the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.

First, it’s worth noting that NY Times publisher Dean Baquet admitted that since the Russia 24/7 narrative didn’t work as planned, exploring the roots of racism because Trump! is Plan B. Hannah-Jones went further when introducing the project. 

““What if I told you that the year 1619 is as important to the American story as the year 1776? What if I told you that America is a country born both of an idea and a lie?” she asked.”

Hannah-Jones essay kick-starts the entire 1619 Project. I urge everyone to read the essay in its entirety and all the other materials with the project. Historical facts not in evidence.

This is her jaw dropper about the Declaration of Independence. 

“And so in Jefferson’s original draft of the Declaration of Independence, he tried to argue that it wasn’t the colonists’ fault. Instead, he blamed the king of England for forcing the institution of slavery on the unwilling colonists and called the trafficking in human beings a crime. Yet neither Jefferson nor most of the founders intended to abolish slavery, and in the end, they struck the passage.”

Did Hannah-Jones provide a link to the original draft so readers could see what Jefferson wrote? No. Did she provide information that showed the days and weeks of discussion between all parties involved in finalizing what became our Declaration of Independence? No. If she had, she would’ve had to show that all the signers were deeply conflicted about keeping that passage in and ultimately decided to ‘kick the can down the road’ in interests of getting rid of Great Britain’s rule.

Does Hannah-Jones take into consideration that Jefferson’s ownership of slaves involved debt and mortgages that he spent his life trying to climb out from under? How about the fact that Jefferson literally spent his entire life advocating against slavery? Is any of that mentioned in Hannah-Jones essay? NO.

Hannah-Jones also lies about The American Revolution. She writes:

“Conveniently left out of our founding mythology is the fact that one of the primary reasons the colonists decided to declare their independence from Britain was because they wanted to protect the institution of slavery. By 1776, Britain had grown deeply conflicted over its role in the barbaric institution that had reshaped the Western Hemisphere. “

Hannah-Jones premise is that the colonies would never have revolted against King George if it weren’t for the fact that slavery and the “dizzying profits generated by chattel slavery” gave the colonists the power to do so.

When I read that, I was beyond flabbergasted. The “founding mythology??” WTH? King George’s major tax spree was predicated on Britain wanting to do away with the slave trade? That’s news to American historians everywhere. Yet, Hannah-Jones tells us the Founders wanted to continue to embrace slavery, and, as such, the battle for Independence was all about preserving slavery?? Zero links are provided to back up these assertions.

Go read on the decades of William Wilberforce's uphill battles against slavery in Parliament – @ericmetaxas tells the story very dramatically – if you think Britain was on the eve of banning slavery in 1775, much less that the colonists in Massachusetts were worried about that.

— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) August 19, 2019

The first ORGANIZED move to abolish slavery came from Quakers petitioning Parliament in 1783, the same year the Revolution finished. Yet, we are to believe that the sole reason America is the country it is, is because our Founders were worried that Great Britain wanted to abolish slavery?

Strikes me as odd to claim that Massachusetts colonists would decide to risk their lives and fortunes taking on the most powerful military in the world out of fear that Britain was on the verge of banning slavery…in 1776, more than half century before they actually did. (6)

— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) August 19, 2019

That’s my problem with her essay. Facts are missing, LOTS of them. Yet this project is now supposed to be taught in our public schools?

Teachers: looking for ways to use the @nytimes #1619Project in the classroom? You can find free curriculums, guides, and activities for students developed by the Pulitzer Center here: https://t.co/7SrENXW4ZB pic.twitter.com/iTHeUTUslS

— Pulitzer Center (@pulitzercenter) August 21, 2019

The narrative and emotions behind this entire project is one of projection and anger.

Nikole Hannah-Jones ignores the fact that our country was built upon “All men are created equal.” And that many of the states – some of whose signers were slave owners – passed laws abolishing slavery very soon after the Declaration was signed. Well ahead of anything that Great Britain did.

ALL Americans should learn about the history of slavery in this country. We should teach and write about the sins of slavery, but we cannot do so without recognizing that what our Founders put into motion ultimately led to slavery’s abolition. FACTS DO MATTER!!

Moreover, the many examples of men and women such as MLK, George Washington Carver, Clarence Thomas, Duke Ellington, Harriet Tubman, the ladies of Hidden Figures, Dorie Miller, the Tuskegee Airmen, and others who contributed to American greatness because of and in spite of the sinful history of slavery in this country should be applauded. Except that the those great men and women are…nowhere to be found in the 1619 Project.

The 1619 Project is history being rewritten in favor of today’s narrative. Which is the advancement of an extremely radical political agenda, while burying the realities and the humanity of the past.

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Feature Photo Credit: Gene Bleile Royalty-free stock photo ID: 616241075 Fourth of July celebration / Signing the Declaration of Independence – Image via Shutterstock, cropped and modified