Reparations for slavery in the United States facts for kids

Reparations for slavery is about making up for the terrible harm caused by slavery and its lasting effects. It's a way to try and fix past wrongs for victims of slavery or their families. In the United States, reparations have been given in different ways. Sometimes, courts have ordered them, and other times, people or groups have given them voluntarily.

The first known case of reparations in the U.S. was in 1783. A former enslaved woman named Belinda Royall received a pension. Since then, many ideas for reparations have been suggested or put into action. A famous attempt was in 1865, called "Forty acres and a mule". This plan aimed to help newly freed enslaved people get land and build wealth. However, President Andrew Johnson later stopped this order, returning the land to its former owners.

The idea of reparations often comes up in U.S. politics. It became a big topic in 2020, especially during protests against police brutality. The COVID-19 pandemic also showed how Black Americans were affected more severely. Many Black communities and civil rights groups ask for reparations not just for slavery, but also for ongoing racism and unfair treatment. It's a debated topic, with questions about how reparations would be given, how much, who would pay, and who would receive them.

Reparations can take many forms. These include money payments, scholarships, or waiving fees. They can also involve special programs to fix past unfairness. Sometimes, it means giving land, or simply saying sorry and recognizing the wrongs. Other times, it's about naming buildings after important people or removing statues of slave owners.

Since unfairness and discrimination continued after slavery ended, some groups also ask for reparations for these later harms. They point to issues like the prison system, which they say still affects Black people unfairly.

Understanding Reparations for Slavery

Reparations mean making amends for a wrong that was done. For slavery, it means trying to fix the harm caused by forcing people to work without pay. This harm affected enslaved people and their families for generations.

Why Reparations Are Discussed

The main goal of reparations is to address the lasting impact of slavery. This includes unfairness in wealth, education, health, and opportunities. People believe that fixing these issues can help create a more equal society.

History of Reparations Ideas in the U.S.

The idea of reparations is not new. People have talked about it for centuries.

Early Ideas

The discussion about reparations started as early as the 1700s. Quakers, who were among the first to oppose slavery in the U.S., believed that former slave owners should pay those they had enslaved. They felt it was a way to make up for their actions.

During the American Revolutionary War, a man named Warner Mifflin suggested payments, land, or shared crops for freed enslaved people. Some historians call him the "father of American reparationism."

Before the Civil War

Even before slavery was officially ended in 1865, people discussed how to help enslaved workers after they became free. In 1859, James Redpath, a writer, called himself a "reparationist." He thought that land in the Southern states should be given to formerly enslaved people.

He also wrote about John Brown, a famous abolitionist. Brown believed that not only should slavery end, but that enslaved people should be paid for their forced labor. He even tried to get money for them during a raid in 1859.

Leaders like Thaddeus Stevens also pushed for taking plantation lands and giving them to African Americans.

After the Civil War

After the American Civil War ended in 1865, a plan was put in place. General Sherman issued Special Field Orders No. 15. This order gave about 40 acres of land and a mule to each freed family in parts of Georgia and South Carolina. About 40,000 freed people settled on this land.

However, after President Abraham Lincoln was killed, President Andrew Johnson reversed the order. The land was given back to its former owners, and the freed people had to leave. In 1867, Thaddeus Stevens tried again to pass a bill to give land to African Americans, but it failed.

The period after the Civil War, called Reconstruction, ended in 1877. The issue of reparations was not fully addressed. After this, new laws called Jim Crow laws were passed in the South. These laws created segregation and kept African Americans from having equal rights. Groups like the Ku Klux Klan also used violence to keep African Americans down.

In one unusual case, a formerly enslaved woman named Henrietta Wood won a lawsuit in 1878. She had been kidnapped from the free state of Ohio and sold into slavery in Mississippi. After the Civil War, she sued and won $2,500. This was big news, but it didn't lead to many other similar cases.

Recent Discussions (2020)

The topic of reparations became very important again in 2020. This was partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected African Americans more severely. Also, widespread protests against police brutality and racial injustice, like the murder of George Floyd, brought the issue to the forefront.

Many political leaders and candidates supported the idea of studying or developing reparations proposals. These included Andrew Yang, Marianne Williamson, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Tulsi Gabbard, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke, and Tom Steyer.

Different Ways Reparations Could Happen

People have suggested many ways to provide reparations.

Ideas from the U.S. Government

Some ideas involve direct payments from the U.S. government. Experts have tried to estimate how much money this would be. Some estimates are very large, based on the many hours of forced labor over centuries.

The United States House of Representatives passed a resolution in 2008. It apologized for American slavery and later unfair laws. Nine states have also officially apologized for their part in slavery. These states include Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Ideas from Companies and Groups

Many private companies and groups also benefited from slavery. In 2000, a law student named Deadria Farmer-Paellmann started a campaign. She demanded apologies and payments from modern companies linked to slavery. Aetna Inc., an insurance company, was one of her first targets. They had insured the lives of enslaved people for their owners. Aetna issued a public apology.

Lawsuits were filed against many companies in banking, insurance, and other industries. While many of these lawsuits faced legal challenges, they brought attention to the issue.

In 2000, California passed a law requiring insurance companies to report their past ties to slavery. Other states have passed similar laws. The NAACP has called for more such laws.

Some universities, like Brown University and Georgetown University, have also looked into their historical ties to slavery. They have taken steps like offering admissions preference to descendants of enslaved people or setting aside money for related initiatives. For example, Princeton Theological Seminary committed $27 million to recognize its past benefits from slavery.

Some groups, like The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, suggest that reparations should focus on community improvements. This could mean investing in education, housing, and businesses for Black communities, rather than just individual payments.

Arguments For and Against Reparations

The idea of reparations is complex, and people have different views on it.

Why People Support Reparations

• Wealth Gap: Slavery and later unfair practices, like housing discrimination (often called "redlining"), prevented Black families from building wealth. This created a big gap in wealth between white and Black families that still exists today. Reparations could help close this gap.
• Economic Impact: The U.S. economy grew greatly from the forced labor of enslaved African Americans. Supporters argue that reparations would help correct this historical injustice and balance economic opportunities.
• Health Care: Unfairness in health care has also cost Black Americans a lot of money and caused health problems. Reparations could help address these health differences.
• Current Discrimination: Many argue that reparations are needed because of ongoing discrimination. Policies like Jim Crow laws and unfair housing rules kept African Americans from opportunities. Reparations could help fix the lasting effects of these policies.
• Past Examples: Supporters point to other times the U.S. government has apologized or paid groups for past wrongs. For example, the U.S. government apologized and paid $20,000 to Japanese Americans who were held in camps during World War II. Other countries have also paid reparations, like for the Holocaust.

Why Some Disagree

• Time Passed: Some argue that too much time has passed since slavery ended. They say that current laws have deadlines for filing lawsuits, which have long gone by.
• Difficult to Implement: It's very complicated to figure out how to give reparations. Questions arise like: How much money? Who should receive it? Who should pay for it? How can you prove someone is a descendant of enslaved people?
• Not Responsible: Some people argue that current generations should not have to pay for wrongs they did not commit.
• Making Racism Worse: A few people suggest that reparations could actually make racism worse by creating more division.
• Public Support: Most Americans do not currently support reparations. A 2020 poll showed that while most Black Americans support reparations, most white Americans do not.

How COVID-19 Connects to Reparations

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted many unfairness in American society. People of color were more likely to lose jobs, struggle financially, and die from the virus. For example, many Black-owned businesses closed permanently. This shows how the wealth gap affects Black families and businesses, making them more vulnerable during crises.

African Americans also had higher rates of getting sick and dying from COVID-19. This connection shows how historical and ongoing unfairness can have serious impacts on health and well-being.

Actions Taken So Far

While the debate continues, some actions have been taken at different levels of government and by private groups.

Government Actions

• Federal: The U.S. House of Representatives apologized for slavery in 2008.
• States: Several states, including California, Illinois, Maryland, and Iowa, have passed laws requiring insurance companies to look into their historical ties to slavery. Many states have also issued official apologies for their role in slavery.

City and County Actions

• Buncombe County, North Carolina: In 2020, this county voted to remove monuments to Confederate figures, including a slave owner.
• Chicago, Illinois: In 2015, Chicago passed a law to give money and other help to African Americans who were tortured by police in the past.
• Asheville, North Carolina: In 2020, the city council approved reparations. This means they will invest in areas where Black residents face unfairness, like housing, business, health care, and education. They also removed Confederate monuments.

University and Company Actions

• Georgetown University: In 2016, the university apologized for its role in slavery. It agreed to give admissions preference to descendants of 272 enslaved people it sold. Students also voted to raise tuition to help these descendants.
• Princeton Theological Seminary: In 2019, it committed $27 million to recognize its benefits from slavery.
• Virginia Theological Seminary: Set aside $1.7 million to pay reparations to descendants of African Americans who worked on their campus.
• Wachovia and JP Morgan Chase: These banks apologized in 2005 for their connections to slavery.
• University of Alabama: Apologized in 2004 for the history of slavery at the university.

See also