The Second American Revolution: Closing the Four Basic Gaps of African Americans

By Harvey Smith Sr.

The book will describe the major gaps that exist between African Americans and their white counterparts. The story is a historical presentation of decisions that were made by political and religious leaders dating back to the early 17th century that would eventually lead to the sad state of the modern day African American. A positive solution to the problem will be presented that will give all Americans hope that each of the four gaps can eventually be closed. Thus, the story is based on a problem solution format. The book will answer the question- are all men created equal?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 19, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499007855

Harvey Smith Sr.

Harvey earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh. His work experience includes work at Price Waterhouse, PPG Industries, and for community based organizations in African American communities in Pittsburgh. During the 1990s, Harvey provided financial advisory services to several professional football players. In 1999, he founded Innovative Educational Services a community based non-profit organization that provided tutorial and recreational services to disadvantaged youth. Harvey is an adjunct college professor teaching undergraduate and graduate courses to adults throughout the United States and throughout the world. He is the author of The Second American Revolution.

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Copyright © 2014 by Harvey Smith, Sr.

ISBN:                  Softcover                           978-1-4990-0787-9

                            eBook                                978-1-4990-0785-5

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Rev. date: 05/13/2014

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Contents

Book Dedication

Acknowledgement

Introduction

PART 1—The Problems

Chapter 1   History of Religion White and African American

Chapter 2   Wealthist—The First Colonists in America

Chapter 3   Slavery—African Diaspora—Comparison of the Treatment of Slaves

Chapter 4   African American Economic Role—Black Rice—Labor

Chapter 5   Basis of Equality of All Men Based on the Bible and the Declaration of Independence

Chapter 6   Political and Economic Background

Chapter 7   Economic Comparisons by Race/Social Change

PART 2—The Solution The Second American Revolution

Chapter 8   The Second American Revolution

Chapter 9   Financial Equity Action Plan

Conclusion

Appendix I-IX

Chapter Notes

Bibliography

If you don’t know where you have come from, how do you

know where you are going?

Harvey Smith

Perfect Pair—White/Imperfect Pair—African Americans

Book Dedication

This book is deducted to the loving memory of my deceased family members: Eugene Smith, Sr.—father; Jannie Mae Smith, mother, Luther Buddy Smith, brother; Alex "Rudy Smith, brother; and Shirley Scott, sister.

Gone, but not forgotten.

Acknowledgement

I would like to acknowledge several people who played an important role in the writing of this book. I would have not been able to complete this book without the great support they gave me including the expression of many encouraging words that helped me to complete this, my first book.

Thank you: Marian Smith, wife; Harvey Smith, Jr., son; Alisa Smith, Daughter; Terry Smith, Son; Allyson Smith, Daughter in Law; and Amrizene Harris, mother of Allyson Smith.

Introduction

What is the state of the African American in the United States? It is deplorable. I am sure the answer to this question will surprise many people in the country who tend to think there has been great progress in the plight of African Americans. This book is likely to be the first true depiction of the major gaps that exist between African Americans and their white counterparts. The story is a historical presentation of decisions that were made by the political and religious leaders dating back to the early 17th century that would eventually lead to the sad state of the modern day African American. I will provide a positive solution to the problem later in the story that will give all Americans hope that each of the four gaps can eventually be closed. Thus, the story is based on a problem/solution and past/present format.

This book is given the title the Second American Revolution for a very good reason. The first American Revolution occurred as a result of an open rebellion of Colonial America in a war against the mighty British Empire. The actual war took place over a number of years culminating in a victory for the colony and the establishment of a new, independent nation, called the United States. This war was expensive in terms of huge costs, and a large number of severe injuries, and deaths. The First American Revolution brought independence to America and freedom to white Americans only.

My book, the Second American Revolution, is similar in importance to the First Revolution in that it will lead to a form of independence but it will be different in that it can help to lead to results of the complete and final independence of African Americans. It is also similar to the First American Revolution in that it will involve the need for a substantial outlay of resources. However, while the end result of independence will be similar in some ways, but different in other ways, there will be no need for any injuries or lost lives to occur. In reality, the Second American Revolution will be a positive and friendly economic revolution, one in which every American can happily participate, and one that all Americans will benefit. When all citizens of our country are achieving at its maximum productivity level, the country as a whole will benefit and advance far beyond their current economic maximum.

The book will describe a fresh way of looking at the problem which involves a perfect pair of factors relevant to the success of American whites while contrasting it to the imperfect pair of factors relevant to the lack of success of African Americans. To start, I will describe what a pair of factors is in general. The first part of the pair is made up of a religious component. The second part of the pair is made up of an economic component. I will provide information that will support the fact that whites have achieved success in every aspect of the perfect pair whereas African Americans have only achieved success in the religious component, but only a limited success in the economic component. The conclusion from the information will indeed show a perfect pair for whites but an imperfect pair for African Americans.

This book is the first comprehensive analysis of what caused the great cultural and economic divide between the white and African American race in America that has always existed and is even more evident in today’s America. The root of the divide can be traced back to the very beginning of the British colony when important decisions were made that later led to the establishment of the independent country of the United States of America.

In 1600, there was only one group of people in Colonial America and that was the Native Americans formerly known as Indians. Within a period of about fifty years there would be six different groups living in America. The first group of immigrants which became the second colonial group in America (along with the Native Americans) came to Colonial America from England in 1607. These first immigrants came in search of gold in order to become wealthy. They had heard of the stories of the Spanish explorers having found gold in the new world and they wanted a chance at mining gold to achieve a great deal of wealth. I will call this group the Wealthist as a way of distinguishing them from later groups of immigrants coming from England.

The second group of immigrants, the third colonial group, to arrive in Colonial America was the Africans who came involuntarily to the new world in 1619 and 1620. It is interesting to note that the first Africans came to Colonial America before the religious groups who would come later. The third group of immigrants, the fourth colonial group, was the Pilgrims who came from England and settled in New England in 1620. They were basically in search of religious freedom and wanted to be separated from the Anglican Church of England. The fourth group of immigrants, the fifth colonial group, was the Puritans who came from England in 1628. The Puritans were searching for religious freedom, but they were not in favor of a separation from the Anglican Church of England as were the Pilgrims

The fifth group of immigrants, the sixth colonial group, came to the colonies and they were called the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). The Quakers arrived from England soon after they were founded as a denomination in 1652. They came for basically the same reasons as the Puritans and Pilgrims as they were in search of religious freedom since they were being persecuted in their own country. It was the Quakers’ hope that they would also spread their faith throughout the colonies. It would be the Wealthists, Pilgrims, Puritans, and Quakers that would establish the economic, social, cultural, political, and religious foundation of what would become the new English Colony and would later form the foundation of a new and independent nation in July 1776.

By the mid-1650s there were six different groups living in Colonial America—the Native Americans, the four groups of immigrants from England, and the Africans from Africa. Of the six groups, three groups were religious (Pilgrims, Puritans, and the Quakers), one group was business oriented (the Wealthists), one group would become slaves (Africans), and the remaining group was the Native Americans.

The early settlers had to deal with a number of serious problems upon their arrival. The first serious problem they faced was that of the many new diseases that would take the lives of a large percentage of the newly arriving immigrants. The second major problem was based on the hostility that they faced from the Native Americans. Despite the diseases and problems they had with the Native Americans the population of Colonial America would show initial slow but steady growth, but with the later achievement of great prosperity, the population would show tremendous growth into the future. As a result of the population growth, there was an increased need for the colonies to establish a growing economy that would meet the basic needs and demands of a growing population.

Preliminary Economic Principles

One of the most important economic principles was established very early in the settlement of the British Colony. This important economic principle involved achieving economic growth by generating substantial profits by using low cost labor. One of the first observations that were made by the original settlers was the belief that since the Native Americans had no religion of their own, and since they were considered to be savages, they could easily be converted to Christianity and just as important, could be an important resource for low cost labor. It is this concept that would start with the use of low cost labor with Native Americans and later with the Indentured Servants that would lead eventually to a second important economic principle, and that was the principle of achieving great financial profits based on the use of free labor.

It would later be the use of African slaves as a free labor source that would help to fuel the substantial economic profits that would take the struggling British Colony from a poor colony to one of the wealthiest of all British Colonies leading up to the period of the Revolutionary War. It is this second principle that some will argue continues even today when high priced executives earned substantially higher levels of compensation than the common workers who work in the same companies. Thus, the use of cheap labor and later the use of free labor as principles led to great economic success for Colonial America and later the United States.

The four groups that came over from England would establish themselves as the dominant groups in Colonial America from the perspective of economic, political, and religious greatness. The most important components of this greatness would be the large number of economic, religious, and political leaders that would provide direction for the population that would follow their leads. Although these are distinctly different components, there would be some overlap among the groups. For instance, it would be possible for a person to be a political leader while at the same time being an economic leader. An example would be a wealthy businessman running for and winning a political office.

Economic Factors

Economics drove the early colonists as they hoped to achieve success in meeting their own needs such as for food and shelter. However, the colonists soon learned that they were able to produce goods not only to meet their own basic needs, but they could achieve great economic success by eventually providing their goods to others outside of their own communities. A key factor that was used by the Christians and non-Christians was based on the theory of Jesus’ parable about talents found in Matthew 25:14-30.¹ The parable can be summarized as follows: Jesus richly rewarded one servant who had invested five talents (money) wisely and had earned a profit on the investment. Likewise, a second servant was rewarded for having invested two talents wisely. However, the third servant who did not make good use of the one talent by hoarding it was not rewarded. The talents were given to each servant based on their own abilities. This parable which appears to be simple in nature is one of the most important principles found in the Bible—that a person can expect to achieve