The 13Th Amendment Freedom Week Manual: Celebrating America’s Freedom

By Kariem Abdul Haqq

The 13th Amendment Freedom Week Manual is a guide to establishing a yearly commemorative week that educates and celebrates the ideals of freedom. It is inclusive, not exclusive. This ‘Freedom Week’ is assembled so that all Americans (blacks, whites, etc.) can benefit from its celebration. It can also include people worldwide, not just Americans, who love freedom everywhere. It is a celebration that helps to heal racial conflict rather than divide. ‘The 13th Amendment Freedom Week’ is not a celebration to simply remember the horrors of slavery. It is a time to remember the ideas and benefits of freedom. This ‘13th Amendment Freedom Week Manual’ lays the foundation for the ‘13th Amendment Freedom Week Movement.’ Together they work to establish the ‘13th Amendment Freedom Week.’

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669858966

Kariem Abdul Haqq

Kariem Abdul Haqq lives in North St. Louis County with his faithful and loving wife Marilyn and his beloved son Idris. He obtained a B.S. Degree in Economics from Missouri University – St. Louis (1980) and a Dual Master’s Degree in Finance and International Business from Webster University (1989). He has had a passion for the study of free market economics for a number of years. It started with a search for economical solutions for the problems confronting black people in particular and the world in general. He studied socialism at first, but he soon realized that it demonstrated a lack of objectivity, sincerity, and integrity to study just one perspective. So Kariem Abdul Haqq started studying free market economics, and that is when answers started coming. Understanding how the economic and material world works was like taking off dark sunglasses, and everything seemed so much clearer. He came to the conclusion that the proper knowledge and application of good economic theory can eliminate poverty, eliminate moral decline, lessen racism, reduce crime, prevent wars, and establish peace and justice. His objectives have been to seek truth wherever it is found and advocate freedom, justice, and equal opportunity for all. He believes in studying the past, living the present, and planning for the future. His motto is: “great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people.” Kariem A. Haqq has written another book entitled The 13th Amendment Freedom Week Manual. This manual focuses on the ANTI-slavery movement in America, starting with the Quakers and the Founding Fathers. It ends with the Abolitionist Movement and the Reconstruction Era. It is hoped that it will give proper respect and honor to the brave souls who, with our Creators’ help, unleashed overwhelming powerful forces to break the chains of bondage for four million slaves and their descendants. Kariem A. Haqq is an author and the founder of the 13th Amendment Freedom Week Movement. It is based upon the author’s monumental book. This Movement is to promote a celebration week that educates and celebrates the beginning of freedom for ALL (and not just some) American citizens. The 13th Amendment marks the first time in American history that ALL law-abiding Americans were legally freed.

Book preview

Copyright © 2023 by Kariem Abdul Haqq.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version

(Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic

Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 12/29/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

848189

The 13th Amendment Freedom Week Movement falls under The Freedom and Economic Education, a non-profit educational organization under the Internal Revenue Service Code 501 © (3) guidelines, with tax-exempt status. This Movement promotes the ideals, principles, and aspirations of freedom, justice, and equal opportunity. It was founded to establish an annual celebration for the first time in American history when all law-abiding Americans were free, consequently ending chattel slavery. This celebration is based upon the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, December 6, 1865. It seeks the participation of all Americans regardless of race, religion, or creed. Its motto is to Celebrate while you Educate!

Contact the publisher at:

The 13th Amendment Freedom Week Movement

P.O. Box 2072

Florissant, MO 63032

Website: www.13thamendmentfreedomweek.com

The 13th Amendment Freedom Week Manual

First Published March 2008

Second Edition; Second Printing, May 2010

Third Edition; Third Printing, September 2013

Fourth Edition; Fourth Printing, November 2018

Fifth Edition; Fifth Printing, January 2022

LCCN: 2010906300

Contents

The 13th Amendment Freedom Week Flag

Dedications

Introduction

CHAPTER 1

Freedom - National Independence And Individual Freedom

The 13th Amendment Freedom Week Movement Is As American As Apple Pie!

Chapter 2

Self-Imposed Jim Crowism

Do for Self is Self-Deception

‘White Guilt And Black Victimization’

Chapter 3

Economic Impact Of Slavery On Black America

Who Will Lead? Who Will Lag? Who Will Make A Way? Who Will Make Excuses?

Are Prison Inmates Slaves?

Chapter 4

Day One — Abolitionists Day!

Chapter 5

Day Two — Forms Of Government

Chapter 6

Day Three – Types Of Economic Systems

Greed vs Covetousness

Chapter 7

Day Four — U. S. Constitution And Other Documents Promoting Or Effecting Freedom

Chapter 8

Day Five — Genealogy, Awards, And Pledges

Chapter 9

Day Six — The Day Of Jubilee!

Chapter 10

Day Seven — Guiding Principles For Reflection And Contemplation

Chapter 11

The Spirit Of 1776 — The Soul Of 1865

APPENDIX I

Quotations And Speeches By President Abraham Lincoln

Appendix II

Quotations And Speeches By Frederick Douglass

Appendix III

Quotations And Speeches By Booker T. Washington Address In Atlanta, Ga., September 18, 1895

Appendix IV

Quotations By Abolitionists And Founding Fathers

Appendix V

End Of Slave Trade By States And Countries

Appendix VI

End Of Slavery In The Western Hemisphere

Appendix VII

Recommended Readings

Appendix VIII

Magna Carta

Appendix IX

Declaration Of Independence

Appendix X

Articles Of Confederation

Appendix XI

Northwest Ordinance July 13, 1787

Appendix XII

Constitution Of The United States 1787

Appendix XIII

Declaration Of The Independence Of The Blacks Of St. Domingo

Appendix XIV

Haitian Constitutions Of 1801, 1805 & 1807

Appendix XV

The Slave Trade Act Of 1807

Appendix XVI

Liberian Declaration Of Independence & Constitutions Of 1820, 1839 & 1847

Appendix XVII

Missouri Compromises 1820 & 1850

Appendix XVIII

Kansas-Nebraska Act May 30, 1854

Appendix XIX

The First Confiscation Act

Appendix XX

D.C. Emancipation And Supplemental Acts Of 1862

Appendix XXI

The Second Confiscation Act

Appendix XXII

The Emancipation Proclamation By President Abraham Lincoln January 1, 1863

Appendix XXIII

The Gettysburg Address By President Abraham Lincoln November 19, 1863

Appendix XXIV

Forty Acres And A Mule: Special Field Order No. 15

Appendix XXV

Civil Rights Act — 1865

Appendix XXVI

13th Amendment To The Constitution Of The United States

Appendix XXVII

The Civil Rights Act Of 1866

Appendix XXVIII

The Reconstruction Acts: 1867

Appendix XXIX

14Th Amendment To The Constitution Of The United States

Appendix XXX

15Th Amendment To The Constitution Of The United States

Appendix XXXI

CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1875

Appendix XXXII

CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957

Appendix XXXIII

Civil Rights Act Of 1960

Appendix XXXIV

Civil Rights Act Of 1964

Appendix XXXV

Voting Rights Act (1965)

Another Great Book by the Author

The Relationship Between Government, Economics, And Freedom!

Is The Free Market Manifesto!

About Author

"Hero-worship is strongest where there is

least regard for human freedom"

Herbert Spencer

There are layers and levels to Freedom. It can be sought

spiritually through inner struggling and conquering the negative

passions (covetousness, envy, arrogance, etc.) within and freeing

oneself from idol worship and personality dependencies.

Freedom is when an individual is free to think independently

and do whatever he wants, as long as it is peaceful and without

coercion or force. He does not unjustly destroy anyone else’s

life, liberty, or property. He can reap the benefits of his labor.

He voluntarily practices charity without force for the cleansing

of his own soul. He pays taxes only for the benefits received.

Freedom requires responsibility, and without it, freedom is impossible.

Freedom depends on a limited form of government, a free market

economic system, a system of morality (religion), and one’s character.

‘Limited government,’ a ‘wealth medium of exchange,’ and a right

to private property are essential ingredients for freedom!

Wealth is "all material things produced by human

exertion having exchange value, - demand - supply." It is

‘demand’ or ‘supply’ depending on one’s viewpoint.

Medium Of Exchange is "anything accepted in exchange in

lieu of the wealth form desired." And every individual’s freedom

of life, liberty, and property/pursuit of happiness (which comes

from our Creator, not government) should be protected by

a collective force (law or government) or by himself.

image1.png

THE 13TH AMENDMENT FREEDOM WEEK FLAG

Yellow is for freedom, blue for intelligence, and green for growth. See the cover for a color version.

Yellow is the color of the sun that symbolizes freedom - simply because it shines on all humanity. It is associated with light, intellect, and wisdom; this color is affiliated with awareness and understanding. It also represents a positive future and is linked with optimism.

Light blue is associated with knowledge and intellect. It symbolizes the intelligence that controls the emotions. Blue represents truth, and it is a symbol of heaven. It characterizes the blue sky, vastness, and abundance. It is linked with calmness, healing, and a cooling effect. It portrays water – rivers, lakes, oceans, etc. and is equated with nourishment. Blue is associated with rejuvenation and harmony. Light blue is the preferred color, not the darker blue that can allude to gloominess, sadness, and loss.

Light green symbolizes growth, prosperity, and wealth. It is the color of nature and depicts the earth. It is associated with the spring season, innocence, fertility, youth, and hope. It alludes to eternal life, love, and peace. Light green is correlated with mental and physical relaxation. It represents freedom from depression and anxiety. Green exhibits renewal and rejuvenation. The color comes from a harmonic blend of blue and yellow, and they all share similar characteristics.

‘The 13th Amendment Freedom Week Flag’ is not by any stretch of the imagination to rival the ‘Stars and Stripes,’ or any other flag. It is just a symbol of the Freedom Week Celebration, and if anything, should honor ‘Old Glory.’ The author considers himself an upstanding citizen and a patriot of this country, and he respects the ‘Stars and Stripes’ for the good it represents. He pledges his …allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The phrase "…under God…" is most important and what makes everything else work. The author’s first allegiance is to God - the Creator of the Heavens, the Earth, and all else in between. He feels that America will overcome her present problems and will retain her value to herself and to the world as long as she stays …under God….

"Guard the freedom of ideas at all costs. Be alert that dictators

have always played on the natural human tendency to blame others

and to oversimplify. And don’t regard yourself as a guardian

of freedom unless you respect and preserve the rights of people

you disagree with to free, public, unhampered expression."

Gerard K. O’Neill

Dedications

This book is dedicated to all those brave souls who sacrificed their fortunes, properties, and lives to end that peculiar institution in America called ‘slavery.’ Many of those noble men and women of integrity and fairness are listed in this ‘13th Amendment Freedom Week Manual,’ but some are not. Nevertheless, these unsung heroes deserve the same amount of respect and gratitude as anyone else who contributed to the anti-slavery movement. To these unsung heroes, I say: ‘That as more truths and knowledge surface, your names will be added to the list of heroes in this manual…God willing.’

Black Americans should be grateful to President Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party of his day that strengthened him. In the author’s humble opinion, black people in particular (and Americans in general) owe the abolitionists and the Republican Party a great deal of respect for their bold and courageous stand in such a difficult time of American history. Not only were slaves set free but also the slave masters. Both the blacks and the whites were freed. America as a whole was freed from the curse of the slave trade and slavery itself.

It is the author’s hope that the Republican Party of today will reflect upon the noble spirit of its historic beginnings—when it fought for the freedom of all men. It is to this spirit that this manual is dedicated. The author also hopes that the Republican Party of today will fully embrace those principles that undoubtedly promote freedom, justice, and equal opportunity—and that it will wholeheartedly promote such principles as real ‘free-market’ economics, limited government, and personal responsibility.

History teaches that free-market principles are not credited as the Republican Party’s legacy. Instead, the Republican Party has been reported as starting (to a certain degree) as a party of entitlements, big government, and economic intervention. However, the Republican Party of today, for the benefit of all, must embrace the free market philosophy wholeheartedly. Not only in words but also in its actions. It must also take on the spirit and courage of the ‘Radical Republicans’ who fought for freedom and justice for all. Not the ‘Lily White Republicans’ who assaulted the dignity and self-respect of black Americans and forced them out of positions of leadership and authority within the party. The party that they (black Americans) helped to establish in many southern states.

This Lily White Republican movement started when the founding fathers of the Republican Party, known as the Radical Republicans, had begun to die off in the 1870s. Those radical Republicans fought against the illicit slave trade, slavery, racism and for the rights of all humanity. The Republicans will betray their own glorious heritage and will stand against true freedom, justice, and equal opportunity if they fail to regain the spirit of the founders of the party. Not only that, the future of America hangs in the balance as her citizens patiently wait for a conversion back to free-market economics, limited government, and personal responsibility. These, along with God-consciousness, are the mainsprings to human progress.

Further commemorative thanks and gratitude is expressed for those wise and merciful Quakers who went the extra mile to secure freedom for slaves and their descendants. The same goes for the Methodist Church for its valuable help to slaves and ex-slaves during this critical time in American history. Long live your spirits and beliefs in freedom, justice, and equal opportunity, which were the bridges to black people’s free existence.

Thanks, gratitude, and honor are extended to the slaves and ex-slaves who rose up against incredible odds with only their faith and love for advancement and the promise of freedom. Your dreams, hopes, aspirations, and belief in yourselves and the Creator were the beacons that guided you through the darkness. Thank you, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Booker T. Washington, and others, for your courage and love. Your labor will never be in vain. As long as any descendants of slaves still breathe breath in America, you will be honored and remembered.

The author has only appreciation and gratitude for those courageous and honorable men who taught him so much about the theory of economics and government and politics related to it. If any benefit to the readers of this manual is derived from this endeavor, then charge it to his heart and not his head. If not for all those intellectual giants who came before him and engaged in the historical research and analysis of these subjects, this ‘13th Amendment Freedom Week Manual’ would not have been possible.

On the other hand, if there are any errors and omissions in this manual, then charge these to his head and not his heart. The author’s greatest desire is to seek the truth and make it known in the simplest way possible. He is proud to have been a student of these great scholars, most of whom are mentioned in ‘Appendix VII’ of the recommended reading section of this manual. He publicly thanks them, appreciates them, and prays that God blesses them.

But most of all, he gives thanks to Almighty God, who is the greatest of all. God, the Creator, gets the ultimate credit…without His grace and glory, none of us could have lifted a pen.

Last but not least, this book is dedicated to the author’s son, Idris Abdul Haqq, and all the youth in his generation to whom the author hopes and prays will be guided by the truth, integrity, and courage within these pages and elsewhere. It is the writer’s fervent hope and prayer that our Creator will make them problem solvers and not excuses makers and that they learn that our problems will not be solved by rehashing the sins of slavery over and over but by emphasizing the righteousness of the freedom philosophy.

What any individual and any group of individuals allows to be his or their dominant thought(s) is what he or they will attract in terms of other similar ideas, associates, circumstances, or consequences. If the thinking is negative, then negativity will be his or their experience. On the other hand, positive thoughts will produce a more positive reality. This is based on the law of attraction.

The only antidote for the transgressions of slavery is the discovery and application of the principles of freedom.

It is essential to understand that the flip side of freedom is responsibility. There can be no freedom without responsibility, and it is impossible. If anyone wants freedom, responsibility is a must. Some erroneously think they can have freedom without responsibility, but such thinking will only lead to a new form of slavery.

The author prays and hopes that when the younger generations judge others, they also judge themselves by the word of God and that they absolutely refuse to develop a defeatist ‘victimization mentality,’ but, to the contrary, be victors, with God’s help.

As for those who stood or stand on the wrong side of history, stood or stand for oppression and hatred, then they will have to reap what they sow among men and before our Creator.

Civilization is not inherited; it has to be learned and earned by each generation anew; if the transmission should be interrupted…civilization would die, and we should be savages again.

Will & Ariel Durant, The Lessons of History, 1968

Again, the author gives thanks and acknowledgment to many scholars and teachers who have made a tremendous and positive impact on his personal and intellectual growth and development. Even though he may not agree 100% with some or all of them on every issue and will always reserve the right to be his own man and in control of his own mind, he, without any doubts or reservations, recognizes and appreciates men/women like Merrill Jenkins Sr., Frederick Douglass, Frederic Bastiat, Booker T. Washington, Ayn Rand, Carter G. Woodson, Leonard Read, Ludwig von Mises, Marcus Garvey, L. Ron Hubbard, Robert Welch, Thomas Sowell, Friedrich A. Hayek, Walter E. Williams, and Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. Heroes are to be respected, remembered, and honored but never worshiped.

God, the Creator, is the only object of worship. The author definitely puts no one on a level above or with God and His Word. Nor does he put no one above the Great Prophets of God (Peace Upon them All); they are on a level above all mankind in general. They carried God’s message and were foremost in obedience, submission, and wisdom. They survived through worship! They flourished through worship! They prospered through worship!

Worship includes healing of the body, healing of the mind, and healing of the spirit. True worship is free, conscious, voluntary, and includes freedom from coercion and force — totalitarianism. True worship includes free-market economics and the elimination of poverty and suffering — wealth development. It includes love and forgiveness of oneself and others, not hatred of self and others. Worship includes charity; it is not covetousness. It includes limited free will and choosing total submission to the Creator. Worship is not just about the ritual of studying and knowing. It also is about the science of doing and application. The former is the easiest, and the latter is the hardest.

In the sight of God there is no color line, and we want to cultivate a spirit that will make us forget that there is such a line anyway.

Booker T. Washington

Introduction

The 13th Amendment Freedom Week Manual is a guide to establishing a yearly commemorative week that educates and celebrates the ideals of freedom. It is inclusive, not exclusive. This ‘Freedom Week’ is assembled so that all Americans (blacks, whites, etc.) can benefit from its celebration. It can also include people worldwide, not just Americans, who love freedom everywhere. It is a celebration that helps to heal racial conflict rather than divide. ‘The 13th Amendment Freedom Week’ is not a celebration to simply remember the horrors of slavery. It is a time to remember the ideas and benefits of freedom. This ‘13th Amendment Freedom Week Manual’ lays the foundation for the ‘13th Amendment Freedom Week Movement.’ Together they work to establish the ‘13th Amendment Freedom Week.’

The 13th Amendment Freedom Week Movement is more than just celebrating the occasion when black Americans legally gained final freedom. It includes that, but it is much bigger than that. It is about celebrating the ideas of freedom for freedom’s sake. It seeks out and latches onto all the freedom philosophy’s best ideas, concepts, and principles. It absorbs them into one celebration, one mission, and one movement.

The 13th Amendment celebration is just a launching pad (and symbol) for educating, celebrating successes, and transmitting the freedom culture to future generations. This launching pad is for the creation of freedom, perseverance of freedom, and the prosperity of freedom. It is a movement within a movement — the American Promise! - the American Dream! But, it is a well-coordinated movement with a unified purpose and motivation to support all that is compatible with freedom everywhere. It is not contradictory to the overall good and noble principles of liberty in America.

This endeavor is also being undertaken to help black people in America see and understand their history in a clearer and more positive way. It represents a different perspective than simply the negative, horrific, and traumatizing experiences that have recently been presented to the world, which seems to be the norm rather than the exception. Presenting black history in this light without the appropriate balance of the good that many (black and white) individuals contributed (including sacrifice and death) to black people’s freedom and advancement is to risk developing and perpetuating a defeatist victimization complex. It is a victimization complex that clearly manifests resentment, anger, hatred, and revenge.

History in this manual is presented in such a way as to exercise hindsight in order to learn foresight. History is clearly to be studied and understood, not re-lived. The danger of cultivating a victim’s mentality is that the individual or group developing it tends to take on negative mental attitudes and emotional behaviors that are often self-targeted and self-defeating. It can cause reverse racism and; a sense of despair and isolation, and it can also cause self-hatred and even chronic mental illness.

Political and industrial alienation from society often sets in, which brings about disorientation, confusion, and a lack of clear or logical thinking. It causes a disconnection from one’s own country, fellow citizens, interrelationships, and even from self. Frederick Douglass observed: No people ever did much for themselves or for the world without the sense and inspiration of native land, of a fixed home, or familiar neighborhood, and common associations. The fact of being to the manor born has an elevating power upon the mind and heart of a man. It is a more cheerful thing to be able to say, ‘I was born here and know all the people,’ than to say, ‘I am a stranger here and know none of the people.’

Unfortunately, there are too many blacks in America who love playing the role of the victim. They perpetuate the victimization syndrome as an excuse for not taking advantage of the opportunities they have had but wasted. They use it to justify their anti-American rhetoric or even hatred and militant attitudes towards others – white folks, the man, the system, etc. As a result, their leaders exploit them and make fools out of them for personal gain.

We should remember the words of Booker T. Washington, who said, "There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs – partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs."

He also said: …nor should we permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities. Nevertheless, these black leaders, even today, will try to convince other blacks that they are still slaves. These blacks do not like it when other black men or women say they are free. It is simply a case where ‘misery loves company.’ Black people must destroy the victimization mentality before it destroys them.

Not accepting individual or group accountability and responsibility for their choices but redirecting them to others is a major cause of the victimization syndrome in the black community. It is nothing less than the medical condition called the ‘persecution complex (delusion),’ The perception of being persecuted, for various possible reasons, imagined or real. It is a mental disease that sometimes is treated with therapy and medication.

The persecution complex can lead to alcohol and drug abuse, paranoia, self-condemnation, and other self-destructive behavior (e.g., inner group killings). It can lead to illogical thinking and self-inflicted oppression. This persecution complex is used as a misguided strategy among so-called black leadership to control the black masses, seek reparations, entitlements, and sympathies from some liberal Whites, ‘the government,’ etc. It also is used by some of these Whites to manipulate the black masses politically.

Black Americans’ primary responsibility is to initiate an objective, all-inclusive approach to studying their history. Blacks cannot depend on white America to do this. White America had the chance to reflect American history in an inclusive manner but failed in this endeavor for lack of interest. Or, maybe it was because such honest revelations would unbelievably and disgracefully expose the extraordinary shame, guilt, and hypocrisy felt by many of them. As a result, they did not want to offend one another by telling the truth or doing anything to benefit black people trying to understand their own positive role in American history.

Maybe white America just wanted to hide any black historical achievements to keep the black masses further ignorant of their potential. Regardless of the reasons or a combination of reasons, the truth cannot be hidden forever. Either way, "truth crushed to earth will someday rise again." If the truth was disgraceful, shameful, and guilt-ridden for one party in the equation, then it was that way for all.

Healing, redemption, and making amends come from confronting reality (past or present), not from running away from it. Whites taught American history for decades while excluding black Americans’ contributions to the freedom of this country as well as their intellectual, political, social, and economic achievements. Black men and women of character and courage seldom were mentioned.

Now, some reactionary blacks can be observed as teaching black American history while leaving out (or minimizing) white men and women of character and courage, especially those who supported the struggle for black people’s freedom, dignity, and humanity. As a result, both American history approaches are incomplete and suffer from inaccuracies, half-truths, and insufficient integrity.

Carter G. Woodson is credited with being the founder of Black History Month. He seems to have favored an inclusive approach to black American history, which would be, in actuality, ‘American history.’ He said: In our own particular history we would not dim one bit the luster of any star in our firmament. We would not learn less of George Washington, ‘First in War, First in Peace and First in the Hearts of his Countrymen’; but we would learn something also of the three thousand Negro soldiers of the American Revolution who helped to make this ‘Father of our Country’ possible. We would not neglect to appreciate the unusual contribution of Thomas Jefferson to freedom and democracy; but we would invite attention also to two of his outstanding contemporaries, Phillis Wheatley, the writer of interesting verse, and Benjamin Banneker, the mathematician, astronomer, and advocate of a world peace plan set forth in 1793 with the vital principles of Woodrow Wilson’s League of Nations. We would in no way detract from the fame of Perry on Lake Erie or Jackson at New Orleans in the second struggle with England; but we would remember the gallant black men who assisted in winning these memorable victories on land and sea. We would not cease to pay tribute to Abraham Lincoln as the ‘savior of the Country’; but we would ascribe praise also to the one hundred and seventy-eight thousand Negroes who had to be mustered into the service of the Union before it could be preserved, and who by their heroism demonstrated that they were entitled to freedom and citizenship.¹ This ‘13th Amendment Freedom Week Manual’ will help set the record straight while complementing other studies. Rather than focusing on the horrors of slavery, this manual will focus on the anti-slavery movement in the United States of America, reaching as far back as the American Revolution and concluding in 1900.

Black Americans are an integral part of American society. They must reconcile their differences and issues within the environment in which they live, especially regarding race and economics. It is unhealthy and disadvantageous for black people to be in continuous conflict with their environment. It is counter-productive. No matter how painful past experiences have been, Blacks must wisely work through the pain of the past to build a model community of which they can be proud and prosperous, one that will set an example and guide future generations.

When blacks continually compare themselves to other races, they create a limiting effect upon themselves. It may even backfire and have negative consequences. But if they were to compare themselves to the higher standards, measures, and expectations established by The Creator, that would be much more rewarding. Maybe they can have, do and be better than to whom they compare themselves.

To do this, it will take people who have positive spirits, along with vision and dedication. They will need to demonstrate resilience and resourcefulness. Constant apathy, anger, suspicions, and whining are negative emotions that will not get blacks very far as a people. Black Americans must never forget their past; however, they must learn to forgive when sincere amends are made. They must know their history in order to heal, and they must also learn to forgive in order to heal. As a people, they need to do both in order to advance and go forward; otherwise, their growth will be retarded. Their actions and reactions will be based primarily on emotion, not rational, objective thinking.

Black American history should be presented properly rather than just showing only negative people and their bad behavior toward their victims. It is equally important to know positive individuals’ legal and legislative efforts and the institutions they established that brought about freedom, justice, and equal opportunity for black people. This ‘…Freedom Week Manual’ is an excellent educational tool for schools teaching about American history, the U.S. Constitution, and other historical documents about independence as a nation, as well as the essence, spirit, and process leading to individual freedom.

Some ‘black opinion leaders’ take the position that blacks must repeatedly study all the horror stories of the most gruesome experiences of slavery before they are able to heal. They use the example of a psychiatrist who helps his patient revisit hidden trauma, hoping that it will lessen its negative impact or effect once the individual sees specific experiences. They believe the patient will become well enough to cope with his aberrations’ root cause(s). This is a valid approach for individuals and has been used successfully for years.

However, those who advocate that individuals study the worst of slavery as a healing remedy have not proven it to be successful. To really heal, a person can only re-live his own direct experiences as an individual. He will never heal himself by trying to re-live someone else’s experiences, even if it is a close relative or friend, especially not someone who has been dead for centuries. He can only live or re-live his own experiences and possibly be healed. After he studies the past and understands it, he should shift all his focus to the present and plan for future development.

In terms of history, black Americans today must know the facts and truth as much as possible about what happened during slavery. However, there are many more facts and truths to know in terms of history than just the horror stories of slavery. Just knowing the horrific stories of slavery will not produce healing, and it may have the opposite effect. It may cause the victimization syndrome to contaminate their minds and hearts with all of its negative manifestations. If a person or people have a sickness, it is folly to keep giving them what made them sick in the first place. What is needed is the antidote.

The antidote to slavery is freedom! Things are not brought into existence by thinking about their opposites. If any people want to be free, they must not make a study of slavery and its evil their emphasis. Their major concern should be studying freedom principles and all its opportunities and advantages.

Studying only slavery and its negative effects will make a person mentally ill. Many well-intentioned blacks get so bogged down and stuck in the past that they do not know how to cope with the present. They definitely do not have a clue about how to solve future problems. Some even think that reliving past mistakes is the solution to present and future problems. But, if they would adhere to the freedom philosophy promoted in this manual to what they have observed in the study of slavery, true healing would start to occur. This is the balanced approach, which includes both the knowledge of what happened in slavery and the desire for the potential and possibilities of an evolved social order and culture based on real freedom.

Black Americans cannot afford to believe that just because they did not secure their freedom in America at the beginning of her founding, the ideas of the freedom philosophy should now be rejected. They must not think freedom in America is just a symbol of American hypocrisy or that her failure to protect Civil Rights in the past justifies denying the concepts of freedom based upon natural laws.

On the contrary, the ideas, the conditions, and the realities of freedom can stand on their own and bear witness to the truth and nature’s laws. These noble ideas are independent of time, place, circumstances, or a particular race of people, and they must be understood, valued, and pursued at all costs. The cost, at a minimum, is thinking objectively, independently, and scientifically in search of the whole truth. The costs also include fighting all temptations to look at every issue, event, and person through the biased eyes of race.

This manual also encourages the research of genealogy as a personal connection to one’s family history. Many of the benefits received from this 13th Amendment Freedom Week Manual will depend on individual research, with the many documents provided in the appendices of this book for reference. This manual is by no means the last word on this vast subject. But hopefully, it will encourage individuals who read it to study further and research the freedom philosophy, help promote personal development and advance civilization as a whole.

The ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was completed on December 6, 1865, by the legislative bodies representing 27 out of 36 states. It was this amendment that legally and constitutionally outlawed slavery for all law-abiding citizens in America forever. It invalidated the 3/5th Clause, voided Article IV Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, and ended slavery in Kentucky, Delaware, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. It made it impossible for the slave trade to be reinstated. It also stopped the possibility of the re-institution of future white indentured servants or indentured servants of African, Asian, Native American, Chinese descent, etc.

December 6, 1865, is a day and a time in history that not enough Americans understand or remember. Commemoration of this day in American history should be taught and perpetuated by all Americans - especially the descendants of formerly enslaved people. Most of these descendants will see their true beginnings as free human beings with great promise at this critical time in the history of America.

December 6, 1865, should also be relevant for all Americans because it reflected the aspirations and foresight of the founders of this great country. During the 1787 Continental Convention, these visionary men instituted the Northwestern Ordinance and vowed to end the slave trade. They later incorporated the end of the slave trade in the U.S. Constitution: Article 1, Section 9, clause 1. The official end of slavery in the United States, the author believes, was just an inevitability of their honorable intentions.

With the ‘13th Amendment Freedom Week Celebration,’ we have an opportunity to revisit this history and acknowledge the great men and women who sacrificed their lives and fortunes for the high principles that all men should be free and that another should own no man, woman, or child.

This manual is an opportunity to review essential documents of American history and rediscover their tremendous impact in shaping America’s past, present, and inevitable future. Although many of the individual abolitionists and the institutions they established lived beyond the 19th Century, the individuals, the events, legislations, and documents cited in this manual will conclude at the beginning of the Twentieth Century. However, several important contemporary civil rights documents from the late 1950s and early 1960s are included in the appendices for comparisons, similarities, and connections to those of the Reconstruction era.

The ‘13th Amendment Freedom Week Celebration’ will commemorate the ratification of the 13th Amendment. It will start on the first Monday of the week when the 6th of December falls and will continue for seven days. If there is a conflict in time with other holidays or historical events, the ‘13th Amendment Freedom Week’ should take place as close to the 6th of December as possible.

This ‘Freedom Week’ falls within the school year. This program is set up to have extraordinary educational benefits for school-age children, beginning at pre-kindergarten and continuing through high school. This week-long celebration will also have tremendous value for adults of all ages who take pride in America’s antislavery (freedom) movement. This seven-day span will be a constant reminder of the achievements of the great men and women who contributed to freedom. It will provide a foundation for the continuance of freedom in America through insight and knowledge of the forms of government and the types of economic systems.

The motto and symbol of this great celebration will be ‘Hands, Head, and Heart.’ It was the method of operation that Booker T. Washington practiced, which he brought with him to the Tuskegee Institute from Hampton Institute under the leadership of General Samuel C. Armstrong. ‘Hands, Head, and Heart’ was a way to remind the black masses that the foundation of the economic and social community life rests with the builders and doers in their midst; the craftsmen and traders – the Hands. They would support the educators, politicians, lawyers, doctors, etc. – the Head. And both would have to put their Hearts into their work so that all could be successful.

To Booker T. Washington, ‘Hands’ represented strength and physical activity — actually doing something. Hands may be first because people can theorize all day…even know how to perform a task, but if they never apply the theory with their hands, the knowledge is useless and wasted. He was quoted as saying, An ounce of application is worth a ton of abstraction. The ‘Head’ symbolizes thinking and imagination, which is good if the thinking is not just ‘wishful thinking.’ The ‘Heart’ represents love, commitment, and dedication. It is what makes the other two — Head and Hands — endure and persevere. Heart is important because a person can be a builder, but he may build in vain without real passion and purpose. What he builds or produces may result in actually being useless. He may have the knowledge, but if his heart is not in the right place, his knowledge will be corrupted, and he will be led astray.

A very potent slogan that Booker T. Washington suggested in conjunction with the National Negro Business League (NNBL), which he founded in 1900, was ‘Forward to the Land.’ This slogan will also be emphasized in this celebration week. Booker T. Washington was the National Negro Business League president until his death. The organization established hundreds of chapters within about 34 states throughout America during his life. It still survives today, with a slight variation in its name, as the ‘National Business League.’ The National Negro Business League has had a pioneering and positive influence on black economic development for generations.

Being founded in 1900, the National Negro Business League (NNBL) is the first and oldest national black business organization still in existence in the United States. However, it lost some of its influence when many groups grew out of it and formed their own separate national organizations tailored to their specific line of business. Some of these groups that grew out of the NNBL were: The National Association of Real Estate Brokers, the National Housewives League, the National Negro Funeral Directors Association, the National Negro Insurance Association, etc.

The National Negro Business League was not a business concern in itself. Still, it was an organization established to stimulate and promote the black business community’s industrial, commercial, and general economic interests. This organization, founded by Booker T. Washington, actually functioned like a modern-day national Chamber of Commerce. However, it predated the U.S. Chamber of Commerce by about twelve years. The U.S. Chamber was founded on April 12, 1912. It also was established similarly to the National Negro Business League, except it was to represent the unified interest of U.S. businesses.

Each year Dr. Booker T. Washington would give an address before the National Negro Business League, which should be viewed as a ‘State of Black America’ address. It would highlight the condition of black America, its status as a group, the progress made during that particular year, and what could be done to improve further. His address could be compared to the ‘State of the Union’ address given every year by the President of the United States. Dr. Washington placed great emphasis on black Americans obtaining land. He said, From ownership of the soil comes independence, self-support, happiness, and real manhood rights. ² He also said, A landless race is like a ship without a rudder. ³

Booker T. Washington was not against obtaining college or university liberal arts degrees for his people. But he did not think that degrees by themselves could ever replace handicraft, trade, building, or repair and maintenance knowledge and experience for the masses. He believed that it would take industrial skills and manufacturing capacities to increase the standard of living for black people as a whole. Improving and sustaining the standard of living of the masses through their own initiative and resources was his main focus. Nearly all third-world countries have college-educated citizens. However, the masses in those countries still suffer in poverty because they have no skills and no jobs available. The college-educated in those countries are therefore limited in terms of their numbers and prosperity. There is no vibrant economy involving the masses to support large numbers of the college-educated. Booker T. Washington was wise enough to understand this and tried to avoid this condition for black people.

Some of his contemporary critics said that A man was not a man unless he could vote. They put more emphasis on voting than economic development. They must have thought that blacks could only develop economically by voting wealth out of other people’s pockets into their own. This is based upon the socialist philosophy of wealth redistribution and an egalitarian society engineered by the government through coercion and force. It is unnatural and unjust equality that is based upon force. Ironically, it will lead to suffering and misery for the masses of the people.

This is the basic philosophy promoted by many black opinion leaders today. It has been passed down from that same socialist school of thought that infected many black intellectuals in the early 20th Century. They were misguided into believing that they could solve economic problems with phony political solutions.

But for Booker T. Washington, ‘A man was not a man unless he could first provide food, clothes, and shelter for himself and his family.’ He understood that economic problems had to be solved with economic solutions, not politics. This is why he put a primary emphasis on education and economic development and a secondary focus on voting. For many people, voting was/is a once-every-four-years experience — maybe once every two years. However, Booker T. Washington realized that people had to eat each and every day. They needed a roof over their heads, a place to sleep every single day and night, and they needed clothes to keep from being naked every day. He believed that only the study of sound economic philosophy would provide for these basic needs. That is why he put more emphasis on economic development.

Participants in this celebration week should use as much as possible the information in this manual that fits their respective circumstances or resources. This unique experience is truly a focus on people who fought for freedom. It is also a focus on the principles of liberty and the historical documents that represent the ideals of freedom that shaped and are still shaping the best of America. Participation is strongly encouraged for all Americans (students and non-students) regardless of age, race, creed, culture, religion, or status.

Abolitionists of both races helped black people get their freedom. It is hoped that all Americans will participate and benefit from celebrating the freedoms of all, as outlined in this humble effort. It can establish a ‘new norm’ or ‘new reality’ for people everywhere.

This manual will introduce a new orientation for many as to how black people, and all other Americans, think politically and economically. It is not for those individuals who are bent on seeking out another individual or entity to think and make decisions for them. They are not the ones who love freedom. On the contrary, they are those seeking to be mentally controlled and emotionally dependent on the limitations of another individual or group. It is not for those who desire to live their lives vicariously through another human being, hoping that the other person’s courage, intelligence, and success will be manifested somehow in their own lives. These types of individuals prefer victimhood over responsibility, slavery over freedom, and surrender over victory.

Freedom is for those who seek self-worth that flows from within outward, not from outward to within. It is for those who want true freedom, not fake freedom or some kind of semi-freedom with all types of government regulations and safety nets. They want real and practical freedom, not freedom only in theory.

Black Americans should push for a limited (small) government so that big government does not create and protect pre-existing monopolies of both business and labor. Both business and labor monopolies have established an elite class that limits the inclusion of blacks from entrepreneurship, ownership, and true economic leadership. Emphasis should be placed on ownership rather than employment because when blacks have ownership, they automatically have employment. When they are owners of businesses, they can hire or employ others.

But contemporary black leadership leads the masses around like helpless and hopeless little children. They present them as blind, deaf, and dumb - unable to see, hear, read, or think independently. The only solution advanced for black people’s predicament by this type of leadership is for them to become dependent on big government programs and assistance. The Black masses beg for jobs from monopolies created, supported, and protected by big government. Supported and protected from black competition. These so-called leaders are peddlers of pity and sympathy, resulting in modern-day slavery! They have ignored the wisdom of Booker T. Washington, who said, The world may pity a crying, whining race, but it seldom respects it.

Contemporary black leadership cannot solve the problems of the black masses because they are the problem. Too many want only to change black people’s masters rather than end their slavery. They don’t like the idea of blacks having white masters, but it is perfectly all right for them to have black masters. Having no master at all is out of the question. They sit at the ‘entrance gate,’ blocking progress and drawing to themselves all the intellectual, emotional, and material interest they can from other blacks. They block the masses from creative thinking, independent action, and self-development. These contemporary black ‘leaders’ are quick to say, ‘Follow me’ and ‘I will teach you all you need to know, and I will make you prosperous.’ But they cannot deliver.

When they are gone, the poor masses just sit around and wait for the next ‘leader,’ then the next, then the next, and so on, to tell them how to think and what to do. They put a lot of time and effort into searching for various ‘teachers’ to ‘tickle their ears.’ One day, with God’s help, they will realize that freedom does not consist of replacing one charismatic leader with another or one personality with another. They will learn that it is not personalities but principles that are most important and enduring.

There are those who want blacks to praise and honor men like Marx, Mao, Lenin, Stalin, Castro, Che, etc. These men are responsible for killing (in some cases) millions of their own people and, for decades wreaking havoc on their nations’ economies. They took an unproven communist ideology that was created for all practical purposes in one man’s (maybe two) head(s). They forced it on the world’s masses — killing tens of millions of people in the process. These men took away the people’s religions and stole the people’s property. They held the masses of their people back economically while they lived in luxury and royalty. The new Bourgeois!

These men had nothing to offer black people, and they didn’t have anything to offer their own except slavery and death. Yet some want black Americans to look for leadership in them. No, absolutely not!

For examples of outstanding leadership and solutions to black people’s problems in America, blacks do not have to go outside of America. Black people have examples of some of the best leadership the world has ever produced in America. The solutions to black people’s problems can be found here in America. The Golconda of rich ideas and good leadership is right in their own backyard here in America. There is no need to die in rags, wretchedness, and poverty, indulging in non-survival and suicidal activism.

It is perplexing to many to see black Americans studying and praising those communist and socialist leaders. At the same time, they neglected to study (thoroughly) Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. Black people, including the so-called activists, know very little about these great men – only their names and some surface or introductory knowledge from secondary sources. Few modern black leaders keep that historical connection between themselves and these great leaders of the past.

Unlike white Americans (leaders included) who constantly quote their founding fathers, black Americans (leaders included) unfortunately do not. Most of these modern-day black leaders and their followers want to give the impression that their contemporary leadership, for all practical purposes, came out of some vacuum. Mental manipulations convince them that black history started with them or with someone with whom they identify. Their followers believe they do not have to acknowledge or study any past great leaders.

Although the author states some facts in this manual about the Democratic Party, he is by no means advocating that blacks should become Republicans or anything else. The choice of political support is a personal matter. The Republican Party started in 1854 as the anti-slavery/freedom party and went on to free blacks, and subsequently, it incorporated the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments in the U.S. Constitution. It also passed other historical Civil Rights legislation to help black people. These historical facts must be known and acknowledged regardless of how one feels about either Party.

However, to be fair and honest, the Republican Party is broken today. It is not the same as it was when it first started. The Republican Party and the Democratic Party advocated nearly 80% of the same things, only in different degrees and intensities. In its efforts to outshine the Democratic Party, the Republican Party has become like it in many ways. Today the Republican Party advocates the free market, limited government, and personal responsibility, but it does not practice what it preaches.

Whether or not most Republicans (white or black) truly understand free-market economic principles is questionable. These principles will be more advantageous to blacks and most likely help them excel in this country. Blacks must study free-market economics, the only economic system that can increase their standard of living. Blacks are competitive people by nature and tradition. Freedom and equal opportunity are inseparable. Given true equal opportunity, blacks will excel competitively in sports or ‘song and dance’ and in entrepreneurship, job creation, inventions, and in the corporate boardrooms as business owners and decision-makers.

The Republican Party and (to a very limited extent) the Democratic Party have helped blacks get all the legal rights they will get in this country. Now it is time for blacks to stop only talking about economics and politics, or what some party will do for them, and start taking advantage of their opportunities. This is the time to stop voting to ‘get our share’ from big government. Now is the time to vote that others stop getting shares that do not belong to them. If every special interest group is trying to ‘get its share’ from the government, it only increases the government’s size, scope, and power. This leads to higher taxes for all, a totalitarian government, and less freedom for everyone.

We have gone through the scourges of slavery, the acts of war, and the proclamations of freedom. Now we are in the age of responsibility, and it is time to be about letting positive possibilities seek their expressions.

And for whatever reason an individual feels that he is not free and has no reason to celebrate freedom here in America, there is still enough good information in this book that can be used as a springboard in his quest for freedom, justice, and equality 0f opportunity, if this is their sincere desire.

Now is the time to put less emphasis on grievances and more emphasis on opportunities!

Booker T. Washington

The 13th Amendment

Freedom Week Manual

Celebrating America’s Freedom

Educate While You Celebrate!

Know Freedom, Know Peace!

No Freedom, No Peace!

Chapter 1

FREEDOM - NATIONAL

INDEPENDENCE AND

INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM

The 13th Amendment Freedom Week Manual is not a manual to open old wounds used as an excuse for advocating racism, hatred, and division. It is an attempt to bring balance to the presentation of black history while celebrating historical points of reference for all people who love freedom. The thirteen colonies struggled successfully to free themselves from their colonial ruler, Great Britain. That was ‘independence’ for a new nation and a new government. Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4th each year to commemorate that success.

However, (national) independence and (individual) freedom are not always the same thing. Independence is one thing, but freedom is another. Hopefully, people will have both. But some societies may have only one or neither. Many nations have won or have been given their independence from or by foreign domination. However, the people still did not gain their individual or personal freedom.

National independence exists when a society of people has attached to themselves a particular form of government that is sovereign. Sovereign, in this case, means self-governing. No other government or external power controls, rules, or dictates to it. No group of governments, League of Nations, or nations united into a United Nations that directly or indirectly rules, controls, dictates, or has authority over a sovereign independent nation. There is no outside entity to legislate laws that force citizens within a sovereign nation on how to live, nor is there any outside entity that expropriates, by force, the resources of a sovereign or independent nation. A country independent of foreign powers is also free from foreign domination.

Individual freedom is similar but a little different. Individual freedom actually precedes national governments. The purpose of establishing governments in the first place is to protect God-given freedoms of life, liberty, and property. However, once a government is established, the preservation of freedoms becomes dependent upon it. The government’s job is to remove those harmful elements in society that block positive, creative energy and ensure a level playing field in terms of equal opportunity… not pick and choose winners and losers engaging in economic activity. Government can facilitate freedom, or it can destroy it. Individual freedom is in partnership with national independence and freedom. It is directly related to national independence. Individual citizens are not free if the nation as a whole is not free. Individual freedom is based upon the inalienable rights God gave all humankind. These inalienable rights are life, liberty, and property.

God created life. No government did not. God endowed individuals with the faculty and liberty of thought and intelligence. The government did not. Along with this rational thought, He gave humanity the five senses, consciousness, and conscience to maintain and preserve the life He created. People’s faculties for freedom of thought and intelligence are an extension (or part) of the life that God created. He also blessed humankind with the great Earth full of rich natural resources so that individuals could create wealth and own property. Property is an extension of the faculties of liberty, which is an extension of life. All three are necessary to maintain and perpetuate optimal life and God’s purpose for humankind. Governments did not create life, faculties of freedom of thought and intelligence, or the right to property. God created them. Life, liberty, and property preceded all governments!

The reason for the establishment of government or laws is to protect the life, liberty, and right to property that God created. The government’s proper function and nature are to limit and remove all elements in society by force (if necessary) that destroy individuals’ life, liberty, and right to property. For the government to do anything else is a perversion of itself and the law. This perversion is contrary to its real purpose; in so doing, the government destroys (unjustly) the life, liberty, and property of the individuals it is supposed to protect.

Freedom does not mean being free to destroy life, liberty, and property unjustly. It does not mean practicing fraud and coercion on people. For those who indulge in such behavior, the government does have the right to use force when necessary to detain or destroy the guilty parties. Freedom is essential, God-given, and very serious. Unfortunately, many people fail to understand that if they destroy another‘s life, liberty, or right to property, they may lose their own life, liberty/freedom, or right to property. Justice is blind!

Under a good government functioning correctly as a force for negating dangerous obstacles in society, the people will exercise freedom, personal responsibility, and genuine charity. They will grow in prosperity because they will be able to reap more of the benefits of their labor. Their property will be protected from robbery and fraud. And their wealth will not be expropriated by unjust and heavy taxation or inflation. The government should be limited to this proper function of a negation force only. Included in its basic laws should be a Bill of Rights. The best-known example of a Bill of Rights is embodied in the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States, which are paraphrased below.

A Bill of Rights should protect religious freedom, freedom of speech, and the press. It should protect the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances. Other Bills of Rights should include the right of individuals to keep and bear arms, be free from quartering soldiers in their homes without their consent, freedom from all unreasonable search and seizures, protection from answering a capital or otherwise infamous crime without indictment, freedom from being twice put in ‘jeopardy of life or limb for the same offense,’ freedom from being compelled to testify against one’s self or be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The Bill of Rights should also include the right of individuals to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury…the right of trial by jury in almost all common-law suits, no excessive bail, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

The concept of ‘law’ basically explains what governments and individuals cannot unjustly do to others. ‘Rights,’ on the other hand, state what individuals can do with or without others. The right