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packman

(16,296 posts) Wed Jan 10, 2018, 02:11 PM Jan 2018

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Most polite "F--K You" letter written by former slave to former master [View all]

After the Civil War, a plantation owner - Colonel Anderson- pleaded for his freed slave to return to help bring in the crop. Financial ruin lay ahead if the fields weren't harvested. Below is the letter Jordan Anderson wrote back from his home in Ohio to his former master:

Colonel Anderson, having failed to attract his former slaves back, sold the land for a pittance to try to get out of debt. Two years later he was dead at the age of 44. Prior to 2006, historian Raymond Winbush tracked down the living relatives of the Colonel in Big Spring, reporting that they "are still angry at Jordan for not coming back," knowing that the plantation was in serious disrepair after the war

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Most polite "F--K You" letter written by former slave to former master [View all] packman Jan 2018 OP

That's great janterry Jan 2018 #1

"Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire." brush Jan 2018 #2

Reminded me of Sironichow Jan 2018 #13

+1000 dchill Jan 2018 #18

+++! And welcome to DU eleny Jan 2018 #19

Where did you find this? Lint Head Jan 2018 #3

it's been around for a long time burnbaby Jan 2018 #4

Yeah, pretty obvious to me it's written much later but trying to sound old-timey ... mr_lebowski Jan 2018 #7

Proportional type? Hello? erronis Jan 2018 #9

I've seen it before but have no idea it's false. How do you know that? brush Jan 2018 #14

how do you know it's factual? nt burnbaby Jan 2018 #15

Well, farther down in this thread, there's a link from the Smithsonian with.. brush Jan 2018 #16

NOPE - Appeared originally in New York paper August 22, 1865 packman Jan 2018 #25

+1 dalton99a Jan 2018 #32

That's wrong oberliner Jan 2018 #38

Thanks for clarifying - but my post was a reply to the doubt cast packman Jan 2018 #44

Are we not men? Marty Marzipan Jan 2018 #6

We are DEVO geardaddy Jan 2018 #10

I would like to know that too. salin Jan 2018 #12

Wow orangecrush Jan 2018 #5

A bit more info ciao_bella Jan 2018 #8

So powerful! lucca18 Jan 2018 #11

Smithsonian has it, maybe it's real IronLionZion Jan 2018 #17

In his time, critics attacked the veracity of... NNadir Jan 2018 #21

Same attitude, unfortunately, of some here who insinuate that a black man could not have written it brush Jan 2018 #34

Yes, unfortunately I see that. NNadir Jan 2018 #39

If you read the orginal 1865 article it was dictated roomtomove Jan 2018 #29

The Smithsonian has it and says noting about it being dictated brush Jan 2018 #33

It was dictated to Valentine Winters oberliner Jan 2018 #37

Wow.. thank you, ILZ.. Cha Jan 2018 #35

i KNOW i have read that letter before, not sure where. pansypoo53219 Jan 2018 #20

This is one of the best letters I have ever seen! mcar Jan 2018 #22

I know, right! Cha Jan 2018 #36

Indeed a great letter. I recall reading it a couple of years ago. iluvtennis Jan 2018 #23

"Recompense" ... Reparations ! Raggaemon Jan 2018 #24

That book is an excellent read. nt irisblue Jan 2018 #30

$11,000 was an incredible amount of money in 1865 bucolic_frolic Jan 2018 #26

Wow. Just wow. What a fine man Mr Jourdon Anderson was. Just wow. MLAA Jan 2018 #27

Wow. PatrickforO Jan 2018 #28

spell check in 1875? Impressive! lol TalenaGor Jan 2018 #31

Spell check??? Please clearify - what are you referring to? packman Jan 2018 #45

little green squiggly line under 'has' towards the end TalenaGor Jan 2018 #48

does my heart heaven05 Jan 2018 #40

+10000000 nt steve2470 Jan 2018 #42

That is a really wonderful letter and... steve2470 Jan 2018 #41

Mmhhmm lsewpershad Jan 2018 #43

Here's his entry from Findagrave.com Momgonepostal Jan 2018 #46

Brings tears to my eyes. The injustice and suffering of that disgraceful Enoki33 Jan 2018 #47