I like your video's. I wondered if you were mixed, but I didn't want to ask that out of respect, but you answered that in the beginning of your video. You're a brother of truth, peace and blessing

History has winners and losers. Slavery is at its greatest numbers today and some are still stuck in the past.

It's sad to see people young and old denying that Scotland's economic progression, and the rest of the imperial core, were testament to the trans-atlantic slave trade. They'll happily denounce (if they were taught this far) that the government that allowed coal slavery (a lot of white working class slaves) was bad, but won't utter a word about the slavery a while ago. We're not asking people to accept responsibility, just to understand the progression from feudalism, to slavery, to late-stage capitalism.

You cannot be responsible for what happened in the past if you were not there - justifying it in the present may or may not be valid depending on what the actual facts are.

@@descent-gq5my Now it is the other animals that are in chains. Whose side are you on?🌱

@@descent-gq5my The side of justice.☮

@@descent-gq5myYou do not even have a history. Your channel is devoid of content. A reflection of what is in your head maybe?

Just like we, the distant benefactors of slavery, are far removed from the reality of where our wealth and privilege as a country derives, in the future people may look back on the fossil fuel industry in a similar light: As consumers we’re far removed from the effects the industry has on people’s lives and entire countries, it’s just so normalised - like slavery was for millennia. It’s wrong and impossible to directly compare oil extraction to the slave trade. but to end fossil fuels, to ‘just stop oil’, the perpetrators are likely going to be compensated in order to stop - much like slave traders were. It’s disgusting. Naomi Klein details this comparison much better than I can in her book ‘this changes everything’. It’s about how the challenges of mitigating the climate crisis within a capitalist system…

@@hellohi2598 The only possible way to end the capitalist system is to have a revolution that can replace the capitalist system with a social structure that is better and more advanced in every way. Veganism is such a revolution.🤔

Wow, thanks!

YOU Benefit from the Slave Trade. YOU benefit from the fruits of Britain's Imperial past - so YES you ARE Responsible. In 1919, About 1000 unarmed Indians in Amritsar were MURDERED in Cold Blood by British Troops, and the British REFUSE to apologise or ask for forgiveness. In the 1950s over a Million Kenyans were imprisoned in Concentration Camps where Thousands were Tortured. And Every Single One of those Camps flew the Union Jack. And Every Single One of the facilities where the Tortures took place had a portrait of the Woman EVERY Briton adored, Elizabeth II. And Britain refuses to apologise for the Camps and the Tortures and Britain REFUSES to ask the survivors or their families for forgiveness. And those aare only TWO of the many, many atrocities carried out in the twentieth century in the name of the British Empire and from which Britons, to this day benefit..... YES. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE....

Ofcourse the fact is that EDO State's (Nigeria) main economic source was for more than a thousand years ...SLAVES. So its interesting that you seem to be being apologetic towards at least one person from a slave trading nation, one which both actively went on wars to attain slaves and smaller (!) slave raiding parties for the same reason and which Britain despite many attempts to peacefully get the King (I'm not sure he may have styled himself as a Sultan) to abstain from the trade finally they went to war with EDO, I think the war lasted less than 4 hours..result? end of the slave trade there.Pity you didnt point out that Britain paid the final loan for a world wide war on the slave trade in the first decade of the 21'st century ( close to three TRILLION US Dollars) , or the role that West Indian soldiers played fighting in AFRICA , having been recruited into West Indian regiments specifically to help fight against slavery, so it was possible to have been born in Africa worked for a sort while as a slave then join the army and return to Africa to eradicate slavery, also any slave who joined the Army was automatically made a free man, despite his owner probably standing in front of an officer swearing blue blind the slave was his and waving a bit of paper as proof, the officer saying in return that in principal the slave having taken the Kings Shilling he was now part of the Kings property ( the army or Navy). I have seen a genuine belgian slave whip and whilst even before that loathed vehemently slavery ( it was made of three iron ingots linked to together to a hardwood handle) I believe seeing it, that one blow if it caught you around the head, you were a dead man. the true fact is that you three are free men because of a LOT of white people who also loathed slavery, You should have made mention of the Baptist Pastor Knibb' the Nortorious' who did a humongous amount in the 1700's and very early1800's to destroy slave OWNERSHIP, he was a pastor in the West Indies to both black and white's and was hated and detested by Plantation owners.....And yes I did watch to the end :) Its also a pity the african slave trade has restarted its trade, I wonder who'll stand and be counted this time Britain has bled itself dry too may times this past 2 Centuries.. I wonder who'll bleed red blood on a hot alien land this time to free a people not his?

@@homie3461 "If anyone has to pay reparations, it's them not we common folk." Nobody should be even talking about reparations, unless it is a reciprocal and fair discussion, otherwise it is simply one sided vengeance, nothing to do with "justice". A huge part of such a conversation would be the more than a million Europeans including huge numbers from the British Isles taken as slaves by the North African Barbary States. The treatment of those slaves easily compares to and was often far worse that Africans taken across the Atlantic. In reality, no such nonsense should be discussed in any seriousness at all, otherwise we might just go back to imprisoning and punishing children for their ancestors crimes in general.

@@homie3461 "The captains of the Barbary Corsair ships including English, Scottish, Irish, Dutch, Greek..." And your point is? Under whose control did those pirates operate? You are also describing the positive experience of a tiny minority of Barbary slaves. Shall we talk about the Black African slave owners in the Carribean and mainland Americas, as if that was the norm - they also did pretty damn well for themselves after all - or would that ruin your pathetic straw grasping? "Islam allowed for the free of slaves, if the individuals were willing to convert." "Allowed for" is the point. Again, it was by no means the average so you are cherry picking yet again. "Sorry but that line of argument is just right wing, racist nonsense whataboutery." Oh is it now? Twisting history and being a muslim slavery apologist is good in your books though right? Fairness, or equal treatment of equal crimes are obviously alien concepts to you. Anyone using silly overused terms these days like "right wing, racist" has lost any argument before they even started. Get lost you joker.

😥😩💔😓

why do you feel uncomfortable

Not entirely true about the average day Scott benefiting from the trans-Atlantic slave trade because the average person had to repay the slave owners via the 'government' ie TAXES. The UK government only just paid off those slave bonds in 2015, and I bet your bottom pound that the taxes of the average Scott have not been reduced since 2015 so y'all technically are paying taxes for bonds already paid off 8 YEARS ago. The 'compensation' for the slave owners was just another sham of the government transferring wealth from the ordinary people to the elite wealthy..as is going on today.

Brilliant comment no hiding places, it's kinda funny how us Scots are the great oppressed but became the great oppressors, God help us to put in servile chains these amazing people. A national disgrace

Well said. some people need to just listen and absorb, and contemplate before speaking.

Which is why I've always been very jealous of Johnny 5's input and processing speeds! 🤖💜

@@LimeyRedneck Steph an nee

Thanks

Fellow Gourockian here. The Town Crest has been the centre of a lot of discussion over the years, & I think it's entirely right to reassess our public spaces. This is part of what inspired me to do research into the crest's history & heraldry, & I was quite surprised by what I found. Nearly everything that is "known" about the man in the crest - him being a slave, the water, etc - is mostly derived from the last century, from a book written in 1908 that merely assumed that it was "emblematic of the slave trade" even though the crest was first issued in its original form in 1894 (the bicentennial of the town's recognition as a burgh). A sort of folk etymology, like Greenock's name being derived from "Green Oak." Yet unlike the coats of arms of John Hawkins, Burnaby of Kent, the Donellans, he doesn't have manacles, chains, or bindings, which would indicate his status as a slave. In fact, the Gourock man bears more resemblance to the "wild man" figure of clan Livingstone, Murray, Macfarlane, Schaw, & Wood, in every respect save his colour. The more I looked into heraldry & history, the more convinced I am that whoever the Gourock man is, he was not a slave. But would I have even bothered to challenge the common belief if not for the current reappraisals of Scotland's history? If it wasn't for the focus on slavery, I might never have learned about the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a troupe of freed slaves who started their European tour in Gourock; or of Dan Crawford, a missionary who was instrumental in saving lives from genocide in the Congo. So even though we must confront the past without fear or favour, sometimes you can be surprised.

@@alharron2145 I have heard, or more appropriately seen written down, a few different versions over the years of why that particular image is used on the coat of arms and to be honest, I never feel completely convinced one way or the other. Discussion and reassessment is always good and can do nothing but open minds to the different perspectives and their ramifications…maybe if the creators of the crest/coat of arms had discussed, reassessed and written down the thought process behind their decision making, we wouldn’t be left feeling confused and conflicted about the imagery chosen. Though I do believe that good and bad has its place, just not always as a representative but not necessarily locked away either. Openness, discussion and learning are the only way we grow as a caring and inclusive society.

My older brother lived in Gourock for years. I’ve frequented all it’s pubs, swam in its sea pool, had a lovely Indian curry house as well. Great place.

For answers look into negro family coat of arms Europe. The crest you are talking about was not a slave, but the owner. More than likely a Jacobite, if you want to go really deep into this, then the Spanish inquisition is the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, Pope Nicholas Dum Diverses 1485?

Yee! Gawd! Thanks for this offering. My understanding of history keeps growing. The insidiousness of slavery and who benefits unto the present makes me want to cry in grief. What a sneaky sin! How much do l still not know...and consequently am a bit complicent in my ignorance? $#@*!! Something else for me to improve. 😵‍💫

Interesting

They weren't very socially minded back then and the people black or white didn't count for very much. As you mentioned the heroes of the Armada when they returned to port the queen did not have the money to pay their wages. legally she had to pay them when they were released so she hit on a compromise, they kept them on the ships until they starved or died of wounds. Even by the stands of the time this was considered wrong and the commanders went to tell her what was happening. When they arrived she was too busy attending a celebration but her treasurer saw them and observed that if more of them died it would save the queen a lot of money. Just how many died after saving her royal ---- doesn't seem to be recorded but I think eventually there was a public subscription to help them. As an afterthought Francis Drake has been caught up in the current fashion for disowning unacceptable heroes. It was thought that it would be possible to recover his remains from the bottom of the Caribbean and bring them home with all due ceremony. The Royal Navy didn't want to know as with some justification he is now more regarded as a pirate than an admiral.

@@freebeerfordworkers Oh I know all about how tight fisted Liz was. She let them die rather than feed them or care for them. I'm an ex-matelot. I know what Liz did to my forbears.

@@freebeerfordworkers This is something I'd never heard before. Really shocking. Thank you for sharing.

I met a couple in the early 80's in Plymouth and I was convinced the wife had black heritage, I hope they found out more about it...

@@KC-gy5xw Regrettably, it's not that expansive. It, for want of a better phrase, merely touches on their participation. Though we know that for e.g. Drake shipped at least 1200 slaves across the Atlantic.

Glad you enjoyed it!

much love ✌

Another excellent video- story of our " Scotlands" history.

Wow, thank you!

...or myself for that matter

That was kind of my point with regard to the phone

But in Ireland we go one better we claim that we were the first slaves before the Africans because we were cheaper and millions of people believe it. Even though Irish historians have denounced it. Google "the Irish slave myth" . The Irish were indentured not enslaved as where many early immigrants to America including Benjamin Franklin's forebears. Of course the much reviled penal laws against Catholics prevented most Irish from indulging in the slave trade. But only in Ireland - they relocated to Liverpool where they're able to carry on as everybody else and Irish exiles in France dominated the supply of slaves to the French colonies. Google "Irish in the Atlantic slave trade" for an article in history Ireland setting the whole thing out. History is never simple

There's no nation on earth that hasn't been involved in slavery. It was the natural way of things till we on this island decided to stop it, for the largest part across the globe. If not for this tiny island, slavery would still be common practice

and then there's the "heathens" that refused to acculturate to British/ join the Christian religion that were Rounded up and shipped off as slaves @homie3461

To say there was no nation in the world not involved is no excuse. We still played our part..and this went back to pre 1707. After 1707 it may have increased certainly but to say it wasn't there before is also untrue. While it is an uncomfortable part of scottish history it is a part and should be acknowledged and accepted.

@homie3461 these self flagulation types have to feel the guilt. It's about them, not about what actually happened

Ah thanks, and thanks so much for the coffee

Was big on BBC news in 2015 when the date passed, shocks me personally that people are only learning this now 8 years later.

Indeed!

"guilt for your ancestors" is exactly the kind of vicarious liability that never ends well...

Absolutely and it ends up being used by many to justify their own bad actions as well.

I'm Port Glasgow born and bred and it wasn't until the last few years where we've become more educated about Inverclyde's role in the slave trade where it's become more apparent. My Irish family wouldn't have found work and refuge here in the Port and Greenock if it wasn't for the wealth created by slaves and exploited by slave owners

Do you actually think the people from Greenock benefited from it I was back there in July, what a dump. and I also think that the working class had little to do with it, the elites are to blame or as we called them the upper class, normal people just struggled to survive, the amazing thing is that the elites now call us racist, don't be fooled by the elites, they will always want to put the worker down, like they are doing right now, welcome to the great reset ENJOY

My folks across the pond feel the same! 💜

Great vid. Keep up the outstanding work.

The ghosts of the transatlantic slave trade will forever be there. It’s a case of making peace with them rather than trying to hide the whole thing under the carpet as previous generations have done. For instance, how many people of primarily African-American heritage carry European DNA, because of the rape carried out bye, slavers, sailors et cetera. It’s part of us.

Thanks so much!

Good comment!

Cheers

My pleasure!

Thank you kindly!

Missed them? I didn’t go anywhere

@@ScotlandHistoryTours no I did have been unwell.

I try

Thanks for listening

Thank you

I never saw much benefit when I was back in Greenock from Aussie in July,

It was good fun

@@ScotlandHistoryTours or was it Bridge of Allan lol

My parents gave gave me a lot of information that is just coming out, my surname is Campbell. They came to UK in mid 50's and never seemed to have had any racial attacks on them, they just worked, smiled and said hello. My dad was a BIG man, and he would make people talk to him! Hah!

The British puritanical narcissism engrained within its culture wont let it process the real role it’s played in world history. Slavery was kept one step away from the British public and profit is considered the highest moral good.

@@bartalbone4348 "puritanical narcissism..." need you say more?

@@Ye_Olde_Duke_of_Edinburgh depends how it was received?

Thank you too!

Thank you so much 😊

Absolutely!

And yet there is a certain group of these taxpayers who rant and rave against the idea that reparations should be paid to those who were descended from the enslaved yet not giving a shit about their tax money being used to compensate the wealthy descendants of slave owners.

'Twas easy and fun

What are you talking about to enslave. groom. cuckoo and traffic is disgusting. What I want to know about is how come some people like the Frazers are still rich yet others are travellers?

@@chloebradley-almond5911 Yes it is disgusting but the when you look into history it’s a subject that requires emotional detachment to avoid making excuses for the crimes within history. I don’t know why the Frasers are still rich and others are travellers because I don’t know much about them.

😢

Much appreciated!

😅😅😅😅

The very people who sold there own people into.

What about it? This is a piece about Scotland and it’s connection with the triangular trade. If you want to learn about the slave trade in Africa then watch an article about it.

@@tedwarden1608 I mean the obvious purpose of the video is to push this white guilt agenda.

@@claytonbrown4760excellent point conveniently overlooked as no reparations coming from t Africans to Africans in any form. Its always about $

Thanks

Judy, I also live in Florida. I doubt very much that anything would change the current governor's mind. What Bruce has covered here is unfortunately part of my heritage. It will be up to me that my high school aged charge knows the unvarnished truth of slavery.

There has been slavery on every continent, white people enslaving black people, black people enslaved white people and every race in between. Non of it was good ,it was a brutal different time and thank God we have moved away from that. But now a blame game has now started and it's divifing us once again . Look forwards not backwards, look for how we are alike and not different. We are all God's children and we should love our fellow man.

Our pleasure!

It's only the US that has green as the colour of its banknotes, or bills as you call them. Other countries don't.

Humans desire green more than they fear red.