In the present day, is Juneteenth, the federal vacation commemorating the abolition of slavery – the best triumph of freedom in American historical past. On this submit, I compile some hyperlinks to my writings related to the vacation and its significance. All are posts revealed right here on the Volokh Conspiracy weblog.
“Juneteenth and the Universalist Principles of the American Revolution,” June 19, 2021. This submit explains how abolition was a achievement quite than a repudiation of the rules of the American Revolution, regardless of makes an attempt of some on each proper and left to assert in any other case.
“Reflections on Juneteenth,” June 19, 2024. This submit extends and elaborates on the factors made within the 2021 submit, and condemns the lame tradition conflict over the vacation.
“Slavery, the Declaration of Independence and Frederick Douglass’ ‘What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?'”, July 4, 2020. Douglass’s well-known speech sheds mild on a few of America’s best evils – but in addition on the good good carried out by the Revolution and Founding. This submit – and Douglass’s speech – should not about Juneteenth, as such. However they’re clearly related. Douglass rightly argued that the rules of the Revolution required the abolition of slavery – whereas additionally condemning the hypocrisy of the various white People who claimed in any other case.
“The Case Against the Case Against the American Revolution,” July 4, 2019. A rebuttal to longstanding arguments – superior by critics on each proper and left – that the Revolution did extra hurt than good. The declare that the Revolution one way or the other set again abolition is a central argument of a lot of these critics. I clarify why that argument is incorrect.
