When Slaveowners Got Reparations

[L Verge]

I suspect that some of you are aware of the student vote that was taken a week or so ago by Georgetown students approving a fee of $27 on future students to finance reparations for incoming students who can prove they are descended from the enslaved folks who were owned and sold by Georgetown and the Catholic church during the 19th century. I only saw one comment relative to how these students would prove their lineage.

As for Lincoln's work, one of the promises that he made very early to us Marylanders was that the slaveholders of the state would be compensated for manumitting their slaves (any ploy to keep us in the Union). Basically the same system was used in D.C. in April of 1862, when the capital city's enslaved were granted freedom. I believe that Delaware (another border state) received some remunerations for freeing their slaves also.

I am not aware that any Maryland owner was paid for manumitting their slaves. Lincoln also promised that Marylanders would not have to fight against the Confederacy -- then came the draft. His one policy that did work effectively to keep the state in the Union was the sending in of 10,000+ troops in the beginning days to make sure the citizens behaved themselves...