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The principal author of the 1619 Project, a collection of essays that has been criticized by historians across the ideological spectrum for its inaccuracies, may lack familiarity with when the Civil War started.
In a tweet earlier this week as part of a longer discourse, journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her work on the New York Times-published material, wrote the following:
“We did not stop the expansion of slavery, and enslavers dominated the presidency, Senate and Supreme Court until 1865, when the North was reluctantly drawn into a war that ultimately ended slavery.”
We did not stop the expansion of slavery, and enslavers dominated the presidency, Senate and Supreme Court until 1865, when the North was reluctantly drawn into a war that ultimately ended slavery.
— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) January 3, 2022
Hannah-Jones subsequently conceded that the message was not expressed properly and there was nothing to see here.
“It was poorly worded, I meant until 1865 ended the war, which the North had been reluctantly drawn into. I realized people want to catch me up. I doubt anyone believes I do not know when the Civil War started. But, it is what it is.”
It was poorly worded, I meant until 1865 ended the war, which the North had been reluctantly drawn into. I realized people want to catch me up. I doubt anyone believes I do not know when the Civil War started. But, it is what it is.
— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) January 3, 2022
“The New York Times’ 1619 Project is a long-form collaboration that seeks to ‘reframe the country’s history’ by bringing slavery and racism to the forefront of the national narrative,” Fox News explained.
An analog to critical race theory, the basic premise of the much-hyped, politicized journalism endeavor is that 1619 – when slaves first arrived on our shores – rather than 1776 was the year of America’s founding.
Another key premise is that the American colonists allegedly sought independence as a way to maintain the abhorrent institution of slavery.
Left’s lauded 1619 Project largely ignores at least one hugely significant historical fact https://t.co/lcbnHkCpXe pic.twitter.com/dFNpmLj5cr
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) August 4, 2021
Despite its questionable scholarship, the 1619 Project has been incorporated into the American history curriculum of some school systems around the country.
Echoing many on the divisive left including failed Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, Hannah-Jones said during a recent “Meet the Press” appearance that “I don’t really understand this idea that parents should decide what’s being taught.”
“I’m not a professional educator. I don’t have a degree in social studies or science,” she also admitted, even though she teaches at Howard University and runs a journalism center there.
Dr. Carol Swain: 1619 Project’s Nikole Hannah-Jones outed herself as an author of ‘creative fiction’ https://t.co/tjVN9Jpdp9
— Jack Furnari (@JackBPR) December 30, 2021
Liberal Princeton University history professor Sean Wilentz is one of those researchers who have called out the 1619 Project, particularly Hannah-Jones’ lead essay.
He wrote, in part:
…As I would later confirm with the foremost scholars of the subject who know far more about the Revolution than I, there is no evidence of a single colonist expressing support for independence in order to protect slavery. The 1619 Project’s claims were based not on historical sources but on imputation and inventive mindreading…Indeed, at the time of the Revolution, there was considerably more in the way of anti-slavery politics in the colonies than in Britain proper. These are elementary facts…It required no advanced knowledge of American history to understand the perversity of The 1619 Project’s lead essay’s treatment of the Revolution. If it were a high school history paper, that discussion alone would have been grounds for failure…
Twitter is schooling Hannah-Jones’ on the “poorly worded” historical miscue. Here is just a sample:
The North was far from reluctant about it. One might consider reading the newspaper and other official publications. Better yet the journals, notes memoirs and diaries.
— Scott “this is as far as the [email protected]@rds are going.” (@ScottC20012) January 3, 2022
I believe you didn’t know when the Civil War started. You do now, because your replies did the job a 30 second Google search could have done if you were so inclined.
— Florida Man Walks Into a Bar (@flcodeslinger) January 4, 2022
That’s strike 2 on History. Care to take a swing and miss at the final strike? How can you possibly think you are correct with your 1619 fantasy when you make a big mistake with basic history, then make another when you try to correct yourself? Also, it’s not hard to catch you
— David Johnson (@gwdeckard) January 6, 2022
Your “correction” to a “poorly worded” post is still poorly worded. Let me help you since your degree in journalism doesn’t seem to be helping. “…into which the North had been reluctantly drawn.” That’s correct grammar. Wrong facts, but correct grammar.
— Domesticated Ranger (@realRonLink) January 6, 2022
It makes me wonder if you realize that it was a Republican Abraham Lincoln who ended slavery. Or whether you realize that the KKK was started by the Democratic Party.
— Killoran Fiander (@KilloranFiander) January 6, 2022
Don’t underestimate yourself. I, one hundred percent, believe that you didn’t know when the Civil War started until you were caught out.
— Furious George 🐢 (@NYPinstripes67) January 6, 2022
If that is what you actually wanted to say then your grasp of grammar is worse than your knowledge of history. G-d bless. Have a nice day.
— Dolly_World (@dolly_note) January 6, 2022
It was more that you seemed to diminish the role of the North in fighting the Civil War, when plainly, they did and at great cost.
— JamesHeartfield (@JamesHeartfield) January 4, 2022
Getting basic facts completely wrong is now “poorly worded”. Pathetic
— Lesko Brandon (@gertdogg) January 4, 2022
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Robert Jonathan is a staff writer for BizPac Review. He is a longtime writer/editor for news aggregation websites and has also developed content in the legal and financial publishing sectors as well as for online education. He earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut School of Law, “a law school the basketball teams can be proud of.”
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