Debunking The 1619 Project
It’s becoming quite clear that one of the central aims of Critical Race Theory is to delegitimize and diminish the political and moral achievement that is the United States of America.
And with their 1619 Project, the New York Times has weighed in to rewrite American history by deconstructing institutions responsible for our prosperity and our success: free-market capitalism and the United States Constitution.
How? On the grounds that they were deeply interconnected with and irreparably tainted by the institution of slavery in America. To assert their claim, they employ many “big lie” stratagems. Here are some of the biggest:
- America was founded as a “slavocracy” in 1619 and “anti-black racism runs in the very DNA of this country.”
- Americans declared their independence from Britain to protect the institution of slavery.
- Half of antebellum U.S. GDP came from slavery and cotton production.
- Southern planters and slave owners were champions of capitalism. Abraham Lincoln wanted to move freed slaves to colonies because he was a racist.
None of this is remotely true.
To learn what is true, listen to Bill Walton’s conversation with Phil Magness who devastatingly debunks these claims. Phil, a Senior Research Fellow at AIER, is an economic historian specializing in the 19th century United States, who has written extensively on the political and economic dimensions of slavery and is the author of The 1619 Project: A Critique.
The truth is fascinating.
Reprinted from The Bill Walton Experience
Phillip W. Magness
Phillip W. Magness works at the Independent Institute. He was formerly the Senior Research Faculty and F.A. Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at the American Institute for Economic Research. He holds a PhD and MPP from George Mason University’s School of Public Policy, and a BA from the University of St. Thomas (Houston). Prior to joining AIER, Dr. Magness spent over a decade teaching public policy, economics, and international trade at institutions including American University, George Mason University, and Berry College. Magness’s work encompasses the economic history of the United States and Atlantic world, with specializations in the economic dimensions of slavery and racial discrimination, the history of taxation, and measurements of economic inequality over time. He also maintains an active research interest in higher education policy and the history of economic thought. His work has appeared in scholarly outlets including the Journal of Political Economy, the Economic Journal, Economic Inquiry, and the Journal of Business Ethics. In addition to his scholarship, Magness’s popular writings have appeared in numerous venues including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Newsweek, Politico, Reason, National Review, and the Chronicle of Higher Education.
