The reality is as harsh as it may seem that until 200 years ago nearly every nation every people had slaves and slavery. Britain was the country that removed the shackles world wide with the west Africa core it is a fundamental reason why I am proud of Britain, these things used to be common and we had the vision and drive to do something about it and make slavery illegal and unusual instead of legal and common. This is why looking to history and trying to understand is much better than assuming and blaming. Imagine if one day it became illegal to own pets? Or it became illegal to own livestock, cars, have electricity, have the internet or a tv. People were seen back then as something you could own just as much as we can own those things today, none of those things are unusual to us but slavery is. Now think about how if one of those things was morally wrong but people relied on those things to make a living. You can imagine some pushback against outlawing these commodities. Then imagine after abolishing slavery in your own country you decide to spend the nations wealth on abolishing it world wide now it’s one thing to impose our own laws on ourselves but quite another to apply those to the rest of the world at the risk of having the world try and fight us. Unfortunately slavery still exists today and is slowly coming back in places like Saudi Arabia where you can buy women and castrated males. Or even the camps found across Europe where people have been kidnapped and forced into enforced labour in countries including Britain itself! That’s why if you really have hatred towards slavery the practice aim that hatred to slavery that is happening now, not slavery that happened 200 years ago. Our efforts should be put towards preventing such a thing from ever becoming commonplace again instead of demanding reparations. That would only punish people who never owned a slave instead of the criminals of today that traffic other human beings.
if there's one thing to tell, it's how much more nuanced the whole transatlantic slave trade story is. mind you, no less bad for the criminals, but easier for them to hide. afterwards you can only look at what not to do, and then adjust your life so that you have a beautiful legacy to leave behind.
@@AH-qd7bt The individuals from back then are dead. And what state would you ve talking about? The Apaches and other tribes who took slaves? China that uses slave labor? Nigeria? Somehow the only target in these debates is the United States. And the people so outraged about slavery from over 100 years ago and longer aren't really outraged or even concerned enough to bother their little heads with the 25 million slaves in the world right now today. 😏
@@AH-qd7bt you can thank the USA for contributing to the abolishment of slavery. Slavery was legal for tens of thousands of years until it came to the shores of North America where people fought their governments in England and the United States to make slavery illegal for the very first time ever in history. You are welcome. By the way, slavery still exists in Africa today, right now, as you read this.
@@shane_asylum it still exists in the US. Prisoners can be compelled to work - it's the loophole. It accounts for over 30% of US manufacturing output, and accounts for why private prisons are just so darned profitable.
We must stop judging the past by the standards of our time. And while it might be painful, our society today is vehemently fighting to keep an abomination legal like people did about slavery. Should today’s world be canceled?
The problem is that there is too much to be gained today by using the sins of the past and staining other people alive today with those sins and then using that stain to extract wealth, privilege and advantages from their guilt. Mr Harriott here has had to confront the truth that he may not be owed that guilt from his fellow man the way he thought he was because of the perceived sins of their ancestors. Hopefully this makes him a wiser man for it.
Yes. Just to teach it a lesson. But COVID failed, climate change effects are too slow, and I'm beginning to lose hope in a comet coming and obliterating us all. So I guess I'll have to settle for mankind doing itself in through stupidity and recklessness. Anyway, have a great day.
I want to know about the relationship with James and Priscila and their child Ebenezer . Does he talk or document that life time ? Did Priscilla also live in that house?
You’re looking at it in the context of today’s thinking. Of course it’s abhorrent now! It was average life then, like cooking over burning wood or washing in river water. Two hundred years from now we’ll be looked at as unenlightened too.
@@ptaylor4923 : ? The problem I have with people being upset that it happened 150+ in the past is because it IS happening NOW. It does ZERO good to have you be mad if you’re going to IGNORE it now!!!
Thats what happens when you try to be too righteous. Our families and our heritage goes back through things we probably dont want to know. Roots is the right name for this show. YOUR family Ainsley helped to make the slave trade what it was. We have to move on and accept what we did was wrong in some cases.
Ainsley Harriott if you look at him closely looks like an English man covered in deep chocolate brown complexion. I know he is British English-Jamaican, but he talks like a proper English man, if you know what I mean...
A bit of a moral dilemma if you were there in the past, Would you rather purchase slaves and treat them well, Or rather let someone purchase them who'd mistreat them. I don't think you'd have the right to make them free yourself.
@@bigboi2724 Im sure that happened more often than we realized. Look at the majority of the US Founding Fathers, many of whom were abolitionist, but owned slaves. They new that freeing them too soon could mean someone else stealing them and treating them poorly, while keeping them would feel hypocritical but they could be treated well. We can debate "how well" they may have been treated, but we also have to look at the time and standards of the day, not how well they would be treated today.
What should be considered is how Ainsley's ancestor treated those slaves. Did he give them a good life? Did he keep them safe? Did he make sure they received an education?
We only have to read the accounts the punishment given out to the enslaved who tried to runaway - brutal and cruel indeed. Why would you run if you are treated good!
rather being sad about his own slave trader ancestry (boohoo, poor me) maybe he should feel sad about the modern slave trade. there are people out there that need rescuing from slavery right now. go and do something about that. there's nothing you can do about the past.
This is a bit selfish of you to say. Well its expected because you wouldn't have a clue of the impact especially spiritual impact that these extreme atrocities has planted today and affected those of color. But no sin goes unpunished. The children have eaten the soar grapes of those before them. Yes, we need to rid every system that was founded based on slavery then and slavery in modern times today. If and when that system is completely destroyed, it will be a whole lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth. We must all face the problems that were planted yesterday that grew into crops today. We cannot continue hiding the dead bodies and throwing bones over a fence. They will be found.
He is disappointed his ancestors owned slaves. He would be sad if his ancestors were slaves. Which would you prefer? BE THANKFUL your ancestors were free & pray the slaves were treated decently.
Would you have the same attitude towards those who ancestors were either murdered in the holocaust or escaped it? If not why? And please don't include any time period in it as a human is a human regardless of time.
*"It really bothers me" ...Why? it was allowed under law, you can't point your morality on the past when you didn't live under those old times you fool.*
I agree with you that he shouldn't feel addressed. However, I disagree with you on the "it was legal" reasoning. although this is a fact, there were already abolitionists who knew that keeping slaves was completely wrong. as you could not own another human being. this idea arose quite early on but was ignored for a long time. the argument it was allowed, so it was okay, nullifies their work in my opinion, atleast somewhat.
@@marcelschellekens6386 you know, slavery is as old as humanity, it wasnt an invention that we suddenly realised was a bad idea. humans keep other humans as cattle. still happens today in certain countries, you know where.
We are not responsible for the choices our ancestors made, but we ARE responsible for doing Better.
This is what I tried to say but I was not articulate enough to express!
exactly
Yes! Absolutely
@@IAmTheStig32 EXactly, i mean.. who cares. His ancestors sins are not his sins. Same with my family. I've enough to worry about with my own issues.
But we all will pay for them
This story is way more interesting than most bcs it blows the doors off secrets and lies from the point of view of those who had no voice.
There are no secrets here just things people don't want to hear.
Honestly though if he fixed the place up abit it could make for a decent holiday home
He probably doesn't want to be reminded of the place where his grandparents were slave owners.
@@Kopie0830 Thank you, solitary voice of reason!
This is the most hilarious comment I've read in a while
The reality is as harsh as it may seem that until 200 years ago nearly every nation every people had slaves and slavery. Britain was the country that removed the shackles world wide with the west Africa core it is a fundamental reason why I am proud of Britain, these things used to be common and we had the vision and drive to do something about it and make slavery illegal and unusual instead of legal and common. This is why looking to history and trying to understand is much better than assuming and blaming. Imagine if one day it became illegal to own pets? Or it became illegal to own livestock, cars, have electricity, have the internet or a tv. People were seen back then as something you could own just as much as we can own those things today, none of those things are unusual to us but slavery is. Now think about how if one of those things was morally wrong but people relied on those things to make a living. You can imagine some pushback against outlawing these commodities. Then imagine after abolishing slavery in your own country you decide to spend the nations wealth on abolishing it world wide now it’s one thing to impose our own laws on ourselves but quite another to apply those to the rest of the world at the risk of having the world try and fight us. Unfortunately slavery still exists today and is slowly coming back in places like Saudi Arabia where you can buy women and castrated males. Or even the camps found across Europe where people have been kidnapped and forced into enforced labour in countries including Britain itself! That’s why if you really have hatred towards slavery the practice aim that hatred to slavery that is happening now, not slavery that happened 200 years ago. Our efforts should be put towards preventing such a thing from ever becoming commonplace again instead of demanding reparations. That would only punish people who never owned a slave instead of the criminals of today that traffic other human beings.
Omg!! Really?!
@@lunarose1066 yes, I am 100 per cent certain my family had nothing to do with slavery. Also we paid and paid the debt to the slave owners.
Just as Ainsley is NOT responsible for the actions of his ancestors, neither is anyone else! We are only responsible for our OWN actions!
if there's one thing to tell, it's how much more nuanced the whole transatlantic slave trade story is.
mind you, no less bad for the criminals, but easier for them to hide.
afterwards you can only look at what not to do, and then adjust your life so that you have a beautiful legacy to leave behind.
The past is to be learned from and not lived in, during the present.
Jamaica is truly a gorgeous island
I feel like he came full circle in a way
Should Ainsley Harriet be told to give reparations due to his family line benefiting from chattel slavery?
Ofcourse yes if it is supposed to come from individuals and the state who benefited from this horrific trade
No.
@@AH-qd7bt The individuals from back then are dead. And what state would you ve talking about? The Apaches and other tribes who took slaves? China that uses slave labor? Nigeria? Somehow the only target in these debates is the United States. And the people so outraged about slavery from over 100 years ago and longer aren't really outraged or even concerned enough to bother their little heads with the 25 million slaves in the world right now today. 😏
@@AH-qd7bt you can thank the USA for contributing to the abolishment of slavery. Slavery was legal for tens of thousands of years until it came to the shores of North America where people fought their governments in England and the United States to make slavery illegal for the very first time ever in history.
You are welcome.
By the way, slavery still exists in Africa today, right now, as you read this.
@@shane_asylum it still exists in the US. Prisoners can be compelled to work - it's the loophole. It accounts for over 30% of US manufacturing output, and accounts for why private prisons are just so darned profitable.
I think he should restore this old building and turn it into a place of healing
Absolutely!
I would Guess most all humans now have a past in some way like this!
True story, in one way or another.
Go back to early Roman times a lot of Shute people was slaves
The same as ancient Egypt
Yeah, pretty much.
We must stop judging the past by the standards of our time. And while it might be painful, our society today is vehemently fighting to keep an abomination legal like people did about slavery. Should today’s world be canceled?
The problem is that there is too much to be gained today by using the sins of the past and staining other people alive today with those sins and then using that stain to extract wealth, privilege and advantages from their guilt. Mr Harriott here has had to confront the truth that he may not be owed that guilt from his fellow man the way he thought he was because of the perceived sins of their ancestors. Hopefully this makes him a wiser man for it.
@@Zundfolge he appears wise to me
Yes. Just to teach it a lesson. But COVID failed, climate change effects are too slow, and I'm beginning to lose hope in a comet coming and obliterating us all. So I guess I'll have to settle for mankind doing itself in through stupidity and recklessness.
Anyway, have a great day.
History is not all shinny stars... parades and loveliness... The truth hurts. We must remember, learn the truth and not repeat the sins of the past.
I want to know about the relationship with James and Priscila and their child Ebenezer . Does he talk or document that life time ? Did Priscilla also live in that house?
Why is the grass perfectly mowed if it's abandoned?
Did you see all the piles of what look like cow manure in the grass. I suspect cattle are keeping it trimmed through grazing.
Grass needs sun to grow, I imagine the house and the trees around block most of the sunlight, it also depends also on the climate and season.
Cow s
@@darrenpowell7225 moooooo
You’re looking at it in the context of today’s thinking. Of course it’s abhorrent now! It was average life then, like cooking over burning wood or washing in river water. Two hundred years from now we’ll be looked at as unenlightened too.
I bet you are American?
Well, unenlightened enough for you to ignore the 25+ million slaves in the world today
@@ptaylor4923 : ? The problem I have with people being upset that it happened 150+ in the past is because it IS happening NOW. It does ZERO good to have you be mad if you’re going to IGNORE it now!!!
@@q8gyj26s Aw... it's blame Americans time again. 😏
@@ptaylor4923 USA is obsessed with race, very strange country.
wonder if he would have legal claim to that land
Thats what happens when you try to be too righteous. Our families and our heritage goes back through things we probably dont want to know. Roots is the right name for this show. YOUR family Ainsley helped to make the slave trade what it was. We have to move on and accept what we did was wrong in some cases.
When you say we, who are you talking about?
@@ashyclaret Not you!
Did he find out about his Mother's side of the family and Pricilla?
I would think that he has part ownership in that property!
So, he owes the country and society that gave him so much a big, big apology.
Ainsley been dancing all his life
Ainsley Harriott if you look at him closely looks like an English man covered in deep chocolate brown complexion. I know he is British English-Jamaican, but he talks like a proper English man, if you know what I mean...
we an be better,, humans can be,, all humans i hope will be on one day no race just one human family
We already are - they just fear us finding out. Peace, cousin!
A bit of a moral dilemma if you were there in the past, Would you rather purchase slaves and treat them well, Or rather let someone purchase them who'd mistreat them.
I don't think you'd have the right to make them free yourself.
True, i wonder if any slaves became good friends with their owner.
@@bigboi2724 Im sure that happened more often than we realized. Look at the majority of the US Founding Fathers, many of whom were abolitionist, but owned slaves. They new that freeing them too soon could mean someone else stealing them and treating them poorly, while keeping them would feel hypocritical but they could be treated well. We can debate "how well" they may have been treated, but we also have to look at the time and standards of the day, not how well they would be treated today.
As far as I know freeing slaves was possible.
Was Ebenezer raised as a legitimate child ?
They Enslaved people. People were not slaves. They were humans. There is a big difference.
If statues of past slave owners are being torn down perhaps Harriott should be cancelled. Perhaps he should pay reparations.
What should be considered is how Ainsley's ancestor treated those slaves. Did he give them a good life? Did he keep them safe? Did he make sure they received an education?
That's true actually, Because slavery couldn't be avoided then!
Slavery apologist!
We only have to read the accounts the punishment given out to the enslaved who tried to runaway - brutal and cruel indeed. Why would you run if you are treated good!
rather being sad about his own slave trader ancestry (boohoo, poor me) maybe he should feel sad about the modern slave trade. there are people out there that need rescuing from slavery right now. go and do something about that. there's nothing you can do about the past.
This is a bit selfish of you to say. Well its expected because you wouldn't have a clue of the impact especially spiritual impact that these extreme atrocities has planted today and affected those of color. But no sin goes unpunished. The children have eaten the soar grapes of those before them. Yes, we need to rid every system that was founded based on slavery then and slavery in modern times today. If and when that system is completely destroyed, it will be a whole lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth. We must all face the problems that were planted yesterday that grew into crops today. We cannot continue hiding the dead bodies and throwing bones over a fence. They will be found.
Why is he acting like he was the slave owner?.
He is disappointed his ancestors owned slaves. He would be sad if his ancestors were slaves. Which would you prefer? BE THANKFUL your ancestors were free & pray the slaves were treated decently.
Bruh
Actually he wanted his ancestors to be slaves. Victim mentality.
Would you have the same attitude towards those who ancestors were either murdered in the holocaust or escaped it? If not why? And please don't include any time period in it as a human is a human regardless of time.
Get over it. Grow a pair. It ain't all about YOU .
Until you discovered that someone had murdered your great grandfather!
The show is literally all about him, it’s called “Who Do You Think You Are?”. He’s not the presenter, he’s the subject.
@@SirBenjiful Are you his lover ????
*"It really bothers me" ...Why? it was allowed under law, you can't point your morality on the past when you didn't live under those old times you fool.*
I agree with you that he shouldn't feel addressed.
However, I disagree with you on the "it was legal" reasoning.
although this is a fact,
there were already abolitionists who knew that keeping slaves was completely wrong.
as you could not own another human being.
this idea arose quite early on but was ignored for a long time.
the argument it was allowed, so it was okay, nullifies their work in my opinion, atleast somewhat.
just because it was legal doesn’t make it right.
@@marcelschellekens6386 you know, slavery is as old as humanity, it wasnt an invention that we suddenly realised was a bad idea. humans keep other humans as cattle. still happens today in certain countries, you know where.
@@Gruxxan So! It still never made it right.
Your username bothers me, you fool