A Prince of Tolerance Offers Lessons for the Future of Race Relations

As approval ratings for America's first Black President continue to soar, I'd like to point out that two of our early Presidents, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, owned Black slaves, and Thaddeus Kosciuszko, a Polish general, tried to buy those slaves -- and free them.

Kosciuszko arrived in Philadelphia in August of 1776, where Benjamin Franklin put him in charge of building forts. George Washington ordered Kosciuszko to draft the blueprints for West Point, the same plans that Benedict Arnold tried to sell to the British, and Thomas Jefferson sent the Pole to Paris to negotiate the freedom of American seamen after the XYZ affair.

Jefferson said of Kosciuszko: "He is as pure a son of liberty, as I have ever known, and of that liberty which is to go to all, and not to the few or rich alone."

After the revolution, Kosciuszko made Jefferson the administrator of his last will and testament, in which he instructed the founding father to use his money to buy slaves and free them, and to give them each 100 acres of land, farming tools and cattle, so that they could earn a living as free citizens of the United States. But Jefferson never carried out that will, and a lawsuit wound its way through the courts for decades, until the will was thrown out by the United States Supreme Court in 1852.

In 1908, Israel Losey White, literary editor of the Newark Evening News, wrote, "This will is an unwritten chapter in American History. It is possible that if its suggestions had been followed, there might have been no Civil War in the United States, and the race problem of today would not be so perplexing to economists."

African Americans are not the only people that suffered from discrimination in this country. In fact, the United States has always had a totem pole of bigotry, where the latest arrivals were notched in at the bottom of the shame pole.

The exception to this rule was the treatment of Native Americans, who were here first. Yet they were abused and killed by white Europeans. Already in the 1790s, Kosciuszko stood up for these tribes, and chief Little Turtle of the Miami tribe visited him in Philadelphia to give him a combination tomahawk-peace pipe as a sign of appreciation. Kosciuszko took what he had learned during the American Revolution to Europe, where he started a revolution to try to end another form of slavery, feudalism, in which feudal lords enslaved white serfs. And because Jews were taxed unfairly, Kosciuszko took on their cause as well. His friend Berek Joselewicz started a Jewish cavalry to fight alongside Kosciuszko. It was the first wholly Jewish military unit since biblical times. Even a black man named Jean Lapierre traveled to Poland to fight for white serfs, and Kosciuszko also welcomed Sunni Muslims into his army.

The fact that American historians have ignored Kosciuszko is also due to bigotry. His story does not fit into the cookie-cutter framework that the United States was simply founded by WASPs. That's why the stories of people like Kosciuszko, and his friend Haym Solomon, are also ignored. Solomon was a Polish Jew who immigrated to New York and financed much of the American Revolution.

Every ethnic group in this country can tell you how they suffered indignities when they first arrived. Irish-Americans remember the "Help Wanted -- Irish need not apply" signs. Chinese Americans know that the phrase "Chinaman's Chance in Hell" refers to the dangerous jobs they were forced to take placing explosives on mountainsides to clear the way for the transcontinental railroad. Japanese-Americans are still pained by the concentration camps that their families were held in during World War II. And the Pollack jokes that my parents had to face when they arrived were simply dreadful.

It is not until new ethnic groups learn to speak English and reach a modicum of success before they are tolerated in the United States. These days, many look with a suspicious eye at new arrivals from Mexico, Muslim countries, and elsewhere. We must get over our fear of newcomers. They come here for a better life, and they are eager to work hard.

Kosciuszko's motto was that he fought "for your freedom and ours." He understood that all people yearned to be free. Without question, America is the greatest country in the world, but we must remember that this is because we are the melting pot. Other nations look to us for inspiration, and the new immigrants that arrive on our shores send back lessons about American freedoms to their own countries. The United States has an incredible opportunity to encourage other nations to achieve freedom on their own terms. That is why we should learn about the histories of other lands, and even that of our own country, as it really was, and not just some feel-good formula.

Comments

[pepjin2]

Remarkable story indeed. I beg to differ with the assertion that the US is the world's greatest nation. We've been falling behind on several development, and social indicators for years now. It can be argued that countries such as Norway and Denmark, though not as large or influential, have done better in fostering freer, more equitable societies. http://www.aneki.com/comparison.php?country_1=Norway&country_2=United+States

[Suburbanite]

Mr. Storozynski neglects to mention that because of Kosciuszko’s direct contributions, the United States won its war of independence with Great Britain.
Kosciuszko was put in charge of selecting the spot to stop a British advance down from Canada. He chose a heights outside of Saratoga and designed the fortifications. The British attacked and attacked without success and weakened their numbers so that the Americans were then able to counter attack and the British had to surrender. Gen. Horatio Gates credited Kosciuszko with designing the victory.
It was the American’s first victory and, as a result, led to the French deciding to support militarily and financially the colonies fight for independence. Without this aid it is doubtful if the war would’ve gone in the favor of the Americans. Certainly, at Yorktown, without a French fleet blockading Gen. Cornwallis’ escape, that (final) battle would’ve turned out differently.

[clearthinker2008]

"where the latest arrivals were notched in at the bottom of the shame pole."

This is untrue, no matter who comes here they are always considered above blacks.

[Osmona]

And whats even sadder, is even the immigrants who come to this country consider "themselves" better than Blacks. And these people have come here on the "backs" of Black people. Martin Luther King fought for civil rights for ALL people and Blacks are the last to receive Civil rights. If you don't believe it, check out the statistics during this recession. It's a damn shame.

[jcwtts1]

Part of integrating into America, in becoming American, has always been hatred and disdain for blacks. That is changing, but it is a cultural artifact that is difficult to change. As long as the dominate hegemonic group in the country, white men, are perceived as hating blacks, the immigrant populations, as they endeavor to fit in will also hate blacks.

[jcwtts1]

"The exception to this rule was the treatment of Native Americans, who were here first." And blacks who were brought here against their will. Add that statement and I love the piece. There is not a ton we can do about pushing Kosciuszko into the mind of older Americans but I know a ton of history teachers at private schools. This story and this post are going to make the rounds, and I'll push it where I can. Thomas Jefferson believed deeply in slavery, he didn't even free his own children upon his death. It doesn't mean he wasn't the Jefferson we all know from elementary school history, but it does mean we only have half the story.

[marignymitch]

Kosciusko, Missippi, is named in his honor, despite spellling error. And early resident of that town served with the general and was a fan.

[mykelb]

As a Gay American, I can tell you that my contemporary queers are sitting at the bottom of the proverbial totem pole and we are being kept there by this Administration's complicitness through apathy on DOMA, DADT, marriage, taxes, and a host of other issues. I have decided that after the Clinton's, and now Obama, that I have fought long enough (40 years) on my issues, and that it is time to move to a country that already has equality.

[clearthinker2008]

This is untrue, no matter who comes here they are always considered above blacks. Besides, gay BLACK American women are the lowest, but I feel your pain.

[Gidster]

Haven't you heard? there are no Black homosexuals.....

[jhNY]

Thanks for allowing me the chance to learn more about this exceptional and remarkable man!

[Sinick]

Thank you ever so much for turning me on to Kosciuszko, who I recognize only from the West Point incident and the bridge named after him. Like you pointed out, there's a little bigotry involved in this fact. However, I am not surprised because history is written by the victors of the day.

This is the type of man that we should all aspire to be. I have to learn more about him!

[TRUE BLUE AMERICAN]

For some reason people like Storozynski can't grasp the world in the context of reality. Name a place in the world where you can go without someone looking down upon you or not accepting you right away. This tendancy to be a little bit skeptical at new arrivals is part of being human.You will never overcome this tendancy, never. Some people that come here do harmful things which can set a precedent for furture people who come to America. I don't know where Alex comes from but America is a different duck all together, and that's the way I like it. Come to America through the front door,keep your nose clean and learn the language. Hard workers that assimilate into OUR way of living will do just fine, I know this because my grandparents did it.

[jhNY]

With the exception of Blacks of course, who were looked down upon in every era of immigration by not only the WASPS at the top, but very often by the newest immigrants as well. It's a large part of what made minstrel shows successful entertainment for a century plus. And please don't imagine that Blacks are an exception because they didn't work hard enough. They've done more work for less pay (AFTER emancipation) than any other group to come here by boat. And I'm writing this as a descendant of colonists who arrived in the New World before the French and Indian Wars-- on both sides of my family-- and nope, I'm not a Black man.

[clearthinker2008]

Thank you for stating that so eloquently. I'm a lesbian black women, who seems to have a permanent place at the bottom in the eyes of others. Few whites will understand your point though.

[jhamm1]

"Without question, America is the greatest country in the world, but we must remember that this is because we are the melting pot. Other nations look to us for inspiration, and the new immigrants that arrive on our shores send back lessons about American freedoms to their own countries."

Not quite. In fact, not even close.

The prospect of being the world's only remaining super-power in conjunction with an economic strength that attracts unprecedented numbers of immigrants looking to support themselves and families does not a "greatest nation" make.

Furthermore, the plights of the past 8 years have resulted directly out of America's refusal to learn from other nations who have been around for a considerably longer period and thus recognize the all-too familiar patterns of politicians exploiting fear and desperation in effort to seize and abuse power. Some of my Estonians friends are here largely because of a the economic opportunity provided, yet retained bitter memories of the Soviet occupation, and found the fanaticism of Americans who vehemently supported George W. Bush on his excursion into Iraq as all too reminiscennt of the fanaticism which enslaved their country.

On the day that Bush announced "Operation Iraqi Freedom" to the sound of unequivocal cheers and applause, one of my friends shook her head in disgust, saying "The Americans are no better than the Soviet Union was."

[jcwtts1]

And your friend would be wrong. Iraq was a mistake. It was a lie. It was an oil grab and while I agree with your friend that it is similar to what the dead USSR did in Afganistan, it is not quite the same. The problem with your critique of the greatest nation on earth argument is that part of what immigrants come to the country for is money, and part is freedom. There are 20-30 countries they could go to, heck, why not go to Canada instead of the US. People come here because of the chance to live a free life. Friends of mine from the middle east are in awe of what people are allowed to do in America. I remember asking them "Allowed?" That is part of why people come here, the most important part. Since the 1600 people came to America to expand their opportunities, to reach for freedom and to build a life without a rigid caste system. Not sure where you are from but the US, specifically, has saved the world twice, has defeated communism, defeated Fascism, policed the world (to our benefit some of the time) and saved millions of lives with aid and medicine and scientific advances. We criticize our country because it is our country and we can. But take you USSR nonsense and take a walk. Tell your Estonian pals that we freed Estonia and they can thank us and go on their way any time.

[Gidster]

Why is America the greatest nation?

It is #39 in health care, #11 in per capita happiness, #8 in GDP per capita, #16 in education.

That is a long way from the greatest........

As far as personal freedom, No complaints here......