Nikole Hannah Jones (NHJ) reveals in several oral interviews that “A New Origin Story, The 1619 Project” is difficult reading. There are many readers who agree with her. The lack of more photographs throughout chapters adds to the difficulty in reading for some. 1619 was not the year most Americans thought of as “the origin/beginning” of America. That fact alone affected some readers acceptance and understanding of the book before even reading it. Additional pictures might have made it more easily understandable for some. This essay on “Chapter 1—Democracy” illustrates via photographs some democratic concepts discussed.
FREEDMEN and ENSLAVED
Freedmen and enslaved were active participants in all wars Americans have fought since the founding of this country. My 2nd great grandfather, Eli Williams (1845-1913), a freedman, served in the U. S. Colored Troops from 1864-1865. As NHJ writes,
Eventually, some two hundred thousand Black Americans would serve in the Union, accounting for one in ten Union soldiers. An astounding 78 percent of free Black military-age men living in free states would serve in the Union army, even as they faced greater risk than white soldiers.
Eli Williams was Native American, Full Blood Cree-Seminole Cherokee. His race is not acknowledge on the 1850 Census though his name is there. By 1870 he’s listed as “mulatto;” and the 1880 lists him as “Black.” “Negro” Native Americans were also viewed as inferior and thus not expected to fight for their freedom or Blacks though this American land was theirs before whites knew it existed.
According to NHJ, “During the nation’s brief period of Reconstruction, from 1865 to 1877, formerly enslaved people zealously engaged with the democratic process (p27).” So, too, did freedmen like Eli Williams. He married, registered to vote, and voted as a result of rights received under the 14th and 15th Amendments.
My 2nd great grandfather continued participating fully in the American democratic process when he purchased a home around 1907. According to NHJ, on page 28 of The 1619 Project,
…the Civil Rights Act of 1866…provided all Americans the legal right to buy and inherit property, make and enforce contracts, and seek redress from courts.
Though the family sold Eli’s home in the 1950s, the house still exists today.
Eli lived the American dream—was a citizen, married, had a family, registered to vote, voted, worked, and purchased a home. However, the American dream did not extend into death. He and his wife are buried in the historic, segregated Cedar Grove Cemetery in Augusta, GA.
My 2nd great grandfather lived on the edge of democracy. Reconstruction ended and so did the brief period when America appeared to be a fully operating democratic country offering equality and freedom to all its citizens. Eli Williams, a full blood Native American, was denied his natural birthright, labeled mulatto or Negro on Census reports, forced to live in a segregated neighborhood, and had no option in burial.
SUMMARY
America in 2023 is still a country under development. Black Americans continue to fight for freedom based on racial inequality and discrimination. Political, economic, health, and housing disparities persist. Integration did not succeed or proceed as many thought it would. Segregation is alive and well. Eli Williams could be buried in an integrated cemetery today, but might find the majority of those buried nearby Black.
A New Origin Story, The 1619 Project helped me better understand the documents and times in which my ancestors lived. I am grateful to them for their wisdom in planning for their descendants.
My thanks, also, to Nikole Hannah Jones for her research, writing, and invitation to other scholars who contributed to the print edition of this extraordinary work.