Triangle Trade
Yesterday work was BORING. I mean it was soo boring, it was just hard not to play games( which I got caught doing) or pester my co worker with lots of stupid questions about her( because while I didn't care about her- she was THERE and thus something to occupy my mind).
And of course the OTHER thing that I thought about, was what I was going to do AFTER work. It being the 4th of July, I would see one of my favorite movies- 1776 for like the zillionth time( I see it at least once a year sometimes more). I love this movie for several reasons- good music(most of the musical numbers are very well done), good actors( William Daniels ROCKS!) and a good story- the founding of the United States.
Now as a kid I couldn't care less about history. I don't like memorizing dates and names, and find I'll remember a STORY better then a textbook. So when a friend introduced me to 1776 I learnt more about the American revolution and the U.S.'s founding fathers then I had after several years of 'American history' in High School and college. Same goes with reading Gore Vidal's Lincoln- I felt I knew more about Lincoln and his presidency after reading Vidal's book then I did after taking many classes which mentioned the Civil War.
Now I figured I wouldn't be able to see the WHOLE movie as even though I was bored, it was a long day- made longer by a stupid bus driver who ended up making me soo mad I walked about a mile home; BUT I decided I wanted to see a specific number- the Triangle Trade aka Molasses to Rum to Slaves. It's sung by John Cullum( who played the old guy married to Shelly on modern Exposure, and Dr. Green's dad on ER) who played Edward Rutledge of South Carolina; a slave owner. Now I will admit that once or twice, when I've watched the whole movie I've skipped over this song as it's sorta disturbing in a moving way. The set up for this song is that Jefferson, himself a slave owner, has written in the Declaration of independence a line basically accusing the English of the Slave trade. John Adams, Dr. Franklin, and Hotkins from R.I. basically declare how they are against slavery- cue music for Rutledge. He points out a) that while New Englanders are technically against slavery and don't own slaves that it's New Englanders who sail the ships to Africa laden with 'bibles and rum' and b) that if the New Englanders want the South to join New England in the Revolution- they'll continue to let the South own slaves.
I think it's good that a play that's meant to CELEBRATE all that's good with this country and our fight for freedom, it includes the 'big debate' over slavery. They easily could've skipped over this and it still would've been a good play but by including this it makes it a GREAT movie/musical.
As I watched the song and then the reactions- how Adams looks defeated and Franklin realizes that they first need freedom for themselves before they can give freedom to others. With this in mind, I looked at Adam's next number a little different. After molasses to Rum to Slaves, Adam's next song is "Is Anybody There?",... when he gets to "I've crossed the Rubicon...' I thought maybe it's at that moment that he realizes he has to give up on slavery( which he does) to get the south to join him in the revolution.
Of course, if it even NEEDS to be said, I'm totally AGAINST slavery. I'm just saying I'm glad that they added this layer to the play. and it makes you wonder why it took so long to get rid of America's peculiar institution, esp. as Adams and Jefferson were both presidents.
(My ancestors didn't come to these shores till the early part of the 20th century so fortunately they can't be accused of having anything to do with the slave trade.)
And of course the OTHER thing that I thought about, was what I was going to do AFTER work. It being the 4th of July, I would see one of my favorite movies- 1776 for like the zillionth time( I see it at least once a year sometimes more). I love this movie for several reasons- good music(most of the musical numbers are very well done), good actors( William Daniels ROCKS!) and a good story- the founding of the United States.
Now as a kid I couldn't care less about history. I don't like memorizing dates and names, and find I'll remember a STORY better then a textbook. So when a friend introduced me to 1776 I learnt more about the American revolution and the U.S.'s founding fathers then I had after several years of 'American history' in High School and college. Same goes with reading Gore Vidal's Lincoln- I felt I knew more about Lincoln and his presidency after reading Vidal's book then I did after taking many classes which mentioned the Civil War.
Now I figured I wouldn't be able to see the WHOLE movie as even though I was bored, it was a long day- made longer by a stupid bus driver who ended up making me soo mad I walked about a mile home; BUT I decided I wanted to see a specific number- the Triangle Trade aka Molasses to Rum to Slaves. It's sung by John Cullum( who played the old guy married to Shelly on modern Exposure, and Dr. Green's dad on ER) who played Edward Rutledge of South Carolina; a slave owner. Now I will admit that once or twice, when I've watched the whole movie I've skipped over this song as it's sorta disturbing in a moving way. The set up for this song is that Jefferson, himself a slave owner, has written in the Declaration of independence a line basically accusing the English of the Slave trade. John Adams, Dr. Franklin, and Hotkins from R.I. basically declare how they are against slavery- cue music for Rutledge. He points out a) that while New Englanders are technically against slavery and don't own slaves that it's New Englanders who sail the ships to Africa laden with 'bibles and rum' and b) that if the New Englanders want the South to join New England in the Revolution- they'll continue to let the South own slaves.
I think it's good that a play that's meant to CELEBRATE all that's good with this country and our fight for freedom, it includes the 'big debate' over slavery. They easily could've skipped over this and it still would've been a good play but by including this it makes it a GREAT movie/musical.
As I watched the song and then the reactions- how Adams looks defeated and Franklin realizes that they first need freedom for themselves before they can give freedom to others. With this in mind, I looked at Adam's next number a little different. After molasses to Rum to Slaves, Adam's next song is "Is Anybody There?",... when he gets to "I've crossed the Rubicon...' I thought maybe it's at that moment that he realizes he has to give up on slavery( which he does) to get the south to join him in the revolution.
Of course, if it even NEEDS to be said, I'm totally AGAINST slavery. I'm just saying I'm glad that they added this layer to the play. and it makes you wonder why it took so long to get rid of America's peculiar institution, esp. as Adams and Jefferson were both presidents.
(My ancestors didn't come to these shores till the early part of the 20th century so fortunately they can't be accused of having anything to do with the slave trade.)
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