Beto Wants You To Know That His Ancestors Owned Slaves Too

(Medium) Robert Francis ORourke I was recently given documents showing that both Amy and I are descended from people who owned slaves. Along with other possessions listed in their property log were two human beings Rose and Eliza. A paternal great-great-great grandfather of mine Andrew Cowan Jasper owned these two women in the 1850s. There are also records showing that a maternal great-great-great grandfather Frederick Williams most likely owned slaves in the 1860s (most likely" because we are not certain that the Frederick Williams who is my ancestor and the Frederick Williams who owned slaves are the same person but theres enough circumstantial data to lead me to conclude that its likely). Records also showed that Amy had an ancestor who owned slaves and another who was a member of the Confederate Army. Something that weve been thinking about and talking about in town hall meetings and out on the campaign the legacy of slavery in the United States now has a much more personal connection. Ownership of other human beings conferred advantages not just to Andrew Jasper and Frederick Williams but to Jaspers and Williams descendants as well. They were able to build wealth on the backs and off the sweat of others wealth that they would then be able to pass down to their children and their childrens children. In some way and in some form that advantage would pass through to me and my children. That those enslaved Americans owned by my ancestors were denied their freedom denied the ability to amass wealth denied full civil rights in America after slavery also had long term repercussions for them and their descendants.