The Speech
By Willie Lynch 1712

 

"Sins Of The Forefathers"

 Gentleman:

 I greet you on the bank of this James River, in the year of our Lord, one thousand-seven hundred and twelve; but before I begin my presentation, I would like to thank the gentlemen of the Colony of Virginia for sponsoring my trip to come and deliver to you the latest, innovative technique for maximizing your investments on your nigger slaves. I am here to help you solve some of the problems you are having with slave uprisings. Your invitation reached me on my plantation in the West Indies, where I have tried and proven some new methods of control. I have combined the newest techniques together with the old technique (rule imposing fear), and I have come up with a sound plan for controlling your slaves. Gentlemen, ancient Rome would envy my plan, if applied correctly.

As this ship sails south on this James River, named after our illustrious King James, whose version of the bible - we cherish, Gentlemen, I have seen enough of your techniques for control to know that your problems with controlling slaves are not unique. The Romans used fear to control their slaves by using cords of wood fixated as crosses with dead slaves mounted on them to impose fear among their slaves, and you are using a similar method of control for your slaves.

Only a few miles up the river, I inhaled the scent of a dead slave, probably hanging from a tree. Gentlemen, you are not only losing valuable assets by these hangings, you are responsible for the increase of uprisings among slaves. Every time slaves run away, you lose profits, you suffer occasional fires, your animals are sometimes killed, and your crops are left in the fields too long for maximum profit; gentlemen, you know what your problems are; do I need to elaborate?

You have invited me here not to highlight your problems, but to provide you with solutions to your concerns for maximizing profits on your investments in slaves. I am proud to say that I have developed a FOOLPROOF plan for increasing profits while giving you manageable nigger slaves. I guarantee if applied correctly, this plan will give you the control you so desire over slaves while improving your profits for hundreds of years to come. This plan is so easy and simple to apply, any member of your family or *overseers can and should utilize it.

Gentlemen, the key to this program is division. In my research on my plantation in the West Indies, I have observed a number of differences among nigger slaves, and I have taken those differences and utilized them as instruments for control, as well as increase in profits. My latest techniques, which I have combined with the old technique to exploit my slaves and gain control over them; are distrust, and envy. The exploitation of these two behaviors have reaped great success on my modest plantation in the West Indies, and they will work for you here in America. I have a list of differences and you must take these differences along with the course of action I have subscribed and apply them; but before I reveal this list to you, I will assure you that distrust is stronger than adulation or respect. My list of differences are as follows:

1.) Age. Take your old slaves and pit them against the young slaves, and vi-versa.

2.) Color. Take your lighter skin slaves and pit them against the darker skin slaves, and vice-versa.

3.) Intelligence. Take your smart slaves and pit them against the dumb slaves, and vice-versa.

4.) Sex. Take your female slaves and pit them against the male slaves, and vice-versa.

5.) Hair. Take the fine hair slaves and pit them against the coarse hair slaves, and vice-versa.

 Gentlemen, I guarantee after indoctrinating your slaves with this plan, it will become self refueling for hundreds or maybe even thousands of years. However, the success of this plan is predicated on having your white servants (slaves) and Overseers distrust all blacks; but it would be imperative that your nigger slaves love and trust your overseers, who in return must give complete loyalty to you. You must have your overseers win the love, trust, and respect of your slaves, by having them do small favors for selected slaves. This important aspect of my plan will yield two significant effects. First, it will give you agents (informants) among slaves; secondly, it will create divisions (envy and distrust) among them by which are the components for control.

Gentlemen, this plan is the key to maximum profits with controllable or manageable slaves -- use it. Never miss an opportunity to apply it; have your wives and children apply it. As I fore-mentioned this is a FOOL PROOF plan, and the good thing about it is, if intensely and properly applied for one year, your slaves themselves will remain perpetually distrustful of one another, because the enslavement would become psychological. Gentlemen, this plan psychologically traumatizes your slaves, which is the mechanism for sustained control with virtually no retaliation. Thank you.

 * Overseers were often black individuals who were called Uncle Toms, or House Niggers