William Lynch Speech
The William Lynch Speech, also referred to as the William Lynch Letter, was a speech given to an audience on the bank of the James River in Virginia in 1712 to discuss control of slaves within the colony. The speaker, William Lynch, was a slaveowner in the West Indies, summoned to Virginia in 1712; in part due to several slave seditions in the area prior to his visit, and his esteemed reputation of being an authoritarian and strict slaveowner.
In the 1712 speech, Lynch stated that the slave population lacked a common enemy in themselves, according to him the primary method of binding a slave mentally to such a state of submissiveness. The mental state of slavery began in Lynch's proposal that the masters find a common difference and negative sentiment among the slaves, in order that they be thoroughly mistrusting of each others. Among other reasons, Lynch's primary method used to cause hatred between the slaves was a deep division in regards to the skin tones of the slaves. "Light skinned" blacks were commonly fared better under the conditions of slavery under his doctrine; being allowed tasks requiring semi-authority over other slaves, and were generally assinged to task within the house of the slave himself. However, the "dark-skinned" slaves were confined to the fields, to do back breaking labor, and genereally did not enjoy the privelege of the lighter slaves. This, of course, would have cause discontent among the slaves, and thus, execute Lynch's "divide and conquer" method of slave driving.
Lynch also proposed that men be turned against female slaves, that younger ones be turned against elders, and even menial factors such as hair grades, eye colors, and height. Moreover, Lynch proposed that the white slaveowners make sure that the slaves mistrust each other, and to only hold loyalty and the ability of survival to the whites. According to this plan, Lynch said, blacks would be under the yoke of white bondage for 300 years. Lynch's doctrine today, of course, leads to the legacy of slavery still present in today's African-Americans. The presence of "mental slavery" -in which a people a still Psychologically bound to the state of slavery- still exists. For example, during the mid-twentieth century, many were referred to as "black and ugly" Also, one may realize that the castes of lighter and darker tone blacks is still prevalent, as many blacks may be considered "color struck" that is, mental incapacitated to except other members of their race on regard of their skin tone.
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Text of the William Lynch Speech
The alleged text of the speech is as follows:
"Gentlemen, I greet you here on the bank of the James River in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twelve. First, I shall thank you, the gentlemen of the Colony of Virginia, for bringing me here. I am here to help you solve some of your problems with slaves. Your invitation reached me on my modest plantation in the West Indies where I have experimented with some of the newest and still the oldest methods of control of slaves.
Ancient Rome would envy us if my program were implemented. As our boat sailed south on the James River, named for our illustrious King, whose version of the Bible we cherish. I saw enough to know that your problem is not unique. While Rome used cords of woods as crosses for standing human bodies along its highways in great numbers you are here using the tree and the rope on occasion.
I caught the whiff of a dead slave hanging from a tree a couple of miles back. You are not only losing a valuable stock by hangings, you are having uprisings, slaves are running away, your crops are sometimes left in the fields too long for maximum profit, you suffer occasional fires, your animals are killed.
Gentlemen, you know what your problems are: I do not need to elaborate. I am not here to enumerate your problems, I am here to introduce you to a method of solving them. In my bag here, I have a fool proof method for controlling your Black slaves. I guarantee everyone of you that if installed correctly it will control the slaves for at least 300 hundred years. My method is simple. Any member of your family or your oversee r can use it.
I have outlined a number of differences among the slaves: and I take these differences and make them bigger. I use fear, distrust, and envy for control purposes. These methods have worked on my modest plantation in the West Indies and it will work throughout the South. Take this simple little list of differences, and think about them.
On top of my list is "Age", but it is there only because it starts with an "A": the second is "Color" or shade, there is intelligence, size, sex, size of plantations, status on plantation, attitude of owners, whether the slave live in the valley, on hill, East, West, North, South, have fine hair, coarse hair, or is tall or short. Now that you have a list of differences. I shall give you an outline of action-but before that I shall assure you that distrust is stronger than trust and envy is stronger than adulation, respect, or admiration.
The Black slave after receiving this indoctrination shall carry on and will become self re-fueling and self generating for hundreds of years, maybe thousands. Don't forget you must pitch the old Black male vs. the young Black male, and the young Black male against the old Black male. You must use the dark skin slaves vs. the light skin slaves and the light skin slaves vs. the dark skin slaves. You must use the female vs. the male, and the male vs. the female. You must also have your white servants and overseers distrust all Blacks, but it is necessary that your slaves trust and depend on us. They must love, respect and trust only us.
Gentlemen, these kits are your keys to control. Use them. Have your wives and children use them, never miss an opportunity. If used intensely for one year, the slaves themselves will remain perpetually distrustful. Thank you, gentlemen."
Legacy of William Lynch
As stated above, the legacy of the William Lynch Speech is seen today in what is known as "mental slavery"-a psychological state of submissiveness rather than a physical bondage. Many African Americans may be said to be "color struck," that is, influenced or discriminated against others in regards to their skin tone.
Many note that since blacks would be said to under bondage for 300 years, the year 2012 will be a major influence on the Black race.
See also
External Links
Arguments, however, have been redacted against the authenticity of the text. See http://www.freemaninstitute.com/lynch.htm