The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story

[Trisha]

This thread is to discuss The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones.

Pages: 624 pages

Length: 1 Month (November)

Participants: Caterina, Lynn, Katelaine, Rebeccal.

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.


Happy Buddy Reading!

[Rebecca]

This is the buddy read I'm starting with this month, and I'm starting it today.

[Rebecca]

I've read the introduction and the first two chapters, and I just stopped in to mention that the second chapter, Race, is filled with triggers (view spoiler)[ for sexual assault (hide spoiler)] and is very enraging.

[Caterina]

Hi Rebecca 👋

I have the book and I plan to start this weekend. Thank you for the tw notice for chapter 2. It seemed like there will be many difficult chapters to read.

For this buddy read, my goal is to read two chapters every three days. I'll post my thoughts here once I start.

[L Y N N]

I will most likely not be starting this until next week. However, since it is essays, I may well read a chapter here and there. Time will tell! :)

[Rebecca]

After not starting this one early, I didn't pick this one back up until today. I read chapter three on sugar. I wanted to note that the mentions of Whitney Plantation reminded me of the Whitney Planation chapter in How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America. Did anyone else get similar vibes?

[GailW]

I haven't read How the Word is Passed yet. Just saw the author at an author lecture a few weeks ago and bought it then. I have finished 1619 but I have to admit it took me months of listening on audible. The experience for me is so much more intense when I'm listening to #ownvoices and not my own. It was that intensity that made me take this in smaller increments. When driving I would find myself filled with rage - not safe on a highway with big trucks for long periods of time. The same goes for refinishing furniture. I would limit myself to one hour for each "sitting". I still can't stop thinking about it. But am very very glad I read it.

[Caterina]

I haven't read How the Word is Passed, but I have previously listened to The History of Sugar on Audible, which also goes over sugar as a slave crop, the inhuman conditions on sugar plantations, and the rebellion in Saint-Domingue among other topics.

I am on page 135 and I will ask the moderators to extend this buddy read to two months.

As Gail wrote, it's hard to read too much of this book in one sitting. It's going to take time to process and absorb all 400 pages.

[Caterina]

Good news: this buddy read has been extended through December.

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

This has been moved to the December Buddy Reads folder.

[Rebecca]

Good to hear. I read the chapter on Fear this week, and I think I’m going to have to eventually read a history of the Haitian Revolution. I hate that I’m reading so slowly. It’s just a lot to take in, and I want to keep reading other books at the same time.

[L Y N N]

So glad this has been extended to December! Thank you!

I just finished the Preface and am now on Chapter 1. So very interesting that I have never even heard of 1619 before this project was published by the NY Times. I am reading this at the same time as The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family for Nonfiction November and some challenge prompts.

I particularly appreciate Hannah-Jones' emphasis on the issue of slavery having been a major motivation for the Revolutionary War and the colonies' independence from Britain. I just read about that about 6 months ago elsewhere and was surprised I was unaware of it. I guess I was unaware that Britain had technically outlawed slavery at that time and then was pushing for the colonies to do the same...

Yeah, as if those greedy white guys were going to refrain from oppressing and exploiting the darker-skinned/African folks for their own financial gain. Ugh. It still makes me want to vomit just thinking of slavery and all the heartache and death it compelled, enabled, and justified (at least in their own minds the slave-owners were justified).

[Caterina]

Rebecca wrote: "Good to hear. I read the chapter on Fear this week, and I think I’m going to have to eventually read a history of the Haitian Revolution. I hate that I’m reading so slowly. It’s just a lot to take ..."

It's surprising how little is taught in schools about slave rebellions. The Haitian Revolution sounds like a big historical event, but I can't remember hearing about it in social studies or history classes.

[Caterina]

L Y N N wrote: "So glad this has been extended to December! Thank you!

I just finished the Preface and am now on Chapter 1. So very interesting that I have never even heard of 1619 before this project was publis..."

I have added The Hemingses of Monticello to my reading list.

In the chapter on Democracy, it was interesting to read the revolutionaries talk about themselves as slaves to the British while many of them enslaved others.

I guess I was unaware that Britain had technically outlawed slavery at that time and then was pushing for the colonies to do the same...

Is this in the chapter? I may have misread or misunderstood some parts. I remember reading there were rumors about the British abolishing slavery and Dunmore threatening to free enslaved people to keep the revolutionaries at bay. (However, the UK outlawed the slave trade in 1807 and slavery in 1833.)

[Rebecca]

I bought The Hemingses of Monticello last summer, so if you decide you want to buddy read that one, I'd be willing :-)

[L Y N N]

Caterina wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "So glad this has been extended to December! Thank you!

I just finished the Preface and am now on Chapter 1. So very interesting that I have never even heard of 1619 before this pr..."
Interestingly, as I keep reading I discover the same inconsistencies in claims regarding the British outlawing slavery. Especially when you consider their tight hold on sugar plantations, transporting/trading slaves, etc, that was ongoing at that time. Although it is not as if governments don't or haven't claimed to outlaw something then they do not enforce it.

[L Y N N]

Caterina wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Good to hear. I read the chapter on Fear this week, and I think I’m going to have to eventually read a history of the Haitian Revolution. I hate that I’m reading so slowly. It’s jus...

It's surprising how little is taught in schools about slave rebellions. The Haitian Revolution sounds like a big historical event, but I can't remember hearing about it in social studies or history classes."
Most all history/social studies at least in the US is from the perspective of 'white males' that anything like that is negligible and to be omitted. (IMO, because it might make us think a bit harder about the institution of slavery, etc.)

[Caterina]

Rebecca wrote: "I bought The Hemingses of Monticello last summer, so if you decide you want to buddy read that one, I'd be willing :-)"

Yes, that would be great! I'm already signed up for four buddy reads in January; any month after that should work.

[Caterina]

L Y N N wrote: "Most all history/social studies at least in the US is from the perspective of 'white males' that anything like that is negligible and to be omitted. (IMO, because it might make us think a bit harder about the institution of slavery, etc.)"

So true. History gets rewritten all the time to gloss over the more horrific events and practices. I appreciate that this book is telling us what gets left out of so many historical textbooks.

[Rebecca]

L Y N N wrote: "Caterina wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Good to hear. I read the chapter on Fear this week, and I think I’m going to have to eventually read a history of the Haitian Revolution. I hate that I’m reading so..."

I'm signed up for four in February, but only have one in March, so why don't we plan for March?

[Caterina]

Rebecca wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "Caterina wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Good to hear. I read the chapter on Fear this week, and I think I’m going to have to eventually read a history of the Haitian Revolution. I hate tha..."


March sounds good! I double checked and I'm actually signed up for 5 books in January and 4 in February 😅

[Truitt_T]

I know I'm jumping in very late, but I'd like to join you in reading The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story.

[Caterina]

Welcome, Truitt_T!

I finished the book at the end of last month and gave it 5 stars. It's a very important read that outlines a different perspective on history than the one we learned in school. I appreciated that it covered so many topics. I do think some of the topics are covered in more detail in other books but that's bound to happen.

[L Y N N]

I apologize for bugging out on you-all. Both my husband and I have been sick the last two weeks of December so I never got to finish this one. I will be working on it and THoM throughout January! :)

[Rebecca]

I’m still working on this one and on The Count of Monte Cristo (In fact, The Count is sitting beside me on the couch right now). I just continue to make slow progress. I think it’s because it’s essays