I know this is an old post ,I came acrossed while doing some research on Long Islands N.Ys slave history. Nothing ive read online has shown what you wrote as factual.Infact the majority of northerners hated slavery many were abolitionists .As far as slave trade in Rhode island, that was between the yrs of 1707 and 1807 .heres a few easy reading links to back up what i say,where are yours?Slavery was still going on unlike what you say down south.Northerners did not start it . lol Youre in Fla huh? lol Slavery has been around lonnnggg before the 13 colonies were even made. If it wasnt for the lots of northerners many slaves wouldnt have found freedom,As far as northerners being the ones that wanted Indians(my relatives also) "exterminated" thats just hate talk. omg trail of tears ...hmmm So EVERYONE SHOULD DO RESEARCH !!!!All anybody has to do is research the Civil War, the largest slave trading port was in Rhode Island, in the North, and when the slave ships docked, US flags flew over the ships. Throught the 18th century 60-90 percent of slaves were controlled by the Rhode Island Merchants. Northeners were the ones that decided my ancestors (Indians) should be exterminated. Lets not forget NY who also led the market of slavery. Even after african slave trading was banned in 1808, the north still smuggled over 40,000 slaves a year. Slavery was not a product of the south as many like to believe, but by wealthy northern merchants. Abe Lincoln himself even admitted to the north being just as responsible as the south. It is a documented fact that the confederate states outlawed african slave trade in the south completely before the war even began. So that flag has nothing to do with race. If the african americans want to be upset, be upset at the northeners who started the slave trading, and the africans that sold their own blood.
http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/history/hs_es...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_W...
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/tl...

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