I have
the privilege of teaching a Campus Honors course for freshmen and sophomores at
UIUC (on immigration, race, and labor in America). We begin by reading three
views on the subject from leading politicians and commentators from 1751, 1787,
and 1693. The students will discuss their views on these ideas and relevance to
today.
I invite you to read and comment!
Ben
Franklin (1751): Europe is generally full settled with Husbandmen,
Manufacturers, &c. and therefore cannot now much increase in People:
America is chiefly occupied by Indians, who subsist mostly by Hunting.
Land
being thus plenty in America, and so cheap as that a labouring Man, that
understands Husbandry, can in a short Time save Money enough to purchase a
Piece of new Land sufficient for a Plantation, whereon he may subsist a Family.
So vast
is the Territory of North-America, that it will require many Ages to settle it
fully....
Which
leads me to add one Remark: That the Number of purely white People in the World
is proportionably very small. All Africa is black or tawny. Asia chiefly tawny.
America (exclusive of the new Comers) wholly so.
And in Europe, the Spaniards,
Italians, French, Russians and Swedes, are generally of what we call a swarthy
Complexion; as are the Germans also, the Saxons only excepted, who with the
English, make the principal Body of White People on the Face of the Earth. I
could wish their Numbers were increased.
And while
we are, as I may call it, Scouring our Planet, by clearing America of Woods,
and so making this Side of our Globe reflect a brighter Light to the Eyes of
Inhabitants in mars or Venus, why should we in the Sight of Superior Beings,
darken its People? Why increase the Sons of Africa, by Planting them in
America, where we have so fair an Opportunity, by excluding all Blacks and
Tawneys, of increasing the lovely White and Red? But perhaps I am partial to
the complexion of my Country, for such Kind of Partiality is natural to
Mankind.
John Jay
(1787) (A drafter of the U.S. Constitution): With equal pleasure I have as
often taken notice that Providence has been pleased to give this one connected
country to one united people— a people descended from the same ancestors,
speaking the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same
principles of government, very similar in their manners and customs, and who,
by their joint counsels, arms, and efforts, fighting side by side throughout a
long and bloody war, have nobly established general liberty and independence.
John
Locke (1693) (economist and political theorist who influenced drafters of the
Declaration of Independence, 1776):
Naturalization
is the safest & easiest way of increasing your people, which all wise
governments have encouraged by privileges granted to the fathers of children amongst
the Romans (he is referring to creating citizenship for foreign-born parents
whose children were born in the Roman Empire). And that because People are the
strength of any country or government this is too visible need proof. Tis the
number of people that make the riches of any country.
This
is evident in examples of all sorts I need mention but one & that is the
comparison of Holland & Spain. The later (Spain) having all the advantages
of situation & the yearly afflux of wealth out of its own dominions yet is
for want of hands the poorest country in Europe. The other (Holland) ill
situated but being graced with people abounding in riches.
And
I ask whether England if half its people should be taken away would not
proportionally decay in its strength & riches notwithstanding the
advantages it has in its situation ports & the temper of its people?
If
we look into the Reason of this we shall not think it strange. The Riches of
the world do not lye now as formerly in having large tracts of good land which
supplied abundantly the nation conveniencing of Eating & drinking …. but in
Trade which brings in money & with that all things.
Trade
consists in two parts & plenty of Hands is what contributes most to both.
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