this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2024
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Summary

A new book, Ricardo’s Dream by Nat Dyer, reveals that Sir Isaac Newton’s wealth was closely tied to the transatlantic slave trade during his tenure as master of the mint at the Bank of England.

Newton profited from gold mined by enslaved Africans in Brazil, much of which was converted into British currency under his oversight, earning him a fee for each coin minted.

While Newton’s scientific legacy remains untarnished, the book highlights his financial entanglement with slavery, a common thread among Britain’s banking and finance elites of the era.

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[–] todd_bonzalez@lemm.ee -4 points 11 hours ago (4 children)

I see no need to go back over history constantly bringing this shit up.

Bringing what up? The truth?

You might as well say that you don't see a need to even observe history if you take issue with people discussing the verifiable fact that Newton's wealth came from slavery.

If anything, it sounds like you might have a vested interest in downplaying information like this. I would be curious to see where your family's wealth came from.

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 10 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Ok, but what do you want anyone to do about it? The guy has been dead for hundreds of years and we can't just pretend that gravity and calculus don't exist because he was a dick.

[–] frezik@midwest.social 11 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

People don't just see Issac Newton as an important scientific contributor. They idolize him. Same for people like Thomas Jefferson. Appreciating history means understanding the full range of the people involved. When things like this are downplayed, it gives in to a narrative of history that supports terrible policies today.

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

I suspect most people would be hard pressed to name anything about him other than gravity.

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 2 points 7 hours ago

I don't think anyone is idolizing him because of slavery.

[–] dumbass@leminal.space 1 points 10 hours ago

This is how I see it, if they were someone from history who was rich, I assume it's because of slavery. It's easier to count the amount of people who got rich without slavery on your hands.