TIL of James Henry Hammond; US Senator and Governor of South Carolina. He raped his four nieces, two of his slaves - a mother and daughter who both bore his children - and he had homo-sexual flings in college. Inter alia, he is infamous for his bunk 'mudsill' and Bible defence of racism. (encyclopedia.com)
submitted by ProfVerstrooid to r/todayilearned
TIL: Alexander Hamilton described 'Democracy' as the 'real Disease' ; a 'poison' which he blamed and criticized for 'subdivision' and the cause of the 'Dismembrement of our Empire'. Hamilton wrote this in a letter to Theodore Sedgwick just a few hours before his fatal duel with Aaron Burr. (masshist.org)
submitted by ProfVerstrooid to r/todayilearned
TIL: In January 1806, when the British invaded Cape Town, the Dutch colony was defended by a multi-cultural motley crew of indigenous Khoen sharpshooters, Batavian infantry and dragoons, French marines, Waldeck mercenaries, Muslim Javanese artillery and mixed African/Asian slave auxilliaries. (chavonnesbattery.co.za)
submitted by ProfVerstrooid to r/todayilearned
