@generica I wouldn't be surprised if you were proudest of those who bought their way free. I would be, too.
Some of my ancestors settled in upstate New York. AFAIK, they didn't have slaves, and one of them lost an eye fighting for the Union, but they weren't above hiring black servants.
One of my ancestors eloped with one such servant, so if racists had their way and brought back the "one drop rule", I might just pass for white. My mother probably wouldn't, though.
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@generica The British Empire sure as shit weren't sending their best and brightest over here.
Note that they started doing the same to Australia in 1788, after the American Revolution made using North America as a dumping ground untenable.
This explains a lot about the worst aspects of Aussie culture. Naturally, the Aussies were no better with the aborigines than the US was with the native Americans.