In addition - when the first Dutch slave trading ship anchored off Virginia - to sell off their "excess" or remaining cargo so as to avoid British Naval Ships - the Virginians who purchased the slaves had never had experience with "slaves" and considered them indentured servants (the most common form of labor pool at the time) - and after serving a ten year contract - stand exchange for their "owner's payment of their passage" - we all set free and given the customary 50 acres of land for their years of service.
Also - there were NO slave ships were owned by southerners - ALL slave trade and slave trading companies were NORTHERN companies - and the two major slave ports - New York and Boston.

I thought the overall mood of this piece was excellent - HOWEVER,
Several things to keep in perspective - the analogy "which three million fellow Americans were held as slaves literally in chains and shackles, with no more legal rights than a goat." is one that is commonly held by us today - but I don't believe is accurate.
Consider just the information given concerning the photo - "accompanied by a document detailing the sale of “John” for $1,150 in 1854" - This means that if "John" were purchased in today's dollars, it would have cost his owner (using the last complete year for calculation- 2009) $27,123.86. If his "brother" cost anywhere near that amount - and we can assume that the "owner" had a number of slaves ... this captive workforce represented a sizable investment - so the goat analogy hardly applies. One must remember too that "slaves" where not exclusive to picking cotton on plantations ... serving as everything from household staff and workers in other fields of employment throughout both the North and the South. Also, when you read the official records and diaries of that time - you will find that most all were provided for in the wills of their "owners" - everything ranging from and including their Freedom, and often financial reward.
One commenter pointed out that "The United States: 1865, after the American Civil War (Many states abolished slavery for themselves at various dates between 1777 and 1864)" this is correct - But it must be noted that Slavery was abolished in the Confederate Constitution in 1861.
Also mentioned above 0"many states abolished slavery prior - true, however these northern states who did - also passed legislation that while freeing the slaves - also preventing them from residing in their state.
As abhorrent as slavery is - it must be considered (when looking back) in the context of the times. It was one of two primary sources of labor (and actually the lessor of the two) - companion to it was indentured servitude. (usually passage to this country was provided for a specified period of time. Conditions for both varied depending on the individual that was the provider.
The war of 1861-1865 was NOT fought over the issue of slavery - it is doubtful that most who fought for the south ever even seen a slave in their lifetime. At the time, BOTH indentured servitude and slavery were passing from the scene - as Kulak pointed out - worldwide - the primary reason - it was ECONOMICALLY not feasible any longer.
Peteee raise a point that I would almost agree with that of "we are getting back to it. what do you think taxation is?"
I would add to his/her point - to also consider this desire to allow illegals to fluidly come into this country.
While we - as humanity - have "abolished" formal slavery and indentured servitude from the books - we see it continue in the mindset of the species, except now we practice it without cost - or at least minimal cost to the "owner" - or even profit with literally NO cost to the owners. consider
The politicians in Washington to the populace
Union leaders to their rank and file (collection of dues - in return for little or no real service in return)
and to a lesser degree
Employers to their employees

This is not surprising since the GOVERNMENT is in charge of the clean-up. Their perfect track record of screwing everything up that they touch remains in tact.

I think I have reached a point where I believe that we, as a species, we have a "circuit breaker" somewhere buried in our collective DNA that will prevent us from ever passing beyond a certain point in development before we collapse, plunging into a "dark age" and have to begin again. This notion appears to have a historical track record and we are witnessing it happen again. This story lays it out so clearly, yet the masses go about their merry way - heads so firmly planted up their @#%@# that the seemingly are oblivious to all that is around them.

Wasn't it just last week that there began a swelling outrage that while the senate was voting on three measures (including raising the debt limit) Brown was out on the talk-show circuit?
Brown had initially said that the Feb 11th was fine - but now wants to be sworn in immediately .... Sorry, I am beginning to think he is no more than politics as usual ... just slide along, hoping no one will notice ... problem is WE are noticing.
Wasn't it also last week that he touted the fact that he was "his own man" - perhaps, at times voting with the Dems ... and/or the Republicans ... that he wasn't beholding to anyone - now that has GOT to miff the people of Mass. who elected him ... I was under the assumption that he worked for them.
Also last week wasn't there a flurry of talk around the republican party that Brown might make the perfect candidate for the presidency in 2012 - Are we to assume the trend of thought withing the Republican Party is to "fight fire - with fire"???? By putting forward their own totally unqualified, inexperienced candidate.
It just becomes increasingly obvious that there is NO difference between the reds and blues

Then there is Loreena McKennitt "Nights from the Alhambra"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WSr0pNLNy0

Came across this yesterday in the European Union Times yesterday;
"U.S. Forces Plan Direct Action Against American Citizens"
http://www.eutimes.net/2009/12/us-forces-plan-direct-action-against-american-citizens/
Here is a youtube link to the audio that the article refers to;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdyFgS3G90Q
This is frightening - frightening because what he is saying is highly plausible - However, I think perhaps the only caveat to this is that I wonder if the US Military would even side with the central government considering how it has been so maligned by this administration.
I would wonder if they would react in the opposite direction. - At least I would hope so.
I have had a growing sense that perhaps - just perhaps one of the reasons that Congress seemingly acts in total disregard to the will of the "people" is not that "the American people will forget all this by next November's elections" - rather, that they don't envision elections even begin held next year. I so hope I am wrong.

The deeper one dives into history the more amazed you become ... I recently was speaking to a group of students about why it was that the Germans supported Hitler ... it was fascinating in that during the discussion that followed, they began drawing analogies between the mood or mindset of the citizens of Germany then and the Citizens of this country today. One student who most assuredly was a Liberal Democrat and most likely an Obama supporter chided me and the other students for comparing Obama to Hitler.
I NEVER mentioned anything in a present tense .... I reminded him that the Third Reich under Hitler was in power around ten years or so BEFORE WWII broke out and that in the pre-war years, Hitler, Roosevelt, and Mussolini were often compared (in a positive sense) and ALL three in a sense admired one another. I also reminded him and ALL the students that an important thing to remember is that to compare is NOT to equate.
Perhaps one of the reasons that history repeats, is that we attach so much credence to the characters on stage at the moment of history, rather than recognizing that PATTERNS that caused the moment.
The trend toward fascism was wide spread in the world (including the United States)- really since just before the turn of the century .. 19th into the 20th - like anything it ebbs and flows .. advancing and reseeding.
Personally, I don't attach a moral judgement to any of the "ocracies" or "isms" ... to me they are "things"
I was a journalist for over 20 years ... and during that time made many close friends in BOTH political parties ... what is sad in a way is that I have been retired for 15 years and many of those "friends" ARE STILL IN WASHINGTON! But the Democrats I know would swear to you I am a Republican ... and the Republicans would bet their first born, that I was a Democrat. In truth .. I am a Political Atheist. Or perhaps a more crass way of putting it is that I am not politically bigoted at all ... I don't like ANYONE - Equally.

Great piece - I would perhaps argue on close examination that it began to die, even before the ink had dried in 1789.
An excellent book - if I may recommend - The Rise and Fall of Society by Frank Chodorov.
It is available through the Ludwig Von Mises Institute - in hardcover, paperback - or one can download it free in .pdf format.
I thought this highly interesting -- from the first chapter;
"The story of the American State is instructive. Its birth was most auspicious, being midwifed by a coterie of men
unusually wise in the history of political institutions and committed to the safeguarding of the infant from the mistakes of its predecessors. Apparently, none of the blemishes of tradition marked the new State. It was not burdened with the inheritance of a feudal or a caste system. It did not have to live down the doctrine of "divine right/' nor was it marked with the scars of conquest that had made the childhood of other States difficult. It was fed on strong stuff: Rousseau's doctrine that government derived its powers from the consent of the governed, Voltaire's freedom of speech and thought, Locke's justification of revolution, and, above all, the doctrine of inherent rights. There was no regime of status to stunt its growth. In fact, everything was de novo."

Is there anyone - or anyone in this administration that hasn't apologized for ALL the "sins" of this country .... I have heard rumors that there is even a plan in the works to change our national anthem to the old Brenda Lee song ...
I'm Sorry, So Sorry