Boustrephon

Great article. I particularly appreciated the information about the African-American participation in politics prior to Jim Crow. What iniquitous legislation. Its wicked effects are clearly still felt today.

One small gripe, though - "Our forebears mirrored England's caste system, with its aristocracy and servant classes where privilege or subjugation was inherited by birthright or circumstance." This is too simplistic. At least there was some social mobility in England, although clearly not enough. My great great grandmother was a household servant and an unwed mother, but her son went to "grammar school" (translation: high school) and became an engineer. Mobility is limited in all societies to some extent.

Edit: misplaced apostrophe. Point of clarification.