THE word antebellum dates back to the 18th century “plantation era.”
The term is used to describe America before the civil war erupted and has a racial charge that ties back to slavery ownership.
What does antebellum mean?
The literal meaning of the word antebellum is “pre-war”, stemming from the Latin phrase, ante bellum.
It is a term that highlights grand southern plantation-style architecture with columns, large fields, and a fancy aesthetic.
Antebellum generally refers to white ownership of black slaves prior to the Emancipation Proclamation.
What happened in the antebellum South?
Before the Civil War, Southern states thrived off of free slave labor to work plantations and focus on tending to crops and building architecture.
Black slaves were brought from Africa to the South during colonial periods to grow the economy during the 17th and 18th century and were subjected to white rule and terrible living conditions.
The antebellum South is known as a racist period in American history which granted zero rights to black people and profited off their slave labor under white power.
As a result, Northern and Southern states began to increase tensions due to major disagreements on slavery, resulting in a four year long Civil War.
Ultimately, the North defeated the South and slavery was abolished in America after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln.
Why has Rachael Kirkconnell been accused of racism?
contestant is in hot water after photos of her attending an surfaced online.
The 24-year-old was slammed on social media for and for “liking” confederate flag photos on Instagram.
after photos of her made the rounds on the internet wearing an antebellum dress for a fraternity party.
She pledged to educate herself while encouraging others to learn from her mistakes, : "I'm here to say I was wrong. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.”
She continued: Racial progress and unity are impossible without (white) accountability, and I deserve to be held accountable for my actions."
The contestant also .
One picture that she had liked shows two Caucasian women dressed in hula outfits posing in front of a Confederate flag.
In addition, she was also slammed for dressing up in a Native American costume and for engaging in .
What did Chris Harrison say?
Bachelor host , saying: “We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion. Because I've seen some stuff online… again, this 'judge, jury, executioner' thing where people are just tearing this girl's life apart.
He continued: “I haven't heard Rachael speak on this yet, and until I actually hear this woman have a chance to speak, who am I to say [anything]?”
After facing backlash from fans of the show, Chris announced on February 13 that he was in the franchise.
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Chris explained his leaving, writing: “The historic season of should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions. To that end, I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special.
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Adding: “I am dedicated to getting educated on a more profound and productive level than ever before.”
ABC did not respond to The Sun’s request for comment and have not publicly addressed the ongoing reaction to Rachael’s past.