Rick Morain is the former publisher and owner of the Jefferson Herald, for which he writes a regular column. This essay first appeared on Substack.

“Thou shalt not steal.” – Eighth Commandment
—God, as reported by Moses

Americans have rarely faced the facts about the role of national theft in the history of their nation. From the time of the first Europeans’ arrival in North America, the newcomers employed theft to secure their well-being. Europeans stole land and resources from native Americans for centuries. They stole free labor from imported African slaves and their descendants for 250 years.

Those facts are undeniable and thoroughly documented. They contributed mightily to securing the wealth and power of the United States as we know it today.

It’s an uncomfortable truth, but without those thefts from indigenous Americans and Black people, the United States would not have reached the level of prosperity that has enabled it to achieve all it has for Americans and others around the world.