--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The last slaveholder has been dead for a…" description: "\"“The last slaveholder has been dead for a very long time. The last soldier to endure Valley Forge has been dead much longer. To proudly claim the veter..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/ta-nehisi-coates-733_george-w_the-last-slaveholder-has-been-dead-for-a_339176.jpg" --- # The last slaveholder has been dead for a very long time… ![“The last slaveholder has been dead for a very long time. The last soldier to endure Valley Forge has been dead much longer. To proudly claim the veteran and disown the slaveholder is patriotism a la carte. A nation outlives it generations. We were not there when Washington crossed the Delawre, but…” quote by Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/ta-nehisi-coates-733_george-w_the-last-slaveholder-has-been-dead-for-a_339176.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/ta-nehisi-coates-733_george-w_the-last-slaveholder-has-been-dead-for-a_339176.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/ta-nehisi-coates-733_george-w_the-last-slaveholder-has-been-dead-for-a_339176.jpg) > ““The last slaveholder has been dead for a very long time. The last soldier to endure Valley Forge has been dead much longer. To proudly claim the veteran and disown the slaveholder is patriotism a la carte. A nation outlives it generations. We were not there when Washington crossed the Delawre, but Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze's rendering has meaning to us. We were not there when Woodrow Wilson took us into World War I, but we are still paying out the pensions. If Thomas Jefferson's genius matters, the so does his taking of Sally Heming's body. If George Washington crossing the Delaware matters, so must his ruthless pursuit of the runagate Oney Judge.”” [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques selective patriotism, pointing out that societies often glorify certain histories while ignoring darker ones. **In simple terms:** History is often romanticized, ignoring its darker parts. Key Takeaway Recognize all facets of history, not just the flattering ones. Themes history memory justice patriotism identity Mood reflective critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - education curricula - public memorials - political discourse Key Concepts revisionism collective memory moral accountability Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance pride and accountability? - What does selective memory cost us? A Different Perspective Ignoring painful history can perpetuate injustice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Valley forge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valley-forge/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) ## Related quotes > [“To proudly claim the veteran and disown the slaveholder is patriotism à la carte.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/to-proudly-claim-the-veteran-and-disown-the-slaveholder-is-patriotism/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [From reading of the people I admired - ranging from the soldiers of Valley Forge and Morgan's riflemen to my Southern forefathers and kinfolk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/from-reading-of-the-people-i-admired-ranging-from-the-soldiers-of/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [ \[Ronald Reagan\] called the image of \[George\] Washington praying on his knees in Valley Forge "the most sublime image in American history." ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/ronald-reagan-called-the-image-of-george-washington-praying-on-his/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [I was with George Washington at Valley Forge, sitting around before an attack... gimme a break. That's over 70 years ago already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-was-with-george-washington-at-valley-forge-sitting-around-before-an/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [We've been a free people living under the law, with faith in our Maker and in our future. I've said before that the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/we-ve-been-a-free-people-living-under-the-law-with-faith-in-our-maker/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I noticed some time ago that neither of the candidates are quoting the founders. If they are, they're doing it so rarely that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/i-noticed-some-time-ago-that-neither-of-the-candidates-are-quoting/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [“I used to like mine with champagne. The champagne as cold as Valley Forge and about a third of a glass of brandy beneath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/i-used-to-like-mine-with-champagne-the-champagne-as-cold-as-valley/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Our moneyed men have ruled us for the past thirty years. Under the flag of the slaveholder they hoped to destroy our liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-kearney/our-moneyed-men-have-ruled-us-for-the-past-thirty-years-under-the/) [Denis Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-kearney/) > [The wind bit hard at Valley Forge one Christmas. Soldiers tied rags on their feet. Red footprints wrote on the snow...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/the-wind-bit-hard-at-valley-forge-one-christmas-soldiers-tied-rags-on/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [This Memorial Day should remind us of the greatness that past generations of Americans achieved from Valley Forge to Vietnam, and it should inspire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/this-memorial-day-should-remind-us-of-the-greatness-that-past/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [It's been written that the most sublime figure in American history was George Washington on his knees in the snow at Valley Forge. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-s-been-written-that-the-most-sublime-figure-in-american-history/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I consider it an indispensible duty to close this last solemn act of my official life by commending the interests of our dearest country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/i-consider-it-an-indispensible-duty-to-close-this-last-solemn-act-of/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [“His Excellency today appealed to the Officers of this Army to consider themselves as a band of brothers cemented by the justice of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/his-excellency-today-appealed-to-the-officers-of-this-army-to/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [If you are an artist, you may live with Lincoln. You sit with him, your coat is spread to keep the snow from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gutzon-borglum/if-you-are-an-artist-you-may-live-with-lincoln-you-sit-with-him-your/) [Gutzon Borglum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gutzon-borglum/) ## More by Ta-Nehisi Coates > [“To Trump whiteness is neither notional nor symbolic but is the very core of his power. In this, Trump is not singular. But whereas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/to-trump-whiteness-is-neither-notional-nor-symbolic-but-is-the-very/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“The focus on one sector of Trump voters—the white working class—is puzzling, given the breadth of his white coalition. Indeed, there is a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-focus-on-one-sector-of-trump-voters-the-white-working-class-is/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [The greatest reward of this constant interrogation, confrontation with the brutality of my country, is that it has freed me from hosts and myths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-greatest-reward-of-this-constant-interrogation-confrontation-with/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [What I am telling you is that you do not need to know to love, and it is right that you feel it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/what-i-am-telling-you-is-that-you-do-not-need-to-know-to-love-and-it/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [I think 'Dear White People,' the show, is a tremendous artistic achievement. It's always hinting that there is something beyond the pleading and wokeness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-think-dear-white-people-the-show-is-a-tremendous-artistic/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [ \[Winning the White House was an achievement\], but as an African-American, \[Barack Obama\], I think the symbolism is in how he conducted himself. The… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/winning-the-white-house-was-an-achievement-but-as-an-african-american/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [What sets black people apart is not some deficit in personal responsibility. It's the weight on our shoulders. That is what's actually different. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/what-sets-black-people-apart-is-not-some-deficit-in-personal/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [Like a lot of people, I'm very, very concerned about Senator Clinton's record. I'm very, very concerned about where her positions were in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/like-a-lot-of-people-i-m-very-very-concerned-about-senator-clinton-s/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“I drove away, as always, thinking of you. I do not believe that we can stop them, Samori, because they must ultimately stop themselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-drove-away-as-always-thinking-of-you-i-do-not-believe-that-we-can/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [What I’m talking about is more than recompense for past injustices—more than a handout, a payoff, hush money, or a reluctant bribe. 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I didn't see that coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/you-don-t-make-a-case-for-reparations-thinking-oh-yeah-people-are/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“And I know that there are black boys and black girls out there lost in a Bermuda triangle of the mind or stranded in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/and-i-know-that-there-are-black-boys-and-black-girls-out-there-lost/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) [Explore all 388 Ta-Nehisi Coates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) ## More George w quotes > [“Does it work with sandwiches? he asked. I didn't move. He handed it over. George was watching with a kind of neutral curiosity, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/does-it-work-with-sandwiches-he-asked-i-didn-t-move-he-handed-it-over/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [The GOP is broken. 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