5 ms·
He asks for almost $12000, in a lump sum, with interest added, in 1865 dollars, which is roughly $200k in 2013 dollars. As a lump sum.
by lsb 14y ago
He asks for almost $12000, in a lump sum, with interest added, in 1865 dollars, which is roughly $200k in 2013 dollars.
As a lump sum.
- jfb 14y agoIn recompense for 32 years of chattel slavery, any dollar amount would be a laughable pittance.
- svachalek 14y agoActually, 52 years since he is including 20 years for his wife as well. Comes out to $3846/person/yr in today's dollars if the above calculation is correct, which is considerably lower than what I'd sell myself into slavery for.
- etrain 14y agoBut, and this is where it gets really messed up - $4k/person/year is significantly more than current global median income. Last I checked (around 2007), this is about $850/year. (Yeah, if you're reading this website, you are insanely lucky). Of course, this doesn't take into account things like income disparity between countries and so on - that is, median income in Bangladesh is very different than the US today, but this was Antebellum south, at a time when America was still a developing country. All this to say - maybe $4k/year was a "fair price."
- yen223 14y agoI'm from a developing third-world country. $4k/year is our minimum wage. It's hardly a fair price for 32 years of service.
- shardling 14y agoIt's meant to highlight how ridiculous the Colonel's own request was.
- diminish 14y agothat reminds me my ex-boss tiring to hire me again and the of $4250, he cut back from our salaries, during dotcom bust. He promised to pay back when the time comes...
- monochromatic 14y agoI wonder what it would come to with room and board subtracted. Considerably less I'm sure.
- davidroberts 14y agoSince, as he mentions in the letter, room and board were included in the wage he uses as a reference, there is no need to deduct them from the wages his former master owes.
- monochromatic 14y agoOops, missed that point.
- yen223 14y agoIf someone offered to pay you $200,000 now, but in return you have to be his slave for 32 years, would you do it?
- chris_engel 14y agoSo you would work for 520$/month? Wow.
- yen223 14y agoI never said I would :)