The Journal of John Woolman: Part 8
Bonus:
Summary: Selling Indians rum is bad! (Also slavery bad)
Commentary: I'm just happy John's writing about something else.
I perceived that many white People do often sell Rum to the Indians, which, I believe, is a great Evil; first, they being thereby deprived of the Use of their Reason, and their Spirits violently agitated, Quarrels often arise, which end in Mischief; and the Bitterness and Resentments, occasioned hereby, are frequently of long Continuance; Again, their Skins and Furs, gotten through much Fatigue and hard Travels in Hunting, with which they intended to buy Clothing, when they become intoxicated, they often sell at a low Rate for more Rum; and afterward, when they suffer for want of the Necessaries of Life, are angry with those who, for the Sake of Gain, took the Advantage of their Weakness: Of this their Chiefs have often complained, at their Treaties with the English.
Quakers are mostly anti-drinking as a whole, but I think he takes special offense on selling to Indians. Partially because he probably thinks they can't handle their liquor (as most people did at the time) and partially because they're already poor, which makes tanking advantage of them worse. Honestly, the parts about the Indians have been the most interesting in this whole piece so far.
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