How An Ancient Ocean Shaped US History

[@BAD46660]

Another reason to love geology. It is not just the past ❤

[@ntl5983]

And genealogy too..

[@frankly8087]

Geography. More specifically, Geographic Information Science (GIS). The maps that showed the relationships between all of those histories and data (geology, geography, history, politics, etc.) is GIS.

[@teru797]

there was hardly any geology in this episode

[@tguf456]

​@@teru797The geology 100% explained the populations that are currently there. This was an interdisciplinary education that showed how various aspects from the past affect the present.

[@anniekirts6621]

@@teru797 YES! Where was the Geology? All I heard was cotton, cotton, cotton. Political hack job. I hope people see this for what it is. The rocks & soil don’t care what color anyone’s skin is.

[@mariais85]

This is a magnificent example of what happens when we engage in inter- and transdisciplinary studies: Geology, genetics, and history all bonded together by a powerful tool, GIS. BRAVO!

[@xela552]

This episode was deeper than I was ready for

[@AderuMoro]

Right? I was just ready for a geology lesson. Glad we got more ❤

[@arkansasoutpost]

That's a great way of putting it.

[@RobertSaxy]

Same here

[@davidhollenshead4892]

Not me.. I've had while people tell me that I'm racist for saying that Mr. Slave Master, Plantation Owner, Plantation Owner's Teenage Son... kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXfQf4unYsmhjJIsi=Nv2wGath-BjXN2H2&t=583 Because White People were Rapy...

[@nutrientdensepermaculture9391]

100%

[@nekkidnora]

That black belt is truly stunning. It's insane how lasting an effect that's had on literally all of the history of your country. I have to wonder what similarly seemingly minor landscape features have affected every other place on earth, it's mind-boggling.

[@EricHunt]

Growing up in the 80s in Alabama we were taught about the Black Belt and that it was an ancient coastline but none of the socio-economic and demographic connections and correlations were ever mentioned. This video really should be taught in every school in the USA today.

[@EinsteinsHair]

I've also heard of black earth in the central U.S., probably from the same inland sea, making it the "bread basket." Also, that there is a similar region in Ukraine, which is why the colors of its flag represent a blue sky over fields of golden grain.

[@TheChunkyluver53]

Because those are two different subjects that just overlap slightly

[@natesdum]

@@TheChunkyluver53 i dont understand how you can watch this video and call this a "slight overlap"

[@misfits9294]

@@TheChunkyluver53 Things are far more interconnected than we think, this video proves that? Like geography has always shaped history, there's a reason so many great civilizations popped up around rivers. I was taught that in school, why not this?

[@1nghost]

What age would you teach it? That is a lot of complexity for K-12 school age. Maybe as a college prep course. However; slaves were imported by the Dutch simply because they could not get any lower classes to immigrate; same for England...lot of work no workers. After you have used up the Native Americans, non-Spanish people (which Spain did) to actually create a permanent colony. Vs the countries that just wanted a base for their companies for trade...but forgot that they needed to recruit farmers to grow food. Not sure why cotton was so important hemp linen was considered the best and grew natural unless the home countries had no idea how to process it on a massive scale. (1832 How women can increase their husband's social status". )

[@00700556]

This episode was WAAAAAAY deeper than what the headline gave off. I needed MORE of this topic of DNA and historical graphs

[@qarljohnson4971]

This is exactly the type of show I look for from PBS Terra. How ancient Earth/Terran processes impact our past, present & futures. Thank you!

[@ImpendingJoker]

Yeah full of woke virtue signaling. Way to go.

[@RadicalCaveman]

@@ImpendingJoker Yeah, how dare anyone pop your racist little ideological bubble!

[@MossyMozart]

@@ImpendingJoker - It sounds like you need a huge alarm clock to shake you into reality.

[@Jay-gf8tm]

​@@RadicalCavemanhow it's not racist if it's true.

[@daveistrading]

​@@RadicalCaveman This video is racist and omits many important facts about the thousands of Black and Native American slave owners - they owned over 22,000 African slaves

[@jamesdeininger3759]

This is the best thing I’ve seen from PBS in a while. Great episode. I didn’t know this channel existed. You guys should really cross-advertise with the other channels more often. SpaceTime, Eons, and Smart did an awesome collab a few years back.

[@arkansasoutpost]

I love learning about these kinds of connections. "It's the same band over and over again." That's when the video went from interesting to fascinating for me. We know that old geology affects the modern world, but this was a particularly striking example.

[@mkhanman12345]

I like to learn and will learn.

[@jonludovico8215]

That band is also called the I-95 line or the water fall line, because many rivers have water falls when they hit this rock change. This made ideal locals to set up cities where cargo had to be off loaded from barges, explaining why a major high way connects the points. The cities may be an additional reason for the demographic and politic map.

[@phillipallen3041]

They were discussing the black belt in Alabama. I-95 does not run through or really anywhere near Alabama. I know the black belt feature carries on into Georgia and the Carloinas, so maybe that is what you are referring to. This area of Alabama isn't really known for waterfalls or urban centers, though. It does include the city of Montgomery, but most of it is pretty rural.

[@brendalong3852]

This information should be taught in all US schools. Thank you for researching and airing it.

[@hazbaska1]

Yeah, I didn’t learn this till college

[@Theoryofcatsndogs]

One word, GOP. Don't get me wrong, in the not-very-distant past, Democrats were the "bad" guy. But in today's extreme political climate, telling truth become a sin, guess who to blame?

[@corynardin]

I’m pretty sure this video is banned in Florida.

[@masterofnonetech]

It's critical race theory...

[@brendalong3852]

@@masterofnonetech This is history.

[@FreeManFreeThought]

"The places we live, and even the soil under our feet, make a certain set of histories possible; but they don't make any one history inevitable" Powerful words from Shane Campbell-Staton.

[@AllTheHappySquirrels]

This is the interdisciplinary story that explains why we need to teach social sciences _and_ STEM.

[@tonyrainbolt9388]

I totally agree. And music classes, too! This video was surprising and amazing. Thanks PBS (I donate to PBS monthly - everyone else should, too.)

[@rachaelmurray8051]

Yes!

[@a-complished4406]

As a teacher here in the south I tell you, they don’t want to hear about this. Pundits are going to school board meetings, yelling and screaming to avoid facts to be taught.

[@erinmcdonald7781]

Truth! I've taught in a collaborative curriculum environment. It seemed to help things click for students. It's too bad that model isn't more prevalent.

[@michaellarson938]

Not much social science here. If it were there would be discussions slave traders world wide and not just the small part that was the African s selling to the European powers

[@mrfriendlolo4971]

This is so interesting and like someone else said in these comments, a lot deeper than I thought it would be. As someone from Atlanta, it now makes sense how the Piedmont feels different compared to the rest of the South.

[@RobertSaxy]

Anyone else needed a moment to gather themselves after this one? What an amazing episode. I feel this one could have been at least twice in length with how deep and layered the subject matter turned out to be. I especially loved the allowance to sit with those uncomfortable moments in the conversations without blame or judgment

[@bjdefilippo447]

Well said. Difficult material was handled with respect, and not shied away from.

[@laughingoutloud5742]

Agreed. If we don't learn from our past mistakes, we're doomed. It's shitty that we have to have these types of conversations but so necessary for us to learn and grow together. More videos like this please, and job well done! ❤👏👏👏

[@daveistrading]

They could not go deeper because then people would see this video omitted so many facts - There were Millions of White Irish and Scottish slaves. Many White slaves lived and married African slaves. He was an idiot and not scientific to assume it was rape

[@kats9755]

Jesus, that bit about "European paternal line, African maternal line" truly made me tear up and feel ill. It's disgusting that that kind of abuse (on top of the horror of enslavement) was common enough to leave a lasting genetic impact. Thank you for sharing this.

[@dorie991]

Not only are these facts phenomenal, but you who studied it and put it together for us to watch are the real phenomenon to be proud of! Thank you!

[@mkhanman12345]

How come you dudes don’t discuss the topic?

[@daveistrading]

This video is garbage trash that omits so many facts. Black Americans owned 10,000 African Slaves. Native Americans owned 12,000 slaves. White Irish Slaves lived and married African slaves.

[@Kiraiko44]

I grew up on this ancient shoreline and I remember learning about this and it made total sense when I looked at how flat the terrain was south but there was like a line where the hills and mountains started in the middle of the state (Alabama) I grew up in an area with a huge limestone deposit that was known for having a lot of fossils in it from the prehistoric ocean. The effects it's had on human history is another very important layer to be aware of

[@StephenLewisful]

"I welcome diversity in my genome, I just don't like how it got there." This part of the video with the 23nMe guy was impactful. Everyone should understand what this science is uncovering.

[@TurquoiseInk]

I appreciate how respectful they were of each other.

[@Watch-0w1]

We all have little of each other. I remember they say 50 percent of population are descendent of Genghis Khan

[@StephenLewisful]

@@Watch-0w1 I like this way of thinking. I say it this way; We are all one and the same with slight variations on the theme. This way I'm a citizen of the globe rather than just a US citizen. It destroys any sense of racism or culturally biased hate. I've had to rewrite my thoughts because I grew up in the South but I think I'm a better person now because of that struggle. Even though I probably have some of that Genghis Khan in me.🤠

[@ajchapeliere]

Knowing in the abstract sense that your ancestors did some messed up stuff is one thing. Having that abstract turned into a visible reality, being shown the genetic receipts? That hits differently.

[@elizabethburk7273]

​@@ajchapeliere well said. My thoughts exactly, but better articulated.

[@SarasotaDance]

Human activity is shaped by the location of activity and the region's resources, the study of this correlation is called "geography". It is a fascinating subject of study.

[@Virtuous_Rogue]

Thank you for this. I saw this on Google Earth several years ago and never found a satisfying explanation of it. I figured out from other geography videos that it was a coastline but the in depth explanation of the thing was elusive and I never even knew what to call it.

[@blazethealaskanmalamute4633]

This is how history & geology should be taught in schools! Absolutely loved this episode! Definitely could be longer ❤

[@arkansasoutpost]

Besides the core subject of the video being interesting, this is also a great example of the power of modern data visualization tools. Those tools make it easier to discover patterns.

[@ProfessorTravis]

I've touched on this type of topic in my geology 101 classes. The northwestern portion of Arkansas is mountainous and hardly had any slavery. The people that lived in these areas rarely supported secession prior to the civil war. They saw it as, "a rich man's war". I'm going to do a little more than touch on it now with this video. Thanks for producing it.

[@reggiesj4918]

That final link was jaw dropping...absolutely brilliantly made! Thank you for posting!

[@daveistrading]

Except they omitted so many facts. Black Americans owned 10,000 African Slaves. Native Americans owned 12,000 slaves. White Irish Slaves lived and married African slaves.

[@cht2162]

@@daveistrading So?

[@daveistrading]

@@cht2162this is a racists one side story - they make racist assumptions also omitted that only the 🇺🇸🇬🇧paid millions to free slaves - China, Arab, Africans, no one else’s tried to stop slavery

[@Nedski42YT]

These revelations about recent Human migrations, both voluntary and forced, and their connections to ancient environments is another great addition to our knowledge. This cross-disciplinary research can suggest answers as to why ancient Humans migrated to the Fertile Crescent region of the Middle-East, the Indus Valley of south Asia, even the migration from northern Asia into the western hemisphere. The very ground they walked on and survived on can help answer the question of "Why Here?"

[@rubyrodstewart]

Maaan, crossing from natural history into people's history. Brilliant and right on time. This is amazing. Thank you!

[@rubyrodstewart]

W.EB Du Bois and Karl Marx are applauding in their graves 👏🏿✊🏿

[@seppdecker]

I had seen the link between geology and the Black Belt reported, but the piece you crafted here is so much deeper in detail and thought. Thank you for creating something I can share with my students.

[@davidcashin1894]

It is fascinating to see the power of interconnecting sciences, geology, biology, anthropology through data analysis. These perspectives do give us insight, positive and negative, into ourselves and we should keep looking and trying to be better.

[@veronicaroach3667]

And if they taught those sciences this way in schools kids would start to recognize the importance of what those subjects were all about !

[@garbo9951]

This is why they continue to try to gerrymander these areas. Thank you for this. So fascinating.

[@ralphprestidge6965]

Yes ancient oceans caused GERRYMANDERING!!!! You my boy are going places!!!

[@AnonymousFreakYT]

9:55 - It really seemed like the 23andMe guy was doing his best to tap-dance around the issue. Then he just "to be blunt"ed it. Good on him for telling the actual truth, not continuing to use euphemisms and couching in faux "it was good actually".

[@mcv2178]

I thought he was not dancing around it, he was trying to say it without saying the harsh words, just pausing to make sure folks got it.... then he decided that was not certain enough and went for it. Just my impression.

[@MyFiddlePlayer]

If you think about it further, probably all of us are the product of a rape somewhere along the line. You just have to go back far enough. It's awkward for him because he is talking on camera, and (with the research he's done) he probably knows the names of the people involved.

[@stefthorman8548]

theirs no reason for him to avoid the issue, blacks were the ones who captured and sold each other for the slave trade, they should blame Africans for it.

[@PollyHistor]

@@mcv2178 Yes, that was my take on it also.

[@guest6423]

It took a lot of guts to make that statement publicly, and I applaud him for that.I'm not a fan of 23andme, though. Their sharing of our genetics is troubling.

[@KWMc1952]

This was one of the more interesting videos on YT. I've lived in the south all my life and didn't know this.

[@Rikki-Tikki-Tavi]

If Americans aren't learning this in highschool then that's a crying shame.

[@丫o]

You can thank the rightist conservatives for that shame.

[@luciferblack3166]

Geology is taught in high school.

[@davidhollenshead4892]

I've had while people tell me that I'm racist for saying that Mr. Slave Master, Mr. Plantation Owner, Mr. Plantation Owner's Teenage Son... kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXfQf4unYsmhjJIsi=Nv2wGath-BjXN2H2&t=583 Because White People were Rapy...

[@Rikki-Tikki-Tavi]

@@luciferblack3166 🤨

[@xianvox22]

​@@JustJoe326there is no extreme left in this country. Our furthest left of barely left of center on the political spectrum. Suggesting there's somehow parity is not only a false equivalency, it's a bad faith argument. Centrism is, at best, naivety. And at worst, apathy. A position of ignorance or unconcern. People deserve better than mid humans asking them to compromise on liberty and progress.

[@jso6790]

This is incredible. I teach African-American history, so I was familiar with "Black Belt" history, but the connection to the chalk shelf.. astounding! It makes me think of French historian Fernand Braudel who argued that geography can explain so much about the development of human culture, including the power of nations, their wars, and even their boundaries. Of course as Campbell-Staton explains that they are connected to geography does not explain HOW we choose to use those lines, since slavery and war are definite choices that humans make.

[@jamesglosangeles]

A simple like isn't enough to say how much I enjoyed this episode. Good stuff

[@JaydubyaX]

For anyone interested in taking this further, look up the fall line. It is the original coastline of the US and runs this same path. Its probably what determined this plankton/chalk line thats mentioned in this video. it runs all the way up the coastal plain up the eas5ern U.S. an it determined where many of our oldest, first major cities are located. There are satelite images of this line and some of these cities. Super interesting subject...have fun diving deep!

[@jodywho6696]

Thank You😊

[@iriandia]

Interesting how the choices we (or our ancestors) make determine so much. The fact that this ancient coastline produced a perfect environment for growing cotton is one thing. What humans did with that environment is really sad. They could have farmed that cotton in other ways and still created cotton t-shirts for us all. We still could create cotton t-shirts in ways that don't exploit people (this time in other places). Why do we make the choices to use what our planet has built for us, in ways that are so destructive and damaging to so many of us? Profit for a few is not a good enough excuse anymore, if it ever was.

[@PollyHistor]

These datasets really should be used for the benefit of the species as a whole. We have the knowledge and the means that no individual should need ever go without food, water, shelter, clothing, and healthcare.

[@PhenomenalMFT]

Human greed

[@sirridesalot6652]

It is fascinating how geology can be the basis for so many human endeavours whether bad or good.

[@katherinecooper8694]

Excelent presentation 😁 Shane's voice is so smooth and engaging

[@lukekitchen7153]

The comment section is full of kind people excited about truth and education. So wholesome despite a serious topic

[@JesseArt]

This is a phenomenal video showcasing just how interconnected so many things truly are. The data on the voting maps is not only mind-blowing, but it is also just incredibly important information for the public to be aware of when it comes to discriminatory practices like gerrymandered districts that were specifically drawn to favor certain demographics over others. You guys could have totally tied in the recent Alabama battle over redistricting in which "Allen v. Milligan, the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) upheld Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) and ruled that Alabama’s 2021 congressional map illegally diluted the voting power of Black Alabamians." It's truly amazing how all of the sciences - biology, geology, geography, etc. - impact us in ways we never imagined. For anyone interested in the fight for more equal representation of Black Alabamians, the League of Women Voters has a pretty good break down that I'll link below. Living in Wisconsin as we fight against our own gerrymandering, I think it's super awesome to see state legislatures being held accountable for their blatant attempts to disenfranchise their citizens. "What’s Happening with Alabama’s Redistricting Post-Milligan?" - League of Women Voters www.lwv.org/blog/whats-happening-alabamas-redistricting-post-milligan

[@kathleenclark5877]

This is so fascinating. I am glad that there are scientists and scholars who pursue their intellectual curiosity in this way. One example, unrelated to this particular line of enquiry but equally important, is one of many contributing causes of the French Revolution: weather. Several years of poor weather conditions resulted in poor crops,particularly wheat. Lower yields caused wheat and therefore bread prices to rise and, as bread was a staple of the French peasantry’s diet, they were starving. This tends to make people a tad crabby and resulted in the French peasants becoming “revolting”. You can’t blame them. So,when scholars and scientists begin “to think outside the box”, these lines of enquiry result in a whole new way of looking at historical events. I have just subscribed!

[@GoodThings4GoodPeople]

The amount of history, specifically human history that is hidden due to water levels is mind-blowing. Annnnddd then this episode takes a totally different direction than expected 😮

[@arkansasoutpost]

For one example, there's probably a lot of evidence of the migration of humans from Asia to North America lost just off the coast.

[@GoodThings4GoodPeople]

​@@arkansasoutpost oh most certainly or any other ancient settlement on the "coast" is now covered by water/mud/sediment

[@PollyHistor]

Certainly explains all the marine fossils found in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, etc.

[@dwaynejordan5898]

and lost migration data under the sahara@@arkansasoutpost

[@lasciviousembrace]

title does not accurately describe what this video is about

[@t.c.pthecompletepackagellc21]

Totally agree, doesn’t even scratch the surface

[@deemingo8951]

I heard John and Maria eat meat everyday

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

Its just a title it can only contain so much information. Titles often do not begin to touch the complexities of a video. But this title does give a general idea to what the video is about which is that ancient ocean left behind layer of fossilized organisms that influenced the later history.

[@rand8530]

The ocean 120 million years ago was the cause of slavery. Got it. The ocean should pay reparations.

[@josephshahady8308]

How so? Is black American history not American history?

[@EmilyJelassi]

Fascinating video!! This is something that should be taught in every schools!😊

[@douglasboyle6544]

I was wondering why this episode was meandering all around between geology and genetics but it was absolutely worth the journey when it was all tied up in the end. Great work!

[@nemanjaivanovic5973]

I am as astonished with this information as the presenter is. The ability to trace ancient limestone deposits through maps of political outcomes is such a profound illustration of the inequities and injustices of American history.

[@jamesgilbreath7763]

Incredibly well done! As an Alabama resident, I've noticed this confluence before, but I haven't seen all of these things articulated and put together so well. Yes, these are all things that should be studied and discussed in schools.

[@nebulan]

West Virginia's history and economy goes back even more millions of years to a bajillion dead trees. So i can relate a little (tho affecting Appalachia culture isn't as huge as African-American culture)

[@luciferblack3166]

Well that wouldn't be about how geology and white supremacy go hand and hand.

[@Tyrandir]

This is absolutely flooring, to see all these maps laid out.

[@xristobalramirezromero3469]

I felt so many emotions throughout this dude, amazing job

[@OG_Bearcat]

This is incredible! This is the type of programming I could watch all day. Great host and valuable information! Very well done.

[@andiwaters1888]

This almost brought me to tears and I was not ready for it. We need a heads up when we are about to have our science hurt us. Wonderful episode. More like this.

[@terraincognita3749]

I studied history and this, this is history. Thank you for making and sharing this.

[@toughenupfluffy7294]

That was amazing! I've seen how geology can influence and impact people, but this is on an entirely new level! Well done!

[@Fullchristainname]

History is applied geology. Politics is applied history.

[@jrdahlst56]

I'd heard a bit about this before, thanks for going into detail. I wonder if something similar could be done with oil and coal deposits

[@PollyHistor]

Absolutely. Explains a lot of insights into the concentration of vast wealth into specific companies/individuals, along with their campaign contributions.

[@lazymp9046]

This is so incredibly deep. Very grateful for the scientists who uncovered the patterns that reveal the contours of history in a new and deeply moving way.

[@lunathemadman]

Damn. That was a crazy watch. I know geologic happenings can affect cultures and such. But it's usually mountains and rivers. Getting to blame ancient zooplankton for all sorts of horrid things would be a grossly reduced meme, but it's still crazy to think about. I could go on but I need to sit with this more. My world view has shifted a bit.

[@xianvox22]

Ancient zooplankton isn't too blame, even the video addressed that. People are. The zooplankton just set a stage that horrible people chose to exploit.

[@lunathemadman]

@@xianvox22 I'm aware.

[@luciferblack3166]

​@@xianvox22and the Sun, plate tectonics, the guy who made a boat, the bronze age, iron age, when it rained that one time. Pseudo science, political propaganda masked as some enlightened thought. Eugenics will be making a come back I guess

[@cynvision]

I think we have to add highway development to the mix. I don't think the democrats in central SC have as much influence on the local level and along highway 26 through Columbia the boots on the ground making the choices are Christian white Republicans from the upstate.

[@chrisbuchheit]

This may be one of my favorite videos on KZbin. Just wow.

[@_exolite]

Your work is incredible, thank you. This is such important history to be known.

[@kategordon-bloomfield6350]

One of the best videos from PBS Terra I have ever seen. Great work!

[@robertearhart4316]

That was an amazing perspective into pre-history, US history, and current events! Thank you!

[@Da7one]

I was sent by my parents to a coeducational parochial school starting kindergarten. At the time a child could not question, challenge or speak unless spoken to. I had a lot of questions but very few answers. This geological story impacts a host of ramifications that we still face today. Education at an early stage of elementary and middle school would have made more sense. Rather than ghost multicultural contributions in terms of American history. If this educational policy wasn’t intentional designed then how could it endure from twentieth into the twenty first century’s. Thanks for the program and thanks for the likes.

[@ldean2731]

This is crazy...literally deeper than I've ever known

[@b1oh1]

Great video! I only ever ask people don't partner with DNA/genetic firms that give away our DNA/data freely. 23andme has sold about 75% of their customers DNA to law enforcement as well as other private organizations. They never notified their users because their Eula/tos allows them to do whatever they want with your DNA.

[@ol_smokey9370]

That was not where I expected to end up. Very interesting.

[@eba44]

Isn't it amazing how we humans seek patters as we do? Like the fella said. Hard to wrap my head around it. Glad he came back at the end to clarify what the geology fella said. Just because the ground was fertil did not mean there had to be slavery. Also, too, I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do with this information. It's a story that says that people will go and thrive where mum nature has gifted us good soil. How was that fine earth made, then what some people chose to do with it. I wonder if one could, what the Indian spread on the map would look like. So interesting. Good and valuable (value- wealth- power) land is always political at the end of the day.

[@xianvox22]

The video pointed out, albeit briefly, that wealthy white plantation owners had the political power to both push for laws that permitted slavery as well as displaced indigenous peoples to get access to their fertile lands. These were the same guys who were raping enslaved woman en masse, and enslaving, exploiting and selling their own children for profit. The moral is the story is that most of the evil in this world is driven by greed and power.

[@Fiercefighter2]

Definitely one of the most captivating geology videos I have seen in a long while.

[@taylornoel]

Wow… the section with the maps was so deeply fascinating

[@pidginmac]

Spectacular narration, immersive history, top level production, perfect host. 💜

[@BabylonPuce]

This truly blew my mind.

[@skipfilgo2042]

The soil composition and formation likewise accounts for the success of places like Cahokia and the Mississippi Culture before European migration.

[@kristenlee3178]

I lived in Alabama briefly, near the Talladega Nat’l Forest, and I’ve found fossilized shells along the summits. It never ceases to amaze me to imagine a world where places like that were underwater at one point in time.

[@Jablicek]

Aside from the sun, everything you see is the product of supernovae fusing hydrogen into heavier elements. We're all made of the same stuff; we all share common ancestry; we're all family.

[@jimminniehan2548]

This is what i watch PBS for, well done, thank you.

[@bobnomura2068]

This was absolutely astounding how those folks figured out this stuff !

[@SunshinesART]

I knew that our ocean was much farther inward at one time since I was a little girl. I live in SC, and my family has a camp on the Edisto River. It is about an hour from the beach. My brother and cousins would play in the river, and we found hundreds of shark teeth, including megladon shark teeth. My great grandmother had one bigger then her hand, that she had found. We still find them to this day. Also, my dad hunted on old plantation hunting club, that had a sand pit. It’s about 20 miles from the river, inward towards the middle of SC. Our favorite thing to do was to find shark teeth and fossils all along this sand ridge. I could never understand why we were finding shark teeth so far from the ocean, and my little mind concluded that the ocean had to have covered these areas at one point in history. Very interesting how all of this ties into plantations and the production of cotton in this state, along with the enslavement of Africans. Wishing love and light to all.🌞🌻🌻🌻🌻

[@CZPanthyr]

That was completely fascinating.

[@daveistrading]

But not factual, There were Millions of White Irish and Scottish slaves in many countries. Many White slaves lived and married African slaves. He was an idiot and not scientific to assume it was rape

[@IndridCool54]

One of my favorite series was Connections with James Burke decades ago. You are continuing this tradition and I thank you.

[@HeirOfNothingInParticular]

I loved that show. It should be streaming somewhere!

[@erictaylor5462]

After I had a heart attack that caused other life threatening complications. One night I dreamed that I had died. I was met by my mother, who looked young and heathy again, as well as my paternal grandparents and my maternal grandmother and my great grandmother. These are my ancestors who had already died but had died in my lifetime, so they were the grandparents I knew. Behind them was a long line of my ancestors. It was a massive number of people and I was meeting them all. I was a little shocked at first to see a black man in this line, then I thought, well of course I have black African ancestors. I found this to be very pleasing. I spoke with my black many times great grandfather. He had lived many 10s of thousands of years ago. He had spent his entire life in just one valley in East Africa. He had enjoyed exploring and had wondered all over the valley. He had met other people, not of his own tribe, and even ended up getting married to one of them. When he had children he took his children with him when he went exploring and eventually he grew old and died. By that time he had learned a great many things about the valley were he lived but he knew nothing of the world beyond his home valley. But that would be for his children to explore. In any group of humans you have home bodies who would rather stick close to home, ands you have exploders, who long to leave home and discover what lies beyond the land that is known. It was those people who left Africa and settled in other parts of the world. And because they were no longer in an environment that suited their physiology, their physiology changed. Their hair straightened, their noses grew longer, their skin grew less dark. I believe that that little East African with wanderlust is the grandfather of us all. There were many many other ancestors beyond this one, but it was after speaking to the East African that I woke up. I can't say I was never more disappointed to discover that I had not died. The weird thing is, now I have a longing to visit a largish valley in East Africa. I don't know where that valley is, but I'm sure I will know it when I see it.

[@Sol-Amar]

That's a pretty interesting account and experience! Perhaps this is why many indigenous cultures maintain spiritual traditions that involve working and communicating with their ancestors. Also, good point on there always being home bodies and explorers in every society/group. Thanks for sharing it here and good luck getting to that "largish valley in East Africa"!

[@amandamiller6995]

If you go back far enough, we are all coming out of Africa 🌍. Thus, we all have the same bloodlines and should never be shamed for wanting to go home again! Racism is just wrong, wrong, wrong! The reason that my skin color is Caucasian is because MANY years ago my genetic ancestors migrated up into the European Northern latitudes where the sunlight was very low during the Winter time. We need to be able to have more conversations about these topics. I graduated from a Historically Black College and University. For my undergrad degree, so long ago they gave me Minority Presence Scholarship money as part of my financial aid assistance. So I was very proud to help in the integration of this institution! Then, I was employed at the largest black university in the nation twice! Once running a Bioprocessing lab. Then, in the Development office as a Prospect Researcher evaluating wealthy individuals, corporations and foundations on a $100 million dollars campaign over 5 years. I am HBCU through and through! Warmest regards from Greensboro, NC USA!

[@MatAK49]

This is one of the most fascinating videos I have watched! How events of millions of years ago still impact us today. This just blows my mind. Well done to the researchers!

[@MrMarkAMartin]

Wonderful, and educational on so many levels! I had never tied the Haitian revolution and cotton in the USA before, I always thought the French just produced sugar seeing it's far more profitable to grow and refine on site. I would like to learn more about this in particular,

[@golwenlothlindel]

Early on, it *was* mostly sugar as the demand for cotton was not super high. But, in the mid 18th Century, the spinning jenny and mechanical loom were invented. Now, French aristocrats had been wearing a curious stiff and yet soft cotton fabric called DeNîmes after the city in Southern France where it was developed since the Middle Ages. Usually, dyed with the ultra-expensive import from India, indigo. Although highly practical, this was a luxury fabric due to the labor intensive production: the tight jacquard weave requires a skilled weaver and many hours. But with the invention of the mechanical loom, suddenly "denim" as it was known in English could be produced as easily as wool. Meanwhile, indigo was being grown in South Carolina: as a result of slave expertise and labor. Full denim suits and dresses became a trend, so French plantations switched to cotton. This is all a half century before Levi Strauss btw.

[@MrMarkAMartin]

@@golwenlothlindel So am I correct, they produced sugar not cotton at the time of the revolution?

[@golwenlothlindel]

@@MrMarkAMartin no. At the time of the revolution, in the last decade of the 18th Century, most plantations in Haiti produced cotton.

[@CounterFleche]

A profoundly moving and profoundly interesting segment.

[@ds5015]

Very very fascinating. I grew up in this area and never had any idea! Especially the part about how it connects to modern politics. One of the most intriguing episodes yet. Very well done!

[@fernandoacosta7423]

The first time I learned about the previous ocean in North America was when I camped in the desert with my family in Mexico. We went on a hike and I found a giant boulder with a weird porous crust around it. After taking a closer look for a couple minutes I realized they were fossilized barnacles. I kept looking around and found a hand full of different small shrimp like fossils. Really interesting stuff

[@brendanmeckler7761]

Acharya Blackwell and Sen wrote a political book on this called Deep Roots that's phenomenal and also has some nice graphics

[@Ivehadenuff]

I recently learned that my white ancestors were married in Haiti but left just before the rebellion. They were French Canadians. It was hard to learn my ancestors must have had or used enslaved people. It’s interesting to now see them as part of the story of cotton and geology.

[@mascadadelpantion8018]

Why this is not taught in high schools across america I will never know

[@Theoryofcatsndogs]

one word GOP

[@Beryllahawk]

@@Theoryofcatsndogs worse than that; the complicity between most all parties to keep down the ugly parts of the past, to "just don't ask," to say "no, we did them a favor" so that those folks whose grandfathers actually DID these horrible things...they don't want to feel bad about it, they don't want to think about it, they certainly don't want to be called out on it. Therefore: they arranged for everyone to forget. Or they tried. It hurts me that my own ancestors probably contributed to this pain. I'm just an average white lady, none of my own bloodlines are from the South, but at the same time...even people in Ohio had some part in the slave trade, if nothing else by buying the cotton. It's not really any better if you look at the German part of my ancestry either. Difficult to face, and uncomfortable: I can see why the Powers that Be (and have been) would want this swept under the rug. I hope like hell that all that "blue wave" keeps pushing, until they flood out all the red, everywhere.

[@xianvox22]

​@@Joe-sg9llgrievances over policy

[@luciferblack3166]

Geology is taught in high school, or do you mean with a side of political nonsense.

[@xianvox22]

​@@luciferblack3166the only political nonsense here is your comment.

[@robinchristiansen9826]

I love every second of this video. The "chain analysis" of HOW resources --> production --> social systems --> politics is so spot on, and THEN you take the time to say "it's on us" because people make choices that are NOT inevitable; natural facts are things we inherit, but then we decide what to do. Everything is so spot on. Bravo.

[@danielmaxwell6676]

I live in north Florida, grew up in south Georgia. I had a litle bit of an idea about this. Love the detail of this episode.

[@WhiskeyTango84]

I've lived in AL for 22 years now. I moved here in 02. I learned about the old coast line listening to a documentary on t.v., maybe on Discovery when it was good, about how people have found sharks teeth in creeks in Central AL. I've also heard that area to be called the Black Belt. I never understood why it was called that. When I asked no one really knew why other than "Thats where the majority of black people live" Which, I did look up a map and it showed the majority of black people living in this area of Alabama. Watching this video opened my eyes to so much that people that have lived in Alabama, or the south, their entire lives don't know. This is rooted in deep history, deep geology, politics, and so much more. It's no wonder Alabama's education falls to the bottom in the United States, and this is one example of how low it is. Not only have people laughed at the notion of an ancient sea being the reason why you can find sharks teeth in creeks, or fossils of ancient sea creatures in areas like Demopolis, on the Tombigbee, or Black Warrior rivers, but these people the reason is "Noah's flood". But now, if these same people watch this video they will call it "woke" and "progressive's agenda", plug their ears, and says "la la la no it's not true la la la" But it's the truth. The untainted, hard, sad, terrible, disgusting truth of our own past, that so many people don't want to hear. Just like the ancient sea that once covered this land millions of years ago It disrupts their current beliefs, and changes everything they thought they once knew, their indoctrination, and what they held on to for so long that it bothers them. It's really sad. This needs to be taught in schools, in this state, and this country. Thank you for this video.

[@azilbean]

Wow! That was deeper (no pun intended) than I expected. I knew about all of these pieces, but I had never put it together like that. (Liberal Southerner, here).

[@whatabouttheearth]

For some of you confused commenters, this an Environmental Studies video focused on the United States specifically, and the Atlantic slave trade that the US was part of derived slaves from Africa. This is not talking about the earlier global slavery mode of production, that is different, this is talking about the Atlantic slave trade which that was the basis of the the western capitalist mode of production that the modern context of industrialism derived from, and more specifically this is focusing on the United States in an Environmental Studies sense (focusing on the social, economic, legal, etc relationship to the environment). Environmental Studies is when you study the environment in relation to human societies effects on it, so therefore the economy, law, politics, society, culture, art, etc.

[@gregorynuttall]

Great episode. Thanks to the production team

[@johnmcnulty4425]

Incredible power of human and natural history!

[@1Nynja]

Great episode! I was hooked from start to finish. Thank you!

[@ChrisSmith-kw4gn]

I am a 2010 wayne state grad with degree in africana studies, I learned of the rich soil of the Carolina lowlands and westward migration after the cotton gin I've never seen nor heard of this ancient coastline, those are some amazing graphics. What a story.

[@ralphprestidge6965]

Why are you studying America if your degree is in African Studies?

[@ChrisSmith-kw4gn]

@@ralphprestidge6965 africana studies, the study of the entire diaspora from Africa to Caribbean Americas

[@ChrisSmith-kw4gn]

@ralphprestidge6965 africana studies is the study of African diaspora - Africa Caribbean south America north America.

[@Robert_Byland]

What an eye-opener! This is gonna stick with me.

[@A_Amazi]

Omg, I love how you introduced Craig. I can tell this is going to be good.

[@dianewallace6064]

Thank you for this content.