A new book “The 1619 Project Myth,” written by historian Phillip Magness, makes the case that The New York Times’ award-winning historical series about America’s founding is largely inaccurate and politically motivated.
Magness (pictured), told The College Fix in a recent phone interview that he was initially excited when he first heard about The 1619 Project, a series of articles in 2019 that delved into the founding of America.
However, “within about two articles, I realized there were some serious errors,” he said. An economic historian, Magness serves as the David J. Theroux Chair in political economy at the Independent Institute and an adjunct professor at George Mason University.
A major focus of his new book, published in mid-July, is debunking the project’s economic claims about slavery.
The 1619 Project is a historical series created by New York Times staff writer Nikole Hannah-Jones. The project focuses on the history of slavery and race relations in early America, arguing that the country’s true founding was in 1619, when the first slaves arrived in America, not 1776. Hannah-Jones also teaches journalism at Howard University.
