Opium fortunes

Nesster · 03-09-2010, 06:32 PM

This was something I never learned at school --- and I went to a Quaker high school and elitist liberal eastern university. We knew all about the Kennedy bootlegging fortune, but what about the Delano opium one?

This quote is from Imperial Cruise by James Bradley... he's talking about Franklin Delano's marriage to Alice, his 5th cousin, in 1905...

Quote:

Even though Franklin had never made much money himself, Teddy knew that he would be able to care for his new wife: FDR was heir to the huge Delano opium fortune.

Franklin's grandfather Warren Delano had for years skulked around the Pearl River Delta dealing drugs. Delano had run offices in Canton and Hong Kong. During business hours, Chinese criminals would pay him cash and receive an opium chit. At night, Scrambling Crabs - long, sleek, heavily armed crafts - rowed out into the Pearl River Delta to Delano's floating warehouses, where they received their Jesus opium under the cover of darkness. The profits were enormous, and at his death Delano left his daughter Sara a fortune that she lavished on her only son.

The Delanos were not alone. Many of New England's great families made their fortunes dealing drugs in China. The Cabot family of Boston endowed Harvard with opium money, while Yale's famous Skull and Bones society was funded by the biggest American opium dealers of them all - the Russell family. The most famous landmark on the Columbia University campus is the Low Memorial Library, which honors Abiel Low, a New York boy who made it big in the Pearl River Delta and bankrolled the first cable across the Atlantic. Princeton University's first big benefactor, John Green, sold opium in the Pearl River Delta with Warren Delano.

And the list goes on and on: Boston's John Murray Forbes's opium profits financed the career of transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson and bankrolled the Bell Telephone Company. Thomas Perkins founded America's first commercial railroad and funded the Boston Atenaeum. These wealthy and powerful drug-dealing families combined to create dynasties.

Earlier, the author had detailed British involvement in the opium trade - the Brits made the Americans seem like bit players. In fact, Her Royal Majesty Queen Victoria is the most successful drug dealer in history.

Hmmmm....

shooz · 03-09-2010, 07:27 PM

What did you think we were doing in Afganistan?
Fighting for freedom?
Truth justice and the american way?
Nah.....drug money.
You know like what bankrolled Reagan.

Nesster · 03-10-2010, 04:36 AM

Originally posted by shooz

You know like what bankrolled Reagan.

Now that's interesting - do you have a source?

Wheatfield · 03-10-2010, 06:57 AM

Originally posted by Nesster

This was something I never learned at school --- and I went to a Quaker high school and elitist liberal eastern university. We knew all about the Kennedy bootlegging fortune, but what about the Delano opium one?

This quote is from Imperial Cruise by James Bradley... he's talking about Franklin Delano's marriage to Alice, his 5th cousin, in 1905...

Earlier, the author had detailed British involvement in the opium trade - the Brits made the Americans seem like bit players. In fact, Her Royal Majesty Queen Victoria is the most successful drug dealer in history.

Hmmmm....

Now we know the real reason for the "War on Drugs". It isn't for the good of the people, it's because the government doesn't like competition.

Nesster · 03-10-2010, 07:00 AM

As long as it's us doing it to them, it's OK, especially if the dealers then donate to Culture and Society. But them doing it to us, uh uh....

03-09-2010, 06:32 PM	#1
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072	Opium fortunes This was something I never learned at school --- and I went to a Quaker high school and elitist liberal eastern university. We knew all about the Kennedy bootlegging fortune, but what about the Delano opium one? This quote is from Imperial Cruise by James Bradley... he's talking about Franklin Delano's marriage to Alice, his 5th cousin, in 1905... Quote: Even though Franklin had never made much money himself, Teddy knew that he would be able to care for his new wife: FDR was heir to the huge Delano opium fortune. Franklin's grandfather Warren Delano had for years skulked around the Pearl River Delta dealing drugs. Delano had run offices in Canton and Hong Kong. During business hours, Chinese criminals would pay him cash and receive an opium chit. At night, Scrambling Crabs - long, sleek, heavily armed crafts - rowed out into the Pearl River Delta to Delano's floating warehouses, where they received their Jesus opium under the cover of darkness. The profits were enormous, and at his death Delano left his daughter Sara a fortune that she lavished on her only son. The Delanos were not alone. Many of New England's great families made their fortunes dealing drugs in China. The Cabot family of Boston endowed Harvard with opium money, while Yale's famous Skull and Bones society was funded by the biggest American opium dealers of them all - the Russell family. The most famous landmark on the Columbia University campus is the Low Memorial Library, which honors Abiel Low, a New York boy who made it big in the Pearl River Delta and bankrolled the first cable across the Atlantic. Princeton University's first big benefactor, John Green, sold opium in the Pearl River Delta with Warren Delano. And the list goes on and on: Boston's John Murray Forbes's opium profits financed the career of transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson and bankrolled the Bell Telephone Company. Thomas Perkins founded America's first commercial railroad and funded the Boston Atenaeum. These wealthy and powerful drug-dealing families combined to create dynasties. Earlier, the author had detailed British involvement in the opium trade - the Brits made the Americans seem like bit players. In fact, Her Royal Majesty Queen Victoria is the most successful drug dealer in history. Hmmmm....

03-09-2010, 07:27 PM	#2
shooz Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Detroit Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,491	What did you think we were doing in Afganistan? Fighting for freedom? Truth justice and the american way? Nah.....drug money. You know like what bankrolled Reagan.

03-10-2010, 04:36 AM	#3
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072 Original Poster	Originally posted by shooz You know like what bankrolled Reagan. Now that's interesting - do you have a source?

03-10-2010, 06:57 AM	#4
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,986	Originally posted by Nesster This was something I never learned at school --- and I went to a Quaker high school and elitist liberal eastern university. We knew all about the Kennedy bootlegging fortune, but what about the Delano opium one? This quote is from Imperial Cruise by James Bradley... he's talking about Franklin Delano's marriage to Alice, his 5th cousin, in 1905... Earlier, the author had detailed British involvement in the opium trade - the Brits made the Americans seem like bit players. In fact, Her Royal Majesty Queen Victoria is the most successful drug dealer in history. Hmmmm.... Now we know the real reason for the "War on Drugs". It isn't for the good of the people, it's because the government doesn't like competition.

03-10-2010, 07:00 AM	#5
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072 Original Poster	As long as it's us doing it to them, it's OK, especially if the dealers then donate to Culture and Society. But them doing it to us, uh uh....