From the very beginning, America spoke the language of liberty, but its actions revealed a very different truth. The words “all men are created equal” sounded noble, yet behind them lay a system built on cruelty. Enslaved Africans were shackled in chains while leaders signed documents celebrating freedom. This was not a contradiction or oversight—it was a design. As Arthur Ripley shows in Built on Lies, justice was never written for everyone; it was carefully reserved for a few.
Slavery Was the Foundation, Not the Exception
Many people today imagine slavery as a chapter in history, but the book reminds us it was the foundation. The laws of the land were crafted to make slavery legal and profitable. Enslaved men, women, and children were bought and sold like livestock. They were denied the most basic human rights—family, education, and even the right to their own names. A White man could kill a slave and pay a fee to the owner without facing punishment. That wasn’t justice. It was an economy designed on suffering.
Religion Was Used as a Weapon
To protect this cruelty, those in power needed more than laws—they needed divine approval. And so, religion became the mask for oppression. Popes signed decrees that allowed kings to invade, plunder, and enslave entire nations under the banner of faith. Ships carrying slaves were blessed. Scriptures were twisted. Instead of freeing the oppressed, religion was turned into a tool that justified their destruction. As Ripley reveals, the Church didn’t simply stay silent; it actively partnered with injustice.
Race Was Invented for Control
Before slavery, skin color was just another human difference. But when greed took over, race was created as a social weapon. Whiteness was lifted up as a sign of superiority, while Blackness was painted as dangerous and inferior. This lie grew into textbooks, sermons, and laws until it became accepted as truth. Generations of people lived under the weight of a fiction designed to keep one group in power and another in chains.
Silence Was Never Innocent
Perhaps the most haunting lesson in the book is that injustice didn’t survive by cruelty alone—it survived by silence. Many people who claimed to be against slavery still lived comfortably within its benefits. They saw suffering and said nothing. Their silence was not harmless; it was fuel for the system. It gave permission for injustice to continue and made cruelty appear normal.
Healing Requires the Whole Truth
The heart of Built on Lies is not just about exposing the past but about challenging the present. Lies shaped laws, faith, and culture, but truth has the power to rebuild them. Ripley makes clear that healing cannot come from denial. It comes from honesty. Facing what was done does not erase faith, freedom, or justice—it finally makes them real.
Choosing Truth Over Comfort
The question left for readers is simple: will we choose truth, even when it hurts, or will we cling to lies because they are easier to accept? The past cannot be undone, but the future can be reshaped. When a nation built on lies begins to tell the truth, justice can finally breathe—and with it, hope for generations to come.