A logical fallacy is simply an error in logic. For example, a middle ground fallacy illogically equates two extreme views, such as anti-slavery and pro-slavery, as equally valid. We have learned that if one view is wrong, while the other is correct, a compromise between the two is still wrong. The midpoint between two opposing views is not always the truth.

Watch episodes from TED-Ed’s Logical Fallacies series here to see if you can outsmart common fallacies!

The Missouri Compromise and the American Civil War shows us that the use of faulty logic or reasoning has the potential for centuries of devastating and enduring consequences. The stage was set for the Missouri Compromise long before 1820. The first enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619, more than 150 years before the Declaration of Independence, and over 240 years before the Emancipation Proclamation.

Pulitzer Prize winner, Nikole Hannah-Jones conceived The 1619 Project to chronicle the history of slavery, it’s continued impact on our culture, and to celebrate the role of formerly enslaved peoples in defining American democracy. Take a look at this short film to get an idea of how systematic fallacies can perpetuate centuries of oppression and affect all of our daily lives.