If you could go back in time and stop the rape of a direct anscestor which eventually resulted in you being born would you do it?

No. It goes to my understanding of time travel and how it has been discussed and treated in science fiction. it’s the best we have, since there is no one that has actually gone back in time.

The issue is that you never affect JUST ONE thing. Actions have consequences – even the smallest thing, like stepping on a fly, may have serious consequences a generation or two later. Stopping a rape, which is a much bigger thing, might have HUGE consequences – family feuds, riches versus poverty, who knows?

Changing ONE fact essentially changes history for everyone – possibly the entire world. So while a rape may be odious, I think it would be immoral to change the entire way of civilization (yes, it could be that important) because of that one activity.

The butterfly effect.
In the case of Mrs. Obama’s great-great-great grandmother, yes. It would have had a profound effect today.

Nope.

The Temporal Prime Directive is something you just don’t frak around with.

Would be an interesting experiment, because, really, what could happen?
1. I would inevitably fail because history is history.
2. I would create an alternate universe in which the rape did not take place, but the original still exists anyway.
3. I would succeed and erase/rewrite my own timeline but I would not cease to exist because I have already left that erased/altered part of the timeline and because the universe does not give a shit about paradoxa.

Interesting thought experiment. I also say no, though.

Even if I could go back and undo some of the trauma I’ve been through myself, I don’t think I would. Everything I’ve experienced makes me who I am, and I assume the same thing extends back in time, too.

Go and read “Changewars” by Fritz Lieber. It throws out some interesting theories on this concept; specifically that what must happen, will happen, regardless of how time-travellers mat attempt to interfere.

No, I wouldn’t attempt it, for entirely selfish reasons. I like existing.

As an interesting sidebar to the question, @Dutchess_III, when Melvinia was freed, she stayed where she was and actually had three “mulatto” children.

Is this another example of things always happening for a reason? I can’t even contemplate this totally impossible proposition.
If you changed one tiny action in history, it could throw off the whole history in unpredictable ways. “For want of a nail . . .”

First of all, if it resulted in my not being born, I would not be here to travel in time.

The fact that I am here means the plan did not work.

Problem solved.

Suicide via time travel? No. I love my family too much to do that, even if it meant I could protect an ancestor.

No, because you wouldn’t just be stopping yourself from being born. The chances are you would be stopping a lot of other people being born too.