I'm glad you ended up in one piece and on both wheels.

You raise a very, very important point:

Major cause of endo: people don't know how to use their front brake and/or are scared of using it (scared of going endo), but when they are in an emergency situation their fear becomes stronger and they hit both brakes hard, and don't absorb the shock with their arms. Over the handlebars they go.

You HAVE to learn to use BOTH of your brakes. Indeed, the front one is the only one that really stops you. The rear only drags you on the road, and yes it will skid. If you have someone riding or arriving right next to you you could also hurt this person. I use the rear brake for slowing myself down, not for stopping per se.

(On a downhill, being in the drops if you have curved handlebars will help...)

I strongly suggest you attend a bike skills clinic or at least practice in a deserted parking lot (you choose a line to stop on, you gain some speed, and experiment braking wth only the rear, only the front, and then combinations of both brakes -- also practice riding with the brakes lightly on, that's called feathering). This will increase your knowledge, skills and confidence tremendously, not to say increase your safety!!

Thanks for sharing this with us!