[editor-surveyor]

.
>> “Of course, central_va wishes to minimize the existential threat Confederates represented to the United States.” <<

Do you do that low grade comedy act for money?

There was zero “Threat,” the industrial revolution was in the process of demolishing the slave-based economy, and could have accomplished the conversion without mass bloodshed.
.

[DoodleDawg]

There was zero “Threat,” the industrial revolution was in the process of demolishing the slave-based economy, and could have accomplished the conversion without mass bloodshed.

Now that's comedy! Low grade, but still comedy.

[BroJoeK]

editor-surveyor: "There was zero “Threat,”

1. the industrial revolution was in the process of demolishing the slave-based economy, and
2. could have accomplished the conversion without mass bloodshed."

First of all, on economics: the Panic of 1857 showed that the Northern economy was much more vulnerable to economic crisis than was the South's.
Second, by 1860 Deep-South whites were, on average, far more prosperous than their Northern cousins.
Third, in 1860 the South supplied 75% of the world's export cotton, in huge volumes that increased every year at prices which were also increasing, about 10% per year!

Now militarily: look at the map in post #52 above.
Confederates claimed & fought for several Union states & territories.
In what conceivable way was that not a threat?

As for "mass bloodshed", that was the Confederates' choice and they refused to stop fighting on any terms better than "Unconditional Surrender".