Free Republic
Browse · Search
Smoky Backroom
Topics · Post Article

To: Smokin' Joe; BroJoeK

Yes there were. What’s your point? The fact is that each of the northern states had a plan or timeline for the eventual abolishment of the practice. It is noteworthy to mention that zero of the southern states had similar plans - or even an incentive to discuss such plans.


223 posted on 01/21/2016 8:18:21 PM PST by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 222 | View Replies ]


To: rockrr
My point is that the North was not trying to keep slavery out, because it was there. Whether they had plans to eliminate it is moot.

I agree there were movements to keep the new states and territories slavery free.

Slavery would have ended in some states of its own weight. Crop changes such as those happening in Maryland from tobacco (still labor intensive) to produce farming (not so much) to support growing cities like Baltimore and Washington, D.C. had led to increased manumission.

The trend was also becoming established that laborers were cheaper to hire, required little to no initial investment (which would be forfeit in the event of misfortune), and could be replaced readily. What's more, you paid them, they found their own housing, food, and clothing, and medical care, unlike a slave where failure to provide all that would lead to less than optimal returns on (or a loss of) the owner's investment.

I'm not even being an apologist for slavery--I find the institution deplorable. I'm just saying that until mechanization came along to harvest labor intensive crops, slaves or field workers (illegal immigrants?) were part of the mix.

The whole illegal immigrant farm worker thing was started by that.

Sure people will say "greed", but when what you get for a crop won't support the farm and higher wages, you cut costs.

224 posted on 01/21/2016 8:59:13 PM PST by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 223 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Smoky Backroom
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson