[sanchmo]

Do you honestly believe that without the Civil War the South would still have slaves today?

No. But here is what I do honestly believe:

I believe that the South was just as responsible as the North - probably even more so - for the fact that the issue could never be resolved except by war. The US was trying to abolish slavery for over half a decade, but the southern slaveholders were stubbornly and brutally opposed to even the most basic limits, and in the 1840s & 1850s becoming even more militant & less willing to comprimise.

I believe that had the South succeeded in secession, the resulting 2 countries would have been incredibly weaker that a united US, and that we would never have become what we are today. The Confederacy couldn't even cooperate enough to not lose against the North (they didn't even have to win, they only had to not lose). How would they have fared against the European powers? How would they have fared against an angry Mexico?

[jas3]

Do you honestly believe that without the Civil War the South would still have slaves today?

No. But here is what I do honestly believe:

I believe that the South was just as responsible as the North - probably even more so - for the fact that the issue could never be resolved except by war. The US was trying to abolish slavery for over half a decade, but the southern slaveholders were stubbornly and brutally opposed to even the most basic limits, and in the 1840s & 1850s becoming even more militant & less willing to comprimise.

I believe that had the South succeeded in secession, the resulting 2 countries would have been incredibly weaker that a united US, and that we would never have become what we are today. The Confederacy couldn't even cooperate enough to not lose against the North (they didn't even have to win, they only had to not lose). How would they have fared against the European powers? How would they have fared against an angry Mexico?

3.8 million people died in the Civil War along with States Rights. So in your view, was it worth having 3.8 million people die, given that we both agree slaverly would have died out anyhow within a decade or so? The European powers would eventually have ened trade with the Southern States in the same fashion that they ended slavery in their own Empires and possessions.

I believe that the United States would be materially more free and would possibly still operate as a republic had the Civil War been avoided. And, of course, slavery would have died out by 1875 anyhow.