Remember this: before the Civil War there were several proposals, beginning with President Jefferson, to purchase freedom for slaves, and offer them to return to Africa.
All such proposals were rejected by slave-holders, and most former slaves did not want to return to Africa.
But the cost of purchasing freedom for millions of slaves, while astronomical, was still less than the total costs of Civil War in money alone, to say nothing of hundreds of thousands killed.
Moral of the story is: rebellion is seldom the best answer, especially rebellion doomed to lose.
While much of the Northern industries were mechanized, even then those who worked in them were treated as badly as slaves or worse, because they represented a replaceable part in the mechanism of production from a ready labor pool of new immigrants. Not so in the South, so who would sell? I am not justifying the institution, merely explaining why it was so difficult to abolish. Without cheap labor (difficult to find for seasonal jobs), the slaves would not be sold.
As for today, I'm not advocating rebellion--such would be bloody, and the balkanization of the United States (the most likely outcome) would herald the end of superpower status. Current continued unrestrained spending and increasing social programs, including Obamacare, may do so anyway. We, as a nation, are broke--and have been for some time.
For the past 50 years, however, the Federal leviathan has only been inhibited in its growth by the absence of twisted arguments placed before the SCOTUS. Not even the lack of funding has stopped the expansion of the Government, nor slowed the usurpation of power from the states and the infringements on the Rights of the People.
The result is a new generation with neither conscience nor hope, with no vision to get from their beginnings to the fulfillment of what was known as the American Dream, who are increasingly becoming parasites on a failing host.
They have also been infused with the concept that they deserve all the perks and bennies they see daily displayed in the unreality of television which they have been conditioned to accept as normal.
Nothing to lose, nothing to gain, and observing a government which will neither enforce nor follow its own laws while segments of the population run feral. It is only a matter of time before they, too, decide they can behave equally, with equal viciousness to obtain that which they want, be that lucre or entertainment.
The only question is one of whether or not we have passed the point where the existing institutions (Governmental and societal) can be purged, cleaned, and restored, or whether the decay will inevitably run its course and whatever comes in its stead be rebuilt from the ashes.
I reckon we'll find out. I place no faith in those in Government today--especially those alleged guardians of our Liberty who have the power to call out those who are abusing their power and usurping more. They have failed to do so, miserably, as a group.