[Retain Mike]

I certainly would not regard Churchill as a supporter of slavery. Mary Chesnut’s Civil War provides a useful incite into how the institution was regarded by those not part of the political elite Churchill mentions. Overall, I think I will stick with my estimate of less than one in a hundred.

[GJones2]

It's been decades since I read Chesnut's A Diary from Dixie (which I found to be interesting), so I no longer recall many of the details. As daughter of a former U.S. Senator and wife of one, she should be classified among the elite, though, if anyone is going to be. This didn't stop her from criticizing slavery.

[DoodleDawg]

I certainly would not regard Churchill as a supporter of slavery.

Nor would I.

Overall, I think I will stick with my estimate of less than one in a hundred.

But recognizing just how much of Southern society drew direct benefit from slavery makes it easier to understand why the south would rebel to defend it.