That doesn’t make slavery OK. In the 19th century, the civilized world turned against slavery. Why it took so long is a valid question.
I never had slaves, and they never picked cotton.
Not implying it is okay. Anywhere. My kin folks fought on the union side.
“Why it took so long is a valid question.”
Greed. Southerners wanted cheap labor and Northerners and Europeans wanted cheap goods from that labor. Picking cotton was so back breaking we made German POWs do it against the Geneva Convention(against their will under threat of punishment)