[churchillbuff]

It's pure speculation to try to second guess what America would be like if Lincoln had not forced the south back into the union.

Not entirely. One thing is for sure, The South would not be in the Union -=- and the nation would be poorer for that fact.

[eno_]

The South would not be in the Union -=- and the nation would be poorer for that fact.

Why is that certain? Economic ties would have drawn the South back toward some form of free trade zone or federation. And once slavery was gone, there would be no barrier to those states being readmitted to the U.S.