[Nowhere Man]

OK, if I was around then, I would have sided with the Confederacy although some of my ancestors did fight for the Union. The big issues were States Rights and trade. I cannot divorce slavery from the issue all the way but it was a part of it although it became front and center more as the time went on. Slavery, as bad and evil as it was, was the normal thing in human history up to that time but even then, it was on its way out.

If I had to call it had the Confederacy won, slavery's days were numbered. Within a generation, you had the development of the internal combustion engine and electric motor. To put it bluntly, why have Roofus, Jupiter and Mammy do your work when you can have Westinghouse, Allis Chalmers and John Deere do it and do it better? You just have to "feed" them gas, diesel or electricity and some maintenance and they will keep doing the work without mouthing off or running away. I think after the manumission of slaves dues to technology and international pressure, I'll admit it is unclear but when I think of things like "The Knights of the Golden Circle" and the plans to extend Confederate influence into the Carribean, I can foresee the drive for them to establish a nation or reservation on some of the islands for freed slaves much like the idea of repatriation of freed slaves to Liberia in our timeline.

The Confederacy's biggest mistake? Firing of Fort Sumter. Very rarely, the one who throws the first punch earns any sympathy unless there are huge and dire circumstances.

I see it this way:

First American Revolution, 1775 - 1783, - Won
Second American Revolution, 1861 - 1865, Lost
Third American Revolution, 20?? - 20??, ??????? Tiebreaker?

It's cool to speculate on alternate history but as time goes on, we need to come back to the hear and now and look at the future. There are divisions in this country that are just as deep now and sometimes I wonder if we do need to separate. If so, I hope it is a peaceful one but we must be prepared to fight and win if need be even though we pray to God we do not have to.

[rockrr]

You do realize that the confederate constitution PREVENTED the elimination of slavery? Section 9, Article 4 of the confederate constitution sanctified the Peculiar Institution in perpetuity.

Slavery was going nowhere (literally).

[DoodleDawg]

Within a generation, you had the development of the internal combustion engine and electric motor. To put it bluntly, why have Roofus, Jupiter and Mammy do your work when you can have Westinghouse, Allis Chalmers and John Deere do it and do it better?

The first successful mechanical cotton harvester wasn't introduced until the 1930's. So if slavery's days were numbered then it was a pretty big number.