x to DiogenesLamp:
"being a major shipping port doesn't translate into being a major manufacturing city or a world financial center.
That wasn't going to happen to New Orleans and it certainly wasn't going to happen to Charleston." Thanks for a great response!
Sadly, DiogenesLamp seems utterly consumed by his anti-historical fantasy of Charleston SC suddenly becoming an economic rival to New York, or any other major US ports.
There's just no evidence suggesting Charleston could ever, even under conditions of peace between US & Confederacy.
But that doesn't stop DL from letting his imaginings run wild.
Sadly, DiogenesLamp seems utterly consumed by his anti-historical fantasy of Charleston SC suddenly becoming an economic rival to New York, or any other major US ports. Trade must Balance.
When you can explain how to balance the money represented by this map with the origins from whence it come, you can start arguing about "fantasy."
The reality is that the only way to balance that map as it existed in 1860, is by a whole bunch of people taking a cut out of the money that belonged to people in the South.
There's just no evidence suggesting Charleston could ever, even under conditions of peace between US & Confederacy.
You can theorize all you want, but 3/4ths of the trade represented by that money pile would move to the South if the South became independent.
~ 300 million dollars was a lot of money in 1860. The loss of which was easily enough to start a war over.