End of slavery

[Sunset Rose]

I've been reading a few books about the Civil War lately, and I've been wondering: How long would slavery have lasted if the Civil War had not been fought? Is it possible it would have died out on it's own? Or was it too profitable to let go of?
What do you folks think?

 

[EatTheRich]

I've been reading a few books about the Civil War lately, and I've been wondering: How long would slavery have lasted if the Civil War had not been fought? Is it possible it would have died out on it's own? Or was it too profitable to let go of?
What do you folks think?

I think it would have died out on its own eventually ... inefficient and oppressive systems never last ... but probably not without violence ... "power concedes nothing without a demand" (Frederick Douglass). What made the U.S. unique is that in a modern capitalist country the government had been dominated by the slave power since the election of Jefferson and they were willing to fight to keep that power from slipping from them. If they had not started the fight when they did, the power of the antislavery forces would have gradually accumulated via political, economic, and demographic shifts to the point that they could have ended slavery peacefully ... which is why they chose to take their stand.

Another thing to consider is that slavery is still around with an estimated 30 million present-day slaves ... 18 million of them in India.

 

[Sunset Rose]

I think it would have died out on its own eventually ... inefficient and oppressive systems never last ... but probably not without violence ... "power concedes nothing without a demand" (Frederick Douglass). What made the U.S. unique is that in a modern capitalist country the government had been dominated by the slave power since the election of Jefferson and they were willing to fight to keep that power from slipping from them. If they had not started the fight when they did, the power of the antislavery forces would have gradually accumulated via political, economic, and demographic shifts to the point that they could have ended slavery peacefully ... which is why they chose to take their stand.

Another thing to consider is that slavery is still around with an estimated 30 million present-day slaves ... 18 million of them in India.

I believe you are right, EatTheRich. Thank you.

 

[Fast Eddy]

Slavery was no longer economical when the Civil war started, it would have ended very soon on its own, with Negroes sent back to Africa. The war was about the Federal government not treating the south properly on tafriffsand taxes.

 

[Sunset Rose]

Slavery was no longer economical when the Civil war started, it would have ended very soon on its own, with Negroes sent back to Africa. The war was about the Federal government not treating the south properly on tafriffsand taxes.

1) Slavery was the very foundation of the South's wealth. The worth of slaves in 1860 was many millions of dollars. Slaves were worth more than all railroads, factories and other businesses combined.
2) There were some ex-slaves who returned to Africa. I think they went to Liberia. The majority of them stayed in the USA.
3) The war was about the expansion of slavery. The South wanted to spread slavery to the new territories that were opening up, the North did not. The South also was afraid that if Lincoln was elected President he would take away their slaves. Their livelihood depended on slavery. So...in April 1861 they fired on Fort Sumpter.

So, your entire post is WRONG!

 

[Dawg]

Why ask for opinions and then disagree if answer isn't same as yours?

Slavery wasn't added to reason for the war until long into the war when the war need some other reason for unity from the North.

100's of 1000's died for Northern Greed and for trying to steal what the South had.

Slavery didn't end in the North until years after Civil War

now disagree until blue in the face!