If The South had won the Civil War do you think they'd still have slavery in the 21st Century?

Question

If not what do you think would have caused it's demise?

I'd like to note that slavery still exists in America, mainly by tricking people to enter America illegally, and then threatening to report them for being an illegal resident. While most of these people aren't assigned to hard physical labor, many people still find a use for slaves in occupations like house keeping, doing menial tasks in a small business...

So while I do believe farm automation would reduce the need for slaves, the South might still use forced labor for other needs.

Answer 1

No , slavery was on the way out anyway. The civil war was more about other issues.

Answer 2

Most historians argue that slavery would have gone away not long after the war ended even if the south had won.

Most southerners did NOT like the idea that the cival war was being fought over slavery. Most southerners did NOT own slaves. (Many too poor others did not want to)

Had the south won the war, the world would be a very different place today. Try reading some of Harry Turtledoves books on the issue. He writes alternative histories that appear to be well researched.

Basically it is argued that slavery was becoming less and less economically viable, especially with inventions like the cotton gin and other forms of automation.

Answer 3

Probably not. The abolishionist movement would have eventually succeeded peacefully, it just would have taken a long time. Perhaps it would have occurred around the same time as women's sufferage, or maybe been done as part of the Confederate version of the New Deal. Or, perhaps, in such a parrallel universe, Martin Luther King Jr would have been born a slave, but led his people to freedom before being assassinated.

Of course, it's also possible that a divided America would have been unable to stand against it's enemies, and slavery would have been abolished when some other nation conquered the Confederacy.

Answer 4

If the South had won the Civil War, the country would have been divided, possibly leaving the two countries vulnerable to attack by the Third Reich. I think that there wouldn't be any slavery in the 21st Century in America, because the Nazi's might have taken over. A weird speculation perhaps, but a united country is a stronger country.

Answer 5

No not hardly! The war was fought mainly over economic issues.
Namely: High export taxes on southern cotton to force them to sell to northern textile mills instead of over seas where they could get better prices.
High import taxes on foreign farm machinery to protect the northern manufacturers from foreign competition.
The exceedingly high import and export taxes would have ruined the south economically and would have forced them to continue slavery not having the money to buy modern farming equipment.
Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation only after McClellan couldn't finish off Lee's army after Gettysburg because he had to split his army and force march half of it to New York to put secessionist riots and stop the present danger of New York succeeding from the union as well.
Even then it did not affect the slave states that stayed in the union like Delaware and Maryland (were Lincoln's wife's parents owned a large plantation)
Lincoln was a member of the planter class by marriage.

Answer 6

No but it's human nature to believe one is superior to others. People also crave free stuff whether they need it or not. Don't forget, many northern states also allowed slavery before the Civil War.

Even in the South, the normal course of civilization would have ended slavery long ago.

Answer 7

It is possible, however, any enslaved population is going to rise up given time. Slavery will never last forever somewhere, because the enslaved population will forever try to free themselves. It's demise would have been brought about by the same thing that brought it about: people would object and work to free the slaves. Or the slaves would rise up and take power.

Answer 8

it could be tough....united states of america does not be a Superpower, Germany could be a extra suitable usa, Segregation / Jim Crow rules might nonetheless be in place, No James Brown, Hendrix, Prince, Jackson 5 or Beatles, Stones or Clapton as all of those musical entities have been inspired by using Blues or Jazz...Creole way of lifestyles interior the Deep South...it might Suck, super time.

Answer 9

No, I'm pretty sure slavery would have ended before 1900 there.

But I think they'd resemble Latin America more than America in terms of haves, have-nots and a stratified social structure. And a permanent underclass of blacks.

Answer 10

Slavery was on the decline then anyway, with the advent of modern farm equipment, slavery would have died by now anyway. BTW, the guy who invented the cotton gin was rabidly anti-slavery and thought his invention would help end it, instead it made slavery profitable for a longer time.

Answer 11

If you take a course in Black History: Most slave began to run away. And some went to Canada and Mexico but any how...I feel that you can only incarcerate people for so long before they take freedom...For themselves.