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The_Jazz · 11-14-2007, 01:48 PM

Will, the Emancipation Proclamation would most likely have never been issued since the South would have already won by the time it was issued. An independent CSA would have never been party to any Constitutional Amendment.

Slavery would have continued to exist until something came along to eliminate it by forcing the issue. Outside pressure surely wouldn't have done it alone. Forced industrialization wouldn't have either since there would have been motives to include at least some slave labor in unskilled positions.

A victorious CSA never could have taken territory outside of the CSA for their own at the end of the war. First of all, any area ceeded to the CSA would have immediately revolted (think West Virginia) and caused a major bogging down of sorely needed resources to hold off an unfriendly USA. Second, the "breadbasket" area wasn't recognized as such until the 1880's when farmers began planting Russian wheat. And I sincerely doubt that the CSA could have mounted a successful invasion of Iowa or the Dakota territory once that particular discovery started to pay off. Geographically, they might have been able to claim portions of Kansas, but that would have been hotly contested by the Unionists imbedded there (remember the Kansas Border Wars?). In all likelyhood, they would have ended up portions of New Mexico and Arizona and had to look south in to Coahuila, Chihuahua and Sonora for extra territory.

Finally, an independent CSA could not have afforded to remain an agrarian nation. They would have needed industry and lots of it. Perhaps that would have been the impetus needed to end slavery, but stagnation as an agricultural economy would have ruined the South in 1875 or 1885 just as surely as it did in 1863-65. They would have needed war materiel to face off against the USA, who most likely would have been looking for an excuse to wipe the new nation off the map.

11-14-2007, 01:48 PM	#19 (permalink)
The_Jazz Asshole Administrator Location: Chicago	Will, the Emancipation Proclamation would most likely have never been issued since the South would have already won by the time it was issued. An independent CSA would have never been party to any Constitutional Amendment. Slavery would have continued to exist until something came along to eliminate it by forcing the issue. Outside pressure surely wouldn't have done it alone. Forced industrialization wouldn't have either since there would have been motives to include at least some slave labor in unskilled positions. A victorious CSA never could have taken territory outside of the CSA for their own at the end of the war. First of all, any area ceeded to the CSA would have immediately revolted (think West Virginia) and caused a major bogging down of sorely needed resources to hold off an unfriendly USA. Second, the "breadbasket" area wasn't recognized as such until the 1880's when farmers began planting Russian wheat. And I sincerely doubt that the CSA could have mounted a successful invasion of Iowa or the Dakota territory once that particular discovery started to pay off. Geographically, they might have been able to claim portions of Kansas, but that would have been hotly contested by the Unionists imbedded there (remember the Kansas Border Wars?). In all likelyhood, they would have ended up portions of New Mexico and Arizona and had to look south in to Coahuila, Chihuahua and Sonora for extra territory. Finally, an independent CSA could not have afforded to remain an agrarian nation. They would have needed industry and lots of it. Perhaps that would have been the impetus needed to end slavery, but stagnation as an agricultural economy would have ruined the South in 1875 or 1885 just as surely as it did in 1863-65. They would have needed war materiel to face off against the USA, who most likely would have been looking for an excuse to wipe the new nation off the map. __________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin "There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush "We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo