No Sessession, when is slavery abolished?

[Derek Jackson]

Lincoln, and I think most white Americans in the North, did not like or at least were embarassed by the existence of slavery in the South but Lincoln, correctly in my view, took the view that in normal circumstances the US government could not take action to end slavery.

Had the South not rebelled there would have been no way to legally end slavery other than by state action and the Planter class tended to have disproportionate influence on those.

So I wonder

[Jasen777]

Many people say it would end when it became unprofitable everywhere in the country. I'm not so optimistic because slavery was a social control system as well as an economic system.

It would take a constitutional amendment to force states to end slavery that didn't want to, and OTL that only passed by forcing the southern states to ratify it to gain reentry into the nation.

But in any case international pressure will grow severe and it's hard to see it lasting much past 1888 imo, when Brazil ended slavery.

[Johnrankins]

Why are we having a second thread on this? The same question is being asked ON THIS PAGE and this is a new thread.

[Derek Jackson]

As I explained in the Poll thread I had meant to put a poll on this thread but somehow I got cut off before I could manage it sorryfolks

[Johnrankins]

Originally Posted by Derek Jackson

As I explained in the Poll thread I had meant to put a poll on this thread but somehow I got cut off before I could manage it sorryfolks

OK, I didn't notice that.