So, in most scenarios where the confederacy somehow wins their independence and survives to the present day it winds up becoming a backwater similar to Latin American countries of our present time. The reasoning is (and is probably solid) that the south was an agrarian slavocracy based on the export of a single crop, king cotton and such societies do not usually advance in productive ways. However I am reminded of another country which was quite literally stuck in the middle ages and in the period of a few decades turned itself into a modern industrial westernized empire. I am of course talking about Japan. The history as I understand it was that Japan in the early 1800s was a feudal agrarian medieval type of society which still had a Shogun, samurai, castles and the like which had ensured its survival by killing any foreigners which stepped foot on its soil. Then America came in and forced it to open itself up to trade. The Japanese fearing exploitation by colonial powers got together some experts from Europe and learned their ways of doing things and industrialized and turned into a modern first world colonial empire. They went from an almost Medieval society to a modern first world country in a couple decades, a feat which gives me great respect for the Japanese people.
So, my question is could the confederacy transform itself in the same way that the Japanese did? If not, then why not? They, I assume were at the time more advanced than the Japanese and they were smart enough to do it. I realize its very unlikely, but it would make an interesting timeline if possible.