Wi Union wins first Bull run and Richmond falls by September 1861

Well what happens?

Does the Confederacy collapse?

How long would slavery go on if Jefferson Davis signs unconditional surrender?
 
I don’t know if it’s collapse but I doubt there would be much semi-serious talk of European intervention if the first major action in the war sees the confederacy’s capital invested.
 
Well what happens?

Does the Confederacy collapse?

How long would slavery go on if Jefferson Davis signs unconditional surrender?
The war ends for one thing. As far as slaves go while he may have viewed it as a bad thing to have slavery exist I'm not sure he would free them. He was fine with it living on. It was more a PR move that he freed them.
 
I don’t know if it’s collapse but I doubt there would be much semi-serious talk of European intervention if the first major action in the war sees the confederacy’s capital invested.

I don't think so. No European country really wanted to get involved (except possibly France, but Napoleon didn't want to do anything without British support), and I think they'd be even less likely to stick their necks out if the Confederacy looks too weak to even defend its own capital.
 

CalBear

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If Confederate forces collapse at Bull Run it won't END the war, however it will drastically alter it. Richmond will likely fall as the defenses there were rudimentary (and that is being generous), assuming McDowell can keep control of his troops. something that is far from a given. Even if Richmond does not fall, the message regarding its apparent hideous vulnerably will not be lost. It is likely that you see the Capital moved Southwest, possibly to Atlanta or Montgomery.

The biggest difference, of course, is the shattering of Confederate confidence and the likely destruction of the myth that grew around the innate strength of "Johnny Reb" as a solider. In a rout there is also a better than even chance that Jackson and his command wind up being overrun and obliterated, robbing the Confederacy of that man's mad genius on the battlefield.

However, to go to your second point, namely slavery, there chances of it actually simply disappearing are nil. What really destroyed slavery was the fact that the War continued long enough that Lincoln decided to play a card in hopes of bringing several border states, especially Virginia, back to the Union. The Emancipation Proclamation, as much as it is justly celebrated, was designed as a "carrot & stick" tactic. It only applied to areas that were still in rebellion after its effective date, meaning any state that returned to fold would return with slavery, and the almost mind numbing wealth slaves represented (the value of all the slave in the South at the start of the ACW exceeded the entire Federal Budget for several YEARS), preserved. Only when the Confederacy held firm did slavery effectively die (of course it took the 13th Amendment to formalize the end of the despicable Institution).

Without the Proclamation the only way to end Slavery would have been via an Amendment. That would require a 2/3 vote in both chambers, which would be extremely unlikely (the 13th Amendment failed the first vote in Congress DURING THE WAR, even some War Democrats though it went too far) add in the Southern States and the proposed Amendment is probably outright defeated. Then, it will require 3/4 of the states to ratify the Amendment. In 1861 there were only 34 states (West Virginia wasn't admitted until 1863 and then only because Virginia was in secession) meaning 26 states need to ratify. There were 11 Slave States. It wasn't until 1896, with the admission of Utah, that there were enough states to Rarify (assuming ALL new states were "Free Soil" and voted to Ratify, and none of the Slave states crosses the Aisle, none of which is an absolute given).
 
If Richmond falls, I don't see the confederacy surviving much longer. The capital may provisionally move to Atlanta, but I think at that point the Confederate leaders come to the table. It will be clear they don't have a chance in hell. And Lincoln would be happy to be lenient to restore the Union.

I agree, though, that slavery would continue after the southern states rejoin. Future southern secession attempts will be discredited. Republicans continue to admit free western states, and southern attempts to force slavery on the north are kaput.

Slavery dies a slow death that could take decades.
 
Well what happens?

Does the Confederacy collapse?

How long would slavery go on if Jefferson Davis signs unconditional surrender?

Depends on what type of victory. The South didn't make the kind of overhauls it needed in mid 1861 in part due to arrogance coming out of Bull Run and paid for it in late '61 and early '62. By the time they started retooling their strategy the West was well on its way to being lost. The North redoubled their efforts after the loss of Bull Run and it paid dividends. A tactically indecisive win for the North might cost them later if they aren't able to quickly capitalize on it and the South retools.

A tactically very decisive win at Bull Run for the North though could set off a chain reaction that collapses organized military resistance in the South. As others have stated General Jackson would be likely removed from the field in which case the South won't be able to hold the Shenandoah and the future ANV wouldn't be able to profit from his his units example as discipline problems, inadequate training, and soldiers not used to manual labor all day were a rot on southern units and his zealotry in training, discipline, and regimentation though initially hated by his men paid dividends with higher unit cohesion and a force that was able to out march and outmaneuver his opponents.

If the war ends in 1861 or '62 slavery itself isn't going away for another couple decades.
 
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