No Slavery- No War?

Great Debates
#1

In the Great Debates area, there is a discussion called “Sectionalism And The Civil War” (and I hope someone who knows HTML or UBB can set up a link to it).

Just before the discussion veered off into the question of personal liberties and the source therein, Jois asked the question “If slavery had not existed, would there still have been a Civil War?”

Any takers on this?

Personal opinion: Unlikely at best (that there would be a Civil War, not that there will be any takers on this topic). The issue of States’ Rights was used as a stalking horse by the pro-slavery contingent; without slavery as a major dividing issue, the pro-States’ Rights forces would never have gained the power and strength that they did.

#2

John, I’m gonna hop in and give you a hand before someone more caustic jumps yer backside.

The easiest way I have found to make a link is to just cut and past the url. It’s not fancy, but it works. Here’s the one I think you want.
http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000643.html

Secondly, there is a FAQ section that answers questions like this. Things will go much easier on you, as you will see from the replies in some other threads, if you take a couple minutes and read it. Here’s a link to the FAQ.
http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/faq.html

There is also a pretty good UBB summary contained in the hyperlink right below the submit button. It will open a new browser window so you won’t lose any of your current reply.
http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/ubbcode.html

And finally, although this is open to interpretation, I think this topic would be better served in the Great Debates Forum. General Questions is generally reserved for topics that may have an absolute answer. Great Debates is just that, opinions and theories.

Enjoy your time here and glad to have you aboard.

“Some people are worried about the difference between right and wrong. I’m worried about the difference between wrong and fun.”
~P.J. O’Rourke~

#3

Rotcha, rief. I’ve started this up in the Great Debates area. Mr. Moderator, would you mind shutting down this thread? Thanks very much. Won’t happen again. Honest.

#4

Thanks UncleBeer; I’m pretty new to this also, and found the links helpful. It’s good to know the rules before you play the game.

#5

i wanna thank you for the links too uncle.I’m always forgettin how to do all that stuff right when i want to do it. The cut and paste way is the best for me for a link. John,if somebody jumps you ,jump um right back.But most folks is right nice here. ( they put up with me,sorta, sometimes,some of them) But, Uncle,did Ah understand that you meant to emply that there is no absolute answer to question of the reason for the War of Northern Aggresion,sir?

“Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx

#6

I think the Civil War was the outcome of economic competition between North & South, fueled by the moral issue of slavery, but not caused by it alone. If (let’s say) the South had developed an agrarian system that depended on something closer to indentured servitude or sharecropping (in which those doing the physical labor entered into the arrangement voluntarily) instead of slavery, I think the two regions might have still become polarized as the balance of power in Congress swung to favor the North, which could then pass laws that would be to their advantage at the expense of the South, which would then complain of exploitation. The two regions had different economies, with the South producing the raw materials and the North doing processing and manufacturing, and this, not slavery per se, led to the initial regional polarizations in Congress.

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#7

I agree with AHunter. Bear in mind that the Southern states were reluctant to allow George Washington (or anyone, for that matter) to become President of the new country because they were wary of any form of centralized, federal government. Slavery was certainly the issue which ignited the war, but it was not the cause.

The overwhelming majority of people have more than the average (mean) number of legs. – E. Grebenik