If the CW ended differently...

[Eva Elisabeth]

(09-04-2013 06:37 PM)Rogerm Wrote:  If the South had won the Civil War, maybe slavery would have experienced a world-wide revival. Or, at least, maybe its staying power would have increased. I believe slavery remained in Brazil until 1881.

The last country that has outlawed slavery (for the third time after 1905 & 1981) in 2007 is Mauritania (although slavery there still exists illegally). I can't imagine other than that it would have been outlawed in the (US') South long before.
But what about secession? Would it have been anyhow possible that the South would still be independent, or would some or all southern states at some point in time have seeked reunification, e.g. for economic reasons?
Personally I can't imagine any of these visions. First of all because history just didn't happen another way than it did, maybe for some "higher" reason we can't make out. And to figure the possible consequences for the world's ensuing history, particularly regarding the world wars and other wars, but also regarding other fields like economy, science etc. goes far beyond my imagination.
As well you could speculate on what would have happened had Abraham Lincoln not gained presidency in 1860 (and 1864), as it had seemed rather likely preliminarily.
On the other hand, exactly this, the chain of unpredictable events and turns and the variety of motives and intentions that moved the people involved makes it all so fascinating.