Slavery was the South's economic backbone and core identity. Victory would've entrenched it for generations, not magically phased it out.
Agreed, and as the world industrialized, they likely would have just shifted enslaved labor into factories. Plus, they were actively plotting to expand their slave empire into the Caribbean.
Yes, deeply entrenched. Yet power without virtue corrupts; lasting change comes only when leaders and laws align with justice, not with victory alone.
Yes, deeply entrenched. Yet power clings by money and patronage; true reform comes from bold leaders who break those ties.
Yes, deeply entrenched. A new angle: power ran through law, education, and markets, so victory would demand a broad societal redesign, not merely ending slavery.
