LogFAQs > #932222992

Stagmar posted... Deep down inside they might have known it was wrong, but they were too racist to admit it.

Not even: Jefferson condemned King George for perpetuating the institution of slavery in the colonies, but the passage had to be struck to appease other Southern delegates. They were very much aware it was wrong, even if they didn't grasp just how wrong it was(because they were incredibly racist), they just agreed winning independence came first.

Questionmarktarius posted...

Were it not for the civil war, mechanization would have made slavery largely obsolete within a few decades.
What happens to the slaves after that is up for speculation, but it wouldn't have been pleasant in most hypothetical cases.

I wouldn't bet on it. That was certainly the position of moderates, but there's not much reason to believe it would ever happen(at least not quickly), as a lot of the Southern aristocracy's status and mystique was tied up in the institution, and even less reason to believe that Southern politicians would ever compromise on the matter. I just can't envisage a scenario where the Southern aristocracy let all that go without a fight. Elites very rarely relinquish power of their own volition.