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What would the United States be like today if slavery had never occurred?
Posted on 8/18/15 at 9:40 am
Posted on 8/18/15 at 9:40 am
Serious question with no racist angle.
One can argue that we would be weaker today because American was built on the backs of slaves, which in a morbid way made our infrastructure strong, citizens wealthy, and that resulted in power.
One can argue that since slavery diversity hasn't worked as well as envisioned and therefore everyone would be happier today if the slave trade had never occurred.
But that may not be true.
Liberia (founded by former American slaves) and Sierra Leone (founded by former Nova Scotia freed slaves) were noble but ultimately failed experiments to create democracy conducive to freedom and prosperity in West Africa.
As history would prove much later, descendents of slaves who decided to stay in America would eventually have access to the greatest opportunities for eductation, health care, and prosperity of any country in world history.
It's an interesting thought. Who would have benefitted most today if slavery had never occurred?
One can argue that we would be weaker today because American was built on the backs of slaves, which in a morbid way made our infrastructure strong, citizens wealthy, and that resulted in power.
One can argue that since slavery diversity hasn't worked as well as envisioned and therefore everyone would be happier today if the slave trade had never occurred.
But that may not be true.
Liberia (founded by former American slaves) and Sierra Leone (founded by former Nova Scotia freed slaves) were noble but ultimately failed experiments to create democracy conducive to freedom and prosperity in West Africa.
As history would prove much later, descendents of slaves who decided to stay in America would eventually have access to the greatest opportunities for eductation, health care, and prosperity of any country in world history.
It's an interesting thought. Who would have benefitted most today if slavery had never occurred?
This post was edited on 8/18/15 at 9:44 am
16
Posted on 8/18/15 at 9:40 am to mizzoukills
Greece
Posted on 8/18/15 at 9:47 am to mizzoukills
quote:
It's an interesting thought. Who would have benefitted most today if slavery had never occurred
England.
We would be like Canada.
Posted on 8/18/15 at 9:50 am to mizzoukills
It would be harder to find quality pulled pork BBQ. That's huge.
and ribs.
and ribs.
This post was edited on 8/18/15 at 10:22 am
Posted on 8/18/15 at 10:06 am to mizzoukills
One can argue that we would be weaker today because American was built on the backs of slaves, which in a morbid way made our infrastructure strong, citizens wealthy, and that resulted in power.
I keep seeing this thought repeated on here, but based on what? The African slave trade provided the Americas with mainly unskilled, agricultural labor. What infrastructure (Erie Canal, large dams/dikes, major roadways and bridges, etc) were built with slave labor? I'm genuinely curious.
I keep seeing this thought repeated on here, but based on what? The African slave trade provided the Americas with mainly unskilled, agricultural labor. What infrastructure (Erie Canal, large dams/dikes, major roadways and bridges, etc) were built with slave labor? I'm genuinely curious.
Posted on 8/18/15 at 10:19 am to 5thTiger
quote:
We would be like Canada.
We could only dream.
Posted on 8/18/15 at 10:21 am to mizzoukills
Boring AF. No blues music, no R&B music, no rock & roll music, no fried chicken.
This post was edited on 8/18/15 at 10:22 am
Posted on 8/18/15 at 10:23 am to The Spleen
MLB baseball would still be king of sports.
Posted on 8/18/15 at 10:25 am to SoFla Tideroller
quote:
What infrastructure (Erie Canal, large dams/dikes, major roadways and bridges, etc) were built with slave labor?
The Chinese say nín hao
This post was edited on 8/18/15 at 10:26 am
Posted on 8/18/15 at 10:27 am to The Spleen
quote:based on what?
Boring AF. No blues music, no R&B music, no rock & roll music, no fried chicken.
They have all that stuff in Ireland, Scotland,and England, but they never had African Slaves. How did that shite happen?
I am going to let you make my statement for me.
Posted on 8/18/15 at 10:33 am to auggie
quote:
based on what?
Uh, based on all of those genres of music being born in the black population of the American South.
quote:
They have all that stuff in Ireland, Scotland,and England,
Yeah and they were all heavily influenced by the black American artists.
Posted on 8/18/15 at 10:40 am to The Spleen
So you are saying: The South gave this to the world, and the world is better off and enriched by it,but The South is still the bad guy.
I like it.
I like it.
Posted on 8/18/15 at 10:40 am to rugbyag
The Chinese say nín hao
I thought we were discussing slavery.
I thought we were discussing slavery.
Posted on 8/18/15 at 10:44 am to SoFla Tideroller
We were.
Posted on 8/18/15 at 10:48 am to mizzoukills
Most likely North America would have many more nations than just Mexico, the U. S. and Canada. The American civil war was a great stabilizer in continental politics because the North defeated the South.
The reunited United States quelled potential uprisings continent wide. If not for the Civil War there might be nations such as Deseret, La Republica del Norte, Quebec, California, Texas, the C.S.A., the U.S.A., Mexico, Canada and many others.
The reunited United States quelled potential uprisings continent wide. If not for the Civil War there might be nations such as Deseret, La Republica del Norte, Quebec, California, Texas, the C.S.A., the U.S.A., Mexico, Canada and many others.
This post was edited on 8/18/15 at 10:51 am
Posted on 8/18/15 at 11:01 am to mizzoukills
We wouldn't be very good at athletics as a country.
Posted on 8/18/15 at 11:17 am to mizzoukills
Why can we not count indentured servitude as Slavery? Does that need to get mixed in to this proposal?
Also does that mean that we change the Mid-East countries and the Far East countries?
Also does that mean that we change the Mid-East countries and the Far East countries?
This post was edited on 8/18/15 at 11:18 am
Posted on 8/18/15 at 11:17 am to Felonious Punk
What country would be good at athletics?
Once again, make my point for me.
Once again, make my point for me.
This post was edited on 8/18/15 at 11:21 am
Posted on 8/18/15 at 11:18 am to mizzoukills
fricking awesome
Posted on 8/18/15 at 12:03 pm to auggie
SEC football would suck.
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