How Was South Carolina's Secession Supposed to Save Slavery?

James Lutzweiler

Sergeant Major
Joined
Mar 14, 2018
Fellow Posters,

I am not among those who see slavery as the primary cause of Secession and the War of Southern Aggression for Western Territory that followed. However, for the sake of discussion, let me ask those of you who take that position this question: "If you were a planter or politician in 1860 and it was in your interest to preserve slavery as an institution, what would you have done?" A corollary to that question is a very similar one, if one of your answers is "Secession and the launching of a new country." Here is the question: "Just exactly how was it that Secession was going to preserve slavery?"

For the life of me, I cannot see Secession as salvific in any way. To me it is the mother lode of non sequiturs to bring about that result. What I am looking for by way of answers is a detailed (maybe 3-4 bullet points) of the exact choreography of order. OK, we have seceded. What next? Put yourself in the shoes of a planter in 1860 and ask yourself what you need to do in order to preserve your investment. We know in hindsight that Secession did not work. But what made them think it would work? That's what I am looking for.

James Lutzweiler
 
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