"Its perfectly obvious that slavery was financially prosperous right up to the time is was outlawed ."
That question has had historians arguing back and forth for centuries. It is wonderful that you are able to sidestep it so easily! :-)
I think that classical scholars such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and Thomas Malthus were correct in believing that free labor was more efficient and more profitable than forced labor. There are MANY MANY points that certainly appear to make THIS OBVIOUS. And notice there were only certain places and jobs where slaves were generally employed--jobs in colonies where there was no paid labor for various reasons including the fact that the land exploiters were away from their motherland and the fact that dangerous or unbearable work was being done. You didn't see a lot of slaves in the Christian North now did you?? If it was economically more feasible than paid labor...WHY NOT?? Much of the world was full of Christians. And they all knew that slavery was justified on biblical principles--of course, they did. But they sure as Hell didn't like cutting sugar cane or risking their lives every day in a mine, did they? On the other hand, why not rely on the availability and the efficiency of paid labor in Pennsylvania?
Often slaves were worked TO DEATH (not a figure of speech) because a crop could make the difference between success or abject and utter failure for the "master".
When slavery became more difficult to maintain in faraway colonies and revolts and work stoppages and willful damage and destruction became common...the writing was on the wall.
Anyway, the profitability issue is one that you are clearly not interested in, so I will leave it to the furious ongoing debates amongst economists and sociologists and historians.
"Which doesn't mean much since pretty much everyone in the south was too. Even the slaves."
What does that have to do with anything? The slave owners were the Christians. That is why 92,000,000 lives got lost--so that they (and their God) could prevail and continue to force human beings to do their dirty work for them.
"He didn't campaign against monarchy either, but does that make him a monarchist?"
Huh?? What is the MORAL issue with the Monarchy??
Slavery is a moral issue. As in many moral issues, God had much to say on it. God had much to say on the duties of the slave to the master, how hard the master could whip the slave--on and on and on. But God never says: let my people go, does God?? OH NO. But you can't wear a garment made of linen and wool. OH NO! And avoid an "UNCLEAN" woman for seven days. OH YES!
But slavery? Not a problem, eh?? |
