What would America look like if American Slavery never existed?

Most of the slaves

if Europeans never enslaved Africans and brought them to the American continent

Slavery was alive and well centuries before the Europeans got involved. In fact most of the slaves that ended up being shipped around the world, including the U.S., were already slaves, captured by rival tribes.

I guess I wasn't too direct in what I was getting at. Are African Americans better off in America then if they their descendants were never brought here? Also are all these cultural issues, BLM, rioting, looting, racial divide is the America's punishment for slavery? Would America be a much more harmonious place if Slaves were never brought here? If there was no enslaved people that were freed and then oppressed for another hundred years how would that have an impact on America?

I am speaking about cause and effect. The decision to bring slaves to America has created a # storm down the road. That is what I am getting at.

a reply to: AssiduousSpook
Why do people seem to conveniently forget slavery was NOT just an American problem. Slavery has existed since the dawn of man. From the natives(women were traded for horses, based on their "beauty" to become chore workers and baby makers..), to the Vikings, to the Irish, to Egypt, Russia, china.. Africans were slaves to more Africans then to white people. They were sold by their own people, a village would destroy another and sell it's people.

It is the way life was for a very very long time. All over the world, people keep forgetting America is only 400years old. But slavery has existed for thousands of years.. If our nation lives as long as china.. it will be a blip in our history(footnote) in comparison to those nations that have been around forever.

Slavery is a sad thing, but the alternatives was death. As cruel as that might be to the victor of any war of old you were only worth what you could do.. or what they could get if you were to problematic.

But isn't slavery worldwide still a thing? Unlivable wages, you work 3/4ths your life and retire when your useless and to slow to bring a turnout, while your healthcare cost skyrocket.. with those in charge of your funds hoping you die shortly after retirement to save on resources.

No matter how you look at it, when you work for or rely on someone else.. you are a slave to that person. So you want to ask what would America look like without slavery.

In truth, you couldn't even say Amish because slavery exists in that community too.. so it would look like the wild west. Shoot first, take what he got leave his wallet and ID. It would be unruly with zero progression, where the population would dwindle to the last man as a "for myself" only attitude. Especially when you compare to the basic living slavery of "uncivilized natives". (Which primarily affected women)

Because despite what you think, slavery taught the world a lot of things, including compassion and progressed nations. Without it, I think we would be lawless and just leaving dead body's where they stood with little respect to life in general.

In every dark corner there is always light.

Because of slavery in the past, we learn to appreciate what we have today. Example when the people were all covered in ash from the towers and the little kid couldn't find his parents because "everyone looked the same" wouldn't be a touching moment.

I am not promoting slavery, as I do think it's wrong. But I do believe that we should not shun and ignore the past but learn from it.

Because the reality is, it isn't just an American problem. Every country in the world is guilty of slavery. In fact, I think it is respectable that America was the first to abolish slavery on such a grand scale and those ways in such a short time. Compared to other countries that had and still have slavery for thousands of years.

That is what makes America great, we learned from other countries/cultures and said "we do not want to be like them". Slavery in this country outside of jobs has been dead for a very long time.

a reply to: AssiduousSpook

I will be honest, Africa is a crap hole. More then half their population has disease and widespread starvation. Most deal with daily raids, rape, and enslavement, their children die of blood disease and malaria, with their only hope being doctors without borders(a us funded program).. to this day.

So the real question is, despite a horrific background, did slavery save several generations of Africans from these problems? I would like to think so..

Any African who disagrees with me are more then welcome to return. As Africa is giving money, transportation to, as well as jobs and a house for descendants who were taken 100% free. I will tell you this, those that have taken that path were very very quick to regret it.

That fact alone, was what lead me to this opinion. Especially when you consider any child over there right now does NOT get a childhood.. from the moment they can walk, talk and understand they are put to work..

There have been a lot of other races/factions of people that had it way way way worse then blacks. Including Native Americans and Jews... Which included genocide when they were done with them as slaves.

If you don't believe the truth in that.. the Jewish were forced to dig their own graves, and shot point blank while standing in them.

a reply to: AssiduousSpook

First of all thank you for making this thread.

I would like to think that economically America would have adapted to no slavery and pulled out fine. Our innovation and spirit of hard work would still see us as the number one world power. Perhaps too idealistic but one can dream.

Are African Americans better off in America then if they their descendants were never brought here?

Interesting line of thought. Are they better off in the US than Africa today? Yeah, no doubt. Is that even in dispute? That doesn't justify what happened at all though...so...

Also are all these cultural issues, BLM, rioting, looting, racial divide is the America's punishment for slavery?

Without saying that it is right or wrong, yes.

Closing statement: I think that what America did in the past was monstrous. There is no way to justify what happened to black people. It was wrong, period. I know we would be better off without slavery in our past, irregardless of the economic impact, and I hope that is a conclusion that others can reach here too.

For one thing, would there have been a civil war?
The economic mismatch between the Slave owning states in the south and the manufacturing states in the North was one of the main drivers, wasn't it?

So, I doubt Lincoln would have been such a big noise.

I doubt there would have been any segregation.

a reply to: SprocketUK

Yes, yes and yes. People as a species not a Race, always blame someone else for their problems.

The civil war wasn't just about slavery, it was about a lot more then that, (I suggest you reread those lessons if you think otherwise). Which is another thing that is often overlooked, because that was the first step for freedom of both black and white Slaves of America.

Slaves were granted freedoms only if they chose to fight for the north against the south. But the war itself was way more then slavery, in actuality it's a footnote in a long and grueling dispute of other things.

originally posted by: BlackArrow
Slaves were granted freedoms only if they chose to fight for the north against the south.

Patently false.

a reply to: BlackArrow

Far as I understand it the war started over the economic mismatch between the two sides,

Actual racist keyboard Karens typing furiously, sweating profusely behind their Great Value brand masks of superiority and righteousness, on the verge of blowing a gasket because their view of slavery in America doesn't match up exactly with OP, comparing one instance of slavery throughout history with another. A turd is a turd, it's all crap.

You're missing the point of the post, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

It's a simple question, even clarified by OP in follow-up responses. How would AMERICA be different today had slavery not happened? That is literally the topic that is up for discussion.

a reply to: game over man

And there would slavery in that Empire and human sacrifice.

originally posted by: AssiduousSpook
I would like to start out by saying I believe Slavery in America is one of the most shameful and largest crimes against humanity that occurred in the last 500 years. i do wonder what America would look like if Europeans never enslaved Africans and brought them to the American continent. I also ponder what the lives of the descendants of slaves in America would be like as well. Also the culture and race divides in America would they still be at such a fever pitch? Would America been able to become the super power it is if it was not for the enslavement of other human beings?

Here is some things to remember. Without slavery Europeans would not have brought anyone to the Americas for their health. People would have to have emigrated on their own. The current GDP per capita in Africa is $1,860, while in North America its $49,430.

Personally I wish slavery never happened. It is such a dark moment in American History.

British, it would look British.

Without slavery America wouldn't have had the income or the resources to have fought the British off. It couldn't have spared the manpower from the farms.

originally posted by: timequake
Most of the slaves

if Europeans never enslaved Africans and brought them to the American continent

Slavery was alive and well centuries before the Europeans got involved. In fact most of the slaves that ended up being shipped around the world, including the U.S., were already slaves, captured by rival tribes.

Does anybody know what percentage of the slaves who were brought to America come from Tribesgroups who themselves sold others into slavery in the US?

In essence, how many slaves were also slavers (at least by association).

a reply to: game over man

You know the colonists stole the idea of democracy from east coast tribes?

Oh goodie
Please oh please explain how the east coast tribes invented democracy?

Easily one of the best posts ever here.

13% of the population would not be black as a start... Maybe not even .1%. Much of the mix in central America and other islands would also be 100% indigenous than the heavy mix we see today.

originally posted by: shooterbrody
a reply to: game over man

You know the colonists stole the idea of democracy from east coast tribes?

Oh goodie
Please oh please explain how the east coast tribes invented democracy?

Easily one of the best posts ever here.

Oh goodie? Please oh please? Are you that much of a racist? You could have googled it yourself.

Here you go, Link

What would it look like if slavery never existed?

Paradise?

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: game over man

And there would slavery in that Empire and human sacrifice.

Hawaiians abolished the kapu system themselves when Hawaiian royalty converted to Christianity. I'm not sure about North American Native Americans tho, I know human sacrifice was a Mayan, Aztec, and Inca thing. As far as slavery within the Tribes all I found was some tribes enslaved African Americans learning this from the colonists. But Native American slavery before white settler contact? I don't know...they did that? You have a link?

a reply to: game over man

Sacajawea was kidnapped and enslaved by a raiding party when she was 12. But I am sure she was unique.

a reply to: AssiduousSpook

Personally I wish slavery never happened

wish what ever you want, slavery didnt start in the US, it started way back in history, humans with resources and wealth always needed help and used the helpless poor people, its not a 200 or so years ago thing.

my brother the other day sent me a a report about an asteroid that could potentially contain millions of Kg in gold that if NASA could harvest it the whole population of the world would be billionaires and I replayd by saying " if everybody was rich no one will need to work, therefore no work power and no production and that will lead to what do you think? "

conclusion : whether you like the idea of a creator or not, which whome he creats people with defrent needs and abilities to serve each other and trade, this is what is driving this pale blue Dot.

my opinion with all due respect