Oh bullshit. Another use would have been found for the slaves.Yeah not for some time now...
In fact, the Civil War was completely unnecessary because mechanized farming would have supplanted slave labor by 1870. A steam tractor with impliments could pick more cotton in a few hours than 100 men could do in a full day. But trying to feed our population without machinery now ain't gonna happen. As Booted points out in post 87 above, YOU ARE THE CARBON THEY WANT TO REDUCE.