Strange But True: Ron Paul Thinks The American Civil War Was 'Unnecessary'

[ellisonz]

6. Key difference...

Serfdom was largely grounded in class identity, though I would cede that in some parts of the Russian sphere it also had an ethnic component to it, whereas American slavery was firmly grounded in racial ideology, and not in class. This became especially true with the decline of White indentured servitude in the South in general, and especially in the Virginia Colony with: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacons_rebellion in which:

"Indentured servants both black and white joined the frontier rebellion. Seeing them united in a cause alarmed the ruling class. Historians believe the rebellion hastened the hardening of racial lines associated with slavery, as a way for planters and the colony to control some of the poor.[17]

^ Cooper, William J, Liberty and Slavery: Southern Politics to 1860, Univ of South Carolina Press, 2001, p. 9.

The American Revolution only served to further White strict white ideological beliefs that Blacks were an inferior race, destined to eternal servitude as the British actively sought to encourage slaves to leave their plantations and join the British cause, for an outstanding review of this history I would refer to: http://www.amazon.com/Epic-Journeys-Freedom-American-Revolution/dp/0807055158/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324694262&sr=8-1

The ongoing crisis of slave resistance and uprising continued to foster Southern White fears of Blacks if liberated would seek vengeance against their White masters, and this was especially true after the Haitian revolution, the Nat Turner revolt, and John Brown's attempt to initiate and arm a slave rebellion at Harper's Ferry. For an excellent review of divergent Northern views of Black liberation, I would refer anyone interested to: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Hearts-Men-Abolitionists-Transformation/dp/0674013670/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324694566&sr=1-1

While it is certainly true that the North did give up slavery and lead the Abolitionist charge, they had far fewer slaves, were able to substitute immigrant labor, and did not live in constant fear of Black uprising. The notion that under any terms the South would have accepted any buyout of slavery is ludicrous and steeped in racist ideology about the history of this country. Shame on Ron Paul.