BellaOnline Forums Education History What if the South had won the Civil War?

So many things could have happened during the American Civil War. If just a few things fell into place to lead to the Confederacy winning, what do you think our world would be like today? What would be different? What would be the same?

I believe we would have a lot more down home good ol' comfort food cooking!

That is a tough question to ponder, Rebecca. I will have to think more about this. Very interesting topic.

I think we'd all speak with a southern accent, wear low cut full skirted gowns and take afternoon naps. I dearly love Gone With The Wind and would love to have lived during that era.

I shudder to think and for one am very glad I didn't live in that era.

How do you think WWI and WWII would have been different if this had happened?

I read a book by Harry Turtledove (I think it was called Guns of the South). The South won in it, and about 20 or 50 (my memory is hazy, it's been years since I read it) years later slavery ended anyway. I've always wondered this question myself. It wouldn't have been pretty, for a plethora of reasons beyond slavery. I wonder what would have happened in the western states, if they would have joined the USA or the CSA. Interesting hypothesis.

They probably would have formed their own countries or depending on their stance on slavery and other issues would have helped make their decision.


I'm not surprised that slavery would have ended. The war was not so much over slavery as not like being told what to do about their slaves or any other topic. The southern states felt that the federal government could only go so far. Slavery was agricultural dependent in America and slowly we were heading to more industrialization that would have changed the entire slavery viewpoint.

If the Southern States had won the war, there may not be any USA. Just the CSA. Or the CUSA. The Confederate United States of America or something like that lol.

I don't see how the South could have won the war. Despite, their many battlefield victories they were outnumbered and had far less supplies and manufacturing capabilities than the North. Also, they could not unite as a single government. All the States were fighting for the own individual State rights. The very idea for which they were fighting also caused to be unable to unite as a single government.

Craig, you just pointed out something I was talking to my husband about. The South was contradicting themselves by fighting to be independent yet having Davis as a president. They would never have gotten along.

You could almost describe the south as a young teenager trying to see how far the could go.