re: What would America look like if slavery was never institutionalized?

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85% less fast food joints across the country. No 20"+ chrome rims that keep spinning even when you stop. No interesting sports. No uptown and 3rd ward culture. No flexible use of the word "motherfricker". A relevant Michael Richards. Etc.

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plenty of fast food in europe people just don't eat it as much.

The number of mcdonalds restaurants alone, in europe are basically doubled by the amount in the USA. I believe with Germany having the most. And California having the most in the USA.

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Question is in the title of the thread. What would the United States look like if there was never slavery? Slaves helped build the nation, but a war fought over slavery destroyed parts of it. I can tell you one thing, I bet it would look very different.

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If there were never slaves in the USA than we would nothing buy a few religious colonies along the NE coast. If there was never slavery in the world, than modern society would never be built. Slavery and forced labor have been part of human history since the first weapon was invented.

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If there were never slaves in the USA than we would nothing buy a few religious colonies along the NE coast.

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If it weren't Africans, it would've been someone else.

And that whole Egypt ordeal.

Oh no, in today's world the only slaves truly talked about is African Americans. White people were never slaves so therefore we don't know their struggle.

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Oh no, in today's world the only slaves truly talked about is African Americans. White people were never slaves so therefore we don't know their struggle.

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Sorry my politically correct (and historically incorrect) chip has been malfunctioning. I guess I need to go to the nearest democratic party headquarters and get it serviced.

The American colonies as a whole likely would have failed. The enslaved Irish were sent to the Caribbean as a far cheaper source of labor (and an expendable one), since the cash crops from that region were more profitable than the crops from mainland North America. That would not have changed. Without forced labor, there were not enough people to work the land to produce both enough food to survive and enough of a crop to remain profitable. The Spanish likely would have held claim to most of what is now the US, thought the English may have continued to battle the French for the northern fur trade. Simply, there would not be an America, as the migration of Europeans over to the colonies would have been greatly decreased. It would either remain remote European colonies or the native tribes would have eventually bloodied them enough to where they left.

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You do realize that at some point, forced labor has happened in EVERY country on the planet; right? 

People here are the only ones that use it as an excuse.

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Well..our country isn't that old. And we've progressed so much in the short time. The history of the United States is brief to such a powerful nation.

The civil war is a defining point in history which is often discussed, taught and helps keep the "seriousness of slavery" talked about and relevant.

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So you are saying if the southerners had to pick their own cotton this country would be much better off???

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If they had never been slavery there would have never been settlement of Western hemisphere. Without slavery or forced labor there would have been no economic benefit of colonies. So America would be alot of trees, Native Americans hunting buffalo on the plains and continue living pre-Colombian lifestyles. In Central America the Aztecs would still be doing Aztec things and in South America there would be Incans doing Monchu Picu things.