When slavery proved uneconomic in the North, slaves were sold south where the cotton gin allowed the institution to be marginally profitable. Northern banks and insurance companies, some still operating, were among the chief beneficiaries of slavery and the cotton trade. New York, not New Orleans, was the centre of the global slave trade at the start of the Civil War. In the North, where Lincoln put out a call for 75,000 volunteers to invade the South, slavery was not a priority. Barry Sheehy is a Canadian author of, or contributing author to, seven books (three dealing with the Civil War) and multiple papers and articles.

Source: National Post November 07, 2017 17:26 UTC