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Originally Posted by August
a. Lincoln could not avoid a war because by the time he was elected war was pretty much an inevitability. It had been building for over a decade.
b. Had the south won I firmly believe the nation would have continued to fragment eventually leading to 48 independent countries most likely constantly at war with each other and at least unable to unite against 20th century enemies.
c. Had the south won Seward would never have purchased Alaska which would have put Soviet tank divisions on the North American continent. Not a pretty thought.
d. All the post civil war achievements of the United States, landing man on the moon for example, do not happen because at 1/50th of the budget no single state would be able to afford it.
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I would also add:
e. The Civil War accelerated the US's industrialization, leading to the economic boom of the late 19th Century, and expanding the industrial revolution to a degree unseen anywhere else on earth.
f. The emphasis on centralized federal government combined with an economic boom (see e) made the US a much larger player on the world stage.
and the obvious:
g. The end of formalized slavery.
In short, you do not have the United States of the 20th Century without the American Civil War.
To the topic, I have had the opportunity to take several walking and automotive tours of Gettyburg. They have all been wonderful, and I highly reccomend a trip to the park as something you will never forget.
EDIT: Oh, and Abraham Lincoln was probably the greatest president and orator the country has ever seen.