ArrantPariah wrote:
But the North is full of, you know, "Liberals." Why would a slave want to leave a godly Conservative state just to go to Pinko-land?
You know, an obedient, hard-working slave could count on being provided with food, clothing, and shelter, as a valuable beast of burden. If he broke a leg or something he would be fed and cared for until he healed. And his master was legally forbidden to turn him out in the elements even when he became old and sick. It sounds like some people's idea of Paradise.
The Northern states, on the other hand, were essentially laissez-faire. A person would have to go through all the hassle of getting and keeping a job, buying his own stuff, and making his own provisions for a rainy day; those unable to earn their own living would have no option but to seek out private charity. Why, indeed, would anybody exchange comfort and security for all that icky freedom?