Chapter 12 Masters of the United States
Who were they? Before the Civil War, they were not ordinary people, but the top of the entire United States. The entire southern states were under their control, and their control was even greater than that of factory owners in the abolitionist states. Because the plantation economy was a winner-takes-all model, ordinary people could not afford to support black people.
It can be said that except for a group of financiers in New York, their wealth was unrivaled in the United States at that time, and those financiers were actually far smaller in group size than these plantation owners.
It can be said that in terms of per capita economy at that time, there was not much difference between the South and the North, because the white population in the South was much smaller than that in the North, but at the top of the pyramid, these plantation owners far surpassed the factory owners in the North who were still struggling.
"You can't be a leader anywhere. If you really want to be a leader, isn't it better to do it in the United States than in Brazil? The conflict in Brazil has just ended, and there will inevitably be a period of chaos. The general environment is very unfavorable for your development. The United States is different. Brazil cannot be compared with the United States. If we were in the United States, at least it would be very convenient to do things in the entire Americas. Other American countries do not have such convenience."
At some point Sheffield also took out a map, spread it out in front of everyone and said leisurely, "According to current information, except for the United States, there is no large coal mine in the entire Americas. As we all know, coal has a huge impact on a country's national strength. Latin American countries have no development just for this reason. Simply put, there is no way."
This is not a problem of this era. It can be said that until later generations, no giant coal mine was discovered in the entire Latin America that could support a country and serve as a driving force for industrial operations.
What's the point of having diamonds, gold, and silver mines? Isn't this just a good target for robbery?
"Back then, we only had money but no ability to protect it. This ability was the advantage of manpower and factories, so we were robbed. Many years later, you were robbed again in Brazil. From a national level, those Latin American countries that lack important energy sources will sooner or later be robbed." Sheffield pointed at these countries in the southern United States in a condescending tone, with pride evident in his words.
"You're right!" The man facing Sheffield slammed his fist on the table, then tilted his head back and drank the wine in the glass, his eyes full of reluctance.
Sheffield compared the Latin American countries to the Confederate Army that faced the overwhelming manpower of the Union Army. This connection made them all feel the same. Maybe many people did not experience the Civil War, but it didn't matter. Didn't everyone in Brazil see it with their own eyes this time?
Whether it was the tariff conflict during the Civil War or the current Brazilian incident, they were the ones who were sacrificed. The previous tariffs were not a problem, and the subsequent abolition of slavery in Brazil was not a problem either. Because policies can be changed, if the temporary policy is unfavorable, they can wait for the next election, but once the labor force in their hands is released, the loss is permanent.
What national direction? The damaged plantation owners only have one problem: you open your mouth to abolish slavery, who will compensate for your losses? If no one cares about this issue, then this deep hatred will be formed.
Extended to the national level, Latin American countries are to the United States like the plantation economy is to the industrial society. They are certainly a shortcut to accumulating wealth, but their ability to resist risks is too poor and the fruits of their labor may be taken away at any time.
For the people who have suffered two losses in a row, this metaphor can best make them feel the real situation they are in. Sheffield watched these people's reactions coldly and added weight, "In fact, all the problems we are facing now are due to our defeat in the last Civil War, which led to your escape to Brazil and the same dilemma in Brazil. If we can't gain a foothold in the United States, we can't gain a foothold in any land in the entire Western Hemisphere. You can find a smaller country to continue your plantation. I think Haiti is a good choice, but Haiti is smaller and more easily affected by foreign forces. If you want to let the Yankees take away the fruits of victory for the third time, you can continue to hide."
"Instead of continuing to act like an ostrich, we should face the challenge head-on. This country originally belonged to us, not those upstarts. Think about this carefully. The status of the Yankees today should have belonged to us. Without us, there would be no United States today." Sheffield counted on his fingers and laid out the evidence word by word.
For a president who was born a plantation owner, it is not a question of who is the president, but who is not the president. Apart from this issue about the president, the expansion of the United States was also mainly driven by plantation owners.
"That's right, those nouveau riche are just a group of robbers. What qualifications do they have to be praised by public opinion? We should return to our own position." Everyone spoke up and agreed with Sheffield's words.
Sheffield was not talking nonsense, because the plantation economy was the earliest driving force behind the westward expansion of the United States. The Democratic Party insisted on taking the route of an agricultural empire and expanding westward in territory. At the same time, the South could provide space for the development of the plantation economy. This approach was of course very popular with self-employed farmers, because what farmers needed most was cheap land.
The development of industry in the North required the concentration of resources, rather than expansion. As a result, the new territories were mainly based on agricultural and animal husbandry production. In essence, a new political region was formed in the North, namely the West, which made the American political situation present a pattern of three-way competition between the North, the South and the West. As new states, the West had a more democratic system, which had an impact on the political traditions of the North. Therefore, the active westward expansion of the South contrasted with the hesitation of the North. The vigorous expansion of the South naturally demanded more seats in Congress, and the plantations naturally had more land.
The United States' Manifest Destiny of vigorous expansion was proposed by the Democratic Party, and the Mexican-American War broke out during the term of Democratic President Polk. The Democratic Party itself relied on the support of a large number of plantation owners.
"The territory of the United States today is the result of our efforts. We are the warmongers and slave owners. The Yankees enjoy the convenience without saying a word, and turn around to scold us and plunder our property. Is there anything more treacherous than this? Even if we raise a dog, it won't bite us back. Who are we?" Sheffield stood up and walked around behind everyone under the gaze of everyone, raised his head and shouted, "We are the masters of the United States."
"Yes, we are the masters of the United States, and this country belongs to us." This statement aroused a wave of excitement among the crowd.
"Yankees like liberation? This time we won't differentiate between whites and blacks. We will give them real liberation!" Sheffield knocked on the table and said, "The matter of the plantation owners is over. From now on, whites and blacks are not a problem. Everyone is the same in front of us. They listen to us when we speak."
(End of this chapter)
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