Thanks for your input David. I will still disagree with you but you helped me reflect on this topic more and write and article which attempt to answer the questions you raised: https://erik-engheim.medium.com/did-slavery-benefit-the-us-economy-925868999fe4

I hope you don't mind. I had once somebody who was angry about me writing a longer response this way. My main motivation here is to just keep the debate going and exchange ideas, not to offend anyone.

I am not a historian like you, but I always love a good discussion. I have learned a lot from being wrong before.

One of the arguments I will throw out there that I did not add in the article, is that I don't think present day decay necessarily points to failure of the past.

The heartland of the British industrial revolution has long been a troubled backwater with social and economic problems. The parts of Belgium Waloonia which industrialized first is not doing so well today.

I think the same applies to the US with the rust belt. Places like Pittsburg and perhaps New Jersey.

In fact I come from a part of Norway which used to be known for its industry. My home town Moss, was proud of its many factories and stinky air. They used to have a deck of cards with a picture of every factory and enterprise in Moss. Since I grew up in the 1980s I have seen one industrial enterprise after the other collapse. First the shipyard close to my house, then the glassworks and many more until the last most iconic company where my grandfather worked the Peterson paper mill closed as one of the last ones.

My province tends to top all sorts of statistics for bad outcomes for people. Yet I don't think the failures and problems seen today means that my home province was not an important part of Norwegian economic growth and prosperity in its time.

Time, changing markets, technology and conditions will always give different winners and losers.