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evand comments on Open Thread, October 1-15, 2012 - Less Wrong Discussion
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Perhaps I should have explained better, but that was sort of my point. You ask why an event didn't happen, and I pointed out that the event seems to be rare. I don't think it requires a circumstances-specific reason. Or, put more simply: people didn't do that because people didn't do stuff like that then.
Also, I don't think there are many instances of people voting out the capitalists before the Communist Manifesto, which was published in 1848. That's well after "quickly after the US started". I don't think the timing is entirely coincidental.
Can you give me a circumstances-nonspecific reason?
I haven't heard of any, but I don't know much history.
Sure, here are a few off the top of my head, not having done any research. There are strong social norms against taking other people's property. The prevailing culture of the time held this norm. Other people owning slaves has little direct impact on most people. I don't think the economic competition argument was one likely to be known or understood by those competing with slaves, so I don't think they would have made it. People who could make that argument were busy doing other things with their wealth. Status quo bias is generally strong.
For circumstances-specific logic, I'd suggest reading up on the period debates surrounding slavery; there certainly were some at high levels. I think the decisions were mainly made on political grounds, and by people who liked the economics the way they were.