American Civil War - 1854 to ?

My knowledge of American History before 1860 is somewhat hazey, so I'm here to learn from this thread. Can we make it possible for the American Civil War start in 1854 or 1855 if the Kansas-Nebraska Act had gone the other way? If all of Kansas and Nebraska territory became free territory would the south lift a finger? I'm thinking of writing a timeline with an earlier civil war, sometime in the 1850s. I want to change the Compromise of 1850 or the Kansas-Nebraska to go the other way, favorably for the anti-slavery factions.

If war were to brake out sometime in the ealy or mid 1850s, who has the advantage? While the north doesn't have as many facotries as it did in 1861, the south would have even less. Let's just assume that all the states that had left in 1861 do so in the 1850s, so that the civil war looks the same on the map. The leaders would be different for both sides and the weapons not as advanced or in the same number. Would it be a quick war or would it drag out? I suppose it depends on who controls congress and who the president is at the time.

So, how does this work out?

I would think, as unbiased an opinion as I can render, that the south would be in a better position than they were in OTL, while possibly not better than the north, due to industrialization, and, IIRC, there hadn't been as great an influx of immigrants via New York yet, so the north would have had a somewhat smaller population than in OTL.

The most likely outcome would probably be that the war would have just lasted a few years longer, but ended in the same -- or similar result -- result.

I would advise changing both - the civil war won't just happen, it needs antecedents so no compromise means that the later crisis becomes the real catalyst

But will it be enough ? The South were convinced that Lincoln was the front for a Republican platform of abolitionism. This seems unlikely earlier, especially as ... um forgot what I was gonna say !

Grey Wolf

Another important prerequisite for Civil War in my opinion is the split of the Baptist Church into Northern and Southern.

If war did break out, Franklin Pierce would president. Would that make any difference? Would the Republicans win 1856?

well Kansas was admitted as a free state, but Nebraska wasn't admitted as a state until 1867.

LDoc said:

well Kansas was admitted as a free state, but Nebraska wasn't admitted as a state until 1867.

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I'm not sure where you getting at. The Kansas-Nebraska Act did not determine when Kansas and Nebraska became states, but rather if these two territories could legalize slavery.

right but NEbraska was postponed i believed i just forget what reason, but it could be the POD. Some how have the vote go on schedule and have them go free.

Hmm...the North could use John Brown as an infiltrator. Slip him behind the Confederate lines and have him set off slave revolts.

Perhaps we could bring in good old Fremont into this. He was the Republican canidate in 1856. Maybe the north is so outraged that they vote in a Republican four years earlier?

Fremont would have abolished slavery immediately, and would have fought a more agressive war. That being said, industry aside, the south had a greater military tradition.

reformer said:

Perhaps we could bring in good old Fremont into this. He was the Republican canidate in 1856. Maybe the north is so outraged that they vote in a Republican four years earlier?

Fremont would have abolished slavery immediately, and would have fought a more agressive war. That being said, industry aside, the south had a greater military tradition.

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As with Lincoln, Im sure that his forst goal would be to save the union and think about slavery later. Freeing the slaves all depends on how long the war lasts, in my opinion. Then again, if the civil war starts in the 1850s because the North makes Nebraska and Kansas territory free land, Fremont might try and release all the slaves a lot faster.

Are the pro's and con's for both North and South the same as in 1861, or would it be different just a few years earlier?

Actually POTUS Taylor was adamantly against the Compromise of 1850 and vocally said he would veto anything that crossed his desk. Of course then he died of food poisoning. I think it possible for the war to happen in the early part of the 1850s with General Taylor President. He was very anti-scesssion, and once said that he would personally lead and army to crush it were ever it reared its head. I just wonder what states would leave. I dont think he would abolish slavery either because he own something like 100 slaves.