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While the second secession of American states would occur in the U.S's history, the Californian War, as it would be called, would not be taken seriously by eastern politicians at first. Grant and other Senators could barely believe that Americans would rally behind a self-declared Emperor against their homeland, but not only that, they had pressing matters that seemed more important. For one, the resurgence of the violent race relations in the South. The Ku Klux Klan may have been disbanded, but the White League remained strong, and although politicians saw the Western secession as a joke, Southerners catching wind of this made many think it was the South's time to rise again. It would blow up with the Assault on Hamburg when former Confederate General, Matthew C. Butler, would lead a white militia to attempt to bully the African-American populace out of the town of Hamburg out of a show of strength. When most residences refused, at night, the militia masked themselves and killed multiple Blacks at the cold of the night. Butler would eventually be arrested, but his actions would lead to Southern insurrections nicknamed by the people as "The Butchery".

Little to none Southern politicians and former commanders supported these insurrections, but many Southerners did. Towns supported militias the best they could in their war against Blacks. By March 1874, the White League were even able to seize New Orleans, preventing Federal soldiers to assist by using guerilla tactics to wear them out. Under the control of their leader, Frederick N. Ogden, the Southerners would execute a large number of African-Americans, being called "Ogden's Wrath", no matter their age or sex, many Blacks were executed, even babies, in which it was rumored that they were smothered to death in front of their mothers. Federal troops would eventually retake New Orleans, giving capital punishment to Ogden and his men. The Butchery was seen as a national emergency by the Government, who would spend much time into bringing order to the South. Although businesses were used to help, which also helped the economy, it didn't reach to a scale in which it reversed the effects of the Depression, where militias often raided some businesses who assisted the government. However, there weren't only Southern militias. Many Northerners blamed either the government or the South for the Depression, and with many men without a job, some formed militias and often raided Southern towns to make ends meet.

While Grant was occupied by Southerners, he was startled to hear that the Mormons were causing trouble. Bringham, with multiple Mormon militias, seized Salt Lake City and the Governor of Utah Territory, George L. Woods, the man who was formerly Governor of Oregon and was helped by Norton, fled the area for San Francisco. Telegraph lines were cut, having the U.S lose an easy connection to the West Coast. Seeing the Mormons more of a threat than Norton, Grant sent out troops by railroad to hopefully reach Salt Lake City and deal with this mess. However, Brigham was going to let the fight come to him, he was going to come to the fight. He ordered the railroads to be torn off and men camped out in the night to wait for the troops. Soon, a train would barrel towards their direction and topple over. Mormon militiamen rushed the train, firing upon it, leaving the surprised soldiers caught off guard, with many of them forced to surrender or die. The Great Train Blunder as it would be called would lead to Grant losing much support, as a hundred Union soldiers were now prisoners of the Mormons.

Emperor Norton spent the first few months consolidating his power. Although the military loved him, their leader, John Schofield, was appointed during Norton's second term and was not enamored by the character of Norton, even calling him crazy. Luckily, Schofield was on a mission in Hawaii, who's purpose was a mystery. The current King of Hawaii, George C. Lunalilo, was supported by Norton when he was elected and grew to new the Governor of California during his visits to Hawaii. Letters were sent by Norton, as well as other politicians, claiming that Schofield was actually there to cause the white population at the Hawaiian Islands to depose the King. Fearful of this possibility, Schofield was seized by Hawaiian officials, in which he was supposed to be sent to San Francisco to be held for trial by the newly-named Empire of California, but he would suspiciously die on the way due to food poisoning. By January of 1874, the populace of Arizona and New Mexico Territory would depend on the Empire of California. Cut off by Southern lands, the only protection could come from western troops. Not only that but the legend of Emperor Norton during the Civil War had spread in the area, and the negative opinions stirred towards Grant, pressured these lands to submit to Norton and his men. Californian militias would be sent to help with the rising native and Southern raids.

Guns would not be the only things used to seize lands. Californian newspapers would seep across borders, as editorials and headlines released would muster conspiracy theories about the military coup made by Grant and the nation being in chaos, although the latter would actually be true as the months passed. The Nevada population would be dominated by Californian news. Politicians in that area were already favorable to the political sphere of Emperor Norton, but with the rising Nevadan support due to these misleading articles, none could deny the Californian influence of Nevada. However, this is where the first resistance began. Frederick Low, the new Governor of California under Emperor Norton, attempted to fold California back into the Union. Allying himself with the Nevada Governor, Lewis R. Bradley, who was also leading a media war against the Californian newspapers with local newspapers, tried to seize Norton with a small anti-Norton militia. However, the Royal Guard would be able to prevent this, and as Low and the militia tried to flee, the San Francisco crowd caught him and brought him to Norton, where he ordered his former friend's execution, as well as the captain of the militia.

After the attempted coup by Low, Norton wasted no time ending any bit of dissent in his Empire. Protesters were fired upon. Militias against Norton would be hunted down and brutally executed. This would be when the populace of Washinton fully submitted to Norton's rule, willingly or unwilling. While the Emperor crushed dissent and grasped his power over the media, he called for the invasion of Nevada. It wasn't really an invasion, more of a coup of Governor Bradley. Nevadans, believing in the lies spewed by the news, held up arms against the government. While some formed militias of hopes to stop this, the supporters of Norton easy outnumbered them and Bradley would be captured and imprisoned. At this point, California held lands from the borders of Texas to Canada, but one place would put it's foot down against the rule of Norton. Idaho.

Disconnected by the influence of Norton, the people of Idaho were not willing to leave the Union, even if they were on the other side of the Rockies. Newspapers didn't strike through the Idaho masses and the Idaho government refused to get help from California from Mormon raids. Jefferson C. Davis, with the permission of Emperor Norton, planned an invasion of the territory. In June 1874, Low with militias mustered from Oregon and Washington would march into Idaho, their goal to take the capital of Boise. However, the Idaho Governor was no pushover. Thomas W. Bennett led troops during the Civil War, even brevetted to Brigadier General. He formed his own militias and used guerilla tactics to wear down Davis's troops, and when reports came that Idaho militias were starting raids in Oregon and Washington, Davis was forced to pull back, but that wasn't it. Bennett would personally lead a militia force to intercept Davis's main force, able to beat them at the Battle of Lewiston, forcing Davis to retreat back to Washington.

After the failure at Idaho, Norton wanted to lift war support back up, so he sent Jefferson C. Davis to deal with Alaska. The Empire of California was lucky to be able to take control of the Pacific and Asiatic Squadrons, as most crews knew little of Norton, but Davis was able at the beginning of the war to call all ships back to the coast in hopes to find a former Confederate spy. Some of the crew were seized and imprisoned but the rest were able to be influenced by the conspiracies of the newspapers, and the open spots would be filled in by loyal men to Norton. Jefferson Davis would send letters to the Alaskan officers, saying that the US is in turmoil, Grant a traitor and that Alaska must be assured of loyalty to Norton. While most Alaskan garrisons there knew little of Norton, they knew much of Jefferson C. Davis, their first Commander of Alaska, so when ships were sent, claiming that the newly appointed George B. Rodney Jr. was a supporter of the traitorous Grant, many outposts sided with Davis and they eventually seized all Alaskan outposts. With Emperor Norton's realm ready to face the chaos of Grant's America, all the build-up is waiting to happen. So then, where will the first battle arrive between the two? The Mormon-infested land that is Utah.