alternatehistory.com



University of Richmond map of the second VA Secession Convention.

45 delegates voted for succession on April 4th 1861 to 90 against. However, at that point all were waiting on the upcoming citizens referendum results.

The pro-Union camp in the Virginia legislature at the start of April was divided just about in half with one half supporting or accepting military action against the states that left the Union and the other half opposed either believing they could be brought back with negotiation or that it should be attempted as Washington did the Whiskey Rebellion.

The leave camp planned the citizens referendum for May which was held, but at that point the apparatus of the state was gearing for war, the press had gone into full wartime propaganda mode and most counties votes were ridiculously lopsided or North Korea like. Before the outbreak of war and the third convention vote observers were predicting a likely slight VA-exit victory in the referendum, but that isn't a given if the vote had happened on April 5th.

What would be the impact if VA referendum had been moved up to before the outbreak of war and ended in Bush vs Gore territory?
Top