AHC: A Divided Texas in the Civil War

Your challenge, with a PoD no earlier than 1836, is to have Texas break into two states (or more) at the start of the Civil War.
 
Texas is fundimentally too isolated for any kind of Pro-union military effort to have any hope of staging a centeralized conventional resistance, so you're not liable to see a break-off state government form. The only way I could see this working is if you get a fundimentally different Texas (One that gets its New Mexico claims): in that case, I could see a rival government forming in Santa Fe.
 
A strong pro-union area in Texas would divert Confederate resources away from the rest of the western theater will catastrophic results.
 
A strong pro-union area in Texas would divert Confederate resources away from the rest of the western theater will catastrophic results.

There's a difference between having a strong pro-union region of the state (Like East Tenasse) and a state splitting into two rival governments. That region would need sufficently strong internal communications, a place to center it's governing and military efforts, and be in a good enough strategic position that they feel confident in holding out until the Union arrives. Where in Texas could possibly meet that definition without being large enough to effectively control the state?
 
There's a difference between having a strong pro-union region of the state (Like East Tenasse) and a state splitting into two rival governments. That region would need sufficently strong internal communications, a place to center it's governing and military efforts, and be in a good enough strategic position that they feel confident in holding out until the Union arrives. Where in Texas could possibly meet that definition without being large enough to effectively control the state?
They don't have to hold out, they just have to force Confederate Texas to have to occupy their area. Tying down troops desperately needed elsewhere.
A larger German immigrant population could easily accomplish that.
 
They don't have to hold out, they just have to force Confederate Texas to have to occupy their area. Tying down troops desperately needed elsewhere.
A larger German immigrant population could easily accomplish that.

Then it's far more likely the seperate communities, both due to lack of a strong universally acknowledged authority that can coordinate and supply them easily, would do something far simplier and just resist in small groups or guerilla bands, not form a new state government out of whole cloth. Especially if theyre German immigrants, who won't even have the potential advantage of a long established web of regional relations on which to build the meat of a,functional system
 

Kaze

Banned
The easiest way is that instead of one state entering the union - five do. According to rumor with-in annexation agreement and Texas constitution says they have the right to break up into five states. Now let us skip ahead - you now have five states where OTL Texas would be - 2 States go for the Confederates, 2 States go for the Union, and the last one declares neutrality and is promptly absorbed by the other 4's armies.
 
I wrote an ATL where the Republic of Texas never encountered the huge debt problems they had and ended up not joining the US before an ATL Mexican War in 1847. I don't remember all the details. During the American Civil War, I ended up having the eastern counties of Texas secede and join the CSA to protect the cotton economy; the rest of Texas had a lot of small farmers who didn't appreciate the planters' political dominance. I think the situation was brought back under control in about two years.
 
Another option could be a different US that ends up having the Rio Grande Republic join as a state (but may not be possible with a PoD after 1836), in which case you have a heavily anti-slavery base south of the Rio Grande - then you could have Southwest Texas declaring neutrality or even proclaim for the Union, as they have a greater source of support nearby. (Also the Texans there are afraid that, if they don't do so, that the Rio Grandese could annex the Nueces Strip if they remain anti-Union).
 
Change the Bell line and have the 1842 expedition go better. Bring in New Mexico and Arizona as 'states' to balance the growing Confederacy or bolster the number of stars on the flag (add Oklahoma, West Virginia, and maybe Maryland to get 17).
 
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