Not sure how plausible this is, but here goes.
1. POD: The American government buildings are placed in the Alexandria half of the District of Columbia rather than in the Washington half. This is land ceded from Virginia.
2. As the Civil War approaches, many more people in northern Virginia are in favor of staying in the Union.
3. States start seceding, and Virginia discusses secession. The southern part of the state favors secession while the northern half of the state favors staying in the Union.
4. A vote is held in Virginia, and Virginia decides to stay in the Union. It's close.
5. Southern Virginia secedes to join the Confederacy. The state splits north/south ITTL instead of east/west as IOTL.
6. Fighting begins, and Robert E. Lee is asked to choose a side. He stays with his original state as IOTL and continues to serve in the Union Army.
7. Lee is placed in charge of operations in Southern Virginia and is as capable a commander as he is IOTL. The Confederates are getting routed.
8. Desperate, the Confederacy makes a major gamble. They ask the Spanish to join them. In exchange for securing independence for the Confederacy, they decide to offer part or all of Florida back to Spain.
9. Spain accepts. They start messing with the Union West, drawing troops into California and places in the Great Plains, and raid the East Coast in their ships. This changes the course of the war and helps the Confederacy reverse its losses. Good luck securing New Orleans and the Mississippi. Now it's the Union's turn to be in trouble.
10. The British see an opportunity to turn the war into a proxy war with Spain. They tell the Union that they will support them in exchange for New England should the Union win ("we want our colonies back, and you've got some!"). The Union says this is highway robbery. The British tell them that at the rate things are going they're going to lose the South anyway:
"If you accept this offer, you'll lose fewer states than you would if let the Confederacy run all over you! In our opinion, you have no alternative."
The Union reluctantly accepts.
11. The British and Spanish start raiding each other's ships in the Atlantic ("we don't want Richmond to get those supplies!") and people in Europe start getting pissed. And things escalate from there. Eventually, France gets called up:
"Hey, you want Louisiana or Quebec back? Pick a side! We'll be nice and allow you to keep all your current colonies no matter who wins over there!"
1. POD: The American government buildings are placed in the Alexandria half of the District of Columbia rather than in the Washington half. This is land ceded from Virginia.
2. As the Civil War approaches, many more people in northern Virginia are in favor of staying in the Union.
3. States start seceding, and Virginia discusses secession. The southern part of the state favors secession while the northern half of the state favors staying in the Union.
4. A vote is held in Virginia, and Virginia decides to stay in the Union. It's close.
5. Southern Virginia secedes to join the Confederacy. The state splits north/south ITTL instead of east/west as IOTL.
6. Fighting begins, and Robert E. Lee is asked to choose a side. He stays with his original state as IOTL and continues to serve in the Union Army.
7. Lee is placed in charge of operations in Southern Virginia and is as capable a commander as he is IOTL. The Confederates are getting routed.
8. Desperate, the Confederacy makes a major gamble. They ask the Spanish to join them. In exchange for securing independence for the Confederacy, they decide to offer part or all of Florida back to Spain.
9. Spain accepts. They start messing with the Union West, drawing troops into California and places in the Great Plains, and raid the East Coast in their ships. This changes the course of the war and helps the Confederacy reverse its losses. Good luck securing New Orleans and the Mississippi. Now it's the Union's turn to be in trouble.
10. The British see an opportunity to turn the war into a proxy war with Spain. They tell the Union that they will support them in exchange for New England should the Union win ("we want our colonies back, and you've got some!"). The Union says this is highway robbery. The British tell them that at the rate things are going they're going to lose the South anyway:
"If you accept this offer, you'll lose fewer states than you would if let the Confederacy run all over you! In our opinion, you have no alternative."
The Union reluctantly accepts.
11. The British and Spanish start raiding each other's ships in the Atlantic ("we don't want Richmond to get those supplies!") and people in Europe start getting pissed. And things escalate from there. Eventually, France gets called up:
"Hey, you want Louisiana or Quebec back? Pick a side! We'll be nice and allow you to keep all your current colonies no matter who wins over there!"
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