So I was reading a page from a history website earlier, and what I found was interesting:
"... ultimately, it was the culmination of resentment towards the English Parliament and King George III over multiple issues, primarily taxation without representation, which led to the secession of the thirteen British colonies and the formation of the Confederate States of America. After years of difficult fighting and with the help of France, the fledgling Confederacy ensured its independence, at least for the first few decades of its life.
"Of course, a nation founded on the idea of the sovereignty of its individual components was bound to split at some point. This occurred just after the Anglo-American War* and the devastating defeat of the Confederacy at the hands of the British forces which resulted in the loss of over half of the Louisiana territory. Outrage over the humiliating defeat caused several of the Northern states to break away into the Federal States of America. The more unified Federal States would go on to achieve industrialization by the late 19th century..."
Anyway, I know it's basic stuff, but reading this made me curious: What if the Confederate States of America were not to remain a Confederacy? What would it take to prevent the Confederate States from splitting?
OOC: Obviously, this Confederacy is not like the one which formed in 1861 OTL. In essence, the concept regarding state's rights is the same, but the issue which resulted in the split had very little to do with slavery; the split was focused around the idea of national unity.
*(OTL War of 1812)