Divided States of America

[George Washington]

In 1850, the Compromise of 1850 divided North and South to an extreme. Sectionalism was at an all time high. Ten years later, the United States was divided. However, secession was not new. New England threatened to do it in 1814. South Carolina had threatened to in Andrew Jackson's presidency. The next election was won by Democrats only because the Whig party fell apart.

As for the actual Compromise, California got statehood but Northern could not harbor run away slaves. Around the same time, Deseret applied for statehood, which was of course rejected (making US maps in the West just boxes called Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico.) ITTL, the Utah Territory is not created in the Compromise, and in 1851, Utah becomes a state compromising of all of Utah territories initial territory IOTL. In return, a constitutional amendment was passed by Congress that made it impossible to abolish slavery for 100 years. In results, the South and North see new secession movements, and in the election of 1852, Franklin Pierce is elected and at the urging of a Congress made up of secessionist following a mass vote-out, dissolves the United States. Each individual state and territory becomes an independent country.

Of course, not all states can afford independence. The new countries ITTL are shown below:

New England Confederation
Capitol: Boston
Territory: OTL Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire

Green Mountain Republic
same as OTL Vermont

Republic of Maine
same as OTL

Commonwealth of Connecticut
same as OTL

Republic of New York
same as OTL

Independent State of Pennsylvania
same as OTL

Independent State of New Jersey
same as OTL

Republic of the Chesapeake
Capitol: Baltimore
Territory: OTL Maryland and Delaware

Commonwealth of Virginia
Capitol: Richmond
Territory: VA, KY and WV

Ohio
same as OTL

Great Lakes Confederation
Capitol: Columbus
Territory: OTL OH, IN, IL, MI, WI,

Carolina Confederation
Capitol: Charleston
Territory: TN, SC, NC

Republic of Georgia
same as OTL

Dixie Confederation
Capitol: Jackson
Territory: OTL Mississippi and Alabama

Louisiana
same as OTL

Texas
same as OTL before annexation

Deseret
same as OTL

California
same as OTL

Oregon
same as OTL
Missouri

Arkansas

various Native American tribes control OTL unorganized territory. Neither Great Britain nor Mexico advance on former U.S. states

I plan on updating this TL once a week.

 

[George Washington]

Franklin Pierce was the last president of the United States of America. His country was split. Some places, like New England and the Great Lakes, had begun to unite. However, he knew peace would not last. In his new home country of New England, Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine had refused to unite. For Vermont, they loved to be a free country. Maine just didn't like Massachusetts. Connecticut wanted to maintain free trade between two powerful nations, New York and New England. Manifest Destiny, America's ultimate dream, had been her demise. He watched as power players got elected to high position. In Dixie, Jefferson Davis was the new President. Stephen Douglas, William Seward, and Sam Houston inherited large power as well. The District of Colombia was set to return to Chesapeake and Virginia soon.

Certain conflicts seemed inevitable. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna seemed bent on taking back lands controlled by prospectors, Mormons, and worst of all Texans. Connecticut was in a hot zone. Already, New York City and New Orleans began to see secession movements. Peace seemed to be an option for some, as well, Leaders in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the Chesapeake where planning on meeting in Philadelphia to unite as the Confederation of the Delaware. As Franklin Pierce walked down the hallway toward the front doors of the Executive Mansion, he saw frames of presidents beside him. Millard Fillmore, Zachary Taylor, James Knox Polk, John Tyler, William Henry Harrison, Martin Van Buren, Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, James Monroe, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and finally George Washington. All fourteen presidents had build up the nation. Now, just two tore it down. There was a very good reason Andrew Jackson was the last two term president. Congress and Pierce agreed that it would be better to dissolve the US rather than go to war.

Internationally, the demise of the US was seen as the end of the great experiment. Mexico's dictator saw this as an expand or die situation. Dissolving ideologies could spread south, and the only way to survive would be to annex states. Santa Anna had his eyes on leader-less New Mexico. In order to save Mexican land, Sam Houston, Peter Burnett, and Brigham Young met in Santa Fe. Texas regained all of its land before joining the United States. California got pieces of an area called Arizona. The remained joined the Republic of Deseret.

In the South, states realized they couldn't survive alone. Slave revolts where common in Georgia, Florida, Dixie, and Carolina. Virginia had the largest ones of all, being very costly to put down. Leaders of these countries met in Charleston to unite their countries on a realistic level. The capitol was chosen to be Charleston, and they formed the United States of Dixie, commonly referred to as just Dixie to not confuse with the former Republic. However, secession movements did exist. Large native populations demanded freedom. Coal miners in the Western part of Virginia sought their freedom as well. And in Louisiana, the government in Baton Rouge increasingly couldn't control New Orleans, which demanded her independence. Louisiana gave New Orleans her independence, hurting the state's economy and population.

Up north, great powers where emerging. The New England war started after three states refused to join the Commonwealth of New England. They attempted an invasion of Maine, Vermont, and Connecticut, but only made progress in Connecticut. When New York intervened on the side of New England to gain land, New York City revolted. Vermont, despite it's citizens desperate want for freedom, lost because of manpower shortages. Maine was holding up well however. After a long war that lasted into 1855, leaders met in Trenton, New Jersey to discuss the solution to their problems. New York City would gain independence, with a generous border connecting the Philadelphia and Connecticut border. Connecticut would be split between New York City and New England. Vermont would be split between New York (state) and New England. A white peace with Maine would be achieved. Finally, New York City renamed herself the Long Island Republic and New York renamed herself the Confederation of the Hudson.

When the Philadelphia convention arrived, Chesapeake, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania agreed it was in their best interests the unite. The name of choice was the Confederation of the Delaware, as the river border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania and one of the two founding states of the Chesapeake was called Delaware, so the name stuck. Choosing a capitol was harder. The Chesapeake proposed Baltimore and Washington D.C., Pennsylvania wanted Philadelphia to become the capitol. Washington D.C. was ultimately chosen because it had the infrastructure and very few American countries really would attack the city due to it's sentimental connections.

As for the Great Lakes, they saw swaths of unincorporated Indian Territory as free real estate. Iowa was willfully annexed. The Great Lakes annexed a region called Minnesota, and began to move into traditional Dakota Territory. Missouri, Texas, and Oregon made similar land gains and the next thirty years was widely known as the Indian Wars in this region. The new capitol, Columbus, was only temporary. Chicago was seen as the most realistic capitol for the new nation.

Stats for the New Nations (Capitols, Populations, and Heads of State)

1. Dixie Capitol: Charleston Population: 7 million Head of State: Jefferson Davis
2. Great Lakes Capitol: Chicago Temp. Capitol: Columbus Population: 4.7 million Head of State: Stephen Douglas
3. Delaware Capitol: Washington Population: 3.5 million Head of State: William Bigler
4. Hudson Capitol: Albany Population: 2 million Head of State: William Seward
5. New England Capitol: Boston Population: 1.6 million Head of State: Henry J. Gardner
6. Manhattan Capitol: New York City Population: 1.2 million Head of State: Jacob Westervelt
7. Missouri Capitol: Jefferson City Population: 682, 000 Head of State: Austin King
8. Maine Capitol: Augusta Population: 570, 000 Head of State: John Hubbard
9. Louisiana Capitol: Baton Rouge Population: 401, 000 Head of State: Paul Herbert
10. Texas Capitol: Austin Population: 215, 000 Head of State: Sam Houston
11. Arkansas Capitol: Little Rock Population: 210, 000 Head of State: Elisha Baxter
12. New Orleans Capitol: New Orleans Population: 116, 000 Head of State: Joseph Walker
13. California Capitol: Sacramento Population: 95, 000 Head of State: Joseph Briger
14. Deseret Capitol: Salt Lake City: Population: 31, 000 Head of State: Brigham Young
15. Oregon Capitol: Salem Population: 12, 000 Head of State: John W. Davis

 

[George Washington]

Antonio Lopez was called by a lot of names. Dictator. General. Patriot. Power-Hungary. None of these where wrong. Mexico was down a lot of money. France and other countries wanted payment. The Pastry's War had caused lots of problems. The best way to gain money was to gain land. Texas was, well, Texas and had a track record of beating Mexico. California had a large population in the northern part of the country. The religious country of Deseret looked very ripe. When Mexico declared war on the Republic of Deseret, a chain of events occurred that seemed like the end to Deseret. But Brigham Young had other plans in mind.

Brigham Young was the prophet of the Mormon Church and former governor of the Utah Territory and state. Former Vermonter and early adopter of the Latter-day Saint faith, he was by no means stupid. Back in 1844, Joseph Smith had sent people to scout out the West to find a place of settlement. Although the Great Basin was chosen, Texas was among the places scouted and then governor and current president Sam Houston had taken a liking to the faith, although nowhere near joining it and would never join. Brigham Young knew this, and reached out to the President. Houston heard of the situation with Mexico and took sympathy. Fortunately for Deseret, many Texans also took sympathy to an aggressive Mexico. Californians saw this as a chance to expand down south to Baja California and the become a dominant North American force. When Mexico reached a small outpost called Phoenix, they where surprised to see a large army. After a prompt defeat, the three armies recaptured various settlements in northwestern Mexico. Texas held an offensive front into the Mexican homeland. Yucatan rebelled, and Dixie joined in the war capturing Veracruz. Santa Anna was surrounded in Mexico City, and surrendered. The terms where simple. Deseret annexed Sonora. Baja California joined California. Texas annexed four states: Chihuahua, Coahula de Zagaroza, Nuevo Leon, and Tamapliaus. Yucatan gained it's independence. Dixie gained the port of Veracruz. A semi-alliance between California, Texas, and Deseret was achieved.

Meanwhile, Dixie was suffering the fallout of joining the war. Although they gained the port of Veracruz, West Virginia had rebelled a successfully left Virginia. This left northern states feeling neglected. Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky left Dixie and formed the Confederation of the Cumberland. This devastated Dixie's economy, losing the most populous state. Unfortunately, Cumberland fared little better with the split. In order to finance the nation, Virginia's piece of the Delmarva peninsula was sold to Delaware. Much of the south was severely hurt. Louisiana's economy was crippled by the loss of New Orleans, and the government in Baton Rouge went bankrupt. Arkansas was in a similar situation. The nation knew it could not survive on its own. In 1855, leaders of Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana met in Little Rock to discuss a solution to their problems. Their solution: a merger. The Confederation of the Mississippi would have it's capitol in Little Rock, and they made it their goal to reclaim the troublesome city-state of New Orleans.

The Northeast was still in a transitional phase. The Hudson was in serious trouble after Manhattan left in the New England war, although it was called in the two states the New York Civil War. Manhattan, however, was doing well. It ditched the original name, Long Island, for Manhattan, the capitol. They regulated all trade on the Hudson River, just as New Orleans did on the Mississippi. They had defense pacts with New England and Delaware. They where pretty well set. Delaware began to grow in wealth and power as well. They now controlled 3 of the 10 largest cities in the former United States and had become the wealthiest nation in North America. New England was not in the same boat. They had made an enemy of Maine, and Vermont and Connecticut proved difficult to integrate. The Great Lakes was doing very prosperous. Chicago was on its way to becoming the nations crown jewel, its city on a hill. Everything from the Missouri River to the Ohio River was in their hands, more or less (Missouri and Delaware controlled small pieces of each).

A new political order settled over the continent. Most states had a two-party system. Throughout the South, the Democrat Party remained intact as the conservative faction, while the expansionist party, the Imperials, rose to power. The Republican Party was growing when the US dissolved, but in many northern states it grew to be very powerful, though the Imperials penetrated even there. Texas saw the conservative party, the Anglos, and the Imperial Party. California saw the same parties. Deseret saw the church-sponsored LDS Party, as well as the Imperial Party. Oregon was the only state where the Imperial Party did not have a foothold. Their, the expansionists where the Nationalists, while the conservatives where the Frontiersman. The Imperial Party became a dominant force, even in Mexico and European countries. They where seen as the party of power. Until a conflict of interest threatened them.

 

[George Washington]

Countries in the New World:

• California
• Cumberland
• Delaware
• Deseret
• Dixie
• Great Lakes
• Haiti
• Hudson
• Maine
• Mexico
• Oregon
• Texas

Countries with North American Colonies:

• Denmark
• Great Britain
• Russia
• Spain

City-States:

• Manhattan (aka Long Island, New York City)
• New Orleans

EDIT: I forgot to put Yucatan as independent on this map

 

[George Washington]

I'm gonna try and write chapters a little differently, going by year and the years events.

1855
The initial shock of independence had worn off and America was becoming increasingly stable. No nation seemed in immediate threat of civil war or of external conflict, although resentment of the three Southwestern American countries and Mexico (specifically the government) was high. The Americas where seen in a new light, with South America, the Caribbean, and Central America, plus whatever territory Mexico happened to have, was deemed Latin America. Former provinces of the US as well as Canada and Yucatan where seen as Anglo-America. Outside of the new divisions, 1855 marked the first international events in which divisions grew in the US. The Crimean War was in its fifth year and it created an alliance of sorts between Great Britain, France, the Ottoman Empire, and Sardinia. Russia opposed the group. Austria and Prussia tended to support Russia. France ardently opposed Mexico and was a few short years away from another war with the nation. The choice for some American nations was easy. Dixie, Texas, Deseret, and California signed into the alliance with Great Britain, France, the Ottoman Empire and Sardinia. Russia needed a new cotton provider, and most of the world's cotton was produced in the American South. Two southern nations remained, Mississippi and the Cumberland, both of which joined an alliance with Russia. Oregon joined an alliance with the power it bordered, Great Britain. Mexico joined Russia's alliance. Then there was cotton refining. Most of the world's cotton was refined in New England, and Russia quickly intervened to make sure it had an ally with an advantage. Maine, the Hudson, and Delaware joined Great Britain. The Great Lakes was the world primary exporter of furs and was one of the strongest, if not the strongest outside Britain in Anglo-America. They chose the more imperial alliance, Russia. Only three remaining Anglo-American countries where un-aligned; New Orleans, West Virginia and New York. Britain and France made the smart decision to recruit coal-manufacturing West Virginia and the commercial center of New York to their cause. New Orleans went with Russia, as most of the Mississippi river system outside of Dixie did.

Then there was the abolition movement. In 1855, only seven countries had legal slavery in their borders: Russia, Dixie, Cumberland, Delaware, Mississippi, New Orleans, and Texas. Growing movements where for the abolition of slavery globally. Delaware instituted the first plan to eradicate slavery. Every year for ten years, slaveholders in Delaware would grant their slaves freedom for government compensation. $7,000 for each adult male under 55, $5,000 for each adult female under 55, and $3,000 for all slaves older than 55 and for all children under 18. This caused outrage in the provinces of Delaware and Maryland, but not major revolts occurred. New Orleans followed suit with a very similar program.

1856
With the Crimean War wrapping up, Europe would see Russia expand her alliance. Prussia and Austria both had highly imperial mindsets like their Russian counterparts, and seeing how Britain and France had intervened in an imperial war of Russia against the Ottomans, they saw an alliance as a necessary thing. The Ottomans, mindful of this, joined an alliance with Britain and France. Of course, they each took up names. The Franco-Anglican alliance became known as the Parisian League, while the Austrio-Prussio-Russian alliance became known as the Imperial Alliance.

The Cold War that had now started would envelope Europe. Portugal, by it's history, joined the Parisian League. Spain, the enemy of Britain and Portugal, joined the Imperial Alliance. Sweden, an antagonist to Russia, joined the Parisian League. Naples decided to join the Imperial Alliance to eventually conquer Sardinia and the rest of Italy. In defense, the Papal States, Florence, and Savoy joined the Parisian League. Most of Germany was scared of Prussia and Austria, and this caused Hanover, Bavaria, Saxony and other minor nations within the German confederation to unify into Germany and join the Parisian League. The capitol was set in Nuremberg. Even South American powers joined in, mostly on the side of the Parisian League although Bolivia did join the Imperial Alliance.

With the Crimean War over, most major conflicts had come to a halt. But not entirely. China was still bitter about the Opium Wars, and joined the Imperial Alliance. This left Japan to join the Parisian League, as everyone excepted. However, they shocked the world by joining the Imperial Alliance to form a Pacific Empire, to become the Mongols of the Seas. Russian, Austrian, and Prussian leaders met in Budapest to determine which nation comes in. They decided to have them face off in a show of military competence. The war broke out, and all nations agreed to stay out of it. China had the immediate advantage of manpower, and easily took Korea and Taiwan, disputed territories. The year then came to a close

Spoiler: Parisian League

• Great Britain
• France
• The Ottoman Empire
• Sardinia
• Dixie
• Texas
• Deseret
• California
• Oregon
• Maine
• Hudson
• Delaware
• West Virginia
• Manhattan
• Germany

Spoiler: Imperial Alliance

• Russia
• Austria
• Prussia
• Mississippi
• Cumberland
• New England
• Great Lakes
• New Orleans
• Mexico
• China (disputed status)
• Japan (disputed status)

 

[George Washington]

With the general idea of states gone, a new method was adopted for sub-regions of a country to replace states. Each state received a province status. If part of a state was conquered, the state was split into two provinces, like what happened with Connecticut. East Connecticut was the New England half of the state, West Connecticut was the Manhattan half of the state. When New York had it's civil war, it was split into two different provinces. Capitol Districts where separated from provinces. Many international leaders from Anglo-America met in Toronto in 1858 to formally establish this system to simplify treaties. Also, even if both provinces of a former state where both under the rule of the same country, they would not be reunited.

 

[George Washington]

 

[George Washington]

1857
Mexico was in high debt from many events. In the thirty-something years since they gained their independence from Spain, they had suffered a northern revolt, a war against a now-dead nation, and another war against its own former territories. Now, many northern provinces as well as the Yucatan Peninsula where gone from them. The Mexican Empire had fallen from a pan-American Empire, to a measly nation the size of maybe the Aztecs. At the helm for most of the time was Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the center of Mexican hatred. France had given several loans to Mexico, and now that they where on opposite sides of the global spectrum, they where calling them in. As high taxes and low government services came into existence, the harshness of the French forced the Mexican government to pass a 33% income tax and to cut essential services like law enforcement, all to keep the government in Mexico City living comfortably. He lost the support of the Liberal Party and the Mexican people. Benito Juarez was chosen as the successor. Even then, the Conservative Party put forth their own candidate. The Mexican Civil War saw the Conservative Party nominating Martin Carrera for the Mexican Dictator ship. Juarez wanted reform, and Santa Anna had very few supporters, but he wanted to stay in power. The war ravaged the country for the whole of the summer months, but in the end, Juarez won out. Mexico still had a problem with France, and new solutions where hard to come by, but the new head of state bought the country some time.

Meanwhile, the Hudson was in pain. A third of its population and city that was the pride of the state was now gone. To make matters worse, a secessionist movement between the western and eastern half of the state began to build. The Western half, centered in Buffalo, wanted to country to unite with Delaware. The Eastern half, centered in Albany, wanted to reconquer Manhattan and face off against New England. New alliances made that impossible, and every week, every month, and every year, the residents of the Hudson Republic wanted more and more to unite with Delaware. In August 1857, it was put up to a vote. 73% voted to unite with Delaware. 14% voted to stay independent. 13% where unsure or voted for other options, like uniting with Manhattan, New England, or Maine. On January 1st, 1858, the union went into action. This did cause Delaware to move the capitol to a more central location, Philadelphia.

Previously to the breakdown of the First United States, natives where handled by deportation. Andrew Jackson had started this policy with the 1830 Indian Extermination Act. However, the only nation with enough will to enforce this was the Great Lakes. Mormons in Deseret treated Native Americans better than most nations, as a book of their holy scripture, the Book of Mormon, centered around Native's ancestors. After them, western nations like Oregon and Texas treated them very well, with precedent for this coming from Sam Houston's attitude after living with natives in his childhood. Mississippi and the Great Lakes treated them the worst. Mississippi was bordered up to the former Indian Territory, so despite the racist southern attitudes, they treated natives more or less well. The Great Lakes was the worst in treating natives, with massacres of the Lakota and Dakota tribes being common place. Appalled by the treatment of the Lakota, Oregon, Deseret, and Britain gave arms to the natives and they eventually earned recognition as the proper rulers of the Black Hills and much of the great plains.

Just north of the Great Lakes was the large British Province of Canada. For a long time, Canada and especially Quebec felt separate from the rest of Great Britain. Great Britain recognized this and to avoid another American Revolution, they began to plan independence. Quebec Province would become its own country, while the rest of Canada was united as the British Commonwealth of Canada. Preparations where made to create the commonwealth on January 1st, 1860.

1858

The global movement to abolish slavery was growing. Russia had abolished serfdom. The last countries to have slaves where Texas, Mississippi, Dixie, and Cumberland. Even then, the Cumberland prepared to abolish slavery under similar conditions as Delaware. This was not treated well throughout the nation, but it was seen as nessessary to be respected on a global stage. Of course, a new system was already underway. Nicknamed Sharecropping, it was freedom on paper, slavery in practice. Residents of Cumberland where happy to adibe by this to avoid global isolation. This was the very same reason that throughout the 1860s and 1870s slavery was sort-of abolished in Dixie, Mississippi, and Texas.

As global alliances grew, various Italian states saw unification as a nessessity. Naples looked prone to become the dominant force in Italy without unified resistance, and the Papal States and all the other Italian countries knew it. In 1858, they united into the Papal Republic of Italy, in which the President would reign alongside the Pope. This was met with great suspicion in Naples, but they figured they would be fine. Imperialism was the future, these Republicans had their century, and as far as the Imperialistic nations where concerned, it was their turn.

Meanwhile, the first election in the Great Lakes was around the corner. Everyone assumed that the Imperialist Stephen Douglas would be re-elected, but the Republican Party was a growing power. After seeing the alliances build up, Republicans in the Great Lakes did not want to fight their former countrymen in nearby countries. Most American countries had joined the Parisian League, and the Great Lakes residents where sharply divided. The Imperialists even wanted to adopt a new Constitution to put a Emperor in power. The Republicans wanted to leave the Imperial Alliance. Debates started between the two leaders in Springfield, but soon moved to Chicago, the center of the empire. No victory was proclaimed.

Demographics of the Anglo-America
Largest Cities in each country. Capitol marked with a '*'
This data was very hard to find a base from in some cases, please don't critizes this part below too much.

California

1. San Francisco 57,000
2. Sacramento 14, 000 *
3. Marysville 5, 000
4. San Jose 5, 000
5. Lewiston 4, 000

Cumberland

1. Louisville, Kentucky Province 60, 000
2. Richmond, Virginia Province 38 000*
3. Memphis, Tennessee Province 22, 623
4. Petersburg, Virginia Province 18, 000
5. Nashville, Tennessee Province 17, 000

Delaware

1. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Province 566, 000
2. Baltimore, Maryland Province 212, 000
3. Washington, Columbia Capitol District 61, 000 *
4. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Province 49, 000
5. Allegheny, Pennsylvania Province 29, 000

Deseret

1. Salt Lake City 8, 000 *
2. Provo 2, 000
3. Ogden 1, 000
4. Springville 1, 000

No other settlements with at least 1, 000 people

Dixie

1. Charleston, Carolina Province 41, 000 *
2. Mobile, Alabama Province 29, 000
3. Savannah, Georgia Province 22, 000
4. Augusta, Georgia Province 12, 000
5. Columbus, Georgia Province 10, 000

Great Lakes

1. Cincinnati, Ohio Province 161, 000
2. Chicago, Jefferson Capitol District 112, 000 *
3. Detroit, Michigan Province 46, 000
4. Milwaukee, Wisconsin Province 45, 000
5. Cleveland, Ohio Province 43, 000

Hudson

1. Buffalo 81, 000
2. Albany 62, 000
3. Rochester 48, 000
4. Troy 39, 000
5. Syracuse 28, 000

Maine

1. Portland 26, 000
2. Bangor 16, 000
3. Bath 8, 000
4. Augusta 8, 000 *
5. Rockland 7, 000

Manhattan

1. New York City 814, 000
2. Brooklyn 267, 000
3. Poughkeepsie 15, 000
4. Newburgh 13, 000
5. Bridgeport 12, 000

Mississippi

1. St. Louis, Missouri 160, 773
2. Donaldsville, Louisiana Province 11, 484
3. St. Laudry, Louisiana Province 10, 346
4. Monroe (formerly District #8), Missouri Province 9, 845
5. St. Joseph, Missouri Province 8, 932

New Orleans

New Orleans is the only city, state and/or province in the City-State of New Orleans

Oregon

1. Portland 3, 000
2. Sublimity 1, 000
3. Salem 1, 000

No other settlements with more than 1, 000 people.

Texas

1. San Antonio 8, 000
2. Galveston 7, 000
3. Houston 5, 000
4. Austin 3, 000
5. Brownsville 3, 000

 

[George Washington]

1859
In Europe, a Cold War was building. For the most part, it was the West and South verus the East. However, Prussia was an exception. It had an enclave in the West Part of Germany, but it had no port. Germans to the East and North would not give a port to their enemies, so only two options remained. The Netherlands and Belgium. The Netherlands was the more powerful nation, and both alliances wanted Amsterdam in their corner. To put pressure on the Dutch, the Prussian, Austrian, and Spanish navies moved into the port of the Hague. The Berlin-Hague affair as it came to be known, lasted for 3 weeks in the Spring of 1859, ending when the Netherlands announced they would join Britain and France. Belgium followed suit. Imperialism took a big hit in Europe, but America would rebound it.

Mexico finally had stability under its new leadership. However, much northern territory as well as the Yucatan was gone. To compensate, Mexico invaded much of Central America in the Central American War. Starting in the summer of 1859, most of Guatemala was in Mexican hands. Things got more difficult as Mexicans moved into El Salvador and Honduras, and the war lasted until November 1860, when Costa Rica surrendered. Panama was spared for one very specific reasons.

French, British, and American interests where high in the Isthmus of Panama. Before the Collapse of the US, Great Britain and the US had a deal to build a canal in Panama. The Canal project was hurt by the fall of the US, but several countries showed interest. Oregon, California, and Deseret would all get faster trade with the East, and Dixie, Texas, and Delaware would be able to provide naval support in the event of a world conflict. All of these nations met Baltimore to create a plan. Panama would join the Parisian League, and the various League nations would be able to build a Canal. Mexico and the Imperials caught wind of this and where not very happy, but they could do little in 1859.

Back in North America, the Imperials where on the rise. A scandal broke in January of 1859 that New England had plans to invade the Hudson Republic before it joined Delaware. Now, a mass arming on the border of Maine and New Hampshire, as well as near the Delaware-New England border had come into play. A little to the West, the Cumberland's abolition policies where working effectively, and Great Lakes leaders officially moved to Chicago, now re-branded as the Douglas Capitol District, named after the nation's President. However, Stephen Douglas was working with Imperial Party leaders to abolish the current Constitution and create the Imperial Constitution, which would install Stephen Douglas as Emperor and would have the states elect a Governor-General. All would serve for life. Republicans led by Abraham Lincoln staunchly opposed this. A vote was called, and it would need 2/3rds of the provinces vote to pass. This meant 6 of the 8 provinces needed to vote in favor. However, Douglas disqualified the Minnesota province from voting on the account that it was a territory, lowering the number to five. Election day was set for July 4th, and the votes where shocking. The national vote was 49% in favor, 48% opposed. The close election had many call for a recount. But it was too late. Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, DCD, and Wisconsin voted in favor of the new Constitution, by margins of a few hundred votes. The closest was in Michigan, where it came down to 54 votes. Illinois and Iowa opposed the action. However, they still had hope. The Emperor's election would be on September 1st, and Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas won. The final tally was even closer. Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin voted for Lincoln, and Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and DCD voted for Douglas.

EMPEROR STEPHEN I, HOUSE OF DOUGLAS
EMPEROR OF THE GREAT LAKES
​

Abraham Lincoln and the Republicans where outraged. Many Republicans left parts of the Empire and established refugees on Isle Royale, Washington Islands, and near West Virginia. However, the majority of Republicans, including Abraham Lincoln, moved to Cairo, Illinois, renaming to Athens, the birthplace of democracy. They seceded and formed Second Republic of the United States of America. Of course, immediate negotiations with Delaware regarding annexation went underway. William Seward had won the Presidency in the election two months after Lincoln lost, and began to make immediate contact with the small nation.

1860
William Seward proved to be one of the most influential American heads of state, compared to Washington, Jefferson, and Jackson of the US. He helped to keep upstate New York alive when he was president of the Hudson, and orchestrated the merge with Delaware. In 1859, he ran to become the Second President of the Delaware Confederation. He won by a wide margin. Before even taking the oath of office in March of 1860, he had been in contact with the West Virginia Congress (no head of state had been elected) and Abraham Lincoln of the Second American Republic. He had allowed for a merger with West Virginia in April of 1860, but Lincoln's Republic would not be as easy to annex. First, its territories where wierdly spread, with some along the Ohio River, some in Southern Illinois, and various Islands, Second, many of these territories where part of the Great Lakes. Only nation who where members of the Parisian League recognized the government, even then some places like Argentina and the Ottoman Empire refused to recognize the Republic. Seward then wrote the Emperor Stephen I, requesting he buy the regions for 5 million dollars. Douglas was workable, as many of the territories aside from the Athens Region would be hard to control anyway. However, he set a price of 17.5 million dollars. The two kept in constant communication, and a price of 10.5 million was set. On June 1st, a variety of territories where annexed by the Confederation of the Delaware. However, in a political action, the name of the Delaware Confederation was scrapped, and the Third Republic of the United States of America. This did some damage with other League countries, but was highly popular in the USA#3 (as the acronym for the nation became)

Following the Mexican Conquests in Costa Rica, Imperial Powers where quick to get to work. Nicaragua had a large lake in the middle of the country, which made it the second best canal site in Central America (Panama being the first.) Construction started, but it was very difficult to dig through so much mud. The first part of the canal, the West Imperial Central American Canal, opened in early 1871. The eastern part would not be finished until 1888.

In Europe, Imperialism was bound to recover. A massive revolt started in French Algeria in March. That Spring and Summer saw the First North African War, which resulted in the formation of the Maghreb Empire. France's reputation took a hit. Then came worse news, when Italy's government collapsed after the President was assassinated and the Pope expressed interest in a Naples-Italian union. It was achieved. In December 1860, all of Italy united as the Italian Empire, with the government set at Naples, although plans to build a new capitol in Rome began.

Europe was facing difficulties, and everyone new it. The struggle would likely result in war, as everyone knew. However, politicians in both camps would not want a world war on a scale like the Napoleonic Wars, or potentially bigger. The Napoleonic Wars where confined to Europe. This 'World War' that was predicted would encompass 6 continents, five oceans, and almost every nation of the face of the planet earth (except Switzerland)

 

[George Washington]

• 1861
  • Americas - As in any cold war, each side had there chosen leaders. As the Deep South, West, and mid-Atlantic allied behind President Seward of the Third Republic of the United States of America (3-USA), the Upper South, Trans-Mississippi, New England, and the Midwest allied behind Emperor Stephen I of the Great Lakes Empire. Of course, 3-USA looked a lot better than the GLE, so Stephen I made a power play. He changed his countries name to the American Empire, a move that was very popular within his alliance. Much else happened besides name changes and politics. The Mexican Empire had gained land, but in order to keep up his momentum, something drastic had to happen. Benito Juarez decided to make a visit to King Kamehameha III of Hawaii. Mexico threatened to invade the islands. This rallied up the people of Hawaii. Benito Juarez failed his diplomatic visit, and got measles while there. His country invaded the big island in June. California, Oregon and Deseret issued an ultimatum to Mexico: Stop or War. Mexico stopped fighting. Juarez wrote in his journal on the subject: The Mexican Invasion of Hawai'i was about the stability of our nation and preserving our relationships with the Imperial Alliance. If Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna had not allied with the Imperials, our country would be in a better situation. I wish to stick with reforms, but Congress says war. And I must oblige. Speaking of, Santa Anna was not faring well. Thrown out of his home country, no other country in the Americas would accept him. He was exiled to the bayous of Mississippi, where he died of Malaria in 1877. In the upper Anglo-America, Canada had risen in prominence. It was the largest country in North America, but it had other problems to worry about. First off the bat was Quebec. With there independence, Atlantic Canada and Interior Canada where separated. This was not good for anyone. However, troubles did not end there. Canada was a member of the Parisian League with Quebec since it's independence, and its neighbor, the American Empire, looked ripe for blood. A constant militia force had to be kept near Detroit and in the Manitoba region to ensure no invasion would happen. President McDonald had to insure this. From the seat of government in Toronto, a constant threat was to the West. Canada was not the only nation under pressure. Manhattan was between a rock and a hard place. After Hudson was annexed by Delaware, which later became 3-USA, Manhattan was stuck between a up-and-coming empire of New England and a nation of whom part of was an enemy of Manhattan. Residents of the five boroughs only saw the Parisian League as a cold comfort. If a World War broke, Manhattan would be sacrificed to combat the empires along the former Ohio and Vermont borders. President Seward took advantage of this, and made room for a Manhattan annexation. New England leaders, especially President Henry Wilson, where shocked that they where denied the West Connecticut Province. They demanded to President Seward that they get the province. Of course, President Seward refused to co-operate. There was very little Wilson and the New Englanders could do. Ultimately, they decided upon a better alternative: invading Maine. They invaded Maine in September, quickly reaching Portland and Augusta. Mainers responded by retaking the cities. The rest of the war was a standoff at the old border, which resulted in the white peace in the Treaty of Bangor, ending the Second New England War of Conquest.
  • Europe- Although much had happened in recent years in Europe, the scene had gone quiet. The world was mostly at peace (word of the Second New England War of Conquest didn't reach the continent until late December.) The Berlin-Hague Affair and the Magreb's independence dominated the headlines of the London Times and other newspapers for months, with some new regarding events in America. The biggest event of consequence was the admittance of China to the Imperial Alliance and Japan to the Parisian League. There where some revolts, one in Barcelona and one in Dublin, but that was about all.
• 1862
  • Americas- Since the Cumberland's secession from Dixie, the South had remained quiet. However, two leaders in the Cumberland and Dixie changed all this. President Jefferson Davis and President John Bell had an issue. Davis thought that the secession ordinance issued by John Bell could not be put into action, as the Dixie Constitution recognized the nations of Dixie, Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia as joining the Confederation. By this, the Cumberland Secession was illegal because North and South Carolina where the same state as recognized by the Constitution. Davis stated that a state-wide vote had to of been called. With all of South Carolina in North Carolina's Secession vote, the Dixie Supporters would have won. This started a diplomatic crisis. With West Virginia part of 3-USA, Davis recognized that, "to avoid the scourge of rebellion, those of West Virginia rejoined the Third United States to avoid coming in conflict with Cumberland. Therefore, our fair nation of Dixie recognizes the Third Republic of the United States of America's control over the region. However, we must not allow our counties and cities to decide the future of our states. By this statement, a war started between the two that threatened to ripe both nations apart. In November, Dixie troops captured Chattanooga, Charlotte, and Wilmington. However, this came at very high loss of life. Both sides realized Napoleonic tactics would not work. A standstill was reached that lasted into 1867.
  • Europe- Europe remained remarkably quiet, like much of America, in shock of Davis's war in America that threatened to explode. The violence in America got European leaders to sign a pact that alliance members would not go to war with each other until 1868, known as the Treaty of Lyon.
• 1863
  • Americas- As the land war in the South came to a halt, the naval war started in earnest. The primary shipbuilding port in the South was in Norfolk, Virginia. The second largest was in Mobile. Each side built up a new ship, called an ironclad. This event lead to a variety of naval battles along the coast of the Carolina's. However, the real matter was in the statehouses in Jackson (which became Dixie's temporary capitol after Charleston seemed vulnerable) and Richmond. Dixie's Congress voted to revoke the Recognition of the Confederation of the Cumberland, citing the clause that Jefferson Davis had exposed. Meanwhile, Richmond built a compelling case: the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798 and the Nullification Crisis of 1830. Each stated that a or the states had the right to nullify laws enacted by the Federal Government. State governments did not change over. Therefore, because North Carolina was an independent state in Dixie, it had the right to seceded. They sued Dixie, with the case becoming known as Bell v. Dixie, which of course came to no meaningful end. Meanwhile, in the shadows, President Allen of Mississippi, President Houston of Texas, President Seward of 3-USA, Emperor Stephen I of the American Empire, and other American officials began secretly supplying arms to both sides. No side excepted a war on their own hands, and whoever won the war in the south would become the dominant nation.
  • Europe- As the standstill held in the American South, European interests turned elsewhere. The first underground subway system opened in London, and the obsession with the London subway led to subways opening under every major European city, from Lisbon to St. Petersburg. A new leader also came to power in Europe. Prussian President Otto Von Bismarck was a member to the Prussian Elite before becoming the most powerful man in Prussia. He led to the unification of Austria and Prussia under himself in July, making himself Emperor of the German Empire.

 

[George Washington]

1864
The War in the South was still at a standstill, although one major campaign was launched. James Longstreet, General of Dixie, did make one major campaign, the Atlantic Campaign. Moving out of the city of Wilmington in March, Longstreet made it his goal to capture Norfolk, the shipping center of the Cumberland. At first, the campaign moved slowly, reaching Jacksonville, North Carolina in May. The battle that ensued lasted three days, and saw 7,000 total causalities, 3,000 being Dixie's and 4,000 being the Cumberland's. Then, the campaign moved quickly, reaching Washington, NC on June 3rd. Longstreet blitzed the city, quickly winning the battle with a 20:1 casualty ratio. However, the coastal domination could not be kept without winning Norfolk. The army march for days, reaching the city of Suffolk, Virginia, on July 7th. The Battle of Suffolk was the bloodiest battle of the entire campaign. The Army of Dixie attacked the southern part of the city, not realizing the Army of the Cumberland was dug in. The swamp to the East didn't help anything. After 8 hours of fighting, a siege ensued. The Dixie moved and seized Washington Street on July 12th. The sweltering summer heat made future advancements hard. Meanwhile, Robert E. Lee was focused on trying to break the coastal lines. Nathan Bedford Forrest desperately tried to break through the lines of Dixie but failed repeatedly. As Fall came, the battles drew to a close, with the Cumberland's hold on Suffolk finally breaking, with Dixie taking the city.

Meanwhile, other nations had business of their own. Emperor Stephen I and President William Seward where the leading figures of both alliances on the continent. Both began massive buildups of Armies. Seward had an advantage, West Point. The well-established military school allowed for training of people from across the American Parisian League. 1864 also saw the start of construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Leaders of California, Oregon, Deseret, Canada, and USA-3 built out a proposed line. The line would run along the California and Mormon trails, before breaking to cross Wyoming where it would meet the former Lewis and Clark trail, then it would cross Canada until it met USA-3, where it would met with New York City. It would connect the capitols of California, Deseret, Canada, and USA-3, and would take five years to complete.

Europe was transfixed in her own problems. The Cold War had continued to build up, but no new nations had joined. Then, in April, a border dispute in the Caucasus turned violent. The Ottoman Empire and Russia went to war on the issue, but the Treaty of Lyon stopped Britain and France from joining the war. The war of the Black Sea proved damaging to the Russian reputation, after the Ottoman Empire held back Russian forces and connected the Crimean and Caucasian fronts.

1865
A new political leader in the Americas came in 1865. In the Cumberland, leadership had proven incapable of holding back Dixie. Andrew Johnson, of the Conservative-Imperial Party replaced Liberal-Imperials as the party in power. The C-I and L-I parties came to power in most member-states of the Imperial Alliance after other political parties vanished. The Imperial Parties there split along Conservative and Liberal lines. Johnson, a Conservative-Imperial, supported a quick end to the war. He instructed Robert E. Lee to divert all military forces to a full attack on Atlanta, then move down the Georgia-South Carolina border to seize Savannah, then turn north and capture Charleston. When Lee protested, Johnson fired him. Braxton Bragg was the next replacement. Many disliked Bragg, and although he kept Norfolk, it was at heavy costs. He had evacuated the city where the Dixie Army would invade and put barrels of gunpowder underneath the streets. When the Army of Dixie came, the roads blew up. Longstreet was furious, but retreated. The war came to a cold stand-still for a while as both sides where running out of troops and supplies. Cumberland fared worse than Dixie, likely because of the lose of their ports. Hampton and Yorktown where the last operating ports in the Cumberland.

The rest of the Americas and Europe where remarkably quiet, as even the Russian-Ottoman War continued, mostly at standstill.

1866
The American Empire began to truly establish her claim on the Great Plains with the founding of Dakota Province, with Douglas being the capitol. Stephen I dedicated the city himself, but had secret plans. USA-3 was his biggest rival in North America, and their hold on New Greece (the region of former Southern Illinois centered around Athens) was disturbing. He made plans to invade the region as well as Pittsburgh and the Golden Horseshoe as part of his master plan to conquer the Americas. It would start when he bought the Cumberland and Mississippi in 1867, but no one knew that yet. Meanwhile, the supply shortage in the South put the war in a halt, for now.

In Europe, the Ottomans where pushed out of the Crimea. Britain and France began to count the days until January 1st, 1686, when the Treaty of Lyon would expire. Most excepted a second Crimean War to occur, with the Carolina Conflict in the Americas expanding.