Land of cotton, old times there are not forgotten : Redux

Johnrankins

A new natural gas find in Texas has people excited. It is hoped that oil is found beneath it but the growing use of natural gas will help the slumping Texas economy even if it is only gas. Pennsylvania Oil Company is hiring 300 new workers to work the rigs and lay the pipe. The gas will be used mainly to heat homes in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. The price of Penn Oil stock rose $2 a share on the news. The price of Texas state bonds also rose on the news, lowering the interest rate to 6.5% down a quarter of a percentage point.

ZXHIS News Houston Apr 3, 1983 TV Broadcast

The Whigs continued their winning streat with the election of Thomas Brown. During the Brown Administration the Southern Abolition Movement started to gain influence. Locked out of many markets for years and shunned by other nations many young Southerners started questioning the existence of slavery. Knowing that the “rights of transit” prevented states from prohibiting it by themselves they pushed for limiting such rights to 60 days using the argument of state’s rights. Texas was the first to pass the amendment in 1908, something no one would have guessed at the start of the Confederacy but the fact was slaves were being sold east for some time due to the closeness of the “Black Colonies” in Arizona. Virginia and North Carolina followed suit in 1912. Louisiana and Arkansas followed the next year, the newly formed state of Jefferson and Davis (Formed out of the Indian Territories) were last. These allowed states to abolish slavery but none did so at the time.

President Brown made it easier to connect the US and CS telegraph systems together using various laws to encourage investments in hooking them together which was done mainly by US companies. The post-war boom in the US helped the CS as well. French and Spanish compensation money was partly spent in buying CS companies, mainly in the timber and fishing industries. Various newspapers were being bought out by US banks which helped push the “transit limit” amendment figuring the end of slavery would allow their banking business to increase. Oil was discovered in Texas in 1907 and money poured into that state as Pennsylvania Oil , California Oil and American Oil all scrambled to buy Texas property. Some Texas property owners became billionaires (In CS currency) overnight. Texas was also converting from being a cotton state to a cattle state. Many tons of Texas beef was moving north by rail. Between the two Texas soon became the richest state in the CSA.

While Texas rose South Carolina fell. Cotton was becoming less and less important and the boll weevil hit its crops hard. Worse a smallpox epidemic hit it in 1908. The state least happy with the “transit limit” amendment was South Carolina and secession was considered but discarded as it would have thrown the state to the mercy of the US and it still wouldn’t have prevented anything. However the reactionaries of the South rallied around the state governor the next election and the Democrats broke their losing streak with his election.

The Brown Administration and the Rise of the Southern Abolition Movement Bain Books Chicago 1943
 
dakkafex

dakkafex

Johnrankins said:
The state least happy with the “transit limit” amendment was South Carolina and secession was considered but discarded as it would have thrown the state to the mercy of the US and it still wouldn’t have prevented anything.
Click to expand...

Never change, South Carolina, never change.
 

Johnrankins

Arsonists from the Black Liberation League set fire to the Virginia State Employment Services Agency. The agency seems to have been targeted because it helps enforce the race based employment restriction laws. The fire caused 20 million dollars’ worth of damage. The White Defense Organization has stated “This is the reason we need such laws. Without such those boys get out of control and loot, burn and pillage everything that they can. We need more restrictions passed so that they know their place. Give ‘em an inch and they get uppity. “
ZHLW News Richmond April 23, 1982 Broadcast

Cyrus Vincent had a disappointing presidency. Although he tried to restrain the growing abolitionist sentiment among the young and the border states he failed. After the last two states passed the “transit limit” amendment during his term more people agitated for abolition in Texas.

In 1916 Texas outlawed slavery ending in 1922 giving its owners six years to sell their slaves. Interest rates started dropping soon afterwards as US banks started buying “Slave and Small Business Banks” in communities where slavery was being phased out the quickest and turning them into “Small Business Banks” . To this day “Mortgage Banks” and” Small Business Banks” still dominate the CSA due to being under different laws and different business models.

The price of slaves crashed 23% over the next four years as thousands of slaves were sold east from Texas. The price rose again in 1919 as most of the slaves that were going to be sold from Texas were already sold and as the Birmingham iron industry bought more of them. Some planters were forced to sell earlier than they wanted to as the banks discounted the value of slaves. The growing oil economy mitigated much of the effect. Some planters freed their slaves early during this time period as they figured they would still need workers after emancipation went through and if they sold them east they wouldn’t be there to work. Freeing them early would likely raise their morale and have them work harder.

The “Wilson Laws” passed at this time named after Senator Otis Wilson of Houston. They forbade “all Negros from being outside after dark without a pass from their employer or owner. Requires all Free Negroes to sign one year contracts with their employers on pain of imprisonment. Banned Negroes from being employed in professions not specified in the act. Allows employers to fine Negroes for laziness or other infractions as they saw fit Banned Negroes from gathering in groups of more than ten outside of work or church. Allowed Negroes to sue and be sued, to enter contracts, to buy property, to loan or borrow money and to be able to learn to read and write.” It also created “Negro Courts” that handled “civil and criminal law when all specified parties are Negros and appointed Negro judges to hear them”. It allowed “Negro Churches” to be set up to preach gospel, preform weddings and funerals and conduct other religious services, It was slavery in almost all but name.
Jefferson and Davis followed the following year and ended had their date for emancipation set for 1922. They also passed laws based on the Wilson Laws.



The failure of the Vincent Administration DK Meyers Chicago 1932
 

Johnrankins

List of CS Presidents
Jefferson Davis 1861-1866 Democrat
P.T Beauregard 1867-1872 Democrat
Nathen Bedford Forrest 1873-1878 Democrat
George Washington Custis Lee 1879-1884 Democrat
Wade Hampton 1885-1890 Democrat
Robert E Lee Jr 1891-1897 Democrat
Robert Foster Carter 1896-1903 Whig
Alfred Johnston 1903-1909 Whig
Thomas Brown 1909-1915 Whig
Cyrus Vincent 1915-1921 Democrat
 

Johnrankins

List of US Presidents

George McClellan Democrat 1861 Shortest Presidency in US History dies in stagecoach accident after only 3 days in office

George H. Pendleton Democrat 1861-1865

Joseph Hooker Republican 1865-1873

George Meade Republican 1873-1881

George Washington Morgan Farm and Union 1881-1889

Robert Todd Lincoln 1889-1897 Republican

Joseph Butler 1897-1905 Republican

Peter Stanley Farm and Union 1905-1913
 

Johnrankins

Johnrankins said:
List of CS Presidents
Jefferson Davis 1861-1866 Democrat
P.T Beauregard 1867-1872 Democrat
Nathen Bedford Forrest 1873-1878 Democrat
George Washington Custis Lee 1879-1884 Democrat
Wade Hampton 1885-1890 Democrat
Robert E Lee Jr 1891-1897 Democrat
Robert Foster Carter 1896-1903 Whig
Alfred Johnston 1903-1909 Whig
Thomas Brown 1909-1915 Whig
Cyrus Vincent 1915-1921 Democrat
Click to expand...

I was thinking of making a Whig win again but have a bad presidency as they had 3 good presidents in a row. After that the Democrats win a couple or so and it goes back and forth. Both parties are definitely competitive at this point.
 

Johnrankins

" The fiftieth anniversary of the Russian Federation later this week will be celebrated by an unusual number of fireworks and ceremony. The president has stated that the US congratulates the Russian Federation on its fiftieth anniversary. Fifty years of good relations with Russia has paid off over the years."

WASG News Boston Apr 10th, 2002 TV broadcast

The second Stanley Administration is most noted for its being in power during the First Great War. Although President Stanley tried to mediate an end to the war in the first year it was to no avail. In the second year the French stepped up their harassment of US shipping which led to the war. No less than 3 US ships were sunk by French subs before the war broke out.

The Stanley Administration , noticing French use of trucks during the war, contracted with Lincoln Motors to come up with more rugged trucks for the war. They delivered 200 before the war's end but since men had to be trained to drive them it was only in the last three months of the war that they were used, mostly for transporting wounded back to field hospitals. It should be noted that the Lincoln trucks tended to break down less than French ones so the project was a success in that sense. Lincoln Motors naturally used it in their advertisements after the war to widen the lead they had on their competitors

The US also experimented with airplanes during the war. They were never used during the war being too short ranged, unreliable and expensive to compete with balloons at the time but it did give the US an advantage after it. By the end of the war the US had a 20 MPH edge on speed and a 30 mile range edge on their next competitor Great Britain. The Allies, unlike the Coalition, didn't have the money to develop aircraft at the time so France started off behind even Russia in aircraft after the war. The Spanish were even farther behind but caught up somewhat as Spain had less war debt than France.

The Russian invention of the radio, which helped them greatly during the war spread quickly to the US and GB. Within five years of the war end both the US and GB surpassed Russia on radio technology and the US became the biggest manufacturer of radios soon afterwards. US arms and food production was the countries biggest contribution to the war. Although the troops certainly helped the arms and food came much quicker and in much larger quantities. By the end of the war the US produced as much ammunition as GB and Russia combined.

The Farm and Labor Party made some inroads on the Republican Party with the Negro vote during this time. President Stanley's upholding of the Supreme Court decisions made a difference on how Farm and Labor was looked at in some communities. It won about twenty percent of the Negro vote at this time, which was about four times what it was previously. The Republicans then scrambled to do something about it.

The Second Stanley Administration and the First Great War HK Hewitt Kramden Books New York 1944
 
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DanMcCollum

DanMcCollum

Having the US on the side of Prussia and the German states in the Great War is going to do wonders for the German-American culture in Wisconsin. There will certainly be no crack down on Germans during this period, and people will be allowed to use their language and culture in public. If for no other reason than that, this is a great timeline :)
 

Johnrankins

DanMcCollum said:
Having the US on the side of Prussia and the German states in the Great War is going to do wonders for the German-American culture in Wisconsin. There will certainly be no crack down on Germans during this period, and people will be allowed to use their language and culture in public. If for no other reason than that, this is a great timeline :)
Click to expand...

True enough. I am a half German from Wis myself.
 

Johnrankins

"Senator Baxter of Minnesota today asked for improved efficiency in granting permits for power plants. 'We are having an increasing trade debt with the CSA due to rising oil and natural gas prices. with more power plants we can increase our use of hydrogen powered cars by increasing hydrogen production from water. The US has fairly plentiful supplies of uranium and thorium. "

WATR News Chicago July 23, 1982 TV broadcast

The 1912 election alarmed Republicans as it was the first time since Lincoln's election that a non-Republican was elected two presidencies in a row.This, of course, caused jubilation in the Farm and Labor Party. Farm and Labor even won a seat in the House of Representatives in Arizona for the first time. However, Albert Laurence became the first president following Lincoln that wasn't re-elected.

His problems started right away. Millions of US returned home and had difficulty finding jobs when they mustered out. Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of war orders were canceled, resulting in the firing of hundreds of thousands of men. US church charities were stretched to the limit because of the need to help so many families. Some US railroads went under with all the underutilized track. Railroad engine manufacturers soon followed suit. Farmland prices fell through the floor declining 25% during his term. Farm machinery and fertilizer companies went under as well.

On the bright side the reparations from France and Spain provided a nice trade surplus for the US. However certain industries like steel and chemicals were badly hurt as "free" steel and chemicals came from France as reparations. It also caused the CSA steel industry to start to decline as there was no longer a need for it. The new slaves from Texas kept it competitive for a while as slaves kept decreasing in price. The abolition of slavery in Texas, Davis, and Jefferson caused a lot of the reparation money to be invested there as US business started buying up banks, oil wells, ranches and plantations as they would no longer break US law doing so.

However the US airplane and automobile industries started taking off. The US Army continued developing trucks gradually becoming the most mobile army in the World. The US Army also experimented in developing reconnaissance and fighter aircraft at this time. It also started selling most of its pre-war navy to Italy and Russia as it laid down enough ships during the war that it had a fair sized navy with just wartime production after finishing those on the slips. The desire to finish the ships kept these men employed for some time which helped mitigate the downturn.

The aircraft industry was not hurt much by the depression. Even in a downturn the US was wealthy enough to have many rich, young men who wanted the newest toys. Range and speed were greatly increased at this time but still remained nothing but a glamor item for rich men at this period.

Automobiles started to make their way to the lower upper class and the upper middle class at this time. Lincoln Autos was one of the few businesses that increased production throughout the depression. Cars kept getting larger, cheaper, faster and more rugged during this period. It really started to boom after the depression and may have been one of the reasons it ended.


None of this however helped President Laurence as the economy was still in the doldrums at the end of his term. There are many people who argue if the economy picked up six months before it did he would have been re-elected.

The Laurence Presidency and the Depression of 1913 AK Peterson Alan Books St. Louis 1944.
 
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Johnrankins

There has been a big protest over the big surge of illegal immigrants from the CSA due to the decreased oil prices, The protesters call for stronger border patrols as they are worried about the immigrants taking jobs away from Mexicans during the recent economic downturn.

Mexico City Oct 5th, 1986 TV broadcast


John Baker was elected in 1916, a Republican from Rhode Island. The economy went into a full fledged boom during his presidency led by the auto industry. Automobiles started to really take off during this time period. President Baker passed the National Roads Act in 1917 which started tying the various state roads and highways together. The rail industry made a big recovery as rails were being built in Texas to haul oil from Texas to the refineries in Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvania Oil Company massively expanded during this period making it the third largest company in the US behind US Steel and American Flour.

The Russian invention of the radio was further developed in both the US and UK. The National Radio Company was formed in St Louis in 1916 by LK Hewing and was the first major radio manufacturer in the country.Within a dozen years it became the number one producer of radios in the world. The American Radio Broadcasting Company was started in New York that year. It spread quickly throughout the East Coast and Midwest and then the West Coast. Electrical production also soared during this period due to the popularity of the radio and various appliances such as the electric stove, the washing machine and the refrigerator.

Talking pictures were invented at this time and some of the old stars faded as they couldn't adapt to the new technology. However new stars were born and movies were more popular than ever. Phoenix's population boomed and property prices soared. Negroes and Mexicans started leaving the city due to rising property prices.

Tragedy struck in 1918 as President Baker was the first president of the US assassinated. He was assassinated by John William Smith a rancher from Montana who was upset over losing his ranch, blaming it on low tariffs on Texas beef. He was denounced by the Cattle Ranchers of America who called for his execution. The tariff was immediately lowered further which surprised on one.

AK Ewing proved to be more capable than expected. A Minnesota man put on the ticket solely for ticket balance he proved to be equal to the task. He gave a big contract to Lincoln Motors to produce trucks for the Army. This helped further development in the automobile and made the US Army the most mobile in the world.

He also renegotiated French loans , spreading out their payments to make it easier for the slumping French economy to pay. This reduced tensions with France during his tenure in office. He started getting worried about Russia/'s domestic difficulties. The Tsarist government started to become unstable at this point which worried capitals all over the world.

The late teens in the US RK Starling Canton Books London 1945
 

Johnrankins

The increase in oil prices have given an air of prosperity here in Houston. Buildings are going up at a fast clip and upper class stores from fine jewelry to expensive restaurants are bustling with activity. Oil is definitely a boom or bust business and right now it is clearly in the boom. Enjoy it while it lasts , Houston.
ZHNA Orlando radio broadcast Nov 3,1972

AK Ewing was easily re-elected president in 1920. The disastrous Vincent presidency in the CSA made his job easier. Northern Banks were buying branches in Texas and later Jefferson and Davis . Although this was a good thing in the long run it caused an increase in interest rates in the US as some of its capital flowed south. This slowed down but not stopped the boom. The auto industry was in its takeoff period and both oil and steel boomed with it. The electrical appliance industry was taking off in this period as well which led to booms in both coal and electricity.

Phoenix was in its heyday as people poured into the city trying to become talking picture stars. Linda Baxter and Ricardo Altiz were at the beginning of their careers and would soon become the Phoenix Star legends they are today. Jumper music was getting started with stars like Gene Lars and Barbra Landsman getting their start.

The rise of China during this period was worrying to Great Britain and Japan. The annexation of former French Indochina by China was worrisome to them. The British were worried about their various colonies in Asia while Japan was even more worried about the colossus to the west . This led to the British-Japanese alliance. The United States wasn't particularly worried at this time but it was definitely paying more attention to the Chinese Military than before.

Süddeutschland was starting to eye Austria at this time as if it could aquire Austria all of South Germany would be united. Prussia was worried about this because it wanted to make sure it was stronger of the two German states. However it was forced to keep an eye on France to make sure it didn't rise again. Hungry was also eyeing Austria trying to turn tables on it by forming a Hungarian-Austrian Empire to replace the old Austrian-Hungarian one. To make sure they dominated the new nation they wanted to split it with Süddeutschland . Hungry also eyed Italy wanting some of its newly awarded provinces for itself.

Meanwhile Russia started having internal problems as Constananople turned into a mixed blessing. Although now under Russian Orthodox rule it caused the Empire to displace millions of Moslems and move them east into Central Asia. There were a number of uprisings by the displaced Turks which resulted in massacres and many of them being exiled to Siberia. Thus was the beginning of the end of the "Russian Theocracy".

In the Americas things were going better. There was an agreement between the US and CS to dismantle a number of forts along the border. The new banks in Texas caused a boom there that spilled into Mexico. During this time period Great Britian allowed the CSA to export cotton to Great Britain equal to the 1921 production by Texas, Jefferson and Davis which just abolished slavery. Said cotton had to be bought in a Texas port city during this time period. The economies of the states surrounding Texas naturally boomed as a result.

The World in the Teens by KA Lawrance Miami Book Publishing 1956
 

Johnrankins

Cotton has made a comeback this year as the new fashions in Paris feature a lot of clothing made of cotton. I guess everything old is new again as Paris goes retro. The cotton fields are making record profits throughout the CSA. Chicago Fashions went up 25 percent this year and has announced a 3:2 stock split.

ZXJP TV Broadcast New Orleans 1977

Chinese-US relations cooled off in this period as both British-Chinese and Japanese-Chinese started to become cool. Japan, in particular, became worried. The rising Chinese colossus concerned it greatly. There was an arms race in the region as British , Chinese and Japanese spending in the area soared. Naval spending in particular went through the roof as naval spending went up 75% between 1922-1923 As a result the economies of all three countries overheated and inflation started climbing.

With all this increased naval spending the US started worrying about its territories in in the Pacific. The US started building naval ports in the Philippine Islands and increased its own naval spending which concerned the other powers. With British, Chinese and Japanese colonies nearby building up its military power Washington felt that increased spending was needed to protect our territories. (OOC: Our colonies are territories while your territories are colonies. :biggrin: Certainly in the writing of the US press at the time) Süddeutschland and Hungry both invaded Austria at this time dividing it in two. Prussia decided to strengthen its ties with us and GB at this time as a counterweight to Süddeutschland.

Russia deteriorated at this time as the revolts in the former Ottoman Empire allowed Finland to break free. It didn't have the troops and money to hold onto both and Constantinople alone was considered to be more valuable than all of Finland. Even as is the economy was in trouble as GB and the US was no longer providing it with cheap loans as they were no longer worried about a weakened France.

International Problems after the First Great War by NA Sterling Minnesota Publishing Minneapolis 1967
 

Johnrankins

Come here to beautiful Memphis, just across the CSA border . It is the Gateway to the Southern Mississippi River with picturesque paddle-boats and stately homes built on the cotton trade further south. If you want to do business, we have many fine office buildings built on the oil trade with Texas. There are many fine restaurants and hotels he in downtown Memphis. Memphis , the Gateway to the Southern Mississippi has it all.

Advertisement from the Memphis tourist board 1966

LA Rincewald was elected next and was a Republican of no special distinction. He managed a caretaker government as he had little interest in anything outside of maintaining the status quo. Trade was expanded with the CSA as more Southern states began outlawing slavery. Money started flowing north from US banks in Texas, Jefferson and Davis sent profits of its CSA branches north. Various CSA small businesses were merged together when they were foreclosed on and sold to US trusts. Money from that started flowing north as well. Among them was Confederate Oil Company which was formed in 1926 when various small Texas oil companies were foreclosed on . Various US banks got together and merged them together forming Confederate Oil which was then sold in 1928 to the American Oil Company of New Jersey. After that 90% of all the oil in Texas was owned by three US companies: American Oil, Pennsylvania Oil and California Oil with American Oil consisting a full half .

A similar situation occurred in the cotton business. In places where a lot of cotton farms were foreclosed by banks, the banks lent money to Northern clothing interests to start up textile factories nearby. This factory made the nearby cotton lands more valuable as the farmers wouldn't have to pay much in shipping costs. The banks then were able to sell the foreclosed property at a higher price. Money flowed north from that as well.

On the plus side for the Texans all this investment money provided employment in the meantime. It also increased internal investment as all that money flowed through the economy. On the whole the US economy benefited more than the CS one. This eventually led to the "Roaring Thirties" which was a very prosperous period that lasted until the Depression of 1938.

At the same time Mexico started overestimating itself after two successful wars and started looking north with talk of regaining all of Texas. This alarmed the CSA government and forts were built on the Mexican border. It also alarmed the US government as US investment in Texas was pretty heavy and a war could ruin it. Also the US was starting more and more to see the CSA as a protectorate. This caused problems for Mexico in its near future.

US and the beginning of the Roaring Thirties. HK Howard Palpine Books New York 1955
 
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