Northwest Rising

Apologize in advance. This is my first timeline and is is only a rough draft. All comments are appreciated. Will be updated daily. More than likely ASB
"Here lies these United States in failure. Washington reeling in defeat from its former brothers."
-Clark Hetherland, Hoosier Politician
April 13, 1870-March 22, 1871 It had been five years since these United States lost the civil war. The Union has been a shattered mess after that. States had began to lose faith in the government and its ability to protect them. Many states were plagued with riots and anti-government protests. Those nearest Washington remained loyal with very little troubles throughout their populace. The Confederacy still had yet to be recognized by the world at large and received just enough exports from the nations that did to stay afloat. The pressure for radical change began to call out through many regions of America. The government feared a uprising and attempting to crack down on the largest of these protests. Even though violence was only used against violent protests it still seemed to rally even more people to the cause of these movements. Soon these movements began to call for complete independence from the federal government. The states trusted one another more than what came to be known as "Washingtons Government" in reference to the capital of these United States. Eventually a spark ignited this growing barrel of gunpowder when a major Illinoisan politician in support of states rights, Sheldon Newt, was shot on his way to DC. This broke into a massive upcry amongst the people of Illinois which quickly spread to its neighbors of Indiana and Wisconsin. Both of which already had a extremely anti-Washington populace due to their own home politicians speaking out against the Federal Government. Feeling wronged for the lives lost and materials wasted during the ruinous civil war. By January 10, 1871 these three states were in open rebellion. The populace forming militias and sieging power within these states. Similar uprisings rose in California, Utah, and in the New England region. The Union was rapidly falling apart at the seams.
 
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Don Quijote

Banned
I like the, idea, as TLs about non Civil War civil wars (if you see what I mean) don't get made very often. I think you'll have to provide a pretty good explanation of how the Confederates broke away successfully to convince some members.

Will the Confederates make any effort to draw in these states which want to leave the Union? And how long will slavery continue in the south?
 
I agree with JC558. I also think that you are going to have to go into some of the policies fostered by the government after the alt-Civil War to push other states into rebellion, because you currently have the new war springing up in states that were some of the most loyal and pro-war during the Civil War. Wisconsin, for instance, had long been a hotbed of abolitionism and Governor Randall in 1859 had actually threatened to lead the state into leaving the Union if Lincoln wasn't elected (and this was no idle threat; he dissolved those militia companies who he felt would remain loyal to the Union in such a case).

Indiana is a special case since it had a Copperhead movement, and the Democrats actually tried to deadlock the legislature as so to hold up a funding bill for Indiana soldiers (they felt they funding bill was so important that Governor Morton would give in to their demands to get it passed); the result was the Governor actually went to private citizens to help raise funds for the army. Morton also became convinced of a Golden Circle conspiracy in the state and arrested many leaders who had southern sympathies; much to the joy of those in Northern Indiana, and the horror of those in the South.

I'm not saying this is an impossible scenario, but I think you are going to have to include more details on the why and how to make it work.

Good luck on your first timeline! If you need any help there are many members of this board who would be more than willing to suggest sources, and critique your work!
 
I like the, idea, as TLs about non Civil War civil wars (if you see what I mean) don't get made very often. I think you'll have to provide a pretty good explanation of how the Confederates broke away successfully to convince some members.

Will the Confederates make any effort to draw in these states which want to leave the Union? And how long will slavery continue in the south?

I was planning to go into the specifics of the Confederate victory with the next entry. Slavery will keep going until the few nations trading with them eventually choose to put sanctions on them until they drop the practice. As for them attempting to draw in other states that will be covered later.

I agree with JC558. I also think that you are going to have to go into some of the policies fostered by the government after the alt-Civil War to push other states into rebellion, because you currently have the new war springing up in states that were some of the most loyal and pro-war during the Civil War. Wisconsin, for instance, had long been a hotbed of abolitionism and Governor Randall in 1859 had actually threatened to lead the state into leaving the Union if Lincoln wasn't elected (and this was no idle threat; he dissolved those militia companies who he felt would remain loyal to the Union in such a case).

Indiana is a special case since it had a Copperhead movement, and the Democrats actually tried to deadlock the legislature as so to hold up a funding bill for Indiana soldiers (they felt they funding bill was so important that Governor Morton would give in to their demands to get it passed); the result was the Governor actually went to private citizens to help raise funds for the army. Morton also became convinced of a Golden Circle conspiracy in the state and arrested many leaders who had southern sympathies; much to the joy of those in Northern Indiana, and the horror of those in the South.

I'm not saying this is an impossible scenario, but I think you are going to have to include more details on the why and how to make it work.

Good luck on your first timeline! If you need any help there are many members of this board who would be more than willing to suggest sources, and critique your work!

Thank you. I am planning on going in and explaining how this came to be in the next entry. This was really more of a introduction. I'm glad some people seem to like it.
 
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Sorry for the Deseret cliche. I challenged myself to see if I could pull it of realistically with this TL.
"Down with Washington, Down with the Union."
-Chant by Midwest protesters
August 4, 1870 The issues consuming the American States were forged out of the failure that was the American Civil War. The Confederates adopted a defensive strategy in the fighting and respected the neutrality of the State of Kentucky. The Confederates protected their borders instead of rushing out and attacking the Union where they lived. This forced the Union to take a much more aggressive stance against the South. Albert Sidney Johnston used this against them by designating Southern resources to hold the defensive line against the Union. Lincoln wasn't planning on wasting his men on such a fruitless effort. The loss of life would be great to attack the well defended South border. A few fleeting victories were granted to the Union throughout the war while any offensive made directly against the border was a task any general would take a godsend to achieve victory in. As Lincolns presidential term was drawing to a close there was very little progress made in the war front and a loss at the Potomac had began to dwindle American support for the war. In a attempt to break through the Southern defenses through Missouri the American army lost four fifths of the force sent to break through. By the time the election came around the American people had tired of the war. After the 1864 election George B. McClellan was elected president of these United States. December 7, 1865 the new President finally, after a long stalemate of neither side gaining or loosing anything, recognized the independence of the Confederate States of America. Bringing a end to the American Civil War. Despite this the American people began to see faults in their government based off of this. If a collation of states could leave the Union by simply holding their ground why should they trust the Union to protect them. Political agitators began to rise up throughout the states and preached the issues of the Unions government to the people of the states. Farmers began to question why the goods they produce should feed a government and military that doesn't work, philosophers began to speak out about Southern Succession, and even the common folk began to question what the Union could do if it cant even hold itself together. The politicians of the states rarely held these views that the people held which further soured the relationship between the people of the state and "Washingtons Government". People through the state began to compare the succession of the South to the American Revolution. While the Northern States still appalled the concept of slavery they looked at the South as a example. The States can leave the Union, they can work outside the Union, and from what has been shown the Union cannot stop the States. This view began to settle within the public with the popularization of literature produced by these anti-Union activists. These were well written books by the more educated populace of the states. Some of these groups even had newspapers that showed the states in a brighter light than the Union. This kind of provocation is what helped the rebellions in Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, California, and the New England region. Utah took all of these issues and combined it with the common religion of the region. Joseph Smith didn't condone this among the populace or among the Church of Christ but with the strong hold the church had achieved among the state in recent years and the majority of the population being Mormon they wished to see their own government that didn't carry the same failures of the Union.
During the rebellions within Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois the Union sent in troops in order to subdue the rebels. The militias that were formed there now met face to face with the Union soldiers. The Unions military was still shaken after the Civil War and clearly wasn't up to what it used to be. The rebels first were repelled with them being pushed back quite far before they rallied among one another. The Union troops were soon stopped dead in their tracks at this. The three states forces working in tandem when the possibility came. Most of the time when Union troops were on or near the borders of the states. The Battle of Wabash was a majorly decisive battle during the rebellion in which Illinois and Indiana troops fended off a force of four thousand Union troops with their six thousand. The Union lost one thousand and two troops compared to the Rebels five hundred and ten.
August 13, 1870 The cooperation between these three states against the Union lead to a much closer bond between the three. The provisional governments that had been set in place by the rebels for the time sent their "leaders", in reality these were simply the rebels that had held the region together the best, to the capital of Illinois to discuss the future of the three states. The Union was still knocking on their door and they all realized this. After a nearly twelve hour long meeting the three men agreed to create a single government between the three states. Forming the Northwest Republic. The word of this spread quickly through these states to show there was hope during this fight. "Finding Unity Among Each other" Headlines would read. The first elections of this newly formed Republic and a drafting of the constitution was to be held as soon as possible.
 
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