"Our American Journey" - excerpts from a middle school text book

[Deep_Whiskers]

Hello, this is my first TL ever. It will be an unorthodox Confederate victory scenario, in the sense that how we get there will be a bit strange. It came to me during a brain strorming session, as how to write such a thing WITHOUT screwing the Republican Party. As you can see from the title, Im writting it from the perspective of a text book, thus the "simplistic" lamgauge. I hope you like it. Despite beign, well, what it is, things will turn out all right for everyone in the end. It will just take a little bit to get there.
Suggestions are more than welcome

The Election of 1860

William Seward of was selected as the Republican nominee for President, and Hannibal Hamlin of Maine as his running mate. Seward had been an important figure in building the Party, but was seen as too radical for some. Most importantly the selection of Seward and Hamlin alienated somewhat supporters of Abraham Lincoln of Illinois, a popular, moderate speaker who had risen to prominence after a series of debates in with Stephen Douglas in 1858.

The Old Democratic Party, deeply divided on the issue of the enslavement of Blacks, split that year and nominated two competing tickets; then Vice-President John Breckinridge and Joseph Lane of Oregon as the ticket of the southern “Fire-Eater” white-supremacist faction, Stephen Douglas and Horatio Seymour as the ticket of the more moderate, less supportive of slavery northern faction

Also on this race was John Bell of Tennessee, running under the Constitutional Union Party, that was anti-secessionist. He mostly played spoiler (that is, a candidate that runs a similar campaign as other one in a three-way election, steals votes from them and “denies them victory”) for Breckinridge in the South.

The election was very complicated, but also very polarized. Only Bell and Breckinridge were competitive in the Slave States, and only Seward and Douglas in the Free States. At this time, votes were not secret, and no Southerner would be caught dead voting for Seward, and vice-versa. In some states, Douglas, Bell, and Breckinridge ran under a unified “Fusion Democratic” ticket, who would split their votes between the three in the case they won the state. This would be very important later.

Below is a map of the final election in 1860:

The Election of 1860. Red for Seward, dark blue for Breckinridge, light blue for Douglas, and yellow for bell

Seward won almost all Free States, and about 37-percent of the vote, but he did not win enough electoral votes to win the election outright. He lost the free states of California, Illinois. New York and New Jersey because the Democratic Party was still very strong there, but very narrowly.

Douglas won California, Illinois and Missouri by himself, and New York and New Jersey under a unified ticket. He won about 32-percent of the vote.

Breckinridge won all the other slave states, except for Kentucky, Tennessee and Maryland, which Bell won. They won, each one, about 18 and 12-percent of the vote.

Because no candidate won the Electoral College, Congress would have to select the next President between December and March. First, the Senate voted to select the next Vice-president. They could only choose between Republican Hannibal Hamlin and Democrat Joseph Lane, because they could only select from the top two candidates. By a narrow vote, and pressured by President Buchanan, they selected Lane. Then the House of Representatives voted for the President. Here they could vote for the three top candidates: Seward, Breckinridge and Douglas. After much deliberation and compromise, they again narrowly selected Stephen Douglas as President.

It was hoped that the moderate and popular Douglas would be an acceptable choice for the public; many Northerners were upset that their candidates was not selected, however the Democratic controlled congress would not vote for them, still many hoped that he would govern in a more friendly manner to Yankee interest and respect the sovereignty of the Free States. Specially after the disappointment of James Buchanan, who was very pro-slavery despite being a northerner.

However Southern Democrats, who had abandoned Douglas, began to conspire to secede from the Union and form their own country to preserve slavery forever.

 

[DragonsInAmerica]

This looks interesting.

On the other hand, American textbooks are infamous for being extremely inaccurate, so I hope your example textbook isn't the same. (Not an insult.)

 

[Deep_Whiskers]

Secession Crisis

Most slave states heavily depended on slavery as their only source of revenue, as well they possessed a culture of white supremacy that stated that Black people’s enslavement by whites was a moral, God-ordained good. The Republican Party, and moderate northern Democrats threatened this by advocating for the prohibition of the expansion of slavery and the enforcement of Free-Soil laws.

After Stephen Douglas emerged as the compromise candidate in the House, many southern states began to conspire to leave the Union. Many “Fire-Eaters” had already resolved to secede, and were waiting for a casus belli. Between the election in November and the admition of Kansas as a Free State in March of 1861 (a key platform in Douglas’ campaign) states of “the deep south” conspired with key members of the Buchanan administration to seize federal properties and arm themselves for the conflict.

Shortly after Kansas became the 34th state, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas announced their unilateral withdrawal from the Union, and the formation of the Confederate States of America with John Breckinridge as its President. Under their declaration of independence, the stated cornerstone of this new state was the perpetual continuation of slavery, white supremacy, and a return to the old Confederation Era government.

President Douglas, his Democratic allies, and the Republican Party were opposed to secession, stating that the Union was perpetual and indivisible. At first, Douglas made peaceful overtures to the seceding states, and called for the Baltimore Peace Conference. Here, the Douglas-Johnson amendment was proposed, which stated that the Federal Government could not abolish slavery in the states where it existed, as well as the reinstitution of the old Missouri Compromise after a national referendum. However, the Confederate delegates and the Republican dominated Congress (with the departure of the Southern Democratic delegates, the Republicans now had supermajorities in both Houses) rejected them.

The attack on Fort Jefferson, Florida, in May was the first battle of the War of the Secession (ironically, this fort would remain in Unionist hands until the end of the war). President Douglas called for 20,000 volunteers to fight the war, which he got – however, this pushed Arkansas, North Carolina, and Virginia to secede and join the CSA as they opposed fighting. The states of Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, and Tennessee, which permitted slavery, rejected secession and stayed with the Union.

A map of the US, and CSA before Virginia was split between rival governments

 

[Deep_Whiskers]

Soon after the attack on Fort Jefferson, the states mobilized their militias. The union strategy was at first to defend the national capital and invade western Virginia via Ohia, where most of the volunteers of the war came from. The Confederate strategy was more aggressive; their first movie was to invade Tennessee

The war went well for the Union at first, the Union advanced rapidly through western Virginia, as the regions population was supportive of the war effort – this was the same reason the Confederate advance in Tennessee was slow. In July, at Wheeling, Virginia, a rival government to that of Richmond was set up by Unionists, deeming themselves the rightful government of all Virginia. This new government, which controlled most of the western counties that had opposed secession and had little no slaves, abolished slavery.

Virginia divided amongst American and Confederate lines

American Virginia was not the only slave state to abolish slavery during the course of the war, Delaware, which also has a very low slave population did by legislative decree. In Missouri, and without President Douglas approval, General Freemont issued an executive order abolishing it during his campaign to secure the state. Similar efforts failed in Maryland and Kentucky.

Turning into 1862 the war began to stalemate. The Union had repealed successfully repelled two Confederate attempts to invade the national capital, but at a very high cost. General McClellan’s Virginia campaign had slowed down to a crawl, and General Grant’s defense of eastern Kentucky saw some major defeats before turning around in early 1863. The only front that saw rapid movement was General Sherman’s capture of east Tennessee. Despite orders form the President to remain in place, he advanced towards Georgia in an attempt to capture Atlanta. He would ultimately fail but remain camped out in the outskirts of the city for the rest of the war.

These setbacks eroded confidence in President Douglas, however the war effort still remained popular. It is believed by historians that, had the President had not been assassinated, the war could have been won.

 

[Deep_Whiskers]

In the aftermath of the assasination of President Douglas in late 1863, Vice President Joe Lane, a conservative "Copperhead" who tought that the South should be allowed to seccede and was opposed to the abolition of slavery and political equality for black people, took the reins of government. As soon as he took office he signaled his intention to sue for peace with the CSA, which brough panic among the generals in the field.

It was General Freemont that took unilateral action to invade western tennessee and captured it all before proper peace negotiation could began, at the same time General Sherman brocke through the Atlanta bockede and seiged the city, burning approximately two-thirds of it and forcing the Confederate government to move to Richmond. General Grant began his invasion of Arkansas then. This series of attacks, all against orders from President Lane, is known as "The General's Mutuny"- Ultimatley none were punished by the subsequent Republican administrations

Despite overwhelming oppostion from Congress, public opinion, and the previous cabinet (most of all Sec of State Seward), Lane still had the authority to began peace negotiations. On the New Year of 1864, he officially recognized the independance of all secceding states.

President Lane was subsequently impeched by Congress shortly after, and President Pro Tempore of the Senate Benjamin Wade was left to guide the nation for the reminder of his term until the innaguration of President Freemont in 1865

 

[Deep_Whiskers]

In the aftermath of the CSA invasion of Tennessee, Confederate military authrorities installed a pro sessionist goverment while the rightful Unionist legislature fled the state. The eastern region of the state had been a whig stronghold where slavery had been very rare, and the eastern countries run ahead significantly on the vote against seccesion held on the eve of the war. On these counties pro-Unionist sentiment ran strongest and the great majority of volunteers from the state haled from. A strong jaywalker campaign was held by uninist partisans along the east tennessee-western North Carolina region. Partisans here not only wished to expell confederate forces from the state, but also eventyallt came about to wish to break away from the rest of Tennesee

As stated before, the region had been separte from the rest of the state by political affiliation and economic interests for time, as many yeoman farmers too poor to afford slaves where skeptical of southern democrats and their advance of slavery. Frustrated with what they saw as a quick capitulation to the CSA army, as well as a desire not to be under a new Democratic goverment once the state had been liberated, representatives from all counties meet with General Sherman to announce an official break away declaration. President Douglas promised to allow a state vote on the matter and respect the outcome of it when the war had been won, however he was assasinated before this. A special military disctrict was created out of the future state, and east Tennessee militias where instrumental on the seige of Atlanta. Leaders of the military region abolished slavery within its territory shortly after.

Finally, the state was admited to the union in late 1864 by President Benjamin Wade

 

[Deep_Whiskers]

A map of the US and the CSA. Virginia was divided between the two countries, while Oklahoma (still not divied between OK and Sequoya) and the western territorries where returned to the US. Note that East Tennessee was not yet a state, but operated as one

 

[PGSBHurricane]

Wow, with Tennessee staying with the Union (technically), it looked like that state might have had its own Civil War. Heading forward it's going to be THE battleground state in all of this. Nice job so far.

 

[Anarch King of Dipsodes]

You've made a very serious effort here, Your writing is OK (a bit leaden), and your format is good. Also you know a fair amount about the period.

Unfortunatly,, you don't know nearly enough,and that has resulted in some major howlers.

First - if Seward was the Republican presidential nominee in 1860, Hamlin would not be the vice presidential nominee. Hamlin was chosen OTL because he was an Easterner, ally of Seward, and former Democrat - thus balancing the choice of Westerner, Seward rival, and former Whig Lincoln as presidential nominee. The running mate for Seward would be a Westerner, Lincoln ally, and probably former Democrat. Senator Lyman Trumbull of Illinois fits the bill.

Second - it is anachronistic to distinguish one or another of the 1860 candidates as "white supremacist". They all were - even Lincoln. (He said so, very explicitly, in the 1858 debates with Douglas.) Racial equality wasn't even on the radar yet.

The issue in 1860 was whether slavery should be extended into the Territories and future new states. (Which, as Lincoln noted, ultimately came down to whether slavery was right or wrong.)

The Republicans said no. The Douglas Democrats said "only where settlers want it". That wasn't good enough for most Southern Democrats, because the Dred Scott decision allowed slavery throughout the Territories. So they ran Breckinridge. The "Constitutional Union" ticket (Bell and Everett) was put up by ex-Whigs terrified of the possibility of civil war; they hoped to rally enough ex-Whigs and other war-avoiders to win.

Third - you are correct that in some states there were "fusion tickets" combining Douglas, Bell, and Breckinridge electors (and kudos for that). But these were not "Fusion Democrat" slates; the Bell electors were ex-Whigs.

Fourth - if the presidential election had to be decided by the House of Representatives, Douglas would not have been elected; he had declared that he would not accept election by the House. Kudos again though for noting that the Senate would elect the Vice President, would have to choose between only the top two finishers, and would therefore choose Lane. However, the vote would not be close or require influence from Buchanan. In the incumbent 36th Congress, which would elect, there were 30 Senators from slave states, 10 Democrat Senators from free states, and only 26 Republicans. The free state Democrats included Lane himself and several additional pro-Southern "Doughfaces": Gwin and Latham, CA; Bright, IN; Thomson, NJ; Bigler, PA. So Lane would win easily.

 

[Deep_Whiskers]

In the aftermath of the Civil War, the Union was left tired and bitter after seemingly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The Radical faction of the Republican Party quickly took over the reins of the Party and the government in the aftermath of the impeachment of President Lane. During the 1864 election, the Radicals run their own candidate in John Freemont, while the moderates run Abraham Lincoln. Freemont won a narrow victory against Lincoln and a smattering of Democratic candidates. As a gesture of reconciliation between the two camps, Freemont would appoint Lincoln to the Supreme Court - The Democratic Party would remain marginalized as national political for a generation in the aftermath of the war, the Party would remain locked out of the Presidency until 1888, and only 2 Democrats serve as President between 1863 and 1933.


Radical Republicans would push for several amendments to the constitution during Freemonts term, granting citizenship to Black people, outlawing discrimination based on race and granting voting rights (slavery had been abolished during Wade's short presidency), however social equality would not truly be achieved until the 1920s in the aftermath of the Great War.

Down South, the Confederate States would slowly descend into dictatorship and misery. While at first the country found a lucrative business avenue trading cheap cotton with Britain and France, public opinion in these countries would slowly force Paris and London to distance themselves from the Confederacy. By the time Brazil had abolished slavery in 1888, the CSA was the last "civilized" country on Earth where slavery existed as a state-sanctioned institution. Far from attempting to distance itself from it, the government doubled downed on it and white supremacy.

Democracy in the CSA had been slowly been degraded since the collapse of the Whig Party in that country, as the planet class slowly worked to disenfranchise poor whites, the CS Democratic Party used the Confederate Electoral Collage to shut out all opposition, as well as gerrymandering Congress and the state houses (which adopted the South Carolina model of appointing electors instead of using a statewide vote). This was the principal reason for Texas to counter-cessede from the CSA on 1889, with aid from America on the condition that it abolished slavery.

There where small pockets of resistance to Confederate rule, whoever they were ultimately crushed and those that had opposed cession where the first generation of white slaves. As time went on, the real threat of slavement for various crimes kept the poor white population in fear of their government. Refugees, both black and white, became increasingly common. The reception they got varied significantly thought the years, from a cold reception to open arms. Many formed "Freetowns" along the Border States, where ironically race relations tended to be more harmonious than in the rest of the Union.


This would continue on until 1910 when a series of violent revolutions rocked the country, which prompted American intervention by President Roosevelt. The end result was that by 1917, the United States had re-annexed Virginia and North Carolina, Florida had become independent like Texas, and the remaining Confederate States would become a bi-racial socialist democracy that would serve as the model of government for nations like South Africa and Rhodesia-Zimbabwe.

Today, CSA remains a poor rural country, however, it has put behind its painful past, has a friendly relationship with the USA, and now looks towards the future with optimism.

 

[marktaha]

You've made a very serious effort here, Your writing is OK (a bit leaden), and your format is good. Also you know a fair amount about the period.

Unfortunatly,, you don't know nearly enough,and that has resulted in some major howlers.

First - if Seward was the Republican presidential nominee in 1860, Hamlin would not be the vice presidential nominee. Hamlin was chosen OTL because he was an Easterner, ally of Seward, and former Democrat - thus balancing the choice of Westerner, Seward rival, and former Whig Lincoln as presidential nominee. The running mate for Seward would be a Westerner, Lincoln ally, and probably former Democrat. Senator Lyman Trumbull of Illinois fits the bill.

Second - it is anachronistic to distinguish one or another of the 1860 candidates as "white supremacist". They all were - even Lincoln. (He said so, very explicitly, in the 1858 debates with Douglas.) Racial equality wasn't even on the radar yet.

The issue in 1860 was whether slavery should be extended into the Territories and future new states. (Which, as Lincoln noted, ultimately came down to whether slavery was right or wrong.)

The Republicans said no. The Douglas Democrats said "only where settlers want it". That wasn't good enough for most Southern Democrats, because the Dred Scott decision allowed slavery throughout the Territories. So they ran Breckinridge. The "Constitutional Union" ticket (Bell and Everett) was put up by ex-Whigs terrified of the possibility of civil war; they hoped to rally enough ex-Whigs and other war-avoiders to win.

Third - you are correct that in some states there were "fusion tickets" combining Douglas, Bell, and Breckinridge electors (and kudos for that). But these were not "Fusion Democrat" slates; the Bell electors were ex-Whigs.

Fourth - if the presidential election had to be decided by the House of Representatives, Douglas would not have been elected; he had declared that he would not accept election by the House. Kudos again though for noting that the Senate would elect the Vice President, would have to choose between only the top two finishers, and would therefore choose Lane. However, the vote would not be close or require influence from Buchanan. In the incumbent 36th Congress, which would elect, there were 30 Senators from slave states, 10 Democrat Senators from free states, and only 26 Republicans. The free state Democrats included Lane himself and several additional pro-Southern "Doughfaces": Gwin and Latham, CA; Bright, IN; Thomson, NJ; Bigler, PA. So Lane would win easily.

Would Douglas have stuck to that had it come to the crunch?

 

[TheRockofChickamauga]

Would Douglas have stuck to that had it come to the crunch?

I don't think the author will be able to answer your question considering he is banned.