The American Bahamas in the Civil War

Let's say in this timeline, The Bahamas are the fourteenth state. Perhaps the privateers in the Bahamas joined the rebels or the French aided in taking the islands or even the Americans take it late in the war and the British don't continue fighting for it. The reason does not matter.

What would this state's role be in the civil war? Would they join the confederates, or would their posisition apart from the mainland prevent the option. I doubt it would affect the civil war's end, but the role they play may well be interesting.
 
The islands would probably end up as a non-white holdout that doesn't go Jim Crow. Also America probably goes into Cuba earlier.
 
The Union had the naval advantage so, failing British intervention, either the Bahamas make the blockade even more effective or they have to surrender after getting starved out.
 
There would probably be a pro-CSA governor and legislature which attempts to secede but within weeks is overthrown at gunpoint by the US Marines and Navy. Or perhaps they're a bit more reasonable and grit their teeth and let the US occupy them peacefully. Neutrality is an option, but the US will of course repeatedly violate the Bahamas's neutrality.

Otherwise, the small population which is majority black prevents them from lending much to the war effort of either side.

The islands would probably end up as a non-white holdout that doesn't go Jim Crow. Also America probably goes into Cuba earlier.

Possibly, but even by the ACW the Bahamas are likely to be a lot more white than OTL, and after the war you'd see more whites settling there to farm and operate in the timber industry. If they could install Jim Crow in Mississippi and South Carolina, it's probably possible to install it in the Bahamas.
 
There would probably be a pro-CSA governor and legislature which attempts to secede but within weeks is overthrown at gunpoint by the US Marines and Navy. Or perhaps they're a bit more reasonable and grit their teeth and let the US occupy them peacefully. Neutrality is an option, but the US will of course repeatedly violate the Bahamas's neutrality.

Otherwise, the small population which is majority black prevents them from lending much to the war effort of either side.



Possibly, but even by the ACW the Bahamas are likely to be a lot more white than OTL, and after the war you'd see more whites settling there to farm and operate in the timber industry. If they could install Jim Crow in Mississippi and South Carolina, it's probably possible to install it in the Bahamas.


Have to disagree with you metalinvader665
re the effect of a majority black population.
IOTL all through the ACW blacks in southern
regions were staunchly pro-UNION & I can't
think of any reason why it would have been
any different here(true blacks in the Bahamas were not slaves trying to become
free but they would have been terrified- &
rightly so- that a Confederate regime would
enslave them.)I see the Bahamas in this ATL
being , throughout the ACW, a Union naval
base- & an important one too.
 
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The CSA can't effectively protect them but that won't be important at secession because S Carolina etc expected to do it peacefully, and for a short while this seemed to be succeeding. So Bahamas joins in and secedes. When the war breaks out they can't do anything except hope and wait. They are first to be blockaded, and when it is opportune they are occupied. I really can't see any other outcome.
 

Pellaeon

Banned
I'd think a confederate Bahamas would fall quickly. The CSA doesn't have the manpower necessary to defend them. And they aren't that valuable strategically anyway.

The union would send some sort of marine expedition and take them early and hold them to the end of the war.
 
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