von Adler, thank you very much! That will come in handy for the Atlantic War.
Now, before we begin this timeline, I think we should come up with some ground rules, so that this timeline doesn't go completely crazy or ASB or both. So, I propose the following rules for posting bits of the timeline:
1. All posts adding to the collaborative timeline will be from excerpts from books. Said books may be from any time period, and may even be memoirs.
2. The post must focus on one subject. For example, if I am going to post an update on the Atlantic Front, I will only post about something happening on the Atlantic Front. I cannot jump from a battle between two ironclads to the Battle of Gettysburg (if there is one ITTL

)
3. All posts must be chronlogical, though this needs some explaining. If we are working on the year 1900, you can't post something about the year 2000. However, if your post hints at something in the
near future, that would be OK. I say
near because I don't want one of the first posts, about the beginning of the Civil War, referring to President Villaraigosa's inauguration in 2009. That takes some fun away from everyone else in leading up to our incumbent US President. (Plus, President Villaraigosa may not work out well, because of the next rule...)
4. The Butterfly Effect is in Effect! Now, I understand a few people surviving the effect. Thus, we need to limit the amount of people that are IOTL that would make it into TTL. We can't have, despite all the butterflies, a McCain vs. Obama campaign in 2008. Plus, I'll point out that not all people have to be politicians... You can have Ronald Reagan be the owner of a restaraunt in Los Angeles, if you like.
These rules are probably incomplete, so if you all have any ideas for ground rules for this timeline, please add to it.