WI: America suffers major defeat in 1812, Civil War

I'm not trying to start another debate on the War of 1812, but I think that everyone can agree that the US could have come away much worse.

Let's say that the US loses most of New England. The North is weakened. The US-Mexican War happens as OTL. Say that the Civil War starts as OTL. But now the Union is weaker without NE and it is weakened enough for the South to be able to win.

America is smaller, weaker, and divided up. What would happen next(Another War with the South? Complete collaspe? More militarism? Less immigration?)?
 
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I've actually done a little thinking on a simialer subject and I think America might very well not have a civil war. The north is a lot weaker and fear of foiregners taking advantage of the nation divided might be enough to keep the union together.
 

Skokie

Banned
I question whether that "The" Civil War can start as in OTL. The loss of the New England states would result in an imbalance of slave/free states. And what about the old Northwest? Is it part of the Union? If it is, who has populated it? In OTL it was an extension of New England.

Without the Yankee element, I question whether Lincoln could have ever been elected. Irish and German immigrants would have much greater importance, politically. Many of them hated the prospect of freed slaves competing with them for jobs.
 
That is a good point, but Lincoln won over 100 more electoral votes then the next guy. Just for arguments sake, let's say it begin a bit later when Slavery is even less accepted.
 
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