I was reading a book called American What Ifs? (or something like that), and it had an interesting idea called the Northwest Confederacy. Apparently there was quite a bit of support in the Old Northwest for the CSA, mostly because of geographical proximity and a resentment of federal interference and the cutting back of rights like the right to protest that occurred during the war. Apparently they got as far as getting hold of a buttload of guns, and forming an underground government before the Confederacy started to collapse, and it was clear their rebellion wouldn't work either.
Now, if we roll with the usual British buddy up with the South scenario, could the Old Northwest separate from the USA? And what would this mean for the western states who are now cut off from the rest of the USA? Could the Northwest Confederacy become some kind of Greater Midwest?