This is a scenario I would like to explore after watching Alternate History Hub's video on the subject. The summery is that before the American Civil war a bill to divide most of Southern California into the new "Territory of Colorado" almost passed but was ignored due to the secession crisis and Civil War. So I would like to further analyze the details of what would happen to this territory of Colorado during the ACW. The most immediate butterfly I can think of is that maybe Albert Sydney Johnson does not leave for the east but stays in this new territory to claim and defend it for the CSA. So he then does not go on to die at Shiloh. How that butterflies the outcome of that battle though I am not sure.
Gabriel Raines was another US army officer stationed in California before the War. He is famous for joining the CSA and designing many of the explosive torpedo's used during the war. Having him stay more in the Western theatre and doing his work in explosives gives me a WILD WILD WEST feel haha
I doubt this alone will likely alter the outcome of the war, but I am honestly curious how it would generally alter the Western theatre of the ACW. With perhaps larger scale battles in the areas of Arizona and New Mexico than in OTL. I know that the support for secession in this area of California was present but small in OTL. I imagine that if the area had become a new territory then the people within it who held secessionist sympathizes may have stronger convictions than in OTL and be willing to join the CSA in greater numbers.
I will add that the detail Cody addresses in his video that the dividing line would be along the 36 parallel is not corroborated by some resources I have found. This old newspaper article describes the border of the new territory. I'm not an expert in the terms and sites used, but basically it seems like most of Southern California, minus the San Fernando Valley, would be included. Basically like the map shown below that I found on another site. There is also another site I found showing the evolution of county divisions in California that I think makes a good reference
Gabriel Raines was another US army officer stationed in California before the War. He is famous for joining the CSA and designing many of the explosive torpedo's used during the war. Having him stay more in the Western theatre and doing his work in explosives gives me a WILD WILD WEST feel haha
I doubt this alone will likely alter the outcome of the war, but I am honestly curious how it would generally alter the Western theatre of the ACW. With perhaps larger scale battles in the areas of Arizona and New Mexico than in OTL. I know that the support for secession in this area of California was present but small in OTL. I imagine that if the area had become a new territory then the people within it who held secessionist sympathizes may have stronger convictions than in OTL and be willing to join the CSA in greater numbers.
I will add that the detail Cody addresses in his video that the dividing line would be along the 36 parallel is not corroborated by some resources I have found. This old newspaper article describes the border of the new territory. I'm not an expert in the terms and sites used, but basically it seems like most of Southern California, minus the San Fernando Valley, would be included. Basically like the map shown below that I found on another site. There is also another site I found showing the evolution of county divisions in California that I think makes a good reference
