War Between Brothers - The Story of the War of Southern Independence
Feb 3, 2020 2:04:09 GMT
lordroel, stevep, and 3 more like this
Post by genyodectes on Feb 3, 2020 2:04:09 GMT
In the year 1860, one issue among all others was tearing the United States apart.
The Issue of Slavery.
Ever since the Nation's founding in the year 1776, with the Declaration of Independence, the statement of "All Men are created Equal" was under scrutiny as by the turn of the century, about 17% of the Population were slaves, men in bondage who themselves or their ancestors were shipped from Africa to the Americas to work under harsh conditions for little to no pay while also suffering cruel treatment, such as lashings for being disobedient. By the 1850s, the population of slaves took up around 14% of the population, though it had increased in sheer numbers by 258.584% since 1800. By 1860, the population of slaves took up about 13% of the population, but had increased by 342.452% since 1800 and a 23.3887% increase since 1850, with the all of these slaves being located in the southern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia as well as the Nation's capital of Washington D.C. and this led to many to question the inherent contradiction of the United States as a whole. How could over 10% of the population of a supposedly free country where all men was created to be as equal as the man next to him be placed in bondage and considered property?
However, during the early years of the United States, the Founding Fathers themselves believed that Slavery had been on its way out, as the South at the time was slowly releasing their slaves to keep up a profit. However, in 1793, a device was invented by one Eli Whitney, the Cotton Gin, which allowed for the production of the South's cash crop, Cotton, to be more profitable to harvest and thus, as a result, made Slavery more profitable than it once was. Despite this, the Founding Fathers still believed the institution was on its way out, with the first major idea of its end being in January of 1807, when both Northern and Southern Congressmen voted to end the infamous triangular trade's portion of the Americas and Africa, ending the importation of New Slaves from the Old World Continent. This, however, was simply kicking the issue down the road for future generations to deal with.
What followed next was a series of compromises from the 1820s-1850s that continued to kick the issue down the road for the next administration to deal with, all the while the nation was slowly falling apart. The first of these infamous compromises in the XIXth century was the Missouri Compromise of 1820, banning slavery in the remains of the Louisiana Purchase north of the north of the 36° 30’ parallel, with Missouri being added as a slave state and Maine being split off from Massachusetts to become a Free State, keeping the number of states in perfect balance at 12 slave and 12 free. What came next was the Gag Rule, which prevented discussion on Abolitionist Petitions from 1836-1844. Following the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 as well as an agreement to divide the Oregon Territory between the United States and Britain, the country finally touched the Pacific Coast was stretched across the American Continent from sea to sea. With the War and the expansion cam the addition of two new states : Texas as a slave state and California as a Free State. This had the balance be 17 free and 15 slave, giving an unequal balance between the two sides.
In 1850, the Compromise of 1850 was passed by Congress brought in the idea of Popular Sovereignty, meaning that a territory could choose for itself about whether or not it would be free or slave along with the infamous Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 that allowed Southern officials to enter the North and return runaway slaves back to their masters. In 1854, the final compromise that passed was the Kansas-Nebraska Act split the massive Unorganized territory into two parts : The Southern Kansas Territory and the Northern Nebraska Territory, with the idea of popular sovereignty being used for these two territories. Almost immediately, abolitionists and slave owners flooded the territory, looking to make the state join their side. From 1854 to the state's admission into the Union in 1861, a time known as "Bleeding Kansas" occurred as both sides fought and massacred one another to see their own way pushed on the territory, with a major figure of this time being one John Brown, who'd become important years later.
In 1857, a decision that rattled the nation unfolded. A freed slave by the name of Dred Scott was born in the state of Virginia in 1799 before his plantation owner moved to Alabama in 1818 before giving up on farming, moving to live in St. Louis, Missouri and selling Scott to U.S. Army surgeon Dr. John Emerson. With Scott in tow, Emerson would move north to Fort Armstrong, Illinois, a free state, before moving further north to Fort Snelling in what would become Minnesota, another free state. In 1837, the Army had recalled Dr. Emerson to Jefferson Barracks Military Post south of St. Louis, forcing the doctor to leave Scott behind, leashing their services to Fort Snelling for a profit. later, Emerson would order his slaves to return south, which they did so. For the next eight years, Scott and his family would continue to serve the Emerson family before attempting to purchase his and his family's freedom in 1846. For the next eleven years, Scott would continue to pursue his freedom until his case finally reached the Supreme Court of the United States in Dred Scott v Sandford. In a landmark ruling, the Court would vote 7-2 against Scott, with Chief Justice Roger Taney writing a statement that said the following : "...We think...that [black people] are not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word "citizens" in the Constitution, and can therefore claim none of the rights and privileges which that instrument provides for and secures to citizens of the United States..." [1], making it clear that the Constitution never applied to any black person, enslaved or freed.
The President at the time, Democrat Pat Buchanan of Pennsylvania, had hoped that the case would finally quell dissent on the issue of Slavery that had been festering for decades, as how could anyone argue against the highest court in the land? Instead, however, the abolitionist cause became even stronger and even more fervent in their beliefs that Slavery as a morally bankrupt and unjust institution that needed to be abolished and many stating that the case was a case of Southern Bias due to the fact that Chief Justice Taney and several of his colleagues were slave owners, supporters of slavery, Southerners, Democrats, or (in the case of Associate Justice Robert Cooper Grier, a Northerner who was a friend of the President) pressured by the President to vote with the Majority. The two dissenters, Associate Justices Benjamin Robert Curtis and John McLean, were both northerners and Republicans, as well as against the institution of Slavery. This decision, as well as the publishing of the novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin' by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 that showed the world the true horrors of slavery, would divide the Democratic Party by sectional lines, the nation among regional lines, and would strengthen the ever growing radical and abolitionist Republican Party, founded in 1854.
The Republican Party had been formed from the ashes of the Democratic Party's old enemy, the Whigs. Mainly, from Northern Abolitionist Whigs. The Party was formed after the Kansas-Nebraska Act that enraged many in the North and had quickly gained steam, winning 33 seats in the House, the Senate Seats of Connecticut, Vermont, Wisconsin, and both of New Hampshire's seats during the 1854-1855 Congressional Elections, giving them 37 of 234 seats in the House (Making them the fourth Largest Party there) and 7 seats out of 62 seats in the Senate (3rd Largest party there; James Harlan (Iowa), Amos Nourse (Maine), and Henry Wilson (Massachusetts) became members of the party), giving them 44 out of 296 seats in Congress, making them the third largest party in the Opposition Coalition in the 34th Congress' Start. In 1856, they would run their first Presidential Campaign, selecting former California Senator John C. Fremont as their Presidential Candidate with Former New jersey Senator William Dayton serving as his running mate. The Party would preform quite well in the election, winning 114 Electoral Votes, 11 States, and 33.1% (1,342,345) of the National Popular Vote, making them the second best performing party behind the Democrats.
In the 1858 midterms, however, after the chaos of the bleeding Kansas, the disaster of Dred Scott v Sandford, the unpopular stance on the issue of slavery by the Buchanan Administration, and the rising tensions of the country, the Republicans took control, winning 26 Seats in the House (giving them 116 Seats) and 5 Seats in the Senate (giving them 25 Seats), meaning they were now the largest party in one chamber and second largest in the other following the dissolution of the Whigs (Many of whom joined the Republicans) during the 36th Congress. Combined in their seat total, they were the largest body in Congress and were staunchly opposed to the compromises that had been made for Decades.
All the tensions showed signs of bursting when, in October of 1859, a failed businessman turned abolitionist looked to start a major slave rebellion by taking the armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, arming local slaves, and moving South. However, the raid was topped cold by the Virginia Militia, led by Mexican-American War Veteran Robert E. Lee. The raid showed that tensions were fit to burst and that was finally shown in the 1860 Presidential Election.
The first convention to be held was the Democratic Convention. Held in the South Carolina Institute Hall at Charleston, South Carolina, the galleries were packed with pro-slavery spectators who wanted a firebrand as their nominee. However, the front runner was Illinois Senator and perpetrator of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Stephen A. Douglas, was a moderate on that specific issue. His narrow victory over a Republican in 1858 for re-election was due to his Freeport Doctrine, a de facto rejection of Dred Scott v Sandford, in a debate against his opponent. This stance caused many militant Southerner Fire-Eaters, including the influential Former Alabama Representative William Yancey, making many predict a split in the party with the election ultimately being won by then Republican Front-runner, New York Senator William H. Seward.
Under the influence of Yancey, the delegations of seven southern states (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, and Florida) left the convention due to them being unable to stop Douglas from imposing a pro-slavery message on the party platform, with only one delegate from Arkansas and 2 from Delaware remaining. The delegates that had left went to the Front Street Theater & Maryland Institute, declaring they would hold their own convention for the Democratic Party in the South. This meant that it looked as if the path to Douglas' nomination was now clear. Despite this, Douglas still had five other opponents : Former Treasury Secretary James Guthrie of Kentucky, Virginia Senator Robert M. T. Hunter, Oregon Senator Joseph Lane, former New York Senator Daniel S. Dickinson, and Tennessee Senator Andrew Johnson, each of them proving a challenge in their own right. After 57 Ballots, Douglas finally received the Democratic Presidential Nomination and had Former Georgia Governor Herschel V. Johnson selected as his running mate.
The next party to hold their convention was the Constitutional Union Party, made up of Moderates and ex-whigs who didn't join the Republicans. The party's platform was all encompassing and made no mention of slavery at all, making them considered as a non-serious party. The two main frontrunner were Texas Governor Sam Houston and Former Tennessee Senator John Bell, Though Bell would win the Nomination relatively quickly. His running mate was selected to be Former Massachusetts Senator Edwin Everett.
The third party to hold their convention was the Republican party. Held in The Wigwam at Chicago, Illinois, the party's platform was entirely anti-slavery (though not for the wholesale abolition of the party), the creation of a protective tariff, enactment of the Homestead Act, freedom for immigrants and the granting of citizenship to these immigrants, the repeal of the Fugitive Slave Act, the construction of a Pacific Railroad, and the preservation of the Union. With the platform settled, the convention then went on to look at the candidates, with New York Senator William H. Seward expected to win the Nomination and for the Republicans to win massively in November due to the Democratic Split. However, as balloting began, a relaization was made as many realized that Senator Seward had perhaps tied himself to the radical wing of the Republican Party a little too much. Another issue was that many in the party believed they could only win with the West and only one man was a prominent westerner : the kentucky born former Illinois representative and Douglas' opponent in 1858, Abraham Lincoln. The man had a national reputation due to his debates with Senator Douglas in which he opposed slavery while avoiding a position that could alienate moderates. Even before the start of the convention, he had the clear support from the delegations from Illinois and Indiana. Despite this, Seward's victory seemed likely and inevitable.
During the night of May 17th-18th, Lincoln's representation to win the anti-Seward delegates for their candidate and used some examples to win them over, from saying he already was the second best candidate to making a deal with Pennsylvania Senator Simon Cameron of giving him a cabinet position when Lincoln won, leading to Lincoln winning Pennsylvania's delegates. On May 18th, when voting began, Seward won the first ballot but did not receive the Nomination. The second ballot would see Lincoln win Pennsylvania and some other delegates, allowing him to tie with Seward. On the third ballot, even more delegates switched and Lincoln won the Republican Nomination, with Maine Senator Hannibal Hamlin being selected as his running mate.
The final party to hold their convention was that of the Southern Democrats in Baltimore, who walked out of the Charleston Convention. They adopted a radical pro-slavery platform, making them very appealing to the South and, after much pushing, was able to get the moderate and relatively popular John C. Breckenridge to accept their nomination, selecting Oregon Senator Joe lane as his running mate.
The general election was one of the most tense in United States History, with Lincoln not appearing on the Ballot in 10 Southern States. Those who advocated leaving the Union threw their support behind Breckenridge, who himself wanted to preserve the Union. Senator Douglas himself campaigned on the message of keeping the Union united and was widely despised by the South for that position. In the end, Lincoln would win in a landslide with 180 Electoral Votes, 18 states, and 39.8% (1,865,908) of the Popular Vote to Breckenridge's 72 Electoral Votes, 11 states, and 18.1% (848,019) of the Popular Vote, Bell's 39 Electoral Votes, 3 states, and 12.6% (590,901) of the Popular Vote, and Douglas' 12 Electoral Votes, Single State (Missouri), and 29.5% (1,380,202) of the Popular Vote.
The 1860 Election had the highest turnout in history due to the realization this would be the last election the United States would vote as one.
The Battle of Fort Sumter, The First Battle, unofficially, of the War of Southern Independence
The Issue of Slavery.
Ever since the Nation's founding in the year 1776, with the Declaration of Independence, the statement of "All Men are created Equal" was under scrutiny as by the turn of the century, about 17% of the Population were slaves, men in bondage who themselves or their ancestors were shipped from Africa to the Americas to work under harsh conditions for little to no pay while also suffering cruel treatment, such as lashings for being disobedient. By the 1850s, the population of slaves took up around 14% of the population, though it had increased in sheer numbers by 258.584% since 1800. By 1860, the population of slaves took up about 13% of the population, but had increased by 342.452% since 1800 and a 23.3887% increase since 1850, with the all of these slaves being located in the southern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia as well as the Nation's capital of Washington D.C. and this led to many to question the inherent contradiction of the United States as a whole. How could over 10% of the population of a supposedly free country where all men was created to be as equal as the man next to him be placed in bondage and considered property?
However, during the early years of the United States, the Founding Fathers themselves believed that Slavery had been on its way out, as the South at the time was slowly releasing their slaves to keep up a profit. However, in 1793, a device was invented by one Eli Whitney, the Cotton Gin, which allowed for the production of the South's cash crop, Cotton, to be more profitable to harvest and thus, as a result, made Slavery more profitable than it once was. Despite this, the Founding Fathers still believed the institution was on its way out, with the first major idea of its end being in January of 1807, when both Northern and Southern Congressmen voted to end the infamous triangular trade's portion of the Americas and Africa, ending the importation of New Slaves from the Old World Continent. This, however, was simply kicking the issue down the road for future generations to deal with.
What followed next was a series of compromises from the 1820s-1850s that continued to kick the issue down the road for the next administration to deal with, all the while the nation was slowly falling apart. The first of these infamous compromises in the XIXth century was the Missouri Compromise of 1820, banning slavery in the remains of the Louisiana Purchase north of the north of the 36° 30’ parallel, with Missouri being added as a slave state and Maine being split off from Massachusetts to become a Free State, keeping the number of states in perfect balance at 12 slave and 12 free. What came next was the Gag Rule, which prevented discussion on Abolitionist Petitions from 1836-1844. Following the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 as well as an agreement to divide the Oregon Territory between the United States and Britain, the country finally touched the Pacific Coast was stretched across the American Continent from sea to sea. With the War and the expansion cam the addition of two new states : Texas as a slave state and California as a Free State. This had the balance be 17 free and 15 slave, giving an unequal balance between the two sides.
In 1850, the Compromise of 1850 was passed by Congress brought in the idea of Popular Sovereignty, meaning that a territory could choose for itself about whether or not it would be free or slave along with the infamous Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 that allowed Southern officials to enter the North and return runaway slaves back to their masters. In 1854, the final compromise that passed was the Kansas-Nebraska Act split the massive Unorganized territory into two parts : The Southern Kansas Territory and the Northern Nebraska Territory, with the idea of popular sovereignty being used for these two territories. Almost immediately, abolitionists and slave owners flooded the territory, looking to make the state join their side. From 1854 to the state's admission into the Union in 1861, a time known as "Bleeding Kansas" occurred as both sides fought and massacred one another to see their own way pushed on the territory, with a major figure of this time being one John Brown, who'd become important years later.
In 1857, a decision that rattled the nation unfolded. A freed slave by the name of Dred Scott was born in the state of Virginia in 1799 before his plantation owner moved to Alabama in 1818 before giving up on farming, moving to live in St. Louis, Missouri and selling Scott to U.S. Army surgeon Dr. John Emerson. With Scott in tow, Emerson would move north to Fort Armstrong, Illinois, a free state, before moving further north to Fort Snelling in what would become Minnesota, another free state. In 1837, the Army had recalled Dr. Emerson to Jefferson Barracks Military Post south of St. Louis, forcing the doctor to leave Scott behind, leashing their services to Fort Snelling for a profit. later, Emerson would order his slaves to return south, which they did so. For the next eight years, Scott and his family would continue to serve the Emerson family before attempting to purchase his and his family's freedom in 1846. For the next eleven years, Scott would continue to pursue his freedom until his case finally reached the Supreme Court of the United States in Dred Scott v Sandford. In a landmark ruling, the Court would vote 7-2 against Scott, with Chief Justice Roger Taney writing a statement that said the following : "...We think...that [black people] are not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word "citizens" in the Constitution, and can therefore claim none of the rights and privileges which that instrument provides for and secures to citizens of the United States..." [1], making it clear that the Constitution never applied to any black person, enslaved or freed.
The President at the time, Democrat Pat Buchanan of Pennsylvania, had hoped that the case would finally quell dissent on the issue of Slavery that had been festering for decades, as how could anyone argue against the highest court in the land? Instead, however, the abolitionist cause became even stronger and even more fervent in their beliefs that Slavery as a morally bankrupt and unjust institution that needed to be abolished and many stating that the case was a case of Southern Bias due to the fact that Chief Justice Taney and several of his colleagues were slave owners, supporters of slavery, Southerners, Democrats, or (in the case of Associate Justice Robert Cooper Grier, a Northerner who was a friend of the President) pressured by the President to vote with the Majority. The two dissenters, Associate Justices Benjamin Robert Curtis and John McLean, were both northerners and Republicans, as well as against the institution of Slavery. This decision, as well as the publishing of the novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin' by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 that showed the world the true horrors of slavery, would divide the Democratic Party by sectional lines, the nation among regional lines, and would strengthen the ever growing radical and abolitionist Republican Party, founded in 1854.
The Republican Party had been formed from the ashes of the Democratic Party's old enemy, the Whigs. Mainly, from Northern Abolitionist Whigs. The Party was formed after the Kansas-Nebraska Act that enraged many in the North and had quickly gained steam, winning 33 seats in the House, the Senate Seats of Connecticut, Vermont, Wisconsin, and both of New Hampshire's seats during the 1854-1855 Congressional Elections, giving them 37 of 234 seats in the House (Making them the fourth Largest Party there) and 7 seats out of 62 seats in the Senate (3rd Largest party there; James Harlan (Iowa), Amos Nourse (Maine), and Henry Wilson (Massachusetts) became members of the party), giving them 44 out of 296 seats in Congress, making them the third largest party in the Opposition Coalition in the 34th Congress' Start. In 1856, they would run their first Presidential Campaign, selecting former California Senator John C. Fremont as their Presidential Candidate with Former New jersey Senator William Dayton serving as his running mate. The Party would preform quite well in the election, winning 114 Electoral Votes, 11 States, and 33.1% (1,342,345) of the National Popular Vote, making them the second best performing party behind the Democrats.
In the 1858 midterms, however, after the chaos of the bleeding Kansas, the disaster of Dred Scott v Sandford, the unpopular stance on the issue of slavery by the Buchanan Administration, and the rising tensions of the country, the Republicans took control, winning 26 Seats in the House (giving them 116 Seats) and 5 Seats in the Senate (giving them 25 Seats), meaning they were now the largest party in one chamber and second largest in the other following the dissolution of the Whigs (Many of whom joined the Republicans) during the 36th Congress. Combined in their seat total, they were the largest body in Congress and were staunchly opposed to the compromises that had been made for Decades.
All the tensions showed signs of bursting when, in October of 1859, a failed businessman turned abolitionist looked to start a major slave rebellion by taking the armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, arming local slaves, and moving South. However, the raid was topped cold by the Virginia Militia, led by Mexican-American War Veteran Robert E. Lee. The raid showed that tensions were fit to burst and that was finally shown in the 1860 Presidential Election.
The first convention to be held was the Democratic Convention. Held in the South Carolina Institute Hall at Charleston, South Carolina, the galleries were packed with pro-slavery spectators who wanted a firebrand as their nominee. However, the front runner was Illinois Senator and perpetrator of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Stephen A. Douglas, was a moderate on that specific issue. His narrow victory over a Republican in 1858 for re-election was due to his Freeport Doctrine, a de facto rejection of Dred Scott v Sandford, in a debate against his opponent. This stance caused many militant Southerner Fire-Eaters, including the influential Former Alabama Representative William Yancey, making many predict a split in the party with the election ultimately being won by then Republican Front-runner, New York Senator William H. Seward.
Under the influence of Yancey, the delegations of seven southern states (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, and Florida) left the convention due to them being unable to stop Douglas from imposing a pro-slavery message on the party platform, with only one delegate from Arkansas and 2 from Delaware remaining. The delegates that had left went to the Front Street Theater & Maryland Institute, declaring they would hold their own convention for the Democratic Party in the South. This meant that it looked as if the path to Douglas' nomination was now clear. Despite this, Douglas still had five other opponents : Former Treasury Secretary James Guthrie of Kentucky, Virginia Senator Robert M. T. Hunter, Oregon Senator Joseph Lane, former New York Senator Daniel S. Dickinson, and Tennessee Senator Andrew Johnson, each of them proving a challenge in their own right. After 57 Ballots, Douglas finally received the Democratic Presidential Nomination and had Former Georgia Governor Herschel V. Johnson selected as his running mate.
The next party to hold their convention was the Constitutional Union Party, made up of Moderates and ex-whigs who didn't join the Republicans. The party's platform was all encompassing and made no mention of slavery at all, making them considered as a non-serious party. The two main frontrunner were Texas Governor Sam Houston and Former Tennessee Senator John Bell, Though Bell would win the Nomination relatively quickly. His running mate was selected to be Former Massachusetts Senator Edwin Everett.
The third party to hold their convention was the Republican party. Held in The Wigwam at Chicago, Illinois, the party's platform was entirely anti-slavery (though not for the wholesale abolition of the party), the creation of a protective tariff, enactment of the Homestead Act, freedom for immigrants and the granting of citizenship to these immigrants, the repeal of the Fugitive Slave Act, the construction of a Pacific Railroad, and the preservation of the Union. With the platform settled, the convention then went on to look at the candidates, with New York Senator William H. Seward expected to win the Nomination and for the Republicans to win massively in November due to the Democratic Split. However, as balloting began, a relaization was made as many realized that Senator Seward had perhaps tied himself to the radical wing of the Republican Party a little too much. Another issue was that many in the party believed they could only win with the West and only one man was a prominent westerner : the kentucky born former Illinois representative and Douglas' opponent in 1858, Abraham Lincoln. The man had a national reputation due to his debates with Senator Douglas in which he opposed slavery while avoiding a position that could alienate moderates. Even before the start of the convention, he had the clear support from the delegations from Illinois and Indiana. Despite this, Seward's victory seemed likely and inevitable.
During the night of May 17th-18th, Lincoln's representation to win the anti-Seward delegates for their candidate and used some examples to win them over, from saying he already was the second best candidate to making a deal with Pennsylvania Senator Simon Cameron of giving him a cabinet position when Lincoln won, leading to Lincoln winning Pennsylvania's delegates. On May 18th, when voting began, Seward won the first ballot but did not receive the Nomination. The second ballot would see Lincoln win Pennsylvania and some other delegates, allowing him to tie with Seward. On the third ballot, even more delegates switched and Lincoln won the Republican Nomination, with Maine Senator Hannibal Hamlin being selected as his running mate.
The final party to hold their convention was that of the Southern Democrats in Baltimore, who walked out of the Charleston Convention. They adopted a radical pro-slavery platform, making them very appealing to the South and, after much pushing, was able to get the moderate and relatively popular John C. Breckenridge to accept their nomination, selecting Oregon Senator Joe lane as his running mate.
The general election was one of the most tense in United States History, with Lincoln not appearing on the Ballot in 10 Southern States. Those who advocated leaving the Union threw their support behind Breckenridge, who himself wanted to preserve the Union. Senator Douglas himself campaigned on the message of keeping the Union united and was widely despised by the South for that position. In the end, Lincoln would win in a landslide with 180 Electoral Votes, 18 states, and 39.8% (1,865,908) of the Popular Vote to Breckenridge's 72 Electoral Votes, 11 states, and 18.1% (848,019) of the Popular Vote, Bell's 39 Electoral Votes, 3 states, and 12.6% (590,901) of the Popular Vote, and Douglas' 12 Electoral Votes, Single State (Missouri), and 29.5% (1,380,202) of the Popular Vote.
The 1860 Election had the highest turnout in history due to the realization this would be the last election the United States would vote as one.
The result was almost immediate as on December 20th, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. It wouldn't be the last however. And for Vice President Breckenridge, the 1860 election wasn't the end of his political career either. Following the secession of South Carolina, he advocated for Kentucky to be neutral despite his southern sympathies and, secretly, as a back up, he was convinced to purchase a settlement in Alabama and sent most of his stuff and his family to the new home. [2] It turned out he was right to be worried as on December 27th, he was told by a concerned citizen that several unionists were considering on marching to his residence and executing him for treachery. [3] Panicked, Breckenridge quickly got onto a nearby horse and fled Kentucky for his new home in Alabama, where he would arrive the day before the state became the fourth one to secede from the Union (following Mississippi and Florida). The day after, he declared himself a citizen of Alabama and was quickly sent as a member of Alabama's delegation to a congress of the states that had seceded from the union, with Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas having joined them at this point, on February 4th, 1861. On that day, the Confederate States of America was declared and Breckenridge decided to declare himself a citizen of the new nation.
For the next three days, the new nation's provisional government would create the new constitution and founding laws in Montgomery, Alabama. On February 9th, the provisional government opted to elect two persons to the office of Provisional President of the Confederate States of America. The two leaders for the presidency was Former Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis and the Former Union Vice President himself. Davis, uncomfortable with politics, endorsed Breckenridge and thus, the former Vice President of the Union was chosen as the Provisional President of the Confederacy. [4] His Vice President was voted to be President of the provisional Congress Howell Cobb of Georgia.
Upon taking office, Provisional President Breckenridge took a very cautious stance, not wanting to seem like the aggressor in any possible war against the Union. Throughout the South, there were various positions that the Union President had refused to abandon.Thus, sieges were brought on and both sides turned their guns on one another, with the biggest and most impactful being at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. For months, Union and Confederate men held a standoff as the Union harassed shipping heading for Confederate ports. It was silent until finally, on April 14th, a soldier from inside the fort, perhaps anxious about was might happen, accidentally lit his cannon and opened fire on the Confederates. [5] Almost immediately, the Confederacy returned fire and within a day, the fort had fallen. Without even knowing it, the young Union soldier had effectively started the War of Southern Independence.
For the next three days, the new nation's provisional government would create the new constitution and founding laws in Montgomery, Alabama. On February 9th, the provisional government opted to elect two persons to the office of Provisional President of the Confederate States of America. The two leaders for the presidency was Former Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis and the Former Union Vice President himself. Davis, uncomfortable with politics, endorsed Breckenridge and thus, the former Vice President of the Union was chosen as the Provisional President of the Confederacy. [4] His Vice President was voted to be President of the provisional Congress Howell Cobb of Georgia.
Upon taking office, Provisional President Breckenridge took a very cautious stance, not wanting to seem like the aggressor in any possible war against the Union. Throughout the South, there were various positions that the Union President had refused to abandon.Thus, sieges were brought on and both sides turned their guns on one another, with the biggest and most impactful being at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. For months, Union and Confederate men held a standoff as the Union harassed shipping heading for Confederate ports. It was silent until finally, on April 14th, a soldier from inside the fort, perhaps anxious about was might happen, accidentally lit his cannon and opened fire on the Confederates. [5] Almost immediately, the Confederacy returned fire and within a day, the fort had fallen. Without even knowing it, the young Union soldier had effectively started the War of Southern Independence.
The Battle of Fort Sumter, The First Battle, unofficially, of the War of Southern Independence
Almost immediately, Provisional President Breckenridge sent a letter to Lincoln to request a formal apology, in an attempt to avoid war, only for Lincoln to refuse to apologize. Breckenridge sent him another two letters, only for Lincoln to continue to reject them. In fact, in Early May, The United States Congress began to raise troops, with Lincoln calling for 75,000 men with the order to crush the rebelling states. Because it was the Union who fired first and not the Confederacy, the states of Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, and Maryland all voted to leave the Union However, almost immediately, troops were sent to halt the secession of Kentucky and Maryland as the president believed both would be vital to the Union War Effort. Due to this occupation, resentment would build up against the Union as the other states joined the Confederacy and recognized Breckenridge as their new President, along with the exiled governments of Kentucky and Maryland. For 3 hours, Breckenridge, gave an impassioned speech condemning the Union for all that they did and Lincoln's refusal to apologize for the instigation of Conflict and almost immediately, the Confederate Congress voted in favor of war, thus leading Breckenridge to officially declare war on the United States on June 17th, 1861 and hours later, Breckenridge called for 100,000 men. The declaration took the world by storm and Europe watched as America began to fight in a war of brothers. A war that would last for several years and end with the deaths of hundreds of thousands and the independence of half the Untied States, had begun.
[1] - Dred Scott, 60 U.S. at 404–05
[2] - This is something made up that I had Breckenridge do as a Just in Case Scenario
[3] - This never happened and ITTL, there was never going to be attack on the Vice President when on his residence, but no one would want to tempt fate like that, especially when considering the lead up to the Civil War
[4] - I think it's true that Davis never really wanted the job of President but he was thrust upon it. Here, they have someone acceptable, Breckenridge, as a contender, so Davis has no real need of running.
[5] - This is too make the Union Aggressor, though so far, this is the only major change for most of 1861 asides from Breckenridge being CSA President. The votes of MO, KY, and MD happen as a result of it do to them now seeing the Union as an aggressor in a war that they declared neutrality in. Delaware is left in a weird state of limbo while KY and MD is occupied.
Really hope you guys enjoyed this. As for the explanation, this was really just the background information with the end having the important changes from OTL. This post serves as an introductory into the Timeline and by 1862, the first real changes will begin. If anyone wants to help me with this Timeline (Such as Armies, Commanders, etc, etc.) feel free to message me here and I'll send you a messge to my Discord profile. Any reviews/critiques are welcome. Thank you and ttyl!
[1] - Dred Scott, 60 U.S. at 404–05
[2] - This is something made up that I had Breckenridge do as a Just in Case Scenario
[3] - This never happened and ITTL, there was never going to be attack on the Vice President when on his residence, but no one would want to tempt fate like that, especially when considering the lead up to the Civil War
[4] - I think it's true that Davis never really wanted the job of President but he was thrust upon it. Here, they have someone acceptable, Breckenridge, as a contender, so Davis has no real need of running.
[5] - This is too make the Union Aggressor, though so far, this is the only major change for most of 1861 asides from Breckenridge being CSA President. The votes of MO, KY, and MD happen as a result of it do to them now seeing the Union as an aggressor in a war that they declared neutrality in. Delaware is left in a weird state of limbo while KY and MD is occupied.
Really hope you guys enjoyed this. As for the explanation, this was really just the background information with the end having the important changes from OTL. This post serves as an introductory into the Timeline and by 1862, the first real changes will begin. If anyone wants to help me with this Timeline (Such as Armies, Commanders, etc, etc.) feel free to message me here and I'll send you a messge to my Discord profile. Any reviews/critiques are welcome. Thank you and ttyl!
