Down in Dixie: A CSA Victory TL

[atlantis]

1872 widespread slave revolt in the CSA is put down but slavery is abolished by the states.

 

[Jabe Thomas]

1873

With campaigning season starting for the 3rd Presidential election. Alexander Stephens would put his name in for nomination of the Democrats. Without any serious challenges, Stephens was nominated on the 1st ballot. The Democrats ran on a platform of slowing the industry growth, preserving the agrarian institution of the South and restructuring trade agreements by lowering all tariffs rate to 10% to help the Deep South. The Confederate Party would nominate Breckinridge's Vice President John Reagan. Both candidates agreed on helping the Second Mexican Empire. They agreed on everything except spending and trade. On November 4, 1873. Stephens would be elected as the Confederacy's 3rd President. Stephens carried the Deep South, the state of Jefferson, and the state of Ozark. While Reagan carried the Upper South. The election showed regional differences beginning in the South. The Upper South more industrialized, while the Deep South was more agrarian.

Alexander Stephens: 79 EVs
John Reagan: 44 EVs

Alexander Stephens, 3rd Confederate States President (2/22/1874-2/22/1880)

 

[Jabe Thomas]

1874

Alexander Stephens would get to work reforming the Confederacy the way he saw fit. After negotiating for hours with several Confederate Party who refused to have the tariff rate lowered to 10%, saying it was too low. The President and the party leaders would agree to a rate of 11.5%. Stephens would continue to assist the Mexican Imperial Forces in their fight against the Mexican Republican Forces led by Benito Juárez. Though the tide would turn in favor for the Republican Forces as on March 23 Emperor Maximilian I fled from Mexico City when he heard that Republican forces were converging onto the city to capture him. The Imperial forces guarded the Emperor out of the city and he would seek asylum from the Confederacy. Which Stephens accepted. Benito Juárez would take over Mexico as President of the Restored Second Mexican Repulbic on March 26. Alexander Stephens would demand Juárez leave the seat of power and give Maximilian I the leader position back. Juráez refused. After deliberation with his Secretary of War, Stephens would declare war on the Restored Republic on March 30.

Benito Juárez, President of Mexico.

 

[Jabe Thomas]

1875

Juárez would authorize Republican raids into Texas lead by Republican General Porfirio Díaz as soon as war was declared by the Confederacy in March of 1874. Major General Sam Houston Jr and the joint Confederate-Imperial forces would push the Republican forces back out of Texas and take the battle to them. Thanks to Breckinridge's innovation of the Armed Forces of the Confederacy they will were able to push back the Republicans back at ease, within the end of 1875 the Republican forces were on life support and the joint forces were on their way to Mexico City. On the domestic front, Stephens admitted the state of Sequoyah as the 15th state.

Republican General Porfirio Díaz

 

[Jabe Thomas]

1876

January 27,1876: Joint Confederate-Imperial Forces converse onto Mexico City. The Republican Force hold a strong defense of the city. The Battle of Mexico City begins.

January 30, 1876: After a 3 day siege, the capital falls to the joint forces. Juráez attempts to escape the capital, but is caught by a Confederate Infantry private.

February 4, 1876: Peace talks between the joint forces and republican forces begin.

Confederate-Mexican War
(March 30, 1874-January 30,1876)

April 5, 1876: The Treaty of Mexico City is signed by all parties. The terms are as follows.

-The Second Mexican Empire is restored.
-Ceding of Sonora, Chihuahua, Baja California (renamed Baja Territory) and the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas (renamed Durango Territory) to the Confederacy.
-Payment of $12,000,000 to the Mexican Empire from the Confederacy for the ceded lands.

With the Confederate-Mexican War over. the country would transition to peace time. Stephens would become immensely popular with the success of the war. Stephens would then meet with Maximilian I and they would establish trade relations and he would give the Mexican Empire weapons for their self defense.

 

[Jabe Thomas]

1877

Stephens would appoint four territorial governors for the newly acquired Confederate territories of Sonora, Chihuahua, Baja, and Durango. However, raids would occur in the territories by banditos. Stephens would send volunteers and the Texas Rangers in the territories to quell the raids. While another famous outlaw Jesse James would rob trains in Texas. Thus, the Outlaw War would begin in the territories.

Jesse James

 

[Jabe Thomas]

1878

Some Mexican republic soldiers would move out of Mexico to fight with the Cuban rebels against the Spanish. But the migration of former Republic soldiers would not be enough to bring internal stability to the Maximilian I's empire. He would face riots and fights. But with weapons supplied by the Confederacy, they would keep the revolts at bay. The hawkish Secretary of War proposed to Stephens to go to war with the Spanish and aid the Cuban rebels. Stephens had told his Secretary "We will simply bid our time for provocation to sever Cuba from the Spanish Kingdom under the guise of liberation to annex it and it's upper class to the citizenry of Dixie"

Cuban and Mexican republic soldiers fighting against the Spanish.

 

[Jabe Thomas]

1879

The Little War began in Cuba, the rebels would fight the Spanish once again. The Cubans would put up a fight against the great European power. Stephens began sending arms to the rebels in May. The Spanish King Alfonso XII soon found out the Confederacy supplying the Cuban rebels. Alfonso XII demanded that Stephens withdraw his support of the rebels, not wanting to risk war with Spain, due to not having enough troops to fight the Spanish. Stephens accepted. The Little War became a hot topic of the 1879 presidential campaign season. The Confederate Party met at their convention in Richmond, Virginia in June. Jabez Curry of Georgia would be nominated and for his running mate would be former general James Longstreet. The Democrats would meet in July and nominate Robert M.T Hunter of Virginia, the former President pro tempore of the Confederate States Senate. Both candidates would take different issues on the stance of Confederate involvement in the Little War. Hunter had expressed support for the Cuban rebels, but would fall short of giving them arms. Curry said if provoked, the Confederacy should intervene the war for "liberation" of Cuba against Spain. Curry also called for an expansion of the TransConfederate railroad that Breckinridge made by connecting the lines to the recently newly acquired western territories. He would also propose a Homestead Act in which he would allow free passage of poor whites into the territories. This would have an effect of the Confederate Party's voting bloc as he assured the Confederate Party would have their votes for decades after. Hunter would call Curry's spending "fiscally irresponsible". Hunter supported gradual movement of poor whites into the territories, but didn't want it right away, due to the outgoing Outlaw War; he considered it too dangerous. On November 4. The Confederate populace would met and vote for their preferred choices. Jabez Curry would claim the presidency. By holding the traditional Confederate states of the Upper South, the state of Jefferson, the state of Sequoyah. Georgia and South Carolina broke away from the Democrats grasp, due to Longstreet's popularity and Curry's home field advantage. Alfonso XII's reaction to the election of Curry would set him off as ordered more troops into Cuba in the inevitable event of war between the two nations.

1879 Confederate States presidential election
Jabez Curry: 80 EVs
Robert Hunter: 44 EVs
63 EVs to win

Alfonso XII, King of Spain.

Jabez Curry, 4th Confederate States President (February 22, 1880- February 22, 1886)

That's 1879 everyone!, I have question for everyone reading this thread though. Who should be the US President for 1880, it needs to be a Republican. So let me know everyone! Thanks for reading my TL.

 

[Jabe Thomas]

1880
Curry would set out to complete his ambitious agenda, he would first push through the Homestead Act of 1880, in which it would allow poor whites into the new territories free of charge. Within two months of debate in Congress, it would pass. Next, he would authorize more rail lines to be built connecting Austin, Texas to the Durango Territory through the Baja Territory. He wouldn't get the approval funding for it though as it fell short in Congress. Curry then turned his attention to Foreign policy to Cuba as the Little War was going on, he would resume the policy of arming the Cuban rebels that Stephens did. Alfonso XII would notice the Confederacy arming the rebels again and would demand Curry halt his shipment of arms, Curry refused. Alfonso XII ordered any Spanish Navy ships to shot down any Confederate ship that is suspected of hoarding weapons. On July 25, 1880, a Confederate civilian ship would explode outside Cuba. Though Confederate historians would debate what actually caused the explosion, what wouldn't be debated is the Confederacy's calls for war against the Spanish Kingdom. Seizing the opportunity, Curry got the declaration of war against the Spanish on July 30, 1880. The Spanish-Confederate War had began. Confederate troops would land on Cuba and fight alongside Cuban rebels and shockingly Mexican republic troops. While skirmishes happened between the Confederate Navy and the Spanish Navy with battles being inconclusive and several ironclads being destroyed. After the summer had passed the war was going pretty good for the Confederates. Up North, the South would be unsettled by news of the election of a Repulbican. John Sherman, the brother of US General, William Tecumseh Sherman; would be elected the 19th US President, the first Republican since Abraham Lincoln.

John Sherman, the 19th US President (March 4, 1881-March 4, 1885)

That's the end of Chapter 2, I'm gonna take a two week break from this timeline, as I have other things I have to work on. Thanks for reading this TL and God Bless You All and Be safe.

 

[Jabe Thomas]

Chapter 3: Baptism by Fire (1881-1890)
I:1881
On March 4, 1881, Sherman would be inaugurated as the 19th US President. He would get to work setting about his domestic by passing the first antitrust legislation with the help of a Republican controlled Congress. He would also oversee an amendment being passed in which slavery was abolished in the Union.

A group of freedmen and women and their children celebrating their emancipation.

In the South, the war was still in their favor as Confederate troops would land in Havana but they were pushed off the island by the Spanish. Repulsing them back to naval engagements. While on a goodwill journey, a US ironclad would be blown up on the shores, Sherman was stunned by the news and he tried to ignore the calls from the Republicans to go to war. Some Republicans agreed with Sherman to work out the incident diplomatically with the Spanish, while other Republicans howled for war with Spain not only to claim its territories, but to limit the South's sphere of influence in the Atlantic. The Republicans would become divided over the issue of how to deal with Spanish. The War Republicans would ultimately win out as the Democrats sided with them mostly to get Cuba as they saw as a commodity. Both groups would pass a resolution for a declaration of war against the Spanish. Sherman would continue to ignore the calls, with an overwhelming majority however. Sherman would have no choice but to go to war with Spanish on October 23, 1881. While the Union and the Confederacy were fighting the same enemy, didn't mean the soldiers from the different nations were friendly with each other. Multiple reports from generals from the separate countries reported squabbles between Union and Confederate soldiers. Generals would enforce friendly treatment between the other countries soliders. They should their disdain for each other through dirty looks.

 

[Jabe Thomas]

II:1882
The US and the CS would have joint naval engagements against the Spanish Navy. Tye Battle of Guantanamo Bay wouls take place on April 8, 1882; With an allied American victory. Joint troops would land on the mainland alongside the Cuban rebels and overwhelm the minimal Spainsh Infantry presence. The joint army would advance to the other end of the island within 3 months. On July 29, 1882. Alfonso XII would get word of the situation in Cuba and would call for a ceasefire and would call for negotiations with both American countries.

Union troops fighting the Spanish on the island of Cuba.

Representing the Confederacy in the negotiations were General Robert E Lee Jr and the Confederate Secretary of State, Augustus Maxwell. Representing the US was General George Crook and Union Secretary of State, Benjamin Harrison. Sherman would give his terms to the his representatives and Curry to his. The US wanted Puerto Rico, The Philippines, and Cuba. The Confederacy just wanted Cuba, To help the Spanish let go of their Atlantic provinces, the US would pay 10 million to the Spanish for the ceded lands. The Confederacy would pay 5 million for Cuba. Negotiations came to an end in August and The Treaty of Havana was signed on Septmeber 15 with the following terms.

Spainsh-American War (July 30, 1880- September 15, 1882)

-Spain would cede the Philippines and Puerto Rico to the United States.
-Spain would cede Cuba to the Confederacy.
-The US would pay reparations to Spain for the ceded lands of 10 million dollars.
-The CS would pay reparations to Spain for the ceded lands of 5 million dollars.

The Confederacy and the Union would be back into peacetime, but it would be clear that the Union would enjoy more stability in peacetime than the Confederacy. As the South would deal with a domestic crisis that would wreck havoc on King Cotton.

 

[Jabe Thomas]

III: 1883: A Time of Crisis
Josh Johnson, a cotton farmer in rural Texas, would wake up one morning on May 3, 1883 and notice all of his cotton buds eaten by a bug which he had never seen before. He wasn't the only one however; with the same problem. As others began reporting the same problem all around the state of Texas. This problem would not be just statewide in Texas, but the infestation would soon make it's way into the Deep Southern states in the mid summer and the Upper South in late summer. News would reach Richmond and Curry would call on emergency session of Congress on how to ease the crisis. Many members of Congress were cotton farmers themselves and were quick to answer Curry's calls. After several days of intense debating it was ultimately decided to pass a relief package for the cotton farmers that were hit by the Boll Weevil invasion, totaling $20.8 billion relief package would be passed for to provide for payments to people whose crops were eaten and research into how to stop the Boll Weevil.

Boll Weevil feeding on a Cotton bud.

 

[Jabe Thomas]

IV:1884: Republicans Ripping, Tensions Rising

Republicans meeting in their convention to nominating their choice for President

Not all Republicans were happy with the Treaty of Havana, as Republicans like Roscoe Conkling, Levi Morton, and Chester Arthur were howling for Sherman to acquire Cuba in the negotiation process to spite the Confederacy. Sherman let the Confederacy have Cuba for two reasons. 1. He didn't want war with their Southern neighbors 2. Cuba wanted to be independent and the poor locals would not take to kindly to being in the Confederacy due to their love of slavery, it would've caused a headache for the Union to quash local rebellions, let it be the South's problem. Nevertheless, as the voices in faction of the Republican party grew louder in the months and year, spewing hatred and contempt for the Confederacy. As two factions began to show in the GOP, War Republicans led by Roscoe Conkling who wanted war with the South and reconquer them and annex them back in the Union. Peace Republicans led by the President John Sherman, who wanted to maintain peaceful relations with the South. Curry was becoming nervous at the talk of the War Republicans, but the Boll Weevil Crisis had his attention, so he put to the side. With the election of 1884 approaching, Sherman went into Republican National Convention, not sure of his nomination as his party was divided among foreign policy lines. Sherman would lose the nomination to Levi Morton, a War Republican from New York, due to Conkling's backing. They choose his vice president to be Mark Hanna, the chairman of the Republican National Committee from Ohio.

Levi Morton (top) Mark Hanna (bottom)

Following this, the Peace Republican faction would walk out and hold their own convention, they nominated John Sherman by unanimous consent and his vice president James Blaine also.

John Sherman (top), James Blaine (bottom)

The Democrats were generally in favor of peace with the South, they meet at their convention and nominate Thomas Hendricks for President and Thomas Bayard for Vice President.

Thomas Hendricks (top) Thomas Bayard (bottom)

Following the summer during the campaign season, The Confederacy would introduce fees for the Missouri River trade waterway Union to help pay for their relief package. Morton attacked Sherman for not doing anything about and that he had violated the Union's honor by paying for it and violating the Treaty of Washington ratified 17 years earlier. Sherman fired back saying that the South was in a time of need and was just doing what he said he was going and allow Peace between the two nations. On November 4, 1881. Both Sherman and Morton would await the results at each of their residents. Sherman at the White House, Morton in New York City. By midnight, Morton was awakened to be informed that he had won, while he had celebrated his victory, Curry would begin preparations for the upcoming war with the Union, ready to defend itself from its hostile Northern brethren.

 

[Jabe Thomas]

V: 1885: Blues vs Grays Part 2
When the Confederacy introduced tolls to the Union for access to the Mississippi River. President Levi Morton would use this as casus belli to go to war with the Confederates. He didn't immediately declare war on the South as he was readying his troops and volunteers. Curry would take another approach by asking each state to furnish a number of soliders for the war. The number of soldiers numbered 300,000 for the Confederacy and 500,000 for the Union. Curry would name Robert E Lee Jr, the General in Chief of the Confederate Army, while Morton would name James McPherson as the General in Chief of the Union Army. With preparations in place, Morton declared war on the Confederate States on April 28, initiating the Great American War. Morton sent McPherson the objectives for the war via telegram, take Richmond and the Mississippi River and by then they would have cut the Confederacy into two and force the Confederacy into total surrender. Curry wanted a defensive strategy keep the Union at bay long enough to break down the Union's will to fight similarly to the Confederate War of Independence. As months and the war dragged on. The Confederacy was putting a strong defense repulsing the Union at every turn at New Orleans, it was clear that the Confederacy wouldn't have enough men to sustain a war against the Union. They needed more men and fast, one Upper Southern state, Virginia took matter into their own hands, fearing invasion and a siege of Richmond, the state legislature would pass a law that would shock the whole country, abolition of slavery in their borders and immediately allowing Curry to enlist them into the war. This began a hot issue in the 1885 Confederate States presidential campaign in the midst of a war, James Longstreet, the Vice President during the time, was running against Robert Withers, a Senator from Virginia, ironically. He disagreed with the decision of the state legislature. Longstreet said that his administration would pass a law allowing for states to abolish slavery if they wished to do so, he also ran on his war record, saying that he could see the war through. On November 3, 1885. It was a landslide victory, Longstreet was elected by all the states unanimously. Becoming the first one to do so since Jefferson Davis.

 

[Jabe Thomas]

VI: 1886: Fight Dixie, Fight!
James Longstreet would be the 5th President of the Confederacy, Longstreet would later recall in his memoir. That Curry would tell him in meeting with him to be sworn in "I sincerely hope you lead us unscathed, through this turbulent affair with the North, because if we lose, I will be its last leader." By the time of the spring, the Union had broken through the defense of Dixie and the Union had taken New Orleans, yielding control of the Mississippi River to the Union. Longstreet needed to take of the Confederate Armys dwindling manpower as he turned to passing the State Abolition Act of 1886 allowing states to abolish slavery within their borders. He would meet with several Deep South politicians who were reluctant to do so, working through sleepless, drowsy nights trying to persuade them to pass the law. They agreed to pass if their was a sunset provision that allowed the law to no longer be in effect, Longstreet having a metaphorical gun to his head for the survival of the Confederate States of America. He agreed to the sunset provision being put into the law allowing the law to expire five years to the day that the law was passed, which would be July 23, 1891. Once the law was passed, multiple states began to emancipate their slaves in exchange for compensation for each slave freed. These multiple states would be in the Industrial South (Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Ozark) No attempts would be made in the Agrian South, except Louisiana; they would pass an abolition law one month later. Sequoyah would also pass an abolition law. The number of free states would be 6 and slave states would be 8. Several Upper South politicians were angry accused the Deep South of sedition for adding a sunset provision into the law as they believed they were trying to collude with the Union to reannex them back into the North. Nevertheless, this would not become public though and the relations between the two sections of the South would stay friendly. Meanwhile in the Union, Morton had to deal with calls to end the war with the Confederacy, Morton would ignore the calls because he had a majority of War Republicans and Democrats who Morton had compromised with them to get them to the War side in the House and the Senate, the calls would lessen when the Union Army was winning the war. Morton would suffer a morale drop when he was informed that the Confederacy had retaken New Orleans and control of the Mississippi River, due to a recently drafted 175,000 freedmen into the Confederate Army. Tired of losing lives due to Morton's War as the Peace Republicans called it and the Confederates winning back New Orleans. The Peace Republicans would take back the majority in the House and Senate in the midterm elections of 1886. Morton was dismayed at the results of the election as he met with prominent Peace Republicans to convince them to continue the war, but they refused to budge and it was clear what was gonna happen the war would be ended once the new Congress would be sworn in. Morton would continue his war until then out of pettines. Longstreet reported warily smiled in relief at the news of Peace Republicans retaking their Congress, his first foreign policy crisis had been resolved. Though the Blues and Grays would fight out their bad blood on the battlefield costing more lives for both sides. However in a show of solidarity one Confederate soldier would fly a truce flag into a Union camp on Christmas Day and would offer one of the Union Geneals a peace pipe, the general realizing that the war would be likely over in a month agreed to do so, soon Union and Confederate soldiers would be laughing along with each other as they would joke with one another. This would be called the Christmas Truce. When Morton would eventually call for a ceasefire realizing that the Generals would not go along with the fighting anymore and not to hurt his political career anymore, but would not call for the war to end. The American soliders would continue to have cordial discussions and have a jovial time.

Union and Confederate veterans meeting up for the Anniversary of the Christmas Truce in 1913.

 

[Jabe Thomas]

VII :1887: At Peace Again
The new Congress would be sworn in and their first business would be passing a resolution to end the Great American War or Morton's War as Confederate historians would call it. Morton seeing as the War Republicans were all but diminished and the Peace Republicans and Democrats holding a two to one advantage in both chambers of Congress agreed to the resolution. Both representatives would meet up and discuss peace terms. Since the Confederacy defending majority of their land. No territorial changes would occur, as the Confederacy didn't want to take Union land. But the Union demanded that the fees be removed for access to the Mississippi River. The Confederacy agreed to remove the fees after a year of the peace treaty's ratification. As their were still dealing with the Boll Weevil crisis. The Union accepted this and the treaty would be signed on March 6, ending the Great American War.

The Great American War
(April 28, 1885-March 6, 1887)
1 year, 11 months, 22 days
-No territorial changes.
-The Confederacy will lift the fees to the Mississippi River in one year of signing the treaty.

The Southern populace was enthusiastic and national pride was at an all time high. With this the populace demanded the Confederate National Flag be changed. The Confederate Congress didn't alter the flag's design, but amended instead. They added an emblem with a sun in the middle of the Southern Cross. The rays coming off the sun would change with the the number of states added, the stars in the Cross would be changed to twelve, representing the original 12 seceded, Confederate States. The change would be passed in July. The Union would also change its flag getting rid of 4 stripes representing the 4 Southern states in the and changing the multiple starred canton to just one star representing the Union as one nation. Both flag changes would symbolize the change in the two American countries relations. The Confederacy now being fully independent and the Union coming to terms that the South was no longer theirs.

The Union flag

The Confederate National Flag (this is the present day version)

 

[Jabe Thomas]

VIII:1888: Cracks Begin to Show
As the war raged on, one Southern slave owner in Virginia, Eli Reuben took expection to the State Abolition Act passed by the Longstreet Administration and challenged the law and took his case all the way to the Confederate Supreme Court; arguing the law violated his personal property rights, the case was put on dock until the war ended, as the justices evacuated the Supreme Court meeting, worried for the Union invading and reintegrating the South . However, one month after the war ended. The case would be heard as the whole country turned its attention to the trial to see if the State Abolition Act would be held up or struck down as unconstitutional. But their would be a problem for the plaintiff as the judges were divided amongst party lines was dead even at 5-5. 1 appointe from the Breckinridge administration, 5 from the Stephens administration and 4 from the Curry Administration. A tied decision came back for Longstreet V. Reuben, ultimately knocking it back to the Virginia Supreme Court. Unfortunately, for Eli Reuben the Virginia Supreme Court was full of industrial reformists as they would be called in the years following and came back with ruling that the law would be upheld, due to the State Rights of Virginia. Furious at the decision, Eli Reuben would move out of Virginia and live out the remaining of his life in the slave state of South Carolina, other slave owners would follow his lead and move out of the Upper South and migrate to the Deep South. As 1888 came along, the division between the two regions would show as poor whites beginning to feel desfrancishied by their rich counterparts in the Deep South as reformists began to take prominence in the region. Many of the reformists preached against the use of slavery and called for abolition nationwide. As leaders faced assault and murder for some from hardliners for speaking out against the practice. Several police forces across the Deep South would turn a blind eye to the crimes. Longstreet offered to mobilize the state National Guards to maintain order in the order in the Deep South and stop the violence against the reformists, the Deep South governors refused Longstreet's help. In the Summer of 1888, the Confederate Congress would approve of statehood for the Confederate territories in northern Mexico. The states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, and Durango would approve their state constitutions and including in their constitutions would be forbidding of slavery in their borders bringing the number of free states to 9 to 19. This would inflame the Deep South in anger as riots began over the admission of new free states. As unrest continued, Longstreet would enact the Uprising Act of 1871 giving him the authority to send in the Confederate State Army to maintain order and protect the lives of reformists from extremist hardliners. Although, the attacks against the reformists would stop, the howls and riots wouldn't and most were directed towards Longstreet. Calling for him to be hanged.