American Civil War (WITSW)

Note: This article uses the terms 'United States of America', 'United States', 'USA', 'US', 'Union', and 'North' interchangably. This article also uses the terms 'Confederate States of America', 'Confederate States', 'CSA', 'CS', 'Confederacy', and 'South' interchangably.
The American Civil War (ACW), also called the War Between the States and the War of Northern Agression, was a civil war in North America between the United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA). The war broke out in 1861 following the 1860 presidential election, 1860-1861 secession crisis, 1861 formation of the CSA, and opening shots at the 1861 Battle of Fort Sumter. Following the opening shots at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, the American Civil War turned into a bloody and prolonged conflict, eventually resulting in a Confederate victory at the decisive Siege of Washington in 1868. Following the Confederate victory, the power dynamics of North America changed drarastically as new sovereign states came to exist throughout the continent and the once mighty USA began a shadow of its former self.
One of the major issues during the American Civil War was the issue of slavery, being practiced in both parts of the USA and the majority of the CSA. In 1865, four years into the war, the USA constiutionally abolished slavery, however it continued to be practiced throughout the remaining duration of the war anyways. On the other hand, the Confederates never made any attempt to abolish or illegalize slavery during the duration of the war, although the United Abolition Party (UAP) began fighting for the abolition of the practice in the Confederacy after the war had concluded in 1868.
One of the major factors that ultimately led to the Confederate victory was the assassination of the US President Abraham Lincoln in April 1865. With this, the Presidency passed to the Southern Democrat Andrew Johnson. President Johnson sympathized with the Confederates and largely tried to withdraw from the war effort. Johnson had the Union Army withdraw from many tactical positions and loosened the blockade of the Confederate coastline. Johnson's horrible war management allowed the Confederacy to retake large swaths of their territory and eventually win the 1868 Siege of Washington, forcing the United States to surrender.
After the conclusion of the American Civil War in November 1868, the world was shaken and changed hugely by the creation of a slave state. Globally, slavery was declining and abolitionism was rising. However, the victory of a slave state over abolitionists led to the preservation of the abhorent instution long past when it would have been abolished. The lasting affects of the Confederate victory can still be seen in the modern day as the CSA remains the last state in the world to legally practice slavery.
For the United States, their defeat in the American Civil War resulted in a massive political, social, and economic upheaval. The Democratic Party effectively ceased to exist in the USA as most Democrats fled to the South following the war, although what remained in the North continued to operate. The Republican Party ended up splitting into the Radical Progressive Party (RPP) that advocated for total civil rights and the Moderate Republican Party (MRP) which was more centrist and right-leaning. On top of the fall of the Democrats and the split in the Republicans, a far-right political organization was formulated by white supremacists with the goal of terrorizing black people in the post-Civil War United States, calling themselves the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The United States also became completely bankrupt after the war, struggling to recover economically for many decades. Later American attempts at territorial expansion failed due to their economy not being able to sustain expansion.
Unlike the United States, the Confederacy's political atmosphere remained largely in favor of the Democrats. The Republican Party in the Confederacy largely turned into a shadow of what it once was, however it continued to exist. Many of the radicals in the Confederacy's Republican Party ended up splitting from the party, forming the UAP. Despite this split, the Republican Party continued to call itself the Republican Party, having a resemblance to the North's MRP. The KKK did not operate in the Confederacy as it did not see a reason to, however KKK militias and leaders often fled the US to hide in Confederate territory to avoid capture and arrest by Northern authorities.
The conclusion of the American Civil War also resembled a major change in alliances. For instance, the post-war Confederacy became close allies with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (UK) and the French Empire. The UK and France both opposed slavery, but they remained allied with the Confederates as they relied economically on the cotton produced by Southern slavery. Meanwhile, the United States was pushed towards an alliance with the North German Confederation (NGC) and later the German Empire. This realignment in international relations culminated in the American Front of World War I where the Union and Confederacy had their second standoff.
== Prelude ==
=== Slavery ===
Main article: Slavery in the United States of America (WITSW)
Since the birth of the United States in 1776, slavery had been a major problem that plagued the young republic. The South of the US was economically reliant on slavery for the production of cash crops such as tobacco and cotton. Meanwhile, many in the North viewed slavery as a problem and eventually became economically reliant on industry after the industrial revolution kicked off. This fundenmental difference over the issue of slavery led to a large amount of tension between the North and South over how to handle to the issue. Many in the South sought to preserve and even expand the institution while many in the North sought to contain and even eliminate the abhorent practice.
=== Three-fifths Compromise ===
In 1787, the United States came up with the Three-fifths Compromise in an attempt to settle the issue of slavery. Specifically, it addressed the issue of counting slaves as part of a state's population. According to the three-fifths compromise, only three-fifths of the slaves in a state were to be counted as part of the state's total population. However, this compromise did not include free black people or indentured servants as part of the state's total population.
=== Missouri Compromise ===
In 1820, the Northern free states and Southern slave states came to a compromise over the issue of slavery known as the Missouri Compromise. This compromise admitted the State of Missouri as a Southern slave state and the State of Maine as a free state and set up a line of witch no more slave states could be admitted over. The Missouri Compromise officially came into affect when President James Monroe signed it on March 6, 1820.
=== Nullification crisis ===
From 1832-1833, the nullification crisis occurred between the State of South Carolina and the United States of America. It occurred as South Carolina threatened to secede from the Union over what they viewed as unfair federal laws and tarrifs implemented by the administration of President Andrew Jackson. Ultimately, the nullification crisis was resolved and South Carolina's attempt to secede was put down.
=== Gag rule ===
From 1836-1844, the United States had the gag rule implemented. The gag rule prevented people from starting discussions, conversations, or considerations relating to the issue of slavery. It started with the 1836 Pinckney Resolutions. However, following many petitions and protests, the rule was ultimately repealed in 1844.
=== Mexican-American War ===
After the Texas Revolution led to the secession of the State of Texas from Mexico, Texas later joined the United States. This brought the United States into the 1846-1848 Mexican-American War. Following the war, Texas, California, and several other notable territories were annexed from Mexico into the United States. However, there was some debate over whether or not these new territories would be permitted to have slavery.
=== Compromise of 1850 ===
The Compromise of 1850 was passed in 1850 to settle what to do with the new territories conquered from Mexico. The compromise ultimately allowed the admission of Texas as a slave state, the admission of California as a free state (although southern California was permitted to have slavery), and the creation of the Territory of Utah and Territory of New Mexico, both of witch had the ability to vote for the legalization of slavery. On top of this, there was also the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, allowing Southerners to launch incursions into the North to chase runaway slaves.
=== Kansas-Nebraska Act ===
In 1854, another compromise over slave was made known as the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The act created the Territory of Kansas and the Territory of Nebraska, both of witch had popular soveriengty, allowing them to freely vote on whether or not the institution of slavery was to be permitted in those states. Both Kansas and Nebraska were above the Missouri Compromise line, causing the act to effectively repeal the Missori Compromise.
=== Party switch ===
In the early 1850s, there were two major political parties in the United States. There was the Democratic Party and the Whig Party. However, the Whig Party was effectively irrelevant and dissolved by the year 1854. In the year 1854, the remnants of the Whig Party - along with several other anti-slavery parties - united to form the Republican Party. The Republican Party quickly became the dominant political party in the North. While the Republicans weren't inherently abolitionist, the party did advocate the containing of slavery. Meanwhile, most Democrats at the time were Southerners that supported and, in some cases, wanted to expand the institution of slavery.
=== Bleeding Kansas ===
In 1854, following the Kansas-Nebraska Act, settlers from Missouri and many other neighboring states began moving to Kansas in droves to swing the slavery vote in their favor. Some settlers, being called the "Free-Staters", wanted to vote against slavery, hoping to make Kansas a free state. Notable Free-Staters include the radical abolitionist John Brown. On the other side were the so-called "Border Ruffians". The Border Ruffians largely came from Missouri and sought to make Kansas a slave state.
In late 1855, the conflict broke into violence known as the Wakarusa War. It started on November 21, 1855 when the Border Ruffian Franklin Coleman shot and killed the Free-Stater Charles Dow. Coleman was forced to flee after the murder, but later turned himself in to the Douglas County Sherriff Samuel J. Jones. The Wakarusa War eventually culminated in a siege of Lawrence, Kansas. This siege involved the abolitionist John Brown. The siege later ended inconclusively.
Another large period of violence during the Bleeding Kansas broke out in 1856. It started on May 21, 1856 when Border Ruffians sacked the city of Lawrence, Kansas, taking control of the town a wounding an abolitionist civilian. In respone for the raid, John Brown led the Pottawatomie massacre on May 23, killing five Border Ruffians. On June 2, 1856 John Brown led Free-Staters in the Battle of Black Jack, defeating the Border Ruffian forces and taking 23 of them as prisoners. Pro-slavery Border Ruffians later built Frankin's Fort, however lost control of it after two battles occurred at the fort. On August 16, Free-Staters under the command of Samuel Walker defeated Border Ruffians at the Battle of Fort Titus. Finally, on August 30, John Brown fought Border Ruffians in the Battle of Osawatomie, but was defeated. John Brown's defeat at Osawatomie saw five of his men killed, with twelve of his men being taken as prisoners.
The last major act of violence during the Bleeding Kansas period occurred in May, 1858. This was the Marais des Cygnes massacre where Border Ruffians under the command of Charles Hamilton captured and massacred several Free-Staters. Ultimately, Kansas was admitted to the Union as the State of Kansas in 1861. Despite the Free-Stater victory in the conflict, Border Ruffian activity continued onwards and resulted in several battles that occurred in Kansas during the 1861-1868 American Civil War.
=== Caning of Charles Sumner ===
On May 22, 1856 the pro-slavery Democrat United States Representative from South Carolina Preston Brooks attacked the abolitionist Republican Senator Charles Sumner. Brooks used his walking cane to do this. Brooks' attack on Sumner was in revenge for an anti-slavery speech that the Senator had given. The affair nearly killed Sumner, although he ultimately ended up surviving the incident.
=== Dred Scott v. Sandford ===
In 1857, the landmark Dred Scott v. Sandford United States Supreme Court case occurred. Dred Scott was an enslaved black man who had attempted to sue for his freedom due to having lived in a free state for a long period of time. The decision by the Supreme Court in the case ruled that no black person, whether or not they were born in the United States, could sue for their freedom or achieve American citizenship. Why many in the South were pleased, a lot of Northerners were angered at the ruling, seeing the ruling as a violation of the United States Constitution.
=== Lincoln-Douglas debates ===
In late 1858, a series of seven debates took place between the anti-slavery Republican Party candidate Abraham Lincoln and the pro-slavery Democratic Party Stephen Douglas. The two were competing in a race for position as a representative of Illinois United States Senate. In the aftermath of the debates, Stephen Douglas ended up winning the Senate seat. Despite losing the race, the debates helped to consolidate Lincoln's rise to power in the young Republican Party.
=== Raid on Harpers Ferry ===
From October 16 to October 18, 1859 the radical abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the Virginian town and federal armory of Harpers Ferry. The goal of the raid was to gather weapons for their abolitionist cause, free local slaves in the area, and then go about inciting a massive slave uprising throughout the South.
In preparation for the raid, John Brown had rented out a farmhouse that was located four miles away from Harpers Ferry. He managed to organize a group of 22 men, including himself. 16 of his men were white abolitionists and five were free black men. Brown had paid $100 a month to have the American soldier Hugh Forbes train his band of abolitionists. Brown also cooperated with other Northern abolitionist groups to gather weapons for the raid. On top of this, a group of men called the Secret Six helped to get money for Brown to fund the raid.
On the night of October 16, 1859, around 11 AM, John Brown left three men behind to guard his rear while he led the majority of his forces into Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Brown then sent out a party to capture Colonel Lewis Washington, free his slaves, and seize several historical relics of his. The party sent to capture Lewis Washington succeeded, taking the American Colonel captive and bringing back several of his slaves to fight for the cause. Brown began planning to capture an armory of weapons. The men also managed to cut off the telegraph line, preventing communication from the local garrison at Harpers Ferry with Maryland and Virginia. Heyward Shepherd became the first death of the raid, being accidently killed by Brown's men early into the raid. After hearing the shot that killed Shepherd, a local resident named John Starry went towards the scene of the accidental murder and proclaimed that Shepherd unfortuanately couldn't be saved. Brown deployed some of his men to guard the Potomac Bridge and Shenandoah Bridge. Some of Brown's other men were sent further into the town at midnight and stole some keys from the only watchman. John Brown had expected to get support from local black slaves that were ready to rebel, however no local slaves had been informed of the insurgency at Harpers Ferry and thus none joined.
At 1:15 AM on October 17, a train from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was supposed to pass through Baltimore, Maryland. The night watchman from Harpers Ferry, the same watchman who the insurgents had stolen keys from, approached the train and warned them of the raid. When the train came to a stop, it turned out that John Brown himself was there and had been using the watchman to get the train's attention. Brown shot two train crew members and boarded the train, introducing himself to passengers of the train. The passengers knew who he was as Brown had become famous for his abolitionist work in Bleeding Kansas. Despite this, Brown did not take control of the train. Due to this, the train was able to send a message to the Master of Transportation in Baltimore about the raid. The Master of Transportation ignored the message, calling it exaggerated. However, around 10:30 AM, the Master of Transportation recieved confirmation from Virginia that what the train had told him was true. With this, the Master of Transportation informed the railroad president John W. Garrett, who then sent word to Major General George H. Steuart, Virginia Governor Henry A. Wise, United States Secretary of War John B. Floyd, and even United States President James Buchanan himself. Around the same time, the raiders managed to take control of the Harpers Ferry armory, taking the employees hostage. Among the employees were Mr. J. H. Allstadt, Harpers Ferry Justice of the Peace Israel Russell, Clerk of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Mr. John Donahue, Mr. Terence Byrne, and several others. In response to the raid, several civilians in Harpers Ferry began arming themselves. At 11:00 AM, the Virginia Militia arrived at the scene. The United States Colonel (and later Confederate general) Robert E. Lee arrived shortly after. Lee - leading a group of Marines -, the Virginia Militia, and later the Maryland Militia all began attacking the raiders, seizing control of the bridges all around the town and trapping Brown's men. Brown and his men became pinned in a single fort that is nowadays called "John Brown's Fort".
At 6:30 AM, October 18, 1859 Lee began an assault on the John Brown's Fort. With John Brown and his forces completely pinned, they were offered the option to surrender. However, Brown refused to give up his efforts. With this, the American forces used a ladder to break down the door of the fort and the Marines stormed into it. In the bloody battle that ensued, eleven of Brown's raiders ended up being killed. Eight of the surviving raiders were captured, however five of Brown's forces managed to escape alive. Of the eight that were captured, one of them died in prison and the other seven were executed for treason. Among those executed was John Brown himself, who, right before being executed, gave one last speech:
=== 1860 United States presidential election ===
In 1860, a four-way presidential election was held in the United States. The election became four-way due to the Democratic Party splitting in three with the election as they couldn't agree on a single candidate for the 1860 election. The Democrats failed to agree on a candidate as, with most things in the country, the divide between the North and South prevented an agreement from being reached within the Democratic Party. Northern Democrats backed a more moderate presidential candidate whereas Southern Democrats backed a more pro-slavery candidate. Some Southern Democrats and Southern Republicans backed a candidate of their own from the Constitutional Union Party. However, the Republican Party became - for the most part - fully behind the young and charismatic anti-slavery politician Abraham Lincoln. When the election results came in, Abraham Lincoln one the presidential election in a landslide. He won every Northern state. It's worth noting that Lincoln's name didn't even appear on the ballot in ten Southern states, and yet Lincoln still won the election with a landslide.
=== Secession Crisis ===
With the victory of an anti-slavery Republican in the presidential election, the Southern states were furious. They feared that Lincoln was going to start targeting their slave society and maybe - just maybe - try to abolish slavery itself. The Southern states knew that, if slavery were to be abolished, their agricultural economy was doomed to collapse. They knew they had to do something - anything - to prevent the abolition of slavery from occurring. South Carolina, which had already attempted to secede back in the 1820s, had a plan.
On December 20, 1860 the State of South Carolina passed the Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union, announcing their official secession from the United States. Following in South Carolina's footsteps, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and finally Texas seceded from the Union. On February 8, 1861 the seven seceded states formed their own country; a confederation rooted in slavery called the "Confederate States of America".
== Character backgrounds ==
=== Abraham Lincoln ===
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in a small shack in Kentucky. He was born to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. He grew up in an imporverished working class family. While born in Kentucky, he spent much of his earlier life in Indiana and Illinois. In 1832, he served in the Illinois Militia. He served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from December 1, 1834 to December 4, 1842 as a member of the Whig Party, being before its dissolution in 1854. From March 4, 1847 to March 3, 1849, Abraham Lincoln served in the United States House of Representatives as a Whig. Shortly after the formation of the Republican Party in 1854, he quickly emerged as a leading figure in the movement, giving firey speeches against the institution of slavery and engaging in debates with many Democrats. He was also a very charismatic character in the Republican Party, easily winning the love and support of many people in the party early on.
== Early war (1861-1862) ==
=== Battle of Fort Sumter ===
The American Civil War opened on April 12, 1861 with the Battle of Fort Sumter. Fort Sumter was a federal fort in South Carolina that had refused to cede itself to the Confederacy. At 4:30 AM, the Confederates began their bombardment of the fort under the command of the Confederate general PT Beauregard. After hours of bombardment, the Americans defending the fort surrendered. With this, Abraham Lincoln saw that the Confederates had started the war and put out a call for 75,000 volunteers to put down the Southern insurrection. Following this call, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States.
=== Pratt Street Riots ===
Following the Battle of Fort Sumter, a group of Confederate sympathizers in Maryland called the Maryland Copperhead Democrats began protesting against the Union government. On April 19, 1861 these protests escalated into a full-scale riot as the Copperheads began attacking and killing federal officers and soldiers. In response, the Union Army opened fire on the rioters and put down their insurrection. Maryland's gamble for secession had been successfully put down.
== Continued war (1863-1864) ==
== Late war (1865-1866) ==
== Conclusion (1867-1869) ==
== Aftermath ==
Category:What if Scenarios
Category:Neo-Confederatism
Category:WITSW