1873 US Migration Crisis

The **1873 US Migration Crisis** was a political and constitutional crisis in the United States, which involved a mass migration of conservative politicians to the South into the Confederate States of America. The crisis almost sparked into a second Union-Confederate War, a decade after the end of the American Civil War.

## Background to the Crisis

### The Roles Reversed

Politically and diplomatically, the Confederate States was outshining the Union; in 1871, the Confederates launched a successful invasion of the Mexican Republic and had solidified its diplomatic position with the United Kingdom, specifically between President Alexander H. H. Stuart and the British Prime Minister, William Gladstone. The Confederate government, after seeing widespread violence between the Loyalists of Alexander Stephens and the Southern Democrats loyal to the Robert E. Lee administration, had made a grand resurfacing, with President Stuart unifying his nation together and winning the presidency in 1872 near uncontested.

The situation of the United States, however, was far different. They did not intervene in the Confederate-Mexican War, despite many in President George Pendleton's government insisting that the United States should have gotten involved. Britain's decision to not intervene meant the Union had a chance to break the easily-weak Confederate borders, but has refused to. The move tarnished President Pendleton's reputation, and he was betrayed by his own Vice President in the 1872 election, with Horatio Seymour instead taking control.

### Conservatives Move South

The roles had clearly reversed; where the Confederates had made a valiant comeback, the Union had begun to falter. It was beginning to look like living in the Confederate States would be a better alternative for more conservatively-minded statesmen.

Entering into 1873, this alternative had become more attractive to conservatives. When arrangements were made between a coalition of like-minded conservatives and President Stuart, a large majority of them began to migrate south, and were granted some government positions as a result. This included some Cabinet positions under President Seymour, which severely damaged the Union's already dire political situation.

## The Crisis

### Seymour's Ultimatum

It was clear that allowing the migration to continue would only tarnish the Union further to the point of political disgrace. With Cabinet positions now becoming vacant without much pre-emptive warning, President Seymour realised this could not continue any longer, and in 1874, he proclaimed to President Stuart an ultimatum: return the statesmen, or face war.

Stuart originally called Seymour's bluff, but knew Seymour was not bluffing when reports from the Confederate garrison indicated that Union soldiers were arriving at the Confederate border. President Stuart immediately mobilised his army once again, so soon after the Confederate-Mexican War. He desperately sent a letter to Prime Minister Gladstone, asking for Britain's help in the building crisis.

### Britain Intervenes

The British were swift to calm the situation, citing the Agreement that both countries signed. Despite this, President Seymour remained adamant, and Britain began to realise that the Unionists were ready for war at a moment's notice. Britain realised that, to prevent the Union advancing, it would have to intervene militarily as well.

Gladstone sent his own ultimatum to President Seymour, demanding the Union armies stand down, or face invasion from the North. Having recently formed the Dominion of Canada, the British had their armies mobilised in preparation on the American border. The United States, however, remained confident, believing a mix of their armies and Mexico would be able to crush the Confederates, while holding the north. General William Tecumseh Sherman, however, warned against a war with Britain, and stated that the Union would not have a chance, even if Mexico was on their side.

### The Crisis Calms

The British threat had clearly hit the Union high command heavily, and they made their best effort to sway President Seymour's mind; after three months of the standoff, President Seymour conceded, and opted for negotiations. Britain once again mitigated.

The conclusions came to be that the Union could not dictate who could move to the Confederate States, but that the Union could set up better border control in order to prevent an illegal passage. With this in mind, President Seymour and President Stuart agreed. Soon after, the armies were called back, and North America let out a big sigh of relief. War had been narrowly averted.

## Aftermath

### No Major Difference

The key thing to point out is that the crisis did barely anything for Confederate-Union relations. The situation had been tense before, and remained tense now. The prospect of a second war had always loomed in the minds of the Presidents, and Britain's relationship with the Union was still a sour one.

The only major difference, one might argue, was the increase in border security between the Union and the Confederates. Even so, borders between them had been tense anyway; only now it was official the strict border situation between both.