Timeline 31

[lordroel]

Jun 11, 2019 18:23:17 GMT mobiyuz said:

Part 3: Statehood (1853-1860)

Allow us a moment to backtrack and briefly discuss the United States of America before the year 1853. Formed from a union of 13 British colonies in the American War of Independence, the country would be continuously plagued by several existential questions of government and society. The first of these problems was the nature of their government: should the national government have supremacy over the states, or should the states have supremacy over the national government? This was later joined by another question that started as an outgrowth of the first but later took on a life of its own: the debate over whether or not slavery should be legal within the country. Initially confined to the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, its western expansion only further inflamed these tensions and debates within its government. The only means that kept it together by the time that California was admitted as a state was various compromises and partial solutions that effectively kicked the problem down the road for the next generation.

A map inset from an 8th grade history textbook showing the westward expansion of the United States up to its final expansion in 1853. 

This was the nation that California now formed a part of. Facing a lack of attention from Washington D.C., California instead focused largely on its own affairs, which were already alienated from the federal government. As per the Compromise of 1853 that had allowed California to join the Union as a free state, it had unofficially agreed to, between its two senators, send one anti-slavery senator and one pro-slavery senator, which was problematic owing to a lack of pro-slavery politicians in California, again engendering feelings of resentment toward the federal government that they were being made to tailor their representatives in order to appease the slave-owning states out east. This is not, however, to imply that California was automatically a land of equality and opposition to racial bigotry. Almost immediately after statehood, the Californian government began to pass laws restricting things such as interethnic marriage and enacting discriminatory housing policies, creating ethnic enclaves in California's largest cities that were given names such as Chinatown in the case of Chinese immigrants or barrios in the case of Hispanic-Californians.

A photograph of the developing San Francisco Chinatown, showing the crowded,
squalid district in its early days long before its modern, celebrated incarnation.

In 1856, the latest Presidential election would prove to be symbolic of the nation's divided nature. The pro-slavery and pro-state's rights Democratic Party was facing off against the new anti-slavery and pro-federal power Republican Party, pitting James Buchanan (D) against John C. Frémont (R), with the added complication of former president Millard Fillmore running as a third party candidate with the nativist, anti-immigration American Party (more commonly called the "Know-Nothing Party"). The results of the election were a nightmare: in a situation where a candidate needed 149 votes in the (now defunct) Electoral College to win the presidency, Fillmore gained the 8 electoral votes from Maryland and left Buchanan with 143 votes and Frémont with 145. As such, it fell to Congress to select the President, where the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress and so put Buchanan in office. Vast parts of the country were left feeling cheated, and California was especially hurt as Frémont had previously been a Senator representing them. The entire country was left feeling unhappy with the result, spiraling further toward catastrophe.

A map showing the electoral results in the Election of 1856, and the way that the Electoral College resulted in no outright winner.

Inheriting a divided nation, Buchanan would proceed to continue the process of dividing the country by allying himself with the south in a desperate bid to keep the pro-slave powers on his side, wrongly assuming that it was the only thing dividing the nation. In truth, the nation as a whole had a new dividing feature: regionalism. New England felt alienated from the South, California felt alienated from the prairie territories, and the Mid-Atlantic states felt alienated from the west. Loyalties were starting to crystallize around regions, almost taking on a nationalistic fervor in scope. And in California, this was accomplished quite easily with its isolation from the rest of the country. Multiple plans were made to build a railroad to California, even to the point of annexing a small territory south of the Gila River to build a southern railroad line, but none were realized, furthering the state's isolation and continuing to drive a wedge between it and the east.

The caning of Senator Charles Sumner, emblematic of the breakdown of reasoned political debate in the days before the war.

As the administration of Buchanan dragged on, it was not immediately obvious that California would be the last state admitted to the union, as there were several efforts to admit new territories as states. The first of these was Minnesota Territory, which petitioned for admission as a free state in 1858, and was immediately blocked by the pro-slavery states that saw the admission of yet another free state as an existential threat to their institution. Concurrent was "Bleeding Kansas", a sort of civil war in miniature over whether Kansas would be admitted as a free state or a slave state, to the point that two separate state governments were formed in Topeka and Lecompton, the former being anti-slave and the latter being pro-slave. Other territories sought admission as well, such as Nevada, Nebraska, and Oregon, but all three sought admission as free states, and were again blocked by the pro-slave lobby. The log jam in Washington was building to a fever pitch.

A depiction of the "Marais des Cygnes Massacre", where 5 Free-Staters were killed and 5 more were wounded.

There was a lot riding on the Presidential Election of 1860. In the election, the Republicans chose Abraham Lincoln to run as their candidate, while the fracturing Democratic Party ran two different candidates: the northern-aligned Democrats put Stephen A. Douglas on the ballot while southern-aligned Democrats put John C. Breckinridge on their ballot, and complicating things further John Bell ran as a candidate for the Constitutional Union Party, splitting the vote 4 ways and resulting in a situation where Abraham Lincoln managed to win the Electoral College but won only 40% of the popular vote. For a brief moment, it seemed that things might be okay. And then everything went to hell shortly afterward.

The results of the 1860 US Presidential Election, where the vote was split 4 ways and effectively served as the final nail in the coffin.

The end of the United States has come i fear.

[stevep]

   mobiyuz

   Sounds distinctly like the end is coming, although given that the situation is close enough to OTL with Lincoln winning a majority on a split vote and a lot more resentment about Buchanan blocking the establishment of new free states I would have thought that you would probably end up with a civil war but with the north being even more determined to win. Unless their so fed up of the mess that their willing to let the slave states go but that wouldn't lead to the collapse of the US or California becoming independent so presumably something else is likely to come up.

   Strictly speaking the problem with slavery, for the US as a whole was less its expansion westwards than its steady disappearance from the north. Virtually all the original states had slaves initially and I once read that at the time the US was founded the state with the most slaves was actually New York! But of course while the expansion of plantation cultivation made it economically more important in the south it was disappearing in the north. Anyway besides the point for the purpose of the story but I can be a bit pedantic at times.   Definitely enjoying the TL however.

  Steve

[mobiyuz]

20 January 1860
San Francisco, California
Content warning: Ideologically sensitive language and descriptions of gore

Thomas Starr King had stepped up on a soapbox again, this time directly in front of the Ferry Building and with a crowd of people shouting angrily at him before he'd even started speaking. "Californians! The Union is threatened by the forces of the slave powers of the East, who in their treachery seek to dissolve the bonds that tie our United States together and render our nation no more! In their wickedness, they have strayed from the righteous path of God's light and seek to continue on this immoral path, the path of maintaining their so-called 'Peculiar Institution', their wealth derived from the abuse and rending of human flesh!"

A man called out from the crowd. "Why should we care about what happens to some niggers out east?! All they do is give Washington a reason to ignore us!" A woman in another part of the crowd shouted assent. "If they want to fix the Union, they should ship all the negroes back to Africa, and be done with it!"

"Californians, the colored man is your ally! He only seeks the same freedom and equality that you yourselves enjoy!"

More cries of dissent. "Allies? We ain't equal out here! We're just a chip for the east to use in their games! Hell, maybe it's time we strike out on our own too!"

King felt despair as he heard the crowd's cries of agreement, and rallied himself once again. "You know not what you say! Only together can we fight this menace that plagues our nation, the chaos and discord! For as it is said in Mark 3:25, 'And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand!' If we allow ourselves to sow division and strife, we will reap it 100 times over, and 100 times again!"

"What good does quoting scripture do? Those slaveholders do the same out east to keep owning those darkies, you can use the same to keep us in bondage to a country that doesn't care about us, that never cared for us!"

"Please, I beg of you, listen to your reason! You stray from the righteous path, the path that Christ himself laid to salvation from sin!" His confidence was returning, and he was hitting his climax. "We will hurl back invasion! We will reclaim our geography! We will honor our fathers! We will unfurl in fresh battles the old flag that sheds from its flutter the electricity of a noble past! Liberty and Union, one and inseparable!"

Everything afterward seemed to move in slow motion. Someone shouted. "Enough of you Unionists!" Then a sound of thunder, as if God himself had spoken. Rather, it was the sound of gunpowder. And the next feeling was that of a searing pain in his chest, a warm, wet feeling flowing forth from it as he fell backwards onto the pavement, nearly leaving him unconscious as his head smashed against the pavement. The crowd screamed and dispersed, some running up to King as others grabbed the man who had fired the gun. King could feel the same warm feeling in his throat, and coughed up a spray of red. Someone near him was trying to stem the bleeding, but his expression told him everything.

With fading strength, King pushed his hand away. "Leave it...I am finished." He coughed again, feeling a dull, cold feeling moving through his body. "Leave me to Christ." The man said something that echoed hollowly in his ears. It didn't matter what he was saying. Nothing mattered anymore. And nothing would matter ever again.

[stevep]

Jun 12, 2019 1:12:44 GMT mobiyuz said:

20 January 1860
San Francisco, California
Content warning: Ideologically sensitive language and descriptions of gore

Thomas Starr King had stepped up on a soapbox again, this time directly in front of the Ferry Building and with a crowd of people shouting angrily at him before he'd even started speaking. "Californians! The Union is threatened by the forces of the slave powers of the East, who in their treachery seek to dissolve the bonds that tie our United States together and render our nation no more! In their wickedness, they have strayed from the righteous path of God's light and seek to continue on this immoral path, the path of maintaining their so-called 'Peculiar Institution', their wealth derived from the abuse and rending of human flesh!"

A man called out from the crowd. "Why should we care about what happens to some niggers out east?! All they do is give Washington a reason to ignore us!" A woman in another part of the crowd shouted assent. "If they want to fix the Union, they should ship all the negroes back to Africa, and be done with it!"

"Californians, the colored man is your ally! He only seeks the same freedom and equality that you yourselves enjoy!"

More cries of dissent. "Allies? We ain't equal out here! We're just a chip for the east to use in their games! Hell, maybe it's time we strike out on our own too!"

King felt despair as he heard the crowd's cries of agreement, and rallied himself once again. "You know not what you say! Only together can we fight this menace that plagues our nation, the chaos and discord! For as it is said in Mark 3:25, 'And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand!' If we allow ourselves to sow division and strife, we will reap it 100 times over, and 100 times again!"

"What good does quoting scripture do? Those slaveholders do the same out east to keep owning those darkies, you can use the same to keep us in bondage to a country that doesn't care about us, that never cared for us!"

"Please, I beg of you, listen to your reason! You stray from the righteous path, the path that Christ himself laid to salvation from sin!" His confidence was returning, and he was hitting his climax. "We will hurl back invasion! We will reclaim our geography! We will honor our fathers! We will unfurl in fresh battles the old flag that sheds from its flutter the electricity of a noble past! Liberty and Union, one and inseparable!"

Everything afterward seemed to move in slow motion. Someone shouted. "Enough of you Unionists!" Then a sound of thunder, as if God himself had spoken. Rather, it was the sound of gunpowder. And the next feeling was that of a searing pain in his chest, a warm, wet feeling flowing forth from it as he fell backwards onto the pavement, nearly leaving him unconscious as his head smashed against the pavement. The crowd screamed and dispersed, some running up to King as others grabbed the man who had fired the gun. King could feel the same warm feeling in his throat, and coughed up a spray of red. Someone near him was trying to stem the bleeding, but his expression told him everything.

With fading strength, King pushed his hand away. "Leave it...I am finished." He coughed again, feeling a dull, cold feeling moving through his body. "Leave me to Christ." The man said something that echoed hollowly in his ears. It didn't matter what he was saying. Nothing mattered anymore. And nothing would matter ever again.

  Interesting.  Was there such attitudes in California OTL?  I know there were clashes over whether slavery would be allow in the state and the bulk of the population want it to be a free state, although once the civil war started there was some support for the south but that was suppressed.  However not aware of any particular feeling of going it alone. 

[mobiyuz]

Jun 12, 2019 14:36:20 GMT stevep said:

Jun 12, 2019 1:12:44 GMT mobiyuz said:

20 January 1860
San Francisco, California
Content warning: Ideologically sensitive language and descriptions of gore

Thomas Starr King had stepped up on a soapbox again, this time directly in front of the Ferry Building and with a crowd of people shouting angrily at him before he'd even started speaking. "Californians! The Union is threatened by the forces of the slave powers of the East, who in their treachery seek to dissolve the bonds that tie our United States together and render our nation no more! In their wickedness, they have strayed from the righteous path of God's light and seek to continue on this immoral path, the path of maintaining their so-called 'Peculiar Institution', their wealth derived from the abuse and rending of human flesh!"

A man called out from the crowd. "Why should we care about what happens to some niggers out east?! All they do is give Washington a reason to ignore us!" A woman in another part of the crowd shouted assent. "If they want to fix the Union, they should ship all the negroes back to Africa, and be done with it!"

"Californians, the colored man is your ally! He only seeks the same freedom and equality that you yourselves enjoy!"

More cries of dissent. "Allies? We ain't equal out here! We're just a chip for the east to use in their games! Hell, maybe it's time we strike out on our own too!"

King felt despair as he heard the crowd's cries of agreement, and rallied himself once again. "You know not what you say! Only together can we fight this menace that plagues our nation, the chaos and discord! For as it is said in Mark 3:25, 'And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand!' If we allow ourselves to sow division and strife, we will reap it 100 times over, and 100 times again!"

"What good does quoting scripture do? Those slaveholders do the same out east to keep owning those darkies, you can use the same to keep us in bondage to a country that doesn't care about us, that never cared for us!"

"Please, I beg of you, listen to your reason! You stray from the righteous path, the path that Christ himself laid to salvation from sin!" His confidence was returning, and he was hitting his climax. "We will hurl back invasion! We will reclaim our geography! We will honor our fathers! We will unfurl in fresh battles the old flag that sheds from its flutter the electricity of a noble past! Liberty and Union, one and inseparable!"

Everything afterward seemed to move in slow motion. Someone shouted. "Enough of you Unionists!" Then a sound of thunder, as if God himself had spoken. Rather, it was the sound of gunpowder. And the next feeling was that of a searing pain in his chest, a warm, wet feeling flowing forth from it as he fell backwards onto the pavement, nearly leaving him unconscious as his head smashed against the pavement. The crowd screamed and dispersed, some running up to King as others grabbed the man who had fired the gun. King could feel the same warm feeling in his throat, and coughed up a spray of red. Someone near him was trying to stem the bleeding, but his expression told him everything.

With fading strength, King pushed his hand away. "Leave it...I am finished." He coughed again, feeling a dull, cold feeling moving through his body. "Leave me to Christ." The man said something that echoed hollowly in his ears. It didn't matter what he was saying. Nothing mattered anymore. And nothing would matter ever again.

  Interesting.  Was there such attitudes in California OTL?  I know there were clashes over whether slavery would be allow in the state and the bulk of the population want it to be a free state, although once the civil war started there was some support for the south but that was suppressed.  However not aware of any particular feeling of going it alone. 

The guy who gets killed here was a real person who was a fierce orator in California speaking in favor of the Union, and was credited by Abraham Lincoln as being the man who kept California from seceding. He had a statue in the National Statuary Hall before it got replaced by a statue of Reagan.

[stevep]

Jun 13, 2019 9:37:25 GMT mobiyuz said:

Jun 12, 2019 14:36:20 GMT stevep said:

  Interesting.  Was there such attitudes in California OTL?  I know there were clashes over whether slavery would be allow in the state and the bulk of the population want it to be a free state, although once the civil war started there was some support for the south but that was suppressed.  However not aware of any particular feeling of going it alone. 

The guy who gets killed here was a real person who was a fierce orator in California speaking in favor of the Union, and was credited by Abraham Lincoln as being the man who kept California from seceding. He had a statue in the National Statuary Hall before it got replaced by a statue of Reagan.

  Interesting thanks.   I knew a lot of the Anglo settlers weren't originally from the union area and that most came initially for the gold so there wasn't a particularly strong reason for identifying with Washington and the then distant east but sounds like there could have been some distinct desires for separation.

[mobiyuz]

Part 4: The War of Dissolution (1860-1866)

A map of the states of the United States of America, showing the layout of slave states (red), free states (dark blue), and territories (light blue), at the start of 1860. 

The first state to secede was South Carolina. Then Mississippi. Then Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. Within months, all of these states came together and approved the formation of the new "Confederate States of America", barring Texas, which voted to resume its former status as an independent republic. The first two nations had formed, and soon the war began when the Confederate States opened fire on the US garrison at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. The War of Dissolution had begun. Out west, meanwhile, California had been split firmly down the middle when it came to loyalties. Both the Democrats and the Republicans were split over whether to secede or not, at a time when Governor John G. Downey supported the Union. It would ultimately, however, be all for naught. On the 11th of October 1861, the pro-Unionist forces were physically forced out of the State Legislature. On 12 October, the Legislature voted to remove Governor Downey from office. And on the 14th of October 1861, the legislature voted for secession. At long last, the California Republic was formed.

The masthead of a public flyer announcing the secession.

In the first chaotic three months of political idealism, the state legislature, now evolved to the Congress of the California Republic, attempted to function without an executive branch of the government and with no political parties. Naturally, this chaos could not last very long, and into this fray stepped a freshman Senator who had only been elected into California's government as a Republican in 1860. Regardless of this, Stanford had already proven his mettle as a shrewd businessman, making his initial fortune selling supplies to those who came during the Gold Rush and having invested that into the development of infrastructure projects throughout the state, despite unknowingly being in the developing stages of locomotor ataxia. Putting his shrewd negotiation and determination to work, he managed to corral a majority of the pro-business and pro-centralized government forces in the Legislature to approve a presidential election, followed shortly by his securing a majority of the (albeit tiny) first vote and being sworn in as the first President of the California Republic on 3 January 1862.

The first official portrait of Amasa Leland Stanford I, the first President of California, painted after his term in 1880

Unlike out east, where the United States, Confederate States, and Texas had broken out in a three-way slugging match, Stanford was aware of the fact that California stood to avoid any real conflict with its neighbors, even as to the north, Washington and Oregon territories seceded to form the Republic of Cascadia. Shortly after this, though, the Governor of Nevada Territory appealed for annexation by California, which Stanford happily accepted even as he began to push forward with drafting an official constitution. And not long after this, after ousting Governor Alfred Cumming, the Utah Territory also petitioned to be annexed by California, perhaps hoping that showing eagerness to join would give them some leniency for allowing polygamy. While Stanford and the government disapproved of polygamy, there were bigger concerns at hand, and so it went ignored. The first big problem, however, came when the governor of New Mexico Territory appealed for annexation, fearing the advance of Texas into his territory as part of their effort to reclaim the western and northern territories they'd lost. Stanford accepted, but then agreed to an accord with the Republic of Texas to set the Colorado River as their mutual border, then partitioned the Colorado Territory and part of the Absaroka Territory between them, thus securing peace between them.

A map showing the eastward expansion of California and the final results of the California-Texas Border Accords of 1862

By 1863, the new Constitution of the California Republic had been approved and ratified. As opposed to the way that the Confederate States of America had set up a government firmly in favor of state power, California's government was arranged on the basic principle that the federal government of California was superior to the states, ironically also outlawing secession. Other concerns were also addressed: Senators were to be elected by the people of the state, rather than appointment by state governors. The Electoral College was abolished in California, and the president was limited to a single, non-renewable term of six years, and slavery was outlawed by constitutional fiat. It was also in 1863 that a new flag was approved that set the standard for all future flags, and one of the most important events in Californian history took place. At this time, Mexico was being invaded by France as part of an imperialist project on the part of Emperor Napoleon III. In a move guided by pure pragmatism rather than a similar goal, Stanford agreed to return the territory of the Gadsden Purchase to Mexico in exchange for 3 million dollars, and in exchange France officially extended diplomatic recognition to California (though it wasn't the first nation to do so, the Kingdom of Hawaii recognized California in February 1862). It should be noted that at this time, California had not fought a single major battle with forces loyal to the United States.

From top to bottom: Article 1 of the Californian Constitution, setting out the basic rights of all citizens,
The new flag of the California Republic
A French ambassador speaks to the Californian Congress

From 1863 onward, California was one of the most peaceful parts of the fracturing United States, which was still desperately attempting to keep fighting even after the territories and states of the Great Plains, with Texan influence, seceded and formed the Plains Federation. For the average everyday person, life was more or less much like peacetime. Being so far removed from the fighting or chance of major conflict, the only real "battles" California fought was when Loyalist militias occasionally led raids. After France recognized California, a cascade of other nations did as well, including the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Prussia, Austria, and so on. Trade also began to increase, as the port city of San Francisco continued its dominance as the single largest port city on the Pacific. Immigrants also continued sailing to California, which led the government to lease Alcatraz Island, formerly an island fort in San Francisco Bay, to begin the operation of an immigration processing center.

An etching of the growing city of San Francisco, which would be the hegemonic city of California for decades, ca. 1865

Not much else remains to be said about the rest of the war in relation to California, and as such we will move to the end. In 1866, the United States could take no more. Congress voted to end the war immediately, forcing President Lincoln to concede the loss of the 5 existing secessionist nations, which in and of itself caused such unhappiness and disgust in the New England states that they voted to secede from the Union and form the Republic of New England, bringing the total number to 6. As such, on 29 September 1866, California was formally recognized as independent, though it could be considered to have been independent for a long time before this. Two days later, a military coup led by General McClellan deposed President Lincoln, sending him to exile in Canada and abolishing the United States to form the new "Federation of Freedonia". Slightly more than 90 years after the nation was formed, the United States of America were no more.

A map showing the final borders of the former United States in 1866, shortly before the union of Cascadia and Montana into a single nation.
An enlarged version may be found here, credit for creating the map goes to dsfisher on DeviantArt.

[lordroel]

Jun 14, 2019 5:41:50 GMT mobiyuz said:

Part 4: The War of Dissolution (1860-1866)

A map of the states of the United States of America, showing the layout of slave states (red), free states (dark blue), and territories (light blue), at the start of 1860. 

The first state to secede was South Carolina. Then Mississippi. Then Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. Within months, all of these states came together and approved the formation of the new "Confederate States of America", barring Texas, which voted to resume its former status as an independent republic. The first two nations had formed, and soon the war began when the Confederate States opened fire on the US garrison at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. The War of Dissolution had begun. Out west, meanwhile, California had been split firmly down the middle when it came to loyalties. Both the Democrats and the Republicans were split over whether to secede or not, at a time when Governor John G. Downey supported the Union. It would ultimately, however, be all for naught. On the 11th of October 1861, the pro-Unionist forces were physically forced out of the State Legislature. On 12 October, the Legislature voted to remove Governor Downey from office. And on the 14th of October 1861, the legislature voted for secession. At long last, the California Republic was formed.

The masthead of a public flyer announcing the secession.

In the first chaotic three months of political idealism, the state legislature, now evolved to the Congress of the California Republic, attempted to function without an executive branch of the government and with no political parties. Naturally, this chaos could not last very long, and into this fray stepped a freshman Senator who had only been elected into California's government as a Republican in 1860. Regardless of this, Stanford had already proven his mettle as a shrewd businessman, making his initial fortune selling supplies to those who came during the Gold Rush and having invested that into the development of infrastructure projects throughout the state, despite unknowingly being in the developing stages of locomotor ataxia. Putting his shrewd negotiation and determination to work, he managed to corral a majority of the pro-business and pro-centralized government forces in the Legislature to approve a presidential election, followed shortly by his securing a majority of the (albeit tiny) first vote and being sworn in as the first President of the California Republic on 3 January 1862.

The first official portrait of Amasa Leland Stanford I, the first President of California, painted after his term in 1880

Unlike out east, where the United States, Confederate States, and Texas had broken out in a three-way slugging match, Stanford was aware of the fact that California stood to avoid any real conflict with its neighbors, even as to the north, Washington and Oregon territories seceded to form the Republic of Cascadia. Shortly after this, though, the Governor of Nevada Territory appealed for annexation by California, which Stanford happily accepted even as he began to push forward with drafting an official constitution. And not long after this, after ousting Governor Alfred Cumming, the Utah Territory also petitioned to be annexed by California, perhaps hoping that showing eagerness to join would give them some leniency for allowing polygamy. While Stanford and the government disapproved of polygamy, there were bigger concerns at hand, and so it went ignored. The first big problem, however, came when the governor of New Mexico Territory appealed for annexation, fearing the advance of Texas into his territory as part of their effort to reclaim the western and northern territories they'd lost. Stanford accepted, but then agreed to an accord with the Republic of Texas to set the Colorado River as their mutual border, then partitioned the Colorado Territory and part of the Absaroka Territory between them, thus securing peace between them.

A map showing the eastward expansion of California and the final results of the California-Texas Border Accords of 1862

By 1863, the new Constitution of the California Republic had been approved and ratified. As opposed to the way that the Confederate States of America had set up a government firmly in favor of state power, California's government was arranged on the basic principle that the federal government of California was superior to the states, ironically also outlawing secession. Other concerns were also addressed: Senators were to be elected by the people of the state, rather than appointment by state governors. The Electoral College was abolished in California, and the president was limited to a single, non-renewable term of six years, and slavery was outlawed by constitutional fiat. It was also in 1863 that a new flag was approved that set the standard for all future flags, and one of the most important events in Californian history took place. At this time, Mexico was being invaded by France as part of an imperialist project on the part of Emperor Napoleon III. In a move guided by pure pragmatism rather than a similar goal, Stanford agreed to return the territory of the Gadsden Purchase to Mexico in exchange for 3 million dollars, and in exchange France officially extended diplomatic recognition to California (though it wasn't the first nation to do so, the Kingdom of Hawaii recognized California in February 1862). It should be noted that at this time, California had not fought a single major battle with forces loyal to the United States.

From top to bottom: Article 1 of the Californian Constitution, setting out the basic rights of all citizens,
The new flag of the California Republic
A French ambassador speaks to the Californian Congress

From 1863 onward, California was one of the most peaceful parts of the fracturing United States, which was still desperately attempting to keep fighting even after the territories and states of the Great Plains, with Texan influence, seceded and formed the Plains Federation. For the average everyday person, life was more or less much like peacetime. Being so far removed from the fighting or chance of major conflict, the only real "battles" California fought was when Loyalist militias occasionally led raids. After France recognized California, a cascade of other nations did as well, including the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Prussia, Austria, and so on. Trade also began to increase, as the port city of San Francisco continued its dominance as the single largest port city on the Pacific. Immigrants also continued sailing to California, which led the government to lease Alcatraz Island, formerly an island fort in San Francisco Bay, to begin the operation of an immigration processing center.

An etching of the growing city of San Francisco, which would be the hegemonic city of California for decades, ca. 1865

Not much else remains to be said about the rest of the war in relation to California, and as such we will move to the end. In 1866, the United States could take no more. Congress voted to end the war immediately, forcing President Lincoln to concede the loss of the 5 existing secessionist nations, which in and of itself caused such unhappiness and disgust in the New England states that they voted to secede from the Union and form the Republic of New England, bringing the total number to 6. As such, on 29 September 1866, California was formally recognized as independent, though it could be considered to have been independent for a long time before this. Two days later, a military coup led by General McClellan deposed President Lincoln, sending him to exile in Canada and abolishing the United States to form the new "Federation of Freedonia". Slightly more than 90 years after the nation was formed, the United States of America were no more.

A map showing the final borders of the former United States in 1866, shortly before the union of Cascadia and Montana into a single nation.
An enlarged version may be found here, credit for creating the map goes to dsfisher on DeviantArt.

Great update mobiyuz , the Californian Republic has grown a lot, i hoop she can hold it and that peace with Texas remains.

[stevep]

   mobiyzu

   Ouch that was nasty. I notice that Texas has expanded eastwards as well as to the west and north taking Louisiana and parts of Arkansas. Also that the CSA has secured Kentucky but still lost W Virginia.

   I'm a bit dubious about some of the break-aways as several such as Montana and the Plains Federation are pretty thinly populated, at least in terms of white settlers. Still plenty of native Indians about and there's likely to be some bloody wars leading to virtually extermination of one or the other group unless, recognising their weakness the break-away republics are willing to come to some agreement with the locals.  Similarly both California and Texas will have a lot of territory they will have very little control over for quite a while. 

  The New England break-away sounds odd as does McClellan's military coup.  It does sound like the Freedonia state is probably going to be a source of a lot of instability as both a military dictatorship and also being seen as a threat to all its former US neighbours.  Likely to struggle economically and unlikely to attract much foreign settlement and probably not investment either.  The CSA and Texas probably have a good economic base for the moment, depending on how much devastation their undergone but slavery will blight both their foreign relations and their development, especially since both are a lot weaker than the US so are going to come under pressure from Britain which will make importing further slaves very, very difficult.

  California is is a good position here as while still very thinly populated and going to have problems in its eastern territories [both Indians and Mormons I suspect] its neighbours are the thinly populated Cascadia and Texas, who's borderlands here are very thinly populated and will probably be looking largely eastwards in terms of threats.  With stability and decent government it could [and I think will] become a significant power although without a trans-continental railway its going to have problems getting new settlers as its bloody difficult to get to from eastern the east coast settlements or Europe.

  I take it that the Mexican empire is successfully established?  Wonder how stable it will be and whether it will survive when Napoleon III's support is removed?  Either by the OTL defeat by Prussia or other problems.

  The big winner here in N America could actually be Canada as it will lack an overwhelmingly powerful neighbour to the south that drains away a lot of its own people and settlers.  It is likely to be the 1st to produce a continent spanning railway which could further boost its development and then the two west coast US successor states.  Although the unstable Freedonia could be a source of concern.  Without a strong and aggressive republic to the south it might also end up as a monarchy rather than Britain using the old term dominion, which could have some considerable butterflies down the line both in Canada and elsewhere in the empire.

  The comments in the picture link are slightly contradictory as it refers to more than 10% of the population dead and then later more than 1M dead.  The population was about 33M in 1860 IIRC so the former would give a figure of probably about 3.5M dead, which would be really devastating, especially in areas that saw the heavy fighting.

  Anyway, initial thoughts on the latest chapter.

[mobiyuz]

Jun 14, 2019 10:09:28 GMT stevep said:

   mobiyzu

   Ouch that was nasty. I notice that Texas has expanded eastwards as well as to the west and north taking Louisiana and parts of Arkansas. Also that the CSA has secured Kentucky but still lost W Virginia.

   I'm a bit dubious about some of the break-aways as several such as Montana and the Plains Federation are pretty thinly populated, at least in terms of white settlers. Still plenty of native Indians about and there's likely to be some bloody wars leading to virtually extermination of one or the other group unless, recognising their weakness the break-away republics are willing to come to some agreement with the locals.  Similarly both California and Texas will have a lot of territory they will have very little control over for quite a while. 

  The New England break-away sounds odd as does McClellan's military coup.  It does sound like the Freedonia state is probably going to be a source of a lot of instability as both a military dictatorship and also being seen as a threat to all its former US neighbours.  Likely to struggle economically and unlikely to attract much foreign settlement and probably not investment either.  The CSA and Texas probably have a good economic base for the moment, depending on how much devastation their undergone but slavery will blight both their foreign relations and their development, especially since both are a lot weaker than the US so are going to come under pressure from Britain which will make importing further slaves very, very difficult.

  California is is a good position here as while still very thinly populated and going to have problems in its eastern territories [both Indians and Mormons I suspect] its neighbours are the thinly populated Cascadia and Texas, who's borderlands here are very thinly populated and will probably be looking largely eastwards in terms of threats.  With stability and decent government it could [and I think will] become a significant power although without a trans-continental railway its going to have problems getting new settlers as its bloody difficult to get to from eastern the east coast settlements or Europe.

  I take it that the Mexican empire is successfully established?  Wonder how stable it will be and whether it will survive when Napoleon III's support is removed?  Either by the OTL defeat by Prussia or other problems.

  The big winner here in N America could actually be Canada as it will lack an overwhelmingly powerful neighbour to the south that drains away a lot of its own people and settlers.  It is likely to be the 1st to produce a continent spanning railway which could further boost its development and then the two west coast US successor states.  Although the unstable Freedonia could be a source of concern.  Without a strong and aggressive republic to the south it might also end up as a monarchy rather than Britain using the old term dominion, which could have some considerable butterflies down the line both in Canada and elsewhere in the empire.

  The comments in the picture link are slightly contradictory as it refers to more than 10% of the population dead and then later more than 1M dead.  The population was about 33M in 1860 IIRC so the former would give a figure of probably about 3.5M dead, which would be really devastating, especially in areas that saw the heavy fighting.

  Anyway, initial thoughts on the latest chapter.

Yeah, I admit that aspects of Timeline 31 aren't the most likely things, but that was never really my intention with it. It's more to create a world that feels like a single, cohesive unit, so I fully expect that most people will find three or four or more things implausible. As such, some suspension of disbelief is necessary. And as for the Cascadia-Montana and Plains Federation thing, the former seceded out of a similar dissociation that California had experienced, while the latter was more of Texas pushing them to secede so as to have a way to guarantee access to the Great Plains, and by extension most of the upper Mississippi.

[stevep]

Jun 14, 2019 10:19:16 GMT mobiyuz said:

Jun 14, 2019 10:09:28 GMT stevep said:

   mobiyzu

   Ouch that was nasty. I notice that Texas has expanded eastwards as well as to the west and north taking Louisiana and parts of Arkansas. Also that the CSA has secured Kentucky but still lost W Virginia.

   I'm a bit dubious about some of the break-aways as several such as Montana and the Plains Federation are pretty thinly populated, at least in terms of white settlers. Still plenty of native Indians about and there's likely to be some bloody wars leading to virtually extermination of one or the other group unless, recognising their weakness the break-away republics are willing to come to some agreement with the locals.  Similarly both California and Texas will have a lot of territory they will have very little control over for quite a while. 

  The New England break-away sounds odd as does McClellan's military coup.  It does sound like the Freedonia state is probably going to be a source of a lot of instability as both a military dictatorship and also being seen as a threat to all its former US neighbours.  Likely to struggle economically and unlikely to attract much foreign settlement and probably not investment either.  The CSA and Texas probably have a good economic base for the moment, depending on how much devastation their undergone but slavery will blight both their foreign relations and their development, especially since both are a lot weaker than the US so are going to come under pressure from Britain which will make importing further slaves very, very difficult.

  California is is a good position here as while still very thinly populated and going to have problems in its eastern territories [both Indians and Mormons I suspect] its neighbours are the thinly populated Cascadia and Texas, who's borderlands here are very thinly populated and will probably be looking largely eastwards in terms of threats.  With stability and decent government it could [and I think will] become a significant power although without a trans-continental railway its going to have problems getting new settlers as its bloody difficult to get to from eastern the east coast settlements or Europe.

  I take it that the Mexican empire is successfully established?  Wonder how stable it will be and whether it will survive when Napoleon III's support is removed?  Either by the OTL defeat by Prussia or other problems.

  The big winner here in N America could actually be Canada as it will lack an overwhelmingly powerful neighbour to the south that drains away a lot of its own people and settlers.  It is likely to be the 1st to produce a continent spanning railway which could further boost its development and then the two west coast US successor states.  Although the unstable Freedonia could be a source of concern.  Without a strong and aggressive republic to the south it might also end up as a monarchy rather than Britain using the old term dominion, which could have some considerable butterflies down the line both in Canada and elsewhere in the empire.

  The comments in the picture link are slightly contradictory as it refers to more than 10% of the population dead and then later more than 1M dead.  The population was about 33M in 1860 IIRC so the former would give a figure of probably about 3.5M dead, which would be really devastating, especially in areas that saw the heavy fighting.

  Anyway, initial thoughts on the latest chapter.

Yeah, I admit that aspects of Timeline 31 aren't the most likely things, but that was never really my intention with it. It's more to create a world that feels like a single, cohesive unit, so I fully expect that most people will find three or four or more things implausible. As such, some suspension of disbelief is necessary. And as for the Cascadia-Montana and Plains Federation thing, the former seceded out of a similar dissociation that California had experienced, while the latter was more of Texas pushing them to secede so as to have a way to guarantee access to the Great Plains, and by extension most of the upper Mississippi.

  OK thanks for the reply and clarification.

[mobiyuz]

14 February 1862
Eureka, Capital District

For an event organized so quickly and on such short notice, the inauguration of the first president had nonetheless drawn a fairly large crowd that happily waved Bear Flags in patriotism for their new country. There on the steps of the Supreme Court of California, now a national rather than state institution, Leland Stanford ascended the steps, leaning slightly on his cane as he did but moving with vigor and health nonetheless. Once there, he turned and waved to the crowd, which drew a swell of cheers. Chief Justice Warner Cope, who had only been appointed to the position after Stephen Field had resigned in protest after the secession, approached with a bible in his hands. "Mr. Stanford, please place your left hand on the bible and raise your right hand." Stanford did as he was told, and then from memory recited his oath of office.

"I, Amasa Leland Stanford, do solemnly swear that that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the California Republic, that I will support and defend the Constitution thereof against all enemies foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution, that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter at the expiration of my term, so help me God."

The oath delivered, Justice Cope nodded and stepped back, letting Stanford walk up to the podium that had been hastily set up for the occasion, and greeted the people of the country that he was now officially tasked with leading. Clearing his throat, he began to speak to the assembled crowd.

"Gentlemen of the Congress of the California Republic, assembled justices of the Supreme Court, fellow citizens. Today, we make a statement to the country we have now severed ties with, to the world that we now face boldly. Today, we declare that we will no longer be ignored by a government that sees fit to override our concerns, to use us as leverage for their political gains. Today, we assert to the world that we are a true, sovereign nation, now and forever!" A rise of cheers came from the crowd.

"For too long now, we have been ignored and overlooked by a government tied to the interests of those states who have sought to treat our people as a mere tool of politics. The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America stated that all men were created equal, but we have been denied that equality by a government that has until our independence refused to acknowledge that we ourselves are equal. Fourscore and six years ago, the Founding Fathers we were taught to praise and idolize were faced with such a situation, and when faced with said circumstances did they simply roll over and beg the British Crown for the recognition of those rights that they so craved? No! They took up arms and pens, and fought for their independence through armed force against a government that sought to disregard their concerns and needs, and if we have been made to believe that they were in the right, then it is only just that we follow the example they set for the people of the world, and take our liberties into our own hands!

"The very first words to the Constitution of the United States, that of the Preamble, state that the purpose of said constitution was to form a more perfect union, to replace the defective and faulty Articles of Confederation that it was designed to replace. And can it be asserted that the Union has been made more perfect by the government that it created?" He paused for a bit, to allow the shouts of "No!" and "Never!" to work their way up from the crowd.

"It was said that the United States were 'the land of the free, the home of the brave', yet when we look eastward, to a government that only ever sought to allow us the barest trappings of democracy and representation, what can be seen? A government beholden to the powers of slaveowners and those who hold their fellow men like chattel, and those too cowardly to stand against their inhumanity. Our own admission as a state was plagued by this same issue, by the petulant bickering of those states who sought to expand their 'peculiar institution' to our fair state. And even now, in their secession, they claim oppression from the government in Washington, a government they attempted to keep a stranglehold over, and all the while oppressing the negro race on the basis of them being less than a man. We will not tolerate such hypocrisy in California; now and forever, as dictated by the first section of the first article of our Constitution, all men are by nature free and independent, and possess certain inalienable rights. No nation built on the foundation of human blood and oppression can ever claim to be a land of freedom and equality, and we will not be such a nation! Forever and always shall California be a nation of free men and free women and free children and freedom!

"Sustained by the knowledge that our secession is not in an effort to subvert the liberties we are granted at birth, but instead an effort to preserve them for our people, we may take pride in the righteousness of our cause. Were Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and the architects of the political machine that sought to ensure these liberties present today to witness this momentous occasion, they would doubtless smile upon us and our cause, and praise us for taking our efforts to fight for the causes of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Now, we take our destiny into our own hands. We are now stepped out upon the world stage, with the fate of our people in our own hands. Our government is emphatically one of the people, possessing all the power of the people for their protection and defence, but powerless for their oppression. It is not only the best, but it is the strongest form of government the world has ever known. Let it remain unchanged forevermore!" More cheers and cries of support. He'd reached the climax of his speech, and the time had time to wrap it up.

"For my part, I shall at all times be guided by an anxious desire to administer the affairs of the state free from party or personal prejudice, and with a purpose single to the faithful and conscientious discharge of the exalted trust committed to my care by a generous and confiding people.
In this, the hour of our new nation's birth, let us invoke the care and protection of Him 'who doeth according to His will in the army of Heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.' And may a kind Providence continue to our California the bounties and blessings so richly bestowed in the past, and may we endeavor as a people to render ourselves worthy of being their recipient in the future!" He held up his hands to signal that his speech had ended, drawing a massive cheer from the crowd. That accomplished, he turned and walked down the side of the steps, and was accompanied by two men holding pistols for his defense back toward the Governor's Mansion, now the Executive Mansion.

"Absolutely terrific stuff, Mr. President. I'd say you'd have had a good chance at being President of the United States if the secession hadn't gone forward."

Stanford waved a hand dismissively. "Ah, they wouldn't have let me get farther than Senator. Too many political machines, too deeply entrenched in the government. They hate what I am, a self-made man who put himself where he is now." He walked up the steps of the mansion again, and through the main hallway to a conference room set in the middle of the building. Eight men sat around the table, the cabinet he'd appointed in the hasty rush to have an Executive Branch set up after the Congress had tried to abolish it. Seating himself at the head of the table, the men there gave him polite smiles and nods. Stanford returned it, sitting back in his chair.

"Alright, men. Let's get to work."

[lordroel]

Jun 15, 2019 12:20:08 GMT mobiyuz said:

14 February 1862
Eureka, Capital District

"Alright, men. Let's get to work."

And plenty of work they have to do, nice update mobiyuz

[stevep]

Jun 15, 2019 12:20:08 GMT mobiyuz said:

"It was said that the United States were 'the land of the free, the home of the brave', yet when we look westward, to a government that only ever sought to allow us the barest trappings of democracy and representation, what can be seen?

  One small typo as I presume that should be eastwards?  Otherwise a good chapter on the background of the formation of the Californian independence movement.

[mobiyuz]

Jun 15, 2019 18:35:54 GMT stevep said:

Jun 15, 2019 12:20:08 GMT mobiyuz said:

"It was said that the United States were 'the land of the free, the home of the brave', yet when we look westward, to a government that only ever sought to allow us the barest trappings of democracy and representation, what can be seen?

  One small typo as I presume that should be eastwards?  Otherwise a good chapter on the background of the formation of the Californian independence movement.

Damn, I have this really bad tendency to get east and west backwards.

"Oh, east? I thought you said weast!" -Patrick Star