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What If Lincoln Lost to Breckinridge

By 230202
  • Breckinridge Wins Presidency

    Breckinridge Wins Presidency
    Lincoln loses the election and a democratic pro popular sovereignty administration takes hold.
  • South Carolina Stays In The Union

    South Carolina Stays In The Union
    South Carolina has no desire to secede because Breckinridge is no threat to slavery. The south never leaves the Union.
  • Fort Sumter Remains Peaceful

    Fort Sumter Remains Peaceful
    No Confederacy is formed and fort Sumter remains peaceful under Union Control. The south does not see itself as an independent nation and therefore do not believe that Fort Sumter should be theirs.
  • Emancipation Proclamation Not Issued

    Emancipation Proclamation Not Issued
    Lincoln does not hold the presidency and no Civil War exists, so the Union has no reason to make slavery illegal in the southern states.
  • Atlanta Remains Undisturbed

    Atlanta Remains Undisturbed
    The city of Atlanta is never burned and it allowed to prosper becoming a major city in the modern world. It proves to be an industrial powerhouse in later eras.
  • 13th Amendment Fails to Pass

    13th Amendment Fails to Pass
    Democrats remain in Congress because the southern states do not leave the Union. The democratic opposition is too strong to overcome and slavery persists. The 14th and 15th Amendments never pass either.
  • Election of 1876

    Election of 1876
    Rutherford B. Hayes wins the hotly contested election to become president in 1877. The south accepts him on the terms that slavery will persist.
  • South Secedes

    South Secedes
    Civil War erupts from increased abolitionist activities in the southern states causing them to feel threatened and secede.
  • Civil War Begins

    Civil War Begins
    The seceded southern states resist northern attempts at invasion and a civil war begins. Britain supports the Confederacy to weaken the Union.
  • Civil War Ends

    Civil War Ends
    The South is able to hold off against the North due to the expert commanding skills of "Stonewall" Jackson. Poor decision making in the north leads to a Union defeat. The south gains all territory south of Missouri.
  • Confederate Recession of 1885

    Confederate Recession of 1885
    The Confederacy is cut off from northern factories and experiences economic problems. They are forced to shift to a more industrial society in order to cope with the separation.
  • Spanish North American War

    Spanish North American War
    The Confederacy and the Union compete for the Spanish territories preferring to fight independently. Spain falls very fast under the combined weight of both the Union and the Confederacy.
  • Confederate Union War Begins

    Confederate Union War Begins
    The Union and the Confederacy are unable to satisfy the demands of the other after the Spanish North American War. Both sides engage in the second war resulting in a Union victory and acquisition of Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. Teddy Roosevelt proves to be an invaluable resource against the Confederates.
  • Confederate Union War Ends

  • World War One Begins

    World War One Begins
    The U.S. and the Confederacy remain isolated and wary of entering the war as they are suspicious of the other's intentions. The war rages on in Europe without American assistance.
  • World War One Ends

    World War One Ends
    Ends later than it would if the U.S. was involved. The war ends with an allied victory and a dramatic weakening of Britain and France as the lack of involvement from the U.S. produces greater casualties.
  • Great Depression Begins

    Great Depression Begins
    The stock market crashes and both the U.S. and the Confederacy go into an extreme recession, unable to deal with the problems as the Union is not whole. The depression is much worse for the whole world, especially for the heavily damaged European nations.
  • Slavery Declines in Confederacy

    Slavery Declines in Confederacy
    The Great Depression weakens slavery as slaves become more expensive coupled with the declining use of slaves for cotton.
  • Confederacy Becomes Fascist and Allies with Germany

    Confederacy Becomes Fascist and Allies with Germany
    The Confederacy becomes fascist in order to deal with a growing abolitionist movement. Abolition grows as slavery becomes less profitable and the evils of it are exposed. The Confederacy then Allies with fascist Germany.
  • World War Two Begins

    World War Two Begins
    World War Two breaks out and the Confederacy attacks the Union. The U.S. is occupied with the Confederacy in a bloody stalemate.
  • World War Two Ends

    Without the assistance of the U.S., Europe falls to Germany and the Pacific falls to Japan. The Union surrenders unconditionally in order to keep its territory.
  • Cold War Begins

    Cold War Begins
    The people of the Union fear fascism and nuclear Germany. They fear an invasion from the Confederacy and Germany. The U.S. decides to try and stop the fascist governments of the world.
  • Rebellion in the Confederacy

    Rebellion in the Confederacy
    Growing dissatisfaction with the fascist regime of the Confederacy results in a slave revolt supported by whites. Civil War within the Confederacy that frees it of fascism.
  • Confederacy joins the Union

    Confederacy joins the Union
    Inspired by the economy and policies of the Union, the newly liberated Confederacy joins the Union after 75 years of separation. Truman heads the reunification effort.
  • 19th, 20th, and 21st Amendments Added

    19th, 20th, and 21st Amendments Added
    Amendments outlawing slavery, protecting civil rights, and protecting voting rights passed in the United States after the Confederacy rejoins the Union.
  • World War Three Begins

    World War Three Begins
    Germany now sees the U.S. as a threat and declares war along with Japan. A third world war starts with the U.S. in a very bad position. Russia, the only remaining independent country in Eurasia, joins the U.S. in the war.
  • World War Three Ends

    World War Three Ends
    Germany, weak from many rebellions, succumbs to a major revolt in which all countries occupied after World War Two declare independence. Japan soon surrenders and splits between East and West Japan. Nuclear weapons destroy some of the Eastern Coast and some of Europe.
  • U.S. Emerges from a Catastrophic War as the only Superpower

    U.S. Emerges from a Catastrophic War as the only Superpower
    With the rest of the world destroyed, the U.S. emerges as the only superpower with its access to nuclear weapons. A golden era for the United States begins after its population was seriously damaged from World War Three.
  • Gulf War

    Gulf War
    Begins in order to maintain U.S. supremacy in the middle east as the nations begin to resist U.S. rule. Results in an increase in terrorist activities in the United States. The U.S. starts the war only to maintain international supremacy.
  • United States Becomes Socialist

    United States Becomes Socialist
    With the fall the Confederacy, conservatism is weaker in the U.S. and as a result, the U.S. is liberal and progressive. Overtime democratic socialism becomes more popular after the experience of slavery and big business. Conservative opposition is weak.
  • Twin Towers Collapse

    Twin Towers Collapse
    Twin Towers fall from a plane hijacking. Terrorist response to increased suppression of resistance in the Middle East. Thousands killed and the United States vows to retaliate.
  • Middle Eastern War Begins

    Middle Eastern War Begins
    The U.S. invades the Middle East in order to assert its authority. A costly war that was a result of terrorism. All Middle Eastern Countries are invaded and wiped clean of all possible threats to the socialist United States.