Map of the United States of America circa 1910

Last January I was planning my own twist on the alternate American Civil War. Over the summer and fall of 2014 life happened so I didn't develop it as much as I wished. This map is a spoiler for that timeline - the rebellious northern states, due to their population and industry managed to break free of the United States to for the Federation of Free America.

After the north-eastern states broke away the United States quickly got involved in another war with Mexico. The French decided not to intervene which allowed America to annex new territory. The much weaker United States was seeing itself becoming more isolated with the French and British befriending the FFA. After Germany purchased Cuba from Spain on the 7th of June 1889 the United States worked to improve their relationship with the new German Empire.

Naval agreements between the FFA and British Empire became an increasing worry for the United States. They entered into a formal alliance with Germany in 1911, giving Germany access to additional ports in the Caribbean and Pacific as well as the growing American markets. In return Germany military advisers helped the USA modernize its military and gave financial assistance.

With the coming of the Great War the United States would join the Central Powers as the FFA would soon after join the Allies.

With the world war spreading to North America, the map would end up changing again...

Friday Flag - Free City of Tri-Insula

The Free City of Tri-Insula was the name taken by New York City when it seceded from New York State during the the outbreak of the Civil War. Mayor Fernando Wood did not want to stay with the state after it seceded with many other northern states after Douglas won the Presidential Election of 1860. Wood wanted to continue trading with both sides and the outside world. He did not want the people of his city to be drafted into the armies of the Federation of Free America in its rebellion against the USA.

The Free City of Tri-Insula lasted from September 8, 1861 to November 17, 1861, just over two months. In November armies from New York and various New England states took back the city, bringing it back into the FFA.

Free City of Tri-Insula

FREE CITY OF TRI-INSULA
Name:	Free City of Tri-Insula
Independence:	September 8, 1861 (from FFA)
Re-Conquest by FFA:	November 17, 1861
Physical Characteristics
Land Area:	303 square miles (786 km)
Water Area:	164 square miles (425 km)
Former NY Counties:	Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island
People
Population:	813,669
Major Ethnic Groups:	American, Irish, German, many others
Languages:	Officially English, dozens of others spoken
Government
Government Type:	Mayor-Council
Executive:	Mayor Fernando Wood
Legislature:	Tri-Insula Council
Economics
GDP:	$358 million
Currency:	Tri-Unsula Dollar
Major Industries:	Trade, ship building, textiles

After the 1860 US Presidential Election a number of northern states seceded from the United States of America and formed the Federation of Free America. When fighting broke out between the US and the rebels FFA President, Abraham Lincoln, began calling for the states to initiate a draft to raise troops. In August 1861 New York approved a draft that allowed for exemptions by those willing to pay $300 to the State.

The draft, and the general unpopularity of leaving the Union, caused Mayor Fernando Wood to call the city council together along with representatives form local governments of the five county area. He pushed a proposal to form an independent city-state that could easily survive on trade between the warring states alone. After long days of negotiations an agreement was reached. On September 8, 1861 the City State of Tri-Insula was born.

Lincoln was not amused. He felt that the states has the sovereign right to leave the Union, but a city had no legal standing to secede from a state. The need of New York Harbor and the manpower of the city led to an ultimatum being issued to Wood. Armies from New York State and New England were diverted to surround the rebellious city. After about two months of a siege the troops finally moved in. The Tri-Insulan milita was quickly scattered with the deaths of 57 FFA soldiers and 188 rebel militia, over 2,000 in total were wounded from all sides.

When the city was brought back into New York Lincoln was generous with pardons for most of those behind the uprising. Fernando Wood and his closest advisers were imprisoned until the end of the FFA war for independence.

NOTES
1) Secession in New York
2) Data from US Census Bureau

Friday Flag - Deutsch Kuba

In the 1890s the German Empire acquired Cuba as a colony from Spain. Despite protests from the United States and other nations the crisis never evolved into armed conflict. While the Kaiser believed the new colony would aid in economic expansion into Latin America it did not bring much into the imperial coffers. The sporadic rebellions and needed infrastructure upgrades were a drag on the colony's economy.

Germany remained in possession of Cuba until the end of the Great War. After the war Cuba gained its independence.

This Week in Alternate Histories - February 17 to 23

Here is something new. A quick review of events that took place from February 17 to 23 at some point in the history of a number of the alternate timelines I've created so far. Not sure if I'll do this every week. Let me know what you think.

February 17: 2002 - French Foreign Legion is deployed to Algeria to hunt down Al-Qaeda operatives in that region. It is the beginning of yet another long and costly French occupation of that land. [Alpha-007]

February 18: 1916 - Helmuth Johann Ludwig von Moltke (Moltke the Younger) dies of heart failure at the age of 67. He was the architect of German successes against Russia in the early days of war before his retirement due to failing health. [Alpha-012]

February 19: 2693 BC (2714 GC) - Lophrotus warlord, Lethclyda, commands a fleet of large war canoes across the sea to sack the coastal capital of Văn Lang in what would be known as Indochina in other timelines. The death toll to the humans is large and most of the settlement is put to the torch. Weeks later the new capital of Văn Lang would be established further inland for protection. [Beta-002]

February 20: 2004 (2575 AUC) - The main generator of the Roman Luna Colony Alpha suffers a critical failure. Safety protocols keep the reactor from melting down. Rapid response from nearby colonies help keep the death toll at only six with over a hundred in need of medical attention for excessive radiation exposure. [Alpha-005]

February 21: 1859 - Oregon is admitted to the United States of America as a state. They choose to be a free state and elect John Whiteaker, a Democrat, as governor. [Beta-001]

February 22: 1894 - The Governor of Texas, James S. Hogg, is shot and killed during a misunderstanding as he was poaching on government land. [Alpha-008]

February 23: 1916 - Portugal refuses British demands that they seize over 70 German vessels that are in Portuguese ports. This leads to a sharp decline in relations between the two nations. [Alpha-001]

NOTES
Some wikipedia articles for further information:
*Moltke the Younger (source for image)
*Văn Lang - ancient civilization
*James S. Hogg (source for image)

Friday Flag - Federation of Free America

After the election of Steven A. Douglas as President of the United States a number of northern states seceded and formed the Federation of Free America (FFA).

The Blue and the Green - Road to Secession

In 1861 sixteen northern states seceded from the Union as a response to the election of Steven A. Douglas as President. Decades of regional strife in Congress built up resentment in the North to harsh and invasive fugitive slave laws built the foundation of secession.

The trouble can be traced back to the counting of slaves towards representation in Congress. There were many arguments during the Convention over the issue. Eventually the slave-holding states agreed to pay any eventual Federal taxes on these slaves. The taxes never came.

Presidents of the United States
*George Washington [2 terms 1789 to 1797] - no political party
*Thomas Jefferson [2 terms 1797 to 1805] - Democratic-Republican
*George Clinton [2 terms 1805 to 1812] - Democratic-Republican
*Gideon Granger [1812 to 1813] - Democratic-Republican
*James Madison [1 term 1813 to 1817] - Democratic-Republican
*James Monroe [2 terms 1817 to 1825] - Democratic-Republican
*Andrew Jackson [2 terms 1825 to 1833] - Democrat
*Martin Van Buren [2 terms 1829 to 1841] - Democrat
*William Henry Harrison [1 term 1841 to 1841] - Whig
*John Tyler [1841 to 1845] - Whig
*Jams Polk [1 term 1845 to 1849] - Democrat
*Zachary Taylor [1 term 1849 to 1850] - Whig
*Millard Fillmore [1850 to 1853] - Whig
*Franklin Pierce [1 term 1853 to 1857] - Democrat
*James Buchanan [1 term 1857 to 1861] - Democrat
*Stephen A. Douglas [1861 to Current] - Democrat


The Missouri Compromise of 1820 excluded slavery north of the parallel 40°37′N (the northern boundary of Missouri). With this more northern compromise there would be no 'Bleeding Kansas.'

A stronger Southern influence in the House of Representatives allowed for harsher fugitive slave laws. Federal agents were now in northern states capturing runaway slaves despite the local laws prohibiting slavery. Abolitionist groups became even more radicalized and occasionally these Federal agents would become victims of vigilante groups in rural areas of the north.

Actions by the more violent elements led to more and harsher laws. The northern states were becoming increasingly upset at dictates from Washington. A number of Whig governors in the 1850s began to secretly conspire against the enforcement of Federal slave acts and other Federal laws they disliked, but not all Whigs agreed with these sorts of actions. The split in the Whig party allowed the radical Republican party to gain more power in the north.

The 1860 Presidential Election was one of the closer ones Stephen A. Douglas won with 167 Electoral votes to Lincoln's 149. The most surprising results were Indiana and Illinois which were both free states that went to Douglas. Douglas won Illinois by a little over 3,000 votes and Indiana by over 8,000.

The northern states saw no other way to free themselves of immoral laws of the Federal government than secession. In January 1861 most of the New England States voted for secession followed quickly by New York. By the end of February the remaining states joined.