WI a Pacific Republic created at outbreak of CW?

[Cash]

While doing some research this past week in old newspapers on the opening months of the American Civil War, I came across two separate articles about reports from California concerning a movement to create a "Pacific Republic" if war broke out between the United States and the Confederacy. Judging by the articles, based on Pony Express dispatches and San Francisco newspaper accounts, the proposal was, for a time at least, seriously considered. The Republic would incorporate California, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada. Arizona and New Mexico territories were mentioned as potential buffer space between the Republic and Texas.

While I'm not aware that the Western states made any significant contribution to the Union (or Confederate) cause in terms of men or material, a new and separate country occupying the West Coast would have some intriguing long-term ramifications for the United States. Would an exhausted post-Appomattox Union army/navy be able, and would the government be willing, to engage in another war to bring a Pacific Republic back into the Union? What would happen in the long run?

 

[A.M. Turtle]

The real question is, was there a "western" identity? If you had a PoD that caused such a thing to exist we might see it.

 

[GreatScottMarty]

The real question is, was there a "western" identity? If you had a PoD that caused such a thing to exist we might see it.

Of course it did. It existed in the personage of the spanish immigrants who where there before any Americans got there. Remember San Deigo was founded as one of a string of Jesuit Mission towns and Alberquerque as the end of the trail up from Mexico and west to California. It would require a greater interest on the part of the Mexicans (for lack of a better term, i have heard Californios, but I don't think that is appropriate for our purposes). Back on point the identity existed the problem was demographics the numbers game was purely on the side of the Americans who were coming in ever greater numbers from the East starting in 1849. One last thing about California the American Settlers with the support of John Fremont had declared a California Republic at the end of the Mexican War and then allowed themselves to be annexed. The identity existed IMO the political will did not.

For the record there was some debate as to who was on who's side out west at the beginning of the ACW. For instance Washoe (the gold camp in Nevada) almost went Confederate and then there was of course the Sibley force that went into New Mexico and Arizona during the ACW which if the Eastern theaters had done better then Sibleys force certainly would have.

 

[Fearless Leader]

I think (though I'm by no means an expert) that though a sense of Western Identity did exist at the time of the civil war, it was not well developed enough to support the formation of a "Pacific Republic".

If you want such an entity to secede from the US following the South's succession, you're going to need to have a POD predating the Civil War by a few decades. Perhaps there is more trouble over California's admission to the Union leading to a small but vocal protest against the Federal Government. This protest then grows during the slavery debates as Californians have no desire to be drawn into the war a continent away. Perhaps in 1850 California and Oregon vote for Bell and the Constitutional Unionists. Following the secession of the Southern states, California declares itself neutral and encourages Oregon to do the same. This neutrality eventually plays itself into the secession of California from the Union and it's declaration of Independence with the support of Great Britain.

But yeah, your POD's going to need to be well before 1860.

 

[stevep]

Guys

I did read that there was a lot of resentment in California about the fact it was governed by Republicans despite being overwhelmingly Democrat. Basically like the US as a whole in 1860 the Democrat vote was split between two candidates so the Republicans got in. Also a fair measure of pro-Confederacy feeling with various plots for uprisings. Not sure how deep this was however.

Might also have been a desire to keep out of the to them distant war. Especially since next to tariffs one of the biggest sources of revenue for the government was taxes on the Californian gold and more recently Nevada silver, which passed through California. As such might have been some interest in 'keeping our money for ourselves' amongst some people.

However how significant either or both factor would be would be difficult to tell. Don't know whether Oregon would have felt the same way as less people of southern descent in it I presume so it might have felt more loyalty even if California decided to leave the union.

Steve

 

[Highlander]

In drawing the borders that would become California, the powers that be were very careful so as not to upset them - for example, giving them almost complete control over mineral reserves in the Sierra Nevada, rights on the Colorado, etc. Make a few minor border changes and it's much more likely.

 

[imperialaquila]

Maybe a POD would be to have the gold there discovered earlier, say 1825-1830. This could lead to the Gold Rush happen earlier, and with most of the people taking advantage of it probably being Americans, we could see a Texas-style situation occur; lots of Americans under Mexican rule and not liking it. Maybe California could declare independence at around the same time as Texas and create an independent state. Then, it would probably ask for annexation to the US at some point (probably touching off a Mexican-American War), and be accepted. However, there are some who oppose this, and they remain as a small, vocal group advocating independence. When the Civil War erupts, these fire-eaters go around and manage to arouse enough support to pass a secession ordinance. This would most likely happen if the Federals are perceived as the aggressors, like in OTL after Ft Sumter. Then, they probably establish themselves as an independent state again (I'm assuming the population that originally came there was mostly poor Northerners and thus anti-slavery). You then get an independent Republic of California when the Civil War starts. However, given the POD, there will be a LOT of butterflies between the 1820s and the Civil War.

 

[Anaxagoras]

The real question is, was there a "western" identity? If you had a PoD that caused such a thing to exist we might see it.

It only took about ten years from the first Anglo settlers arriving in Texas to the creation of an independent Texan republic.

 

[pipisme]

The history of the "Pacific Republic" would make a great timeline.

 

[Keenir]

I think one Union President said "we will lend California all the aid befitting a sister Republic."

might've been pre-Civil War, though.