lpetrich
Contributor
Most of us know about the split between the Union and the Confederacy in the US Civil War. But what's less known is some plans to split the US even further just before the war. Plans to split the US into 3 or 4 nations.
One of them was the Central Confederacy. It was a proposed nation consisting of the mid-Atlantic and northwestern states, the states between New England and the Deep-South states. One proposal mentioned New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, and Missouri.
It was motivated by dislike of both strong support for slavery and strong opposition to slavery; it was moderate free states + moderate slave states.
So the US would have gotten split into a layer cake: New England, the Central Confederacy, and the Southern Confederacy.
Around then, New York City mayor Fernando Wood proposed that that city secede and become an independent city-state, the Free City of Tri-Insula. Latin for "three islands": Staten Island, Manhattan, Long Island. Even more nations.
But on April 12, 1861, the Confederacy attacked Fort Sumter in Charleston SC's harbor. That was the end of such proposals.
Central Confederacy
Secession in New York
THE PROPOSED CENTRAL CONFEDERACY. - Letter - NYTimes.com
A Great Central Confederacy
Central Confederacy
American Nations: The Official Homepage at colinwoodard.com
One of them was the Central Confederacy. It was a proposed nation consisting of the mid-Atlantic and northwestern states, the states between New England and the Deep-South states. One proposal mentioned New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, and Missouri.
It was motivated by dislike of both strong support for slavery and strong opposition to slavery; it was moderate free states + moderate slave states.
So the US would have gotten split into a layer cake: New England, the Central Confederacy, and the Southern Confederacy.
Around then, New York City mayor Fernando Wood proposed that that city secede and become an independent city-state, the Free City of Tri-Insula. Latin for "three islands": Staten Island, Manhattan, Long Island. Even more nations.
But on April 12, 1861, the Confederacy attacked Fort Sumter in Charleston SC's harbor. That was the end of such proposals.
Central Confederacy
Secession in New York
THE PROPOSED CENTRAL CONFEDERACY. - Letter - NYTimes.com
A Great Central Confederacy
Central Confederacy
American Nations: The Official Homepage at colinwoodard.com