Southern Crossroads: CSA in the Victorian Era
Southern Crossroads: CSA in the Victorian Age. The Confederate States starts out as a playable nation at the beginning of the game. This mod assumes that the Nullification Crisis of 1832 turned out differently than it did in the historical timeline.
I would love to make a Mod that starts at 1861, but the amount of research involved to figure out populations and economic development levels of each state in the world is a larger task then I can take on. However, if anyone is interested in doing the research, I will be willing to make the mod. Until then, enjoy playing the CSA from 1836 with what I hope is a plausible backstory.
Backstory: History vs Mod
Historical Timeline- The United States nearly faced a civil war in 1832-1833, approximately 30 years before the American Civil War. This was known as the Nullification Crisis of 1832. The roots of the Nullification Crisis began with the Tariff of Abominations of 1828. This tariff had a tax rate of up to 45% on some imports.
The economy of the southern United States was based on trade more then self-sufficiency. The high tariffs therefore did double damage to the southern economy. It not only caused an increase in the cost of goods/materials that would normally be imported. It also caused less demand for the goods/materials the southern economy would normally export. For Example- If the cost of clothing goes up, then less will be purchased. If less clothing is purchased, then less cotton will be needed.
This double hit to the southern economy, where they not only had to spend more to meet their needs but also made less money with which to purchase their needs, caused great dissatisfaction in the south as northerners were enriched at the southerner’s expense.
An attempt to correct this was made with the Tariff of 1832. The northern dominated congress made changes to the top tax rate dropping them from 45% to 35%. However, this was seen as only a token measure in the south as these tax rates were still punishing to the southern economy. This led to the resignation of Andrew Jackson’s Vice-President, John C. Calhoun.
Calhoun, who was from South Carolina was a leading proponent of Nullification, the political theory that a State could Nullify a federal law so as it would not be enforced within a State’s borders. The South Carolina legislature (representing a state that had seen its population decline by 15% as a result of the economic hardships caused by tariffs) declared in November of 1832 that the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 were unconstitutional and unenforceable within the State of South Carolina. It was also asserted that any attempts to use force to collect the taxes would result in secession of the State. To prepare for such an eventuality the State called up over 25,000 troops.
The United States responded with a carrot and stick approach. On the one hand they passed the Force Bill which authorized President Jackson to use force against South Carolina, and on the other hand passed the Compromise Tariff of 1833 that gradually reduce the tariffs over 10 years until they reached a more acceptable 20% tax rate.
South Carolina found this a better option then war and responded by repealing their Nullification Ordinance, but in one final act of symbolic defiance they nullified the Force Bill. Both sides were able to stand down their troops and the looming national divorce was pushed back 27 years.
Southern Crossroads Timeline- In this Mod’s timeline, during the Nullification Crisis, Congress manages to pass the Force Act but fails to pass the Compromise Tariff of 1833. South Carolina, with no compromise on the table, and therefore no way to save face, decides to leave the Union. Jackson in his fury, calls for volunteers to put down what he sees as a rebellion.
This, combined with the pain from the Tariff of 1828, was too much for several other southern states. With no desire to take up arms against a sister state, they decided to leave a Union that was enriching northern business interests at an economic cost to southern agrarian interests.
War seemed inevitable primarily due to Jackson’s force of personality and his desire to hold the Union together, even if large sections of the northern population opposed the coming war. Farmers saw little to be gained by risking their blood and treasure to aid industrial interests that seemed as foreign to the farmers as the interests of southern planters. The budding abolitionist movement was happy to be rid of so many slave owners, and the electoral power that they had wielded, resulting in 5 of 7 presidents being slave owners.
It was at this moment that a recently widowed Postmaster from Randolph, Pennsylvania named John Brown, angered by the Indian Removal act, Jackson’s slave ownership, and fearing that a golden opportunity for the United States to be nearly rid of the scourge of so many slave owners, took matters into his own hands and assassinated President Jackson.
Both nations were shocked and horrified by this event. What desire there had been for war against the newly formed Confederate States vanished as anger was directed against the abolitionist movement, which John Brown (who was hung for his crime) represented. The Confederates States allowed things to cool off in the looming showdown at Castle Pinckney in Charleston Harbor, and not to attack the fortification as planned. Eventually, the Union garrison was withdrawn as the crisis wound down. This allowed both nations to go their own way, mostly peacefully except for the death of a President and the hanging of a radical.
The CSA is at a crossroads. Which road will you take it down? Industrialize or remain agrarian. Peaceful coexistence with neighbors or expansionist. Retain the institution of slavery or become a truly free nation. You will decide these questions in Southern Crossroads: CSA in the Victorian Age.
Mod Notes- This mod was originally based on Cornbread’s Mod, "CSA at the Beginning of the Game", which can be found here https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2886192040, If not for his mod I doubt I would have ever created this Mod, but with the basic structure down I just sort of ran with things, adding items that I wanted added. In addition, Ferrous’ "Battle of the Alamo" mod https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3085410410 has been incorporated into this mod so Texas has a fighting chance. Thanks to you both!
Revisions:
Old revisions of this mod are available below. Click the link to download.
