First Cause

To continue crafting an alternative history I must find the cause of the event I want to remove. The larger the event the more complicated its causation. The American Civil War had a massive impact on the world as we know it and as expected its causation is extremely complicated. We have to go back to the very roots of America to find an event, a cast of characters, a point in time when the conflict began to develop. I've thought through several choices, I'll list them and the pros and cons and reveal my choice.

I could remove Abraham Lincoln from history. His inauguration is the immediate cause for war. The Confederate leadership issued an ultimatum and Lincoln's administration ignored it. However, even removing a man as influential as Lincoln would be far too late to stop the war. The conflict had reached an inevitability which one man could not stop. However, his desire to preserve the union and strong leadership would not necessarily mean he'd launch the war if the situation wasn't as tense as it actually was. So, Lincoln isn't the answer.

I could remove slavery. But that isn't feasible. Slavery is a global occurrence. Nearly every culture has been impacted by it in some way. Arbitrarily removing something like slavery, such as religion, writing, or adding something like magic or alien contact is the realm of fantasy not alternative history. So slavery stays.

There's a 3 pronged "possibilities" tree which the history of the United States has in relation to the slavery question. Slavery, freedom or compromise. Actual history shows our leaders choosing the compromise path again and again till it finally exploded into the bloodiest war in our nation's history. That leaves either a wholesale commitment to either slavery or freedom. As we've established already, I do not find it feasible to eliminate slavery from the question entirely, but I also do not believe slavery is just or sustainable. So, I don't believe its feasible that the early American leadership would've constitutionalized slavery. Even if they did, given enough time, every culture's slaves have risen up to find their freedom. Therefore, I don't believe that truly gives us an America devoid of a Civil War, it just gives an America with a massive slave rebellion.

In conclusion, freedom, the eradication of slavery in America, must occur another way. Otherwise, an armed conflict cannot be avoided.

One of my heroes, a southern gentleman and brilliant politician, may be the key to this problem. John C Calhoun, Vice President under Andrew Jackson, was part of the first big secession battle. Had Jackson not been one of the strongest Presidents our country has seen, he may have succeeded seceding...say that 5 times fast. Calhoun was the strongest voice for the slave owning south for years, remove him and the congressional pressure would lean free. Of course, a contrarian would suggest that the void created by Calhoun's absence would be filled by an equally as ardent "slave-state" voice.

Or perhaps Henry Clay is the answer. The "Great Compromiser" ran for president three times, once in 1824 tilting the balance for JQ Adams, once in 1832 getting pounded by Andrew Jackson and again much later in 1844 as his party dwindled and died. Say he ran in '40, against Van Buren.

If Henry Clay had been elected President the American Civil War would not have occurred.

 Next week I'll try to prove that virtually indefensibly statement.



Braves magic number is 6. I really hope we resign Elliot Johnson, the guy is legit.