Introduction
The Divided States
by Laura Preble, Monte Vista High School
Imagine that during the Civil War, the southern states had succeeded in seceding from the Union. What if the United States we know today was actually a house divided? Would it have survived? What would it look like today?
In 1860, America was about to be embroiled in a horrible war that would cost million of lives and would shatter families on both sides. After the election of the anti-slavery president Abraham Lincoln, eleven southern states seceded from the union, declaring themselves the Confederate States of America.
You are a canny observer of history, and as such, you decide to explore an alternative timeline. How would America be different if the Confederate States had stayed separate from the rest of the country? If, when the war ended in 1865, the Confederacy had been the winners, how would things be different today? Your job is to explore the alternate timeline and report your findings to the council of Gallifrey.