Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 321 The Outbreak of the American Civil War
In Washington, the election that would determine the fate of the United States was over. Republican Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th President of the United States with an absolute majority.

The emergence of a group representing the interests of northern factory owners aroused panic and hatred among southern plantation owners. In order to protect their own interests, they began to organize.

On December 20, 1860, representatives of Southern plantation owners met in South Carolina and decided to secede from the Union. They also issued the Declaration of the Liberation of the States of America, welcoming the states to secede and join the newly formed nation.

This can be considered the last surprise for the world this year, but from a US legal perspective, these states have the right to secede.

Northern factory owners would certainly not agree to this; they also wanted access to cheap industrial raw materials and markets. If these states slipped away, all their previous efforts would be in vain.

The division between the North and South was not solely due to the abolition of slavery; tariffs also played a significant role. The North, primarily industrialized, supported high tariffs to protect its domestic industries. The South, primarily agricultural and reliant on cotton exports, opposed high tariffs.

Following South Carolina's announcement of its secession, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas subsequently announced their withdrawal from the Union. This movement also reached Europe, with Britain and France paying particular attention.

In recent years, the United States has expanded at an inflating rate, causing concern among many, and the "American threat" theory is a hot topic in Europe. In an effort to attract immigrants, American propaganda, under the guidance of certain individuals, has been presented as evidence of the American threat.

From 1783 to the present, the territory of the United States has expanded from more than 800,000 square kilometers to nearly 8 million square kilometers. If it is not stopped, it will not be long before they gradually devour the entire Americas.

It's important to understand that the combined strength of all European countries barely surpasses that of the United States. They have virtually no shortage of resources, and it would be difficult to find a way to restrict them.

Moreover, even if some of them see the limitations on America's long-term interests, the infighting in Congress has restricted their further action. And things haven't reached the final stage of war yet, so we'll have to wait and see.

Sharif, after reviewing the company's financial reports and listening to the news, decided to invest in stocks related to food and weapons to make a profit.

How much cotton have we purchased so far?

"As of now, the total is 116.2 million riyals."

Sharif nodded; this should be enough. The company had already sold off a significant portion of its stock, and if they could drive up cotton prices, they would make unprecedented profits.

Sharif looked at the map of the United States, and on the surface, the Northern government did indeed appear to be more powerful.

In reality, not all the northern states were willing to participate in the war; the majority of the American public did not want war to break out. The only way to persuade them to go to war was through propaganda controlled by the bourgeoisie.

The situation was different in several southern states; they were driven to the brink. Since their own interests were at stake, the enthusiasm for enlisting in the military among southerners was much higher.

In the short term, the Southern government is more likely to have a military advantage; if the war drags on, then the North's manpower advantage will gradually translate into military strength.

“If the South can quickly take Washington, this war could probably be over within a year,” someone nearby said. Another person questioned, “That’s difficult to do. Militarily speaking, the Southern government could indeed occupy Washington in the first place.”

However, they were powerless to stop the US government from withdrawing. There were significantly more states siding with the North, and the Southern military action would only further provoke tensions, potentially drawing even neutral states into the conflict.

The Southern government, with its limited strength, would become exhausted after conquering only a few states. The Northern government, having recovered, would then rely on its superior strength to overwhelm the South.

The key issue now isn't how the North and South will fight, but rather which side can attract more allies.

What gave the Southern government its confidence? Cotton, of course!

At that time, about one-fifth of the British population relied directly or indirectly on cotton textiles for survival, with eighty percent of that coming from the southern states.

The London government could not tolerate any problems with the cotton supply chain. Although there was a bumper cotton harvest in 1860, Iran also bought a lot of cotton, so London did not have much cotton stockpiled.

Historically, the British textile industry was driven to bankruptcy by the Southern government's immediate ban on cotton exports. Having finally reached an agreement with France and Spain to intervene, the British government was then outmaneuvered by the French. Coupled with the Northern government's lobbying efforts, the London government was once again caught in a dilemma.

Then, cotton was successfully grown in India and Egypt. British MPs lost interest in the Southern government's cotton, and international intervention was thus delayed.

If the Southern government were more proactive, whether for strategic needs or for its own benefit, everyone would support them.

With Lincoln's oath of office, the American Civil War officially broke out. Confederate troops captured Fort Sumter, South Carolina, and Lincoln used this opportunity to recruit 75000 volunteers who served for 90 days.

As a result, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina voted to secede from the Union and join the Confederate States of America, bringing the total number of states to 11.

However, not all slave states joined the Union. Maryland declared martial law to prevent secession. Delaware, also a slave state, never considered seceding. Forty-eight districts in western Virginia declared independence and joined the Union, leading to the nation's fragmentation. At this time, securing international support became the South's top priority.

The United States initially assumed no country would recognize it, at least not any large or medium-sized nation. However, on the very day Lincoln was sworn in, Mexican President Lawrence announced Mexico's recognition of the Confederate States of America. This news shocked the world. Lincoln immediately dispatched his Secretary of State to Mexico to lodge a strong protest, accusing Mexico of interfering in its internal affairs and threatening retaliatory measures.

Lawrence acknowledged that the South also had its considerations; a unified United States would be most detrimental to Mexico, and they should be allowed to split. Furthermore, the Confederate president was a distant relative of his—former U.S. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, who had visited Mexico. Both men had reasons to oppose the Union, so naturally they wanted to unite.

The Confederate States of America viewed Mexico's recognition as a major diplomatic victory, seeking to garner more international support. Simultaneously, Mexico provided the South with a route to other parts of the world, preventing a North blockade.

(End of this chapter)