Confederate States of America (Muscle Shoals) (1983: Doomsday)

The Confederate States of America is the name of several entities that have attempted to establish themselves throughout the former southern and midwestern United States in the post-Doomsday world.

This particular entity was founded in 1984 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and dissolved in 1999. It was centered along the border of former Tennessee with the former states of Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia and also for a time included portions of the former state of Kentucky.

Despite its short history, it is considered one of the more stable post-DD nations to have borne that name; in fact, the city-states it consisted of still exist, and as the locals learn more about the outside world, support is growing to relaunch the nation.

In the weeks after Doomsday in September and October of 1983, several towns in the "mid-south" region banded together for survival. Several factors converged over the next several months to lay the foundation of the formation of the CSA, among them the actions of federal agents in the area that were deemed detrimental to the public good and long-term survival of the region; long-standing pride in "southern" culture; and an opportunity to start fresh, with a nation governed by values and laws that the people believed were superior to the bloated, unaccountable entity they thought the United States government had become. Sentiment grew to adopt the name and flag of the Confederate States of America, but not without certain changes.

In August 1984, leaders from 27 towns and cities in the Tennessee-Alabama-Mississippi region gathered in Muscle Shoals as part of a Constitutional Convention. Over the next 17 days they went over both the constitution of the 19th-century CSA and the United States constitution. What they settled on was a hybrid that had elements of both countries' constitutions (governed as a bicameral republic, with a President, a two-house Congress, and a Supreme Court) and elements more reminiscent of the old CSA (the President being eligible for only one six-year term, and states' rights in various areas taking precedence over the national government).

It was also distinguished by the removal of the slavery clause, and a clarification of the clause stating that "all people, regardless of race, gender or creed, are considered equal by law". This was one of the relatively few clauses in their constitution that superseded any state and local law or statute passed in the nation. Despite that provision designed to ensure equal rights to all people, and the placing of African-Americans in prominent positions in the Presidential Cabinet, Congress and the Army, racism still was a challenge at the local level.

The constitution was signed on September 19, 1984 in Muscle Shoals; the President of the Convention, Earl Williams of Zip City, was voted as provisional President by the convention delegates until elections could be held in 1985.

Three states initially formed the CSA: the states of Alabama (capital in Florence); Mississippi (capital in Corinth); and Tennessee (capital in Adamsville).

As word spread throughout the region of the new nation's existence, the states of Kentucky (centered in Mayfield), Jackson (the city-state of Jackson in western Tennessee), and Georgia (capital in Rome) joined.

The CSA was rocked by the secession of Jackson in 1991, at the hands of leaders who came into conflict with Muscle Shoals and eventually seceded from the nation, becoming an isolationist, somewhat violent citystate.

While a blow to the young nation, the CSA would survive Jackson's secession. What did it in was squabbling over numerous matters by political leaders in each state who either wanted more power, or had differing views on what the nation should be, or even to reform the United States of America. Issues over trade and travel between the various states, most notably due to lethal, radioactive ruins of nuked cities and military bases and attacks by warlords and bandits, also helped split the young nation.

Finally, in 1999, after the Mayfield government seceded from the CSA to join Kentucky; Georgia left over the increasing size of the national government; and Alabama left in a failed bid to become its own country, Muscle Shoals pulled the plug and declared the Confederate experiment to have run its course. By the time Alabama's newly elected leaders asked to rejoin the CSA, the national government and army had folded or been dissolved into the various states.

The 34 citystates still exist today, with an estimated total population of 226,000. Mayfield and the Jackson Purchase region are part of Kentucky; there is large popular support for the resumption of the "Confederate experiment", and large support politically as well. Proponents have quietly been pushing for a Second Constitutional Convention date of spring 2011.