PoD 1814-New England Secedes (And a few other things)

After writing several separate alternate histories, this one seems the most coherent. From an Annales school perspective, little changes-yet while the world is very much recognisable, it certainly isn't our own.

Rather than creating a single PoD, this one has multiple changes which were by and large considered at the time

Oh yes and i try to factor in a knowledge of the places i change rather than guessing, but do point out startling contradictions

First PoD: The Hartford Convention, a precedent is set
The man stumbles, bloodied, from the inn as the townspeople watch from their windows. He falls to the ground, the knowledge of what happened dieing with him-inside the inn twelve United States soldiers, nine New England militiamen and several civilians lie dead. The rest of the US Column is disarmed, and word spreads of the "Incident". Delegates at the Hartford Convention, the destination of the Column, agree a separate peace with Nova Scotia. Madison's outrage and demand that those New Englanders who signed the Convention be handed over to Federal custody only increased demands of Independence, and at the second convening efforts are made to exclude unionists. Anti-Union sentiments were on the rise and several regular army units joined the barricades being set up in the capitol of Connecticut by radicals flying the New England flag. Upon being told that the newly signed Hartford Declaration was tantamount to Independence, Governor Strong simply replied "I suppose it is then".

With representatives from New England being present at the Treaty of Ghent, New England came under the protection of the British Empire as an independent entity. Rather than maintain an armed force, the New Englanders played off Canadian and American politicians against each other for the first fifty years of its existence, and the damage the Britsh and later US blockade on New English ports would encourage industry inland-New England would only have to bear arms once in the next hundred years, becoming a bastion of classical liberalism-the incumbent Federalist party's main opposition (aside from the discredited Republicans) was the Radical Liberal party.

Breifly-New England breaks off and stays free through playing Canada against the US

Impact-US, without the liberal influence of the north-becomes more centralised in colonising the west. After the leadership of Oregon Country proves troublesome unelected Governors are appointed by the President to Oregon (1848), Minnesota (1849), Utah & New Mexico (1850), Nebraska & Kansas (1854) and Dakota (1855). The governors of these territories occasionally waged their own separate wars against the native americans.

California & Texas' Rebellion against Mexico isn't followed by application for Union quite so quickly, (Worth and Santa Fe County remain within Texas) but the two are still aided by the US, with a historic journey from Boston to California by an expedition of Volunteers to California, as an extention of the war the Yucatan peninsula is turned into a puppet state after locals and Mexican army units hostile to the central government capture the centers of government while asking the US for protection.

The US is still fundamentally free east of Kansas, as the centralising tendencies were opposed within the states with a working administration.

Second PoD: The Confederate States of America
After the contentious election, the Iowa delegates provided the crucial four vote margin needed for Lincoln to win the election, and the Democratic hold on Congress was broken. Missouri, Kentucky and Texas declare neutrality.

Western theatre sees Union forces advancing into Arkansas, pushing the Confederate forces to the Arkansas river, with some Confederate holdouts around Fayetteville north of the river. Supplies of artillery, rifles, munitions and uniforms from a neutral Texas across the river to Vicksburg, becoming the lifeline of the confederate forces. The fortifications of New Orleans are pointed towards the sea, and while most Louisiana regiments are sent further up-river the local garrison (including Afro-american freedmen) mounts a stout defence, and while New Orleans eventually falls, Confederate forces manage to isolate the city. Breakouts are attempted, but the Union forces remain pinned down in the city under harsh conditions until the end of the war.

After the first Western offensive petered out, and Union forces focused

To be continued