Could Nickajack have been a thing?

[rfmcdonald]

I recently learned about Nickajack, a historical region straddling the eastern part of the Alabama-Tennessee that was historically known for its opposition to the Confederacy. Like West Virginia--indeed, like Appalachia in the South generally--the region's population seems to have been composed mainly of whites uninvested in the slavery-centered economies of lowland regions. Resistance to the Confederacy in the region rose to the point of armed revolt, even.

The main difference between Nickajack and West Virginia seems to be that, unlike that state with its easy access from Ohio and Pennsyulvania, Nickajack was a region surrounded by the South. Wheeling could be supported in its bid for separation, but (say) Knoxville could not.

Could Nickajack have been viable? One problem that I see is that if you do have a Union that is strong enough to support a bid for Nickajack statehood, you also have a Union that might be able to crush the South quickly enough that Nickajack separatism will not come up.

Thoughts?

 

[TxAggie]

I thought this was going to be an alternate-history Nickelback.

 

[rfmcdonald]

I thought this was going to be an alternate-history Nickelback.

Ha!

 

[Arkenfolm]

It's part of East Tennessee's general anti-secession stance (not necessarily anti-slavery, since although few owned slaves, many made their money selling their grain to plantations to feed slaves) and is best represented by the East Tennessee Convention (which included Andrew Johnson and Reconstruction-era governor William "Parson" Brownlow) which opposed secession. A lot of the motives are similar to West Virginia since East Tennessee opposed economic domination by Middle/West Tennessee.

East Tennessee's problem is that unlike West Virginia, the North will have a hell of a time sending forces to secure it while the movement is still active.

I think that if they succeed, East Tennessee will reassume the name "Franklin" (or "Frankland" as sometimes seen) as that area was called in the late 18th century.

 

[Aghasverov]

Nickajack's best chance was after Tennessee was firmly secured by the Union mid-war... Kinda ironic that the pro-secession/slaveowning west of Tennessee was controlled by the Union sooner than the anti-secession mountainous east, where the CSA forces were able to hold out longer (partly by essentially controlling the population through martial law). After 1864, Nickajack could've been a thing, especially the region draining northward to the Tennessee River, but by that time I think the North was expecting a full victory soon and wouldn't have been much in a mood for dividing Alabama when it appeared that the entire state would be forced back in soon enough...

 

[Gabingston]

I thought this was going to be an alternate-history Nickelback.

Ha!

 

[WilliamOfOckham]

I thought this was going to be an alternate-history Nickelback.

Pretty conservative AH to assume that a world without Nickelback would have to go back all the way to Pre-1900 for its PoD. Either that, or Nickelback is really resilient...

 

[Ficboy]

The best case scenario for Nickajack is if Franklin (East Tennessee) already exists had there been a simple majority to approve its admission into the Union in the 1780s by several states which in OTL they did but circumstances were very different.

The state of Franklin would have its capital at Knoxville which would be here known as Whitesfort in reference to the military fortification that existed in the present day place with its largest city being Chattanooga by 1861. Since it would be a largely mountainous state with little to no plantation slavery it would reject secession and stay in the Union but unfortunately since it borders the Confederate state of Tennessee they would send a nearby army led by Felix Zollicoffer to conquer it despite the best efforts to stop them like OTL. There is a large contingent of people in northern Alabama that want to join Franklin and form Nickajack. Franklin's Unionist government would be overthrown and replaced by loyal Confederates. By 1863, the Union will have taken Tennessee and Franklin as well as nearby northern Alabama which takes the opportunity of joining the latter and eventually create the state of Nickajack after the Civil War ends.

 

[Arkenfolm]

The state of Franklin would have its capital at Knoxville and its largest city being Chattanooga by 1861. Since it would be a largely mountainous state with little to no plantation slavery it would reject secession and stay in the Union but unfortunately since it borders the Confederate state of Tennessee they would send a nearby army led by Felix Zollicoffer to conquer it despite the best efforts to stop them like OTL. There is a large contingent of people in northern Alabama that want to join Franklin and form Nickajack. Franklin's Unionist government would be overthrown and replaced by loyal Confederates. By 1863, the Union will have taken Tennessee and Franklin as well as nearby northern Alabama which takes the opportunity of joining the latter and eventually create the state of Nickajack after the Civil War ends.

If Franklin is a state from the start than it would likely declare neutrality like Kentucky. It's quite different than OTL's East Tennessee Convention since Franklin will have been a state since the 18th century. There was enough secessionist sentiment in East Tennessee OTL (look at the vote for seccession OTL) to make sure they aren't openly unionist. This would mean the South would hesitate about openly invading Franklin. It probably has spillover effects on what happens with West Virginia since along with Kentucky, Franklin is too much of a "neutral" salient into CSA territory.

I don't think they'd rename Franklin "Nickajack", they'd more just annex the relevant counties in Alabama to Franklin as part of Reconstruction and depending on Franklin's borders might carve a bit more out of Tennessee too.

 

[Ficboy]

If Franklin is a state from the start than it would likely declare neutrality like Kentucky. It's quite different than OTL's East Tennessee Convention since Franklin will have been a state since the 18th century. There was enough secessionist sentiment in East Tennessee OTL (look at the vote for seccession OTL) to make sure they aren't openly unionist. This would mean the South would hesitate about openly invading Franklin. It probably has spillover effects on what happens with West Virginia since along with Kentucky, Franklin is too much of a "neutral" salient into CSA territory.

I don't think they'd rename Franklin "Nickajack", they'd more just annex the relevant counties in Alabama to Franklin as part of Reconstruction and depending on Franklin's borders might carve a bit more out of Tennessee too.

Yeah. But since Franklin would eventually more or less throw its lot with the Union it means they will be able to invade Georgia much sooner and the Confederacy would try to stop this from happening by sending an army to install a puppet government. OTL's East Tennessee had fairly substantial Unionist sentiment alongside the undercurrent of Secessionists.

 

[Arkenfolm]

Yeah. But since Franklin would eventually more or less throw its lot with the Union it means they will be able to invade Georgia much sooner and the Confederacy would try to stop this from happening by sending an army to install a puppet government. OTL's East Tennessee had fairly substantial Unionist sentiment alongside the undercurrent of Secessionists.

I think Franklin would be more moderate than that. If you take OTL, you'd have someone like John Netherland as governor who would hold a moderate stance on the issue and declare neutrality (several counties in East Tennessee voted to secede OTL). Franklin would only take a more active role when it's safe to, later in the war.

 

[Ficboy]

I think Franklin would be more moderate than that. If you take OTL, you'd have someone like John Netherland as governor who would hold a moderate stance on the issue and declare neutrality (several counties in East Tennessee voted to secede OTL). Franklin would only take a more active role when it's safe to, later in the war.

Netherland was a Unionist in OTL. Franklin would basically be a vital part for the Union since it would be the gateway to invade Georgia and for the Confederacy a state that they can't afford to lose due to close proximity to other Southern states of Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and Alabama. Eventually, the Confederates would choose to take Franklin by force in order to stop the Union and install a puppet government.

 

[Corjomc]

If Confederate forces take Franklin (Nickajack) there's no need for a puppet government as it just goes back to being a part of Tennessee.

The irony being that states that are fighting for their right to secede have just stopped another group from doing just that.

How long can the Franklinites hold out in the mountainous terrain?

How big a factor are Pro-Confederacy people in the area?

Can the North link up with the newly declared state?

With both Nickajack and West Virginia breaking away from the Confederacy does any other region follow their example?

Parts of Texas come to mind.

 

[Ficboy]

If Confederate forces take Franklin (Nickajack) there's no need for a puppet government as it just goes back to being a part of Tennessee.

The irony being that states that are fighting for their right to secede have just stopped another group from doing just that.

How long can the Franklinites hold out in the mountainous terrain?

How big a factor are Pro-Confederacy people in the area?

Can the North link up with the newly declared state?

With both Nickajack and West Virginia breaking away from the Confederacy does any other region follow their example?

Parts of Texas come to mind.

If you had Franklin/Nickajack already exist as a separate state from Tennessee since the 1780s assuming if there is a simple majority to admit it into the Union then it won't be absorbed by the latter whatsoever given the vast cultural differences with one being planter-dominated and having fertile soil while the other is a rocky, mountainous place with few slaves.

Plus as explained by @metalinvader665, Franklin would initially stay neutral and eventually throw its lot with the North given that it has Chattanooga a major railroad centre in the South not to mention the state's close proximity to Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and Kentucky. The Confederates would likely overthrow Franklin's Unionist government and replace it with one that is loyal to them. Any secessionists in Franklin/Nickajack would take the advantage of "admitting" it into the Confederacy as the 14th state. Eventually the Union will retake Franklin/Nickajack in an alternate Chickamauga by 1863. Franklin's existence could also lead to western North Carolina attempting to join it for instance and likely other Unionist areas in the South.