NYC Considered Leaving the Union With the Confederacy

How greed fueled a fever dream of corruption and independence

19th-century painting of New York City (Public domain)

South Carolina officially seceded from the Union on December 20th, 1860, the first state to do so. Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama all seceded on January 9th, 10th, and 11th respectively in 1861. This is all well-trodden history. What most people do not know, is that sandwiched in those first chaotic weeks of January 1861 was a push for New York City to join the party and secede from the Union as well.

On January 6th, 1861, mere days before the rest of the south began formalizing their secession from the Union, Fernando Wood, the mayor of New York City at the time, put in an impassioned plea to the city council to follow suit and secede as well.

Mayor Wood made many speeches promoting the idea of an independent city of New York saying:

“[W]hy should not New York City… become also equally independent? As a free city…she would have the whole and united support of the Southern States.”

And also intoning:

“When Disunion has become a fixed and certain fact, why may not New York disrupt the bands which bind her to a venal and corrupt master — to a people and a party that have plundered her revenues, attempted to ruin her, take…