How New York City Tried to Secede From the Union

The plot that could have changed American history

Panorama of New York City, 1873 (public domain)

We’re all taught in school that South Carolina was the first state to officially secede from the Union after Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860. But which part of the country was second? You may be surprised to learn that it could have been New York City. Two days before Mississippi became the…