In a church in Columbia, South Carolina, 159 representatives held secret meetings, including planters, bankers, railroad companies presidents, teachers and theologians.

These people have different professions, but they are all loyalists who support slavery and are also state legislators representing the interests of South Carolina.

South Carolina's economy is almost entirely directly or indirectly related to cotton, and the abolition of slavery is believed to greatly weaken South Carolina's economic competitiveness.

They had a fierce debate, and the topic they discussed was nothing more than one - when they would become independent from the United States.

The governor of South Carolina sat in the middle and said to the other 158 representatives: "Silent, the time is ripe. Lincoln is attending the World Expo in the Imperial City of the Ming Empire. He has not returned to Washington yet. This is the best opportunity for our South Carolina to break away from the United States. In the past few years, our South Carolina has secretly purchased and produced tens of thousands of muskets and dozens of artillery from the Ming Empire. We have enough power to drive out all the forces in the state that betrayed South Carolina and ensure freedom in the state."

The delegates were both nervous and excited when they heard the governor's announcement of independence.

As the contradiction between industrial owners and slave owners grew increasingly, the southern and northern states were diverging, and the plot of South Carolina to separate from the United States has lasted for several years. The northern industrial owners also knew this and the industrial owners were going to find ways to negotiate with the southern slave owners.

It’s just that negotiation is a moderate way that cannot solve the problem well. The coexistence of two different economic methods can only lead to one result - war.

"We South Carolina should have legislative powers over the state, and the United States has no power to stumble on the laws enforced in our state, or even interfere with our economy."

“We can mobilize young people in the state to defend our freedom in South Carolina!”

"The factory owners want to take away the labor force of our plantation without considering our South Carolina's feelings and economic interests. They are destroying our economic foundations. For the future of our South Carolina, it is imperative to break away from the United States!"

The MPs present were very angry and they all agreed with the governor's proposal verbally.

One of the state legislators raised an objection: "Governor, according to the agreement between the Ming Empire and our South Carolina, we need to obtain permission from the Ming Empire to incite. Now the Ming Empire seems to think that the preparations are not yet sufficient and has not allowed us to incite. Will our sudden declaration of independence during the Third World Expo interrupt their deployment?"

After being reminded by him, South Carolina deputies calmed down for the time being.

They tried to find help from European powers, but for their purposes, the European powers chose Lincoln and other industrial masters.

Now only the Ming Empire can be regarded as foreign aid.

The governor waved his fists and said, "When the Ming Empire was preparing, Lincoln and his group were preparing. We need to win by surprise. When they most unexpectedly expected, they might achieve better results. There are more factories in New York than us. If we fall into a long-term war, our southern states will suffer too much. Only by upending Lincoln as soon as possible and letting them know our determination to be independent can we avoid a long-term war. Many people in South Carolina have participated in the war with Mexico. I firmly believe that the war can end within three months!"

The South Carolina governor yelled excitedly, and he was so excited that he spitted everywhere.

Other South Carolina lawmakers were stimulated by intensified conflicts and the governor's speech, and they became noisy again, demanding that they break away from the rule of the United States as soon as possible.

"Now we are voting. If the vote is passed, our South Carolina will declare independence from the outside world. Please make a careful choice! After South Carolina is independent, more like-minded states will break away from the United States together with our like-minded states, and we will form a new country - the Union!"

Seeing that the time was ripe, the governor made a speech even more excited, which made everyone present infected by this emotion. Some state assemblymen who were hesitant to wait for the signal of the Ming Empire also decided to start a crime immediately.

It seems that as long as South Carolina has made sufficient preparations, it only takes three months to thwart the United States' armed interference in South Carolina and other slave states.

In this secret meeting in South Carolina, all 159 lawmakers in attendance voted for independence, and none of them chose to surrender to the factory owners of the Northern Federation.

"From now on, I will inform all regions by telegram in the name of the Governor of South Carolina that South Carolina will be separated from the United States and discuss the establishment of North American alliances with Mississippi, Florida and other states! We will mobilize young men in the state to occupy all the fortresses in the state and expel all the troops loyal to the United States!"

Under the premise that the state wants, South Carolina officially kicked off the Civil War!

News of South Carolina's independence spread to all parties through telegram from the City of Columbia, and North America was in a hurry.

The South Carolina Assembly mobilized young men from South Carolina to take out the arms that the Ming Empire secretly aided them in the past few years, and soon pulled up thousands of militias. They confiscated all the land and assets of the United States in various parts of the state and sounded the horn of independence.

Some people who were still loyal to the United States fled to the north, and militias from South Carolina entered one fort after another, gradually controlling the entire state.

Other states in the south that support slavery were stunned when they saw South Carolina suddenly declared independence.

"Is South Carolina crazy?! Didn't it mean that we waited for the Ming Empire to make sufficient assistance to declare independence before declaring our independence?! All deployments are now destroyed!"

When state legislators in Virginia learned that South Carolina was the first to attack, they could only temporarily convene the state legislature to discuss the separation from the United States.

Mississippi, Florida, Alabama and other states have to make timely changes due to the attack in South Carolina.

The most shocking thing was the United States. They did not expect that some southern states would come to declare their separation from the rule of the United States to various places.
Chapter completed!