Is it still possible to join the Stormcloaks after joining the Empire?

[Bread]

As the question implies, I joined the Empire, and I've been there up to getting the "Jagged Crown".Suddenly, for some odd reason, I feel bad for the Stormcloaks and want to join their cause.Is this still possible, or is it too late to turn back?

[Semen Reaper]

It's too late. unless you reload a previous save.

[cfs111]

Turn in the crown to the stormcloaks, you'll be good to go.

[Dariken]

My dilemma is that I want to join the Stormcloaks because I agree with a lot of what Ulfric says but I really like the Jarl of Whiterun and don't want to overthrow him, la sigh.

[Valden21]

The choice of which faction to join, if you want to do that, is yours until "The Jagged Crown" is done. Once you have the crown in your possession, you have a choice. If you go to Windhem and turn the crown over to Ulfric, you'll be a Stormcloak. If you go to Solitide and give the crown to Tullius, you're in the Imperial Legion. However, once you turn the crown over to one of them, there's no going back unless you load an older save.

[Sentinel_Wraith]

Originally posted by Dariken:

My dilemma is that I want to join the Stormcloaks because I agree with a lot of what Ulfric says but I really like the Jarl of Whiterun and don't want to overthrow him, la sigh.

Typically you would have to reset the save.

I originally felt sympathetic to the Stormcloaks at the start of my first playthrough, but here's some stuff I dug up that might give you some food for thought about Ulfric's intentions.

Consider this.
#1. Skyrim is historically part of the Empire, regardless of Medes or Septims. The Stormcloaks want to break it off while the Empire is preparing to fight the Thalmor.

#2. The Empire was forced to "ban" Talos worship, but if you do a bit of looking, you find evidence it isn't actively enforced. Rikka worships Talos with General Tullius's knowledge, and he doesn't care; many of the Imperial soldiers carry amulets of Talos. Others in Skyrim note that until Ulfric came around, Thalmor persecution was very uncommon.

#3. The Empire fines you 1000 gold for killing a citizen or a soldier. Killing a Thalmor "ally" nets you a meager 40 gold bounty. "Allies" indeed.

#4. Ulfric Dossier in the main quest makes it very clear that the Stormcloaks were inspired by the Thalmor and strongly suggests that they are being used as a puppet faction to split the empire and giver the Thalmor an excuse to force the Empire to let them into Skyrim.

#5. The Stormcloaks treat non-Nord citizens with arguably racist disdain. Argonians are forced to live outside the city in the docks, Dark Elves in racially segregated slums, Khajiit outside the city, and according to Brenwulf, (the potential Jarl if imperials win), Ulfric actively ignores all non-nord settlements under attack by bandits.