American Parliamentary Elections: 1816

(Sorry for the delay, I had no internet the last day and a half).

In the aftermath of the 1811 Double Election, it could have been construed as a defeat for William Findley, the Prime Minister for the last decade. Even though Liberty held onto a small Parliamentary majority, George Washington Parke Custis won the first Presidential election and in that victory, Findley realized that much of his agenda would not pass. So, figuring that he had little time, Findley again pushed through his anti-slavery legislation over the objections of the South and this time, Custis signed it. For the first time, slaves were granted freedom and were allowed to leave the plantations to make their own way under federal protection. Findley and his able assistants Clay and Varnum carried out the process of finding areas for freed slaves to locate. The difficulty of the operation took up most of the parliamentary term.

The Federalists, in the interim had changed names to sound less centralist. Whig was the chosen name and though now adding many southerners to their ranks (thanks to Liberty's poor showing in the south), much of their platform remained the same under their leader Rufus King who proved much more effective in opposition, particularly in terms of Liberty's plans to expand territory, possibly provoking war. With Napoleon now no longer to plague the world, Britain emerged as the undisputed global power. Findley put effort and money into building a larger army and navy in case war came. Western explorers had pushed not only into Indian territory, but British and Spanish as well. With black slaves now free to move also, it created a tinder box situation that eventually led to war in 1813. Britain and America found themselves at war over the Oregon country. With no alliances and in a far weaker position, Findley urged a draft of all able bodied citizens into the regular army, which had until now been a volunteer force. The draft barely passed the House of Representatives and was granted assent by President Custis just as British troops began pouring into the midwest from Canada.

The Whigs adamantly opposed the war and expansion. Business interests suffered with the loss of British markets and Findley's heavy spending produced a massive debt that protectionism couldn't make up for. To this end, Findley proposed a temporary income tax to cease at the end of the war. The bill was defeated by the Whigs, humiliating the government. Findley, now 73 as 1814 came, announced he would not seek another term as Prime Minister and stepped aside in favor of either Joseph Varnum, the Treasury Secretary or Clay, the Foreign Secretary. The Liberty Representatives, keenly aware that Varnum was 63, went with Clay's relative youthfulness and vigor to lead them into the next election. Clay took over as a caretaker PM and war leader. Clay sent John Quincy Adams, not a Representative (Important to Clay as every vote was necessary) to Britain to negotiate a peace treaty as the war in America raged. Clay placed General Andrew Jackson in charge of American forces on Findley's recommendation and Jackson keenly knew how to fight on the frontier. Generals Jackson and William H. Harrison both proved their mettle against British Generals Robert Ross and Edward Pakenham. On the seas though, the Americans, commanded by Oliver Hazard Perry, were often defeated by larger British fleets.

In 1816, Adams and British Foreign Secretary Robert Stewart signed a peace agreement that ceded most of the Oregon country to America in exchange for a large payment and a military alliance, which angered several Liberty Representatives who wished to avoid alliances with Europe as it could end up dragging America into a war it had little interest in. Adams proved a scapegoat and many hawks called the treaty a bad move given that Jackson and Harrison were victorious on the field. It was pointed out that though Americans were victorious in the field, the British were strangling America with her navy and that the peace terms were very beneficial to America. Whigs favored peace with Britain no matter what and didn't raise a stink over the treaty.

With that, Americans went to the polls to choose between the Whigs led by Rufus King of New York or Liberty led by Henry Clay of Kentucky, the current Prime Minister. Two days, peeps.

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