Alternate US History (1788 onwards)

[West_Midlander]

1888: The US recognizes the white Canadian areas in Western Canada as belonging to the UK. (Including NW Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut and eastward)

Baja California
belonging to the United States since the Mexican-American War. Under the legal jurisdiction of the state of California since 1850.
Notably Tijauna and La Paz are American ITTL.

American New Brunswick
belonging to the United States since the War of 1812
Fredericton and Saint John are American.

Western United States
belonging to the United States since the War of 1812
Vancouver and Victoria are American. As the Southern strip of Western Canada is American (South is where Canada's population is) Canada has a lot less population ITTL.

American Ontario
belonging to the United States since the War of 1812
Chatham Kent, London, and Niagra Falls are American. Hamilton and Kitchener are built up as Canadian military fortresses as they are the major entrances into Southern Canada (for a potential American invasion force).

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Same map but easier to edit, courtesy of Turquoise Blue from AH.com:

[West_Midlander]

Same map but easier to edit, courtesy of Turquoise Blue from AH.com:

Wow this is awesome.

"The United States of America in 1888"

[West_Midlander]

Bogged down with school work rn but I look forward to continuing this as soon as I have some free time. Stay tuned y'all!

[West_Midlander]

No Chief Justice (1835)
The Taney Court (1836-1864)
18. Fmr. Rep. Gabriel Duvall (W-MD) (1811-1844)
19. Fmr. Rep. Joseph Story (W-MA) (1811-1845)
20. Sec. Smith Thompson (W-NY) (1823-1843)
22. Sec. John McLean (W-OH) (1826-1861)
23. Rep. James Wayne (D-GA) (1836-1867)
24. Fmr. Rep. Henry Baldwin (D-PA) (1836-1844)
25. Replacing John Marshall (died) — Fmr. Sec. Roger B. Taney (D-MD)* (1836-1864)
25. New seat — Sec. Levi Woodbury (D-NH) (1837-1851)
26. New seat — Mr. Samuel Nelson (D-NY) (1837-1873)
27. Replacing Smith Thompson (died) — Rep. Alexander Ramsey (R-PA) (1843-1902)
28. Replacing Gabriel Duvall (died) — Sen. George Evans (W-ME) (1844-1867)
29. Replacing Henry Baldwin (died) — Mr. Benjamin Robbins Curtis (W-MA) (1844-1874)
30. Replacing Joseph Story (died) — Mr. Daniel D. Pratt (R-IN) (1845-1877)
31. Replacing Levi Woodbury (died) — Mr. John Catron (D-PA) (1851-1865)
32. Replacing John McLean (died) — Mr. Noah Haynes Swayne (R-VA) (1861-1884)
*denotes Chief Justice

In a move to heal the country, Whig President Harrison nominates Taney, a Democrat, to lead the court. This led to low Whig turnout and a landslide loss for the incumbent President in 1836 (also due to the desertion of the Whig Congressional Leaders who blamed Harrison for losing their majorities in Congress in the midterms).

In 1837, as in OTL, the Supreme Court expands to include 9 justices. Van Buren nominates Woodbury and Nelson to those new seats.

President Henry Clay nominates Ramsey to the court. Ramsey becomes the youngest SCOTUS justice ever (aged 28). Clay also nominates Evans and Curtis. Curtis doesn't resign from the court in 1857. The Dredd Scott case is different, instead of 2-7 against, the Supreme Court finds in favor of Dred Scott 5-4, along party lines.

Clay nominates Pratt to the Supreme Court and conservative Whig President Millard Fillmore nominates Democrat John Catron to the court. Abraham Lincoln nominates Swayne to the court.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

My God, the boy was Justice for 60 years?!

[West_Midlander]

My God, the boy was Justice for 60 years?!

Yep.

[West_Midlander]

SCOTUS updates coming momentarily!

[West_Midlander]

Any suggestions, comments, etc. so far...or for future updates?

[West_Midlander]

The Ramsey Court (1864-1902)
23. Rep. James Wayne (D-GA) (1836-1867)
26. Mr. Samuel Nelson (D-NY) (1837-1873)
27. Rep. Alexander Ramsey (R-PA)* (1843-1902)
28. Sen. George Evans (W-ME) (1844-1867)
29. Mr. Benjamin Robbins Curtis (W-MA) (1844-1874)
30. Mr. Daniel D. Pratt (R-IN) (1845-1877)
31. Mr. John Catron (D-PA) (1851-1865)
32. Mr. Noah Haynes Swayne (R-VA) (1861-1884)
33. New seat — Mr. Samuel Freeman Miller (R-KY) (1864-1890)
34. Taney's seat — Mr. David Davis (R-MD) (1864-1886)
35. Catron's seat — Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California Stephen Johnson Field (R-CA) (1865-1899)
36. Wayne's seat — Sec. Salmon P. Chase (R-OH) (1867-1873)
37. New seat — Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals Ward Hunt (R-NY) (1873-1888)
38. New seat — Mr. Joseph P. Bradley (R-NY) (1873-1892)
39. Curtis' seat — Fmr. Rep. William Strong (R-PA) (1874-1895)
40. Pratt's seat — Fmr. Kentucky A.G. John Marshall Harlan (R-KY) (1877-1911)
41. Swayne's seat — Gov. Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II (D-GA) (1877-1893)
42. Davis' seat — Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Horace Gray (R-MA) (1886-1902)
*denotes Chief Justice

1863: The Supreme Court is expanded to ten justices.

1864: Lincoln appoints Miller to the Court. Ramsey is elevated to the position of Chief Justice.

1865: Lincoln nominates Field. Congress passes a law under the advice of Justice Salmon P. Chase, this stipulates that the next three justices' seats vacated will not be filled, reducing the court to seven members by attrition.

1873: With the support of Chief Justice Ramsey (and Chase dead), a law passes Congress, to restore the Court to nine justices. Ramsey wanted to restore the Court to its full ten, or more, but Congress wanted a tie-breaking odd number. President Sherman nominates Hunt, Bradley and Strong to the Court.

1877: Jewell nominates John Marshall Harlan, who is confirmed by the outgoing Congress in early January. With the Senate in Democratic hands, Jewell has to fill the vacany with a Democrat. Greenbacks help push through Georgia Governor and Confederate army veteran, Cincinnatus Lamar II. His ascension to the Court ends four years (1873-1877) of a fully Republican Supreme Court. (Given the Republican administrations (& Democratic IRL) of this period, Lamar II never becomes a cabinet secretary, but instead becomes Governor of Georgia).

1886: President Sherman, back in office, nominates Gray.

[West_Midlander]

The Ramsey Court (1864-) (As of 1890)
27. Rep. Alexander Ramsey (R-PA)* (1843-1902)
33. Mr. Samuel Freeman Miller (R-KY) (1864-1890)
35. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California Stephen Johnson Field (R-CA) (1865-1899)
37. Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals Ward Hunt (R-NY) (1873-1888)
38. Mr. Joseph P. Bradley (R-NY) (1873-1892)
39. Fmr. Rep. William Strong (R-PA) (1874-1895)
40. Fmr. Kentucky A.G. John Marshall Harlan (R-KY) (1877-1911)
41. Gov. Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II (D-GA) (1877-1893)
42. Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Horace Gray (R-MA) (1886-1902)
43. Hunt's seat — Judge of the United States Circuit Court for the Eighth Circuit David Josiah Brewer (R-KS) (1888-1910)
44. Miller's seat — Mr. Melville Fuller (D-ME) (1890-1910)
*denotes Chief Justice
1888: Brewer is nominated by Sherman. Fun fact: Brewer was actually born in the Ottoman Empire.
1890: Sherman crosses the political aisle and nominates Democrat Melville Fuller to set up a bipartisan tone for the 1892 campaign.

[West_Midlander]

The US House of Representatives (elected 1890)
Democrats: 200 (+74)
Republicans: 132 (-74)
[DEMOCRATIC GAIN]

The US Senate (elected 1890)
Republicans: 38* (-7)
Democrats: 38 (+7)
*Hawley's tie-breaking vote gives the Republicans control of the Senate.
[REPUBLICAN HOLD]

After losing the House of Representatives, President Sherman announces he will not seek a fourth term.

[West_Midlander]

The Democratic Candidates, 1892
Horace Boies, the populist Governor of Iowa, is the Democratic frontrunner.

Grover Cleveland disappoints supporters by announcing he will not contest the nomination.

Senator Arthur Gorman announces, to take Cleveland's base among Democrats.

Adlai Stevenson urges Richard Bland to run. John G. Carlisle does the same.
The party Silverites and Westerners unite behind Richard Bland.

[West_Midlander]

The Republican Candidates, 1892

William McKinley announces a run for the presidency.

The leading imperialist in the Republican party, Henry Cabot Lodge, announces.

Robert Todd Lincoln announces a run for the presidency.

President Sherman has decided to pursue the nomination. He goes back on his word (about not running), proclaiming the need for experienced leadership.

[West_Midlander]

The Democratic primaries, 1892
Bland quickly overtook Boies in the Democratic race, taking a huge lead, capitalizing on his experience and Boies having only been in the Governor's chair (in Iowa) for two years. Bland also brands Boies as a carpetbagger and a flip-flopper, being a son of New York and former incumbent there and having only left the Republicans for the Democrats in 1880. A month before the convention.
Boies still stood at ten points behind Bland. Boies had made up significant ground, drawing over urbanites who stood with Cleveland and fell behind Bland after Cleveland declined to run. Bland's base was a shaky one, with his only reliable demographic being the farmer-silverites of the West. The race was a tossup.

[West_Midlander]

Republican primaries, 1892
Less than two weeks out from the convention, McKinley had wasted away a large lead. Sherman had been at the bottom of the field, announcing late, turning his back on his own words, and seemingly failing the party in the 1880 midterms. Capitalizing on bipartisanship (the SCOTUS nominee) and experience, Sherman is a whisker behind McKinley, and Lincoln just behind him.

It seems increasingly likely that there will be a contested convention, a three-way tie nearly, with Lodge's campaign dead-on-arrival given the stiff opposition. The party base stood in fear of the convention result due to the likely possibility of one of two outcomes. Either Sherman loyalists, managing the primaries in the West and Plains (McKinley, Lincoln states) and only having Sherman on the ballot, leading to a forced nominee or a contested convention could rip the party apart, or divide it so much as to ensure a loss in the general election.

[West_Midlander]

Republican Convention, 1892

The primary results are announced at the Republican convention.

Lincoln scores several surprise victories in the South and a major victory in Illinois. Lincoln narrowly wins Maine.

Lodge narrowly wins Michigan.

As the results are announced, McKinley is behind until his Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming "victories." The McKinley states listed had very low turnout and he was the only candidate on the ballot in those states.

In more than half the state primaries, Sherman's allies ensured he wouldn't face opposition in those contests. (Democratic officials in charge of those primaries, simply didn't include anyone but Sherman on the ballots).

[X] Sherman
Lincoln
McKinley
Lodge
Due to the voter disenfranchisement in McKinley states, he fell behind Lincoln in the delegate count and dead last in the popular vote.

[West_Midlander]

Democratic National Convention, 1892
The latest estimates, taken 6 days before the primaries, showed Boies still five points behind Bland with 18% of Democrats undecided. Bland, at that point, was expected to receive more than enough delegates to win.

Result highlights, announced by the DNC Chairman:
"Gorman wins Alabama!"

"California goes to Bland! By a 1% margin!"

"Boies wins Colorado with a stunning turnout. 73% of the vote!"

"A good showing in the South as Bland takes Georgia and Florida, after Arkansas."

"Boies takes Idaho with a 90% margin"

"Bland, a stunning victory for him in Illinois"

"A wonderful showing in Kansas. Gorman takes 99.2% of the vote!"

Much later: "Despite a strong showing in the West, and picking off several states in the Eastern United States, it appears that Governor Boies has fallen short."

"Richard Bland is the nominee for President!"

[X] Bland
Boies
Gorman

[West_Midlander]

Sherman chooses Henry Cabot Lodge as his running mate in an attempt to unify the party.

Richard Bland chooses Sen. David B. Hill as his running mate.

Seeing the populist Democrat, Boies, knocked out in the primary, Weaver gears up again to run on the Populist ticket. He chooses Leonidas Polk as his running mate.

Bidwell and Cranfill run together on the Prohibition party ticket.

[West_Midlander]

The Democrats
Sec. Richard Bland (D-MO) / Sen. David B. Hill (D-NY)

The Republicans
Pres. John Sherman (R-OH) / Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge (R-MA)

The Populists
Gov. James B. Weaver (P-OH)* / Fmr. Bishop of Louisiana (P-LA)

*Weaver became the Governor of Ohio following a wave of popularity after serving in Seymour's cabinet and leading Greenbacks in the House until 1887. With Boies gearing up a campaign for Governor in Iowa, he returned to his native Ohio to run.
The Prohibition Partiers
Fmr. Rep. John Bidwell (P-CA) / Rev. James B. Cranfill (P-TX)

[West_Midlander]

United States presidential election, 1892

Bland is elected in a landslide, though the Populists do well. The Populist storm most of the West and take Alabama by 0.4% in a major upset. The Prohibition Party scores significant support in the popular vote.

[West_Midlander]

Weaver became the Governor of Ohio following a wave of popularity after serving in Seymour's cabinet and leading Greenbacks in the House until 1887. With Boies gearing up a populist campaign for Governor in Iowa, he returned to his native Ohio to run (instead of challenging a populist candidate, like him, for the position).

Ohio Gubernatorial election, 1887
James B. Weaver (Progressive): 256,700 (33.86%)
Joseph B. Foraker (Republican): 256,534 (33.84%)
Thomas E. Powell (Democratic): 240,205 (31.7%)
John Seitz (Union-Labor): 4,711 (6.2%)

[West_Midlander]

The Ramsey Court (1864-) (As of 1892)
27. Rep. Alexander Ramsey (R-PA)* (1843-1902)
35. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California Stephen Johnson Field (R-CA) (1865-1899)
38. Mr. Joseph P. Bradley (R-NY) (1873-1892)
39. Fmr. Rep. William Strong (R-PA) (1874-1895)
40. Fmr. Kentucky A.G. John Marshall Harlan (R-KY) (1877-1911)
41. Gov. Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II (D-GA) (1877-1893)
42. Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Horace Gray (R-MA) (1886-1902)
43. Judge of the United States Circuit Court for the Eighth Circuit David Josiah Brewer (R-KS) (1888-1910)
44. Mr. Melville Fuller (D-ME) (1890-1910)
45. Bradley's seat — Mr. George Shiras Jr. (R-PA) (1892-1924)
*denotes Chief Justice
1892: President Sherman, in his final year, nominates Shiras Jr.

[West_Midlander]

The US House of Representatives (elected 1892)
Democrats: 194 (-6)
Republicans: 130 (-2)
Populists: 32 (+32)
[DEMOCRATIC HOLD]

The US Senate (elected 1892)
Democrats: 42 (+4)
Republicans: 29 (-9)
Populists: 5 (+5)
[DEMOCRATIC GAIN]
With the candidacy of Richard 'Silver Dick' Bland, the Silver Party never forms. The silverites mostly vote straight-Democratic on their ballots, to help Bland in Congress if he got elected.
The Populist Party forms as a left wing alternative after Boies lost the nomination, with most of their supporters being former Greenbacks. The party fielded Weaver and ran many candidates for lower office.
The Readjuster Party (center-left, biracial coalition, populist, Virginia-based) disbands and merges with the Populists, giving them considerable infrastructure in Virginia.

[West_Midlander]

President Bland's Cabinet
Secretary of State

Fmr. Sen. Thomas F. Bayard (D-DE)
confirmed 45-31
Secretary of the Treasury

Fmr. A.G. of New York Charles S. Fairchild (I-NY)
confirmed 50-26
Secretary of War
(No picture available)
Rev. Charles H. Martin (Populist-NC)
approved 44-32
Attorney General

Gov. Horace Boies (D-IA)
confirmed 76-0
Postmaster General

Fmr. Sen John Coit Spooner (R-WI)
confirmed 65-3 (6 Abstained, 1 Absent)
Secretary of the Navy

Rep. Hilary A. Herbert (D-AL)
confirmed 60-16
Secretary of the Interior

Gov. David R. Francis (D-MO)
confirmed 75-1
Secretary of Agriculture

Fmr. Acting Gov. Julius Sterling Morton (D-NE)
confirmed 39-38
Bland nominates a politically diverse cabinet, including the Populist Vice Presidential nominee,
 his main opponent in the primaries, Boies, and a fellow son of Missouri, Gov. Francis. He also nominates a Republican to a token position and Morton, out of politics since he was the Acting Nebraska Governor in 1861, required Henry Cabot Lodge's tie-breaking vote in the Senate.