Alternate US History (1788 onwards)

[West_Midlander]

President Richard Bland's Second Cabinet

Vice President William Jennings Bryan
(pictured, being carried by supporters after giving his Cross of Gold Speech following President Bland's acceptance speech in 1896.)

Secretary of State
SoS Thomas F. Bayard resigned the day after Election Day in order to return to private life. Governor Robert E. Pattison, the delegate leader in the primaries and major surrogate for President Bland, is appointed to fill the vacancy. He is approved by the Congress in late November 1896 by a margin of 68-20.

Governor Robert E. Pattison (D-PA)
Attorney General
Sitting Attorney General Horace Boies is confirmed 87-3 in February.

Attorney General Horace Boies (D-IA)
Secretary of the Treasury
Representative James Gunn is appointed Treasury Secretary as a thank-you to the Populists for giving the Democrats the Speakership in the House. He is confirmed 50-40 with all Republicans and a few Democrats voting against, citing a "corrupt bargain" on the House Speakership.

Congressman James Gunn (P-ID)
Secretary of the Army
Incumbent Secretary of War Charles H. Martin is kept in his current position. If not for the Democratic-Populist affiliation in the House, he might've been removed in favor of one of Bland's Democratic allies. He is confirmed 60-28.
(No image available)
Secretary of War Charles H. Martin (P-NC)
Secretary of the Navy
Herbert stays on for another four years. He is confirmed 86-4.

Secretary of the Navy Hilary A. Herbert (D-AL)
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary Francis is confirmed for the second time by the Senate, with a large majority of 85-2.

Secretary of the Interior David R. Francis (D-MO)
Secretary of Agriculture
Bland keeps his Agriculture Secretary on for his second term. Morton is confirmed 88-0.

Secretary of Agriculture Julius Sterling Morton (D-NE)
Postmaster General
Spooner is confirmed for another term, 72-0, with many not bothering to show to vote at all.

Postmaster General John Coit Spooner (R-WI)

[West_Midlander]

Major Ambassadorships
United States Ambassador to Spain
The imperialist Senator and former Republican running mate is tapped to serve as the country's chief diplomat to Spain. His aims certainly don't help when tensions rise with Spain in 1898. At the time, Lodge will be confirmed 90-0.

Senator Henry Cabot Lodge (R-MA)
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
As promised, the former Vice President under Bland (1893-1897) is given the country's chief ambassadorship. Hill is confirmed 90-0.

Former Vice President David Hill (D-NY)

[West_Midlander]

January 8th, 1898
Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii, overthrown by the United States, forms a government in exile in Spain.

[West_Midlander]

January 15th, 1898
Ambassador to Spain, Henry Cabot Lodge, pushes Washington for action.
February 1st, 1898
US ships depart from Washington, D.C. for Cuba. The USS Maine departs from Cuba for Florida, to wait for the rest of the American Fleet to arrive.
February 8th, 1898
Already under American control, Queen Liliuokalani's Iolani Palace is stormed by American troops and occupied. Queen Liliuokalani is not in the palace, having fled to Spain months earlier. The American flag is raised at the palace. The United States officially annexes Hawaii.

[West_Midlander]

February 19th, 1898
The Government of Spain calls out American aggression.
February 20th, 1898
Amb. Henry Cabot Lodge speaks in Madrid in an official address to the Government of Spain: "Why does the Spanish nation stand for this hypocrisy? For preventing another civilized nation from joining the ranks of the world's great expansionist nations, of which Spain is a member?"
February 22nd, 1898
Amb. Henry Cabot Lodge is now considered a Persona non grata in Spain.
February 23rd, 1898
The United States Government evacuates the Madrid embassy, closing it.
March 17th, 1898
An official declaration of war is submitted to the Spanish embassy in Washington, D.C. After receiving the declaration and sending it to Madrid, the diplomats are to leave the United States in American custody, and to be delivered to the British consulate in Canada.

[West_Midlander]

June 2nd, 1898

Spain Surrenders. The United States occupies Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines.

[West_Midlander]

June 15th, 1898 -- following the death of President Richard Parks Bland
I, William Jennings Bryan, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help me God.

June 18th, 1898
Newly confirmed (90-0) Vice President Arthur Sewall takes office.

[West_Midlander]

The Treaty of Paris, 1898
Ratified by the Senate 47-40 on June 19th, 1898
Signed June 20th, 1898
I. The Kingdom of Spain shall do the following effective immediately.
     1. Cede the island of Cuba to the United States.
     2. Cede Puerto Rico and all other Caribbean possessions to the United States of America.
     3. Cede the island of Guam to the United States.
     4. Cede the Philippine Islands to the United States
II. The Kingdom of Spain shall be made a payment of twenty million dollars.
III. A state of peace shall henceforth exist between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain.


President of the United States of America, William Jennings Bryan

Robert Emory Pattison
Secretary of State of the United States of America, Robert Emory Pattison

Alfonso XIII
King of Spain, Alfonso XIII


Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Spain, Antonio Cánovas del Castillo


President Bryan announced the treaty signing, and gains secured in that document. He also said he would keep on President Bland's cabinet for the remainder of the current term. (Note: The treaty proposal passed the Senate with a thin majority due to nationalists fervor that prevented many from voting for an agreement that would have the United States giving anything to Spain (money in Article II)).

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Bland dies a year earlier ITTL?

[West_Midlander]

Bland dies a year earlier ITTL?

I think the stress of the Presidency and war could do it. He had been moderately sick for a few years iirc and left office in 1895 IOTL.

EDIT: Thought I did mistake that 9 for an 8, intending for him to die when he did IOTL, originally (1899). Now I kind of like the drama of political turmoil and a new president while peace negotiations are ongoing.

[West_Midlander]

In order to calm some of the Imperialist sentiments in the nation, President Bryan moves to and succeeds in annexing Wake Island and Samoa (later American Samoa) before the close of the year. (Wake Island was acquired in 1899 IOTL and the first cessions of part of American Samoa began in 1900 IOTL).

[West_Midlander]

The US House of Representatives (elected 1898)
Republicans: 205 (+39)
Democrats: 128 (-11)
Populists: 24 (-28)
[REPUBLICANS TAKE MAJORITY]
Bryan allies are worried about 1900. The Republican party leaders slammed Bryan saying "He's a good man, but he can't lead. Don't elect another Congress to help him." The Populists lost more than half their House seats due to a growing sentiment pushed by the Republicans that the Populists subverted the will of the people by partnering with the smaller party (the Democrats) from 1897-1899 for control of the House. The Republicans cite the extra major cabinet position Bland gave the Populists. A major argument is made that Populists are Democrats-in-all-but-name.
The US Senate (elected 1898)
Democrats: 40 (-4)
Republicans: 40 (+6)
Populists: 10 (-2)
[NO MAJORITY, DEMOCRATS LOSE CONTROL]
Democrats and Greenbacks do decent in holding on due to the non-direct election of Senators. The Greenbacks refuse to caucus with either party in order to minimize losses in the next elections.

[West_Midlander]

The Ramsey Court (1864-) (As of 1899)
27. Rep. Alexander Ramsey (R-PA)* (1843-1902)
35. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California Stephen Johnson Field (R-CA) (1865-1899)
40. Fmr. Kentucky A.G. John Marshall Harlan (R-KY) (1877-1911)
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. Mr. George Shiras Jr. (R-PA) (1892-1924)
46. Sen. Edward Douglass White (D-LA) (1893-1921)
47. Mr. Rufus Wheeler Peckham (D-NY) (1895-1909)
48. Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (I-MA)
 (1899-1935)
*denotes Chief Justice
Chief Justice Ramsey must be thinking to himself. "Wow, my colleagues are dropping off like flies!" as the 21st Justice following himself takes office.
Holmes Jr. takes his seat on the court after Bryan nominates the nonpartisan judge. Holmes passes the Senate 89-0.

[West_Midlander]

The United States of America in 1899

US States
US Territory
Federal District

[West_Midlander]

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

[MAINEiac4434]

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

Continue and don’t ever stop

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

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

Continue and don’t ever stop

[West_Midlander]

Thank y'all!

[West_Midlander]

"We came so close to the Presidency just four short years ago. We've taken the House and have tied the Senate. I know we will win this time if I am your nominee. This is our election to win!"
-- Former Governor William McKinley (R-OH) in Columbus, OH, January 6th, 1900

The McKinley campaign begins to gear up. "President Bland led us to victory against Spain. Mr. Bryan just signed on the dotted line. We are talking about a man so inept even waving the bloody shirt of our fallen President couldn't salvage the Democratic Congress. Mr. Bryan will lead us off the path of prosperity if you give him another four. We are not talking about the man you elected back in 1896. Richard Bland was a great man of great fortitude. William Jennings Bryan is not that man. Elect a real leader for sound policy and sound leadership." -- William McKinley speaking to a crowd in Indiana, January 15th, 1900

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Isn't McKinley from Ohio?

[West_Midlander]

Isn't McKinley from Ohio?

Yep. I had Roosevelt on the mind.

[West_Midlander]

"I am announcing my intent to pursue the Republican nomination for President of these United States." -- Governor Theodore Roosevelt (R-NY) in Albany, NY -- January 20th, 1900

"Yes, I'm running!" -- President Bryan issued a few brief statements to supporters in Washington, D.C. on January 25th, 1900

"Consolidating the progressive voter base, currently relegated to the Populist Party, into the Grand Old Party will allow us to take back the Presidency and sweep Congress in 1900! I'm running for a Progressive Republican Party and a Progressive Republican America!" -- Governor Robert La Follette (R-WI) in Madison, WI on January 30th, 1900

Chants of "Fighting Bob! Fighting Bob!" were heard after the Governor finished speaking.

[West_Midlander]

In Buffalo, NY on February 2nd, 1900, Grover Cleveland (D-NY) announced that he is contesting the nomination.

On February 4th, William Randolph Hearst entered the Democratic primaries.

On February 5th, Eugene Debs, Socialist and labor organizer, endorsed Hearst for President.

On February 9th, Admiral George Dewey entered the race as a Democrat.

[West_Midlander]

Theodore Roosevelt in Columbus, Ohio on February 10th
"Mr. McKinley has run twice for President and lost both times. I'm afraid to inform that Governor McKinley is selling you snake oil. He may say, "We almost made it. Third time's the charm." but I believe we cannot leave the race up to luck or chance. We need results, for all of us. I provided said results, when my Rough Riders and I stormed Cuba. It took a fellow Republican, Henry Cabot Lodge, to ignite the Splendid Little War and bring glory to the United States. We need Republicans of action in power, and Mr. McKinley is not a man of action."

[West_Midlander]

June 21st, 1900 -- Republican Primary Day
516 delegates to win

90% PV - William McKinley - 1004 delegates
2.8% - Robert La Follette - 26 delegates
7.2% - Theodore Roosevelt - 0 delegates
Note: McKinley received 100% in Arkansas as he was the only candidate on the ballot.
La Follette won his state in a plurality and Roosevelt only took 30+% in his home state. McKinley was such an enormous frontrunner with such support from the party infrastructure that his nomination was inevitable. McKinley supporters went on to blame Roosevelt's loss on his own attacks on McKinley.