Interactive American History

[Dr. Cynic]

Rufus King and Humphrey Marshall

[Reluctant Republican]

Timothy Pickering/John Langdon

[Хahar 🤔]

King/Marshall

[jokerman]

Timothy Pickering/John Langdon

[HappyWarrior]

Rufus King and Humphrey Marshall

[Kaine for Senate '18]

James Madison and Robert Smith

[HappyWarrior]

When we see this TL updated again?

[Wakie]

Hopefully tonight ... busy day at work.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

When we see this TL updated again?

[Wakie]

The Presidential election of 1808 was a referendum on the Democratic and Republican parties.  Since George Washington had left office in 1796, the Executive Branch of government had been dominated by one party.  After the scandals and controversy of the Burr administration, the people were ready for change.  The Federalist Party, which up to this point had been slowly fading into the sun, saw a rebirth in 1808.

Democrats and Republicans had split their national interests between North and South but the Federalists struggled to maintain a balance.  Their Presidential ticket displayed this, selecting a New Yorker and Kentuckian who both opposed slavery but more for economic than moral reasons.

As in 1804 the election ended up going to the House of Representatives and, once again, the House gave the election to the candidate with the majority of the votes.  Rufus King became the 5th President of the United States with Humphrey Marshall as Vice President.


1809

The Federalist Majority
Along with the election of President King came the election of a Federalist majority in Congress.  This majority gave the Federalists the opportunity to press forward with virtually any legislation which they saw fit to pass.

The Non-Intercourse Act, Macon’s Bill, and The French Response
Almost immediately after entering office the Federalist Congress repealed the Embargo Acts and introduced legislation favoring a return to freer trade.  President King softened the foreign policy line the Pickering administration had taken towards Great Britain.

When prominent Republican Nathaniel Macon introduced a bill aimed at trying to stop Britain from seizing American vessels and sailors by forbidding public British vessels from entering American ports, the Federalists defeated it in Congress.  President King argued that his administration was following the advice of George Washington and avoiding entangling itself in the European Wars of the day.

Seeing the changes in American foreign policy, Napoleon authorized French vessels to board American vessels and to arbitrarily impress American sailors.  As a result of having the two great Atlantic naval powers placing a boot on the American throat, trade ground to a near halt and the American economy suffered enormously.

Illinois Territory Organized
On February 3rd, 1809 Congress passed legislation establishing the Illinois Territory.

Majority Rule
When the Presidential Election of 1804 went to the House of Representatives it was thought to be an anomaly.  When it happened again in 1808 it was realized that this may very well be the function of having 3 strong political parties.  The standard course of action for the last two elections had been for the House to award the election to the majority vote holder, but there was no guarantee that this policy would be continued.  Concerned that this may not always be followed, Democrats introduced a Constitutional Amendment to take the House of Representatives out of the equation and give the election to the simple majority winner.  It was defeated after much debate.

The Treaty of Ft Wayne
As part of the United States expansion westward, the governor of the Indiana territory, William Henry Harrison negotiated numerous land cessation treaties with several Indian tribes in the Ohio and Indiana areas.  This culminated in the Treaty of Ft Wayne in which the United States was sold 3,000,000 acres.

Indian spiritual leader Tecumseh was outraged by the treaty and began fomenting resistance to it.  He argued that the lands sold could not be transferred as they belonged to all the tribes.

[Wakie]

 1810

Prohibition on the Import of Slaves
Rufus King had long opposed slavery and believed it was contrary to the political and economic realities of the young nation.  Although he favored emancipation, he wrote that he was willing to “suffer the continuance of slaves until they can be gradually emancipated in states already overrun with them.”

In 1810 President King introduced legislation which would prohibit all future importation of slaves into the United States.  The legislation argued that the slave trade unduly placed a burden on federal resources to protect slave ships from the French and British.  It further argued that a more than ample supply of slaves could be garnered from the descendants of those already in the United States.  Despite opposition from Southern states and the apprehension of many, the Federalist Congress passed the prohibition but agreed to not enact any additional laws impacting the institution of slavery in the states wherein it currently resided.

Expiration of the Charter of the First Bank of the United States
As the charter for the First Bank of the United States approached its date of expiration, many Federalists, led by the party’s Godfather, Alexander Hamilton, pressed for Congress and President King to extend the charter.  Unlike most Federalists though, Rufus King was opposed to the idea of a national bank.  He was more than happy to let the charter expire and the bank dissolve.  Despite warnings that this would only worsen the economic crisis gripping the nation, President King pressured Congress and succeeded in allowing the bank to die.

1811

The Slave Revolt of Charles Deslandes
On January 8, 1811, a man by the name of Charles Deslandes led an unsuccessful slave revolt in parts of the Louisiana Territory (the largest of its kind).  Approximately 500 insurgent slaves marched New Orleans.  They were halted short of their goal by a Planter militia supported by a small detachment of federal troops.  Although the uprising was put down and the leaders of the uprising were killed, pro-Slave Southern politicians argued that it was a direct result of the federal government anti-slave bent.  Recognizing the opportunity, the Republican party begins a gradual move towards being THE pro-slavery party.

Tecumseh’s War
After 2 years of actively fomenting political resistance to the transfer of Indian lands to white settlers, Indian spiritual leader Tecumseh met with the American Governor of the Indiana Territory, William Henry Harrison.  He urged Harrison to return the Indian lands which Harrison refused to do.  Tecumseh left the meeting and began gathering allies to go to war. 

The Battle of Tippecanoe
While Tecumseh was gathering allies, Governor Harrison marched up the Wabash River from Vincennes with a force of 1,000 men.  His goal was to intimidate the Prophet and his followers.  On the way they built Fort Harrison as their base of operations.

On November 6, 1811, Harrison’s army marched on the Indian encampment near Prophetstown.  Tenskwatawa, the Indian leader in Tecumseh’s absence, ordered a preemptive strike against Harrison’s forces.  The attack was repeled and Harrison ordered his men to burn Prophetstown and destroy the Indians’ cooking implements, without which the confederacy could not survive the winter.  Harrison’s troops also desecrated the Indian graveyard.

The defeat of Tecumseh’s men and the fact that the weapons which he said would not harm them did, caused much disgrace for the Prophet.  He fled north into Canada.

The Great Quake of 1811
On December 16, 1811 a massive earthquake strikes the Mississippi Valley and reverses the course of the river for a while.  This is the last major earthquake along this fault line.

1812

Embargo on French Trade
Submitting to pressure from Great Britain, the King administration agreed to introduce an embargo on the import of French goods to the United States.  The reaction within the already economically struggling nation was one of bitter outrage.  Both Democrats and Republicans referred to President King as Britain’s “lapdog”.  Federalists argue that Napoleon is a tyrant and that it is America’s “duty” to resist, if not militarily then at least economically.

In response to the embargo, Napoleon ordered an immediate cessation of all French trade with America.  The result was a brutal blow to each nation’s economy, ultimately spinning the United States towards a Depression.

The Depression of 1812
With the dissolution of the National Bank, the cessation of trade with France, and the continued harassment of American ships by the British, the economy of the United States grinded to a standstill and entered a Depression.

Pro-Slave Republican politicians argued the Depression was caused by the anti-slave policies introduced by the Federalists and the King administration.  Pro-French Democrats argued that the Depression was a result of collaboration with Great Britain.  What was clear was the effect on the American people was devastating.  Widespread foreclosures, unemployment, and slumps in agriculture and manufacturing were the order of the day.

Numerous remedies were proposed, including increases or reduction of tariffs, an end to the embargo, a repeal of the anti-slavery laws, restrictions of bank credit, stricter enforcement of anti-usury laws, and direct relief of debtors.  Ultimately the King administration proposed a series of public works proposals which would be administered by the Federal government.

Napoleonic Wars
In a bid to conquer Russia, Napoleon’s Grande Armee crossed the Niemen River.  The brutality of the Russian campaign is unmatched by anything in military history to this point.  Ultimately though the triple blow of the Russian scorched earth strategy, the defeat of French forces in the Peninsular Campaign, and the economic troubles caused by the United States take their toll on France.  Napoleon decides to withdraw from Russia, resulting in a series of costly defeats along the way.  This represented the turning point in the French domination of Europe. 

Louisiana Petition of Statehood Delayed
In 1812 Louisiana petitioned to become the 18th state to join the United States.  Although it met all of the previously prescribed conditions for statehood, it desired to enter as a slave-state.  This was unacceptable to President King and the Federalist majority in Congress.  Through a series of political maneuvers they delayed the admittance of Louisiana, hoping to force the state to abandon its pro-slave stance.

Republican Louisiana Governor William Claiborne argued that his state must be pro-slave and goes so far as to say that “this nation threw off one king, perhaps it is time to throw off another”.

[Wakie]

Election of 1812

This election will work the same way as the 1808 election.  There are 3 major parties.

The Democrats are more or less the Northern version of the then Democrat-Republican party.  They lean towards favoring the French, opposing slavery, and are mixed about a National Bank.

The Republicans are the Southern version of the then Democrat-Republican party.  They also favor the French, are increasingly pro slavery, and also have mixed views regarding a National Bank.

The Federalists were thought to be dwindling prior to the 1808 election.  Now they have had a resurgence.  They are pro-British, angrily opposed to slavery, and although their roots favored a National Bank their current leadership opposes it.

You will vote once for the candidate from each party (meaning you vote for a Dem, a Repub, and a Federalist).  I'll make suggestions for the candidate but write-ins are always welcome.  Once I announce the winners of each party's nomination we will have the actual election.

Here are my suggested candidates for each party ....

Democrats
Elbridge Gerry
Morgan Lewis
Joseph Bloomfield

Republicans
James Monroe
Samuel Smith
Nathaniel Macon

Federalist Party
Rufus King
Dewitt Clinton
Henry Lee III

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Democrats: Elbridge Gerry
Republicans: James Monroe
Federalist: Rufus King

[Хahar 🤔]

Democrats: Elbridge Gerry
Republicans: James Monroe
Federalist: Rufus King

[Reluctant Republican]

Great to have this one back again Wakie, it's one of my favorites.

Democrats: Elbridge Gerry
Republicans: Nathaniel Macon
Federalist: Rufus King

[HappyWarrior]

Democrats:Morgan Lewis
Republicans:James Monroe
Federalists:Rufus King

[Wakie]

The candidates are selected.  Here is each ticket with an explanation of the VP choice.  Now vote for President.

Democratic Ticket
Elbridge Gerry and John Langdon
Langdon is pretty much the epitome of the Democratic party.

Republican Ticket
James Monroe and Nathaniel Macon
Macon is the epitome of the Republican party.

Federalist Ticket
Rufus King and Humphrey Marshall
Marshall remains at VP.

[Хahar 🤔]

King/Marshall

[Reluctant Republican]

Monroe/Macon

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Monroe/Macon

[HappyWarrior]

Monroe/Macon

[Winspur]

King / Marshall

[TommyC1776]

Monroe/Macon.

[HappyWarrior]

I'm thinking that two of the parties will fuse soon (Democrats and Federalists) because they draw from the same voting bloc.

[Wakie]

I'm thinking that two of the parties will fuse soon (Democrats and Federalists) because they draw from the same voting bloc.

Indeed the only significant difference between the 2 parties is the pro-French vs pro-British leanings.  I suspect the 3-party system will come to a head soon.