Interactive American History

[HappyWarrior]

Burr/Pickering

[Lief 🗽]

Burr/Pickering

[Kaine for Senate '18]

John Jay and Charles Coatesworth Pinckney

[Хahar 🤔]

Jay/Pinckney

[Hash]

Madison/Smith

[Reluctant Republican]

Jay/Pinckney

[HappyWarrior]

When will you update again?  I like this TL

[Meeker]

How does one pronounce "Pinckney"? I was never sure if my US history teacher was saying it right.

[Wakie]

When will you update again?  I like this TL

I was kinda hoping to get more votes but it looks like we have a winner.  I'm busy at work today but I'll write up something tonight and post it.

[HappyWarrior]

btw, what about this is different from history so far(Besides the presidents)

[Wakie]

btw, what about this is different from history so far(Besides the presidents)

Differences by President

Washington 1787-1796 - Nothing different aside from the VP's and the names on certain treaties.  Adams called the Vice-Presidency the most useless position ever created and Washington treated it and him as such.  I see no reason he wouldn't do the same to Hancock and Jefferson (the 2 VP's from this timeline).

Jefferson 1797-1800 - TJ replaces John Adams as President.  As TJ was a well-known Franco-phile it eliminates the XYZ Affair and the Alien-Sedition Acts.  This has long-ranging effects that include the, as of yet, lack of an established precident for judicial review.  It also eliminates the little undeclared war between the US and France which happened.  West Point is established a little earlier and the groundwork for the Louisiana Purchase is set forward sooner.

Burr 1801-1804 - The biggest thing is the split in the Democratic-Republican party.  There is also the early stirring of problems over the slavery question.  There is no Burr-Hamilton Duel (as Burr isn't involved in NY politics to get upset).  And we have arguably the first abuse of Presidential authority by Burr (awarding government contracts to his own business interests).

[jokerman]

Burr/Pickering

[HappyWarrior]

One more vote to decide who wins.

[TommyC1776]

Burr/Pickering.

[Wakie]

The Presidential election of 1804 saw a 3-way battle between the split Democratic and Republican parties and the weakened Federalist party.  Support for the Federalist party had already waned significantly.  Many former Federalists had begun to defect to the Democratic party.  The old rivalry of Jefferson and Hamilton continued to drive the Federalist and Republican parties to strictly oppose each other.  In the end this was their joint undoing.

Although when votes were finally tallied President Burr had the most, he did not have the majority of greater than 50% needed to win reelection and so it fell to the House of Representatives.  In an all-night marathon meeting, members of the House from all three parties discussed the wisdom of future course of action for the country.  It was determined that for the good of the country it was necessary to award the election to the individual with the majority and, as such, President Aaron Burr won reelection with Timothy Pickering as his Vice President.

1805

Michigan Territory Created
In January of 1805 the United States Congress established the Michigan Territory.

The Barbary War – Battle of Derne
For several years the Barbary War between the United States and the Barbary States had raged with little decisive action.  The Barbary States though were exhausted from the war.  The American Government had decided to support the plan of General William Eaton to back the claim of Hamet Karamanli to the throne of Tripoli.  Eaton sought him out in Egypt and together they formulated a plan to place him on the throne.

With a force of Christian American soldiers and Muslim mercenaries, General Eaton led assaults on the Libyan cities of Derne and Bomba.  With Tripoli on its heals and about to capitulate, General Eaton was stunned to learn that American diplomats had privately negotiated a settlement and end to the war which didn’t include consideration for his Muslim allies.  Eaton returned to the United States, a national hero.

The Pike Expedition
In July of 1805, President Burr authorized Army Captain Zebulon Pike to lead an exploration of the south and west of the Louisiana Transfer.  The President told Captain Pike that all territory and peoples he would encounter would now be under the protectorate of the United States of America.

Along the early stages of their exploits, Captain Pike led his men beyond American territory and strayed into the lands controlled by Spain.  There they encountered a Pawnee village and announced (as per his directorate from the President) that it was now under the protectorship of the United States government.  He furthermore ordered the removal of a Spanish flag therein and its replacement with an American flag.  This seemingly simple act though enraged the local Spanish soldiers who were still in the area and wandered onto the village several days later.

Eventually Captain Pike and his men were apprehended by Spanish soldiers and imprisoned.  However, knowing of the strong alliance between the United States and France, the Spanish Governor was reluctant to hold a military officer of the neighboring country and repatriated Pike and his men.  Spain protested the violation of their territory, but Burr publicly called it a simple mistake and privately expressed his lack of respect for European authority in the Americas.

1806

The National Road
In 1751 the Ohio Company had opened a road spanning the expanse between the Potomac and Ohio Rivers.  Since the inception of the new nation there had been proposals to expand on this road and replace segments of it.  Finally, on March 29, 1806 President Burr authorized the construction of what came to be known as The National Road.

The Dayton Affair
In early 1806, President Burr was approached by Jonathan Dayton, a friend and classmate of his from Princeton.  Dayton felt that the Spanish had displayed weakness in their handling of the Pike Expedition and that if the United States agitated the Spanish along the border they could encourage draw the neighboring Governors into a fight and then use the American alliance with France to win concessions from Spain which would include additional territories.

Disregarding Congress, and even his own cabinet, Burr set the plan in motion.  Not knowing that General James Wilkinson, the Commander-in-Chief of the American Army in New Orleans and the Governor of the Louisiana Territory was actually a spy in the pay of Spain, Burr enlisted his aid in the plan.  General Wilkinson betrayed Burr’s plans to Republican and Federalist members of Congress, as well as his Spanish paymasters.

The events which subsequently unfolded are amongst the most dramatic in American history.  Spain filed a complaint to France and to the United States.  For his part, Napoleon was already planning to launch a stealthy invasion of the Iberian Peninsula.  He informed the Spanish that France would protect her interests but encouraged it to reinforce its territories in the Americas (drawing forces out of Spain).  To strengthen the Franco-Spanish alliance there he began moving French soldiers into Spain.  On the other hand, the French diplomat to the United States informed President Burr that France would not intervene on Spain’s behalf if a war was initiated.

Before President Burr could put his plan into action Samuel Smith (R-MD) presented the evidence of President Burr’s plot to maneuver the nation into a war without Congressional consent.  Democrats first denounced the evidence as hearsay, but little could be done to stop Congress from launching a full investigation into the matter.

[Wakie]

1807

The Impeachment of Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr had a tendency to make powerful enemies.  In 1807 this penchant finally caught up with him.  Federalists had long reviled Burr for his pro-French leanings.  Republicans disliked him for splitting their party in two.  And even Southerners within his own party disliked him for his anti-slavery views.  When, in 1806, he attempted to maneuver the nation into war without the consent of Congress he finally gave his enemies an opportunity to take him down.

Under questioning from Congress, Jonathan Dayton admitted that he had approached President Burr with his plot and that the President had excitedly agreed that it had merit.  Together with the evidence provided by General Wilkinson resulted in the call for impeachment proceedings against President Burr.

Democrats argued that the separation of powers prevented the Legislative and Judicial Branches from being able to remove a sitting Executive.  There was little they could do though and the proceedings moved forward.  In a series of legal maneuvers which John Quincy Adams said “would make Lucifer envious”, Burr dragged the proceedings out.

Chesapeake-Leopard Affair
While the Federal government was gridlocked by the impeachment proceedings of President Burr, the British Navy had begun a policy of frequently boarding American ships to “search for deserters from the Royal Navy”.  This was little more than a veiled excuse for forcibly pressing American sailors into the British Navy by claiming they were deserters.

On June 22, 1807 the British frigate HMS Leopard hailed the American frigate USS Chesapeake off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia.  The Leopard requested to search the Chesapeake for “deserters” only to be refused.  The Leopard opened fire, refused the surrender which the Chesapeake offered and boarded it.  The British seized four men it claimed were deserters and took them to Halifax.  One man was executed and the other 3 were sentenced to 500 lashes each.

The American public was in an uproar.  The fact that the Chesapeake put up so little resistance to a foreign attack so close to American soil raised the question about the competence of the military leadership.  Many blamed “the distraction of the Burr trial” and called for a rapid conclusion.

The Resignation of Aaron Burr
The events of 1806-7 unfolded in a most dramatic fashion.  First was the Dayton Affair, followed by the Burr Impeachment, and finally the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair.  It was clear that President Burr would be forced from office but he and his supporters were looking for a way to leave and “save face”.  The Chesapeake-Leopard Affair afforded them the opportunity.

Beyond just the question of how the removal of the President would impact the country, was the question of who would ascend to the office and how the removed President would be dealt with.  “To save the dignity of the Presidency”, Burr agreed to resign from office.  The agreement followed that Vice President Pickering would ascend to the Presidency and that on doing so he would pardon President Burr and the matter would be settled.  The leadership of all 3 parties agreed and on October 1, 1807 President Aaron Burr submitted his resignation.

President Timothy Pickering
After the resignation of President Burr, Timothy Pickering was elevated to the position of being the 4th President of the United States.  He did not nominate a Vice President to replace him in that role.  President Pickering’s first act was to pardon former President Burr of “any and all offenses committed while in service to his nation”.



1808

The Embargo Acts
In response to the Chesapeake-Leopard incident Congress passed a series of laws which were intended to punish the British by effectively halting trade with the United States.  The acts came in piecemeal with each one intended to fix the loopholes in the one before it.

What ultimately came out of the Embargo Acts though is that rather than punishing the British, the Pickering administration and Congress were punishing the citizens of the United States.  Both military and naval units had mobilized against the citizenry to enforce them  To alleviate the economic challenges, President Pickering moved for closer trade ties to Spain.

The Peninsular War
In 1807 and into 1808 French forces had slowly been swelling on the Iberian Peninsula.  The pretext for their presence was to reinforce the Franco-Spanish army occupying Portugal.  In February of 1808 Napoleon dropped the charade and turned on his ally, ordering French commanders to halt their march and seize key Spanish fortresses.  For the most part Americans supported the French move against Spain and French agents within the United States circulated the rumor that the tensions between Spain and the American federal government had at least contributed to the French move against Spain.

In response to the French move against Spain, British forces landed in Portugal and drove French forces back.

[Wakie]

Election of 1808

This election will work the same way as the 1804 election.  There are 3 major parties.  The Democrats are more or less the Northern version of the then Democrat-Republican party.  The Republicans are the Southern version of the then Democrat-Republican party.  The Federalists are a dwindling lot who seem likely to go away soon.

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
Timothy Pickering
George Clinton
John Langdon

Republicans
James Madison
James Monroe
Nathaniel Macon

Federalist Party
Charles Pinckney
Rufus King
John Marshall

[Reluctant Republican]

Democrats: Timothy Pickering

Republican: James Madison

Federalist:  Rufus King

[HappyWarrior]

Democrats:Timothy Pickering

Republicans:Draft Samuel Smith

Federalist:Rufus King

[Хahar 🤔]

Clinton
Madison
Marshall

[Hash]

Clinton
Madison
King

[jokerman]

Langdon (seems the best fit for the concept of the Democrat as created in this party)
Madison
King

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Pickering
Madison
Marshall

[Wakie]

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

Democratic Ticket
Timothy Pickering and John Langdon
Langdon is pretty much the epitome of the Democratic party.

Republican Ticket
James Madison and Robert Smith
The ticket of Madison and Smith runs again.

Federalist Ticket
Rufus King and Humphrey Marshall
Marshall is the most prominent Southern Federalist of this era.

[Hash]

James Madison and Robert Smith