Triple Calamity: What if the Three Most Important Men in the Executive Branch Died in One Night?
- Thread starter Mr.Q
- Start date
I am honestly hoping the butterflies will see Bolivia joining Paraguay's war of Suicide, drawing Peru and Chile into the Treaty of the Triple Alliance(Making it a Quintuple Alliance). While it will make the war last longer, the alliance will prevail like OTL.
As I am curious how the Alliance will carve of the territories of Bolivia and Paraguay without Rutherford's interference?
Still thinking about how it’ll be incorporated but this is still some time away. I won’t discuss it for a chapter or 2
I'm not convinced that any time after 1860 that an alliance of *just* Brazil and Argentina would lose to the remainder of South American combined. Brazil and Argentina *might* be limited to *just* taking the parts of South America that flow into the Atlantic (including Low lands Bolivia), but certainly aren't going to lose.
I meant that Chile and Peru would ally with the triple alliance in such an event
I am basing this on the grounds that Chile and Peru have territorial disputes with Bolivia, just like Argentina over the Gran Chaco.
As Bizarre as a Brazilian/Argentina alliance was iOTL (the most ASB thing that Francisco Solano López did), Argentina and Chile had as many disputes with *less* reason to ally. And why would Peru be on the same side as Chile, if anything I would expect them to be on the same side as Bolivia given their issues with Chile.
Quick update
Sup guys. Sorry I’ve been so busy! I’m done with the first Seward Chapter, (we shall talk about architecture don’t worry, also a new state). Expect that tomorrow or the day after depending on how I’m feeling. Then later this week either on Thursday or Friday I’ll drop two chapters at once to keep you pre occupied over Labor Day weekend.
Also. The election of 1876 is shaping up to be kinda crazy, complicated and convoluted. I’ve sorta been storyboard if the whole thing (plus there are two nonexistent states involved). I’ll tell you now it’s a three way race. So get excited. I wonder if you can predict what might occur before I even drop the first Seward chapter… (the election will be split into two posts)
Finally I’m gonna drop a couple mini chapters once an a while. The first one will be on Grant’s world tour. I’ll either drop that right before or right after the 1876 chapter.
Hope you all haven’t forgot about this TL. I haven’t. Just realized it’s starting to get bigger so I needed some time to get facts straight and connect the story a bit more! Hope you guys had a good week. Get ready for some more triple calamity.
Also. The election of 1876 is shaping up to be kinda crazy, complicated and convoluted. I’ve sorta been storyboard if the whole thing (plus there are two nonexistent states involved). I’ll tell you now it’s a three way race. So get excited. I wonder if you can predict what might occur before I even drop the first Seward chapter… (the election will be split into two posts)
Finally I’m gonna drop a couple mini chapters once an a while. The first one will be on Grant’s world tour. I’ll either drop that right before or right after the 1876 chapter.
Hope you all haven’t forgot about this TL. I haven’t. Just realized it’s starting to get bigger so I needed some time to get facts straight and connect the story a bit more! Hope you guys had a good week. Get ready for some more triple calamity.
Will you write it from Grants point of view? Because I am curious to see how will write such a complex person .
It’ll be a challenge to be sure. I’ve been reading a lot of his letters. And I’ll focus only on one of the countries he went to. It’s more just important for you guys to know that Grant still does a tour. Just earlier and it’s more expansive
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Chapter 11: The Twilight Days of Reconstruction
Seward Administration
"Seward wanted his cabinet to be distant from Grant's and was careful to choose different men from Grant. Only Columbus Delano and Amos Ackerman survived the purge. However more recent evidence shows that Seward was actually inclined on keeping most of the Grant cabinet. At least those who wanted to stay. Yet many high ranking Republicans convinced Seward to use their list. Grant in both of his terms chose his cabinet, independent from party bosses and only with the help of Vice President Hamlin. The bosses were unwilling to see this next President do the same, and gave him a list of their desirables in December.
This would come back to haunt Seward later. In 1873, the new congress was inaugurated and the Republican’s began opening its investigation into the Credit Mobilier scandal. Over the next month and a half, much of the Republican congress was implicated. Chief among them the former Speaker of the House Schuyler Colfax and the Vice President Henry Wilson. The evidence on Colfax was insurmountable, the evidence on Wilson would require further investigations. While many focus on Credit Mobilier as simply the first of many scandals that would come to haunt President Seward and cause a schism in the Republican Party, it also hampered any further progress on reconstruction. The offensive stage of reconstruction had ended. Congress and the President were fighting new battles in Washington. The Equity Department, Freedman’s bureau and the non racists of the south were now playing defense. They had to consolidate any gains and all remaining gains during the past 8 years now. Or it was gone forever.”
-from The Rise of the 3 Party System: The Birth of the Liberals
by Kenneth Jackson, published 1988
“The Battle for Reconstruction had begun. With the Seward administration preoccupied with scandals and the recently failing economy (after the panic in 1873) everyone in the south knew it was now or never. Over 1873-1877 an endless fight between a Freedmen’s bureau (starved for cash after the panic) and Redeemer Democrats heated up. The Grant Administration had dome well attacking the White Leagues, during his term but the flood gates were broken in Seward’s term.
In some States, particularly States in which reconstruction has gone particularly well, such as Tennessee, Alabama and Florida. This was little to no concern. The state governments picked up where Grant left off. However in other states that had just begun the process such as Louisiana, Arkansas and South Carolina the legal fight got nasty.
Louisiana in particular seemed like a lost cause. While Seward did his best to keep as many troops in the south as possible, to stop street violence. He could do nothing but watch as Democrats vigorously began taking municipality after municipality and fighting the Republican state government. It became clear that the 1874 midterms would be crucial towards the futures of these states.”
-from The Twilight Days
by Mariah Smith, published 2019
“Santo Domingo was admitted to the Union on April 23rd 1873. It elected a Republican Governor and sent a split delegation to congress. The original contingency plans to make the island a sanctuary for Freedmen were dropped. For a couple reasons. First it wasn’t practical, encouraging freedmen to get on boats to the Caribbean for a better life didn’t look great optically. Second the people and Government of Santo Domingo, even the Republicans, were strongly against any such action. On the surface for the optics, but under the surface for racism and recent fears of their majority black neighbor, Haiti.
That said President Seward felt guilty for the rapidly destabilizing reconstruction and felt that he had to do something to salvage his image with freedmen. With the 1874 midterms looking unfavorable, the president and the radical republicans not under investigation officially set the ‘Lincoln Plan in motion’. An idea to split Indian territory into two future states. Lincoln and Sequoia. A Freedmen and Native State respectively. Essentially for a the next few years or so, the federal government would give financial aid to freedmen in southern states deemed ‘potentially lost causes’ to move west. After this plan begun, states like Tennessee and Alabama began denying freedmen from failing reconstruction states and telling them to go west instead. Seward and congress passed multiple infrastructure plans for western Indian Territory in 1874 and a propaganda campaign was launched. Initial success was limited, with only a few hundred families packing up and moving west in 1874. However next year, that was bound to change.”
-From Lincoln’s Legacy: Lincoln’s State
by Cincinnatus Seward, published 1953
“The 1874 midterms were famous for a lot of reasons. The end of America’s two party system for three decades, the abrupt halt of Grantite reconstruction and much more. That said few talk about the key players and the campaign.
In March of 1874 as the election season had just begun, the nation was in a time of crisis. Many key Republican figures were facing jail time and investigation, the economy was in a deep recession that was turning towards depression and then on the 13th, The Secretary of the Treasury was fired by the president for corruption, separate from Credit Mobilier. Another scandal and another Republican in legal trouble. It was for these three reasons that on March 21st a group of Republicans, particularly supporters of Charles Adam’s run for the Republicans nomination two years prior, staunch Half Breeds, a few radicals and moderate Homers came together to form the Liberal-Republican Party. (Now known to history as simply The Liberal Party) These men who broke from the republicans and argued for
-An end to patronage and corruption
-A moderation of reconstruction and the admission of the final confederate states. (Though they importantly are not arguing an end to reconstruction)
-A fix to the economy without shortcuts or inflation
Their platform was simple, to the point and to many in the north and south a strong compromise between the Democrats and Republicans. Not only that, but they had big names behind them. Charles Adams, John Sherman, Ruben Fenton, Salmon Chase and even light endorsements from men like Charles Sumner and Cassius Clay. This wasn’t any old third party. This was real and a threat. (In fact many of Sewards cabinet members starting getting cold feet. Most prominently Amos Ackerman who resigned due to the corruption and joined the more radical wing of the Liberals the next year.)
This three way campaign was fierce but come November, the Liberals came out with a plurality of the House and 12 Senate Seats. Congress was officially contested. The Liberals promised to coalition with the Republicans to get their United Congress, however they made it clear that they were now in command of the House. Not the Republicans.
State legislature wise, Democrats got huge gains in many legislatures. From Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina and Mississippi. Thought no Democrats were elected governor. Arkansas and South Carolina did kick out Republican governors in exchange for Liberals. While these men did not say it openly. The unfortunate truth was that many of the southern liberals… were Homers.”
-from The Terrible 70s’
by Jackson Howe, published 1967
“After the 1874 midterms, 4500 Freedmen families moved out of South Carolina and towards Indian Territory. The new Liberal government had begun curbing federal interference in the state and with the recent minor defunding of the Freedmen’s Bureau to balance the budget, there was little the Equity Department could do. While they weren't instituting any black codes or passing direct attacks on Freedmen, that was almost certainly on its way.
Congress also began decreasing the troop presence in the south and blocking any peace time conscription. Thus the amount of soldiers down there was capped. Reconstruction wasn’t over by any stretch of the word. But, the Liberals had moderated the spending on it and loosened the leash just a little bit. Overall this was a largely popular action in the North as many believed reconstruction had become a cost burden (mostly due to Bourbon propaganda efforts over the past ten years). In July of 1875 Georgia was re admitted to the union and the following year in May, Texas was brought back in as well. Virginia would remain occupied until after the 1876 presidential election.
Georgia had elected a Democratic Governor upon its reentry in 1875, and thought they promised to ratify the reconstruction amendments, that didn’t stop them from defying the Freedmen’s Bureau’s court orders. When President Seward was informed he was livid, but with the recent resignation of Amos Ackerman and the Equity Department being generally disorganized, punishment against Georgia was limited. This mismanagement on the behalf of Seward, basically ended any chance of saving Georgia from darkness.
After Texas was admitted the following year. Their special election for governor ended in a Liberal taking the Executive Mansion of Texas. Postponing anything as overt as what happened in Georgia.
Intriguingly, all throughout the south, including in successful reconstruction states and the border states the Liberals were seen as the ultimate compromise choice. Stories from Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama and West Virginia show that Freedmen, Democrats, Republicans and even ex confederates all siding with the Liberals to fix their still broken economies and to appease all sides. Thought the Liberals outside of the states where reconstruction was failing were generally on the side of the Freedmen. Far more than the Liberals in the states where reconstruction was failing…[1]”
-from The Twilight Days
by Mariah Smith, published 2019
[1]: Who needs readjusters when you have Liberals am I right?
Welp! Another chapter done. A lot of this was speculated. Mostly that in some states, reconstruction worked and in others cracks are forming. Also Liberals have popped into existence. For now they are pretty strong but they won’t co-opt the Democrats in 1876. Like what happened in OTL 1872. The Democrats aren’t really dying right now. They had a good showing in 1872 and gained in the midterms.
Next chapter we will talk about all those scandals, the bad economy, the revolting cabinet and the foreign policy of Seward. Also I know I promised but I’ve moved the architecture stuff until after the 1876 election when I talk about Lincoln and Sequoia! Thank you all again for the support! Feel free to comment! All that good stuff.
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| President | Frederick Seward |
| Vice President | Henry Wilson (until 1875) |
| Secretary of State | Elihu B. Washburne |
| Secretary of the Treasury | William A. Richardson (Until 1874), Benjamin Bristow (Resigned and joined Liberals in 1875), Charles Folger |
| Secretary of War | William Belknap (Until 1875), J. Donald Cameron |
| Attorney General | Amos Ackerman (resigned out of disapproval in 1875), Edwards Pierrepont |
| Postmaster General | James W. Marshall (until 1875), James N. Tyner |
| Secretary of the Navy | Richard Thompson |
| Secretary of the Interior | Columbus Delano (Until 1875), Zachariah Chandler |
"Seward wanted his cabinet to be distant from Grant's and was careful to choose different men from Grant. Only Columbus Delano and Amos Ackerman survived the purge. However more recent evidence shows that Seward was actually inclined on keeping most of the Grant cabinet. At least those who wanted to stay. Yet many high ranking Republicans convinced Seward to use their list. Grant in both of his terms chose his cabinet, independent from party bosses and only with the help of Vice President Hamlin. The bosses were unwilling to see this next President do the same, and gave him a list of their desirables in December.
This would come back to haunt Seward later. In 1873, the new congress was inaugurated and the Republican’s began opening its investigation into the Credit Mobilier scandal. Over the next month and a half, much of the Republican congress was implicated. Chief among them the former Speaker of the House Schuyler Colfax and the Vice President Henry Wilson. The evidence on Colfax was insurmountable, the evidence on Wilson would require further investigations. While many focus on Credit Mobilier as simply the first of many scandals that would come to haunt President Seward and cause a schism in the Republican Party, it also hampered any further progress on reconstruction. The offensive stage of reconstruction had ended. Congress and the President were fighting new battles in Washington. The Equity Department, Freedman’s bureau and the non racists of the south were now playing defense. They had to consolidate any gains and all remaining gains during the past 8 years now. Or it was gone forever.”
-from The Rise of the 3 Party System: The Birth of the Liberals
by Kenneth Jackson, published 1988
“The Battle for Reconstruction had begun. With the Seward administration preoccupied with scandals and the recently failing economy (after the panic in 1873) everyone in the south knew it was now or never. Over 1873-1877 an endless fight between a Freedmen’s bureau (starved for cash after the panic) and Redeemer Democrats heated up. The Grant Administration had dome well attacking the White Leagues, during his term but the flood gates were broken in Seward’s term.
In some States, particularly States in which reconstruction has gone particularly well, such as Tennessee, Alabama and Florida. This was little to no concern. The state governments picked up where Grant left off. However in other states that had just begun the process such as Louisiana, Arkansas and South Carolina the legal fight got nasty.
Louisiana in particular seemed like a lost cause. While Seward did his best to keep as many troops in the south as possible, to stop street violence. He could do nothing but watch as Democrats vigorously began taking municipality after municipality and fighting the Republican state government. It became clear that the 1874 midterms would be crucial towards the futures of these states.”
-from The Twilight Days
by Mariah Smith, published 2019
“Santo Domingo was admitted to the Union on April 23rd 1873. It elected a Republican Governor and sent a split delegation to congress. The original contingency plans to make the island a sanctuary for Freedmen were dropped. For a couple reasons. First it wasn’t practical, encouraging freedmen to get on boats to the Caribbean for a better life didn’t look great optically. Second the people and Government of Santo Domingo, even the Republicans, were strongly against any such action. On the surface for the optics, but under the surface for racism and recent fears of their majority black neighbor, Haiti.
That said President Seward felt guilty for the rapidly destabilizing reconstruction and felt that he had to do something to salvage his image with freedmen. With the 1874 midterms looking unfavorable, the president and the radical republicans not under investigation officially set the ‘Lincoln Plan in motion’. An idea to split Indian territory into two future states. Lincoln and Sequoia. A Freedmen and Native State respectively. Essentially for a the next few years or so, the federal government would give financial aid to freedmen in southern states deemed ‘potentially lost causes’ to move west. After this plan begun, states like Tennessee and Alabama began denying freedmen from failing reconstruction states and telling them to go west instead. Seward and congress passed multiple infrastructure plans for western Indian Territory in 1874 and a propaganda campaign was launched. Initial success was limited, with only a few hundred families packing up and moving west in 1874. However next year, that was bound to change.”
-From Lincoln’s Legacy: Lincoln’s State
by Cincinnatus Seward, published 1953
“The 1874 midterms were famous for a lot of reasons. The end of America’s two party system for three decades, the abrupt halt of Grantite reconstruction and much more. That said few talk about the key players and the campaign.
In March of 1874 as the election season had just begun, the nation was in a time of crisis. Many key Republican figures were facing jail time and investigation, the economy was in a deep recession that was turning towards depression and then on the 13th, The Secretary of the Treasury was fired by the president for corruption, separate from Credit Mobilier. Another scandal and another Republican in legal trouble. It was for these three reasons that on March 21st a group of Republicans, particularly supporters of Charles Adam’s run for the Republicans nomination two years prior, staunch Half Breeds, a few radicals and moderate Homers came together to form the Liberal-Republican Party. (Now known to history as simply The Liberal Party) These men who broke from the republicans and argued for
-An end to patronage and corruption
-A moderation of reconstruction and the admission of the final confederate states. (Though they importantly are not arguing an end to reconstruction)
-A fix to the economy without shortcuts or inflation
Their platform was simple, to the point and to many in the north and south a strong compromise between the Democrats and Republicans. Not only that, but they had big names behind them. Charles Adams, John Sherman, Ruben Fenton, Salmon Chase and even light endorsements from men like Charles Sumner and Cassius Clay. This wasn’t any old third party. This was real and a threat. (In fact many of Sewards cabinet members starting getting cold feet. Most prominently Amos Ackerman who resigned due to the corruption and joined the more radical wing of the Liberals the next year.)
This three way campaign was fierce but come November, the Liberals came out with a plurality of the House and 12 Senate Seats. Congress was officially contested. The Liberals promised to coalition with the Republicans to get their United Congress, however they made it clear that they were now in command of the House. Not the Republicans.
State legislature wise, Democrats got huge gains in many legislatures. From Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina and Mississippi. Thought no Democrats were elected governor. Arkansas and South Carolina did kick out Republican governors in exchange for Liberals. While these men did not say it openly. The unfortunate truth was that many of the southern liberals… were Homers.”
-from The Terrible 70s’
by Jackson Howe, published 1967
“After the 1874 midterms, 4500 Freedmen families moved out of South Carolina and towards Indian Territory. The new Liberal government had begun curbing federal interference in the state and with the recent minor defunding of the Freedmen’s Bureau to balance the budget, there was little the Equity Department could do. While they weren't instituting any black codes or passing direct attacks on Freedmen, that was almost certainly on its way.
Congress also began decreasing the troop presence in the south and blocking any peace time conscription. Thus the amount of soldiers down there was capped. Reconstruction wasn’t over by any stretch of the word. But, the Liberals had moderated the spending on it and loosened the leash just a little bit. Overall this was a largely popular action in the North as many believed reconstruction had become a cost burden (mostly due to Bourbon propaganda efforts over the past ten years). In July of 1875 Georgia was re admitted to the union and the following year in May, Texas was brought back in as well. Virginia would remain occupied until after the 1876 presidential election.
Georgia had elected a Democratic Governor upon its reentry in 1875, and thought they promised to ratify the reconstruction amendments, that didn’t stop them from defying the Freedmen’s Bureau’s court orders. When President Seward was informed he was livid, but with the recent resignation of Amos Ackerman and the Equity Department being generally disorganized, punishment against Georgia was limited. This mismanagement on the behalf of Seward, basically ended any chance of saving Georgia from darkness.
After Texas was admitted the following year. Their special election for governor ended in a Liberal taking the Executive Mansion of Texas. Postponing anything as overt as what happened in Georgia.
Intriguingly, all throughout the south, including in successful reconstruction states and the border states the Liberals were seen as the ultimate compromise choice. Stories from Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama and West Virginia show that Freedmen, Democrats, Republicans and even ex confederates all siding with the Liberals to fix their still broken economies and to appease all sides. Thought the Liberals outside of the states where reconstruction was failing were generally on the side of the Freedmen. Far more than the Liberals in the states where reconstruction was failing…[1]”
-from The Twilight Days
by Mariah Smith, published 2019
[1]: Who needs readjusters when you have Liberals am I right?
Welp! Another chapter done. A lot of this was speculated. Mostly that in some states, reconstruction worked and in others cracks are forming. Also Liberals have popped into existence. For now they are pretty strong but they won’t co-opt the Democrats in 1876. Like what happened in OTL 1872. The Democrats aren’t really dying right now. They had a good showing in 1872 and gained in the midterms.
Next chapter we will talk about all those scandals, the bad economy, the revolting cabinet and the foreign policy of Seward. Also I know I promised but I’ve moved the architecture stuff until after the 1876 election when I talk about Lincoln and Sequoia! Thank you all again for the support! Feel free to comment! All that good stuff.
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Democrats in 1876 (1877-1881) is not bad, if it leads to either Garfield or Blaine in 1881-1889.
lol.
Perhaps. Or perhaps not. A three way race can lead to many complications… just planting little seeds of doubt. As of now the Republicans aren’t looking too hot going tinto 76’ tho.
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Oh dear, this seems like a turn for the worse… Although I suppose it was inevitable in the end
Do the Liberals overlap with the Bourbon Democrats or any other historical groupings?
Just wondering but was the recession worse than OTL because of the larger investment into reconstruction, or was it other factors?
Yeah it was. 1st the war was extended for a few months, 2nd, reconstruction is really expensive as you mentioned and 3rd slightly different Secretary’s of the Treasury handled things differently than our TL basically making the Panic much more Panicy