Union and Liberty: An American TL

[hzn5pk]

Is there a mormon exodus to the valley of the Great Salt Lake in this time line? How does that effect California?

[lothaw]

This is a very good timeline, I've been keeping up with it, though haven't gotten around to commenting on it yet.

President Calhoun.. and still a political force afterwards. Yikes. How many states are they going to carve Texas into to keep the slavery vote? They've already split Florida. Not that Andrew Jackson doesn't deserve a state named after him.

Harrison lives! So we butterfly away Techuseh's curse. Well I always liked Harrison for some reason anyways. Why'd we live past 41 though? Just a random butterfly?

Polk actually beat Harrison? Figured he'd have been a fairly popular president if he hadn't died. Guess Clay's influence tainted him.

Still, Texas and California independent and a balkanized Mexico. Interesting times for North America. Especially since the slavery issue seems to be more entrenched than it was OTL.

[wilcoxchar]

Originally Posted by hzn5pk

Is there a mormon exodus to the valley of the Great Salt Lake in this time line? How does that effect California?

I've been meaning to do an entry about the Mormons, but wasn't sure where a good spot was to put it in. They're coming up during Polk's presidency.

Originally Posted by lothaw

This is a very good timeline, I've been keeping up with it, though haven't gotten around to commenting on it yet.

Thanks! Always great to hear from readers.

Originally Posted by lothaw

President Calhoun.. and still a political force afterwards. Yikes. How many states are they going to carve Texas into to keep the slavery vote? They've already split Florida. Not that Andrew Jackson doesn't deserve a state named after him.

The area of the Republic of Texas will be at least one state.

Originally Posted by lothaw

Harrison lives! So we butterfly away Techuseh's curse. Well I always liked Harrison for some reason anyways. Why'd we live past 41 though? Just a random butterfly?

Well, Harrison did die in OTL because he caught a cold. It's likely that even at his age upon becoming President, he would have survived at least one term. He probably wouldn't have survived a second term though IMO.

Originally Posted by lothaw

Polk actually beat Harrison? Figured he'd have been a fairly popular president if he hadn't died. Guess Clay's influence tainted him.

Yep, darn that Henry Clay! Luckily (or unluckily?) for the Whigs he should be gone from politics now.

Originally Posted by lothaw

Still, Texas and California independent and a balkanized Mexico. Interesting times for North America. Especially since the slavery issue seems to be more entrenched than it was OTL.

Yep. Interesting times are ahead for the United States.

[wilcoxchar]

The electoral map for 1844.

[Venusian Si]

So is the part of the Pembina territory east of the State of Demoine going to become its own state, become one state with the rest of the Pembina territory, or join this ATL's "Dakota Territory?"

Anyway, good job so far on the TL and good job on the nice maps.

[wilcoxchar]

Originally Posted by UnitedStatesofMars13

So is the part of the Pembina territory east of the State of Demoine going to become its own state, become one state with the rest of the Pembina territory, or join this ATL's "Dakota Territory?"

Anyway, good job so far on the TL and good job on the nice maps.

Thanks! Pembina will be divided into two states, fairly soon.

Unfortunately the next set of updates will have to wait a while, as I've caught up to where I haven't written past what I've posted besides a very rough outline, and I've been bogged down with schoolwork this weekend. But I should be able to get something up by the end of the week, so fear not! This timeline isn't dead yet.

[jeff]

Don't stop now! Keep it coming. I can't wait to see how this all pans out.

[wilcoxchar]

Originally Posted by jeff

Don't stop now! Keep it coming. I can't wait to see how this all pans out.

Don't worry, I'm not stopping completely. Unfortunately,doing well in school has to take precedence over alternate history for now.

[wilcoxchar]

While it's not as much as I usually do in an update, here's a little something to show that I'm still working on this and tide y'all over until the weekend.

Part Nine: The Annexation of Texas

Annexation of Texas:
After his inauguration, President Polk set out to accomplish the first goal that he set out during his election campaign; to bring the Republic of Texas into the Union. Polk sent Joel Roberts Poinsett as the United States consul to Texas to negotiate the terms of the annexation in June. By August, the Congress of Texas voted in approval the annexation and the motion gained the approval of David Crockett, then President of the Republic. Meanwhile, Polk gathered support from Congress to support bringing Texas into the United States.

Polk and many of the Democrats spent the majority of the summer of 1845 garnering support in Congress for the annextion of Texas. While many northern senators initially opposed the idea of bringing more slave states into the Union, especially one as big as Texas, some were won over by a compromise to bring the remainder of Pembina Territory in within the remainder of Polk's term. Still, a two thirds majority could not be reached in the Senate at the next vote. At the next Senate meeting, however, president pro tempore John Tyler managed to bring some of the Whigs opposing annexation to ratify the treaty, and in September, Texas was brought into the Union.

Texas was initially brought into the United States as a territory, but its more populated areas quickly became states. In March of 1846, the area of the Republic of Texas was divided into three parts. Tejas and Houston, separated by the Colorado River, were admitted that month. Samuel Houston became governor of Tejas and David Burnet became governor of the state of Houston. David Crockett, president of Texas at the time of annexation, was elected as one of the first senators from the state. The admission of Tejas and Houston brought in two more slave states, although the states tried to remain neutral on the issue when it was brought up.

The states of Houston and Tejas hold a number of interesting facts in their early history. During the four months the Tejas state capitol building in San Antonio was being constructed on the west side of Alamo Plaza, the legislative sessions were held across the plaza in the chapel of the Alamo mission, which had seen a minor battle during the Texan War of Independence. The admission of Houston to the United States is an interesting note in history, for it marks the only time a President has had a state named after him before holding his office as President.

[Nicomacheus]

Interesting and wonderful. Despite the following quibble, I LOVE the bit about Houston, particularly his future prospects.

The minor quibble: the Colorado River is a pretty good dividing line to divide your RoT into two states. However, I think the names should be reversed: most of Texas west of the River is more Hispanic than not, especially in the 1840s, while most of Texas east of the River is more Anglo than not (though there may be a big upsurge in Anglo immigration following annexation, as there was OTL). Hence, to me it makes more sense to have the western state, with its capital at San Antonio, called Tejas, and the eastern one called, Houston (with its capital at Crocketsburg [OTL Houston] perhaps?).

Also, if Crocket is President of Texas, why does Houston get a state named for him? While I really like the idea of "the only POTUS to have a state named for him before becoming POTUS," it does seem a bit strange. I do have an idea though: I could well see Crocket winning an election in this ALT Texas and being always more of a political force than Houston managed to be. Hence, TTL Houston does not try for political office at all, giving up his regular army commission and retiring to his farm a la Cincinattus. He then becomes an instant legend. He retains a political following though and his friends manage to get the state named for him to launch his political career in the US. Just an idea. It's your TL afterall.

Also, why isn't Polk also trying to annex California at the same time? Seems like an obvious play, but he might be suspected of trying to create more slave states, I suppose.

[wilcoxchar]

Originally Posted by Nicomacheus

Interesting and wonderful. Despite the following quibble, I LOVE the bit about Houston, particularly his future prospects.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Nicomacheus

The minor quibble: the Colorado River is a pretty good dividing line to divide your RoT into two states. However, I think the names should be reversed: most of Texas west of the River is more Hispanic than not, especially in the 1840s, while most of Texas east of the River is more Anglo than not (though there may be a big upsurge in Anglo immigration following annexation, as there was OTL). Hence, to me it makes more sense to have the western state, with its capital at San Antonio, called Tejas, and the eastern one called, Houston (with its capital at Crocketsburg [OTL Houston] perhaps?).

Well, I suppose I could switch the names. My original reasoning for having Tejas be the northern one was because it seemed strange to have a Houston, Houston. However, I guess switching the two names would make more sense, especially if OTL Houston is renamed Crockettsville. And Austin (i.e. Washington-on-the-Brazos) is the capital of the northern state. I'll post a map of the area of the Republic of Texas post-annexation soon.

Originally Posted by Nicomacheus

Also, if Crocket is President of Texas, why does Houston get a state named for him? While I really like the idea of "the only POTUS to have a state named for him before becoming POTUS," it does seem a bit strange. I do have an idea though: I could well see Crocket winning an election in this ALT Texas and being always more of a political force than Houston managed to be. Hence, TTL Houston does not try for political office at all, giving up his regular army commission and retiring to his farm a la Cincinattus. He then becomes an instant legend. He retains a political following though and his friends manage to get the state named for him to launch his political career in the US. Just an idea. It's your TL afterall.

Also, why isn't Polk also trying to annex California at the same time? Seems like an obvious play, but he might be suspected of trying to create more slave states, I suppose.

I was imagining Crockett not having much political ambition after bringing Texas into the Union, and instead serving a senate term or two and then retiring and resuming a life on the frontier somewhere, so he becomes more of the frontiersman legend than in OTL.

About California, I always thought that the OTL bringing of California into the US was an afterthought of the war with Mexico for Polk. While the Manifest Destiny sought to bring the US to the Pacific, this could very well be solved with settling the Oregon question. And currently, California closer to the US is still a thinly populated landscape without much prospect for economic growth, and California isn't in the economic state to be expanding to the interior very much.

[The Doctor]

i hope for more story soon.

[vultan]

I'm liking this TL.

[lothaw]

President Sam Houston?! My god! Hurrah for Texas!

Why am I suddenly having a vision of him presiding over the Civil War though? He certainly didn't go along with the South's traditional viewpoints. Heck he was nominated as Lincoln's VP OTL.

Let's just hope his drinking doesn't screw it up.

[wilcoxchar]

Alright, I switched around the names for Tejas and Houston. Here's the map of the area of the Republic of Texas after annexation.

[Venusian Si]

Originally Posted by wilcoxchar

Alright, I switched around the names for Tejas and Houston. Here's the map of the area of the Republic of Texas after annexation.

Beautiful.

[Raymann]

Maybe I missed it but what prompted the lack of a name change from Tejas to Texas.

Most Texans were Southerners and from having a pretty strong Southern accent myself I know Tejas does not roll off my tounge very well, had to be worse for them.

[wilcoxchar]

Originally Posted by Raymann

Maybe I missed it but what prompted the lack of a name change from Tejas to Texas.

Most Texans were Southerners and from having a pretty strong Southern accent myself I know Tejas does not roll off my tounge very well, had to be worse for them.

I was thinking that in TTL there were more Hispanics in Tejas so the state would be named that way to recognize them, or as a nod to the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas since that border corresponds more to what the original state was.

And for me, Tejas rolls of the tongue better than Texas.

[lothaw]

I don't know, as a native Texan, Tejas just always struck me as the label an oppressive regime gave our land. Just me though.

Also, did Austin get founded somewhere else ITTL? Looks like it's almost where Bryan/College Station is OTL.

Guess Houston, Houston could be like NYC, New York. Probably go down as Houston City anyways.

[wilcoxchar]

Originally Posted by lothaw

I don't know, as a native Texan, Tejas just always struck me as the label an oppressive regime gave our land. Just me though.

Also, did Austin get founded somewhere else ITTL? Looks like it's almost where Bryan/College Station is OTL.

Guess Houston, Houston could be like NYC, New York. Probably go down as Houston City anyways.

Austin is where Washington-on-the-Brazos is OTL. The base map I was using for that map didn't have cities on it or the Brazos River, so I had to make my best guess.

And I guess Houston City could work.