President Taylor

(POD: Taylor doesnt take ill and die in June of 1850, one year into his turn. The Virginian general and slave holder was staunchly unionist, and against expanding slavery into regions were tobacco or cotton could not be grown in large quantities (IE all of the territories won from mexico) and he was against Manifest destiny. He was behind California applying for statehood almost immediatly so as to stop any debate over it being divided into two territories, one slave and one free. He also supported this being done with New Mexico.)

1850- Taylor goes against the the Compromise of 1850 stating that it broke the promises that was made with the previous Missouri Comprimise. Without Taylor's support the Bill (that we know) narrowly fails to pass in Congress. Many in the south are outraged with this development that seems to tip the balance in the senate in the North's favor. Taylor points out that Texas can still be divided into 5 states and that if equality in the senate is so important to them they themselves can remedy the issue. In December the Compromise of 1850 is passed but it is different then the one we know.
1.)Texas does not sell its land east of the Rio Grande (eastern New Mexico) or the panhandle of Oklahoma. (In OTL this was given to the Federal government in exchange for the US paying Texas's debts.)
2.) The US government pays the Debts Texas racked up. (This done as a concession to southern states.)
3.) New fugitive slave law to be strictly enforced (Northern Free soilers support this).
4.) The Missouri Compromise is to be still enforced.

Thats all for today, what do you think?
 
(POD: Taylor doesnt take ill and die in June of 1850, one year into his turn. The Virginian general and slave holder was staunchly unionist, and against expanding slavery into regions were tobacco or cotton could not be grown in large quantities (IE all of the territories won from mexico) and he was against Manifest destiny. He was behind California applying for statehood almost immediatly so as to stop any debate over it being divided into two territories, one slave and one free. He also supported this being done with New Mexico.)

1850- Taylor goes against the the Compromise of 1850 stating that it broke the promises that was made with the previous Missouri Comprimise. Without Taylor's support the Bill (that we know) narrowly fails to pass in Congress. Many in the south are outraged with this development that seems to tip the balance in the senate in the North's favor. Taylor points out that Texas can still be divided into 5 states and that if equality in the senate is so important to them they themselves can remedy the issue. In December the Compromise of 1850 is passed but it is different then the one we know.
1.)Texas does not sell its land east of the Rio Grande (eastern New Mexico) or the panhandle of Oklahoma. (In OTL this was given to the Federal government in exchange for the US paying Texas's debts.)
2.) The US government pays the Debts Texas racked up. (This done as a concession to southern states.)
3.) New fugitive slave law to be strictly enforced (Northern Free soilers support this).
4.) The Missouri Compromise is to be still enforced.
5.) California to be admitted to Union as Free state.

Map Blue-Free, Red-Slave

Taylor.JPG
 
Now President Taylor is taking a lot of fire from southerners for "betraying" them. Taylor does his best to get support of Whigs like Alexander Stephens to support him. Taylor meanwhile has succesively driven a wedge between free-soilers and abolitionists.

1852- Taylor and his VP Fillmore eek out a win against Franklin Pierce (Democrat). Taylor rejects Santa Anna's attempt to sell the US what would have been known as the Gadsen purchased and leaned on Whigs in Congess to not support it. Thoughts on building a Trans-Continental railway are seriously considered, specifically from Independence, Missouri to San Francisco.

1854- A measure to due away with the auctioning of Slaves in Washington, DC is defeated twice in the Senate. Commodore Perry opens Japan to US trade.

1856- The Whigs choose Millard Fillmore(N.Y.) to run for Presdent with William Graham(N.C.) while the Democrats nominate Franklin Pierce(N.H.) with John Breckinridge(Ken.) for VP. Though Fillmore runs a good campaign he looses by 900,000 votes to Pierce.

1857- Pierce takes office declaring the need for brotherhood among men and mending ties between the north and south.

(Now at this point let me explain this. The Whig party was given a new breath of life from Taylor longer term in office. They are now solidly becoming a party of free-soilers, strong federal governmnet, and internal improvements. On the other hand they fail to attract the extreme abolitionist meaning they keep quit a few voters in the South.)

Thats all for now.
 
Sorry Justin, for not replying sooner.

You have a good TL started here. It's a nice new twist on US history. It's unusual actually. Here I was almost expecting to read about Civil War under President Taylor and instead you write something totally different. Heck, Mexico is affected immediately as it doesn't get to sell off a piece of itself. Please proceed. I will certainly follow your TL and pipe in when and where I can.

BTW..What would have been President Taylor's status with regards to Spanish Cuba?
 
Thanks Sean. I think that I will continue the Tl with Pierce trying to purchase Cuba. He was dominated by Southerner who wanted to expand Slavery (Jeff Davis etc.). I think it will be easier for the Whigs to swallow allowing slavery to expand into and area that already has slavery and will not draw free white small farmers.
 
1857- The Dredd Scot case is reviewed by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court declares that that he is still a slave and that State Governments could not dprive a citizen of his property. This effectivly allows slave holders to bring slaves into the territories. The south rejoices at flouting the North. Political turmoil begans ripping the Whig and Democratic partyies apart. Free-soilers in both parties are alienated by southern slaveholders. Thier constitutes in the North are enraged at this apparent blow against restricting Slavery out of the territories. In Northern Cities rallys for abolitionism are wide-spread. Senator Seward of New York calls for "all free men to deny this ruling and to deny the South the West". Many cities and the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont pass laws making any slave to step foot into their jurisdiction a free man (or woman). The Fugitive Slave laws that worked fairly well in the early 50's rapidly fall apart in the North.

1858- Pierce sends Sec. of State James Buchanan to Spain to negotiate the purchase of Cuba and Puerta Rico. Spain refuses. In response Peirce sends aid to Cuban rebels and privatly allows for "volunteers" to be raised in the United States. Senator Stephen Douglas proposes the aquisation of Cuba and Puerto Rico and them to be immediatly made slave states in return for allowing Nebraska and Kansas in as free. His never gets off the ground.

1859-1860- Cuba falls into chaotic civil war. Atrocities are commited by both sides. An estimated 10,000 southerners take part in the war. Late in 1860 William Walker captures Santiago de Cuba and declares himself provisional president of the Republic of Cuba. Cuban revolutionaries immediately breeak with the Southerners and Cuban Civil war becomes three-sided. Slave revolts become widespread in the north in support of the Cubans. The USS Merrimack is fired upon by the Spanish Navy while in course to Santiago De Cuba. The Ship is destroyed with all hands lost. War is declared upon the Kingdom of Spain by the United States. Political discontent is widespread and most Northern States refuse to furnish troops.

The 1860 Presidential Convention for the Whigs is broken. Free-Soilers, Abolitionists, and supporters of Industry and Tariffs meet in Philadelphia. They quickly become known as the Federalist Party. They chose Seward as their Presidential nominee. The rest of the Whig party meets in Chicago were they renominate Fillmore. The election is split among the parties. Pierce wins the election without the popular vote and with only 3 Northern States: Oregon, Indiana, and New Jersey.

Thats all for now!
 
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