Making my first America TL was one of the funnest things I've done on here and was glad that many of yall liked it. Here lately I've been thinking of a new idea to take America and finally decided to write a TL on it. To all the read this I hope you enjoy it and as always I would really appreciate yalls input on the posts. Here it goes.
The Drop of a Pebble in an Ocean
George Washington, a renowned hero of the American Revolutionary War, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and president of the Constitutional Convention became the first President of the United States under the new Constitution in 1789. For his Vice President the position was given to John Adams in the winter of 1791 however Adams would suffer a fall breaking his leg which would become infected with gangrene. Though the leg would be amputated it was too late and Vice President Adams would die on January 31,1792. The remainder of Washington's first term in office continued without a Vice President. Upon starting his second term on March 4,1793 however a new Vice President was selected with President Washington persuading Major General John Stark to become the new Vice President.
The major accomplishments of the Washington Administration were creating a strong national government that was recognized without question by all Americans. His government, following the vigorous leadership of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, assumed the debts of the states (the debt holders received federal bonds), created the Bank of the United States to stabilize the financial system, and set up a uniform system of tariffs (taxes on imports) and other taxes to pay off the debt and provide a financial infrastructure. To support his programs Hamilton created a new political party, the first in the world based on voters, the Federalist Party. Despite the accomplishments however the Washington Administration would cut short however and end in tragedy. In November 1795 the President got pneumonia which would cause his death on December 23,1795.
This caused the first succession crisis in the young nations history as Congress wasn't quite sure what to do. Stark was now acting as president but whether or not he was now actually president was now up for debate. After three months Congress would ultimately decide that Stark would succeed Washington and on March 11,1796 was officially sworn in as the nations president. 1796 was an election year however and while no one had wanted to oppose Washington in the two previous elections that wouldn't be true for Stark who had ultimately decided to run for his own term. In the Presidential Election of 1796 put President Stark running against Thomas Jefferson for the office of the presidency. After a tight race President Stark was elected to his own term in office with 82 electoral votes acquired. Stark's new term however wouldn't be as peaceful as the first.
In 1792 a revolution had toppled France's monarchy & established the French Republic. The a coalition made up of the monarchies of Europe would soon go to war to defeat the republicans, however after five years the coalition had been defeated with republican France the victor. With the Bourbon monarchy toppled many in Congress felt that the US should end its debt payment to the new regime & in March 1796 the payments ceased. Outraged France would respond. First, French privateers began seizing American ships trading with Britain and bringing them in as prizes to be sold. Next, the French government refused to receive Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, the new U.S. Minister, when he arrived in Paris in December 1796. In a message to Congress, President Stark reported on France's refusal to negotiate a settlement and spoke of the need "to place our country in a suitable posture of defense."In May 1797, President Stark informed Congress of the "XYZ Affair", in which French agents demanded a large bribe before engaging in substantive negotiations with United States diplomats.
Meanwhile, the French Navy was inflicting substantial losses on American shipping. On 21 February 1797,Secretary of State Timothy Pickering told Congress that during the previous eleven months, France had seized 316 American merchant ships. French marauders now cruised the length of the Atlantic seaboard virtually unopposed.
With the War of Independence over the United States had disbanded the US military with the exception of a regiment to guard the Western Frontier and one battery of artillery guarding West Point's arsenal. The Navy had been abolished at the end of the Revolutionary War and its last warship was sold in 1785. The United States had only a flotilla of small revenue cutters and a few somewhat neglected coastal forts. In 1789, the new Constitution of the United States authorized Congress to create a navy, but during George Washington's first term little was done to rearm the navy. In 1793, the French Revolutionary War between Great Britain and France began, and a truce negotiated between Portugal and Algiers ended Portugal's blockade of the Strait of Gibraltar which had kept the Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean. Soon after, the pirates sailed into the Atlantic, and captured 11 American merchant ships and more than a hundred seamen. In reaction to the seizure of the American vessels, Congress debated and approved the Naval Act of 1794, which authorized the building of six frigates, four of 44 guns and two of 36 guns. Supporters were mostly from the northern states and the coastal regions, who argued the Navy would result in savings in insurance and ransom payments, while opponents from southern states and inland regions thought a navy was not worth the expense and would drive the United States into more costly wars. After the passage of the Naval Act of 1794, work began on the construction of the six frigates: USS United States, President, Constellation, Chesapeake, Congress, and Constitution. Soon after the bill was passed, Congress authorized $800,000 to obtain a treaty with the Algerians and ransom the captives, triggering an amendment of the Act which would halt the construction of ships if peace was declared. After considerable debate, three of the six frigates were authorized to be completed: United States, Constitution and Constellation. However, the first naval vessel to sail was USS Ganges, on 24 May 1798.
The increasing depredations by French privateers had led to the rebirth of the United States Navy and the creation of the United States Marine Corps to defend the expanding American merchant fleet. Congress authorized the president to acquire, arm, and man not more than 12 ships of up to 22 guns each. Several merchantmen were immediately purchased and refitted as ships of war, and construction of the frigate Congress resumed.
Congress would rescind the treaties with France on 7 July 1798; that date is now considered as the beginning of the Quasi-War. This was followed two days later with the passage of the Congressional authorization of attacks on French warships in American waters. Concerns about the War Department's ability to manage a navy led to the creation of the Department of the Navy, which was established on 30 April 1798.
The Drop of a Pebble in an Ocean
George Washington, a renowned hero of the American Revolutionary War, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and president of the Constitutional Convention became the first President of the United States under the new Constitution in 1789. For his Vice President the position was given to John Adams in the winter of 1791 however Adams would suffer a fall breaking his leg which would become infected with gangrene. Though the leg would be amputated it was too late and Vice President Adams would die on January 31,1792. The remainder of Washington's first term in office continued without a Vice President. Upon starting his second term on March 4,1793 however a new Vice President was selected with President Washington persuading Major General John Stark to become the new Vice President.
The major accomplishments of the Washington Administration were creating a strong national government that was recognized without question by all Americans. His government, following the vigorous leadership of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, assumed the debts of the states (the debt holders received federal bonds), created the Bank of the United States to stabilize the financial system, and set up a uniform system of tariffs (taxes on imports) and other taxes to pay off the debt and provide a financial infrastructure. To support his programs Hamilton created a new political party, the first in the world based on voters, the Federalist Party. Despite the accomplishments however the Washington Administration would cut short however and end in tragedy. In November 1795 the President got pneumonia which would cause his death on December 23,1795.
This caused the first succession crisis in the young nations history as Congress wasn't quite sure what to do. Stark was now acting as president but whether or not he was now actually president was now up for debate. After three months Congress would ultimately decide that Stark would succeed Washington and on March 11,1796 was officially sworn in as the nations president. 1796 was an election year however and while no one had wanted to oppose Washington in the two previous elections that wouldn't be true for Stark who had ultimately decided to run for his own term. In the Presidential Election of 1796 put President Stark running against Thomas Jefferson for the office of the presidency. After a tight race President Stark was elected to his own term in office with 82 electoral votes acquired. Stark's new term however wouldn't be as peaceful as the first.
In 1792 a revolution had toppled France's monarchy & established the French Republic. The a coalition made up of the monarchies of Europe would soon go to war to defeat the republicans, however after five years the coalition had been defeated with republican France the victor. With the Bourbon monarchy toppled many in Congress felt that the US should end its debt payment to the new regime & in March 1796 the payments ceased. Outraged France would respond. First, French privateers began seizing American ships trading with Britain and bringing them in as prizes to be sold. Next, the French government refused to receive Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, the new U.S. Minister, when he arrived in Paris in December 1796. In a message to Congress, President Stark reported on France's refusal to negotiate a settlement and spoke of the need "to place our country in a suitable posture of defense."In May 1797, President Stark informed Congress of the "XYZ Affair", in which French agents demanded a large bribe before engaging in substantive negotiations with United States diplomats.
Meanwhile, the French Navy was inflicting substantial losses on American shipping. On 21 February 1797,Secretary of State Timothy Pickering told Congress that during the previous eleven months, France had seized 316 American merchant ships. French marauders now cruised the length of the Atlantic seaboard virtually unopposed.
With the War of Independence over the United States had disbanded the US military with the exception of a regiment to guard the Western Frontier and one battery of artillery guarding West Point's arsenal. The Navy had been abolished at the end of the Revolutionary War and its last warship was sold in 1785. The United States had only a flotilla of small revenue cutters and a few somewhat neglected coastal forts. In 1789, the new Constitution of the United States authorized Congress to create a navy, but during George Washington's first term little was done to rearm the navy. In 1793, the French Revolutionary War between Great Britain and France began, and a truce negotiated between Portugal and Algiers ended Portugal's blockade of the Strait of Gibraltar which had kept the Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean. Soon after, the pirates sailed into the Atlantic, and captured 11 American merchant ships and more than a hundred seamen. In reaction to the seizure of the American vessels, Congress debated and approved the Naval Act of 1794, which authorized the building of six frigates, four of 44 guns and two of 36 guns. Supporters were mostly from the northern states and the coastal regions, who argued the Navy would result in savings in insurance and ransom payments, while opponents from southern states and inland regions thought a navy was not worth the expense and would drive the United States into more costly wars. After the passage of the Naval Act of 1794, work began on the construction of the six frigates: USS United States, President, Constellation, Chesapeake, Congress, and Constitution. Soon after the bill was passed, Congress authorized $800,000 to obtain a treaty with the Algerians and ransom the captives, triggering an amendment of the Act which would halt the construction of ships if peace was declared. After considerable debate, three of the six frigates were authorized to be completed: United States, Constitution and Constellation. However, the first naval vessel to sail was USS Ganges, on 24 May 1798.
The increasing depredations by French privateers had led to the rebirth of the United States Navy and the creation of the United States Marine Corps to defend the expanding American merchant fleet. Congress authorized the president to acquire, arm, and man not more than 12 ships of up to 22 guns each. Several merchantmen were immediately purchased and refitted as ships of war, and construction of the frigate Congress resumed.
Congress would rescind the treaties with France on 7 July 1798; that date is now considered as the beginning of the Quasi-War. This was followed two days later with the passage of the Congressional authorization of attacks on French warships in American waters. Concerns about the War Department's ability to manage a navy led to the creation of the Department of the Navy, which was established on 30 April 1798.