God Save That Yankee King: A Timeline by Spamage

I've been contemplating on whether or not to post there here, but I thinks its best to do so. :)

The discussion thread can be found here: https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=281536

Chapter 1: Building A Nation (1786-1797)
09a_george_washington.jpg
url
0419-EconFounders_full_600.jpg
classroom_9-003.jpg

God Save That Yankee King

Part 1: The Convention and the Hurdles of Ratification
1786-1788
08_30_05%2815-13-06%29_christy_constitution_xl.jpg

Debating on the Convention floor​

"Why must we throw off a tyrant only to replace him with what could be another one? Was our Revolution in vain? Our Articles a waste? No, my fellow delegates and if we adopt the monarchy our government won't be a government for all but instead a government for one."- Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Constitutional Convention

In the months following the conclusion of the American Revolution the Articles of Confederation were deemed to be failing. States were quarreling and Congress had very little power. There was no standing national army and rebellions became a greater fear each passing month. A Convention was called to reform the Articles in 1786 and before it convened a rebellion erupted led by Daniel Shays and Job Shattuck with the original intent being reform of state government but it soon evolved into warfare to overthrow the government.

The rebellion was crushed but even so sent a shiver down the spine of the many delegates to the convention. They selected George Washington to be the chairman and as they sat down to debate they didn't realize the true affect they would have on America's history.

Almost immediately the emergence of 2 factions was evident. The "Whigs" (Conservatives) debated heavily with the "Patriots" (Liberals). Both sides gave many proposals and yet continually knocked down their opponents. One of their few points of agreement was to strike down the articles instead of mildly reforming them. The debates were civil as many people were not extremely familiar with one another and men like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were abroad and others like Patrick Henry refused to attend.

Topics varied daily but the contrasts were obvious almost always. The Whigs, led by Hamilton, argued for retaining many of the principles practiced in England including a Parliament and a Monarchy among others. They wanted to add pieces, but only minimal pieces, of a Republic and one of their far fetched ideas included the position of President alongside both Monarch and Prime Minister. Needless to say some of their plans were abandoned. The Patriots on the other hand wanted a entirely Republican Federal Government with much power given to the individual states. Compromising soon became normal and after several long months of debating the Constitution was set to be written in its final draft.

The end result for the Federal Government matched Alexander Hamilton's designs almost entirely. The Whigs had secured 3 Federal Branches- Monarchy, Parliamentary, and Judiciary. Although the revolution was focused on fighting off one monarch his post would remain to be filled by another. The 3 Branches in more detail are-

The Monarchy- The Monarch is to be elected for life, barring some major misdemeanor or crime, but the position doesn't pass through the conventional means like those in the old world. The system was not hereditary instead when a monarch passed away a 14 day mourning period and funeral would be held and then the Parliament would seal itself within a designated room in the proposed Capital Building and would begin voting. Upon the voting completion the next monarch would be announced and coronated 14 days later. The system was modeled off of the much despised Catholic Church mainly for the extensive amount of symbolism as well as efficiency. The only difference in the the person elected doesn't have to be a member of Parliament. The only requirements are that they are above 35 and were born in America or were a citizen at the time of Constitutional Ratification. Although the position was watered down from that of Britain the monarch did get to keep the highly controversial veto.

The Parliamentary Branch- Hamilton and his forceful Convention proteges had successfully won a unicameral legislature in which members would be elected from various districts. This drew heavy criticism from small states (who were ironically Conservative "Whigs") but they were eventually won over with the promise of 1 additional At-Large MP from the entire state who would serve as the head of the delegation. The position would be equal to that of the district elected one and they even would vote in the same body. There was originally 250 seats to the American Parliament but a clause was added to the Constitution which allowed for an increase in number following every census. Districts could also be changed over that period. All seats would be held for voting every 4 years in order ensure that the change of peoples will was represented unless, with the consent of the majority of the government and the monarch, an election is called early.

The Judiciary Branch- Spearheaded by John Adams from abroad, the Judiciary Branch consisted of several court systems with the highest one being at the Federal level. This ignited controversy as some citizens had expressed controversial ideas on the court system in the past including one where the court wasn't connected to the government at all or another where there was no court system period. It was actually one of those ideas that Adams overheard that led him to write the Massachusetts delegation and the Convention and urge them to propose the branch. (Adams was troubled when he heard one citizens during the Revolution express joy over the courts being closed down).

As soon as the Constitution was presented to Congress Jefferson and many of his backwoods followers were sure it would go down in flames. Hamilton however, led his coalition effectively and had it narrowly passed in 1787. Needless to say in Britain Jefferson apparently threw his letter to the ground and huffed out of his room upon hearing about the situation. He grew stressed and began letter writing to the various ratification conventions in order to stop the document from passing.

The Conservatives needed 9 states for the document to become binding and they began hunting for votes. To the majority of the nation's surprise Hamilton managed to make his aristocratic home state of New York narrowly pass it (the first to do so) using argument's that many of New York City's gentry would likely become the nobles in the new society. This outraged to common men who began plotting against the idea before failing. New York also knew that its biggest city, New York, relied on trade and a Federal Government would ensure that with other states. The 3rd reason New York was likely 1st was that it had a large population and would gain a lot of power in Parliament. Although it had narrowly passed New York there was still 8 more states to go and both sides began preparing their argument's.

Jefferson hastened to return to America and so did his colleague John Adams. Both men had varying viewpoints on the issue and yet were still integral for deciding whether or not it would pass. Jefferson grew even more frustrated when tiny Delaware also supported the Constitution and he began contemplating several strange ideas within his journal. One of which included secession.

Massachusetts, South Carolina and Maryland were the next 3 to pass it putting the total to 5 in favor of the Whigs. Even so Virginia's convention, now sporting the recently arrived Thomas Jefferson ,was highly contentious. Frontier folk gathered and threatened a rebellion while the nation was still week if the Constitution was adopted and many of the Delegates, fearing for both their own safety as well as that of the Union voted to strike down the bill. Washington was furious and began organizing with many prominent Whigs for a retry.


Regardless of their people's concerns Georgia and the highly aristocratic South Carolina voted in favor believing that a United force would prevent the rebellion. Soon Connecticut joined as well, leaving the fate of the nation in the hands of Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

It was highly tense and when both New Hampshire and Pennsylvania voted for ratification Rhode Island solemnly followed. A rebellion did in fact break out of the frontier. Calling itself "The common man's rebellion" it formed near the intersection of the Virginia and North Carolina claims. It was small but several frontier town supported it and Jefferson wrote highly of it. General Washington however, disagreed with Jefferson, mobilized troops, and successfully used the Virginia Militia to quell any unrest. This greatly enraged the Patriots who had been silently egging on the rebels (doing it publicly would be political suicide in the event of failure) grew discontent with Washington while the Whigs ever so strongly defended him.

Regardless of the troubles to the west the states that had voted against ratification re-voted in favor of it due to heavy pressure imposed by New York and New England. The business of elections as well as the selection of the monarch in the temporary capital of Annapolis (chosen as a compromise) while the selection process for a permanent site began.

God Save That Yankee King
Part 2: The Trying Times of the Early Empire
1789-1791

george-washington.jpg

King George I, shortly after his coronation​

"We must unite, the dissenters and approvers, those mourning and those triumphing, and ultimately those from the North and those from the South. It is in our nation and it must occur for us to stand together as a nation"- King George I, Annual Address to Parliament 1789

As it generally happened in those days both the Patriots and the Whigs fell out of existence with no issue to focus on. Permanent groups were hard to find in the American Empire with many, as in the past, fading away.

It was early January 1789 when the members of Parliament began to enter Annapolis. There were many overjoyed former Whigs basking in their triumph but there was also men like Jefferson, who had opposed ratification and hoped they could reform the government form within. Some had signed the Declaration, others the Constitution and a fair majority had signed neither.

After a few days of formalities the Monarchial Conclave was begun and the men locked themselves away in the temporary capital in order to choose the head of state. What then occurred as the fastest conclave in American history. To no one's surprise General George Washington had been elected King George I in absentia as he didn't seek election to Parliament. There was great cheering and Washington arrived in the city within a week as it was close to his residence of Mt. Vernon. Martha followed her husband's lead and arrived a mere 2 days after him and within 5 days the 1st coronation in American history occurred.

By many accounts it was a beautiful day. The royals rode into the city by carriage and were greeted by cheering crowds the entire way up until they neared the capital (which was to serve as the site as opposed to a Cathedral in order to represent separation of church and state). George I was crowned at 1:17 PM in Annapolis and Queen Martha at 1:33. America was now in the midst of uncharted waters.

In Europe, news of the American Constitution was met with great joy by the crowned heads but not by the common folk. People who had been plotting against their government in the attempts to form a Republic were forced to soften their views to a constitutional monarchy stating "If it didn't work for those who gave their lives for it, it won't work." A few die hards kept fighting for freedom by ridiculing the line just stated but they gradually numbered less and less. The most notable comment came from King George III, who was still furious over the loss in the American Revolution, who remarked, "God Save that Yankee King".

Back in the United States the Prime Ministerial Election was occurring. George I wrote a letter highly recommending John Adams but the diehard Patriots wanted Jefferson, the showdown was set and the election was held. Adams won by a much larger margin than even he himself expected and became the 1st Prime Minister.


8905672594_0810d46059_o.png

(States Colored by Majority of Delegation Vote)
Prime Ministerial Election 1789 (250 total)

John Adams 126 Votes
Thomas Jefferson 85 Votes
James Madison 17 Votes
Alexander Hamilton 14 Votes
John Hancock: 8 Votes

The results were negligible except for 2 outcomes. John Hancock had once been "one upped" by John Adams when he, and his cousin Samuel (who wasn't elected to Parliament) chose King George over him to lead the Continental Army in the Revolution. He had been deeply offended and was more so when Adams won the election over him. He resigned and retired to Massachusetts. He would never again leave that state. The second result was the ultimate increase of tension over the fact that the "anti-constitution” Jefferson had failed.

The first true issue debated by Parliament was the new capital. Some wanted Philadelphia, others Charleston, and some still pushed for New York City. Debating was quelled by Alexander Hamilton who composed the 1st compromise of his career. The Capital, Royal Palace, and Government offices would be put in a unique location chosen by King George himself. His reasoning behind the idea was "We do not need to adopt a city built by the Dutch (New York), Quakers (Philadelphia), or English (Charleston). Instead we should start from the beginning and create a city built by Americans for Americans."

Adams then, quietly urged by King George, created a cabinet which would consist of MP's advising both the Prime Minister and the King on various issues. He appointed Thomas Jefferson (his longtime friend), Alexander Hamilton (King George's favorite), and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (a quickly developing protege).


The 1st Cabinet- Prime Minister Adams
Secretary of International Affairs: Thomas Jefferson
Secretary of the Treasury: Alexander Hamilton
Secretary of War: Charles Cotesworth Pinckney

Much was passed and little was debated up until 1790 when Hamilton introduced the United System which called for the assumption of states debts from the Revolution, an increased borrowing of money from foreign powers, and the establishment of a central Federal Bank. Jefferson, a strict constitutionalist, pointed to the members of Parliament that, in his opinion the Bank was unconstitutional. Thus Parliament became divided in one of the greatest rivalries in American History. Varying sides took up different aspects of the debate and Hamilton grew very frustrated at the tedious process and the stalling of voting by Jefferson and his men. Prime Minister Adams too was quite dismayed at Jefferson for making the issue so controversial.

Upon the completion of voting the core aspects of the system passed. Jefferson, still upset by the constitutionality, began formulating the first American political party as well as the first opposition group in the American Empire's, at the time, brief history.

The Whigs and Tories of England both inspired Jefferson and his followers. The idea that the opposition party kept the majority party in line heavily increased his efforts. He even asked Prime Minister Adams to join but was rebuffed with the Prime Minister stating, "You're walking dangerous ground Mr. Jefferson. This could very well define our Kingdom as a whole." Un-deterred Jefferson and his supporters in Parliament met privately and created a platform.

During one of Parliament's annual breaks Jefferson and various likeminded men went to his beloved Monticello in order to draw up formal conclusions on their party. They created several written documents including a party structure, platform, and general organization and mission. Jefferson was designated chairman and James Madison took up the job of Vice Chairman. The Convention of Monticello then adjourned and the members of Parliament returned to their various home states in order to begin to spread their cause, the Confederate Party.

The belief in a confederation (hence the name Confederate) of states with very little Federal Government grew highly popular in the South yet highly opposed in the North. George I and Prime Minister Adams both criticized the party's position on government power and during one of their weekly meetings agreed that the party ignored the necessary (in their opinion) Federal Government in which they could maintain a union. In fact, some of Adams' closest friends as well as his wife Abigail believed in the abolition of States Entirely and the creation of broad regional governments instead. Adams ignored their ideas however and knew the government couldn't hope to survive if the 2 groups took such extreme positions. His camp wanted the status quo and intended to do just as much as the Confederates to keep it as it was.

When Parliament convened in 1791 Jefferson announced his resignation from the position of Secretary of International Affairs after a brief one year tenure. He stated he needed more free time but it is inherently obvious that he is planning to pursue a future position such as Prime Minister.

The Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton was greatly alarmed at the Jeffersonian ideals so deeply ingrained in the Confederate Party and called together a group of his supporters who together created a party in opposition to the Confederates on almost every issue. John Adams' greatest fears, it appeared, were now a reality.

God Save that Yankee King
Part 3: A Nation Dividing
1791-1793

0813-johnadams_full_600.jpg

Prime Minister John Adams' official portrait c. 1792​

"America has it's future in it's hands and that, my friends, could be the most dangerous decision you all have ever made. For if the people are swept up with emotion then they must wait 4 years before righting the wrong choices made with Parliament."- John Adams, addressing the 2 early political parties of the Empire.


Hamilton called his new party the Federalist Party and it immediately spiked in popularity with members from New England primarily joining, even so one Northern state would gain no converts to the new party, Rhode Island. Its fiercely independent attitude still lingered from colonial days and due to this its delegation chose to remain unaffiliated and didn’t actively attempt to seek a party, they were joined by dozens of other MP’s who viewed the entire system as a dangerous step.

Composition of Parliament 1789-1793
The Federalist Party- 119 Seats
The Confederate Party- 98 Seats
Unafilliated- 33

Adams himself was one of the "fighting 33" who refused to join either side and was largely supported in his efforts by King George I who, although a close friend of Alexander Hamilton, believed, as Adams did, that the preservation of the Empire would not be due to political parties and he feared having half of the country plotting against the other power would be dangerous. Both parties for once agreed and rebuffed these statements calling them "baseless" and "untrue"

On the frontier a different scenario was taking place. Britain had withdrawn all its military men from American soil in an attempt to make good on its promise but also to exhort pressure into making the young empire a puppet state. America was ignorant of this instead focusing on the Indians who were severely depleting communication and were a grave threat to the "wild folk" who had just recently hosted a failed rebellion. Anthony Wayne was sent to fight and was doing so rather effectively until the diversion of force in order to quell a homeland rebellion.

The North was also facing another problem. Opposition to Alexander Hamilton's Whiskey Tax contained in his United Plan was severely opposed by the moonshiners and farmers near Pittsburgh. Adams ordered troops to ease tensions but the increase of force in the area actually turned out to be counterproductive.

George I himself wanted to lead forces but was told politely yet effectively by Hamilton and Jefferson that he couldn't. Adams too was rebuffed and when news broke out of skirmishes the only thing he could do was order an increase of force, diverting men from the Indian Wars. This would have different results for the 2 conflicts.

The Whiskey farmers were captured, put on trial, and 2 were hung. That did very little to advance the governments popularity in Western Pennsylvania and many of the farmers who hadn't already came out in full support of the Confederate Party. This worked more in Hamilton's favor however, as he was able to align Jefferson and the "seditious rebels". Prospects looked bright for the Federalist Party

Meanwhile with the continued lack of assistance Anthony Wayne was slain and became a martyr almost instantly. His death gave the Indians a morale boost but it also enraged army of their white neighbors causing massive civilian bloodshed when regular men and boys took matters into their own hands and formed Red Brigades. They had high casualties as the wait for Federal troops to come back stretched on but due to their efforts the natives were actually being held back. Therefore the fatal blow came when a band of Federal troops, fresh out of fighting in Western Pennsylvania, met the natives at the Battle of the Bloody River. The exact location is unknown and there are several candidates. The Battle gained its name from the high amount of blood spilled, so much in fact that the Creek did run red for several hours.

In the face of the 2 issues of warfare on American soil the parties grew even more polarized then ever. As the election of 1793 approached the rivalry increased and each side believed it would win the majority. Prime Minister Adams was the only person that appeared to be somewhat melancholy. He knew there was a large chance he wouldn't be chosen as Prime Minister again and feared greatly for the nation's security.

The voting went much more smoothly that it had just 4 years prior. The turnout was up and although the results were kept a secret until January both sides stated that they had sources claiming they'd won. What become known as the "lame duck" session opened in November, just after the elections, and closed in March, when the next group was to be sworn in. The results would be certified and read aloud to Parliament, King George I, and the majority of the Governors in Baltimore. The Empire then resorted to waiting for the day to arrive, one so pivotal that it would decide the next 4 years of the Empire's History.

The end result did tilt towards the Confederate Party but in reality very little had changed. There was still a high number of independent members of Parliament and they found neither party suitable for their beliefs. Therefore when the election for Prime Minister came there was consistently no majority. The United Party voted for Hamilton, the Confederate for Jefferson, and the Independents for Adams. There was some behind the scenes wrangling between Adams and Hamilton and in order to unite from a completely partisan, polarized government Hamilton encouraged his men to begin voting for John Adams who was reelected by an outstanding margin following several ballots full of deadlock.


8928936289_21d4b78be9_o.png



Majority of votes for Prime Minister by State, 1792
Alexander Hamilton 112 (Federalist Party)
Thomas Jefferson 99 (Confederate Party)
John Adams 39 (Non affiliated)

Following Hamilton and Adam's cooperation Adams won all of Hamilton's states and Maryland

Obviously the Jeffersonians were a bit outraged by the results and claimed voter fraud. Regardless their cries were not heard and the American Empire, as it had done so far, picked itself up and kept moving forward in an attempt for not only power but also for Liberty.

As the 2nd session of Parliament opened the nation was mildly divided and the first signs of other new political parties began to rise.

God Save That Yankee King
Part 4: New Parties at home and Conflicts Abroad
1793-1796

franklin%20and%20rush.jpg

The 2 men responsible for the creation of the 3rd political part in the Empire's History, one posthumously

"I can no longer stand aside while the South explores their peculiar institution further. Franklin intended freedom for all men and although he is now deceased I must concur. The Southern States are wrong and Parliament must stop them."- Dr. Benjamin Rush in a letter to Prime Minister Adams.


Dr. Benjamin Rush was one of the unaffiliated members of Parliament who was a close personal friend of Prime Minister Adams. He flirted with joining the United Party but, upon meeting with Benjamin Franklin in the year 1790 he became determined to create his own party. Both men were against slavery and wanted it gradually removed. Franklin was too ill to even be elected to Parliament but had urged Rush to come together with members of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society and implement their ideology.

Rush followed Franklin's instruction to a tee and in 1793 ruined the uneasy 2 party atmosphere in Baltimore by using his fellow Pennsylvanian Abolitionists to create the Liberty Party, America's 1st antislavery political organization. It was viewed as evil by the South and necessary by the North.

Although it only hosted 6-12 members at a time the party was groundbreaking in a sense that it was the 1st minority, minority party. Other small groups began to converge and create their mini-political parties (largely for regional purposes or political issues) and some died out while others remained.

The increase in political diversity on one side of the spectrum ultimately led to one on the other side as well. Pro-Slavery Southerners began fomenting their political groups and those fearing conflict over the issue did as well. They created the States Rights Party and Compromise Party respectively. Neither party garnered real strength and they only had around 2 people in Parliament from each.

Composition of Parliament 1793-1797
Federalist Party 116 Seats (-3)
Confederate Party 101 Seats (+3)
Liberty Party 7 Seats (+7)
State’s Rights Party 2 Seats (+2)
Compromise Party 1 Seat (+1)
Unaffiliated 23 Seats (-10)

The polarization was increasing rapidly and there was little Prime Minister Adams could do. He was then determined to maintain an independent group at all costs. Despite this, he could do little to stop the harmful rhetoric being used by both sides and instead figured that a buffer group of like-minded, persuadable individuals from all around the nation ought to be the swing voters in which legislation was passed. This was opposed, obviously, by Hamilton and Jefferson and was one of the few rare occasions where they united. Their protests were ignored however, and Adams gained great praise from King George I who was more than happy to assist in the creation of what he called "sensible government".

Adams founded what is largely considered the 1st caucus in Parliament is 1794 when he created the "United for Liberty" group which used any pull it had to change the viewpoints of those on the fringe of both sides. They encouraged compromise but, unlike a political party, there was little unanimity in their voting as they featured diverse political idealists.

However, as the 2nd session pushed on it became clearer and clearer it was foreign policy, not hard fought politics that would be the primary focus. The French people who had been groaning under the weight of the monarchy had tried several times over the past few years to revolt but the ideas such as a republic and democracy were scorned. Some early rebels held the view that if America, a nation who had specifically fought for a Republic, hadn't been able to resist a monarchy then it was likely impossible and would create few friends among other European, monarchist nations.

The early fighters were then essentially weeded out and as more peasants looked at potential ways to make the nation a much fairer place the idea of a constitutional monarchy, based both on British and American models, arose. Its support grew rapidly from the lower classes but it was largely ignored by the nobles. Eventually the idea began to flare up and it was surprisingly supported by the British who believed as long as Louis XVI remained on the throne the French people should be allowed to have say in their government whether it was through a legislative body such as Parliament or limits to the power of the royal family.

The Pope himself even sided with the mild mannered reformers by holding the belief that if a constitutional monarchy were created royal feuds with the papacy would ultimately result in a papal victory due to the King's limited powers. With the world on their side, or so it seemed, the rebels gained support from many discontent soldiers and faced the Royal French Army it battle following several executions in Paris over disloyalty. The battle of the Seine as it became known actually resulted in somewhat of a draw. The peasants held their ground however, and that was in their view a victory.

Louis XVI and his family all felt the pressure but refused to back down. Many prominent members of the court had begun to abandon it in order to join the rebels but the king held firm. This however, proved counterproductive as it caused massive rioting in Paris which the army could not quell. Women began to swarm into the Parisian rioting as well fighting for food in order to feed their family but there was also a select few who wanted better rights and equal treatment. Within 6 months of Louis' statement the country was likely going to descend into a Civil War. A revolution for some and a rebellion for others. The nation was divided yet both sides agreed on Louis retaining the throne but some moderates feared that that idea would soon become contested as well.

The Confederate and the Federalist Parties held varying views on the topic, as was to be expected. Jefferson and his followers sympathized with the French rebels and a few actually were more radical than the peasants across the Atlantic in the sense that they wished for France to create a Republic and succeed where America had failed. Hamilton however, as well as much of New England, supported the monarchy 100%. States such as Massachusetts had been in a bind in the American Revolution and the French, led by Louis, had gotten them out of it. Prime Minister Adams, who was quite moderate, wished for compromise on the issue and declared that America would be neutral if other nations got involved on the conflict.

King George I supported the Prime Minister’s decision and used his high popularity to subdue challenges to the Neutrality Proclamation which passed Parliament in 1795. The American people themselves largely opposed the measure however, as the topic was very divisive and almost everyone held a different opinion on the issue. Other nations, especially Great Britain, opposed the proclamation due to the fact that they wouldn’t be able to count on the support of their former colony, with whom they had a complicated relationship. The French monarchy also didn’t approve because they viewed America as their one potential ally.

With this issue in mind, many Americans began to flock to the polls in 1796. John Adams announced he wouldn’t be seeking reelection, which surprised very few people as his popularity had been tarnished by the Neutrality Proclamation. Even so, many people realized in hindsight that Adams made the right choice and gradually as his term began to wind down he regained support. Regardless voting commenced and the lame duck session ensued, leaving many Americans, including the King, anxious to hear which political party, if any, had won a majority of seats in Parliament.






 
Chapter 2: The Federalist Era (1797-1812)

Alexander_Hamilton_portrait_by_John_Trumbull_1806.jpg
photo_1_oregon.jpg
49fafea59f8ab58e0f30ce219228bedc.jpg



God Save That Yankee King
Part 5: The Dawn of Hamiltonian Federalism
1797-1798

alexander-hamilton.jpg

Alexander Hamilton's Official Portrait as Prime Minister c. 1798

[FONT=&quot]We have been given the people’s consent to govern this nation, gentlemen. A new day is dawning, a new era for America, one of triumph, growth, and expansion. As we embark on this journey we must hold steadfast to our beliefs and not be led astray.”- Alexander Hamilton, “A Letter To Fellow Federalists”

[/FONT]
The Results were read aloud before Parliament, the King, and many governors and dignitaries from across the nation. Prime Minister Adams read the results district by district and it soon became clear there was a majority, a Federalist majority. For the first time in American History one party held a majority of seats in Parliament.

Composition of Parliament (1797) 250 total
Federalist Party 131 Seats (+15)
Confederate Party 99 Seats (-2)
Liberty Party 9 Seats (+2)
State’s Rights Party 2 Seats (+-0)
Unaffiliated 9 Seats (-14)

The Hamiltonians were elated and in the cities of Boston and New York great celebrations ensued over the following weeks. Hamilton was to be the second Prime Minister, much to the annoyance of Jefferson, and so he began a series of meetings with John Adams and King George I. George I, remembering his longtime friendship with Alexander, promised to only use his veto (which hadn’t been done once) only if he strongly objected to a bill passed. Hamilton was delighted and began drawing up grand designs for the United States, including a National Bank.

January to March was largely quiet as Adams didn’t want to stir up controversy in his final weeks in office. In the first week of March the new Parliament was voted in and Prime Minister voting promptly followed. Hamilton won on the first round garnering both Federalist votes, as well as those from the Liberty Party which felt like it was too weak to nominate a candidate. The Inauguration was filled with pageantry, appearance by King George and John Adams, and cheering crowds. One thing that it didn’t have however was Confederates. Following Hamilton’s victory in the Prime Ministerial Election Jefferson and protégés walked out of the assembly hall in the half completed Capitol (In the new city of Columbia) and boycotted the Inauguration which occurred shortly afterwards. This was not forgotten by Hamilton, who became even more partisan and less willing to compromise.

8975495918_6d59f7fbd6_o.png

Majority of votes for Prime Minster by State, 1797
Alexander Hamilton 141 (Federalist Party)
Thomas Jefferson 107 (Confederate Party)
Patrick Henry 2 (State's Rights Party)

While there was political tension at home, foreign policy yet again stole the show. In France Louis XVI was forced to agree to a Constitutional Monarchy and the creation of a national assembly (loosely based off of the American and English models). These “Paris Accords” drew praise from Britain and the United States, but were opposed by Spain which feared that the revolutionary ideas would seep into its country. While these agreements quelled the tension in France, for the time being, it did indeed inspire other resistance groups to form in varying Kingdoms across Europe, although none would enjoy the success of the French.

Louis, with his limited power, was angry at America for not steeping in in favor of his rights. The Assembly was also angry at the United States, but for the opposite reason. They wished America would’ve supported the movement and together the King and the National Assembly gradually grew colder towards the United States, not that this bothered Alexander Hamilton, who not only favored Britain but was also busy pushing through several domestic issues.

The Bank was the issue of debate in America. Both the Federalist and Liberty Parties supported the idea but the Confederates, the State’s Rights, and National Unity Parties opposed in. Jefferson took advantage of the similarities in these beliefs to begin to lump the 3 parties together. Although the only National Unity MP was opposed, the State’s Rights Party was open to a merger, which occurred in January 1798. Even so, the united opposition front failed and Prime Minister Hamilton got his way, with the Bank being passed in a party line vote (with the exception of one Federalist abstaining).

While there were many issues which separated the two parties, there were several that did not. Both groups supported the expansion of the United States and the Federalists withheld any opposition they had to the frontier people (who they detested but hoped to gain as voters in the long term). In order to expand the nation however, something had to be done with the many Indians residing East of the Mississippi River. Although the Iroquois were no more, other groups such as the Cherokee opposed Western Expansion. In order to deal with this problem Hamilton sent Henry Knox to Georgia to fight the natives. This move, while not intended to be political, did give Hamilton a rise in support in the Southern state, especially with the very pioneers that had voted almost unanimously against his party just 2 years prior.

America under the Federalists was different from when John Adams was Prime Minister in the sense that it was the first time a partisan agenda was actively being pushed. While this was what other founders, many of whom were deceased, had feared the American people seemed to share the opposite sentiment. While politics often caused disagreements, it also gave people with similar beliefs a rallying point, either for or against the Government. Tension between groups increased but sectional divides withing groups decreased. Hamilton saw this and knew that specific constituents would soon become the target for ideological conversion.


God Save that Yankee King
Part 6: The Pinckney-Burr Duel and its Aftermath
1799-1801
hamilton-burr-duel-1804-granger.jpg
A later representation of Burr shooting Pickney
[FONT=&quot]“Aaron Burr must be held responsible for his evil act in our previously untainted Capitol City. His cold hearted shooting of Charles Pinckney represents the evil present in some men, an evil so powerful it shoots unarmed men following their firing into the air.”- Alexander Hamilton’s official call for Aaron Burr’s arrest.[/FONT]

By the time of the second half of Alexander Hamilton’s term as Prime Minister arrived, America had changed immensely from its colonial days. New states were being proposed west of the Appalachians, the Natives were being pushed back, population was increasing, and the next generation of post Revolution Americans was emerging. Those born in 1776, the year of the Declaration of Independence, were now 24 and they only had vague memories of the most important conflict in the Empire’s history thus far. They were only 10 when the Constitution had been written and many were loyal to the monarchy, and therefore more Federalist than their ancestors, who had experience much of their life under both Britain and the Articles of Confederation.

The Confederates were worried, as was to be expected, and began circulating a series of anti-Federalist writings called “The Articles of America” which was largely penned by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. With the release of these writings, which were read by Confederates and Federalists alike, intense polarization of the young nation continued. Newspapers openly lauded one side and went out of their way to attack the other with lies, rumors, and unconfirmed stories. The American people ate up the drama and many duels did indeed occur during this period between Federalists and Confederate upperclassmen who believed that the other side had begun to disrespect each other’s supposed “honor”.

One of the most notable of these duels took place outside of the Capitol Building (close to the Royal Palace under construction) between 2 members of Parliament, Aaron Burr and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. The 2 men had been sparring over many issues including the National Bank, new states, and the Foreign policy of the young nation so Burr, in a fit of rage challenged Pinckney to a duel and the challenge was accepted. Hamilton and Jefferson both disapproved of the entire idea but could say nothing as Pinckney had firmly resolved to enter into the match. The 2 men met in the early morning and by 8:00 AM Charles Pinckney was dead, having been shot in the chest by a bitter Burr. There was outrage over the death of John Adams’ former Secretary of War and Hamilton as well as many other Federalists called for Burr’s immediate arrest. Jefferson remained silent on the issue, hurt over seeing one of his promising protégés tainted forever. Burr was caught just outside of Columbia at 4 in the evening and was brought to trial several months later. He was sentenced to be hung but mysteriously disappeared just days before the date of his execution. Rumors swirled that Jefferson had something to do with it, and all signs pointed that he likely did. Several Burr sighting occurred in Western North Carolina before it was soon reported that the former Confederate member of Parliament had fled to New Orleans. The French didn’t lift a finger to extradite him however, still hurt over America’s neutrality in the Revolution, and Hamilton turned on Jefferson instead, who was soon found innocent by a largely rural, Confederate jury. The entire affair hurt both parties’ images, but Hamilton faced the most criticism, being viewed as too weak in getting back Burr and a sore loser for going after Jefferson.

Americans took these criticisms to the ballot box and thanks to a new law which allowed the reporting of results immediately, Hamilton saw that. The Confederates replaced the Federalists as the top party and gained a very narrow majority of seats, much to Hamilton’s dismay. The “lame duck” session was filled with Hamilton using all of his political capital to leave as many Federalists in appointed positions as possible. While he had been reelected by his constituents, the Prime Minister feared he would never be in power again and made and filled many court positions that had previously been unfilled. He even managed to appoint a hardcore Federalist, John Marshall, as the head of the Supreme Court.

Composition of Parliament (1801-1805) 250 Seats Total
Confederate Party 128 Seats (+29)
Federalist Party 103 Seats (-28)
Liberty Party 6 Seats (-3)
Unaffiliated 13 Seats (+4)

Hamilton committed the greatest snub of all however, on the first day of the new session of Parliament following the Prime Minister Election when he, as well as his fellow Federalists, walked out in fury to protest Jefferson and his agenda. He didn’t even attend Jefferson’s swearing in as Prime Minister, as Adams had done with him, and instead spent the day roaming around the city talking with the common people.

8983283914_6d37870990_o.png

Majority of Votes For Prime Minister by State, 1800
Thomas Jefferson 129 (Confederate Party)
Alexander Hamilton 120 (Federalist Party)
Rufus King 1 (Federalist Party)

Another factor which contributed to Hamilton’s disappointment was that the Confederate Parliament voted to increase the amount of districts for the 1804 Election following the return of census results. The vast majority of these new seats were to be in the West (where the Federalists performed poorly excluding Georgia and the Northwest Territory).

Following his election, Jefferson’s first notable act was getting Parliament to officially recognize Georgia as the Permanent owner of the land east to the Mississippi River, with the Southern half of the former claim being created the Mississippi Territory. The only problem facing the law was the fact that the Native American Residents of the land would not be happy to move and it in turn increased tension in the region and backfired on Jefferson as more and more frontiersman became Federalists due to the perceived increasing risks.

God Save that Yankee King
Part 7: The Troubles of Jeffersonian America
1801-1803
70316-004-F9F2DF68.jpg
A Cartoon Shown in Federalist Newspapers calling for War with France

“What separates Jefferson from Bonaparte? Nothing! Both don’t want opposition, both want total power, and both want to tear down the institutions that have kept the world going for thousands of years”- The Daily Federalist Newspaper article, July 14th, 1802

The Election of 1800 consisted of more Americans voting against Hamilton, than those voting for Jefferson. For this reason Jefferson entered office, unpopular but eager. For the first time since 1788, 12 years in the past, his party had won the election. His desire for reform however, would be met with opposition from the Federalists and would be pushed to the side by issues on foreign policy.

In 1800 France was back in a state of anarchy. The National Assembly was raided by crowds of starving peasants, upset with the lack of change under the new government. Louis XVI was caught in Versailles and was confined to the palace by rebel soldiers. The French Army evaporated due to infighting and disagreements. All was not well for France. A dashing young commander, Napoleon Bonaparte, led armies across the North in favor of reform but he faced intense opposition from guerilla soldiers. Paris was in chaos and the rest of Europe looked on with horror and fear. Britain and Spain, longtime enemies, both got involved in favor of Louis XVI and entered war against the many different rebels. The War of the Coalition had begun in Europe.

Napoleon served as a person whom the rebels all eventually rallied around. He was an excellent commander and gave the British and Spanish several defeats including one at the Battles of Caen and Rouen where the opposition army was forced to retreat. Due to the loss of many men and the failure to recover Louis XVI there was a temporary peace negotiated between the other nations and France. While this was good for Napoleon, it proved fatal for King Louis, who mysteriously died in the dungeons of Versailles just weeks after peace was declared, likely due to poison. Meanwhile Queen Marie and her son Louis fled to Austria, where she had family. Napoleon had removed any threats to his rule and entered Paris with much pomp in August 1803. He would be at war with the British just months later however, in the War of the Second Coalition.

Across the Atlantic America had sat on the sidelines under Jefferson who refused to get involved. He knew entering on the side of Napoleon and other rebels would bring the high potential for a British retaliation, something which the young Empire likely could not survive. Jefferson also refused to enter the war on the side of King Louis because he sympathized with the rebels. This came as many American merchant vessels were being impressed into service by the Navies of both powers. Hamilton pounced on the opportunity to criticize Jefferson and toured the nation, especially New England, rallying for war with France and had many Federalist leaning newspapers brand the Prime Minister as a traitor. Jefferson responded to this spike in criticism by attempting to pass a bill which would prevent criticism of the Prime Minister but Hamilton, King George, and quite a few Confederates refused to let the measure pass. Hamilton branded Jefferson akin to Napoleon, the self-proclaimed President of France, who actually was more of a dictator. During his intense campaigning for war Hamilton conspicuously left out the fact that in reality more American sailors had been pressed into service by the British than the French. The American people didn’t care however, and turned the call for war with France into somewhat of a National movement, and that was very dangerous for Thomas Jefferson.

America was caught between a rock and a hard place, and Jefferson knew this. In the fall of 1803 Napoleon, the “president” of France was calling for American involvement in the war. When Jefferson quietly declined the amount of skirmishes between the Americans and the French spiked and the American people grew disenchanted with Thomas Jefferson, who was suffering from very low approval.

Hamilton called for a vote of no confidence in the government in 1803, but it failed by 10 votes. Meanwhile the government admitted 2 new states, Mississippi and Ohio before the election of 1804. While the state of Mississippi had 2 or 3 Members in Parliament its admission had been agreed to following the settlement of Georgia’s territory. Ohio was a separate issue. There was actually mild Confederate disapproval for the admission of what they feared would be another New England state, but compromise ensued and it was agreed that both the Southern and Northern states would join on the same day.

Another aspect which hurt Jefferson’s popularity further was the fact that his former protégé, and traitor, Aaron Burr was in France and personally knew Napoleon, advising the President on many things including how to successfully punish the Americans for not siding at all. Burr, who had once been a thorn in Jefferson’s side following the trial of the Prime Minister, was proving to be so again. Napoleon agreed to a plan initiated by Burr. The French government, then at war with much of Europe, began privately bribing the Barbary pirates to raid American and British vessels. While the United Kingdom could pay off the Bey of Algiers and other Barbary pirates, America could not and the economy began to bleed as Mediterranean Sea trading was cut off. While Jefferson continually stood firm on peace, due to his long standing sympathy for the French, he banned all trade with them. Parliament and King George both agreed. Of course, many Southern Americans, who shipped goods such as cotton and crops overseas did not. For the first time in American history it looked as though the Federalists had a chance in the South.

As 1804 dawned everything seemed to be moving against Jefferson and the Confederates, and it pretty much was. The Federalists were forming a diverse coalition, although this was primarily due to varying misconceptions on what the party actually stood for.

God Save that Yankee King
Part 8: The War of American Expansion
1804-1806
war3b-2-web.jpg
Naval Fighting was a crucial aspect of the War of American Expansion, as is displayed in this painting depicting the Americans defeating the French on the coast of Louisiana

“We must defeat the French, for the sake of America today and the future America for millions unborn. No longer will we be slaves to them, fearing their military power. No, I say to you my brothers, we will be the ones commanding them”- Humphrey Marshall, Alexander Hamilton’s Secretary of War

1804 saw the finals steps of the call for war with France becoming a national movement due to the intense disruption of American trade and the general economy of the young nation. Jefferson’s party was likely not going to fare well in the upcominf elections so the Prime Minister went out to stump himself. Although his seat was viewed to be safe, those of his allies such as James Madison and Elbridge Gerry had a high chance of flipping, and in order to prevent this the Prime Minister personally met with the voters there. All his campaigning wouldn’t be for naught however, as both men kept their seats, despite the fact that the Confederates lost in one of the biggest seat turnovers in American history.

Composition of Parliament (1805-1809) 260 Total
Federalist Party 147 Seats (+44)
Confederate Party 99 Seats (-29)
Liberty Party 8 Seats (+2)
Unaffiliated 6 (-7)
The results were as was to be expected for the Confederates. With the economy in disarray, trade a mess, and war almost inevitable the American people threw Jefferson and his allies out of office and restored the Federalists, who yet again sported a majority of seats in Parliament. Hamilton was overjoyed and began planning for his second term which would include a war with France. George I agreed there was a need for war, although he had trouble stomaching the idea and so following the Prime Minister Election, which Hamilton won as was expected, Parliament began to deliberate the subject.

8993008570_a4613d8295_o.png

Majority of Votes for Prime Minister by State, 1804

Alexander Hamilton 154 (Federalist Party)
Thomas Jefferson 100 (Confederate Party)
Benjamin Rush 6 (Liberty Party)

On the third day of Parliament’s session laws were passed which increased the size of the navy (with several new boats being ordered) and Hamilton also ordered troops in the states of Mississippi and Georgia to be ready for an attack on Louisiana on a moment’s notice. Several shabby forts were constructed including Ft. Pinckney, named after the recently deceased former Secretary of War, and Ft. Franklin, after Benjamin Franklin.

Parliament then deliberated on whether or not to go to war. Although many had beat their chests in their campaigns in favor of war, there was some last minute uneasiness. The American people were persistent however, and there were several pro-war rallies outside the Capitol building while Parliament deliberated. Members were swayed however, when Alexander Hamilton read a passionate speech on the need for Americans to enter the war that had been penned by the British ambassador to America, Anthony Merry. It praised America and continually called for “a crusade to rid the world of tyranny”. A vote was then scheduled and on May 11th, 2015 America entered its first war since the Revolution. Only this time they were fighting France.

Thomas Jefferson and a few other Confederates voted against war, and that infuriated quite a bit of American people. The Confederate Party began to crumble as those that had voted for the War noticed a greater distance in ideology than they had prior to the vote. They feared an end to their political careers upon seeing the opinion of the American people and so a few, led by the relatively young member of Parliament Henry Clay, “jumped ship” and joined the Federalists in order to secure their futures. Hamilton was welcoming enough, largely due to the prospect of increasing his majorities, but some other Federalists were a little more cold, criticizing the latecomers.

The first shots of the War were shot over 2 weeks after its declaration. In Louisiana a group of militia, led by the Revolution veteran Andrew Jackson, fought a band of French settlers shortly after crossing the Mississippi River. They would soon be joined by the rest of the western army, which was moving with haste towards New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The French were initially surprised, not having expected America to actually act, and were therefore defeated. However, by the time the Americans closed in on areas of more dense settlement, news had spread and the French were ready, skirmishes that ended in stalemates were increasingly common, but America was better supplied than the French, and because of this they had the upper hand, in the West at least.

In the Old World Napoleon was furious upon hearing what had happened across the Atlantic but was prevented from acting due to the fact that the British, who he was at war with, controlled the seas. He also was focusing his efforts on continuing his campaign across the campaign across the Pyrenees, which up until the American declaration of war had been successful.

Another problem for the French in the New World arose when Haiti, having previously failed in an attempt for a Revolution, revolted again. There was intense bloodshed on the island and the slaves, as well as free blacks, soon emerged victorious. Due to this, New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana was to be left to its own devices, and its citizens highly resented that fact.

The French only were able to send 2 ships and several small groups of men to the New World, with their primary goal being to protect New Orleans, but besides that the entire army in the sparsely populated territory was to be made up of frontiersmen who, although resilient, weren’t Napoleon’s most loyal subjects.

Baton Rouge was sieged for 6 days before it was forced to surrender. The rural areas surrounding it continued to hold out however, and so did New Orleans, which was expecting an American attack on its coast at any time. During the seizure of Baton Rouge much of the city was burned, including several Catholic churches, much to the dismay of the city’s residents who began to resent having surrendered so quickly. Several armed revolts took place in the city over the next few weeks and a large number of American troops were killed while relatively few French citizens were caught, due to easily being masked by large crowds of their fellow nationals.

To the North, a small band of American troops attempted to seize the small city of St. Louis. Although the battle was small, it was the first French victory in the war and increased, only slightly, the morale of the colonists. Americans on the other hand were more determined than ever to win the war and began to increasingly view St. Louis with contempt. Several other tries were made to take the city, primarily by Natives hoping to get in good graces with the Americans, but were unsuccessful.

In America the war brought forth a tide of anti-Catholicism which hadn’t been seen since prior to the French alliance with the Americans in the Revolutionary War. While the Government largely avoided touching the issues, many “old” Americans took out their fury on Catholic churches in Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania. This disgusted the Spanish, with whom the Americans were indirectly allied to, but little could be done up until several Revolutionary veterans got involved. Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, gave several speeches on the topic before Parliament which forced them to act. Several groups of soldiers quelled the skirmishing and rioting against Catholics on the grounds that it violated the Freedom of Religion expressed in the U.S. Constitution.

The Naval battles of the War began on Lake Borgne, just outside of New Orleans, and pitted 2 large French vessels, and numerous smaller ones, against 3 newly built American vessels. The Americans lost 1 ship, the USS Stuyvesant, while the French only suffered a few small vessels sinking. Due to this victory, New Orleans was able to keep its port open and was able to better prepare for the attack on the city, which seemed likely due to the swiftness with which Baton Rouge had been taken.

America’s attention would be diverted from the war however, on January 5th, 1806 when King George I suddenly died at the age of 72. He had become somewhat withdrawn from the entire political scene following the death of Queen Martha in 1802, but still had remained a figure for Americans to unite around. Needless to say, it was unexpected and many Americans mourned heavily. The man who had led America through its darkest hours, as well as its brightest, was dead. News spread rapidly and people all around the Empire observed the 14 day mourning period, as stipulated by the Constitution. A funeral was also held with John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson all attending. Hamilton eulogized the King, and according to many it was one of his finest speeches ever.

American morale was hurt, without a doubt, and so Parliament knew it would need another Revolutionary American to take the role. The monarchial conclave began, as was expected, 14 days after Washington’s death (although it was protested by some of the anti-Catholics who had attempted to ruin the influence of that faith in America). It was much longer than the first one however, and after 4 days there still wasn’t a monarch. Black smoke had been sent up after every ballot through the entire period and it was clear there was division over who the next leader was to be. Rumors circulated in the newspapers that Hamilton wanted the job himself, while others asserted Jefferson was pushing for the spot (these were generally the same papers that had compared Jefferson to Napoleon just years prior). In reality neither of those 2 men were actually being considered by those voting. In reality there was extremely close voting for Benjamin Lincoln (a Federalist and a Washington analogue) and George Clinton (a Confederate). As it soon became clear neither side was going to get the necessary 2/3rds majority a compromise candidate soon emerged, and an unexpected one at that.

White smoke emerged on the morning of 23rd of January and after several hours of crowds quietly assembling, John Adams emerged. He was apparently just as surprised as the crowd at being chosen, but was received very highly as the nation was at war, and there was little reason to oppose the choice of him, he was an elder statesman and opinion of him had greatly increased following his 2 terms, over a decade before his election as monarch.

John and Abigail Adams were crowned King John and Queen Abigail on the steps of the newly completed Capitol in Columbia on February 6th, 1806. In his first speech as King, he stated that he viewed King George as a casualty of the war due to the stress it had given him, and he demanded revenge on the French. The American people agreed and took up the war with new zeal.

Just 2 months following the death of King George, the second naval battle on Lake Borgne occurred. The French had received no further naval reinforcements since the first battle, but the Americans had. There was mild skirmishing before the last of the French vessels fled out into the Gulf of Mexico following the sinking of all the larger ships. The fleet which went into the Gulf was never seen again as just days later an intense hurricane hit the area. With the American victory at Lake Borgne, New Orleans was now under siege.

Land troops moving to siege the French colonial capital arrived by the end of March and the city didn’t holdout for long. In an attempt to break the siege a mob of armed French men and women joined the remains of the French military in the city and charged head on into the American lines. The troops were surprised but repelled the forces easily, led by Andrew Jackson. The vast majority of New France’s population was now directly under American control.

Napoleon was pressed into finding a solution in the War of American Expansion. The French native allies either were depleted or dead and the remainder of the rural unoccupied territory cared less about who was in control. Meanwhile he also had war raging against Britain, Russia, Prussia, and Austria who were all trying to restore Louis XVI’s son Louis to the throne, largely due to the intense urging of his mother Marie Antoinette. Therefore Napoleon offered peace in the American conflict, but no neutral country in Europe was found who would be willing to allow talks to occur (the majority were at War with France). Eventually Napoleon consented to sending a group to New York City where a treaty was written up. America would take control of all of Louisiana and France would no longer bribe the Barbary pirates to attack American vessels. Also it was agreed there would be no more of France impressing Americans into naval service, something that was a root of the entire conflict.

Parliament ratified the treaty in January 1807 and France in March. America was now at peace, much to the relief of King John, Prime Minister Hamilton, and the entire public. The first national movement in the nation’s history had been a success and Hamilton was reaping the popularity with extremely high approvals. The future of the Federalist Party seemed bright and endless as it had led one of the youngest nations on the globe to victory against one of the oldest.

God Save that Yankee King
Part 9: The Politics of Expansion
1807-1808
Vote_4b.jpg
Election day on Jenkins St was painted to represent the spike in electoral and political interest in the U.S. Notice the monster on the left eating the Courier de Bois, this symbolizes the annexation of Louisiana and its uncertain future.

“Hamilton works with his heart
Jefferson’s a Bonaparte
The Federalist Party
Mean A vote for you and a vote for me”

–Campaign poem circulated by the Federalists, author unknown

Following the war Prime Minister Hamilton enjoyed the highest approval in American history up until that point. America had doubled its size, took on one of the world’s superpowers and won, and lastly now held the all-important Mississippi River to the west. Jefferson on the other hand was vilified as a coward and a traitor. More and more Confederates jumped ship and became Federalists and in response Thomas Jefferson sent out a letter to every Confederate in Parliament announcing that he would serve out the remainder of his term in Parliament, but would not be a candidate for reelection. As his successor for leader of the Confederate Party, Jefferson chose James Madison, to whom there was little opposition. Madison hosted an impressive resume but was actually somewhat reluctant to succeed Jefferson, as it was clear the Confederate Party was in decline. Whether it was a permanent decline, or a temporary decline remained to be seen however. In a broad sense, Thomas Jefferson became the last casualty of the War of American Expansion.

Upon seeing how the military had worked in the war, Alexander Hamilton set out to streamline the entire system. The vast majority of the fighting had been done by National Soldiers instead of State Militia and because of this Hamilton proposed a bill to merge all state militias with the National Military. King John supported the measure, as did the Federalist Party, but it faced heavy opposition from the states, primarily those in the South. It was 1808, an election year, and many people thought it was a risky time for Hamilton to tackle the issue but he pushed forward regardless and the measure passed Parliament. Jefferson was furious, and grew fearful Hamilton and King John would abuse the power, but in reality the responsibility rested on Parliament as a whole, not on one man.

While the entire issue over state militias boiled in Parliament, another question arose; what was to be done with the vast land acquired to the west? While the Northwest Territory was full or clear and easy to follow divisions, the Louisiana territory was far too vast. Louisiana proper (New Orleans, Baton Rouge, etc.) was the correct size, but the residents in the urban areas were still bitter about being acquired by American. While these tensions were rooted in the sacking of Baton Rouge, other problems such as the government taking some property away, and occupation by American soldiers also contributed. Therefore, instead of acting on the problem, Parliament kicked the can down the road and announced in would wait until 1818 to admit the southern part of Louisiana as a state in order to both let tensions cool as well as allow for more Americans to move into there, and other locations in the vast territory.

Another issue which would affect the election was the fact that Parliament outlawed the importation of slaves, as was allowed in the Constitution. This was unpopular with the slave-owners and slave traders in the coastal South, many of whom blamed Jefferson for not arguing harder to prevent the passage of the Bill.

With all these issues swirling around, the campaign in 1808 was the most intense in the nation up until that point. Both parties worked to recruit new voters in poor regions of the cities and actively caused many voters to switch parties. King John’s eldest son, John Q. Adams campaigned for a seat in Massachusetts and enjoyed the support of his father, who would have a great deal of power on the decision. While Adams’ opponents branded him “The Prince of Braintree” he used his connections, which included Alexander Hamilton, the Federalist Newspapers, and the unpopularity of the Confederate Party to win the race in a landslide.

When all voting as concluded, the Federalists had greatly advanced their control of Parliament, with the strongest majority in American history.

Composition of Parliament (1809-1813) 260 Total
Federalist Party 203 Seats (+56)
Confederate Party 46 Seats (-53)
Liberty Party 11 Seats (+3)

Turnout was at a record high and with a mandate from the American people, Alexander Hamilton was to be Prime Minister again, for the third time. He viewed each vote as a mandate for his victory and not a vote against Jefferson, and for a large portion of the voters he was right. Another notable result of the election was the fact that for the first time in Parliament there would be no unaffiliated members. While 2 were reelected, they saw the large support of the Federalists and chose to join for political expediency.

The lame duck session passed relatively smoothly, with very little debated from the Federalists. The Confederates however, went out of their way to propose as many bills as possible, knowing that for the next 4 years America would still be a Federalist nation. This was viewed as distasteful, especially by King John, and it tainted the outgoing image to Thomas Jefferson.

In Europe the Napoleonic Wars, as the conflict was now called, were still raging. Napoleon still clung to the title of President but was the King of France in all but name. In Britain there was intense opposition the Bonaparte and he was soon nicknamed “the usurper”. Regardless, his victories were still quite substantial as he had forced Spain out or war against him and into war against his enemies. Even so, Prince Louis (the would be Louis XVII), the son of Louis XVI, had much of Europe fighting on his behalf, while he lived a quiet life near the Austrian Alps with his mother and sisters.

God Save that Yankee King
Part 10: Far Reaching Federalism
1809-1811

120702043406-vice-president-burr-horizontal-gallery.jpg
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]​
Aaron Burr was punished for treason and the murder of Charles C. Pinckney in Alexander Hamilton’s 3rd term due to his diplomatic skills

[FONT=&quot]“Hamilton has mastered Far Reaching Federalism. From the shores of France to the backwoods of Kentucky, the United States is growing on the world stage. The pull and power of the Hamiltonian government exemplifies this.”- John Q. Adams Journal Entry

[/FONT]
Following the swearing in of the new Parliament Thomas Jefferson quietly left Columbia. He didn’t want to be present for the pomp of Alexander’s third term which was to be started by a carriage procession through Columbia alongside King John. Shortly following Jefferson’s departure the Prime Minister election was held, as was required, and Alexander Hamilton defeated James Madison in a landslide, as was expected. America was now under its third term of Hamilton


9012058438_34e05e831a_o.png
Majority of Votes for Prime Minister by State, 1808
Alexander Hamilton 204 (Federalist Party)
James Madison 45 (Confederate Party)
Benjamin Rush 11 (Liberty Party)

Hamilton had many goals for his third term in office. These ranged from economic to diplomatic. In Europe Napoleon had control of much of Spain, and had his brother crowned King, but seemed to be losing momentum. His victories, while still common, seemed to be filled with less precision, at least that was the perception, and Hamilton intended to take advantage of this.

Aaron Burr had fallen out of Napoleon’s favor following the French loss in the war of American Expansion and Napoleon blamed him for the diversion of resources, his empty treasury, and the revolution in Haiti. While Burr personally had little to do with these, he was shipped off to a small estate outside of Marseille where he could enjoy “retirement”. Hamilton wanted him back for execution however, and offered to have Parliament repeal the ban on French trading (written prior to the war) in exchange for the return of Burr, who Hamilton wanted to use to remind the American people about the dangers of the Confederate Party. Napoleon was only too happy to consent and Burr was shipped off, completely unaware of what was happening. He arrived in New York City to mobs of angry Federalists burning him in effigy and calling for his immediate execution. They didn’t attempt to seize him however, and the former Member of Parliament was sent to Columbia, the nearly completed Capitol City. Upon arriving he was executed by a firing squad with the entire incident open to the public. America received seemed to have quenched its thirst for blood and a short while later the incident was mostly forgotten. Burr was the equivalent of a second Benedict Arnold, but unlike Benedict, he was actually punished.

Britain was furious about the reopening of trade with France, as it had been profiting brilliantly on buying American goods for relatively cheap prices. The South however, was happy and the economy naturally began to improve somewhat since the ban had gone into effect under Thomas Jefferson in 1803. This was another event that weakened the Confederate Party, this time in its core region.

Hamilton also moved to make the American Royal Bank and institution in his third term. While his economic plans had gone largely uninterrupted since he was John Adams’ Secretary of the Treasury early in the Nation’s history, he wanted to ensure his system lasted much longer. He managed to push Parliament in institutionalizing the American Bank, which could only be removed in 100 years, or in the even 2/3rd of Parliament voted to get rid of it. Of course, this required Hamilton to get 2/3rd of Parliament at present to vote to institutionalize it. This wasn’t a challenge however, due to the formidable majority of the Federalist Party.

Following America’s reopening of trade with France, in what is often called the Burr Exchange; Britain had begun to impress American sailors yet again. While this nuisance had ceased under previous Prime Ministers, due to the fact America wasn’t trading with France or was at war with France, Britain now viewed American ships as open game. The public was furious, but not bloodthirsty and there were mild calls for restriction on British shipping. While Hamilton was reluctant, he had always favored Britain; he also remembered the troubles Jefferson had faced in the exact opposite situation 5 years prior. Also, under closer examination, those calling for war were primarily members of the Confederate Party, a dying political institution. He proved to be much more effect than Jefferson in handling the situation however, and sent away John Quincy Adams, a member of his inner circle, as well as several other Federalists to London to negotiate terms. While Britain wouldn’t barter (they viewed the people they were impressing as British citizens) Hamilton still got to put forward the principle of attempting to negotiate.

Another issue facing the nation was the threat of Spain and its colonies. While Napoleon fought in the Iberian Peninsula, Mexico and South America could do little to assist Ferdinand in the fight against him. While plans were hatched for the monarchy to flee unrest began to brew. Hamilton wanted to take advantage of this however, and eyed Florida longingly. A plan was hatched to acquire the state, with Hamilton using the War of American Expansion Andrew Jackson as an adviser, and both men agreed an invasion of some kind would have to occur. While America had just won a war against a major power, that was due to the fact that France was greatly distracted by matters in Europe, as they should’ve been, but Spain had plenty of colonists who would fight for the status quo in the New World. While Florida had few people, Mexico and Cuba had many more, as well as armies that could potentially attack American soil. Hamilton therefore had to wait, but kept yearning for Florida.



 
Chapter 3: The Time of Sectionalism (1812-1841)
9012654620_9a5be13b98_o.png
john-c-calhoun-0909-lg-67636702.jpg
andrew_jackson_painting.jpg


God Save that Yankee King
Part 11: The Murder and its Aftermath
[FONT=&quot]1812-1813
1_articleimage.jpg

Hamilton being shot

[/FONT]​
“Alexander Hamilton was one of the most influential men we may ever have in this glorious Kingdom. His systems, left for future generations, will leave many to true glory as America, the greatest kingdom on Earth, mourns his sudden loss at the hands of a true scoundrel.”- Prime Minister Henry Marshall in his acceptance speech

America, a nation just recovering from the War of American Expansion, would ace one of its greatest challenges almost immediately. Following one of the daily sessions of Parliament in the Capitol, Prime Minister Hamilton decided to stay late and work in his office. He wrote several letters to allies across the nation, primarily focusing on his want for Florida, and then exited the building. He was with several other MPs, all Federalists, when he left the building. Suddenly a shot rang out and Hamilton collapsed, bloody. A man ran off, leaving his gun behind, in an attempt to flee but Andrew Jackson, the Tennessee General in Columbia to meet with both Alexander Hamilton and James Madison tackled him. Hamilton was dead, having been shot in the chest, and the man was revealed to be Jean DuBois, a mentally disturbed Frenchman who had lost his property during one of the all too common surveying scandals which were racking the Louisiana Territory. Jean had spent what little money he had left coming to Columbia to meet and plead with Hamilton, but was not to be admitted to the office, instead he was turned away. Angry, he went to a local pub, drank himself into a fury, and returned to the Capitol where he promptly shot the Prime Minister. America was outraged, King John himself pushed for the execution of the “madman” and he was put to trial, convicted, and hung in July 1812. Following his death, politics would run rampant.

Hamilton’s death shocked the world. In London the bells of Westminster Abbey were rung, although this was largely an attempt to get America back into the pro-Britain column. Mrs. Hamilton saw to it that her husband was laid in state in the Capitol before the body was transferred in a funeral procession to New York City. Even Thomas Jefferson, Hamilton’s biggest rival in life, attended the funeral and said several complementary things about the murdered leader.

Parliament was forced to reconvene within 14 days of Hamilton’s murder, as was required by the Constitution, in order to choose a new Prime Minister. Humphrey Marshall, Hamilton’s former Secretary of War, announced his intention to run, but was joined by members of his own party, all seeking the same office. Oliver Wolcott Jr. Henry Clay, and James Madison all announced their intentions to seek the office in speeches on Parliament’s floor. All of them, with the exception of James Madison, pledged to continue Hamilton’s policies and continue to increase the strength of the American Government.

Humphrey Marshall narrowly won the vote. His rival and fellow Federalist, Henry Clay was furious and gave several eloquent speeches outside Parliament firing up the American people to dislike Prime Minister Marshall, Clay’s rival. The Prime Minister tried to stay above the fray, but upon shuffling up Hamilton’s cabinet he was forced to delve into the rough rhetoric being used by Clay. Clay called Marshall “a straw man” and a “Trojan Horse” in favor of the Confederates, Marshall on the other hand used his supporters to point out Clay had once been a member of the Confederate Party, while Marshall had always been a Federalist.

9019072590_f12f347d67_o.png


Majority of Votes of Prime Minister by State, 1812 (Special Election) 260 Total
Humphrey Marshall 139 (Federalist Party)
Henry Clay 77 (Federalist Party)
James Madison 42 (Confederate Party)
Oliver Wolcott Jr. 2 (Federalist Party)

The term Marshall won was to be short. Hamilton had been assassinated at the end of his third term, and therefore the “Period of Uneasiness” in Parliament was relatively short. The Period of Uneasiness was a term used by many newspapers of the day to describe Marshall’s period as Prime Minister and in many ways it was quite uneasy.

Clay and his followers, primarily Federalists from the Western and Southern States, as well as Prominent Federalists such as John Q. Adams and King John himself were cold to the new Prime Minister and on one occasion the King refused to meet with Marshall. In return the “Marshall-ites” pushed back with an uneasy attitude. John Marshall, a cousin of the Prime Minister and Chief Justice (appointed by King John) quit correspondence with the monarch and Marshall’s supporters likewise followed.

The Federalist Party was close to rupturing, yet the Confederates couldn’t take advantage of this. Their opposition to the War of American Expansion and the National Bank greatly tainted their brand and they had no real figurehead to unite around. While James Madison was their leader, many believed him to be both too old and too uninspiring. They were on their last leg and many Confederates knew this. Therefore in 1812 James Madison announced his retirement and the Party voted in a new, younger leader, John C. Calhoun from South Carolina. This was mostly symbolic because many knew that the second Madison retired the Party was dead, and it was. On July 5th, 1812 John C. Calhoun opened a vote to disband the Party, it passed with unanimity.

While the Federalists spewed hot rhetoric both sides of the debate knew that they couldn’t exist without each other. The Parliamentary Election was held on schedule and the Federalists completely dominated Parliament, with the exception of the Liberty Party and a few other unaffiliated former Confederates. The remainder of Marshall’s term passed with relative ease, and it was soon time for the Prime Minister Election. Parliament was sworn in and people all over the city of Columbia gathered outside of Columbia to hear the voting.


Composition of Parliament (1813-1817)
Federalist Party 220 Seats (+27)
Unaffiliated 25 Seats (+25)
Liberty Party 15 Seats (+4)

Clay won in a landslide, as he had used his rough tactics to push in sympathetic Federalists over older, colder incumbents. As there was no primary system Clay succeeded in many cases while Marshall had been completely ignorant of the practice and hadn’t shot for any of Clay’s seats. The “Period of Uneasiness” was at an end as, following his defeat, former Prime Minister Marshall resigned his seat and returned to Kentucky. The Federalists were unified once again.

9019073716_efaab78d2d_o.png

Majority of Votes for Prime Minister by State, 1812
Henry Clay 172 (Federalist Party)
Humphrey Marshall 49 (Federalist Party)
John C. Calhoun 22 (Unaffiliated)
Benjamin Rush 17 (Liberty Party)

God Save That Yankee King
Part 12: Diplomatic Decisiveness

1813-1814
resize_image
Signing of the Treaty of New Beginnings

“The People of the United Kingdom of America shall hereby take control of the Spanish colony of West Florida on January 1st, 1814. America may also purchase East Florida from Spain following a 5 year waiting period upon ratification of this treaty…”- Treaty of New Beginnings excerpt

Following taking office as Prime Minister, Henry Clay knew that although Humphrey Marshall was no longer a problem, he had set a precedent. Sitting Prime Ministers were now open game, and in order to avoid another challenge, and prevent a rupture in the Federalist Party, he needed to gain more support and popularity. He resolved to do this by continuing on with Hamilton’s greatest design, Florida.

While Hamilton had deeply wanted Florida, he was too cautious to act upon his urges; Clay on the other hand was not. He sent John Quincy Adams, his Secretary of State, to Spain to negotiate a deal for the acquisition of West Florida. Spain, still fighting the Napoleonic wars in Europe which seemed to be a bloody stalemate, needed finances and was willing to make the deal, although reluctantly. While the price was steep, Clay was eager and a deal was struck. Also in the treaty, America and Spain settled the immediate border dispute to the west following the Louisiana Purchase. America was to be given a stretch of land which extended Louisiana, but the rest of America’s claim in Texas was ceded to Spain. The question then arose whether or not the transaction of land was constitutional. Thomas Jefferson began voicing his opinion in retirement with a series of letters to former Confederates which were then read aloud on the Parliament floor. While it was almost guaranteed the “Treaty of New Beginnings” would pass, the opposition soon spread to the Liberty Party which voiced the concerns of much of the Northeast about the prospect of another Slave state, which would tilt the balance to the South.

In order to keep both sides happy, Prime Minister Clay announced that every time states joined the Union, there would be one free to one slave. This satisfied the Liberty Party, which would soon receive a big blow to its morale. Shortly after the slavery compromise was resolved Benjamin Rush, the only party founder still in office, died suddenly while Parliament was in session. Some took it as an omen of the prospect of what the nation was about to undergo and the Liberty Party now lacked a leader. The party replaced him with a freshman member of Parliament Daniel Webster, who was deemed brilliant by Rush while he had been the leader of the Party.

The Compromise of 1813 meant that the Treaty passed Parliament almost unanimously, and boasted the support of King John. On January 1st, 1814 West Florida was to be admitted a new state, the question then became which Northern State would join to balance the power. It was agreed it would be part of the vast Illinois Territory to the west of Ohio, but the question then arose on how to divide it. Eventually another deal was struck and the entire territory would enter as 2 free states, and Louisiana would join West Florida as a slave state.

The 2 states carved out of the Illinois territory were christened Hamilton (the northern part) and Washington (the southern part) in honor of the 2 fallen American leaders. While there was some noise made by the New England delegation, the vast majority of Americans approved of the Compromise and Clay saw his experiment as a success.

9028320929_7283cda973_o.png
America following the Compromise, now with 22 States

The remainder of the Northwest Territory was divided into 3 pieces. Thomas Jefferson, the former Prime Minister, returned to Columbia at the request of Clay to help divide the land cohesively. The three territories which were eventually settled upon (shown above) were Michigan, Illinois, and Superior. If these were to be admitted as states however, 3 new slave territories would be required.

While the nation now appeared unified, it had just begun one of the greatest struggles in its history, slavery. The Liberty Party, seeing the potential expansion of slavery soon came to regret the Compromise and gradually tension reentered Parliament. The Federalists were not to be the only party for very long due to sectionalism, jealousy, and personal conflicts which would explode onto the national stage.


God Save That Yankee King
Part 13: An End of the One Party System
1814-1817
WilliamHCrawford.png
William Crawford, along with his political allies, was instrumental forming the American Party

“These men would have us believe they are not the Confederates resurrected? How would they account for the fact that Confederates are their greatest membership then? Or the fact they were formed by the last Confederate chairman?”- Henry Clay voicing opposition to the American Party

While Henry Clay’s acquisition of Florida and settlement of the Texas border dispute made him popular, some of his domestic ideas did not. Clay continued Hamilton’s bank and infrastructure policies but announced he was taking it a step further in 1814, by adding a tariff. This of course was highly opposed by the South which viewed it as dangerous to business in the South, while beneficial to business in the North. Many of these men opposing this bill were former Confederates, but other were disenchanted Federalists, tired of the Party’s catering to its diverse coalition of voters. These men were primarily from the South and included William Crawford, John C. Calhoun, and Andrew Jackson.

The group of men opposed to the tariff met in secrecy in the early stages of the Bill, but as it became clear the measure would pass unless there was vocal opposition they went public. They announced the formation of a new Party, the American Party. Composed primarily of concerned Southern and Western members of Parliament, it tore a large part of the Federalist Party away. Members from those regions felt the pressure to leave the party they had adopted (many for political purposes following the fall of the Confederates) and drafted a platform that was anti-tariff, anti-bank, and anti-abolitionism. It was essentially the Confederate Party minus that baggage and this was indicated by Thomas Jefferson’s and James Madison’s support for the party during retirement.

Composition of Parliament (1814-1817) 260 Total
Federalist Party 127 Seats (-93)
American Party 118 Seats (+118)
Liberty Party 15 Seats (+0)

American had only lasted 2 years under essential 1 party rule, and Americans showed a renewed interest in politics. Clay had clearly taken a step too far, and had he not introduced the “Federalist System” into Parliament he likely wouldn’t have faced such vocal opposition and wouldn’t have had 1/3rd of his party “stolen “by those whom he had offended.

While Parliament was technically hung, the Liberty Party pledged to form a coalition government with Clay in order to prevent the “Slavery Party” from gaining power. While they refused to merge with the Federalists, due to the differing positions on slavery (neutral vs. against) they viewed an alliance as essential and for the first time since the 1700’s they actually held true power and influence, with both sides often attempting to earn their vote.

As the Tariff issue reentered conversation following the formation of the American Party, it seemed the vote would be close. The American Party-ites gave several passionate speeches on the floor of Parliament however, with the most notable being one by John C. Calhoun which pointed out the flaws in the Bill. The Federalists responded in full force however, and letters from King John and Humphrey Marshall, and speeches by Henry Clay and DeWitt Clinton being given. As the vote began it still looked inconclusive but the Federalists soon celebrated as the Liberty Party fell in line and the Tariff of 1814 passed by 3 votes.

What were once nonissues rose to prominence as the 2 parties squabbled over everything from Indian Affairs to Relations with Britain. While Clay and the Federalists wished to leave the Indians as-was, or at least involve them as little as possible conflicts, Crawford and the American Party wanted them gone. This idea stemmed primarily from Andrew Jackson, one of the most prominent American Party members, who had an intense dislike for the Indians, whom he had been fighting for many years. The Liberty Party, led by Daniel Webster, called for Indian rights and the treatment of them with “respect”. Both other parties called this a radical position.

The Election of 1816 soon approached and Americans flocked to the polls. In the majority of the rural south, neighbors pressured each other into voting American while in New England vicious attacks against James Monroe and the local candidates were given by Federalists, angered by the sudden change of their party’s fortune. Slavery, the Tariff, and Clay’s “Federalist System” were the voter’s primary concerns.

The results soon showed that William Crawford and the American Party had bested the Federalists, though it was not by the margin they had wished for. Clay’s strategy of primarying more established Federalists in 1812 backfired as voters were more comfortable with getting rid of incumbents with less of tenure and many of Clay’s men had only been in office for 4 years. Rhode Island dumped its entirely Federalist delegation for Americans and rekindled its Independent attitude which had largely disappeared since the early days of the Kingdom.

Composition of Parliament (1817-1821) 260 Total
American Party 133 Seats (+15)
Federalist Party 109 Seats (-18)
Liberty Party 18 Seats (+3)

Henry Clay would soon bring even further controversy on him name as in the lame duck period he began an intense letter writing campaign to many incoming American members of Parliament. He campaigned intensely for their votes in the Prime Minister Election, but the vast majority remained loyal and leaked the stories to American leaning newspapers (many of which popped up in the previous 2 years). Federalists called in a nonissue but members of the American Party called in a scandal. It still wasn’t enough to shift Webster and the Liberty Party away from backing the Federalists however, and they continued to spew anti-American Party rhetoric on the issue of slavery. While this type of campaigning against the American Party caught on in the Northeast, it semi-backfired in Delaware, the Party’s home state, and the Liberty Party missed having the majority in the delegation by 1 seat.

The Prime Minister Election occurred as was planned, and it turned out to be the closest in American history, Crawford won with a majority of 2 votes. For the first time since 1805 the Federalists no longer held the majority of seats in Parliament. King John, a Federalist sympathizer, was openly disappointed and was initially cold to the new Prime Minister. They became closer however, when William Crawford announced John Quincy Adams, the King’s son, would stay on as the Secretary of State. Crawford knew removing him would’ve been a liability as he was extremely popular among the American people for his handling of Florida and his continued standing up for America in world affairs. Napoleon still had power in Europe, which was getting quite sick of the continued wars as well as Marie Antoinette’s insistence on her son being crowned.

9033628595_079d4167ec_o.png


Majority of Votes for Prime Minister by State, 1816
William Crawford 132 (American Party)
Henry Clay 128 (Federalist Party)
Europe was a bloody mess. Napoleon’s continued fighting was keeping his enemies (primarily Austria, Britain, and Russia) at bay, but he was not gaining any land. It was a stalemate of sorts and the longer it continued the more in debt Europe became. Crawford continued Clay’s stance of Neutrality In the now nearly 20 year old conflict, and called for a peace conference in Europe. His calls seemed to fall on deaf ears however, as France and its allies (led by “President” Napoleon) continued to face the Coalition. Due to this Spain was eager to finance its continued war effort and made several offers to Crawford. While he viewed the entire land acquisition by sale unconstitutional, he held his nose and accepted (largely due to the urging of John Quincy Adams). Technically the “Treaty of New Beginnings wouldn’t be violated, as the land would be turned over on January 1st, 1819. Spain was given 2 years to remove its essentials out of the territory, out of respect for the fact that it had held the land for about 400 years.




God Save That Yankee King
Part 14: A Shift in Direction
1817-1819
SeptemberMassacres.jpg

A Fight between Tariff groups in Philadelphia, 1817

[FONT=&quot]If the Lord would grant me the ability to strike down one man, it would be Henry Clay.”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]-William Crawford following the announcement of King John’s veto of the Tariff removal

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] As had been the case for Humphrey Marshall, the brief Prime Minister, Crawford would find Henry Clay a formidable opponent. The two men disagreed on many things including the Tariff, power of the Federal Government, and foreign policy. Therefore when the American Party did call for the repeal of the Tariff of 1814, largely due to William Crawford and John C. Calhoun’s urgings, Clay attempted to sway voters by using any means possible. Bribes were attempted, threats were made, and scandals were concocted but he still fell short and the Bill passed. Willing to use any means possible, Clay then went before King John and urged him to consider vetoing the Bill, which was believed by many to favor the South while throwing Northern industry aside. The King didn’t want to break Washington’s precedent of no involvement, but was soon swayed by Clay to veto the abolition of the Tariff, much to Crawford’s dismay. King John was very popular, so for that matter was Henry Clay and Crawford opposing them gradually eroded his popularity. Despite gaining many friends in the South it was clear that in the Election of 1820 Vermont, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania probably wouldn’t have American majorities. [/FONT]

While many thought the tense atmosphere over the divisive Tariff issue was bad in Columbia, it was much worse outside the city and in the states. Cities with members of both groups (pro- and anti-Tariff) such as Philadelphia and Baltimore saw intense rioting and in some cases clashes between the respective groups. Factory workers burned several farms and for the first time in American History, industry and agriculture were pitted against one another with formidable men on each side of the issue.

Since Clay had only lost the previous Prime Minister Election by 4 votes, he began scheming with several American members of Parliaments to call for a vote of no confidence. He brought the motion to the floor a week later on January 18th, 1818 and there was loud protest from the American camp while the Federalist camp pressed on with confidence. There were multiple attempts a filibustering, to no avail, and the vote was held on January 24th. By a margin on 1 ballot Parliament was dissolved and elections were to be held in November. Not only did this cause an actual fight to break out on the floor of Parliament between the two parties, but it also brought great stress on King John who grew ill and weak. Many people thought the King was recovering in March until his wife Abigail caught typhoid fever, which is believed to have been transported into the Palace by a servant. She died a week later and within 8 hours following the loss of Queen Abigail, King John closed his eyes for the last time.

To many, the Tariff issue suddenly seemed insignificant as Parliament entered its 14 day mourning period. King John’s funeral was held with his former rival Thomas Jefferson in attendance. Jefferson’s arrival in Columbia raised a few eyebrows ,as it was believed he was planning on being elected King, but when asked on his intentions he grew angry and stated that he was there in remembrance of his friend and ally during the Revolution, despite their differing positions on many issues, and would never, ever consider taking the throne, which he had always been opposed to.

A lavish funeral procession laid the King and Queen to rest inside the new Capitol Building alongside the remains of King George and Queen Martha. The death of the man who had steered the country in the right direction since the early days of the Revolution calmed many tensions and the two dominant American fields of labor made peace, or more realistically, a ceasefire. John was greatly mourned and even William Crawford, a man who was greatly disappointed with the King over the veto, lauded him at his funeral. The outpouring of sympathy was immense following the death of King John, and many were surprised to see this. John had been an average monarch, certainly nowhere nearly as highly viewed as George I, but the previous King had died during a time of war when supplies were scarce and hard to come by.

Parliament entered conclave shortly following the funeral, with many moderate Americans eyeing who the Federalists were going to put forward as it not only would be a fitting tribute to King John I, but it also would advance their careers as they would be viewed with more esteem should they be seen supporting a popular cause. This annoyed Prime Minister Crawford to no end, and within minutes of the starts of the conclave he remained in meetings with his closest political allies attempting to urge them to remain with the American Party. Some took his words to heart while others did not. Regardless voting got underway the following evening.

Black smoke was ejected after the 1st round which mainly served to see who was in the running for King. John Marshall, a quiet yet devoted Federalist who had been a large asset to every administration (with the lone exception of Crawford’), was the primary Federalist contender while the Americans put forward John C. Calhoun. This would backfire tremendously as Calhoun was viewed by many as much too young and inexperienced while also radical. The American moderates bolted from the Party by the third ballot and white smoke rose above the Capitol, much to the joy of the crowd around the city. People poured into the Square around the building and began to cheer upon seeing John Marshall arrive on the balcony. John II had begun his reign.

In many ways John II was a very good choice for King. Not only did he bring many southerners into the fold as he was a Virginian, but he was also a staunch, yet quiet Federalist. In his coronation speech the King highlighted the upcoming elections as an example of how divided the nation truly was, and he vowed to fix it. The speech criticized the hyper partisan attitude in Columbia and stated, “We may have different views, but we are all in this for the good of our country”. This line was used by many American Party Newspapers as a sign that even John Marshall was upset with Clay’s actions while the Federalists fought back saying such thoughts were mere conjecture.

In reality, John II did oppose the dissolving of Parliament and believed that it was an abuse of power by Clay. The Party was on the verge of rupturing yet again, as it had done when the Clay-Marshall feud was underway several years prior, and the Americans, unlike the Confederates before them, fully intended to take advantage of it. Political operatives of Crawford worked to get moderate Federalists on the ballot, who would be more likely to back his proposals, while Clay instead rallied behind the staunch Federalists. This in turn made King John II reluctant to campaign for the Federalists and for the first time since the death of King George I many years prior, the monarch did not make his views known on the election. John II knew America would not remain united if the monarchy became a political position and by taking a nonpartisan route, he believed the Federal government would be able to maintain its composure indefinitely. Clay was naturally furious, but resolved to win the election without the King’s vocal support.

The Special Election of 1818 featured the largest turnout yet and this Is largely credited to the hyper partisan atmosphere. The Federalist Party had the most seats, but it lacked a majority due to inroads made by the Liberty Party, which siphoned away staunch Federalists who otherwise would’ve backed Clay’s candidates. In the days following the election Clay and Webster, who was the head of the Liberty Party, agreed yet again to form a coalition government. Webster and his fellow Libertines believed that slavery was morally evil and preferred to work with a party that was quiet on the issue than one that was vocally in favor of it.

The results largely corresponded with the view of the Tariff around the nation. All the New England states had either majority Federalist of Liberty delegations while the American Party ended Federalism in Mississippi and West Florida but surprisingly not Kentucky or Louisiana. The former Northwest Territory remained divided, and believed that neither Party truly represented its interests. Regardless, Clay had won but unlike Humphrey Marshall, Crawford resolved to fight on for State’s Rights.

Composition of Parliament (1819-1821) 260 Total
Federalist Party 116 Seats (+7)
American Party 118 Seats (-15)
Liberty Party 26 (+8)

God Save That Yankee King
[FONT=&quot]The French Revolution: Part 1[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1787-1800[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
00013243%20copy.jpg

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Storming of the National Assembly[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“I am accused of being a scoundrel, a devil, a tyrant, and a Nero, but I say to you that I die an innocent man with a clean conscience and a fervor for France stronger than any of my predecessors or my future successors.”- King Louis XVI shortly before his execution[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot] Following the American Revolution, the Seven Years War, and the extravagant spending of Louis XIV, France found itself bankrupt and near economic misery in the year 1792. Dissent built against the monarchy as more and more farmers went hungry while the nobility remained well to do. This anger was tempered however, by the fact that there was no clear alternative to the government of King Louis XVI. Republicanism had failed in America, a nation newly created, so what were the odds of it succeeding in France? After a bad harvest in the Autumn of 1792, this didn’t matter and the people knew action had to be taken.[/FONT]

It was December 5th, 1793 when a group of young radicals in Paris formed a private organization entitled the “Brotherhood of Liberty”. It was, to an extent, modeled after the “Sons of Liberty” organization which had existed prior to the American Revolution. The Brotherhood attracted much of the attention of the lower classes, while remaining right under the nobility’s nose for quite some time. In Paris, the home city of the movement, the second meeting attracted well over 200 people who all crammed into a small, old house and signed a “An Intercession for the Freedom of the People of France”. This document requested the formation of a National Assembly and a limitation to the power of the King, which based its ideas and principles on the British and American models. While many agreed the document contained many common sense solutions, the King and his advisers (whom it was sent to) did not concur.

Louis resented his, as well as his wife’s, high unpopularity yet he was largely out of touch with the common people, who were suffering from famine and disease on his own doorstep. The King organized a division of men to patrol Paris and prevent any of the “radicals” from sowing dissent. Needless to say, the Brotherhood was greatly disappointed when it not only did not receive a response, but found an increased military presence in the city the following month, January 1793. The men then focused their efforts on recruiting members of the Brotherhood outside Paris itself in other cities such as Orleans, Marseille, and Lyon, an endeavor in which they were highly successful. Membership swelled when women too were allowed to join, growing over 5,500 by March. While the citizens came from many different walks of life (there were even noble sympathizer), they all agreed something had to be done about the government before it was too late. A series of rallies across the nation were organized for August 23rd, 1793 and initially went as planned. The protest in front of Tullieres Palace in Paris soon swelled into the thousands as people poured in from the country as well as the impoverished areas of the city. The garrison of the city ordered the protest to disperse, fearing violence, rioting, and the destruction of the Palace. Naturally the Brotherhood refused to allow the rally to end and the argument got heated, to the point where the French soldiers fired upon the crowd, killing several in the first volley. This in turn led to chaos as the protesters stormed the troops, some of whom were sympathetic to the ideas of the Brotherhood and joined their side. Others however, were killed and the protest morphed into a riot. The angered mob moved throughout Paris killing soldiers, those who would not join them (which were very few people), and any opposition they faced. The French Military regrouped following heavy losses due to desertion and massacres and faced off against the rebels in front of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, where the bishops gave residence to many injured rebels and refused to allow for them to be removed by the soldiers on the grounds they were under Church protection. Outside the Cathedral a vicious battle raged as people poured in fighting for both sides. The military was better trained however, and despite the numerous turncoats, it forced the Brotherhood, now rebels, to disperse. Chaos ensued throughout the next 3 days as accused members of the riot were hunted down by the Royalists in the military and were massacred. The city was in anarchy, and Notre Dame was soon overtaken by overzealous royalists who killed all the wounded rebels inside its walls and ransacked much of the sacred Cathedral.
News of the events in Paris spread quickly across France and Europe.

In Versailles when the King learned of how big the rebellion had grown, he grew alarmed and issued a Royal Order banning the Brotherhood of Liberty in France and sentencing all captured members to death. This backfired tremendously as the Brotherhood held much more support than the King. Numerous solidarity riots arose in Orleans, Marseille, and Lyon. Although the ones in Lyon and Orleans were put down, just as Paris’ had been, Marseille was controlled by the rebels. Pamphlets were distributed throughout the nation decrying the Second St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, and this was further verified in the eyes of the rebels when many of their capture comrades were executed on the orders of the military.


Reactions across Europe were mixed to the events in France. The Papacy was furious about the Royalist attack on Notre Dame and began to consider using excommunication to advance their agenda. The Pope declared his support for the rebellion as it not only would give more representation to the common people, but it would also curb Louis XVI’s clout in Church affairs. This announcement shocked much of Europe and surprised even the Brotherhood, who believed the Pope would back the King. Upon hearing the news that the Church had officially taken a side in the dispute, Louis’ generals allowed further looting of famous, and widely considered sacred, Cathedrals around the country. Avignon was taken by the French Army in the South and much of the riches within its walls were sent to Paris to either finance the war effort or fill the halls of Versailles, so too was Chartres ransacked and its riches smuggled to Paris. These attacks on the churches mobilized many of the Conservatives, who feared an open assault on Catholicism and Louis dug himself into an even deeper hole.

As stated earlier, Louis’ outlawing of the Brotherhood backfired tremendously as the organization not only got more publicity, but it also spiked in members. Some officers and soldier in the military were even a part of the movement and a young Corsican officer named Napoleon Buonaparte organized a mass desertion on the evening of December 23rd, 1793. Generals alongside common soldiers left their barracks and the army was practically split into two. The rebels were now just as armed as the royalists and intended to take full advantage of this.

Following the series of uprisings the previous summer, the royalists had been timid to retake the city of Marseille, fearing it would cause further uprisings. By February 1794 however, it was decided by the King and his generals that actions had to be taken. The remaining loyalists within the army following the mass desertion began to siege the city on the 14th of February. Louis, hoping to win back support, departed from Versailles intending to boost the morale of his men but by mere chance he encountered a group of impoverished farmers sympathetic to the rebellion who informed the Brotherhood of the King’s whereabouts. The rebels laid a trap on the road, surprised the King’s guards and took Louis XVI prisoner of February 18th, 1794. The King was taken to the small town of Gienne where he was held as prisoner in the hut of Brotherhood peasants. By the end of the week the Brotherhood had organized an attack on Paris using the men and supplies gathered from Buonaparte’s desertion. As second large rally was held in front of Tulliries, only this time when the troops gathered to disperse the “rabble” they encountered disguised soldiers alongside the peasants. The men, led by the Corsican Buonoparte multiplied as common citizens joined in on the assault. The garrison was completely unprepared, with many of the loyalists having left to help siege Marseille, and so by late evening on February 28th, 1794 Paris was taken by the Brotherhood of Liberty.

The King was returned to Paris, where his capture was announced publicly for the first time. Panic spread throughout the loyalist ranks when this was heard, and Marie Antionette took the couple’s 2 children north to the Austrian Netherlands, where her family ruled, while Versailles fell to anarchy as hordes of peasants streamed out of Paris heading for the palace. The nobles departed in a hurry, valuables were taken, paintings were rolled up, and fires were set in order to deter the peasants from controlling the most famous symbol of the French monarchy. Their efforts were in vain however, as the Swiss Guard defending the palace was overwhelmed within hours by the rebels. In the course of a month the Brotherhood had gained the upper hand.

With the King in captivity, and his children in a foreign country, there was no real figurehead for the royalists to unite around, and so the movement gradually began to lose steam as the Brotherhood seized Orleans in July 1794, Lyons in December, and so by the dawn of 1795, the only two major cities in the hands of the royalists were Nantes and Toulouse. This frightened Spain and Austria into action. Spain sent troops north to defend Toulouse alongside the Royalists and Austria threatened war upon the brotherhood should anything befall the King. Both countries feared the spread of dissent and rebellion into their borders and they desperately wanted France to stabilize.

Their efforts would be in vain however, as Louis XVI issued a proclamation from Tulliries Palace, where he was being held, announcing a Constitutional Convention which would be held in Paris on March 5th, 1795. He had just heard news of a royalist defeat at Limoges and so he was forced, in his view, to end the fighting. He pleaded with the royalists to put down arms and many did, despite disappointment. Spain removed her troops reluctantly in May, and the nation gradually began to rebuild itself heading into the July Convention.

When the Delegates for the July Convention gathered, the city of Paris was filled with intense tension. Half the citizens of France, as well as the King, believed a Constitution to be against the God given rights of the monarch, while the Brotherhood believed they had conceded too much by allowing Royalists to be represented in any way the at Convention.

Louis XVI himself opened the proceedings (despite his wishes otherwise he was pressured into doing so by his “guards”, many of whom were veterans of the Civil War on the side of the Libertines). France was greatly unstable and despite their intense hatred of one another, both sides knew this. It took several months, but with the backing of the Church and the middle class, the Brotherhood succeeded in its goals to create a National Assembly, but the Royalists had a small victory in the form of a royal veto which could be used by the King as well as the right of Louis XVI to appoint the Prime Minister of the Assembly. The end result matched very nearly the system in use in the United Kingdom of America as well as Great Britain. Elections were held in November 1795, just 2 months after the conclusion of the July Convention, and while political parties were outlawed in the Constitution, covert ones did form on both sides.

The elected assemblymen came from all walks of life. One of Corsica’s districts was represented by the war hero Buonoparte and Charles (the younger brother of the King) represented the “district” composed of Versailles. Louis decided to appoint Charles as the Prime Minister of the First Assembly Session, which was viewed as a slap in the face by the Brotherhood which believed the act of nepotism meant that the people were still under the yoke of the King. The Assembly was roughly equally composed of Royalists and Constitutionalists (what the Brotherhood adopted for their name) therefore little was done. During the first 6 months only 11 new laws were passed and many of the peasants in the Brotherhood grew restless. People were still starving, famine was still present, and little was being done to help the plight of the common people who though they had won by creating a National Assembly. The Brotherhood resumed its covert activities on April 15th, 1796, just a year after the First French Civil War had ended. While it initially pushed for an end to gridlock in Paris through peaceful means such as letter chains and prayer, people soon looked towards more violent methods. A riot broke out in Orleans on September 16th, 1796 which left 4 soldiers and 16 citizens dead. While the tensions increased however, the Assembly still remained heavily gridlocked. The Royalists were clinging to their rights while the Constitutionalists were pulling just as hard to take them away. Polarization increased across the country and the riots sponsored by the Brotherhood increased, but so too did pro-Louis XVI rallies among the conservative peasants. Europe could only watch in horror as conditions in France continued to decline. There was no clear leader for the nation, with Louis XVI being seen as weak and having his power muddled, while the Brotherhood had no sole leader.
After months of gradually increasing tensions, a new civil was broke out when hordes of angry, frustrated, and starving peasants seized control of the city of Dijon and proclaimed the “Republique Dijon” seeking to rid themselves of the heavy burned on the National Assembly. The Assembly narrowly voted to send a detachment of soldiers to deal with the rebels, led by Buonoparte (who had now begun to occasionally write his name Bonaparte). In the ultimate act of intrigue however, the French general ordered his men to join the rebels, not to kill them. With the authority of Paris so low that a seemingly loyal general would join the cause of the rebels, many other cities joined in to forge their own independence. Marseilles, Lyon, and Bordeaux joined the side of the independence faction while Orleans, Rennes, and Caen remained relatively loyal to the Assembly. Paris would become a staging point for both sides however.

There were no major engagements until late Summer 1797 when a mob of rebels assembled in Paris to protest the Assembly’s intransigence. While it was initially peaceful, a similarly sized crowd of Royalists formed and fighting in from of Tuileries, where the Assembly was located, soon turned bloody. The royalists were cut down by the rebels who then turned their fury towards the Assembly which was in session. Guards attempted to barricade the Palace but the rebels were too many. The doors were broken through and thousands of rebels stormed into the building. The Assembly itself was raided while in session. Assemblymen were dragged from their seats into the streets, while the Prime Minister, the brother of the King, was beat until dead on the spot. Those rioting then set the Palace aflame declaring an end to the Kingdom of France and the start of the Republic.

While Louis and the Assembly were unpopular, this did not mean that they were without support, both foreign and domestic. Republican sentiments frightened both Spain and Austria and caused Britain, and early supporter of the Revolution, to condemn how extreme it was drifting. The Austrian Netherlands began to supply the King of France with troops to fight alongside the French forces while Spain began to raid across the Pyrenees. The Austrian-Royalist army fought against Bonaparte several times. At the Battle of Nancy the Royalists were routed by the Corsican leader who chased the retreating army throughout the following week until their surrender at Metz on October 16th, 1797. Following the unexpected, yet necessary victory Napoleon was proclaimed head of the Republic of Dijon (which now claimed all of France). France was now divided into 5 major factions, 1 Kingdom and 3 Republics.

Bonaparte proved himself to be an exceptional general, and he pushed the Austrians back into the Austrian Netherlands. Instead of stopping there and continuing to fight in the Civil War however, he continued to push in and slammed through the Austrian Army there, conquering the lower Austrian Netherlands for France, one goal of the people which had been sidelined for so long was now fulfilled.

Bonaparte soon became a figure the Republicans could rally around, and he was proclaimed President, with the Brotherhood’s backing, by the people of Paris, Bourdeaux, and Marseille. The French Republicans now had a leader and no longer was half the country in anarchy.
Austria was embarrassed by its large defeat the hands of the French “President” and sought peace, which Bonaparte was only too happy to accept. All the lands occupied by the French were to be kept and in return the Republic of France, newly declared following the union of the various factions within the Republicans, was to make a small payment. For his partial conquest of the Austrian Netherlands, Napoleon was lauded and more people flocked to the Republican cause. In was January 1799 when France and Austria officially made peace.

During the early months of 1798 the last Royalist strongholds in the south were purged, despite the Royalists having Spanish monetary backing, and Louis XVI’s brother Louis, the Count of Provence, fled into exile in Spain. With 2 of his brothers gone (one dead and the other abroad) Louis knew the war was lost. He wrote to his wife Marie Antoinette informing her he was to stay in France, despite her pleas he flee to Austria, and just 2 weeks later Versailles was officially invaded by President Bonaparte himself. Louis was placed in prison in Bastille, and the royalist movement began to collapse like a house of cards. By February 1800, the British had entered the fray against Bonaparte and landed a joint army with Spain in Normandy. They did Battle with Napoleon at Caen and were routed after a little more than four hours. Seeking to regroup the dual force fled to the town of Rouen, where they were killed by French cavalrymen before they could even think of reorganizing. The defeat was humiliating and Britain and Spain agreed reluctantly to make White peace with France. While this was good for Bonaparte, it was fatal for King Louis XVI. On the morning of July 6th,1800 he had a meeting with President Bonaparte, it is not known what they said to one another, but the following day Louis XVI was mysteriously dead, and Napoleon had his body privately interred at the Cathedral of St. Denis, which had surprisingly been largely unscathed by the Revolution, save a few grave robbers who attempted to exhume Louis XIV, Catherine de Medici, and Clovis but they were unsuccessful. France was now in a state of tension with the rest of Europe and peace was surely not to last as Bonaparte has grand schemes for his Republic, which was finally free of royalists.

[FONT=&quot]God Save That Yankee King[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The War of the Second Coalition[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1800-1804[/FONT]
The-Battle-of-Lodi-10th-May-1796-detail-of-Napoleon-xx-Louis-Lejeune.jpg

[FONT=&quot]The Battle of Turin

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Will God not spare me some of my lands?”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Francis II upon hearing of the capture of Milan

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Once peace was declared, and the First Coalition (consisting of Spain, Austria, Great Britain, and the Royalists) was defeated, Napoleon began to enact a wide range of reforms in order to stabilize France and prepare her for the future conflicts which would undoubtedly follow the tense peace. While he was the “president” of a “republic” he held as much, if not more power than Louis XVI did prior to the Revolution, and unlike Louis XVI he was actually popular. The Second National Assembly, which had been called following the Victories of Caen and Rouen, was dissolved by voting its power to the President, who was given a term of life. Despite the fact these reforms put one man back in charge, much of the uneducated peasants didn’t know that the power was vested in one man and thought of Napoleon as the greater among equals. [/FONT]

In order to appease the Catholic Church Bonaparte had all of the ransacked golds and riches returned to the various Cathedrals throughout the country. Following this, his second act was to abolish the nobility, confiscate their lands, and distribute their riches into the national treasury. Versailles, Tuillieres, and many other famous buildings and noble residences repayed of much of the debt procured under the previous government, and also allowed the President to distribute lands to loyalists and the public, while greatly decreasing the power of those who would seek to oppose him. Only the nobles who had supported the Revolution (and there were few) were able to keep their estates but they too lost their titles which were deemed meaningless by the Republic. By the time the Republic had finished the redistribution and confiscation of the lands, it was November 1802.
Other countries were appalled at the treatment of the French nobles and almost as soon as they had left the peace table Spain, Austria, Britain, and several minor German States agreed something needed to be done. With the Church refusing to punish Napoleon and the Royalists extremely weak in France, they resolved to sign a secret treaty pledging that all of the other countries would come to the aid if any of them were attacked by France. French spies informed Napoleon of this however, and he began to send diplomats to far away powers in an attempt to counter balance the Second Coalition secretly forming. Russia and the Ottoman Empire both agreed to not attack France and would consider aiding it, America refused (as it was preparing to launch an invasion of French Louisiana in the War of American Expansion), and Denmark, Sweden, and Prussia kicked the can down the road. Prussia was focusing on internal developments and the Scandinavian nations feared British power and viewed themselves as too far away to be of any real aid.
Seeing his diplomatic attempts as a failure (although he truly hadn’t expected success) Napoleon began to build up his armies and improve the equipment of his men. The French President also welcomed Aaron Burr, and American widely viewed as a traitor, with open arms and met with him several times personally. Burr advised the President often on issues involving the United Kingdom of America.

President Bonaparte wanted to strike the Coalition before it struck him, and so he moved his men quietly north to the border of the remaining Austrian Netherlands. By May 1802 the preparations were complete and Bonaparte began his march into the Austrian lands. The small army stationed there was soon overwhelmed just outside of Brussels and within 4 weeks the entirety of the land was in Bonaparte’s hands. Austria had been expecting a campaign through Italy, and was therefore caught off guard. The Emperor Francis II ordered his men in Northern Italy to march east and attack France, thereby antagonizing many North Italian states. Bonaparte moved south, seeking to meet the Austrians closer to Dijon then Marseille. He was correct in his estimate and he and the Austrians did Battle just outside the town of Saint-Claude. The French routed the Austrians, who had underestimated the organization of Napoleon’s men who were led by the President himself.

Following the repulsion of the First Austrian Army, Napoleon also had to worry about the incoming Spanish forces to the South and numerous other Austrian forces crossing into France from Italy. Bonaparte decided that soundly defeating the Austrians would pay off much better than trekking across much of southern France to face an enemy near their homeland. The Austrians who had survived the Battle of Saint Claude were forced under to torture to give Bonaparte and the French high command the location of the other armies and also which other nations had sided against France. The Dutch, a Republic themselves, joined the War of the Second Coalition shortly after the French President had left the Austrian Netherlands and defeated the French Army at Antwerp 2 days after the French victory at Saint Claude. Unlike Bonaparte however, the Dutch were too confident and pressed further than they should have. French reinforcements cut off their supply lines and Calvary raids forced them to abandon their artillery. The two armies did battle neat the town of Eksaarde just a few days later and the Dutch were massacred. Among the dead was the heir to the Stadtholdership, William, the son of William V. Following the defeat of the Dutch Army, the French legions began to cross into the Netherlands in the early winter of 1802. Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Arnhem were all occupied as William V personally regrouped his army, intending to counter attack with all the conscripted men he could find.

Bonaparte crossed into Savoy in February 1803 despite urges otherwise by his generals. While the weather was miserable, and his men’s morale was low, by crossing he forced the fighting out of Eastern France and into Northern Italy and eventually, he hoped, Austria. He retreated instead of facing a joint Savoyard-Austrian force at Chivasso by crossing the Po river and taking the city of Turin while the enemy scoured to the east looking for an army which had occupied their base. Upon arriving the stunned Austrians were overwhelmed and what few survivors remained following their defeat were sent south to flee for sanctuary in Genoa, which reluctantly allowed them refuge.

The defeat of the Austrians at Saint Claude and then again at Turin embarrassed the nation and forced Emperor Francis II to reorganize his armies and bide his time. He stationed men in Milan and in Austrian Italy, hoping to make a buffer the French would be unable to get through. By abandoning Savoy however, Francis gave the Savoyards incentive to make peace with Napoleon, which they did with the Treaty of Turin, signed in April 1802 which switched Savoy’s side in the war and withdrew the Duchy from the Holy Roman Empire and transformed it into a Republic of which Bonaparte was to be President. This in turn prompted much backlash. Francis II was outraged and immediately had his cousin Louis, the son of Louis XVI, crowned Louis XVII in Vienna. This was a very public affair, and drew much of Europe’s attention. Within a month every member of the Second Coalition had recognized the young pretender as the King of France. Louis was then married to the 14 year old Spanish Princess Maria Isabella, who had previously been betrothed to the Prince of Naples but the deal was cut off due to the French situation and the need for a wife for Louis XVII. While Charles IV was eager for the marriage, Maria Isabella herself was somewhat against it. She was coaxed down the aisle however, by the fact that she may one day be the French Queen. She and her mother-in-law, Marie Antoinette, did not take well to each other, as the Queen mother viewed her to be a brat. Politics aside however, the Spanish princess was clearly pregnant by late 1803 with what many hoped would be the future King of France following her husband.

Napoleon was angered by the marriage of Prince Louis, and took further actions against Austria following it. French scouts were sent into Milan and spies were placed in a variety of places around Europe including Vienna, Madrid, and London. The French Army in the Netherlands was ordered by Bonaparte to march north towards Amsterdam where it met a half supplied and untrained army led by William V, the ruler of the Netherlands. Following the defeat of his son, and his subsequent death at the hands of the French, the Dutch leader had been openly calling for British land support, not just naval, but little arrived and for this reason he was soundly defeated at the Battle of Amsterdam which saw the basic end to the Dutch State which had existed for many years. The citizens of the Netherlands had no time to be sentimental however, as the French armies began raiding the countryside in an attempt to root out traitors and former Dutch government officials in hiding. Along the way parishes were ransacked, citizens beaten, raped, or killed, and buildings set aflame. For these actions the French would be unpopular in the Netherlands and it would one day cost them.

As Spring began Napoleon continued his advance in Northern Italy by moving his armies towards Milan, which had officially entered the Coalition against him following the defeat of Savoy. While the government supported the Austrian-led Coalition, the people did not. The ideas of liberty were still reverberating throughout much of Europe following the mess that had been the French Revolution, and Napoleon used the citizens to his advantage. There were numerous altercations between peasants and the Austrian Army present in the city, leading to several violent clashes. Needless to say, the Austrians soon grew tired of the Milanese and decided to camp outside of the city instead of occupying it. This mistake proved fatal as 3 nights later Bonaparte’s army arrived and simultaneously the city went into a state of revolt. The Austrian and Milanese troops had rebellious citizens on one side and the French Army on the other. The Battle of Milan then occurred which saw the outnumbered French plow through the ill prepared Austrian-Milanese force which retreated into an army of angry citizens, giving them further losses. Francis II was burned in effigy by his former subjects and Milan was declared an Independent Republic. Its first action was to elect Bonaparte President and declare union with France alongside Savoy. Instead of returning to Southern France to fight the Spanish, who were facing somewhat of a stalemate against French forces just north of the Pyrenees, Bonaparte instead began to ready his armies for yet another attack, this South towards the Duchy of Parma, which was yet another Italian city held by the Austrians. Francis was no imbecile however, and the garrison in the city retreated to the Northeast where it merged with an army of Austrians led by the Holy Roman Emperor Himself accompanied by his cousin, Louis Bourbon. It was there that they surprised Bonaparte’s advancing army and in a vicious sea-saw of a Battle the Austrians won, but at a heavy cost. While Napoleon retreated from Parma (for the time being) the Austrians had encountered extremely heavy losses and were now demoralized, weak, and small. Francis left his men the following week, taking his cousin with him, and returned to Vienna where the Emperor ordered conscription to begin on a wide scale, despite urges otherwise by many of his advisers.

The Austrian conscription was initially successful, as many native Austrians were eager to fight. Hungarians and Bohemians were not so eager however, and following the forcing of several men into the army against their own will revolts began to break out. Szolnok, a town in the middle of Hungary, filled with protestors, emboldened by the ideas of the French and even American Revolutions who called for the end of Hungarian union with Austria as well as a new government formed with a limited monarchy. Several attempts were made to silence the movement, but these ultimately failed as many of the soldiers in the Austrian army in the area were native Hungarians, and therefore sympathetic to the ideas of the movement. As word spread, the number of copycat and solidarity rebellions increased and Austria gradually began to destabilize. The nation was forced to divert part of its large force from northern Italy to deal with the increasing calls for Revolution in the southern half. When this proved ineffective (nearly all of the Hungarians were intent on shielding the rebels) more men were conscripted into fighting in Bohemia and this in turn led to an increase in calls fort Bohemian independence. While this movement was much smaller, and was actually suppressed quite easily, it prevented Austria from solving the Hungarian situation and put them in even more of a conundrum as they had Napoleon’s advancing army coming from one way and Hungarian nationalists from the other. The only wholly loyal area was Austria proper, which was disappointed itself with tax increases which were made to pay for the war. By early 1804 Austria was falling in on itself.

Seeing the disorder only bolstered Napoleon’s resolve. The French President ordered his men to once again march on Parma in February 1804, months after his surprise defeat by Francis II which had shown that the French General was not as immune to defeat as it had first appeared. On February 15th the Austrians were crushed and the city was captured. Instead of being created a Napoleonic Republic as Savoy and Milan had, Parma was split between the 2 with Parma proper joining the Republic of Savoy. In the meantime Bonaparte moved on the Republic of Venice, which was unable to defend itself and had fallen behind many other European powers through gradual decay and decline. The Austrian legions in the Republic had been withdrawn to fight the Hungarian uprising which was tearing one of Europe’s most prestigious Empires apart. The Hungarians did not control Budapest, but much of the countryside was sympathetic and even several other ethnic groups were calling for liberation and liberty for the Hungarian people and themselves as well. Austria went from being their ruler to a foreign occupier in the minds of the common people and this image did not help Francis II who was now seeing his domains torn to pieces. The Austrian Netherlands had been taken by the French followed by Milan, Parma, and now Hungary. The Holy Roman Emperor desperately needed a solution; his allies were ineffective with the Netherlands collapsing, Spain fumbling, and Britain watching the loss of Europe from afar without doing much more than attempting to blockade French ports. When news arrived in Vienna that Venice had been taken, Francis reluctantly sent ambassadors under a flag of truce to Napoleon, who was eager to make terms so he could face the remaining members of the Second Coalition.

Venice served as the backdrop for peace talks, with the city having surrendered to France with minimal bloodshed. The Republican government of Venice has been shaken up and the system reformed to match the French model. Napoleon did not want to be the head of another Republic yet however, as he knew controlling too much land by himself would serve to alienate his subjects in his various domains ranging from the Alps to the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean to the English Channel.

Francis knew he had lost, but he hoped to maintain dignity in his defeat, Napoleon however wanted the opposite. The Pope arrived at Venice to observe the talks and reportedly praised the French Victory, much to the humiliation of the Austrians. All of the parties present were surprised when Dutch ambassadors arrived in Venice in order to negotiate peace for their country as well. After brief formalities it was agreed that France would gain all of the Austrian Netherlands, Liege, Holland, the Venetian possession on the Adriatic. Venice was to be dissolved, the Netherlands were to become a Republic with William V being granted the title of President in return for his loyalty to Bonaparte who would provide for his estates financially. While France wanted to push for Hungarian independence, the movement had not yet expelled the Austrians from the country and so the parties signed the Treaty of Venice and went their separate ways.

Spain and Britain were not consulted on the Austrian withdrawal but they knew they would be unable to effectively hold off Bonaparte should they go on. Bonaparte welcomed the British ambassadors but refused the Spanish as he moved his sizeable force in their direction. Britain then abandoned Spain by signing the brief but effective treaty of Rouen which was signed in Normandy just 1 week following their landing with representatives from the French government.

Prior to Bonaparte’s arrival he sent ahead several spies to stir up chaos as much as possible in the aged Kingdom by using the ideas of liberty in the French Revolution as well as the new ethnic-centric ideas expressed in the ongoing Hungarian rebellion which began to spike in strength as the Ottoman Empire began to covertly financially back them.
It was August 1804 when Napoleon’s primary army joined his forces present in Southern France. Instead of attacking from Rousillon, where the French had already begun to make raids into Spain, he instead attacked closer to Navarre, a former French Kingdom. The Spaniards had been successful during the past 2 years there, but upon facing the French under Bonaparte in Battle it was soon clear that they had been deployed far too long. Many of the troops surrendered after a few hours of skirmishing on the field, much to the embarrassment and anger of their officers who proved to be ineffective in commanding them. Spain was repelled and Napoleon decided not to march further as winter was coming. He then accepted the ambassadors of Charles IV, who now saw themselves in an even worse position. Madrid ordered them to make peace as soon as possible and to give as many concessions as needed in order to prevent a French invasion of Spain.

The final treaty, which was named the Treaty of Aquitaine, saw no land exchanged. Instead Spain was to become a basic satellite and ally of France. Charles IV forced to make monetary concessions for such a light treaty, but the Spanish government was grateful for French leniency. The War of the Second Coalition had ended with a French landslide victory.




 
Last edited:
Top