Laurens lives

[GreatScottMarty]

Thanks Arhk and Thanks Shawn

Yes Shawn I would love Ambassador names.

As for Monroe, he is a prominent Senator and stays that way.

JQA has ambassador to Spain in the recent "difficulties" and acquitted himself well additionally he was Prussian envoy per OTL.

So far Russia is run by Paul I.

I was thinking of using a Hamilton kid for one of these posts. possibly Philip (he is the oldest) although both John and Alexander have adult age children by 1804 and would like to avoid nepotism charges.

[Shawn Endresen]

It was Philip that I was thinking of; got the name wrong.

Proposals for Ambassadors:
UK - Arnoldus Vanderhorst. 2nd choice, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney.
France - Henry "light-horse Harry" Lee III. 2nd choice - Edmund Harrison (1st cousin of William Henry).
Russia - Timothy Pickering? John Lowell jr?
Netherlands - Francis Dana

Rufus King is too senior - unless I miss my guess, he was President Jay's ambassador to the UK, so he may be Laurens' SecState. I'm staring at Israel Thorndike, but if we send him to Spain that's too many Bostonians...

The Ambassador to Spain is the tricky one. Because of the indemnity, it should be someone with banking experience; because of regionalism, it should be a New Yorker. Hamilton would surely finger the man, but who? I bet said man would take Philip as his secretary as a sort of "thank you"...

So JQA is coming home from Spain, but I don't see the plum posts (UK and France) going to him...Congressional representative?

[GreatScottMarty]

What your cabinet look like with Ambassadors? I have an idea of who I'd use but I like you to have a go if you don't mind?

President John Laurens
Vice President: Aaron Burr
Secretary of State: Timothy Pickering*
Secretary of Treasury: Oliver Wolcott Jr.
Secretary of War: Thomas Pinckney
Secretary of Navy: John Paul Jones (Commodore ret.)
Attorney General: William Wirt
Secretary of the Interior: Henry Knox

Ambassador to England: Arnoldus Vanderhorst
Ambassador to France: Edmund Harrison **

Ambassador to Russia: John Lowell Jr.
Ambassador to Netherlands: Francis Dana
Ambassador to Spain: Stephen Girard

*Hamilton's man in the cabinet. Hamilton is Gov. of New York. Thus unavailable. I suppose John Q would work too. I think it is a good mix btw North and South.
** Light Horse Harry and Laurens hated each other OTL. When Laurens moved south before OTL death (our POD) they got into a pissing match regarding who was overall commander (or seniority I can't remember exactly) of Harry's command (it was mostly privately outfitted) Laurens won the argument and Harry retired. I see no reason that they would have reconciled.

[GreatScottMarty]

Bump for edit

[Shawn Endresen]

I assume Knox is there to have some sort of continuity on Indian policy; now I really want an update on Natives. I'm skeptical that Interior would exist this early, but if it did he'd be a sound choice.

Not sure about Wirt; without Burr's treason trial, what's he done to bring himself to national attention? Particularly Federalist attention? Not that I have a replacement in mind just yet...

Give me a bit to think about the Attorney General slot. In general, though, your choices appeal to the sadist in me; all sound enough on paper, but I see two egomaniacs, one with taffy for a conscience and spine, and one who's getting old and bitter...President Laurens' Cabinet meetings look to be delightfully dysfunctional. He'll probably rely on Pinckney heavily, which will open him to charges of regionalism (only trusting fellow South Carolinians...).

[GreatScottMarty]

Originally Posted by Shawn Endresen

I assume Knox is there to have some sort of continuity on Indian policy; now I really want an update on Natives. I'm skeptical that Interior would exist this early, but if it did he'd be a sound choice.

Not sure about Wirt; without Burr's treason trial, what's he done to bring himself to national attention? Particularly Federalist attention? Not that I have a replacement in mind just yet...

Give me a bit to think about the Attorney General slot. In general, though, your choices appeal to the sadist in me; all sound enough on paper, but I see two egomaniacs, one with taffy for a conscience and spine, and one who's getting old and bitter...President Laurens' Cabinet meetings look to be delightfully dysfunctional. He'll probably rely on Pinckney heavily, which will open him to charges of regionalism (only trusting fellow South Carolinians...).

I view it like this:

On Wirt- Prominent member of the government's case at the end of the Planter's War (this is a plothole I am filling in, also a Virginian) additionally,there is no way in hell Charles Lee would ever work for a Laurens admin, research his court martial for more info

Pickering- while decidedly spineless, he is Hamilton's recommendation to fill the spot. I would imagine Hamilton would be his (Laurens) first choice As Hamilton won't take the job, he is more concerned with isolating Burr (more on this in a later update). Don't view him in his role as Hamilton's spy ala OTL but as a faithful member of a slightly more liberal (if thats the right descriptor) Federalist Party.

I assume the old and bitter one is Knox? I won't ruin my future updates by saying anything.

As for Wolcott, there are basically three people who could run American finances at the time. one, is a D-R (Gallatin), one is Governor of New York, one is the Secretary of the Treasury.

My justification for Interior is two fold. Someone has to manage the the new Manumission Act and what it creates and someone has to manage the land that was acquired from Spain. I debated Treasury and War. I can't see War because everyone Federalist (less so) and D-R (much more so) didn't want strong standing army. Not to mention given recent events the Legion is not the most trusted operation at the moment (Wilkinson). Treasury, Wolcott is a Hamilton associate and no way are they (D-Rs again) going to let Hamilton have that much power either real or imagined. So I am left with a new Dept, Interior. Charged with internal law enforcement (US Marshall service), Territorial Management (New Territories acquired from Spain), manumission operations (CMA), and lastly internal improvements. Knox while not universally loved is not hated either, has revolutionary pedigree, and lastly is viewed as not corrupt (unlike OTL).

Thoughts anyone?

[John Fredrick Parker]

Are we going to see a Republican presidency while the founders are still active (in 1808 or 1812)?

[GreatScottMarty]

Originally Posted by John Fredrick Parker

Are we going to see a Republican presidency while the founders are still active (in 1808 or 1812)?

Don't count anything out yet.

[Shawn Endresen]

Indians. Part of Interior, or still part of War?

Girard and Thorndike, and probably Nicholas Biddle if one could stomach the man, would all have been perfectly adequate Treasurers. It's also likely that the government could survive for 4 or even 8 years with a mediocrity at Treasury For that matter, isn't there a Morris or two left alive?

I'm primarily wondering about Rufus King and the Adamses, the prominent Federalists who DIDN'T get a job in the Administration. But of course their time may come.

[GreatScottMarty]

Originally Posted by Shawn Endresen

Indians. Part of Interior, or still part of War?

State. Yazoo Treaty

Originally Posted by Shawn Endresen

Girard and Thorndike, and probably Nicholas Biddle if one could stomach the man, would all have been perfectly adequate Treasurers. It's also likely that the government could survive for 4 or even 8 years with a mediocrity at Treasury For that matter, isn't there a Morris or two left alive?

Girard is Ambassador to Spain. As the nations most prominent banker it seemed appropriate. Thorndike? Nicholas Biddle is like 8, at the most 15.

Robert Morris died in 1793 and Governeur Morris is IIRC a D-R. With all of the financial hubbub I don't think mediocrity was a good idea. Although if you can make a good case for G. Morris as and F I would appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Shawn Endresen

I'm primarily wondering about Rufus King and the Adamses, the prominent Federalists who DIDN'T get a job in the Administration. But of course their time may come.

You mean Senator Rufus King (F-NY)? Covered, Justice John Adams of the United States Supreme Court? Covered. Ambassador John Q. Adams formerly Minister Plenipotentiary to Spain? Trying his hand in Private Law Practice, and will be extremely bored by 1806.

[GreatScottMarty]

Prologue:

East Wing, President’s House, Washington City, February 28th, 1805
President-elect John Laurens is sitting behind an oak desk reading and penning responses to dispatches that have been pouring in all morning. “I don’t know what rains more, mail or the weather?” he muses to himself.
“William, come in here?”
William T. Franklin strides through door. A thick man in appearance with brown receding hair kept short like his height. He is definitely Old Franklin’s grandson. “Yes, Mr. President?”
“When we are in private, it’s John; never mind you have to wait until tomorrow until you can call me that. We have known each other for how long? Is Col. Burr here yet? We have matters to discuss.” President-elect Laurens rises from the desk and walks across throws a log on the fire. “I didn’t think the roads where that bad coming down from New York. We spent enough money over the last ten years fixing them up. You would think the mail would arrive on time. William, take these dispatches and get them to Knox’s Postmaster, I want them out in the morning; and finally send one of the boys over to Burr’s boardinghouse and see if he checked in, if he’s not in the man stays there all night and all day until he does.”
“Of course, Mr. President,” William Temple Franklin rushes out the door. You can hear his feet creaking on the wooden floors as he rushes through the labyrinth of awnings, ladders, and construction equipment. President-elect John Laurens stands, by the fireplace thinking to himself, “Too bad Father couldn’t see me now, General, then President; and he thought abandoning the Inns at Court was a bad idea. I know he would be proud, even Harry turned out all right. [1]” Laurens looks around the room at the houses Jay and Washington built. The Houdin bust of Franklin on the mantle above the fireplace and the painting of his father, Franklin and Jay at the Treaty of Ghent as well a piece of French furniture sent over Lafayette that will eventually go in the parlor back at Mepkin but now adorns a corner of his office. Two Yazoo cedar cabinets, stocked with Port, Madiera (for Justice Adams), Whiskey (for Justice Marshall) and some fine French wine, John Laurens smiles to himself, “ I know Alex wishes he was here instead of me. I will have to rub his nose in it in the next letter.” Eventually Laurens settles back into his desk dips his quill and pens a response to Lafayette.
A few hours pass and a sudden knock on the door, and in walks the Aaron Burr, formerly Senator, and now Vice-President-Elect Burr.

A surprising guest, Senator James Monroe of Virginia, accompanies Burr, “Evening, General, I hope you don’t mind I brought an old friend from Monmouth to join us tonight.”

“Senator, Colonel, of course, do grab a seat on couch” Laurens tries not to give his surprise away. He thinks to himself, “What is this about?” Not missing a beat, “ Has it really been since Monmouth courthouse? It seems like yesterday. I can still feel that oppressive heat beating down on me.”

“I like to remember Monmouth myself,” Burr interjects, stopping at the fireplace as he crosses to his to add a few more logs on the fire.

“Port, Whiskey, Madiera gentleman?” Laurens motions towards the cabinets as he crosses to his own chair opposite the couch beside the fireplace. Burr’s impish face with it’s always faint wisp of a smile nods no as does Monroe’s, “Colonel, I know why I invited you here, why did you invite James to join us?” Turning to Monroe, “Or do you prefer Senator?” Turning the tables on Monroe and Burr’s ambush, “If this a legislative meeting where is Speaker Dayton?”

Monroe raises an eyebrow, “I see no reason to use titles in private unless you prefer it? I know how His Excellency and how President Jay preferred it. I am a bit less formal. As to Speaker Dayton, he was unavailable.”

“Very well, to business gentlemen?”

Burr perks up, “Yes, we wanted to talked about this Manumission proposal of yours”

“You mean Law, Aaron this settled. There is no need to go digging up old wounds.”

Aaron Burr proceeds cautiously, although they are business partners [2], he barely knows his colleague, They served in different theatres during the war and on opposites sides during the previous administrations, Burr looks to Monroe who typically portrays nothing on his face. Burr continues, “No, disrespect meant but quite a few men in the Senate and the House feel otherwise, Perhaps some sort of agreement can be worked out to make the restrictions easier to bear? Service contracts? Extension of Manumission by ten years out to 1840?”

Laurens charges forward like he has since that bullet winged his shoulder in 1782. “We just finished fighting this fight, I will not re fight it. If you want to take this up I have the veto. But I don’t think this fight is necessary. If I may be so bold, I think I can solve James’ problem. You gentlemen are familiar with Laurenstown, New Jersey?” Both men’s heads nod again, “There are several things that they have got working up there that could go a long way towards solving the southern cash flow problem, something those Brits don’t have yet. I don’t understand it myself but Mr. Whitney calls it a cotton gin, James, I hear this is good, so good that you and I might not die in the poorhouse after all.”

Monroe chuckles, a rarity for him, “I am interested to see what this cotton gin is.”

“Good, good. What else I can I do for you two? Tariffs? The Legion? Or do you want to talk about Yazoo? Or the Washington Territory? ” Laurens leans back in his chair and knits his hands together and listens to Burr and Monroe’s concerns for the next several hours until around midnight they adjourn and go to bed to prepare for the next day’s event, inauguration of John Laurens as the third President of the United States. Before turning in Laurens hefts his tall oaken frame out of the chair and back to his desk. Laurens finishes one last note, one with a few sentences to Hamilton back in New York. Written in a cipher only they could translate developed back during the Revolution, it has been their own secret code for years. It reads:

“Burr brought Monroe to our meeting. You were right Burr plays his own game. We should isolate and remove as soon as possible. We need to remove his allies in New York, especially Dewitt. Republicans are in two wings. Burr runs the North, Jefferson through Monroe (or together) run the South. I don’t think they agree and the Virginians feel like they are losing their grip on their own creation. Too bad, they need Burr and Burr needs them.”


[1] Brother, Henry Laurens Jr. John’s younger brother and business manager. OTL always viewed as dull and boring when compared to John, the shining intellect and bright light in the Laurens family tree. ITTL, sibling relationship is closer since John lives, Henry handles the Laurens business interests and lives in the family estate outside of Charleston while John and his family use the family home on the Santee, Mepkin.
[2] The Manhattan Water Company founded 1794 by Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and (ITTL) John Laurens, among others to bring fresh water to New York City and Manhattan Island.

[Arkhangelsk]

Very nice, glad to see this is back!

I'm looking forward to see how the relationship between Burr and the rest of the Administration develops...looks rather...interesting.

Also, is the President's House synonymous with the White House?

[GreatScottMarty]

Originally Posted by Arkhangelsk

Very nice, glad to see this is back!

I'm looking forward to see how the relationship between Burr and the rest of the Administration develops...looks rather...interesting.

Also, is the President's House synonymous with the White House?

In a word, yes, nothing is very different about TTL's DC except the names of some locations ie President's House not White House, or Washington City instead of Washington, District of Columbia. BTW, there is still no J Street.

The Burr-Laurens relationship should be rather interesting.

[GreatScottMarty]

President John Laurens and Vice President Aaron Burr would take charge of the Republic on March 4, 1805. A difficult time for all, The Federalist were again vindicated in their attempts to gain the Presidency and the Republicans suffering from party infighting managed to elect a candidate hated by some and supported by no one. It was truly a unique situation. President Laurens would attempt to assemble a cabinet worthy of the name. It was certainly an eclectic hodge-podge of who’s who in the Federalist Party.

President John Laurens
Vice President: Aaron Burr
Secretary of State: Timothy Pickering
Secretary of Treasury: Oliver Wolcott Jr.
Secretary of War: Thomas Pinckney
Secretary of Navy: John Paul Jones (Commodore ret.)
Attorney General: William Wirt
Secretary of the Interior: Henry Knox

Ambassador to England: Arnoldus Vanderhorst
Ambassador to France: Edmund Harrison
Ambassador to Russia: John Lowell Jr.
Ambassador to Netherlands: Francis Dana
Ambassador to Spain: Stephen Girard

With the exception of Burr everyone was a Federalist. Newspapers (Federalist ones that is) called it “an intelligent group of men capable of discharging the public affairs inscrutably and to the benefit of all ”, about as worthy, as you could be. Republican papers where far less friendly, the terms monarchists and British agents where everywhere, the public itself was in a mood that would tentatively be called wait and see. Many states had gradually been opening up their elections to more and more tradesmen, small farmers, and workers. Some of the more western states (Kentucky and Tennesee) allowed farmers with only 40 acres to vote while some of the more northern states (New York and Massachusetts) where much tighter suffrage laws. It made for interesting Congressional sessions where spittoons and whiskey bottles replaced ashtrays and Madeira glasses for the first time in American history. Federalists, where still in the majority thanks to the continued absence of Georgia and North Carolina from the Congressional rolls. President Laurens saw to it that South Carolina was welcomed back with open arms including its new Senators: Charles C. Pinckney and Charles Pinckney as well as a new Congressman from Charleston named Robert Y. Hayne. Most of their slate was suspiciously Federalist, with the notable exception of a States Right lawyer named John C. Calhoun. Georgia and North Carolina voted their own governors and state legislatures in for 1805 and by 1806 placed Senators and Representatives into office for the new Congress.

The Planter War had concluded two years earlier, in 1802. The Federal Government reinstated its authority over the rebellious regions with force and discipline. They seized property and turned the proceeds towards paying down a ballooned war debt. While this action would have been reviled by most (and was by some, The Columbia, S.C. Republican, a newspaper, called the property sale, “a foul pact, devastating to all planters and landed men. Furthermore, if the government can take our property what else can they take?”). A lot of the smaller tradesmen and farmers viewed it as the just rewards for many of the traitors (now mostly dead). Governor Jackson of Tennessee said, “those jackals deserve the loss of property… selling us out to a bunch of Spanish dons.” Most of the property was eventually either returned to rightful heirs gradually or in the case that none could be found or existed was sold of to the highest bidder. The Land Sale (as the Aurora said, “a most treasonous and unrepublican thing has never existed”) would occur at the outset of Laurens first year in 1804. Secretary Knox’s new Interior Department was charged with managing the transactions. While some shady bids where placed (including the acquisition of Pierce Butler’s Sea Island plantation, by Henry Laurens Jr.), after an inquiry by Senators Monroe and Gallatin, nothing was found irregular. Further court challenges to the law and sales where struck down, by the Supreme Court. The land sales issue seemed dead for the moment.

The Laurens administration faced several issues in front of them. They needed to work with a hostile Vice-President, they needed to find more revenue to pay for the costly Planter War and it’s root cause the Compensated Manumission Act, they needed to map, survey and personally claim the new areas won from Spain, and finally, they needed to secure forcefully if necessary their place in the world. The first three goals where noble and necessary the fourth was subjective and prone to egotism. President Laurens would prove to be an adroit manager of his cabinet level talent. Enabling those who could work the best and managed those who needed management. The Land sales would provide some temporary income to the United States but more was needed to pay down war debts and to pay for more infrastructure projects, the indemnity money from Spain was used to fund expeditions to the interior and pay for the beginnings of the Manumission act. Hamilton’s apprentice at Treasury, now a genius in his own right, Oliver Wolcott Jr. Perceived the need for more revenues and worked to find it. President Laurens proposed an exposition of some of the things that where coming out of his Laurens town investments to help jumpstart the domestic economy, which was still heavily dependent on agricultural exports, to show them what the future could hold. The 1st Laurenstown Exposition held in New York City would be a smashing success it attracted many ambassadors and foreign dignitaries and financiers. The Cotton Gin would prove to be, next to, Hornblower and Murdoch steam engines, the most successful invention. Although there is little doubt that the noisy ferry ride on a Fitch& Foulton Steamship. The Cotton Gin would provide some much needed revenue to boost the sagging sales of the southern Cotton industry although unexpectedly it did provide a much needed boost to their competitors because the Cotton Gin company sold almost as many machines to the Ottoman Sultan for his Egyptian cotton fields.
Laurens first year would prove to be successful and showed that the economy was on track even as European events descended back into chaos.







That is a sketch of the terrain I will go into more about some of the things I mentioned a little later.

[Cylon_Number_14]

Hmmm.... cotton gins for the Sultan's cotton fields, that could have an interesting butterfly effect.

I just want to chime in that your TL creates a very unique and different United States and history. Personally, my favorite innovation of yours is the very powerful Dept of Interior with it's powerful law enforcement wing, the Marshall Service. They hold a lot of important responsibilities in one efficient package, and the Secretary of the Interior will be one of the most important and most sought-for positions in the Cabinet. The Planter's War with the American Free States and Spain was also very innovatively done.

Lastly, looking at the maps, I'm curious what your plans are for the Electoral College since there hasn't been an alt-12th Amendment, and 2 "cohabitation" cabinets. Personally, I'd look for a way to get rid of the Vice Presidency entirely and put the SecState as the first in line of succession, but I know that's very unrealistic. Or is it possible to continue the original Electoral College system for at least a couple more decades?

[GreatScottMarty]

Originally Posted by Cylon_Number_14

Hmmm.... cotton gins for the Sultan's cotton fields, that could have an interesting butterfly effect.

I just want to chime in that your TL creates a very unique and different United States and history. Personally, my favorite innovation of yours is the very powerful Dept of Interior with it's powerful law enforcement wing, the Marshall Service. They hold a lot of important responsibilities in one efficient package, and the Secretary of the Interior will be one of the most important and most sought-for positions in the Cabinet. The Planter's War with the American Free States and Spain was also very innovatively done.

Why thank you. I appreciate the critiques. They make me better at the whole AH thing. To answer your points, The whole Interior thing sort of came to me. We in America are kind of a rarity in that we don't have a a truly powerful Interior dept. at this juncture in this ATL Henry Knox is in a position to create a very powerful under his leadership. The US Marshall Service was the very first law enforcement org in the US so I thought having them be the first was a very good idea. Personally I find it a bit crazy that the US has so many different services doing basically one thing. So I thought I would create one service to do what serve IOTL do. Additionally I am fan of Justified on FX so I thought having badass US Marshalls would just be sweet.

On the Hispano-American/Planter War/War of Bourbon Succession/whatever this Alt-TL comes to call it, no has ever done a what if Wilkinson actually did what the Spanish paid him to do (to my knowledge). So I thought it would be fun to work it with some of that real conspiracy and see it play out. I thought the CMA would be something that would set off the wealthy planters in such a way as to make Spain very appealing and at the same time leave the working classes in reach of Federalist rhetoric.

Originally Posted by Cylon_Number_14

Lastly, looking at the maps, I'm curious what your plans are for the Electoral College since there hasn't been an alt-12th Amendment, and 2 "cohabitation" cabinets. Personally, I'd look for a way to get rid of the Vice Presidency entirely and put the SecState as the first in line of succession, but I know that's very unrealistic. Or is it possible to continue the original Electoral College system for at least a couple more decades?

As for the EC, it hasn't failed yet. The only reason the 12th was changed was because of the various Burr-Jefferson issues. If you look back at the Washington-Jay and then the Jay-Pinckney and then Jay-Jefferson Admins you see a VP that functions very much in a liaison capacity working with Senators and Representatives to make the President's voice heard. We will finally see fricition between the VP and the POTUS as the Laurens admin kicks into gear. Expect changes but realistically the VP will still be a position and one with more power as time goes by. Remember the precedent has been created for a stronger more vocal VP then we have IOTL.

What do you mean by "cohabitation"?

[Cylon_Number_14]

Cohabitation refers to the President being from one political party and the VP being from the other political party.

Maybe I should start watching Justified too, I've heard good things about it from other people too...

[GreatScottMarty]

Originally Posted by Cylon_Number_14

Cohabitation refers to the President being from one political party and the VP being from the other political party.

Maybe I should start watching Justified too, I've heard good things about it from other people too...

I thought so just wanted confirmation. ITTL cohabitation has worked fairly well. IOTL the only reason it was changed was because of inter-party conflict. So unless Burr and Laurens really can't get along I don't see it changing.

I would if I was you.

[GreatScottMarty]

Knox and the Indians:

Knox’s Interior Department would be instrumental in another outstanding achievement, the full implementation of the Yazoo Treaty. The Treaty signed in 1802 guaranteed the 5 southern tribes that allied with the Federal Government to lands in the Yazoo country. The migration of the 5 Civilized tribes, as they were beginning to be called, was successful and aided by notable frontiersmen and politicians alike, including Governor Jackson, Colonel Zebulon Pike, as well as several frontiersmen including Daniel Morgan Boone and a young friend of Boone’s 18 year old David Crockett. The cooperation between frontiersmen and the government was in sharp contrast to the relationship 10 years before. The strengthening of the bonds between the frontier and the centers of capital in the East prove to be of benefit to the United States in years to come. As the new Spanish War territories where opened up and settled and combined with the continued growth of roads and steam powered shipping, the American economy would rebound strongly. The Yazoo country would be one of a series of American protectorates that existed along the border, the “Yazoo experiment” as the Manhattan Federalist newspaper, The Daily News would refer to it, was the first and proved a successful template for the integration of many Native American states into the United States. The Lakota Confederation of northern Washington Territory and the Apache Union would be another. Before the success of the Yazoo was known, the idea of Indians existing in Union was an idea that was viewed with some derision in cultured circles in the East while those on the frontier welcomed the move as a step towards quieting the frontier. Laurens proved to effective in giving the Indians an option between the sword and the pen. Many took the pen; some did not, those that didn’t would suffer.

Inside the Yazoo, however, The Five Tribes would begin to take on “white” characteristics. They turned increasingly to cultivation of cotton, foodstuffs and in some cases small manufacturing. They began to develop a written language as well as formal schooling. The relationship between the Yazoo Indians (another less lengthy referent to the Five Tribes) and the Laurens Administration was a strong one, this relationship aided by Secretary Knox, whose Interior Administration took over many of the management aspects of the domestic protectorates as the Pickering State Department was forced to pay much more attention to the continued developments in Spain and Europe.

The Knox Policy as it was named by Congressman Fisher Ames (F-MA) was the policy of using Legion troops as peacekeepers and arbiters of Federal Authority in places where formal institutions were weak. This was commonly used as a way controlling contact between settlers and natives. The policy was mostly a success and was blessed by having competent and intuitive men at the disposal of the Legion. The Knox Policy was a derivative of policies discussed with Washington during the First Cabinet. Knox’s idea was to ring Indian territories with forts and to attempt to secure native lands by building physical impediments to unauthorized settlement. President Laurens modified the idea and made it more realistic and cost effective giving Interior Secretary Knox the authority to manage Legion troops in such a fashion as to use them as peacekeeping forces. The use of Legion troops was unique to the Yazoo situation. In later instances the government would use the Marshall Service’s Indian Enforcement Division to manage relations between Indians and settlers. In the early 1800s the Legion was the most cohesive organization, chains of command where clear, and anyone who disregarded an order from the Piker (as Colonel Pike was sarcastically referred to) was assured of quick discipline. The organization of the Legion into small fast moving units made it easy to break up and reform as needed. The adjustments made to the Knox plan by President Laurens called for the Legion to operate in platoon sized units and to setup fortified camps in strategic locations throughout the Yazoo. This allowed for maximum presence and minimum expense. Exactly what the plan needed to be effective. Thanks to largely swampy terrain in the southern part of the territory and large wooded lands in the middle the only areas of real interest where the more fertile areas south of the Tennessee border in a strip that ran almost to Natchez. Overall, though, settler interest in the area was low and the Indian interest was high so it made for a set of unique circumstances for the management of Indian-settler relations in the Laurens administration.

After the move into the Yazoo, 1802 and 1803, and the implementation of the Knox Plan the Tribes would begin regular assemblies and appoint representatives to meet with the special envoy to the area US Legion Colonel Zebulon Pike. While the Yazoo Indians where still very much unassimilated, the new generation benefited greatly from increased interaction between settlers, Legionnaires, and Indians; leading to a great deal of cultural assimilation. The move was so successful and the policies of Knox and Pike worked well together ensuring that the limited settler movement into the Yazoo was legal and that tribal claims where given equal weight with settler claims, that over ensuing 20 years that there was talk of adding Yazoo as a state by 1830.

The division of Colonel Pike’s 500-soldier contingent was like this about 50 men at given time where stationed in Mobile along the Gulf coast with a few posted along the Mississippi River in Natchez and the remaining 400 men broken down into 25 man platoons and stationed at key river crossings and along known trade routes. They were charged with regulating commerce and providing law enforcement services when needed. Pike broke his men up into districts and placed Lieutenants in charge of most of these districts. Manpower was chronically short and few of the men had the necessary literacy skills to do the job (mostly because of the quick expansion in the lead up to the Planter War, most of the men with those skills got far more glamorous jobs as foreign observers or working in consulates or mostly as instructors), the skill deficit would be filled as more of the junior officers were cycled back to the Wayne School in Baltimore to be taught the basics but the first few years saw Colonel Pike riding out himself and visiting the various districts handling correspondence and receiving oral reports that his secretary copied down and forwarded out. Colonel Pike succeeded in keeping the peace, with the exception of several incidents as things calmed down towards the end of 1808; Major Pike would be promoted to Colonel and moved out of the area and on to a new challenge.

[Arkhangelsk]

Excellent update, I'm really curious as to how Yazoo develops.

It also seems that Yazoo can be a precedent to more territories being admitted with a more heterogeneous population.

I'm looking forward to the next update.