WI Zachary Taylor doesn't die

What it says on the tin. By random chance President Taylor doesn't get sick on 4 July 1850 and die shortly thereafter as per OTL. Taylor died in the middle of the debates regarding what could become the Compromise of 1850; how does this go differently now with him still alive? Especially in the context of a President who, though a slave owner himself, was opposed to the expansion of slavery into the newly captured territories from Mexico. AFAIK the Bell proposal was the closest to President Taylor's own views on the matter; is there any chance it passes? Taylor himself was unambiguously opposed to what did become law IOTL, so with the threat of Presidential veto, and a hung Congress, the debates on the issue likely take a very different route. IMHO a stronger Fugitive Law is likely as per OTL, and the Mormons are unlikely to get their own state again as per OTL; but perhaps ITTL Texas, New Mexico and California all are admitted to the union in in ways greatly different from OTL.

EDIT: Also, what are the affects on US politics. With Taylor alive does he run in the 1852 elections? What are the effects on US politics?

The trouble with a forum this big is that every possible subject is already on it somewhere. I'm afraid there's already a thread about this here.

Lycaon pictus said:

The trouble with a forum this big is that every possible subject is already on it somewhere. I'm afraid there's already a thread about this here.

Click to expand...

Uh, thanks but no thanks. I opened a new thread because 1) that one hasn't seen any activity in over a week, and 2) I'm asking a very specific question pertaining to a distinct issue (Compromise of 1850) relating to President Taylor, where as the OP from the thread you linked to was asking a very open ended question. Indeed it looks like the conversation over there quickly descended into a 'Civil War earlier' thread.

So, thoughts on Taylor living in regards to the Compromise of 1850, and the affects on US politics from there?

Bump

So, to get this conversation moving, I'll just throw something out there. Suppose the Bell Plan goes forward, with the Compromise of 1850 largely as OTL otherwise. That means;

* California and New Mexico are admitted as free states in 1850, skipping the territorial phase.
* The alt-Utah territory is organized, which is somewhat larger than OTL.
* The alt-Fugitive Slave Act is passed
* The slave trade is abolished in the District of Columbia, however ownership of slaves is retained.
* Texas receives compensation from the federal government in the form of $10 million ($265mil in today's OTL terms) to pay off its debts.
* Texas gives up its northern claims (the panhandle) to New Mexico, however it retains its western claims as far as the Rio Grande, just shy of Santa Fe, up till the 34th parallel north.
* As well Texas is divided into two slave states to balance out the entrance of CA & NM, with the dividing line along the Colorado River of Texas until the 42nd parallel. Texas is north of the river, with the state of 'Jacinto' south of the river.

Here's North America after the compromise;


Now, what affects does this have on the US in the immediate (10 years) future? The Missouri Compromise is maintained, and popular sovereignty never becomes an issue. So while alt-Minnesota might be balanced out by the entrance of a slave state in the OLT Oklahoma territory, asides from that the southern slave states have no more room to expand on the continental US. Does this mean a bigger push for US expansionism into the Caribbean - i.e. Ostend Manifesto? Further are southern congressionals likely to stand against the admission of new states out of the remaining continental territories, knowing it would upset the balance of power between southern/slave states and northern/free states? At the least, IMHO, we would see a few large states instead of several small ones in order to offer the north the lowest possible amount of Senators and Representatives from these new states. As well with an earlier New Mexico does the Transcontinental railroad extend across the South before coming north at the Mississippi? What are the affects on US politics in D.C., with eight new senators while the House would have grown to at least 237 members, after 1850?

Elaborating the bump

Your scenario makes sense.
The southern states would probably be pushing for a naval development and expansion into the Caribbean,
which could lead to the US getting involved in world affairs 19th century, and being able to ACTUALLY enforce
their monroe doctrine.

So it would be

Gadsden purchase happens, added to NM for southern railroad

Minnesota and Oklahoma coming in next

followed by

Oregon and Cuba (slave state)

followed by

Kansas and ??? Nicaragua (slave state)

Nebraska and Puerto Rico (slave state)

Colorado and ???

Dakota and ???

Deseret (Utah) and ???

Seriously?

Necro and the OP is Banned?