A New Dawn; The Tumultuous Times.
October 16, 1909
A day that would leave in its wake 4 years of chaos at home in the U.S. and many years of chaos in Mexico. The first time a United States president would visit Mexico, with an end result flaring the tensions between the two nations drastically. A monumentous occassion, but that did not last long. While passing by the El Paso Chamber of Commerce, a man in the crowd with a pistol would proceed to fatally shoot President William Howard Taft. Mexican President Porfirio Díaz would escape unharmed, however the damage done would later take a toll on the rest of his administration, leading to his resignation and exile in 1911. By the days end, Vice President Sherman would be sworn in as the 28th President of the United States. Sherman would go on to continue Taft's "Dollar Diplomacy". However tensions between the Republican parties progressive and conservative wings would continue to flare, and Sherman was unable to stow those flames. The 1910 Midterms would be a blow out for the Republicans, however progressive Republicans would make gains, in part due to Robert La Folette and Theodore Roosevelt's 'National Progressive Republican League' which would attempt to create unity among the progressive Republicans. Teddy would back the league originally in an op ed titled "Righting these wrongs; A Case for Progressive Republicanism" in which former president Roosevelt would argue against the Sherman administrations decision to not persue anti trust against U.S. Steel, and even against his own former decisions during his administration. This would not be the last time Roosevelt would challenge Sherman and Republican leadership, prominent examples including Roosevelt's opposition to the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Mahlon Pitney. Roosevelt would in the lead up to challenging Sherman for the Republican nomination release 2 more prominent op eds. The first being "Power to the people" an op ed about recall elections, referendums, and initiatives, with Roosevelt making a case in favor of these. and his most popular and a rallying cry of his supporters "Towards a New Nationalism" championing a domestic agenda for progressives, including a Social Security system, a minimum wage, a 40 hour work week, a federal income tax, direct election of senators, Women's suffrage, and his "recall, referendum, and initiative" ideals as stated in his previous op ed.
Gearing up for his 1912 run, Roosevelt would go on speaking tours across America, his new nationalism enchanted progressive activists. Progressive activists clamored for direct primaries to decide delegates, rather than the old system of party bosses running everything. Progressives got their wish, kind of, 13 states would host a primary for the Republican nomination, with Teddy going on to win 10 of those primaries. However even with those pledged delegates there was still an uphill battle ahead of Roosevelt, he was running against an Old Guard Conservative with the backing of the party's bosses. Roosevelt would make his case to delegates, arguing that southern delegates had too much power and a case for progressive republicanism. Roosevelt however would lose on the first ballot, only garnering 503 delegates to Sherman's 552. Roosevelt disillusioned with the Republican Party would leave the party on the last day of the convention, rallying progressives of all stripes to join him in the creation of a Progressive Party. The Republican Party would nominate Iowa Senator Albert Cummins to be Sherman's running mate. The Progressive party would adopt a platform of Roosevelt's "New Nationalism". Roosevelt would be nominated on the first ballot, his running mate would be California Governor Hiram Johnson.
For the Democrats this was their year. Successes in 1910 and the Republican schism could hand them a victory, 16 years out of the Whitehouse did substancial damage to the Democratic Party, with a major reshaping occurring. Major candidates at the convention were Champ Clark and Woodrow Wilson, with Judson Harmon and Oscar Underwood acting as favorite son candidates. As time went on however Wilson's support dwindled, and with Tammany Hall backing his opponent, Woodrow Wilson would withdraw and free his delegates on the 24th ballot. This would elevate three time Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan to announce a candidacy, seeing Clark, Underwood and Harmon as too conservative to represent Democratic voters and interests. Bryan's attempt to stop Clark were futile however, with Clark recieving the nomination on the 37th ballot, with the backing of Underwood. Clark would ask New York Representative William Sulzer to be his running mate. However even with nods to populist policies within the Democratic platform William Jennings Bryan was not satisfied, akin to Roosevelt just 10 days previous, Bryan would rally his supporters, "There was once a people's revolt within the Democratic Party, now we need one without it." A new People's Party was formed quickly, with a platform of agrarianism and anti-imperialism. The People's Party ticket would consist of William Jennings Bryan and Governor John Burke of North Dakota.
With all that said and done campaigning season would quickly begin, with Roosevelt and Bryan running vigorous campaign's, going from county to county and city to city, giving speeches of abandoning the political establishment, with the Bryan campaign stressing agricultural workers that feel abandoned by the establishment, and the Roosevelt campaign stressing a progressivism the establishment would never enact due to its own corruption. Clark and Sherman would both run traditional front porch campaigns, leaving the foot work to activists and campaign staff. For Sherman this left a way to attempt to cover his Bright's disease, and not strain himself too much. For Clark however he was mostly positive he would win, seeing Roosevelt as an asset, and Bryan as more of a threat to the Progressives and Socialists.
Campaign season however would be quickly haulted on October 14th, when Roosevelt, while campaigning in Milwaukee would be shot, the bullet would be stopped by a pair of glasses in his shirt pocket and his planned speech to give that day. Roosevelt deducing that he would be fine from these injuries would give a 90 minute speech after his attempted assassin was aprehended, it would take more than that to kill a bull moose. Roosevelt would spend the next 2 weeks recovering, with Clark, Sherman, and Bryan suspending campaigning for those 2 weeks. Campaigning would quickly once again be suspended after this however. On October 30, 1912, just a week before election day, President Sherman would die of Bright's disease. Knox would quickly be given the oath of office, being the 3rd president in 1 term. The Republican Party would quickly go into disarray, no one knew what to do or who to vote for, it would not be until January when Elihu Root would be selected to recieve Sherman's electoral votes. With the chaos of 5 candidates on voting day, one of them now dead, no one would win a majority of either the electoral college or the popular vote. With Clark having 201 electoral votes of the needed 266, Roosevelt having 177, Root having 145, and Bryan having 8 from his home state of Nebraska. The deciding factor on who would be president would have to go to the House.
(Progressives in Green, Republicans in Red, Democrats in Teal, People's in Baby Blue)
The Republican Party viewing Roosevelt as a lesser evil than Clark quickly set up a meeting with Roosevelt and Johnson. The meeting would consist of Roosevelt, Johnson, Root, Charles Mann (Republican House Leader), President Knox, and Henry Cabot Lodge, with Knox and Lodge attempting to act as neutral parties. Democrats would attack this meeting, believing that Knox should remain neutral in this process. The meetings would go successfully, but not without compromise from the Progressive side, Republicans would support Roosevelt on the condition of keeping some of the Taft-Sherman-Knox cabinet, those cabinet members would be Charles Nagel, James Wilson, Frank Hitchcock, and Henry Stimson, with the latter having his post changed from Secretary of War to Attorney General. A majority of state delegations would vote Roosevelt to be the United State's 30th President. Roosevelt would be inaguarted on March 4, 1913.
And as an editors note thankyou to @Goweegie2 been a big help with me on all of this, great person her current timeline DTR is dope.
Edits made to make it more accurate.
A day that would leave in its wake 4 years of chaos at home in the U.S. and many years of chaos in Mexico. The first time a United States president would visit Mexico, with an end result flaring the tensions between the two nations drastically. A monumentous occassion, but that did not last long. While passing by the El Paso Chamber of Commerce, a man in the crowd with a pistol would proceed to fatally shoot President William Howard Taft. Mexican President Porfirio Díaz would escape unharmed, however the damage done would later take a toll on the rest of his administration, leading to his resignation and exile in 1911. By the days end, Vice President Sherman would be sworn in as the 28th President of the United States. Sherman would go on to continue Taft's "Dollar Diplomacy". However tensions between the Republican parties progressive and conservative wings would continue to flare, and Sherman was unable to stow those flames. The 1910 Midterms would be a blow out for the Republicans, however progressive Republicans would make gains, in part due to Robert La Folette and Theodore Roosevelt's 'National Progressive Republican League' which would attempt to create unity among the progressive Republicans. Teddy would back the league originally in an op ed titled "Righting these wrongs; A Case for Progressive Republicanism" in which former president Roosevelt would argue against the Sherman administrations decision to not persue anti trust against U.S. Steel, and even against his own former decisions during his administration. This would not be the last time Roosevelt would challenge Sherman and Republican leadership, prominent examples including Roosevelt's opposition to the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Mahlon Pitney. Roosevelt would in the lead up to challenging Sherman for the Republican nomination release 2 more prominent op eds. The first being "Power to the people" an op ed about recall elections, referendums, and initiatives, with Roosevelt making a case in favor of these. and his most popular and a rallying cry of his supporters "Towards a New Nationalism" championing a domestic agenda for progressives, including a Social Security system, a minimum wage, a 40 hour work week, a federal income tax, direct election of senators, Women's suffrage, and his "recall, referendum, and initiative" ideals as stated in his previous op ed.
Gearing up for his 1912 run, Roosevelt would go on speaking tours across America, his new nationalism enchanted progressive activists. Progressive activists clamored for direct primaries to decide delegates, rather than the old system of party bosses running everything. Progressives got their wish, kind of, 13 states would host a primary for the Republican nomination, with Teddy going on to win 10 of those primaries. However even with those pledged delegates there was still an uphill battle ahead of Roosevelt, he was running against an Old Guard Conservative with the backing of the party's bosses. Roosevelt would make his case to delegates, arguing that southern delegates had too much power and a case for progressive republicanism. Roosevelt however would lose on the first ballot, only garnering 503 delegates to Sherman's 552. Roosevelt disillusioned with the Republican Party would leave the party on the last day of the convention, rallying progressives of all stripes to join him in the creation of a Progressive Party. The Republican Party would nominate Iowa Senator Albert Cummins to be Sherman's running mate. The Progressive party would adopt a platform of Roosevelt's "New Nationalism". Roosevelt would be nominated on the first ballot, his running mate would be California Governor Hiram Johnson.
For the Democrats this was their year. Successes in 1910 and the Republican schism could hand them a victory, 16 years out of the Whitehouse did substancial damage to the Democratic Party, with a major reshaping occurring. Major candidates at the convention were Champ Clark and Woodrow Wilson, with Judson Harmon and Oscar Underwood acting as favorite son candidates. As time went on however Wilson's support dwindled, and with Tammany Hall backing his opponent, Woodrow Wilson would withdraw and free his delegates on the 24th ballot. This would elevate three time Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan to announce a candidacy, seeing Clark, Underwood and Harmon as too conservative to represent Democratic voters and interests. Bryan's attempt to stop Clark were futile however, with Clark recieving the nomination on the 37th ballot, with the backing of Underwood. Clark would ask New York Representative William Sulzer to be his running mate. However even with nods to populist policies within the Democratic platform William Jennings Bryan was not satisfied, akin to Roosevelt just 10 days previous, Bryan would rally his supporters, "There was once a people's revolt within the Democratic Party, now we need one without it." A new People's Party was formed quickly, with a platform of agrarianism and anti-imperialism. The People's Party ticket would consist of William Jennings Bryan and Governor John Burke of North Dakota.
With all that said and done campaigning season would quickly begin, with Roosevelt and Bryan running vigorous campaign's, going from county to county and city to city, giving speeches of abandoning the political establishment, with the Bryan campaign stressing agricultural workers that feel abandoned by the establishment, and the Roosevelt campaign stressing a progressivism the establishment would never enact due to its own corruption. Clark and Sherman would both run traditional front porch campaigns, leaving the foot work to activists and campaign staff. For Sherman this left a way to attempt to cover his Bright's disease, and not strain himself too much. For Clark however he was mostly positive he would win, seeing Roosevelt as an asset, and Bryan as more of a threat to the Progressives and Socialists.
Campaign season however would be quickly haulted on October 14th, when Roosevelt, while campaigning in Milwaukee would be shot, the bullet would be stopped by a pair of glasses in his shirt pocket and his planned speech to give that day. Roosevelt deducing that he would be fine from these injuries would give a 90 minute speech after his attempted assassin was aprehended, it would take more than that to kill a bull moose. Roosevelt would spend the next 2 weeks recovering, with Clark, Sherman, and Bryan suspending campaigning for those 2 weeks. Campaigning would quickly once again be suspended after this however. On October 30, 1912, just a week before election day, President Sherman would die of Bright's disease. Knox would quickly be given the oath of office, being the 3rd president in 1 term. The Republican Party would quickly go into disarray, no one knew what to do or who to vote for, it would not be until January when Elihu Root would be selected to recieve Sherman's electoral votes. With the chaos of 5 candidates on voting day, one of them now dead, no one would win a majority of either the electoral college or the popular vote. With Clark having 201 electoral votes of the needed 266, Roosevelt having 177, Root having 145, and Bryan having 8 from his home state of Nebraska. The deciding factor on who would be president would have to go to the House.
(Progressives in Green, Republicans in Red, Democrats in Teal, People's in Baby Blue)
The Republican Party viewing Roosevelt as a lesser evil than Clark quickly set up a meeting with Roosevelt and Johnson. The meeting would consist of Roosevelt, Johnson, Root, Charles Mann (Republican House Leader), President Knox, and Henry Cabot Lodge, with Knox and Lodge attempting to act as neutral parties. Democrats would attack this meeting, believing that Knox should remain neutral in this process. The meetings would go successfully, but not without compromise from the Progressive side, Republicans would support Roosevelt on the condition of keeping some of the Taft-Sherman-Knox cabinet, those cabinet members would be Charles Nagel, James Wilson, Frank Hitchcock, and Henry Stimson, with the latter having his post changed from Secretary of War to Attorney General. A majority of state delegations would vote Roosevelt to be the United State's 30th President. Roosevelt would be inaguarted on March 4, 1913.
And as an editors note thankyou to @Goweegie2 been a big help with me on all of this, great person her current timeline DTR is dope.
Edits made to make it more accurate.
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