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In 1798, the Federalist dominated Congress passed four pieces of legislation, known collectively as the Alien and Sedition Acts. These laws were a reaction to the French Revolution and fears that more radical citizens would attempt to recreate it in America. However, the passage of the Acts...

Although once common in European monarchies, withholding executive assent has nearly died out in the modern, democratic political atmosphere. While many monarchs technically still hold the ability to block legislation or at least slow their progress, this ability is rarely exercised. In the...

In 1841, the Whig Party offered Daniel Webster the position of Vice President under William Henry Harrison. Viewing the Vice Presidency as an utterly useless and pointless office that would condemn him to years of obscurity, Webster declined. Amusingly, however, Harrison would die within 30 days...

It is a little known fact that for much of the 1970s, Liberia was one of Africa's richest nation. For a brief period, the capital of Monrovia was ranked similarly to Japan for quality of life. Due to prolonged conflict and economic mismanagement however, Liberia has had one of the world's most...

Hello, and welcome to yet another attempt at some casual alternate history. As I'm sure you've already guessed, this thread's aim will be to create a list of alternate US Presidents. The rules are as follows: 1.) We'll go one election at a time, 2.) Try to post a brief description of what...

This What If has been inspired by this very poorly conceived advertisement. The day is November 22nd, 1963. As Kennedy's limousine drives through Dealey Plaza, shots suddenly ring out. The first shot hits its mark and Kennedy quickly raises his arms to his throat. The President opens his mouth...

In 1840 the American Colonization Society, due to poor financial management and planning, was going bankrupt. Seeing Liberia as the source of their problems, they asked the colonists to declare an independent nation and relieve themselves of their African territories. This would lead to...

“It appears to me that the union of the states and consequently the permanency of the government depend under Providence upon his [Washingon's] life. At this early day when neither our finances are arranged nor our government sufficiently cemented to promise duration, his death would ... have...

n June 16, 1846 Cardinal Giovanni Mastai Ferretti, was elected to the papacy as Pope Pius IX. Known by the general public as a liberal, his selection inspired great hope within Italian nationalist and political liberals. To the horror of conservatives and the Austrian monarchy, he immediately...

This is a fairly simple question. Spain held Florida from 1513 to 1763 and again from 1784 to 1821. It would eventually lose this territory one final time following the Adams-Onis Treaty. Basically, Spain agreed to relinquish Florida if the United States agreed to abandon all claims on Texas...

The Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic was a state composing of modern day Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in the South Caucasus. Established on February 10th, 1918 the state existed only for a few months before being dissolved. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is...

From the Huffington Post The comment section is headache inducing. EDIT: I appear to have posed this in the wrong forum. Could someone move this please.

Following the death of Pope Innocent III and the Lateran Council of 1215, Pope Honorius was put under pressure to call a Crusade. To give the movement any hope of success, the Pope called on his former pupil Emperor Frederick II for support. In an attempt to convince him to reclaim the Holy...

After little more than a year in office as vice president, Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts died. While the vice president dying was not seen as particularly unusual, Elbridge himself had been chosen to replace George Clinton who had died in office as well, the Vice President could not be...

Alright, let's assume that somehow American thinkers and British mismanagement manage to convince the Quebecois to declare independence. In 1776 they join the Revolution under a separate flag and fight alongside the Americans. The Republic of Quebec later wins their fight for independence. Now...

The Pope, leader of the Roman Catholic Church, is also known as the Bishop of Rome. This is particularly important, because according to Church Tradition St. Peter the Apostle was the first Bishop of Rome. On a different note, the city of Constantinople is sometimes referred to as the Second...

I thought it was a good idea to revist a fairly simple scenario. Most of the following paragraph is taken from America: A Narrative History. I'm exhausted right now, but I will likely rewrite it later. By 1868, Radical Republicans were convinced that Andrew Johnson needed to be removed from...

The 1796 election was the first US Presidential election involving more than one candidate. With incumbent President George Washington having refused a third term in office, incumbent Vice-President John Adams of Massachusetts became a candidate for the presidency on the Federalist Party ticket...

In 1573, following the death of the Polish ruler Sigisimund III Augustus, a French envoy was sent to Poland to negotiate the election of Henry of Valois, future Henry III of France, on the Polish throne, in exchange for military support against Russia, diplomatic assistance in dealing with the...

On July 17, 1918 the Romanov family was executed in the basement of the Ipatiev House. Immediately afterwards, rumors began to spread of the survival of one of the Grand Duchesses, either Anastasia or her sister Maria. This was fueled by the fact that the location of her burial was unknown...