Good to see you still going, keep it up Simon Boilvar is going to be fun to watch, keep him away from the arsenic though
¡Por la Patria, Viva México Fuerte! A Mexican TL
- Thread starter Arkhangelsk
- Start date
-
- Tags
- strong mexico
Nice!
The way I see it it can't do much harm, though technically speaking there is going to be a more concerted effort on the part of the Spanish, as they will be sending many of the troops they sent to Mexico OTL to South America. That said Mexico will support South American independence whole heartily, and to a lesser extent so will the United States (though it will still better than the amount of support they provided in OTL).
Good to see you still going, keep it up Simon Boilvar is going to be fun to watch, keep him away from the arsenic though
Glad to see you back, I was beginning to wonder if you'd fallen off the face of the earth!
Hehe he most certainly will be fun to watch, and I'll definitely try to keep him away from the arsenic...though that probably won't be much of a worry for him since he won't be entering much of Peru anyway.
[/spoiler]Also, I'm hoping to see more of Mr. Laurens very soon.
Liberación: The Short and Brilliant Career of Simón Bolívar
Hi guys! Sorry for the delay (again!) in updating, been traveling the last few weeks. I'm in Indiana at the moment but I've been working on the timeline on my downtime here, and safe to say I have another update for y'all.
Bolívar would sail into Veracruz harbor in the opening days of 1816 to find the port roaring with cannon fire. The harbor fortress San Juan de Ulúa was one of the few Spanish holdouts in México and was proving to remain a thorn in the side of the Méxicans until the bitter end, though upon landing most dock hands assured him it was only a matter of time until the Spanish gave up. After a day trip inland Bolívar would be greeted by Juan Aldama, Ignacio Allende’s adjutant, in Veracruz’s capital, Jalapa. From there Aldama would escort Bolívar to México City, where he would receive a hero’s welcome. Almost immediately the two military leaders befriended one another, and got to work discussing what to do about their shared enemy, Spain, as well as the fate of South America. Allende pledged to Bolívar that “México will stand by its patriotic brothers in their most trying hour of need.” Despite the advice of some of his advisors against such a bold move, Allende went ahead and, at the behest of Bolívar, to form a legion composed of Mexican Insurgents willing to continue the fight in South America. The Legion gained vast numbers over a short period of time, and by the end of Bolívar’s stay in México had recruited well over 5,000 soldiers, still fresh from fighting Calleja the previous year and willing to kick Spain out from their hemisphere once and for all. The Legion was also supplemented by 500 Americans under the command of Augustus Magee, who had fought for Mexico against Spain in Tejas.[1] On 29 June 1816 Bolívar bid farewell to Allende, with Allende wishing him the best in the looming conflict. Disembarking from Veracruz Bolívar would land in Havana where he would petition military aid from the United States. In the meantime Bolívar and his entourage of nuevagranadenses which followed him into exile would lay out their plan to beat back the Spanish in South America. On 4 August Bolívar got a relatively positive response from President Monroe, stating that Americans wishing to join Bolívar in South America were welcomed to do so, and that the United States government would supply Bolívar with munitions and financial support. With an American “Legion” of 4,000 men and growing, Bolívar set out from Havana on 13 August for Venezuela.
Bolívar and Santander in Cúcuta, 1820.
In what would later be termed the beginnings of his “Liberation Campaign,” Bolívar would land on the Isle of Margarita on 24 August 1816, taking the island with relative ease. With a base set up near the Venezuelan coast, Bolívar would join forces with Santiago Mariño and launch several attacks on the settlements along the sea before establishing a beach head near Cumaná on 27 August. Bolívar and Mariño would overwhelm the Spanish garrison there and proceed to march south, into the Llanos of Venezuela. They would rendezvous with Manuel Píar north of Angostura where Bolívar’s combined force would take the city, the Spanish having been weakened there due to a prolonged siege conducted by Píar for the previous several weeks. It is here in Angostura that Bolívar would reestablish the Republic of Venezuela in the late fall of 1816. Angostura proved to be a true gift for Bolívar, as the city provided a commanding presence on the Orinoco River, giving him and the Republicans access to foreign trade. The Orinoco also allowed the Republicans to penetrate deep into Nueva Granada, as rebel forces in Casanare under the command of Francisco de Paula Santander were able to integrate themselves with Bolívar’s army relatively easily. These combined forces of hardened troops, both from Venezuela and from abroad were, despite their might, not able to retake Caracas over the course of 1817 and into 1818. They were, however, easily capable of holding off the Spanish from Bolívar’s position on the Orinoco, in large part thanks to the Llaneros who knew this region of the viceroyalty extremely well. Repeated attempts by the Spanish, under Napoleonic War veteran Pablo Morillo, failed again and again, ensuring that Bolívar would have a secure base of operations. With the war in stalemate, the Republicans moved to centralize their authority, with the creation of a new congress in the spring of 1818. Upon the opening of its first session Bolívar would unveil his next plan of action: the liberation of Nueva Granada proper. The plan would entail traversing the Llanos during the rainy season, when the Llanos transforms into a virtual lake and combat operations cease for several months. Without any resistance Bolívar intended to cross the Andes and retake Bogotá, from where he would take Morillo by surprise and attack from the last place he’s expect Bolívar to be. The plan met near unanimous disapproval from the Congress, as well as from Bolívar’s officers, including the “Master of the Llanos” José Antonio Páez. The consensus on the plan was short of suicidal. Undeterred by this, Bolívar, accompanied only by Santander, pressed forward and in early June 1818 set out with nearly 5,000 troops in one of the most daring campaigns of the whole war in South America, rivaled only by San Martin’s famous Crossing of the Andes a year earlier. Most of June was spent “wading” through the Llanos, the environment causing many of Bolívar’s men to succumb to Malaria and other tropical diseases. From the lowlands of the Llanos Bolívar’s army would immediately ascend the passes of the Northern Andes. Despite losing even more men due to the extreme cold, Bolívar pressed forward and on 1 July emerged from the Andes and into the heart of the Viceroyalty. Taking the Spanish by total surprise at the famous Battle of Turmequé Bolívar would overrun Boyacá in mid-July and Bogotá soon after. With his objectives met and Nueva Granada at his disposal, Bolívar felt it was time to liberate Venezuela once and for all. In September Bolívar entered Venezuela with nearly 7,500 men, and in no time began to make inroads into once fervent Royalist territory. As Morillo began to lose more ground and men, he was handed with even more misfortune. In the fall of 1818 revolt erupted in Spain against the once “desired” Fernando VII.[2] The revolt was such that reinforcements originally meant for Morillo never disembarked from Cádiz as they were needed to fight their own countrymen. Morillo felt there was no alternative left for him, and so in December he sent feelers to Bolívar for a ceasefire. Bolívar accepted and in a rare display at the treaty signing in Trujillo, Bolívar and Morillo embraced as a sign that, for the time being the fighting was over. The respite of course did not last long, after the six-month ceasefire Morillo’s successor (Morillo having been recalled back to Spain to deal with the revolt) Miguel de la Torre reinitiated the war. This move failed spectacularly for him, as Bolívar easily defeated his Royalist force in late July 1820. Like his victory at Bogotá one year earlier, Torre’s defeat signified the liberation of Venezuela. Arriving in Angostura on 10 August Bolívar was hailed as a hero of South American independence. Addressing congress on 17 August he proclaimed the union of Venezuela and Nueva Granada as the Republic of Colombia. After moving the capital from Angostura to Cúcuta Bolívar, now President of Colombia, unveiled his next plan of action: the Liberation of Quito. After the proclamation of a ceasefire in January many areas of the crumbling Viceroyalty began to reassert their own independence, such as Quito and Guayaquil. Bolívar sought to integrate these areas into Colombia, but the feeling was not entirely mutual. Bolívar sent a contingent under one of his lieutenants, Antonio José de Sucre, to reel in these fringe territories, but various thrusts into the region by Sucre met little success. Feeling the need to put more pressure on the Quito front, Bolívar entered the fray in February 1821. After some initial gains into the last vestiges of Royalist control in the now defunct Nueva Grenada, notably his victory at the Battle of Pasto in April 1821, Bolívar would meet his match on the battlefield outside Quito. A bullet wound to the shoulder forced Bolívar to seek medical attention, but the wait had been long enough that the wound became infected. “The Great Liberator” would die in his sick bed on 12 May 1821 in Quito, which was secured in Republican hands.[3]
Death of the Great Liberator, 12 May 1821.
----------
[1] Augustus Magee as in the Gutierrez-Magee Expedition. TTL it's more successful and Magee's OTL 1813 death is averted.
[2] It's pretty much the same Riego Revolt of OTL, just earlier. The outcome however will be different, and I'll expand on it when I cover Europe.
[3] Didn't see that coming did ya?
Liberación: The Short and Brilliant Career of Simón Bolívar
"The Great Liberator"
"The Great Liberator"
Bolívar would sail into Veracruz harbor in the opening days of 1816 to find the port roaring with cannon fire. The harbor fortress San Juan de Ulúa was one of the few Spanish holdouts in México and was proving to remain a thorn in the side of the Méxicans until the bitter end, though upon landing most dock hands assured him it was only a matter of time until the Spanish gave up. After a day trip inland Bolívar would be greeted by Juan Aldama, Ignacio Allende’s adjutant, in Veracruz’s capital, Jalapa. From there Aldama would escort Bolívar to México City, where he would receive a hero’s welcome. Almost immediately the two military leaders befriended one another, and got to work discussing what to do about their shared enemy, Spain, as well as the fate of South America. Allende pledged to Bolívar that “México will stand by its patriotic brothers in their most trying hour of need.” Despite the advice of some of his advisors against such a bold move, Allende went ahead and, at the behest of Bolívar, to form a legion composed of Mexican Insurgents willing to continue the fight in South America. The Legion gained vast numbers over a short period of time, and by the end of Bolívar’s stay in México had recruited well over 5,000 soldiers, still fresh from fighting Calleja the previous year and willing to kick Spain out from their hemisphere once and for all. The Legion was also supplemented by 500 Americans under the command of Augustus Magee, who had fought for Mexico against Spain in Tejas.[1] On 29 June 1816 Bolívar bid farewell to Allende, with Allende wishing him the best in the looming conflict. Disembarking from Veracruz Bolívar would land in Havana where he would petition military aid from the United States. In the meantime Bolívar and his entourage of nuevagranadenses which followed him into exile would lay out their plan to beat back the Spanish in South America. On 4 August Bolívar got a relatively positive response from President Monroe, stating that Americans wishing to join Bolívar in South America were welcomed to do so, and that the United States government would supply Bolívar with munitions and financial support. With an American “Legion” of 4,000 men and growing, Bolívar set out from Havana on 13 August for Venezuela.
Bolívar and Santander in Cúcuta, 1820.
In what would later be termed the beginnings of his “Liberation Campaign,” Bolívar would land on the Isle of Margarita on 24 August 1816, taking the island with relative ease. With a base set up near the Venezuelan coast, Bolívar would join forces with Santiago Mariño and launch several attacks on the settlements along the sea before establishing a beach head near Cumaná on 27 August. Bolívar and Mariño would overwhelm the Spanish garrison there and proceed to march south, into the Llanos of Venezuela. They would rendezvous with Manuel Píar north of Angostura where Bolívar’s combined force would take the city, the Spanish having been weakened there due to a prolonged siege conducted by Píar for the previous several weeks. It is here in Angostura that Bolívar would reestablish the Republic of Venezuela in the late fall of 1816. Angostura proved to be a true gift for Bolívar, as the city provided a commanding presence on the Orinoco River, giving him and the Republicans access to foreign trade. The Orinoco also allowed the Republicans to penetrate deep into Nueva Granada, as rebel forces in Casanare under the command of Francisco de Paula Santander were able to integrate themselves with Bolívar’s army relatively easily. These combined forces of hardened troops, both from Venezuela and from abroad were, despite their might, not able to retake Caracas over the course of 1817 and into 1818. They were, however, easily capable of holding off the Spanish from Bolívar’s position on the Orinoco, in large part thanks to the Llaneros who knew this region of the viceroyalty extremely well. Repeated attempts by the Spanish, under Napoleonic War veteran Pablo Morillo, failed again and again, ensuring that Bolívar would have a secure base of operations. With the war in stalemate, the Republicans moved to centralize their authority, with the creation of a new congress in the spring of 1818. Upon the opening of its first session Bolívar would unveil his next plan of action: the liberation of Nueva Granada proper. The plan would entail traversing the Llanos during the rainy season, when the Llanos transforms into a virtual lake and combat operations cease for several months. Without any resistance Bolívar intended to cross the Andes and retake Bogotá, from where he would take Morillo by surprise and attack from the last place he’s expect Bolívar to be. The plan met near unanimous disapproval from the Congress, as well as from Bolívar’s officers, including the “Master of the Llanos” José Antonio Páez. The consensus on the plan was short of suicidal. Undeterred by this, Bolívar, accompanied only by Santander, pressed forward and in early June 1818 set out with nearly 5,000 troops in one of the most daring campaigns of the whole war in South America, rivaled only by San Martin’s famous Crossing of the Andes a year earlier. Most of June was spent “wading” through the Llanos, the environment causing many of Bolívar’s men to succumb to Malaria and other tropical diseases. From the lowlands of the Llanos Bolívar’s army would immediately ascend the passes of the Northern Andes. Despite losing even more men due to the extreme cold, Bolívar pressed forward and on 1 July emerged from the Andes and into the heart of the Viceroyalty. Taking the Spanish by total surprise at the famous Battle of Turmequé Bolívar would overrun Boyacá in mid-July and Bogotá soon after. With his objectives met and Nueva Granada at his disposal, Bolívar felt it was time to liberate Venezuela once and for all. In September Bolívar entered Venezuela with nearly 7,500 men, and in no time began to make inroads into once fervent Royalist territory. As Morillo began to lose more ground and men, he was handed with even more misfortune. In the fall of 1818 revolt erupted in Spain against the once “desired” Fernando VII.[2] The revolt was such that reinforcements originally meant for Morillo never disembarked from Cádiz as they were needed to fight their own countrymen. Morillo felt there was no alternative left for him, and so in December he sent feelers to Bolívar for a ceasefire. Bolívar accepted and in a rare display at the treaty signing in Trujillo, Bolívar and Morillo embraced as a sign that, for the time being the fighting was over. The respite of course did not last long, after the six-month ceasefire Morillo’s successor (Morillo having been recalled back to Spain to deal with the revolt) Miguel de la Torre reinitiated the war. This move failed spectacularly for him, as Bolívar easily defeated his Royalist force in late July 1820. Like his victory at Bogotá one year earlier, Torre’s defeat signified the liberation of Venezuela. Arriving in Angostura on 10 August Bolívar was hailed as a hero of South American independence. Addressing congress on 17 August he proclaimed the union of Venezuela and Nueva Granada as the Republic of Colombia. After moving the capital from Angostura to Cúcuta Bolívar, now President of Colombia, unveiled his next plan of action: the Liberation of Quito. After the proclamation of a ceasefire in January many areas of the crumbling Viceroyalty began to reassert their own independence, such as Quito and Guayaquil. Bolívar sought to integrate these areas into Colombia, but the feeling was not entirely mutual. Bolívar sent a contingent under one of his lieutenants, Antonio José de Sucre, to reel in these fringe territories, but various thrusts into the region by Sucre met little success. Feeling the need to put more pressure on the Quito front, Bolívar entered the fray in February 1821. After some initial gains into the last vestiges of Royalist control in the now defunct Nueva Grenada, notably his victory at the Battle of Pasto in April 1821, Bolívar would meet his match on the battlefield outside Quito. A bullet wound to the shoulder forced Bolívar to seek medical attention, but the wait had been long enough that the wound became infected. “The Great Liberator” would die in his sick bed on 12 May 1821 in Quito, which was secured in Republican hands.[3]
Death of the Great Liberator, 12 May 1821.
----------
[1] Augustus Magee as in the Gutierrez-Magee Expedition. TTL it's more successful and Magee's OTL 1813 death is averted.
[2] It's pretty much the same Riego Revolt of OTL, just earlier. The outcome however will be different, and I'll expand on it when I cover Europe.
[3] Didn't see that coming did ya?
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Arkhangelsk
Well success and an early death. Now can his successors hold things together better than OTL?
Interesting the hint that the revolt in Spain ends differently. I think it was French intervention OTL that won it for the reactionary elements so hopefully this doesn't happen this time. A more liberal Spain might not only be better for it but also for the rest of its empire.
Steve
Well success and an early death. Now can his successors hold things together better than OTL?
Interesting the hint that the revolt in Spain ends differently. I think it was French intervention OTL that won it for the reactionary elements so hopefully this doesn't happen this time. A more liberal Spain might not only be better for it but also for the rest of its empire.
Steve
They will certainly try. Santander, as Bolívar's VP was taking care of all the domestic business of the country while Bolívar was fighting across the continent. In OTL he was president in all but name until Bolívar returned to Colombia in 1826, with Bolívar dead Santander now serves in an official capacity. As to whether Santander can hold the country together, he will certainly try his best, but the forces that split Gran Colombia in OTL are there and just as likely to do their worst. I do have plans for the region though that will make things interesting more, so hang tight.
As for Spain, I think it's inevitable for France to go into Spain (the other powers permitting), though the dynamics that shaped the conflict in OTL will be different TTL (namely the absence of a certain King in Madrid).
Thanks jycee! I'm glad I was able to achieve that effect, it all adds up to the plans I have set up for TTL (which I will try to keep within reason of course).
Is there a possibility for republican government? I am not to familiar with Santander but if he can avoid despotic tendencies and possibly incorporate more open governmental practices (i.e. no landowning requirement, etc.) then maybe Gran Columbia is a possibility, I don't know to much about this time period in this part of the world, so I am only speculating.
Sadly, no Bolivar, but still good twist having him live to old age as an elder statesmen would have boring and would have given him entirely too much credit IMHO. As said before nice twist, Does this give Gran Columbia a George Washington type, I wonder?
Sadly, no Bolivar, but still good twist having him live to old age as an elder statesmen would have boring and would have given him entirely too much credit IMHO. As said before nice twist, Does this give Gran Columbia a George Washington type, I wonder?
Well Santander was known as the "Man of the Laws". He was big on rule of law and constitutional government, moreso than Bolívar I think. In TTL I expect Bolívar to be seen as the main military man who saw to it the liberation of the colony (he's known as "el Libertador for a reason
) and who greatly contributed to the new nations political thought. Santander will be known as the main man who influenced the early republic's political evolution (he's already seen as such in OTL, but in TTL with no Bolívar to "hog" some of the credit Santander will be known as such to a much larger degree). Without Bolívar, your best bet (I think) for a Washingtonesque figure within Gran Colombia would be Santander.
Allende's First Term: 1817-1821
Here's the next update!
With the simmers of the War of Independence just beginning to cool off and a shattered economy following his every move, Allende began to exercise his executive power in order to remediate the nation’s ills. In May of 1817, with the ratification of the Adams-Ortiz Treaty by the Mexican Congress, Mexico was formally recognized as a sovereign nation by another (though the United States Congress would delay in ratifying the treaty for several more months). Despite this Mexico needed formal recognition from a world power…a European power. Spain was out of the question, as Fernando VII was much more interested in retrieving his crown jewel as opposed to recognizing the new owner. France, while more open to talks, remained uncertain. That left Great Britain, which, as luck would have it had an interest in Mexico.
Britain began to show its interest in Mexico as far back as 1814. As the wars in Europe were winding to a halt, British commercial interest began making contacts with the then fledgling Insurgent government (ignoring protests from Spain), aware of the benefits that an independent Spanish America would reap. Allende would spend the entirety of his first term seeking British recognition and investment (though México would see no official treaty with Great Britain until Allende’s second term). Nevertheless, investments made by private commercial interests (mostly British but some from the United States as well) made some headway in nursing the war-torn Mexican economy back to life. This included the reestablishment of Mexico’s mining business, with the reopening of the Zacatecas mines at Alvarado and Sombrerete, among others, in 1818 and 1819 respectively. Commercial interests were also aided by the capitulation of the last Spanish holdout in Mexico in Veracruz harbor in August 1820. The effects of Veracruz’s delayed “liberation” were somewhat profound. The prolonged battle forced other ports to pick up Veracruz’s slack, such as Tampico and Campeche, and the infrastructure added to these ports between 1816 and 1820 allowed for Tampico’s upgrade to city status in 1821 (Campeche would not follow suit until the end of Morelos’s first term in 1829).
Allende’s first term is also credited with the creation a national military academy in 1819. Spearheaded by Allende’s son Indalecio, the academy would utilize the existing infrastructure of the old headquarters of New Spain’s Inquisition and grow from there (in the words of President Allende, “a fitting end to a symbol of Spanish oppression). At the opening of the academy’s first class in 1820 President Allende, speaking to the new cadets, stressed “the need to remain strong in the face of an uncertain world.” Allende would constantly confer to his Secretary of War José María Morelos the need to remain on guard against any possible enemies of the republic, be it Spain (who was still perceived to be a major threat by Allende and his upper brass well into the 1820’s) or any other nation “that would dare threaten our peace and sovereignty.” Technically speaking Mexico was still at war with Spain even after San Juan de Ulúa, with Mexico’s support of the rebellions in South America in the form of men and supplies. Spain would not sign a treaty with Mexico officially recognizing its independence until the 1830’s. As to the fate of the many Spanish prisoners-of-war still in Mexican custody, Allende ordered the immediate expulsion of the most high profile Royalists, namely Calleja and Arredondo. There were calls for their executions by many in Allende’s government, though for reasons still unclear Allende sent them off on a British flagged ship to rendezvous with Spanish authorities charged to escort them back to Spain. As for the remaining Royalists (the majority being Criollos) Allende offered them a general amnesty, if they pledged loyalty to Mexico. Most would accept the offer.
1820 saw the second presidential election in the nation history, as well as the solidification of the country’s political fault lines. Nominally Allende was a non-partisan candidate, owing to the belief that endorsing one faction would undermine the nation’s already weak political cohesiveness. In regards to the nation’s main political factions, Allende was more in tune with the Federalist Party (or rather, had an easier time working with the federalistas than with the Centralists, who were wielding their star firebrand Agustín de Iturbide to challenge Allende). Allende would comment on how it seemed providence had destined both men to be pitted against one another. The contest itself was not one for the ages. Despite the mess of an economy Mexico was considerably better off at the moment then it was in 1816, as the chaos of the Independence wars had subsided and general law and order was closer to 1810 levels than ever before. All this coupled by Allende’s continued popularity ensured his reelection on 1 October 1820. Iturbide was quick to challenge the results, but his protests were heard little beyond most Centralist circles. Iturbide soon conceded to Allende, and would instead devote his time to aid in the growth of the Centralist Party.
"The Federal Cactus" that Allende had to ensure stuck together.
Allende's First Term: 1817-1821
With the simmers of the War of Independence just beginning to cool off and a shattered economy following his every move, Allende began to exercise his executive power in order to remediate the nation’s ills. In May of 1817, with the ratification of the Adams-Ortiz Treaty by the Mexican Congress, Mexico was formally recognized as a sovereign nation by another (though the United States Congress would delay in ratifying the treaty for several more months). Despite this Mexico needed formal recognition from a world power…a European power. Spain was out of the question, as Fernando VII was much more interested in retrieving his crown jewel as opposed to recognizing the new owner. France, while more open to talks, remained uncertain. That left Great Britain, which, as luck would have it had an interest in Mexico.
Britain began to show its interest in Mexico as far back as 1814. As the wars in Europe were winding to a halt, British commercial interest began making contacts with the then fledgling Insurgent government (ignoring protests from Spain), aware of the benefits that an independent Spanish America would reap. Allende would spend the entirety of his first term seeking British recognition and investment (though México would see no official treaty with Great Britain until Allende’s second term). Nevertheless, investments made by private commercial interests (mostly British but some from the United States as well) made some headway in nursing the war-torn Mexican economy back to life. This included the reestablishment of Mexico’s mining business, with the reopening of the Zacatecas mines at Alvarado and Sombrerete, among others, in 1818 and 1819 respectively. Commercial interests were also aided by the capitulation of the last Spanish holdout in Mexico in Veracruz harbor in August 1820. The effects of Veracruz’s delayed “liberation” were somewhat profound. The prolonged battle forced other ports to pick up Veracruz’s slack, such as Tampico and Campeche, and the infrastructure added to these ports between 1816 and 1820 allowed for Tampico’s upgrade to city status in 1821 (Campeche would not follow suit until the end of Morelos’s first term in 1829).
Allende’s first term is also credited with the creation a national military academy in 1819. Spearheaded by Allende’s son Indalecio, the academy would utilize the existing infrastructure of the old headquarters of New Spain’s Inquisition and grow from there (in the words of President Allende, “a fitting end to a symbol of Spanish oppression). At the opening of the academy’s first class in 1820 President Allende, speaking to the new cadets, stressed “the need to remain strong in the face of an uncertain world.” Allende would constantly confer to his Secretary of War José María Morelos the need to remain on guard against any possible enemies of the republic, be it Spain (who was still perceived to be a major threat by Allende and his upper brass well into the 1820’s) or any other nation “that would dare threaten our peace and sovereignty.” Technically speaking Mexico was still at war with Spain even after San Juan de Ulúa, with Mexico’s support of the rebellions in South America in the form of men and supplies. Spain would not sign a treaty with Mexico officially recognizing its independence until the 1830’s. As to the fate of the many Spanish prisoners-of-war still in Mexican custody, Allende ordered the immediate expulsion of the most high profile Royalists, namely Calleja and Arredondo. There were calls for their executions by many in Allende’s government, though for reasons still unclear Allende sent them off on a British flagged ship to rendezvous with Spanish authorities charged to escort them back to Spain. As for the remaining Royalists (the majority being Criollos) Allende offered them a general amnesty, if they pledged loyalty to Mexico. Most would accept the offer.
1820 saw the second presidential election in the nation history, as well as the solidification of the country’s political fault lines. Nominally Allende was a non-partisan candidate, owing to the belief that endorsing one faction would undermine the nation’s already weak political cohesiveness. In regards to the nation’s main political factions, Allende was more in tune with the Federalist Party (or rather, had an easier time working with the federalistas than with the Centralists, who were wielding their star firebrand Agustín de Iturbide to challenge Allende). Allende would comment on how it seemed providence had destined both men to be pitted against one another. The contest itself was not one for the ages. Despite the mess of an economy Mexico was considerably better off at the moment then it was in 1816, as the chaos of the Independence wars had subsided and general law and order was closer to 1810 levels than ever before. All this coupled by Allende’s continued popularity ensured his reelection on 1 October 1820. Iturbide was quick to challenge the results, but his protests were heard little beyond most Centralist circles. Iturbide soon conceded to Allende, and would instead devote his time to aid in the growth of the Centralist Party.
"The Federal Cactus" that Allende had to ensure stuck together.
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Bump...
Also, I'm working on the next update, which concerns the United States. I am having some trouble with it though. So far I've butterflied away the War of 1812 and have had the US come out of a war against Spain rather well. Monroe has still succeeded Madison as per OTL, but for some reason I'm having trouble hashing out anything after that. I'm thinking of having Monroe re-elected in 1820, and I would like to have Clay elected in 1824 (perhaps with VP JQA?). Is this possible?
After I get this update all nice and done here is the sequence of planned updates:
Allende's 2nd Term
End of Spanish American Wars
Update on post-Napoleonic Europe
Also, I'm working on the next update, which concerns the United States. I am having some trouble with it though. So far I've butterflied away the War of 1812 and have had the US come out of a war against Spain rather well. Monroe has still succeeded Madison as per OTL, but for some reason I'm having trouble hashing out anything after that. I'm thinking of having Monroe re-elected in 1820, and I would like to have Clay elected in 1824 (perhaps with VP JQA?). Is this possible?
After I get this update all nice and done here is the sequence of planned updates:
Allende's 2nd Term
End of Spanish American Wars
Update on post-Napoleonic Europe
Arkhangelsk
In the US, having defeated the Spanish and avoided a war with Britain, have they yet expelled the various tribes across the Mississippi? Given the greed for land, plus the profits to be made from plantations in the south I can't see them being permitted to stay. Nor can I see Tecumseh at least not going down without a fight. Unfortunately, without a clear threat from the US I can't see Britain giving him any aid.
Would also be interested in seeing how things are going in Europe.
Thanks
Steve
In the US, having defeated the Spanish and avoided a war with Britain, have they yet expelled the various tribes across the Mississippi? Given the greed for land, plus the profits to be made from plantations in the south I can't see them being permitted to stay. Nor can I see Tecumseh at least not going down without a fight. Unfortunately, without a clear threat from the US I can't see Britain giving him any aid.
Would also be interested in seeing how things are going in Europe.
Thanks
Steve
On the American Indians I honestly haven't really thought of it a great deal. I plan to keep Jackson in the military and away from the White House, but for now I'm still stuck on the fate of the tribes (east and west of the Mississippi). I do agree though whether or not Jackson is president the natives are for lack of a better word screwed.
As for Europe, I'v already hinted at an alternate end to Spain's Trienio Liberal. The whole end to the Napoleonic Wars is almost per OTL (the deviations will concern mainly the Italian states and possibly others).
Must have missed this update when you first posted it. It is good to see Mexico off with a good start, with very little disturbances. Particularly since Allende's first term ends before OTL's war of independence did.
Agustin de Iturbide as Presidential candidate is a bit ironic, specially since he conceded. Although something tells me he probably will return (perhaps in a following election) unless him and the Centralists have a fall out.
Are there any important details on Mexico's constitution that we should be aware off? Presidential succession, is there both senate and congress or only congress?
Anyway keep up the good work!
Agustin de Iturbide as Presidential candidate is a bit ironic, specially since he conceded. Although something tells me he probably will return (perhaps in a following election) unless him and the Centralists have a fall out.
Are there any important details on Mexico's constitution that we should be aware off? Presidential succession, is there both senate and congress or only congress?
Anyway keep up the good work!
Nice work!
Thanks Zinc!
Hehe yup, my plan has been to have the war end earlier and have strong and popular individual lead Mexico in it's early years. It won't get stronger overnight but having a much more positive force influence it early on should do loads better than the deal Mexico got OTL.
Iturbide as presidential candidate is definitely ironic, but considering he's always portrayed as "Emperor Agustín" I'd figure it'd be fun to see him in a republican setting. He'll have a good run leading the party for a while but seeing as Iturbide didn't have much luck working well with others he disagreed with in OTL, he will fall from his graces and the centralistas will look for someone else to lead them. Iturbide most likely will not get to rule Mexico in this TL, as for his sons though...let's wait and see.
(note it's just an idea so far, so nothing's written in stone yet)The constitution is nearly a replica of OTL's 1824 Constitution. The Congress is bicameral (Chamber of Deputies and Senate), and the executive serves a four year term with reelection. The only major deviation from OTL's constitution is that the abolition of slavery is included in the original document.
Cuāuhtemōc
Banned
Allende is really turning out to be a very decent President for Mexico. With relations growing between Mexico and Great Britain, Spain won't become much of a threat to Mexican affairs and maybe the Mexicans can always coax the British into scaring the Americans with their large navy in case the two countries get into a fight.
Allende is really turning out to be a very decent President for Mexico. With relations growing between Mexico and Great Britain, Spain won't become much of a threat to Mexican affairs and maybe the Mexicans can always coax the British into scaring the Americans with their large navy in case the two countries get into a fight.
Hehe more or less that'll be the case as we make our way into the 1830's and 40's, make the American's think twice over any designs they have on Northern Mexico. I have very interesting things planned for this alt-Mexican-American War...let's see if I can get this bloody update on Monroe's presidency completed before school resumes.
The Presidency of James Monroe: 1817-1825
Update time! I wanted to post this before term began again, but this update was really troublesome for some odd reason...oh well, I hope you guys enjoy it. ^^
Author's note: This update covers James Monroe's term in office, and aside from the few butterflies you'll notice in the update it's the same as OTL. After this update I believe things will have deviated enough from OTL that the resemblance between our two worlds will be much more pronounced.
Like his Mexican counterpart, James Monroe would come to power in the United States in early 1817 (Monroe would be inaugurated in March, Allende one month later in April), and much like his Mexican counterpart he would be embroiled in a diplomatic quagmire regarding the Spanish Empire. After the United States’ acquisition of Florida and Cuba in 1812-13, the war between the United States and Spain quickly cooled down as Spain was forced to relocate more and more of its resources to its vain attempt towards retaining its American Empire. With México now independent, and American territorial ambitions temporarily satiated, Monroe quickly sought to end hostilities. Despite the able capacities of his Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, Spain would not recognize American ownership of Florida and Cuba until 1819, after Spanish liberals overthrew King Fernando VII and initiated a period of liberal rule in Spain. Florida had been formally turned into a territory a few years prior, in 1817, after a lengthy campaign waged against the indigenous Seminole. Cuba meanwhile would remain under military rule until 1830. Like Florida, it was the scene of conflict, though in Cuba’s case it would be an insurrection by members of the European elite who formerly ruled the island (notwithstanding a concurrent, though exclusive, slave revolt during the same time period). Though the unrest would dissipate sometime in the mid 1820’s, the issue of turning over the island to civilian government proved contentious in Congress, where many were concerned over Cuba’s predominantly large population of Spanish speakers, as well as the island’s large black population. (For comparative purposes Cuba’s total black population around 1820 (roughly 320,000) nearly matched the total population of the state of Georgia (340,000). Indeed as the black population of Cuba exceeded 50% of the island, some in the United States (mostly from the South) would begin to establish themselves on the island in order to prepare it for an eventual “assimilation” with the mainland. Elsewhere Monroe’s foreign policy remained close to that of his predecessor and fellow Virginian James Madison. Supported by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams and (to a larger degree) Speaker of the House Henry Clay, Monroe would continue to establish connections with his nation’s new southern neighbor. Despite recognizing México Monroe stopped short of recognizing the rest of the new nations in South America until his second term. Of course trade was already in full swing between the United States and Colombia once the ports on the coast of Venezuela were liberated in 1820. Diplomatic relations would commence in full in October 1821. Elsewhere, trade with Río de la Plata had been active since the Madison Administration, though recognition would not arrive until 1822, followed by Brazil in 1823.
Domestically Monroe dealt with various troubles throughout his first term. Economic downturn hit the United States very hard during the latter half of his first term, in large part due to debt incurred by the war with Spain. Despite these economic woes Monroe still managed to win the 1820 elections by a very healthy margin. Luckily enough the downturn was all but over by 1822 with interventions by both Monroe and Congress. Elsewhere Monroe oversaw the admission of Mississippi and Alabama as new states into the union, in 1817 and 1819 respectively. The following state to apply for admission, Missouri, would run into a problem, however, regarding the interests of the Congress. After the admission of Alabama parity had been reached between Free states and Slave states in the Senate. Missouri petitioned to enter the union as a Slave state, which would give the Southern states an advantage, an unnerving proposition for the North. The issue would languish in Congress until 1820, when a compromise was reached, allowing Missouri to enter as a Slave state in conjunction with Maine as a Free state. As part of the compromise new states formed from the territories would be barred from entering the union as Slave states north of the 36°30’ line of latitude (the southern boundary of Missouri all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Not all were in agreement to this compromise, such as former President Thomas Jefferson, who remarked on it as “the knell of the Union.” Following tradition Monroe declined a third term, tossing up the 1824 Presidential Election as a contest between John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay and William Crawford. [1] Unfortunately for Crawford, he would not live to see 1824. In the summer of 1823 Crawford fell ill, and after an erroneous diagnosis by an inexperienced doctor received a fatal dose of poisonous digitalis. [2] With no clear opposition in the West and South Clay handedly won the election, with 181 electoral votes to Adam’s 78. On 4 March 1825 Henry Clay would be inaugurated as the 6th President of the United States, with John C. Calhoun as his Vice-President.
United States Presidential Election, 1824
Speaker of the House Henry Clay (DR-KY): 181 EV
Secretary of State John Quincy Adams (DR-MA): 78 EV
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[1] No War of 1812 means Jackson never got his moment of glory, so he remains in the military...unless you guys can suggest something better.
[2] In OTL Crawford suffered a major stroke for this but didn't die...ATL's doctor gave him just a little bit more digitalis, and that's all she wrote.
Author's note: This update covers James Monroe's term in office, and aside from the few butterflies you'll notice in the update it's the same as OTL. After this update I believe things will have deviated enough from OTL that the resemblance between our two worlds will be much more pronounced.
The Presidency of James Monroe: 1817-1825
Like his Mexican counterpart, James Monroe would come to power in the United States in early 1817 (Monroe would be inaugurated in March, Allende one month later in April), and much like his Mexican counterpart he would be embroiled in a diplomatic quagmire regarding the Spanish Empire. After the United States’ acquisition of Florida and Cuba in 1812-13, the war between the United States and Spain quickly cooled down as Spain was forced to relocate more and more of its resources to its vain attempt towards retaining its American Empire. With México now independent, and American territorial ambitions temporarily satiated, Monroe quickly sought to end hostilities. Despite the able capacities of his Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, Spain would not recognize American ownership of Florida and Cuba until 1819, after Spanish liberals overthrew King Fernando VII and initiated a period of liberal rule in Spain. Florida had been formally turned into a territory a few years prior, in 1817, after a lengthy campaign waged against the indigenous Seminole. Cuba meanwhile would remain under military rule until 1830. Like Florida, it was the scene of conflict, though in Cuba’s case it would be an insurrection by members of the European elite who formerly ruled the island (notwithstanding a concurrent, though exclusive, slave revolt during the same time period). Though the unrest would dissipate sometime in the mid 1820’s, the issue of turning over the island to civilian government proved contentious in Congress, where many were concerned over Cuba’s predominantly large population of Spanish speakers, as well as the island’s large black population. (For comparative purposes Cuba’s total black population around 1820 (roughly 320,000) nearly matched the total population of the state of Georgia (340,000). Indeed as the black population of Cuba exceeded 50% of the island, some in the United States (mostly from the South) would begin to establish themselves on the island in order to prepare it for an eventual “assimilation” with the mainland. Elsewhere Monroe’s foreign policy remained close to that of his predecessor and fellow Virginian James Madison. Supported by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams and (to a larger degree) Speaker of the House Henry Clay, Monroe would continue to establish connections with his nation’s new southern neighbor. Despite recognizing México Monroe stopped short of recognizing the rest of the new nations in South America until his second term. Of course trade was already in full swing between the United States and Colombia once the ports on the coast of Venezuela were liberated in 1820. Diplomatic relations would commence in full in October 1821. Elsewhere, trade with Río de la Plata had been active since the Madison Administration, though recognition would not arrive until 1822, followed by Brazil in 1823.
Domestically Monroe dealt with various troubles throughout his first term. Economic downturn hit the United States very hard during the latter half of his first term, in large part due to debt incurred by the war with Spain. Despite these economic woes Monroe still managed to win the 1820 elections by a very healthy margin. Luckily enough the downturn was all but over by 1822 with interventions by both Monroe and Congress. Elsewhere Monroe oversaw the admission of Mississippi and Alabama as new states into the union, in 1817 and 1819 respectively. The following state to apply for admission, Missouri, would run into a problem, however, regarding the interests of the Congress. After the admission of Alabama parity had been reached between Free states and Slave states in the Senate. Missouri petitioned to enter the union as a Slave state, which would give the Southern states an advantage, an unnerving proposition for the North. The issue would languish in Congress until 1820, when a compromise was reached, allowing Missouri to enter as a Slave state in conjunction with Maine as a Free state. As part of the compromise new states formed from the territories would be barred from entering the union as Slave states north of the 36°30’ line of latitude (the southern boundary of Missouri all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Not all were in agreement to this compromise, such as former President Thomas Jefferson, who remarked on it as “the knell of the Union.” Following tradition Monroe declined a third term, tossing up the 1824 Presidential Election as a contest between John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay and William Crawford. [1] Unfortunately for Crawford, he would not live to see 1824. In the summer of 1823 Crawford fell ill, and after an erroneous diagnosis by an inexperienced doctor received a fatal dose of poisonous digitalis. [2] With no clear opposition in the West and South Clay handedly won the election, with 181 electoral votes to Adam’s 78. On 4 March 1825 Henry Clay would be inaugurated as the 6th President of the United States, with John C. Calhoun as his Vice-President.
United States Presidential Election, 1824
Speaker of the House Henry Clay (DR-KY): 181 EV
Secretary of State John Quincy Adams (DR-MA): 78 EV
------
[1] No War of 1812 means Jackson never got his moment of glory, so he remains in the military...unless you guys can suggest something better.
[2] In OTL Crawford suffered a major stroke for this but didn't die...ATL's doctor gave him just a little bit more digitalis, and that's all she wrote.