AHC: Kill Washington during the American revolution, but...

[Mister Abbadon]

At some point during the American Revolution before 1779 but after the war began have George Washington killed in some manner. However, the revolutionaries still have to win the war and the United States still has to gain independence from great Britain.

 

[eliphas8]

Actually not too hard, I suspect in his absence George Washingtons position may be filled by Benedict Arnold, who was already IOTL being offered to be made Washingtons equal. By that point in the war Washington wasn't the legend he would become and it wouldn't be impossible for Arnold to fill his shoes.

 

[Mister Abbadon]

Actually not too hard, I suspect in his absence George Washingtons position may be filled by Benedict Arnold, who was already IOTL being offered to be made Washingtons equal. By that point in the war Washington wasn't the legend he would become and it wouldn't be impossible for Arnold to fill his shoes.

In this case who would be our first president? and would the constitution still be ratified?

 

[Ancientone]

Washington accepts the bribe offered by Howe in September 1776 and crosses the lines in Long Island. He is commissioned a Lt General in the British Army and promised a peerage after the war and the governorship of Virginia and lands confiscated from rebels.
Commanding combined forces of Regulars and Loyalist militia he fails in a bid to take Charleston. He fails to rally the expected support among uncommitted colonists and after many heated arguments with other commanders and a series of insulting letters to Parliament, he is relieved of command and appointed as military commander of Jamaica. He turns to drink and dies a bitter, broken man in a Spanish Town brothel in 1782.

 

[eliphas8]

In this case who would be our first president? and would the constitution still be ratified?

Adams or Jefferson (atleast in my opinion, although either way the office of president is going to be nearly unrecognizable just because someone like Washington who everyone agreed on isn't around as the obvious first president to set all the precedents).

 

[pternagy]

Adams or Jefferson (atleast in my opinion, although either way the office of president is going to be nearly unrecognizable just because someone like Washington who everyone agreed on isn't around as the obvious first president to set all the precedents).

Without at least a Washington-like figure that everyone trusts and respects, I am not sure that a presidency would exist at all. We may end up with one of the plural executive models that were proposed or a "president" like the President of the Congress, who was basically the Speaker but with less powers than OTL Speaker of the House.