American Empire

I'm wondering how diffent America woulod be if the founding fathers molded the country alongside that of ancient rome? In OTL, we can contribute our senate to that of rome and other things, but what if instead of a united states, we had a american repbulic, and later, during the civil war, an American Empire? How different would history play out? Is this even possible? thoughts? comments?
 
I'm wondering how diffent America woulod be if the founding fathers molded the country alongside that of ancient rome? In OTL, we can contribute our senate to that of rome and other things, but what if instead of a united states, we had a american repbulic, and later, during the civil war, an American Empire? How different would history play out? Is this even possible? thoughts? comments?

They kind of did use it as an example so far as it could be - reshaping American society to look like Ancient Rome would be just about impossible, though.
 
how would it be impossible? I'm not saying that you are wrong or anything like that, but america did have slavery up till the civil war. Rome had slavery too. the idea for this came to me a while back when i read harry turtledove's atlantis series, particularly the one entitle: "Libertating Atlantis". The United States of Atlantis was almost dead up like Ancient rome. I honestly think it is possible, if given the right pod. I'm just not sure where that would be. I'm thinking around the time of the revolutionary war and its immediant aftermath.

p.s.

sorry about my spelling, english was not one of my strong suits.
 
They kind of did use it as an example so far as it could be - reshaping American society to look like Ancient Rome would be just about impossible, though.

They sure tried in DoD's USA, though......although it seems like the novelty may be wearing off, if the ATL movie reviews are anything to go by.
 
The differences are far greater than the similarities. Legally, culturally, aspirations, attitudes on military glory and expansion . . .

Take the army to give the best example I can think of.

In Rome, military glory was a path to political power.

In the (ex-)colonies, the Founders find the idea of a standing army to be a sure instrument of tyranny. The idea of making a society where the military has that kind of role - even before the Roman Republic becomes shaky because of the influence of the generals - would be totally abhorrent.
 
The differences are far greater than the similarities. Legally, culturally, aspirations, attitudes on military glory and expansion . . .

Take the army to give the best example I can think of.

In Rome, military glory was a path to political power.

In the (ex-)colonies, the Founders find the idea of a standing army to be a sure instrument of tyranny. The idea of making a society where the military has that kind of role - even before the Roman Republic becomes shaky because of the influence of the generals - would be totally abhorrent.

They had the foresight of the Roman Empire.
 
i understand your argument, but what i'm trying to consider is a possible alterante reality, like they did with star trek (where the federation in an alternate universe is the terran empire, things like that). As far as what you where saying about the army, rome too feared a military dictatorship. It is an historical fact that up till the roman civil war, no roman commander was allowed to cross the rubicon with his army for fear of otherthrowing the republic. And besides, isn't alternate history sort of expoling the impossible?
 
They had the foresight of the Roman Empire.

What do you mean?

Valus: No, its exploring the possible but didn't happen. The circumstances that you need for the US to look anything like Ancient Rome need to be changed from the beginning of American settlement if not earlier, you can't just have the Founders reshape American society into an image of ancient Rome.

Especially when they know how well the Roman Republic's attempts at dealing with the problem (of the army) worked. They're not going to believe that law would be enough.
 
What do you mean?

Valus: No, its exploring the possible but didn't happen. The circumstances that you need for the US to look anything like Ancient Rome need to be changed from the beginning of American settlement if not earlier, you can't just have the Founders reshape American society into an image of ancient Rome.

Especially when they know how well the Roman Republic's attempts at dealing with the problem (of the army) worked. They're not going to believe that law would be enough.

maybe he means a completely different america.
I could see america being formed as a republic, and as the 1800s progress the industrial north believes its only chance of survival is to "run with the wolves" if you will and indulge in imperialism.

While the south favored a more isolationist policy leading to a civil war.
But still I couldn't ever see an American Emperor.
But a republican empire isn't that hard to achieve.
 
maybe he means a completely different america.
I could see america being formed as a republic, and as the 1800s progress the industrial north believes its only chance of survival is to "run with the wolves" if you will and indulge in imperialism.

While the south favored a more isolationist policy leading to a civil war.
But still I couldn't ever see an American Emperor.
But a republican empire isn't that hard to achieve.

But that's not the same as anything like the Roman republic or the Roman Empire.
 
What do you mean?

Valus: No, its exploring the possible but didn't happen. The circumstances that you need for the US to look anything like Ancient Rome need to be changed from the beginning of American settlement if not earlier, you can't just have the Founders reshape American society into an image of ancient Rome.

Especially when they know how well the Roman Republic's attempts at dealing with the problem (of the army) worked. They're not going to believe that law would be enough.


Exactly, they through history know how the Roman Republic ended and steered
Away from it for their government.
 
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