American Napolean

Ok so I was reading "The Dead Skunk" by Lycaon Pictus and coupled with a course I am currently taking in the American civil war I got to thinking. WI America became balkanized after the civil war and turned into a bunch of jealous and begrudging states? The along comes a man who is determined to unite them under one banner and make a "Glorious Union" out of it all.

I'm thinking a POD just after the American Revolution but where Washington is killed which takes away his influence from the Congress and has the states fall apart and remain independent. This in turn leads some people to think "What if we had become one country?" Hence the rise of this character.

Thoughts? Remarks? Anyone who'd be willing to lend a hand with it?
 
my thoughts: I like your idea. It is interesting to see the effects on something like this on North American history, especially Canada since one of the reasons Canada become a dominion was the idea that the Union would try to fulfill manifest destiney after the civil war...or something on those lines.

I dont know much about this time in great detail. But...

Your POD needs to be "stronger" if u want the states to be more independent to get them balkanized. There might not even be a civil war in your ATL if your POD is just that some of Washington's ideas and influence about the US isn't brought in and the states remain more independent and not federalized. Therefore, your POD must change the entire notion of an American Nation, which was changed after the civil war, manifest destiney and the American Revolution. You also have to consider: why was their a civil war in the first place in OTL? and would they be the same in your alternate version? How would the Union dissolve if they still won the war?

Do you have any idea who this 'Napolean' would be? Would he be from the OTL, like a minor officer or someone more well known? And, at what time after the civil war?

Like I said, my knowledge of early American history and the Civil War is very limited.
 
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Sorry I should have made this clearer. I don't think the Confederates winning the Civil War will cause the US to balkanize. (I'm only taking a course in the Civil war so the ideology of seperatism got me to thinking.) My POD is during the American Revolution where Washington is killed at the siege of Yorktown. This removes his influence on post revolution affairs. The Individual colonies fail to fix their differences (example they don't even decide on a capital) and a very large rift between the Federalists and those who follow Thomas Jefferson (I'm seeing Alexander Hamilton as his greatest enemy with Benjeman Franklin being a distrguntled philosopher in the background dreaming of a united country). This in turn leads to a very different expansion with the Westward expansion being similar to the European states carving up Africa (which gives the potential for some Native American tribes to thrive i suppose). So over time a philosophy grows up wishing for a United States.

I was envisioning one of the commanders of the civil war (probably Grant) becoming this Napoleon, or perhaps some young commander from a different era who wishes to end the spilling of American blood.

I realise that the lack of a United States would have significant butterflies and that it would be quite odd to say the least.

I hope this clears my idea up :eek:
 
Oh then you chose an improper allegory. Bismarck or Garibaldi is a far better allegory for what you describe.

The only reason I'd thought Grant was because he won the civil war and beat Lee. Though Andrew Jackson does come around at the right time, to ape Napoleons tactics and strategies.
 
I'm a little confused. Prior to this civil war, is there one United America, or are there multiple states operating under a Articles of Confederation analog?
 
I'm a little confused. Prior to this civil war, is there one United America, or are there multiple states operating under a Articles of Confederation analog?

American Revolution succeeds.
Articles of Confederation enacted.
Constitutional Convention flops.
U.S. breaks up.
Different states fight over chunks of the west.
Then, around 1860s, a conqueror arises from one of the states who will unite them all under one roof.
(I think.)
 
I suppose it's possible, though 70+ years after the POD this "American" Bismarck or Garabaldi (following the allegorical suggestion of enigmajones) will most likely not be someone who exists in OTL 1860s USA and his vision of this united states which he is striving to create will be different then the "sea to shining sea" manifest destiny of OTL.
 
American Revolution succeeds.
Articles of Confederation enacted.
Constitutional Convention flops.
U.S. breaks up.
Different states fight over chunks of the west.
Then, around 1860s, a conqueror arises from one of the states who will unite them all under one roof.
(I think.)

That about sums it up. Though It doesn't need to be the 1860's anytime at least ten years after Waterloo would be good IMO.That would give whichever fellow who was *Napoleon time to study Napoleons methods, rally support and so on.
 
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