This idea sprang mostly from an interesting scenario I saw on the Imaginary Maps Reddit - where in the future the United States has gone the way of the Roman Empire splitting itself into three distinct governments to rule over the United States territory (with varying degrees of success and corruption). So I’m curious if a notion of separating the United States into an “Western Republic” and “Eastern Republic” could be planted and find fruit.
Potentially the best bet would be in the early years during specifically the Jeffersonian Presidency. Jefferson was very inclined, theoretically at least, to the ideas of restricting government interference (namely Big City Interests) and establishing the so called “Yeomen” democracy across the United States. Towards this he encouraged the purchase of the Louisiana Territory.
I think though we have to go back a little bit more than his Presidency to the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution. Here when the Jacobin movement split and the Girondists were persecuted - a detail of which was the uprising of many cities outside of Paris which aligned with the Girondists or Royalists. Perhaps, if their resistance lasts a little longer or influential Girdonists (perhaps through connection with Paine) are able to escape to the United States they are able to influence Jefferson and his cohorts even more toward the perils of the “Republic” being centered around a powerful metropole or otherwise encourage them to seek greater balances of power. It would be ironic at least if a copy of Napoleon’s history of Corsica fell into Jefferson’s lap and he was further influenced by Roman history.
Either way, a strong attitude toward ensuring the continent is not divided by a single Federal power leads Jefferson and company to push toward a “Two Republic” model, when he does eventually purchase or acquire Louisiana territory it is instead inaugurated as a second republic with its own administrative and domestic independence from Washington D.C. Again, one entity but two administrative apparatus - he would probably opt out of New Orleans but opt for somewhere on the frontier like St Louis as the “Constantinople” to D.C.’s “Rome”. It would also include a few states not part of the Louisiana Purchase like Illinois which was not a state yet officially - thus the Eastern Republic would be focused more around the Applachains and the Western Republic in the Mississippi Basin.
Also more than likely a third republic would form at somepoint to include much of the west coast.
Quite a stretch but I find the idea interesting.
Potentially the best bet would be in the early years during specifically the Jeffersonian Presidency. Jefferson was very inclined, theoretically at least, to the ideas of restricting government interference (namely Big City Interests) and establishing the so called “Yeomen” democracy across the United States. Towards this he encouraged the purchase of the Louisiana Territory.
I think though we have to go back a little bit more than his Presidency to the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution. Here when the Jacobin movement split and the Girondists were persecuted - a detail of which was the uprising of many cities outside of Paris which aligned with the Girondists or Royalists. Perhaps, if their resistance lasts a little longer or influential Girdonists (perhaps through connection with Paine) are able to escape to the United States they are able to influence Jefferson and his cohorts even more toward the perils of the “Republic” being centered around a powerful metropole or otherwise encourage them to seek greater balances of power. It would be ironic at least if a copy of Napoleon’s history of Corsica fell into Jefferson’s lap and he was further influenced by Roman history.
Either way, a strong attitude toward ensuring the continent is not divided by a single Federal power leads Jefferson and company to push toward a “Two Republic” model, when he does eventually purchase or acquire Louisiana territory it is instead inaugurated as a second republic with its own administrative and domestic independence from Washington D.C. Again, one entity but two administrative apparatus - he would probably opt out of New Orleans but opt for somewhere on the frontier like St Louis as the “Constantinople” to D.C.’s “Rome”. It would also include a few states not part of the Louisiana Purchase like Illinois which was not a state yet officially - thus the Eastern Republic would be focused more around the Applachains and the Western Republic in the Mississippi Basin.
Also more than likely a third republic would form at somepoint to include much of the west coast.
Quite a stretch but I find the idea interesting.
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