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For Want of a Rail
A Timeline
Prologue: January 6th 1903
The Secretary of State drummed his fingers on the lunch counter of the train as he spoke, staring at the gathering crowd. “The atheist Communists will destroy this country, if we don't do something about it!" he shouted, indulging his famous temper as he slammed his fist on the counter. The crowd stared, nodding approvingly. “Those filthy radicals may take over countries in Europe, but America shall remain free of their pollution.” The Secretary stood up. He was more corpulent then when he was young, but his face still burned with what others called a righteous passion. “When I was first elected to public office I promised the country that I would eradicate those southern and western fools.” The train was turning a corner, the gears squeaking, but the crowd gazed in rapt amazement upon the man who had risen extraordinarily fast in politics. “And by God and our great american party I will do so! Those progressives will rue the day they ever profaned these United States of America. Goddamn that Franklin...” With a shriek, the train overturned, killing Theodore Roosevelt instantly…
It was a bright early morning in Wessex, Assiniboia Territory, and Thomas Wilson[1] sighed. Another day of, as his father had intoned so frequently, improperly cold weather for any southerner. Of course, after the War of Division [2], his family had deemed it best to move up north. He’d become moderately successful in territorial politics, but a mix of lack of application and an overly formal appearance meant that he’d never gone far. However, he still had his connections, as he thought when he saw one of his neighbors, Mr. McGregor, running toward him. “Have you seen the news?” Sensing Thomas’ surprise, McGregor continued. “There’s war! The Fascists have declared war on Britain!” “The world must be made safe for democracy.” Thomas murmured. “It must.”

Part #1 In which we learn the consequences of our butterfly
Polked and Pierced

“They could do worse, and probably will”-Thomas Reed OTL

As inauguration time neared in 1853, America watched the President-Elect anxiously. Pierce, at 48, would be the youngest president yet, and the first from New Hampshire. However, the caprices of fate changed all that when, on January sixth, Pierce was a first of a wholly different kind: the first president to die before his inauguration. The nation was shocked to receive the news that Pierce’s train had derailed near Andover Massachusetts, sparing his wife and son but killing the President-Elect [3]. Vice President King also got another record made. He had the shortest presidential term when he died a week after his inauguration from tuberculosis. So, to the dread of northerners throughout the nation, the new acting president of the United States was David Rice Atchison. His term made sure that Pierce and King would be overshadowed by their successor.
Atchison was aware that his time as acting president would be short: the constitution mandated an election for the remainder of the term in November. However, the new president, the youngest in the nation’s history, was not one to go down without a fight. The first test of his power came with the proposals for a transcontinental railroad.
-Passage from “Missouri Ruffian” by Eoin McWilliams, Cambridge Press, Banff

The unfortunate death of President-Elect Pierce, though shocking to the American people, was but a brief impediment to the progress of railroads. In the same year, an American proposal for a transcontinental railroad would pass. This titanic chain of events started during the term of President Fillmore, when Senator Thomas Jefferson Rusk proposed a bill creating two transcontinental railroads, one with a northern route and one with a southern route. The bill called for the president to select where the routes of the two railroads would be. Initially, the bill, and its amended version failed, but with the succession of acting president Atchison, an amended version was passed [4]. The railroads would once again ignite a great political issue, this time, about their location.
-Passage from “The Railroad Industry: Volume 8: The March of Progress” by Ulysses Bircher, Titan Press, Avonlea

Senator Stephen Douglas saw in the new northern railroad a chance to support his home state of Illinois economically. If the eastern terminus was given to Chicago, the state would undoubtedly benefit. Whereas, if it was given to Des Moines or Milwaukee, Chicago might have a dangerous rival. Douglas thus exerted all his efforts on Atchison’s behalf, to curry political favor.
However, with the troubles in Nicaragua, Spain, and especially Mexico, Douglas increasingly worried that he might have made a Faustian Bargain.
-Passage from “Illinois: State History: Volume 7” by James McLaggen, Fremont Press, Springfield

Atchison’s diplomatic choices were volatile, to say the least, and the most volatile were the Southern Trifecta. The pact of Soule, Borland, and Mason, traveling to Spain, Nicaragua, and France respectively, went a long way in ensuring that the U.S. would be embroiled in foreign difficulties by the end of Atchison’s term. Ironically, however, the U.S.’s troubles started with the seemingly innocuous topic of the newly created railroad. The southern route of the railroad seemed off to a good start. The railroad was backed by important southerners such as Secretary of War Jefferson Davis and Supreme Court Justice Judah Benjamin [5]. There was a far southern route that seemed flat and would connect major southern cities with the pacific. The only problem was, the proposed route passed through Mexican territory. In 1853, the Mesilla valley was under the control of Mexico, as such having the best route for a southern railroad. In March, New Mexico Territorial Governor William C. Lane claimed the valley for New Mexico. Atchison, shrewd as always, backed up the Governor in his claim [6], demanding the valley. However, the newly back in power Santa Anna in Mexico was aware of the fragility of his position; he desperately needed money, and if he handed away Mexican land for free, he would undoubtedly be deposed. Negotiations started, but as an agreement was about to be reached, it all slipped away.
-Passage from “President as Diplomat” by Herbert Williamhouse, Dervish Press, Floride

William Walker had recruited a force in San Francisco, composed of mostly southerners. He now returned to New Mexico territory and (some say supported by the territorial governor) marched across the border, talking control of the valley. Walker’s initial idea was to establish a buffer colony to protect from Indians, but his invasion snowballed into something much larger than that. In Washington, a jubilant Atchison told the Mexican envoys that, owing to U.S. control of its territory, he saw no need to pay the Mexican government money. In Mexico City, Santa Anna was furious as he realized that his money for the army was now lost. He decided to get the backing of the army by another method; leading a campaign against Walker.
-Passage from “Man of Destiny” by James Earl, Dominion Press, New Montgomery
Despite what Northerners have later said about him, Atchison knew that Walker’s move into Mexico would cost the Democrats northern votes. The reason Atchison still supported Walker was the fact that, as he stated to his Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, in his mind “One patriotic southern vote is worth that of two northerners.”[7] This sentiment, as heartfelt as it undoubtedly was, was paired with a shrewd realization that northern rivals in the party would also be tarred with the proslavery brush. So it was initially at the Democratic Convention of 1853.
As the Convention started, the list of challengers could be viewed as thus:
James Buchanan and William Marcy, both favorite sons of their respective states,
Stephen Douglas, formerly candidate of expansionists until Atchison usurped that position, and Lewis Cass, the candidate in 1848, and supported by many northerners.
Douglas assumed that his stance had been adopted by Atchison, and with what looked like little chance of winning he bowed out gracefully, in exchange for help from Atchison in the future. This left Cass, who was weakened by the northern favorite sons, and by his implicit support of Walker.
Democratic Presidential Ballot
Ballot-Atchison-Cass-Marcy-Buchanan-Others
#1 101 76 29 65 15
…………………………………………………
Atchison thus started out with a plurality of the vote, little more than one third. However, as the balloting continued Atchison and Cass, the two respective extremes of the Party, began to slowly rise, hurting the other candidates.
…………………………………………………
#10 123 92 13 47 11 Cass’ high tide
…………………………………………………
Then Cass began to sink, as it became clear the other northern candidates were not going to surrender their delegates to him, the most radical candidate. Atchison continued to rise, and in desperation the northerners tried to unite behind Buchanan, the most moderate candidate.
…………………………………………………..
#22 148 0 0 124 12 Switch to Buchanan
……………………………………………………
This too stalled, and then the Illinois delegation, split between Buchanan and Atchison, made a move…towards Douglas. Atchison had not bothered to get the Illinois senator to issue a formal declaration of support, but as Douglas began to rise in the balloting, Atchison tried to get him to drop out. Douglas continued making evasive statements to Atchison, as he saw his numbers continue to rise. Finally, on the thirty first ballot, a tired Atchison heard the news about his defeat. For vice president was Senator Thomas Rusk of Texas, now famous for originating the railroad proposal.
………………………………………………………….
#31 60 0 0 31 0 193 Douglas’ Victory
…………………………………………………………..
The Little Giant was about to be a major candidate indeed.

The Whigs also held a convention in 1853, and unlike the divided Democrats, they were a newly invigorated party. The candidate in 1852 had been Winfield Scott, but the severity of his defeat the previous year ruled him out of consideration. As Daniel Webster had recently died, this left as the only notable candidate former president Millard Fillmore, who was nominated on the first ballot over a few votes for Scott.
The Whigs stood on a platform of repudiating the Gadsden Purchase and in general opposing the democrats. Although the Whig vice presidential candidate, William Graham, was a southerner, the Whig platform in general didn’t appeal to the south. Thus campaign of 1853 was the first to founder on the slippery slope of sectionalism.
-Passage from “Democratic Election Atlas”, by John Mason, Debs Press, Centralia
Atchison, disconsolate at the fact that he had been defeated as the party’s candidate, nevertheless did his part to support the Democrats. He dutifully attacked Millard Fillmore as a “New York Abolitionist”, despite the fact the Fillmore had been president before. However, the best way Atchison was to help his party was to let his policies take their effect.
Shortly after both political conventions, news began arriving from the Mesilla Valley. William Walker, surprised by the resistance from the Mexican government, had retreated into Arizona Territory. Santa Anna, hoping to gain prestige and avenge himself on the Norteamericanos, followed suit. Soon, the U.S began screaming of a Mexican invasion over the border. Atchison, even though he wasn’t running for reelection, began to scream with the press. Historians have criticized Atchison for his duplicitous behavior, but the simple explanation is that he was unaware of the consequences of his actions. Atchison’s lame duck period was not destined to be boring.
When the U.S’ Mexican difficulties came, the blundering Atchison had not sown fertile foreign ground. Atchison’s appointment of Soule, a fervent revolutionary, and Mason, a Virginian Slavocrat, had not gone over well with France and Spain. Europe might even have intervened physically, were it not for the Crimean War arising. As it was, European relations with the U.S. were poisoned.
-Passage from “Atchison and Walker”, by Leonard Wood, Union Press, Boston

[1] Someone’s had a different time from OTL
[2] Not the universal term
[3] Pierce is killed instead of his son.
[4] In OTL nothing came of it.
[5] No, Benjamin is technically not Supreme Court Justice yet; the author is making a mistake.
[6] Pierce renounced Lane’s claims in OTL, and replaced him.
[7] In this ATL the remark will be seen as…interesting in light of the future.
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