Gilded Dreams

Chapter 3: A Brief Chapter for a Brief President
~~~~~

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President Porter

The day of Arthur's death Albert G. Porter was sworn in as the 22nd President of the United States of America. He had only a year before the election and like Arthur before him most expected a place holder president. This time they were right.

History, on the rare occasion that it mentions him, has portrayed Porter as a man who had little in the way of concrete ideas and essentially was there to placate reformers and win Indiana for the GOP. This is an unfair assessment. Porter had plenty of ideas. He'd originally been a Democrat, but his anti-slavery views has gotten him kicked out of the party after the pro-slavery faction won the battle to control the state party. So he joined the Republican Party and was soon elected to congress. There he investigated the railroads and their relation to government interests as the Civil War raged. In 1863 he refused a third term and returned to Indiana to practice law. In 1877 he roused controversy when he supported the striking workers during the Great Railroad Strike. In 1878 President Hayes appointed him as Comptroller of the United States Treasury. In 1880, while he was still in Washington, the Indiana Republican Party nominated him for Governor. By the time he heard about it the campaign was in full swing and he reluctantly accepted. He was narrowly elected with the help of the Knights of Labor.

As Governor he pursued a policy of continued industrialization and internal improvements. Under his watch the state drained acres and acres of wetlands. He instituted regulations on working conditions in the state. Most controversially he called on the legislature to give women the right to vote. He appointed women to charity positions across the state and continued to press for more rights. After months of heated debate the legislature agreed to put the issue up to a statewide ballot in exchange for also putting prohibition on the ballot. Both were handily defeated and Democrats were elected to the legislature in a land slide. From there it all went down hill as the legislature happily went about stripping the governor of his powers. Now virtually powerless the Republican nomination for Vice President was a breath of fresh air. He campaigned hard in Indiana and was rewarded when the state swung into the Republican column.

His term as Vice President was not particularly eventful. He enjoyed living with the cream of Washington society and was a popular figure. Occasionally he'd make a passing reference to women's suffrage or perhaps a nod to the Knights of Labor. But he mostly remained silent.

He remained silent upon his inauguration only making brief speeches and never making the commitments reformers begged of him. He was content to let congress take the lead even more then Arthur was and showed absolutely no interest in becoming President in his own right. When his successor was elected he graciously stepped out of the public eye.

It is tempting to dismiss Porter as a President who took the easy way out instead of standing firm in his ideals. This is misleading, had he tried to push for women's rights or similar reform topics he would've gravely hurt the Reform factions in the 1888 convention as well as the GOP's reputation as a whole. In any matter he soon retired to a private law practice. Shortly before his death in 1892 he published Reflections Of A President, which was not a memoir but rather a call for major reforms.

Before his Presidency was even over Albert Porter was being forgotten as all eyes turned towards the candidates of 1888.
 
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Chapter 4: A Race with Racism.

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Shanty Town Near New Orleans, 1888

The assembled black men and women could not believe their eyes. Not only had a white man, neatly dressed in a suit and tie that must have been scorching hot but he'd actually been polite. Mind you he'd talked to them like they were children, but he'd called them "Sir" and "Mister" not "Boy" and "Nigger". Not only had he been somewhat nice he was actually looking for someone. He was looking for a "Pinchback." They'd laughed at him at first before someone had remembered that fellow who was visiting down at Jimmy's place. So they'd sent him down there. Now he was knocking at the door. It swung open.

"What'du want……sir?" Jimmy asked, suddenly changing his tone mid-sentence when he saw who had knocked.

"Uhh……yes I'm here to speak to umm Mr. P.B.S. Pinchback, if he is here of course."

"Yes mistah." Jimmy stepped aside to let the white man in. It took about two steps for the man to reach what could best be described as the living room, even though it was smaller then many kitchens in New York. Aside from Jimmy there was a women who appeared to be his wife, though she quickly darted back toward the bedrooms, which were even smaller then the living room. But sitting in the center of the room was the man the white man had come to see. He was lighter skinned then most Negros, which was to be expected considering his ancestry.

"Who are you?" The man asked.

"Me?" The white man replied "I'm just errr…an employee of the Republican Party."

"An operative then. What is your name?" The seated man asked.

"My name isn't important, since this meeting never took place." The Operative said.

The seated man raisedd an eyebrow. "Since this meeting never took place I suppose my name does not matter either."

The Operative smiled awkwardly "I know who you are, you're…uh…" he looked down at a price of paper he'd pulled from his pocket "Former Governor P.B.S. Pinchback."

Pinchback laughed loudly. "Indeed I am! What brings a man from the Northern Republicans down here? Normally the only northern politicians we get down here are Democrats."

"Well, some of the leadership is concerned about the direction things in the south are going."

"Concerned? Concerned?" Pinchback said angrily "They should've been concerned in 1876 when they still had troops to let us have a voice! Now they're concerned! After how many dead?"

"They…uhh…err…umm…send their" stammered The Operative.

"Never mind that," snapped Pinchback "what are they so concerned about?"

"Well two of the leading candidates for the Presidential, a man named John…"

"Sherman, and Benjamin Harrison." Pinchback interrupted.

Startled The Operative continued on, "…yes them, have expressed interest in pressing the full extent of the 14th and 15th Amendments on the south."

"Publicly?"

"Err...no but they have expressed high levels of interest to private party members."

"Well then what good is it? It ain't like they can promise it on the campaign trail!" Pinchback said.

"Well yes, but the reason the Republican Party sent me here is to discuss the uhh hypothetical situation in which the negro can vote. To umm see how'd the southern vote go down if the 15th Amendment were enforced."

"Well, I don't indulge much in hypotheticals, but I'd say every negro from Texas to South Carolina would vote Republican day and night."

"I see an you would as well?"

"Of course! I was governor as a Republican and was elected to congress as a Republican. Even if they did stick their heads in the sand they're still the party of Lincoln!"

"I see," The Operative said "there is a problem with that you know."

"And that is?"

"Well in the south the Republican Party is nonexistent. Even if every single negro voted for us we'd still have to win over a substantial number of whites. And the whites down here wouldn't ever vote for the party of Lincoln, especially if they just gave the negro the right to vote."

"That's true."

"And then what would happen? The Democrats would be swept back into power in the states and congress and proceed to eliminate all your rights again."

"I see." Pinchback replied.

"So that's why the Republicans have been backing third parties who can appeal to the poor white man. Like the Readjusters in Virginia, sometimes it was the Greenbacks before they collapsed. Down here its the uhh Parti Libéral if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes. I know a few Libéral men, they wouldn't be jumping for joy if us negros got the vote, but they'd deal with it."

"And they could win quite a few votes of white men, unlike the Republican Party."

Pinchback laughed louder then ever. "I see where this is going, you, a member of the Republican Party want me to convince the negros of Louisiana to vote against the Republican Party if they happen to get around to giving us the vote."

"Yes."

"I suppose I see your point and I will consider it. Just tell me one thing: If the Republican Party wins would they actually do such a thing as try to give us the vote."

The Operative looked Pinchback straight in the eyes and said "I have no idea."

•••••

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The 1888 Democratic Ticket

1888 was an open book, the current government was fairly popular but it was unlikely it would continue the course. The Democrats sensed weakness, the Republicans sensed strength.

The Democratic Convention had no shortage of contenders. Grover Cleveland was once again angling for the Democratic nomination and touting his close defeat and how he could win. Other Gold supporters included Speaker of the House James Carlisle and Delaware Senator Thomas F. Bayard. The only prominent bimetalist was David Hill, Senator from New York. Other, more minor candidates filled out the ranks. On the 1st ballot Hill was ahead over the divided goldbugs. Cleveland was second followed by Carlisle followed by Bayard. On the 2nd ballot Hill gained a few delegates as minor pro-silver candidates dropped out in favor of him while the Gold candidates shuffled a few delegates around. The numbers, with a few minor shifts, remained the same until the 5th ballot. By this point it had become apparent that Hill would not be able to get the two thirds majority required in order to clinch the nomination and he began to fade. On the 6th Ballot Cleveland's support collapsed and went mostly to Bayard, though some went to Carlisle. On the 7th Ballot Bayard leeched enough delegates away from Carlisle to surpass Hill in the delegate count. On the 8th Ballot Bayard climbed even higher, despite concerns about what nominating a southerner might look like. On the 9th Ballot Carlisle threw in the towel, giving Bayard the 2/3rds of the delegates he needed to be the nominee.

The Vice Presidential selection was Bayard's chance to heal the divided party. Bayard had managed to get the gold men behind him and now needed to reach out to the Silver wing of the party. Being from Delaware, a small state, many expected him to select someone from a swing state as well. He shocked everyone by selecting former Nevada Governor Jewett W. Adams for the Vice Presidential nominee. While Adams was certainly a Silver man and bridged the gap there he did absolutely nothing for the campaign in terms of winning electoral votes. Nevada was solidly Republican despite its Silver sympathies.

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The 1888 Republican ticket

The Republicans meanwhile had a wide open convention, with President Porter refusing to be considered. The frontrunners were James Blaine, who had been denied the nomination in 1884 and John Sherman, reforming Senator from Ohio and brother to the famed Civil War General. Other more minor candidates included former Indiana Senator Benjamin Harrison as well as Matthew Quay, a party boss turned Senator from Pennsylvania who had the support of the remaining Stalwarts. On the first Ballot Sherman held a narrow lead over Blaine while Harrison then Quay lagged behind. On the second ballot Blaine took quite a few delegates from Quay and surpassed Sherman. However on the third ballot Harrison, who was unwilling to see Blaine on the ticket, agreed to back Sherman in exchange for a cabinet position if he was elected. This put Sherman back in the lead and gave him almost complete control of the reform faction. Even though on the fourth ballot Quay formally backed Blaine it became apparent that the convention risked deadlock. After the fifth ballot showed similar results Blaine approached Sherman and offered to drop out for the good of the party, Sherman happily agreed and was nominated on the sixth ballot.

For his Vice Presidential nominee John Sherman backed William Walter Phelps, a Congressman from New Jersey who had once been ambassador to Austria-Hungary. This choice had puzzled some historians, but the reasoning is actually quite simple. New Jersey had gone Democratic in the last election and Sherman felt that he could win Indiana and New York without a VP candidate from either place and so decided to focus on New Jersey.

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Cartoon Mocking Sherman's attacks on the South

The campaign itself revolved around the issue of tariffs, with Bayard calling for lower and lower tariffs. Sherman was not rabid in favor of high tariffs, but he still backed the current levels of tariffs. The currency issue was also important. Bayard was a strong gold man while Sherman backed a moderate "silver at its current rate to gold" solution. Also controversial were Sherman's tactful nods in respect to the problems in the south. He didn't call it voter suppression, he called it "single party dominance" he didn't call it lynching, he called it "extrajudicial justice". He was careful never to say it at major events and only to say such terms in the presence of solid Republicans. But word still leaked out and southerners were livid. Of course being brother to "The Butcher of Georgia" was not helpful to his cause either. Some Republicans didn't like it either and were worried it would destroy their chances to pass other issues.

Bayard did his best to paint Sherman as a dangerous radical who would reopen old wounds and set off a wave of violence. Sherman's men in turn called Bayard a man clinging to an intangible past and who could not look to a bright future. Democrats said that Bayard would provide a stable vision for the future. Republicans claimed that Sherman could provide stability plus change for the better. While the campaign was fierce the attacks (mostly) stayed on policy and our of the personal lives of the candidates.

Come Election Day things went poorly for the Democrats. A series of blunders made it seem like they were the pro-British, anti-Irish party. After Sherman promised large pensions for Civil War Veterans Bayard denounced him, in the process getting many veterans against them. The campaign managed to halt any further errors but the damage was done. On Election Day they were beaten badly.

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John Sherman (OH)/William W. Phelps (NJ) - 248
Thomas Bayard (DE)/Jewett W. Adams (NV) -153

In the congressional elections Carlisle's House Democrats lost control of the chamber after a long run in power. The new Speaker was Thomas Reed of Maine. He commanded a powerful 38 seat majority and would soon use it to the maximum effect. In the Senate the Republicans gained a few seats but their leadership remained narrow.

In short things looked fairly good for the Republicans as John Sherman was inaugurated.
 
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Finally remembered to read the past updates, I like what I I'm seeking. These Gilded Age Electoral Maps I find weirdly hilarious.
 
Chapter 5: Sherman in the White House

Thomas Reed, Speaker of the House, smiled. The trap had been set. The House had just overwhelmingly voted to accept the new member from Virginia, a Readjuster, not that the Democrats had agreed to vote.

"NO QUROUM!" screamed a Democrat. The various Republicans and Readjusters in the chamber sighed, another day, another disappearing quorum. Reed smiled even more. Dutifully the House Clerk started a roll call. As per the norm when he got to a Democrat the said Democrat stood silent and was not counted. But when the clerk got to the first Democrat who refused to be marked Reed said "Count him, he's here."

A disturbed quiet fell over the chamber, followed by a chorus of confused whispering and hushed conversation. Soon heckles were heard. But he carried on. It wasn't until Constantine Kilgore of Texas that a Democrat spoke up.

"Ya' count count me! I didn't say present" yelled Kilgore.

"Yes I may." said Reed calmly

"No you can't!"

"CONGRESSMAN KILGORE!" Reed bellowed "The Speaker declares you present! Do you dispute this?"

Pandemonium erupted, Kilgore bolted for the door as other Democrats started trying hiding under their desks to avoid being counted. Kilgore found the doors locked and started kicking them down, only to be tackled by the New Congressman from New York, Theodore Roosevelt, an old friend of Reed's who'd gleefully agreed to guard the doors for this very moment.

The rest of the day was spent counting up Democrats attempting to hide throughout the chamber. They failed. They would keep fighting of course, but the war had already been won.

"It's Good to be King," thought Reed "very good indeed"

>>>>

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Congressman William McKinley

When he entered the Presidency John Sherman had a friendly congress to work with and a mandate from the people. He was optimistic about his future and his plans for the nation.

He immediately set about selecting his cabinet. As promised at the convention Benjamin Harrison received a seat, in this case Secretary of State. The other nominees were not particularly inspiring, but they did their job well. Sherman continued the policy of his predecessors of keeping existing competent appointees on the job and pushing further reforms to the Civil Service, which remained extremely popular amongst the people. Sherman also vigorously backed large pensions for disabled veterans and got a bill expanding the pension bureau passed early on. At the time it was the most expensive thing the federal government had ever done outside of a war. Sherman also continued his predecessor's policies on modernizing the navy even more.

Sherman was placed in an awkward position on the issue of tariffs. Like most Republicans he was a supportive of protectionist policies, and he had campaigned with the promise of a continuation of those policies. However he was caught off guard when Congressman William McKinley proposed a large raise in tariff rates. The McKinley Tariff hiked the tariff rate on most items up to nearly 50%. It predictably created a firestorm of controversy and divided the nations. As always the Democrats claimed that the tariff hurt poor farmers and and southerners. As always the Republicans claimed that the tariff protected industry and workers in industry. And as always the debate was heated and the Republicans wanted Sherman to take a stand. Sherman was not a tariff hawk and didn't want to pick a major fight so early in his term, but reluctantly agreed to back the McKinley tariff in exchange for support from congress on later issues. To sweeten the pot for reluctant Republicans congress added clauses that made it easy for the President to lower tariffs with countries that lowered theirs on American goods. Sherman signed the bill into law, earning him the support of many Republicans and ire of Democrats. However the McKinley Tariff proved to be unpopular with many common people

The issue of currency again reared its head. The issue cut across party lines, with Southern Democrats and Western Republicans supporting free silver while the Gold Standard was backed by the Eastern Wings from each party. The President himself did not back free silver, but supported the government buying large quantities of it. The Silver Act of 1889 provided for just that. Congress managed to pass the bill by a very slim majority.

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Senator Hoar

The final price of legislation passed the Hoar Antitrust Act. The act, named for the Massachusetts Senator who wrote it, was aimed to combat the all controlling trust that often dominated the industry of the nation during the 1800's. The Hoar Act allowed the Government to prosecute companies for unfair business practices and in extreme cases break up the company. The bill passed over the cries of various groups, mainly business interests. For all of his support for the bill Sherman did not aggressively pursue the bill, only attacking some minor coal companies and not the big trusts. Still, it marked a turning point in the politics of monopolies. However what Sherman is most remembered for is his attempt to improve the rights of blacks in the south.

In April 1890 Massachusetts Congressman Henry Lodge proposed a bill with startling implications. It allowed for Federal Courts to appoint Election Supervisors for congressional races on the requests of voters. They would observe elections, count and verify ballots and ensure fair standards. In short everything the southern democrats feared. Sherman endorsed the bill soon after its introduction, adding fuel to the flames. Southern Democrats decried the bill calling it an attack on states rights and claiming it would lead to a "mongrelization of the races." Some republicans had mixed feelings about the bill, especially in the west where some feared that it would ruin compromise over the sliver issue with Southern Democrats1 as well as their fears that it could lead to the enfranchisement of Chinese on the West Coast. It faced a tough battle in the house but the efforts of Speaker Reed and freshman congressman Theodore Roosevelt, who had more or less appointed himself a party whip, got it to the floor. The vote was indeed close, especially as no democrats voted yes on the bill. But the efforts of Reed and Roosevelt were not in vain and the bill was passed with a tiny majority, sending it to the Senate.

The Senate was no easier as the inevitable filibusters popped up, filibusters that the GOP did not have the votes to stop. Some Republicans wanted to drop the bill in exchange for more silver, but favors were called from the Silver Purchase Act and arms were twisted. After weeks of debate the bill was put to a vote passed, in a large part thanks to some creative interpretations of the debate rules by Vice President (and thus President of the Senate) William Phelps. President Sherman happily signed the bill, confident that it would usher in a new age of race relations in America. It didn't.

It did set off a round of race riots, lynchings and violence across the south by angered Whites. The courts that appointed the supervisors were not always sympathetic to the blacks and even if they bothered to appoint one it was often a local white man. In areas where honest men were appointed blacks were often still scared into not voting, then they were scared into not telling the supervisors. Sometimes the supervisors themselves were threatened or found themselves "tragically killed".

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Democratic Poster attacking the GOP

Of course the policy was not a complete failure. For a brief period of time in some areas blacks could vote. But it was soon apparent it would not last, just like reconstruction before it. There simply was not enough political will in Washington to organize the restructuring that was needed for equality to reign in the south. In localized areas, New Orleans being the prime example, blacks earned the right to vote fully for a few years before falling back into oppression. It didn't help that in many of the areas where the law was enforced the whites still held a majority and so could still vote in racist democrats. In the end the only area where the Lodge Bill had a long term effect was Virginia. For years the right to vote for blacks had shifted back and forth depending on weather the Readjusters or the Democrats were in power, but the Lodge Act tilted the balance in their favor. Elsewhere though the Bill did little to help the other alliance parties the Republicans backed across the south.

Backlash from the disastrous bill, as well as a sluggish economy, greatly hurt the Republicans going into the midterm elections. They ended up worse then hurt.

John Carlisle was returned to the Speakership over Thomas "Czar" Reed with a margin of over 200 votes, a huge majority. The absolute trouncing of the Republicans was a massive boon to Carlisle's not-at-all-secret plans to run for President in 1892. The newly formed Populist Party gained 9 seats, an impressive feat for a new party.

Meanwhile in the Senate the Republicans lost 3 seats but maintained their control of the Senate. The Populists gained 2 seats.

The congressional elections effectively ended Sherman's ability to legislate domestically, with Democrats refusing to fund efforts in the south to expand franchise and thus effectively killing the Lodge Bill. Deadlock prevailed in Washington and Sherman was forced to look outward.

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British Newspaper Discussing the issues in Samoa

Sherman's first major foreign policy achievement was the negotiations, which solved the ongoing Anglo-American-German dispute over the ownership of Samoa with a triple protectorate.

The next achievement was the First International Conference of American Nations. The Conference was the brainchild of former Secretary of State James Blaine. The conference was not in the scope the aging Blaine had hoped and Secretary of State Harrison was not aggressive in pursuit of large scale integration as some had hoped. Still the delegation (Led by Congressman and Former Ambassador to Argentina Theodore Roosevelt) had some major successes. Despite no formal agreement being reached the Conference was generally accepted as a success. The groundwork for future agreements was laid and the skepticism of some Argentineans were put to rest.

Of course that didn't mean there was peace in Latin America……

•••••
1: Indeed Western GOPers traded it away for Silver IOTL, but butterflies ITTL mean that it falls after Silver.
 
Chapter 6: La República de Chile and the No Good Very Bad Year.

*****
"Well, It's Official Prime Minister" said British Foreign Secretary, Archibald Primrose.

"What is?" Prime Minister William Gladstone asked.

"The Argentinians Sir, they've sided with the Americans, probably thanks to that Roosevelt fellow."

"Have they now? Who are they fighting? Bolivia?"

"Chile Sir."

"Do we care?" The Prime Minister Asked.

"Kind of, we're quite friendly with Chile but we also enjoy the friendship of Argentina, however recently…"

"They've been closer and closer with the Americans."

"Exactly Prime Minister"

"Will they favor America over us in trade? Or do they not care?"

"Not particularly sir. The thing is that the Americans see it as their God Given right to rule the Western Hemisphere and keep Europe out of it." The Foreign Secretary replied.

"I see, and you believe that America will push Argentina in that direction?"

"Not at the moment, Argentina still needs to trade with us. But if nothing is done they will fall in with the Americans."

"Hmmm…do they have any rivals worth noting? Brazil maybe?"

"Just what I was thinking sir. Brazil isn't the most stable right now, they even have a recently deposed royal house that we cou…"

"Now Foreign Secretary," Gladstone interrupted "we mustn't rush headlong into anything rash. We must see how things proceed, we don't even know how we will view the Americans in 5 years. The time to make a decision will come, but it is not now. We have no reason to be hostile to the Argentineans, or even the Americans. We shall simply have to wait."

"Yes Sir, Prime Minister." Replied the Foreign Secretary

"But all the same, do start looking into the state of affairs in Brazil. It's always good to be prepared."

*****

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President Balmaceda

In 1891 Chile had a very bad year.

President José Manuel Balmaceda and the Chilean Congress had long held disputes over the exact nature of Executive vs Legislative Power. The Chilean Constitution gave no requirements for the approval of Cabinet Ministers by Congress, however custom held that any minister had to have support from a majority in each house in order to remain in office. This became a major issue when Balmaceda was unable to find anyone acceptable to both him and the hostile congress. After Balmaceda attempted to have a close friend appointed as a successor Congress retaliated by refusing to pass a budget to run the government for 1891. An attempt at compromise failed when a cabinet acceptable to both sides could not be reached, bringing the sides closer to civil war. When a deal could not be reached regarding the budget President Balmaceda declared that the 1890 Budget would continue operating the Government, something many viewed as illegal. In response Congress refuted his arguments, ordered the navy follow their orders and passed an act of deposition against the President. Balmaceda was predictably furious and prepared for war, only to suddenly be arrested by Navy Officers under Captain Jorge Montt on the orders of the Chilean Congress. It seemed as if Civil War had been averted.

Unfortunately for Congress despite the Navy being loyal to them the rank and file of the army remained loyal to the imprisoned President. So on January 8th 1981 Solders under Orozimbo Barbosa mutinied against the Congressional rule and soon others followed. The Chilean Army Mutinies of 1891 never fully escalated into a civil war, the mutineers never really had anyone to rally around, their President being imprisoned. Still the mutiny had profound effects, it showed weakness internally in Chile, and the refusal of the United States to send arms to the new government set the stage for greater tensions between the powers...

The Second Pacific War (a name that has confused generations of American students unknowledgeable about South American history) of course has deeper roots then the Mutinies and the Baltimore Crisis. Chile had, after the First Pacific War ended in 1882, seemed like the most likely rival in the western hemisphere to the United States. Chile had stripped Bolivia and Peru of territory and shown its navel muscle. In 1885 an American plan to influence a rebellion in the Columbian state of Panama was stopped before it began by Chilean opposition. And in 1888 Chile had joined the ranks of the "Empires" by annexing Easter Island. However by 1891 the tables had turned, the United States had more navel and economic power then Chile and was looking to assert their dominance. Tensions were high to begin with for 2 main reasons. Firstly during the mutinies of 1891 the Unites States had refused to allow supplies to be shipped to the new government, viewing them as insurgents. Secondly the United States Ambassador to Chile, Patrick Eagy, harbored Mutineers and Balmaceda sympathizers, much to the anger of the Chileans. And then the Charleston came steaming into Valparaíso.

The USS Charleston was not stopping in Valparaíso, a major Chilean port city for any other reason then to give its sailors shore leave, it was not there to enforce American will. But it remained a symbol to the simmering society of Chile as it reminded many of the slights given by the United States to Chile. So as the soldiers disembarked there was considerable tension between them and the locals. This tension erupted on October 20 when a group of American sailors got involved in a bar fight and got others to join them. The fight spilled out of the bar and into the streets were a group of soldiers destroyed an image of Chilean National Hero Artuo Prat. Soon a full blown riot erupted, by then time Chilean soldiers had gotten to the seen 15 Americans had does along with 9 Chileans. In the chaos that followed the soldiers 5 more Americans had died along with 3 more Chileans, leaving a grand total of 32 Dead and around 50 injured. The Chilean Government did its best to prosecute the rioters, but the die had been cast.

Of course as soon as word of the "Valparaíso Massacre" reached the United States anger against Chile became a universal American feeling. Demands for war reached a fever pitch as war hawks cited Chile's close relationship with Great Britain. Republican House Minority Whip Theodore Roosevelt, who had previously been ambassador to Argentina, met with the Argentinean Ambassador to discuss the possibility of an alliance against Chile. Young men flocked to join the Navy and Army as patriotism soared. Members of both parties demanded that President Sherman do something.

He first ordered Secretary of State Harrison to telegraph the Chilean Government a demand for a formal apology, the arrest of the murderers of the American Sailors and an indemnity of $550,000. It was here that Harrison made a choice that changed history. Instead of directly giving to the Chilean Government Harrison sent it via the United States Embassy in Santiago. This meant that before it arrived to the Chilean Congress it fell into the hands of the Ambassador Patrick Eagy. Eagy was a fiery Irishmen with a strong passion for both the United States and Ireland, and he held a strong towards British influence in Chile. So much so that he harbored sympathizers to the old Balmaceda Administration as well as ex-mutineers. And so he added on an extra part to the message also "suggesting" that pardons be given to them as a sign of good faith. While Chile may well have rejected the ultimatum anyway, lacking much in the way of money after the mutinies, the rider provoked rage in Santiago as it was a sign that the Americans were trying to meddle in their affairs. As such they rejected the demands, though they did issue a formal apology and offered to take the issue of the monetary compensation to a neutral party. But it was to little, to late, war fever had gripped the nation. "Yellow Journalism" had stirred up anger against Chile to hurricane levels and it showed no sign of abating. As such, in addition to the fact that Eagy was sending horror stories about the treatment of American businessmen in Chile, Sherman formally requested a declaration of war against the Republic of Chile, which he got by wide majorities in both houses of congress on August 23rd. The United States was now at war.

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Battle of Valaraiso

Planning for the war fell squarely in the hands of the Navy, in particular Lewis Kimberly, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Squadron in the US navy. Immediately Kimberly found himself at a disadvantage, most of the American navy stood ready on the Atlantic Coast, and would have to sail around South America in order to engage the Chilean Navy. Still, the Americans had strong forces in the USS Baltimore and the USS Charleston, the latter of which had no shortage of volunteers to fill in for the 20 lost. Chile's greatest strength was the recently launched Capitán Prat, a battleship noteworthy for being the first to ever have an electric system. Chile's army was in shambles after the mutinies and the American one was out of date, so most predicted that the winner of the navel war would emerge the overall victor. At the direction of the Secretary of the Navy, William E. Chandler, Kimberly sent the Baltimore and a detachment of Marines under Robert W. Huntington to seize Chile's "colonial empire" in the form of Easter Island. The escort proved to be overzealous as the small Chilean garrison surrendered without a shot while the natives did not really care. Still, the capture of Easter Island was a propaganda boon for Sherman. With the farthest flung area of Chile taken the Navy could focus on Chile proper. Kimberly steamed towards Santiago with his fleet while George Belknap and the Asiatic Fleet began a long journey across the Pacific. Jorge Montt quickly rallied the Chilean Navy to Valparaíso in preparation for a battle with the American fleet. Kimberly was happy to oblige. And so the two fleets met near the Valparaíso harbor, where it had all began, and engaged.

Despite only the Chileans having a battleship, the Americans had and advantage in both numbers and technology. The Battle of Valparaíso lasted only an hour, as the American fleet battered Montt's to a pulp. Eventually Montt disengaged and fled towards Northward. The battle was won, and effectively the war. Soon marines occupied Valparaíso and Army troop ships sailed towards it in preparation for a March on Santiago. It would not be necessary.

Despite no longer having any official ties with Argentina, Theodore Roosevelt remained a trusted man in Argentina and so when President Carlos Pellegrini approached the American Ambassador in Buenos Ares about a possible alliance, Sherman turned to Roosevelt. Roosevelt enthusiastically supported the idea, getting Harrison to agree to recognize a favorable border in Patagonia for Argentina. Soon Ex-President Julio Argentino Roca was leading the Argentinean Army towards the disputed Patagonian border. With Argentina attacking in the South, her navy in ruins and increasing turmoil in the purged Army Chile sued for peace quickly, after only 4 months of war with America. The Parties met in neutral Vancouver to resolve the conflict. Chile formally apologized for the Valparaíso Massacre and agreed to pay a large reparation for it as well as for the few American lives lost during the extremely short war. In addition Chile ceded Easter Island to the United States as a protectorate so that the American Navy could use of as a South Pacific base. The Treaty of Vancouver was a quick and easy, for the Americans that is.

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Chilean forces engage the Argentinian army

Not wanting to draw out the war and hoping to ride it's coattails to reelection in 1892 Sherman did not press the Chileans to agree to the harsh territorial concessions the Argentines demanded from Santiago. As such the two parties left Vancouver with only a ceasefire, with a Peace Treaty to be negotiated in Lima the next year. The Lima Conference never occurred as soon after the Peace of Vancouver the Argentineans accused the Chileans of violating the ceasefire by arming native insurgents and resumed the war. Despite the depleted nature of the Chilean Army, the inhospitable terrain and climate of the southern cone meant that the Argentine advance was slow. The war dragged on into 1892, as Roca reached the seas and began slogging North. President Pellegrini began shopping around for allies in order to hasten the end of the war. The Bolivian President, Aniceto Arce was actually a proponent of closer relations with Chile, despite his country's loss in the First War of the Pacific, mainly do to his extensive business interests there. Still a war to reclaim the coast was a popular option for many and when his successor Mariano Baptista came to power in August he adopted a more aggressive tone towards Chile. His hand was forced when Liberal War Hero José Pando began making vague threats about a possible coup. Coincidently Pando soon received command of "The Army of the Pacific". The Bolivian Army was still battered from the First War of the Pacific but the Chilean Army was also beaten up and overstretched. On October 23 1892 Pando reached the Sea, making the date a national holiday. Chile was now inevitably going to lose the war, it was just a matter of when. The straw that broke the camels back was in February 1893 when Peru issued an ultimatum demanding that their territory be returned. Chile responded by suing for peace and arranging a conference in Bogota.

The Treaty of Bogota was nothing short of humiliating for Chile. Argentina annexed almost the entire Southern portion of Chile from Santiago, giving Argentina control of the Straits of Magellan. Bolivia annexed both the Litoral Department seized from it in 1884 as well as the Tarapacà area taken from Peru. Peru (angry about losing Tarapacà) got Tacna, Arica and Tarata back from Chile. It was a humiliation that would scar Chile for years to come.

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The terms of the Treaty of Bogota. Not shown: Argentina's seizure of Southern Chile

Most Americans, if they noticed at all, looked at the fate of Chile with a satisfied huff. But their main attention was focused on the political events back gone since the war.

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