Glory: an alternate War of 1812
- Thread starter Odinson
- Start date
I aim to please!
Risen from the shallow grave in my back yard!
The End
April, 1919 - May 1929: For the Red, White, Blue and more Red
"The end of the Second American Revolution came not from the strength of Coolidge or his generals, nor from the weakness of Thompson; it came from the decay of the American dream." - Bill "Big Bill" Haywood
The Second American Revolution, or the Second American Civil War in some circles, ended in June 1919. The major factors that influenced the final outcome was the sudden death of General Nelson Miles of the Anti Socialist "Khakis" due to a heart attack brought on by the stress of fighting a losing war. With his death, moral plummeted. Shortly after in the state of Crow, Hunter Liggett's forces managed to surround Leonard Wood's, capturing the most capable general Thompson had left. With uprisings in the southwest and the front crumbling in the northwest, the Williamsburg government was hanging by a thread. With little holding them back, Loud Cal's finest broke through and captured the Khaki capital and William Hale Thompson. The war was brought to an end, though anti communist bushwackers would pepper the western reaches of the nation.
Thompson and the rest of his cabinet were transported to Virginia to be imprisoned at Fort DeWitt (OTL Fort Monroe). Not being bogged down in a war, Coolidge could afford to turn his focus towards internal and foreign matters. Texas was licked and brought back into the Union, and Long Island rejoined to New York. America however was forced to cede territory to the Republic of Canada during the protectorship of Robert Borden, allowing Canada to take control of formerly British Columbia to have a Pacific port. Additionally, Maine was ripped out of American orbit as Canada desired a buffer between them and revolutionary New England, tired of border clashes. But, as a minor concession to the United States, it was not joined to Canada as a province. Instead, it was spun off as an independent Republic of Maine with Percival Baxter as the first Consul of the Republic.
Flag of the Republic of Maine
In the deep south, Albert Parsons oversaw the whole region. Because of the war, much of the harvest had been destroyed by Khakis through the use of scorched earth tactics. Food shortages gripped the country, affecting the entire east coast. Parsons began a process of collectivization by taking over all of the lands and forming state farms, which were known by the name of Victory Farms, a nod to the triumph of the proletariat over the capitalists. Also under his jurisdiction was the massive prison camp Andersonville in Georgia. Brutal conditions were a mainstay as disease killed thousands of anti communists. Loud Cal, despite his radicalization towards capitalists, detested the camp, knowing how bad the conditions were. In a moment of compassion, Coolidge passed an executive order to release the POWs who had displayed "good behavior" if they swore an oath to the state. As part of their terms for parole, they were not allowed to posses a firearm and they would have to attend monthly Socialist Party meetings, and would be subjected to random visitations by the Federal Bureau of Ideology, which was ran by C. E Ruthenberg oh Ohio.
Coolidge's rule saw a shake up of the American political landscape. During the Second American Revolution, elections had been canceled. Once Thompson and his government were in custody, the "President" pushed for a new constitutional convention. Lasting roughly two months, the constitutional convention saw the office of the president survive, but resulted in the senate being abolished. The House of Representatives was renamed the Workers' Congress. The convention also saw the dismembering of the Supreme Court, replacing it with more labor friendly judges, including Norman Thomas and Daniel Hoan. A new cabinet position was created, the Secretary of Labor, with Bill Haywood as the first man to hold the post. It also saw the adoption of a new national flag. Instead of holding an emergency election, Calvin Coolidge promised the 1924 election would be held on time.
Flag by @FriendlyGhost
While transitioning the United States from a capitalistic economy dominated by monopolies to a socialist/communist economy, Coolidge relaxed in some ways. While nationalizing the banks, industry, and having an iron grip of foreign trade, small enterprises were still allowed to exist in the United States of America. Most nations did not wish to trade with the revolutionary United States. Instead, America became a pariah state. The Republic of Canada did small amounts of trade in the Great Lakes region with the local governments, but the majority of Canadian trade went to Europe or Asia. One of the biggest ironies in American history was which nation would become the Union's largest trading partner; the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The UK was debt ridden and had lost much of her empire, while the French empire's economy remained strong. Additionally, their economy was in a downward spiral as goods in Europe and their empires were expensive, forcing the UK to take on more loans so the government could continue to buy resources, such as coal, iron, and wheat. The victorious nations on the continent hoped to keep the United Kingdom economically weak to prevent it from becoming a threat as either a military power or an economic rival. However, the United States had much lower tariffs after the end of the revolution to encourage trade, which many Britons could come closer to affording. Relations between the two former rivals quickly thawed during the American Coolidge presidency and the British T. E. Lawrence ministry. The United Kingdom also became the first European nation to recognize the Washington government as the legitimate American government, and would continue to do so even after the death of Coolidge in 1925.
British Prime Minister Thomas Edward Lawrence
As for the government which France, the German Union, Austria Hungary, and the rest of Europe recognized, William Howard Taft was much more popular than Thompson had ever been. As governor of the American colony of the Congo, he had instituted economic reforms that left the average worker happy. During the turmoil that characterized pre revolutionary America, he had been given largely a free hand in the colony, intent on guiding it to either nationhood or statehood. When the Second Revolution began, the Congo quickly became a beacon of hope for the fleeing anti communists. General John J. Pershing, along with the majority of the colonial officer corps, pledged loyalty to Governor Howard as the legitimate authority. Taft never called himself President of the United States, insisting that he was merely the colonial governor. Despite his claim, after Thompson fell from power, the European nations recognized him as the legitimate president. Having served as governor for over a decade, Taft called for the first Congolese election to elect a new governor to take place in November of 1920. Taft was unanimously nominated to keep his post by both the American soldiers and the native Congolese peoples. Several colonials declared Taft to be the first President of the Congo, which Taft declined to dispute, leading to him being the de facto first president of the Congo. The majority of Europe would recognize him and his successor Pershing as the legitimate American head of state until the 1930s.
Congolese President William Howard Taft
Flag of the Republic of the Congo, formerly the colonial flag of the American Congo
"The Greatest ally of the Socialist Party wasn't the worker or the Manifesto. Ironically, it was reactionary." - Sinclair Lewis, author of Why It Happened Here
Calvin "Loud Cal" Coolidge regularly spoke to the over the radio in his "fireside chats" about the proud vision he had for the nation, a vision of a economically and racially equal America. His the radio carried his voice to Americans in every corner of the country, from the capital to Clark to Jamaica to Vancouver Island. He spoke of the great rapprochement between America and her age old enemy, the British. He spoke about the military victories over the reactionaries. He spoke about the cause of socialism in Mexico, how Pancho Villa's forces made greater inroads to "liberating" his nation with American made rifles. These speeches were made from the White House in the oval office. But, on November 17th, 1925, he announced over radio that he would be giving a live speech in front of the Worker's Congress building in the National Mall on December 24th to speak on America's future and her place in the world. This would become Loud Cal's greatest mistake. Citizens were invited to come see the president speak. President Coolidge, along with his vice president, was standing atop a wooden stage outside the congressional hall. In attendance in the thick of the crowd was the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the interior. Halfway through the speech, a group of men approached the stage, weaving through the crowd. The conspirators were seven in number and had served as spies for the Khakis during the war in the city of Washington, managing to play the part of the good little Socialist Party follower to avoid detection. Each member was wearing a crude suicide bomber vest, similar to the ones used by Irish radials during the Great War and beyond. With the press of a button, the stage was obliterated as the spy killed himself and Calvin Coolidge, along with the VP. Detonating in the crowd, the War Secretary and the Interior Secretary shared a similar fate. With the executive branch nearly decapitated, that left Secretary of State George Norris as next in line for the presidency. Norris was still in Iowa visiting family. The closest member of the cabinet was the Labor Secretary Big Bill Haywood. As it would be a few days until Norris would return, Haywood became the acting president. A supporter of violence to achieve the goals of Marxist thought, Haywood became convinced that it was necessary to flush out the remaining anti communists. Haywood incorrectly believed that the plot to kill Coolidge was part of a vast conspiracy to overthrow the government. He came to believe there were "secret Caps" in his midst. He also was convinced it would take someone with a stronger constitution to sniff out the "traitors," not someone like George Norris.
George Norris's train was stopped in Indiana unexpectedly by FBI agents under Haywood's orders. The agents convinced Norris about the folly of assuming the presidency by threatening his family. Haywood similarly intimidated his rival William Z. Foster, the Speaker of the Worker's Congress, into not claiming the office. With Norris and Foster out of the way, the Secretary of Labor, next in line after Secretary of State, was sworn into office by Chief Justice Norman Thomas on January 2nd, 1926, who instinctively distrusted the new president. Almost as soon as he was in the office, he let loose the Federal Agents to root out "Caps," anarchists, and enemies of the state. Haywood, not a devout believer in Loud Cal's "New Deal," nevertheless continued his economic plan, begrudgingly allowing the small privately owned businesses to remain. From 1926 to his death in 1928 by stroke, the United States was gripped in terror as mass purges were conducted to clear the state of "Cap influence." Thousands were sent to work camps in the Rocky Mountains to work in the mines while others were sent into the Midwest to work on state owned farms. As president, Haywood also had the Worker's Army deployed to surround the Republic of Kansas by claiming that it was a potential threat to "The Revolution." Kansas could not defeat the numerically superior Worker's Army, despite many of their most gifted officers being culled during the purge. The Invasion of Kansas began on July 3rd, 1927. The much smaller nation was quickly overwhelmed and with a stroke of a pen, Kansas was the newest state in the Union. In a grip of paranoia, Big Bill Haywood canceled the 1928 election due to "Anarchist threats," and the amount of fear he created meant that the Worker's Congress barley raised a whisper against him. Haywood died on May 18th, 1928 of a stroke. Following his death, his Secretary of State Huey Long would be inaugurated as President of the United States of America. Long was just as powerful as his predecessor, but was much more diplomatic and pragmatic, which would result in the remaining European powers recognizing him as the legitimate American government over the Congo government, though the Congo was given recognition by every major would power as an independent nation, including Long's America.
President Big Bill Haywood, seated center
President Huey Long
"The end of the Second American Revolution came not from the strength of Coolidge or his generals, nor from the weakness of Thompson; it came from the decay of the American dream." - Bill "Big Bill" Haywood
The Second American Revolution, or the Second American Civil War in some circles, ended in June 1919. The major factors that influenced the final outcome was the sudden death of General Nelson Miles of the Anti Socialist "Khakis" due to a heart attack brought on by the stress of fighting a losing war. With his death, moral plummeted. Shortly after in the state of Crow, Hunter Liggett's forces managed to surround Leonard Wood's, capturing the most capable general Thompson had left. With uprisings in the southwest and the front crumbling in the northwest, the Williamsburg government was hanging by a thread. With little holding them back, Loud Cal's finest broke through and captured the Khaki capital and William Hale Thompson. The war was brought to an end, though anti communist bushwackers would pepper the western reaches of the nation.
Thompson and the rest of his cabinet were transported to Virginia to be imprisoned at Fort DeWitt (OTL Fort Monroe). Not being bogged down in a war, Coolidge could afford to turn his focus towards internal and foreign matters. Texas was licked and brought back into the Union, and Long Island rejoined to New York. America however was forced to cede territory to the Republic of Canada during the protectorship of Robert Borden, allowing Canada to take control of formerly British Columbia to have a Pacific port. Additionally, Maine was ripped out of American orbit as Canada desired a buffer between them and revolutionary New England, tired of border clashes. But, as a minor concession to the United States, it was not joined to Canada as a province. Instead, it was spun off as an independent Republic of Maine with Percival Baxter as the first Consul of the Republic.
Flag of the Republic of Maine
In the deep south, Albert Parsons oversaw the whole region. Because of the war, much of the harvest had been destroyed by Khakis through the use of scorched earth tactics. Food shortages gripped the country, affecting the entire east coast. Parsons began a process of collectivization by taking over all of the lands and forming state farms, which were known by the name of Victory Farms, a nod to the triumph of the proletariat over the capitalists. Also under his jurisdiction was the massive prison camp Andersonville in Georgia. Brutal conditions were a mainstay as disease killed thousands of anti communists. Loud Cal, despite his radicalization towards capitalists, detested the camp, knowing how bad the conditions were. In a moment of compassion, Coolidge passed an executive order to release the POWs who had displayed "good behavior" if they swore an oath to the state. As part of their terms for parole, they were not allowed to posses a firearm and they would have to attend monthly Socialist Party meetings, and would be subjected to random visitations by the Federal Bureau of Ideology, which was ran by C. E Ruthenberg oh Ohio.
Coolidge's rule saw a shake up of the American political landscape. During the Second American Revolution, elections had been canceled. Once Thompson and his government were in custody, the "President" pushed for a new constitutional convention. Lasting roughly two months, the constitutional convention saw the office of the president survive, but resulted in the senate being abolished. The House of Representatives was renamed the Workers' Congress. The convention also saw the dismembering of the Supreme Court, replacing it with more labor friendly judges, including Norman Thomas and Daniel Hoan. A new cabinet position was created, the Secretary of Labor, with Bill Haywood as the first man to hold the post. It also saw the adoption of a new national flag. Instead of holding an emergency election, Calvin Coolidge promised the 1924 election would be held on time.
Flag by @FriendlyGhost
While transitioning the United States from a capitalistic economy dominated by monopolies to a socialist/communist economy, Coolidge relaxed in some ways. While nationalizing the banks, industry, and having an iron grip of foreign trade, small enterprises were still allowed to exist in the United States of America. Most nations did not wish to trade with the revolutionary United States. Instead, America became a pariah state. The Republic of Canada did small amounts of trade in the Great Lakes region with the local governments, but the majority of Canadian trade went to Europe or Asia. One of the biggest ironies in American history was which nation would become the Union's largest trading partner; the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The UK was debt ridden and had lost much of her empire, while the French empire's economy remained strong. Additionally, their economy was in a downward spiral as goods in Europe and their empires were expensive, forcing the UK to take on more loans so the government could continue to buy resources, such as coal, iron, and wheat. The victorious nations on the continent hoped to keep the United Kingdom economically weak to prevent it from becoming a threat as either a military power or an economic rival. However, the United States had much lower tariffs after the end of the revolution to encourage trade, which many Britons could come closer to affording. Relations between the two former rivals quickly thawed during the American Coolidge presidency and the British T. E. Lawrence ministry. The United Kingdom also became the first European nation to recognize the Washington government as the legitimate American government, and would continue to do so even after the death of Coolidge in 1925.
British Prime Minister Thomas Edward Lawrence
As for the government which France, the German Union, Austria Hungary, and the rest of Europe recognized, William Howard Taft was much more popular than Thompson had ever been. As governor of the American colony of the Congo, he had instituted economic reforms that left the average worker happy. During the turmoil that characterized pre revolutionary America, he had been given largely a free hand in the colony, intent on guiding it to either nationhood or statehood. When the Second Revolution began, the Congo quickly became a beacon of hope for the fleeing anti communists. General John J. Pershing, along with the majority of the colonial officer corps, pledged loyalty to Governor Howard as the legitimate authority. Taft never called himself President of the United States, insisting that he was merely the colonial governor. Despite his claim, after Thompson fell from power, the European nations recognized him as the legitimate president. Having served as governor for over a decade, Taft called for the first Congolese election to elect a new governor to take place in November of 1920. Taft was unanimously nominated to keep his post by both the American soldiers and the native Congolese peoples. Several colonials declared Taft to be the first President of the Congo, which Taft declined to dispute, leading to him being the de facto first president of the Congo. The majority of Europe would recognize him and his successor Pershing as the legitimate American head of state until the 1930s.
Congolese President William Howard Taft
Flag of the Republic of the Congo, formerly the colonial flag of the American Congo
"The Greatest ally of the Socialist Party wasn't the worker or the Manifesto. Ironically, it was reactionary." - Sinclair Lewis, author of Why It Happened Here
Calvin "Loud Cal" Coolidge regularly spoke to the over the radio in his "fireside chats" about the proud vision he had for the nation, a vision of a economically and racially equal America. His the radio carried his voice to Americans in every corner of the country, from the capital to Clark to Jamaica to Vancouver Island. He spoke of the great rapprochement between America and her age old enemy, the British. He spoke about the military victories over the reactionaries. He spoke about the cause of socialism in Mexico, how Pancho Villa's forces made greater inroads to "liberating" his nation with American made rifles. These speeches were made from the White House in the oval office. But, on November 17th, 1925, he announced over radio that he would be giving a live speech in front of the Worker's Congress building in the National Mall on December 24th to speak on America's future and her place in the world. This would become Loud Cal's greatest mistake. Citizens were invited to come see the president speak. President Coolidge, along with his vice president, was standing atop a wooden stage outside the congressional hall. In attendance in the thick of the crowd was the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the interior. Halfway through the speech, a group of men approached the stage, weaving through the crowd. The conspirators were seven in number and had served as spies for the Khakis during the war in the city of Washington, managing to play the part of the good little Socialist Party follower to avoid detection. Each member was wearing a crude suicide bomber vest, similar to the ones used by Irish radials during the Great War and beyond. With the press of a button, the stage was obliterated as the spy killed himself and Calvin Coolidge, along with the VP. Detonating in the crowd, the War Secretary and the Interior Secretary shared a similar fate. With the executive branch nearly decapitated, that left Secretary of State George Norris as next in line for the presidency. Norris was still in Iowa visiting family. The closest member of the cabinet was the Labor Secretary Big Bill Haywood. As it would be a few days until Norris would return, Haywood became the acting president. A supporter of violence to achieve the goals of Marxist thought, Haywood became convinced that it was necessary to flush out the remaining anti communists. Haywood incorrectly believed that the plot to kill Coolidge was part of a vast conspiracy to overthrow the government. He came to believe there were "secret Caps" in his midst. He also was convinced it would take someone with a stronger constitution to sniff out the "traitors," not someone like George Norris.
George Norris's train was stopped in Indiana unexpectedly by FBI agents under Haywood's orders. The agents convinced Norris about the folly of assuming the presidency by threatening his family. Haywood similarly intimidated his rival William Z. Foster, the Speaker of the Worker's Congress, into not claiming the office. With Norris and Foster out of the way, the Secretary of Labor, next in line after Secretary of State, was sworn into office by Chief Justice Norman Thomas on January 2nd, 1926, who instinctively distrusted the new president. Almost as soon as he was in the office, he let loose the Federal Agents to root out "Caps," anarchists, and enemies of the state. Haywood, not a devout believer in Loud Cal's "New Deal," nevertheless continued his economic plan, begrudgingly allowing the small privately owned businesses to remain. From 1926 to his death in 1928 by stroke, the United States was gripped in terror as mass purges were conducted to clear the state of "Cap influence." Thousands were sent to work camps in the Rocky Mountains to work in the mines while others were sent into the Midwest to work on state owned farms. As president, Haywood also had the Worker's Army deployed to surround the Republic of Kansas by claiming that it was a potential threat to "The Revolution." Kansas could not defeat the numerically superior Worker's Army, despite many of their most gifted officers being culled during the purge. The Invasion of Kansas began on July 3rd, 1927. The much smaller nation was quickly overwhelmed and with a stroke of a pen, Kansas was the newest state in the Union. In a grip of paranoia, Big Bill Haywood canceled the 1928 election due to "Anarchist threats," and the amount of fear he created meant that the Worker's Congress barley raised a whisper against him. Haywood died on May 18th, 1928 of a stroke. Following his death, his Secretary of State Huey Long would be inaugurated as President of the United States of America. Long was just as powerful as his predecessor, but was much more diplomatic and pragmatic, which would result in the remaining European powers recognizing him as the legitimate American government over the Congo government, though the Congo was given recognition by every major would power as an independent nation, including Long's America.
President Big Bill Haywood, seated center
President Huey Long
Last edited:
I can see it now:
"Cal Coolidge's Body lies a moldering in the grave!
Cal Coolidge's Body lies a moldering in the grave!
Cal Coolidge's Body lies a moldering in the grave!
But his soul is marching on!"
Also, nooo! Coolidge!
"Cal Coolidge's Body lies a moldering in the grave!
Cal Coolidge's Body lies a moldering in the grave!
Cal Coolidge's Body lies a moldering in the grave!
But his soul is marching on!"
Also, nooo! Coolidge!
At least he'll have a better legacy as a martyr. Unlike Haywood, later non communist generations will still look at him fondly
American Presidents: 25 - 29
Presidents 22-29: Age of unrest to the Second American Revolution
1905-1909 George Henry White (Libertarian): 22nd
1909- December 1st, 1914 Alfred Thayer Mahan* (Libertarian): 23rd
December 1st, 1914 - 1917 Charles W. Fairbanks (Libertarian) 24th
March 4th, 1917 Eugene V. Debbs* (Democratic Socialist fusion ticket) 25th
March 4th - April 12th, 1917 Willard Saulsbury Jr.** (Libertarian) 26th
April 12th, 1917 - December 24th, 1925 Calvin "Loud Cal" Coolidge* (Socialist) 27th
December 24th 1925 - January 2nd 1926 (Acting) January 2nd, 1926 - May 18th, 1928 Bill "Big Bill" Haywood (Socialist) 28th
May 18th, 1928 - 1967 Huey Long (Socialist) 29th
1905-1909 George Henry White (Libertarian): 22nd
1909- December 1st, 1914 Alfred Thayer Mahan* (Libertarian): 23rd
December 1st, 1914 - 1917 Charles W. Fairbanks (Libertarian) 24th
March 4th, 1917 Eugene V. Debbs* (Democratic Socialist fusion ticket) 25th
March 4th - April 12th, 1917 Willard Saulsbury Jr.** (Libertarian) 26th
April 12th, 1917 - December 24th, 1925 Calvin "Loud Cal" Coolidge* (Socialist) 27th
December 24th 1925 - January 2nd 1926 (Acting) January 2nd, 1926 - May 18th, 1928 Bill "Big Bill" Haywood (Socialist) 28th
May 18th, 1928 - 1967 Huey Long (Socialist) 29th
Last edited:
And thus the first timeline I ever started reading on this website comes to an end. I must thank you @Odinson for the great time it has been.
(Also, on a side note, you don't have the Bill Haywood's picture labeled, unless that an intentional thing due to how hated he is.)
(Also, on a side note, you don't have the Bill Haywood's picture labeled, unless that an intentional thing due to how hated he is.)
Great timeline to follow, really cool to see your development throughout the ages. I look forward to what's next.