If Buttercups Buzz'd After the Bee: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire

[Schnozzberry]

If buttercups buzz'd after the bee,
If boats were on land,
Churches on sea,
If ponies rode men,
And if grass ate the corn,
And if cats should be chased
Into holes by the mouse,
If the mammas sold their babies
To the Gypsies for half a crown,
If summer were spring,
And the other way 'round,
Then all the world would be upside down.

Government forces fleeing the Regulators at the Battle of Springfield
​

Narration Link

A most Abhorrent Violence: The Death of the First American Republic by August H. Drake. USA, 2037.

By 1786, the First Republic of the United States of America had survived independence for a decade, and peacetime for three years. But all indication was that it wouldn’t survive to see another. The governing body of the Republic, the Congress of the Confederation, could scarcely assemble a quorum, tensions between the states threatened to destabilize the frail Confederation, and internal unrest in several of the states was mounting.

Even as a convention was planned to revise the Articles into a more functional form, many across the Union were calling for the establishment of two or more smaller and more vibrant republics. But, in Massachusetts events which would save the Union – and kill the Republic were in motion.

Massachusetts had been bound for internal issues since the end of the Revolutionary War. The state’s government was dominated by the eastern mercantile elite who sought hard currency for debts and taxation. With hard currency being difficult to come by due to shortages throughout the whole Union, the economic situation gravely harmed the poorer classes. One particularly hard-hit group were returning veterans from the War for Independence who had fallen into debt during their service but had found little or no pay coming for their time in the army. Under Governor John Hancock, tensions had been kept low as Hancock’s administration refused to enforce hard currency requirements, however when Hancock retired in 1785, it set the stage for his political rival James Bowdoin to become governor. (1)

James Bowdoin​

In contrast to Hancock, Bowdoin re-instituted hard currency demands, raised taxes, and began demanding back taxes which Hancock had neglected. His administration’s harshness led to crisis in the state as more and more of Massachusetts’ poor found themselves evicted or threatened with being thrown in debtors’ prison. Finally, on August 29th, 1786, the situation finally came to a head in Northampton as protesters shut down the local Inferior Court. A second court in Worcester was shut down as well on September 5th. Troublingly, the local militia refused to turn out due to the militiamen being sympathetic towards the protesters.

Through the month, the situation continued to simmer, but on September 26th, it finally erupted into the first bout of violence. The city of Springfield was to be the site of a meeting by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, and the protesters, whom had begun to call themselves Regulators, decided to shut down this court as well. On September 26th, three hundred Regulator militiamen commanded by Captain Daniel Shays and Captain Luke Day sat on the outskirts of the town, drilling and preparing for reinforcements. Defending the court were three hundred government militiamen, identifiable by white cloth adorning their hats, and commanded by Major General William Shepard.

General Shepard​

Riding a horse through an assembly of his men, Shepard planned to speak to them shortly after lunchtime, but fate would not allow him to do so. A single shot cracked through the air and struck Shepard’s horse which proceeded to rise and throw Shepard. The General fell and broke his neck, perishing near immediately. Legends abound about who actually shot Shepard and why. The most commonly accepted story, which Daniel Shays and Luke Day would repeat at various points was that a young, untrained Regulator accidentally shot by mistake. But, claims of a Regulator assassin, some unknown figure who disappeared into the neighboring woods, or even an assassin sent by Bowdoin to give justification for harsh laws to crack down on the protests have been floated by historians. (2) Regardless of who shot Shepard, the event sparked a clash between white-capped government forces and the Regulators.

Sixteen minutes past one o-clock, the Battle of Springfield came to an end with a Regulator victory. The defeat of the government forces would lead to a general uprising occurring across the whole of Massachusetts as thousands began to flock to the Regulator’s banner. The fall of Springfield had another grave effect: the Springfield Armory fell into the Regulator’s hands, granting them a far larger supply of weaponry. In response to the situation, Governor Bowdoin called upon the state militia to turn out, but in many ways the situation was falling apart too fast for the state militia to actually save Bowdoin’s government. By October 15th, Great Barrington, Concord, Taunton Groton and many other towns were in open revolt, with government control only truly extending to Boston, and Suffolk and Essex Counties. (3) In an attempt to keep control, the government of Massachusetts would pass several laws including a Riot Act, a suspension of habeas corpus, criminalization of speech critical of the government, and after a Bostonian newspaper critiqued these actions, a suspension of the freedom of the press. (4) All done to, as Bowdoin put it, “vindicate the insulted dignity of government.” These oppressive actions provoked a violent reaction from Boston’s poor with a riot rocking the city on October 21st.

In response to Governor Bowdoin’s call to assemble the militia, Shays, who continued to be the nominal leader of the rebellion, organized a march on Boston. By the 18th, the Regulator army had grown from three hundred to a combined force of nearly 7,500 which was broken into three armies, one under the command of Shays, one under Luke Day, and a third under the command of a third Captain, Job Shattuck. (5) The Regulator armies would arrive at Boston on October 24th, with Shays having every intention of negotiating with Bowdoin; Boston was at least in theory utterly defensible due to the natural terrain making an actual attack on the city by the Regulators near impossible. Much to Shays’ surprise however, the city was already flying Regulator colors.

The riot that had rocked Boston on the 21st escalated out of control when Governor Bowdoin ordered General Benjamin Lincoln, who was currently the commander of the eight-hundred militiamen native to Boston, to put down the riot with force. Many of the militiamen were fine with fighting those from the western reaches of the state, but firing upon fellow Bostonians was too much and many of the militiamen would desert, and a number under the command of Lieutenant Martin Horn would turn on Lincoln. Horn and his men would arrest Lincoln for treason against the people of Boston, and join forces with a figure who had taken charge of at least some of the mob, a printer named Clark Hopswood. While Horn wasn’t very sympathetic to the Regulators, he himself had struggled with debt and found some potential for Hopswood’s idea of using the situation to force economic relief for all Massachusites, not just the poor western farmers, to save himself from his own debt issues, and thus, Martin Horn joined forces with Clark Hopswood to establish Regulator control over the city.

Clark Hopswood​

There was one mild hiccup with the plan, however. A mob that had yet to be wrangled under control by either Hopswood or Horn would lynch Governor Bowdoin as Hopswood and Horn discussed what exactly they ought to do to get the city under control. By the time that Shays and his Regulator army arrived at Boston, Horn and Hopswood had managed to regain control of the city but several other figures had been attacked by mob forces. James Bowdoin III, Governor Bowdoin’s son, had been beaten to death by a mob, Benjamin Lincoln and two men assigned to guard him had been killed by another mob, and Samuel Adams had been lynched along with several other prominent supporters of the laws which had revoked habeas corpus and the rights of speech and press. (6) Most of Massachusetts’ most prominent figures had fled the state, including John Hancock and Lieutenant Governor (now Acting Governor) Thomas Cushing III. Another fleeing figure, James Warren, would write to John Adams that “We are now in a state of total Anarchy and Confusion. Whatever happens now, I fear it will bring about a most Abhorrent Violence.” While none of the men involved knew it, they had lit the spark that would become a great bonfire that would scour the state of Massachusetts – and the whole of the United States.

(1) This is all OTL. Hancock may have actually resigned because he knew a crisis was on the horizon.
(2) The POD. Obviously conspiracies will abound because its a fairly identifiable "turning point" as it were.
(3) The easternmost reaches of the state.
(4) Barring the suspension of the press, this is all OTL.
(5) The size and breakdown is very similar to OTL.
(6) He supported these in OTL as well, somewhat surprisingly.

 

[Schnozzberry]

A most Abhorrent Violence: The Death of the First American Republic by August H. Drake. USA, 2037.

With Boston in their hands, the Regulators had effective control over the whole of Massachusetts with the exception of the northeastern county of Essex, and the Maine counties. Despite their successes, the violence that came with Clark Hopswood and Martin Horn’s takeover of Boston left the Regulators’ victory entirely uncertain. While Hopswood and Luke Day found some method to justify the events, Daniel Shays, Job Shattuck and Martin Horn were all apprehensive and none of the emerging leaders of the Rebellion had any real plan of what to do next. Thomas Cushing III, the de jure Acting Governor of Massachusetts had fled the state along with many of Massachusetts’s most prominent figures, leaving some serious questions as to who, if anyone, the Regulators were to negotiate with.

Governor Cushing​

Hopswood and Day believed that Cushing and the government’s flight meant that they had forfeited their posts and therefore the Regulators could form a new government. Shays, Horn and Shattuck on the other hand believed they ought to try and negotiate with Cushing and the exiled government which was assembling in New York City. On November 1st however, letters began to circulate through Boston claiming that Shays was attempting to turn over Massachusetts back to the old government, and on the 5th, an outraged mob confronted Shays and the other Regulator leaders after they attended a joint Sunday sermon. In order to prevent the mob from attacking Shays, Hopswood and Day promised the mob that the Regulators would hold a vote through the state on whether or not the Regulators should form a government, and that in the meantime the Regulators would establish an interim government. While this promise likely saved Shays’ life, it fractured the Regulator leadership between the more radical Hopswood and Day, and Shays.

Outside of Massachusetts, the question of what exactly the other states of the Union ought to do were being asked. New York state granted the exiled Cushing government refuge, and even permitted Acting Governor Cushing to begin organizing a privately funded army to retake the state. Major Generals William Heath and John Paterson were given command over the exiles’ army, which approached twelve-hundred in strength by late November. Outside of permitting the exiled government to recruit, the short-sighted New York government took little action on the crisis in Massachusetts. Governor of New York, George Clinton, was of the mind that while the Regulator’s actions were extreme and brutal, they were the logical consequence of James Bowdoin “lording over the people of Massachusetts as if he were Thomas Gage” (Massachusetts’ last colonial governor), which would prove to be a rather popular opinion across the Union, even amongst relatively conservative writers. The Congress of the Confederation would debate which government of Massachusetts should be recognized by the Union as a whole and come to no conclusion. The Regulators were entirely rejected by all but Rhode Island, but the representatives of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York and Pennsylvania feared that recognizing the exiled government would provoke a violent reaction from the Regulators.

While Americans celebrated the New Year with a degree of anxiety over things to come, New Hampshire became the second state to descend into crisis. Many of the same problems which plagued Massachusetts plagued New Hampshire, although the President of New Hampshire, John Sullivan, took a more proactive approach than James Bowdoin which kept things generally under wraps. The first signs of the growing instability occurred in the September of 1786, when two hundred Regulators (both New Hampshirite and Massachusite protesters styled themselves Regulators) attempted to mimic the Massachusite Regulators and shut down the Court in Exeter. (1) The attempt failed because President Sullivan, who was a General in the War for Independence, personally led the state militia to stop them.

President Sullivan​

As the months passed however, Brigadier General Jonathan Moulton, and Doctor Nathaniel Peabody began to push for a second round of protests by the Regulators. President Sullivan would meet with Peabody through the winter, and actually managed to reach a compromise on February 20th. The agreement would not last for long however as Moulton refused to cooperate, and when the Rockingham County court attempted to try Peabody on a matter involving his outstanding debts on March 17th, the agreement collapsed completely. Mimicking the previous events in September, the Regulators would assemble in Kingston, four hundred strong, and march on the county seat, Brentwood. Moulton led the march personally, and on March 25th, the Regulators descended upon Brentwood. The town was defended by only eighty-odd local militiamen who would not actually obstruct the Regulators as they had turned out to counter the roughly one-hundred men who were defending Peabody from arrest.

Nathaniel Peabody​

With the local militia standing down, the now five hundred strong forces of Moulton and Peabody had free reign over much of Rockingham County. Initially, the Regulator forces intended to burn down the court building, but Brentwood’s minister, Nathaniel Trask, managed to talk the Regulators down from such action. (2) Instead, the Regulators would focus on building up their strength in order to prevent from being overwhelmed as they had been the prior September. President Sullivan, however, had no plans to rest on his laurels in the mean-time and thus on April 1st led a two-thousand strong militia force against the Regulators. Sullivan would crush the Regulators at the Battle of Brentwood on April 7th. The New Hampshirite Regulators would then march south towards the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border in a desperate gamble for survival. (3)

The Regulators successfully crossed the border on April 10th, President Sullivan hot on their heels. Sullivan would also cross the border, not intending on allowing the Regulators to gather their strength in Massachusetts. On April 13th, news of the New Hampshirite invasion would prompt local Regulator leader, Colonel George Goodluck, whom had been tasked with the asserting of Regulator control over Essex County, to rally as many men as he could to meet the invaders. In what would become known as the Second Battle of Concord, Regulators of both New Hampshire and Massachusetts would repel Sullivan. When news of the Battle reached Boston, Hopswood would denounce New Hampshire and Sullivan, writing in a letter that would soon be circulated through the city that the Regulators would stand with their fellows in New Hampshire as “punishment” for their actions in invading Massachusetts. Furthermore, Hopswood argued that just as the American war for Independence had begun at Concord, so too had the Massachusite war for Independence begun in the Second Battle of Concord. This was the limit of what Shays could take, and on April 20th, Shays would denounce Hopswood in a public address in which Shays referred to Hopswood’s actions and radicalism as dooming the whole Regulator movement and giving justification to their opponents. This address did not end well for Shays, who would be arrested by his own men and placed in prison for “treason” a short while following the address.

The Regulator uprising in New Hampshire sent shock-waves through the states, arguably more so than even the uprising in Massachusetts. This was only further compounded by Hopswood’s denunciation of New Hampshire which many feared would turn out to be a declaration of war upon New Hampshire. No longer were the Regulators a movement limited to a single state, even a state with a relatively proactive government was facing overthrow by the Regulators. And, to make matters worse, the Regulators seemed that they might expand their influence with force! In response, Governor Clinton began to secretly see funding be provided to the Cushing government, as well as an increase in drilling of the state militia. The government of Connecticut voted on April 29th to call out the state militia for “defense of the state.” In Rhode Island, the recently ascendant Country Party found itself disgraced for being fairly pro-Regulator, with several members being accused of outright being Regulators. Additionally for Rhode Island, the already unpopular Governor John Collins would resign in disgrace as well on May 1st. Most influential of all of the events however was the action of the Congress of the Confederation, which, on May 14th, would vote unanimously to call upon the states to restore the Cushing government to Massachusetts. What had been a crisis in a single state a few short months prior was rapidly spiraling out of control…

(1) This was OTL
(2) Also OTL
(3) In OTL, the New Hampshirite Regulators were arrested.

 

[Schnozzberry]

A most Abhorrent Violence: The Death of the First American Republic by August H. Drake. USA, 2037.

​

Daniel Shays’ arrest paved the way for Clark Hopswood and Luke Day to emerge triumphant as the de facto leaders of the Regulator movement, it led to a shift in the movement. Some Regulators began to fear that the influence of more radical elements, particularly that of Hopswood, threatened to doom even the moderate elements of the Regulator movement. As the Regulators voted for their leaders, plans were drawn up to vote Shays back into power and oust Day. However, on May 24th, 1787, the Exiled government would launch it’s first attack on the Regulators, with forces twenty-six hundred strong, and commanded by William Heath, marching across the New York border and toke Great Barrington without a fight. The plans for a coup against Hopswood and Day ended as the Regulators mobilized to fight back the Cushing government’s forces.

Rumours of the anti-Hopswood plans made their way right to Hopswood alongside the news of the invasion, and it was here that Clark Hopswood would demonstrate his cunning for the first time. Seeking to kill two birds with one stone, Hopswood would convince Day that the time to form a Regulator government of Massachusetts was now, and that any vote on the matter would have to be postponed until “peace is assured.” And so, with Day on his side, and the threat of arrest looming over their heads, both Martin Horn and Job Shattuck fell in line with Hopswood, and on May 26th, the four men would declare themselves to be the “Emergency Committee for the Defense of Massachusetts” or, as history remembers them, simply the “Emergency Committee.” Many were reluctant to accept the Emergency Committee’s legitimacy, even the addition of the popular Regulator writer and leader, Eli Parsons to the Committee on the 27th failed to sway many Regulators. However, news that the city of Northampton was captured by the “Cushingites” on June 1st led to many of those who were reluctant to accept the Emergency Committee to accept it – at least for the moment. As one commentator put it, “it is better to accept five despots than one as the five shall squabble between themselves and ignore the people:- a single despot will have their full attention directed to subjugating the people.”

Arguably the most capable military leader amongst the Regulators, Luke Day would lead a force of three thousand Regulators against Heath immediately after the Emergency Committee’s formation on May 26th, and the two would collide in Springfield, the birthplace of the Regulator revolt on June 3rd. Perhaps any other commander could have led the Cushingites to victory on that day, but William Heath was, to put it bluntly, a poor excuse for a General. (1) The Cushingite forces were routed by Day, with Heath and the remaining forces under his control fleeing south towards Connecticut. A day later, in Enfield, Connecticut, the Regulators would deal Heath a second defeat, upon which he retreated further South along the Connecticut River. The Regulators followed, and a day later, the Connecticut State Militia would go on the offensive, planning to throw back the Massachusite invasion. In command of the militia was the aging Israel Putnam. Some had doubts that Putnam was well enough to command, a paralytic stroke had prematurely ended Putnam’s service in the War for Independence, and despite regaining near complete control over his limbs some years prior, rumours over his health still swirled. (2)

Israel Putnam​

Seven miles north of Hartford, Day and Putnam met in battle. Putnam led the larger force, although the bulk of the Connecticuters were entirely without battle experience. Day’s men were a motley mix of veterans and green men. But, that would matter little for Day as the Regulators also had a secret weapon: cannon looted from the Springfield Armory. Unable to be used in previous engagements due to the powder being too damp (they were also entirely unneeded against Heath’s forces), Day would receive Putnam’s opening assault against the Regulator lines with rounds of grapeshot. A few men continued, fighting on for “Old Put,” but too many turned tail and ran for Putnam to continue his aggressive assault. Lacking any further defenses, Hartford fell to the Regulators, forcing the elements of the state government in the city (Hartford and New Haven were jointly the state capital) to flee to New Haven. The Regulator invasion of Connecticut would tip the edge on outside intervention in the conflict.

While Luke Day was smashing through the Cushingite and Connecticuter forces, Martin Horn was tasked with beating President of New Hampshire, John Sullivan. In contrast to Day and his relatively sizable forces, Horn had under his command a measly four hundred men when he crossed the New Hampshire-Massachusetts border. In theory, Horn also had the New Hampshire Regulators under the command of Brigadier General Jonathan Moulton, as well as the forces of Colonel George Goodluck. However, Moulton and his men broke ranks with Horn, charging off to Exeter as Moulton was determined to “provoke a general rising,” while Goodluck’s men threatened to vote a new leader if Goodluck took them out of Massachusetts. (3) Thus, Horn and his men had to go it alone. The sole boon for Horn was the fact that Dr. Nathaniel Peabody decided to stick with Horn and his men as the two had become friends.

Martin Horn​

Despite having launched his campaign to seek revenge for Sullivan’s attack across the border, when Horn and his men actually crossed the border on June 8th, Horn abandoned the plan to fight Sullivan and instead continued his march north and east along the coast, crossing into the last holdout of Cushing’s Massachusetts: the District of Maine. Following Regulator’s victory in the remainder of Massachusetts, the District maintained a Cushingite government in Portland under the leadership of Judge William Lithgow, and due to the District’s low population, it had far less in the way of defensive capacities. The Regulator forces would march straight to Portland, encountering no resistance baring a minor skirmish two miles outside of the town of Pepperellborough. On June 20th, Portland too fell to the Regulators, and with it the whole of Massachusetts was under the dominance of the Regulators.

The virtually bloodless capture of Maine ought to have been a victory for Martin Horn, but back in Boston Horn was mocked for “cowardice”. With Day’s victories in Connecticut, the public began to say that “Day defeated ten thousand with one, Horn fled from one with ten thousand.” Regardless of the inaccuracies in the statement, it represented the popular opinion of Horn’s leadership, at least in Boston. Horn himself was infuriated by the fact that he was being lambasted for a victory, but on July 5th, news that Moulton had actually been successful in his goal of achieving an uprising against President Sullivan which shocked both Horn and Peabody who considered Moulton’s plan suicidal when he began a month prior. (4)

Moulton’s success allowed the New Hampshire Regulators to declare the “Regulated Republic of Merrymack” (5) in Exeter on July 2nd with Moulton as Rector of the Republic. The newly proclaimed Rector would request Horn and Peabody come to Exeter to reinforce the “Merrymackian” Regulators as President Sullivan had escaped capture and Moulton feared a counter-revolt against the fledgling Merrymack Regulators. Horn would oblige Moulton, hoping that the decision would aid his crumbling prestige.

Upon arrival in Exeter on the 13th, Horn and his Regulators would discover that Sullivan actually surrendered to the Merrymack Regulators two days prior, and that while Peabody was readily invited to work with Moulton on forming the new government, Horn and his men were less welcome and thus returned to Massachusetts. Upon returning to Boston, Horn would discover that George Goodluck had, instead of assisting Horn in his invasion north, gone south and attacked Rhode Island and installed Justice William West as head of the “Free State of Rhode Island.” (6) Further victories by Day in Connecticut that saw New Haven fall to the Regulators, thus placing most of New England under Regulator control. All of this made Horn’s campaign seem an even greater failure. As Horn resumed his position as a member of the Emergency Committee, he would prove far easier to batter into agreement by Hopswood as a result of this.

These victories legitimized what was one of the most radical ideas in Hopswood’s multitude of plans for the future of the Regulators: the idea that the Regulator movement was to “next phase” of the American Revolution. On August 12th, Hopswood would give a speech to a crowd of Bostonians where he proclaimed that the Regulators would “sweep away the last vestiges of the Old World corruptions.” In order to do so, Hopswood proposed to the people that the Regulator movements of Massachusetts, Merrymack, Rhode Island and Connecticut (ignoring the fact Connecticut didn’t really have a Regulator presence other than the Massachusite occupation) should unite under one banner to achieve victory.

This was, in many ways, the last time Hopswood’s rise to power could have been averted. Up to this point, Hopswood was still largely unwelcome with the majority of the Regulators; only support from Day kept him in his position. But if it were to be successful, Hopswood’s plan of uniting the Regulators across the state would end up entrenching him as the leader of the Regulator movement…

(1) Perhaps a harsh description, but Heath was censured by Washington in 1777 and pushed into a minor roll.
(2) Putnam had largely recover by this point, although he evidently had issues with riding a horse.
(3) The woes of a democratic military.
(4) Moulton is often called the "American Faust," so some might say the devil is behind this. That is a questionable conclusion though.
(5) Named after the Merrimack Valley. Merrymack was an alternate spelling.
(6) West nearly led Rhode Island to civil war IOTL over the Constitution.

 

[Schnozzberry]

Hello everyone, Scarce here with another double post. This time, it's an update though, so I hope y'all enjoy!

The Second Constitution is Signed
​

A most Abhorrent Violence: The Death of the First American Republic by August H. Drake. USA, 2037.

The rest of the United States was not idle as the Regulators continued their rampage across New England. On June 3rd, the same day as the second Battle of Springfield, an assembly of representatives of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island and the Cushingites of Massachusetts agreed to establish an army that would be jointly funded and manned by the aforementioned states with the sole purpose to throw the Regulators back. Major General “Mad” Anthony Wayne was made head of the combined army.

Wayne would commit tremendous efforts towards assembling the joint army, however, he would be hampered at every turn as rumors of Regulator plots caused New York and New Jersey to withhold significant amounts of men and material to protect themselves, while Rhode Island and Connecticut would fall to Regulator control and only exiled remnants would become a part of the joint army. Throughout August, the paranoia of New York would be proven correct as a series of small revolts would break out in the norther part of the state, sapping further from the planned pushback against the Regulators. Through July and August, the joint army would languish due to the various issues, but by September, things were looking up for the joint army. Supplies, funds and manpower began to flow into the joint army as the states began to fear an eminent invasion as the Regulator’s successfully united their governments into one.

And then, on September 28th, all hell broke loose for the Second Constitution of the United States was finally finished, and the Republic entered its death throes.

The First Constitutional Convention from ITTS:usa.was.americanhistory.gov, 2042

The 137 days of the First Constitutional Convention were perhaps the most important days in the whole of the Empire of the United States of America’s history despite the Second Constitution having been used exclusively before the actual declaration of the Empire. It successfully stabilized the fledgling United States, and while it did contribute some to the escalation of the growing Regulator Rebellion, the new Constitution was successful in preventing the nation from disintegrating due to the Rebellion. While the stabilization of the United States was the most immediate effect in the long term, the ideals of the Second Constitution’s proved to be the most important aspect of the Constitution. All succeeding Constitutions, regardless of their actual content, claimed the ideals of the Second Constitution.

On May 14th, 1787, the First Constitutional Convention officially began, although the required quorum of seven states wouldn’t actually be met until the 23rd. The remaining six states would see their delegates arrive later, with Rhode Island’s delegation only departing after the state was overrun by the Regulators in July. [1] One of the first acts of the delegates was to elect General George Washington as President of the Convention. In many ways it was Washington who would allow for the Convention’s success, his respected name and capable leadership kept the Convention united and may even have prevented the Convention from failing. [2]

General Washington​

The beginning of the Constitutional Convention saw a rejection of the initial plan to revise the First Constitution, the Articles of Confederation. Instead, the beginning of the Convention saw a series of plans be floated by the delegates. The first plan, the Virginia Plan, was drafted by James Madison and proposed by Edmund Randolph. The Virginia Plan called for a very powerful bicameral legislature, with a lower house that was elected popularly and proportioned by population, and an upper house elected by the lower house. A weak executive would exist, solely to enforce the legislatures will, and a judicial branch with a limited veto would also be created. The delegates from many of the smaller states however disliked the proposed system of proportion by population, fearing domination by the larger states, and thus threw their weight behind a second plan: the New Jersey plan. Proposed by William Patterson, the New Jersey plan resembled the First Constitution, proposing a unicameral legislature where every state would have equal representation, although in contrast to the First Convention an executive would be created as well as a judiciary.

James Maddison William Patterson​

As the two plans were debated, the Regulator Revolt continued to escalate, prompting some to fear that the proposed plans would simply not create a government that would be strong enough to protect against internal unrest. Foremost among those who believed this was Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton would create a third plan, the Hamilton Plan, which would be the first proposal to end the republic and establish a monarchy. [3] The Hamilton Plan would call for a bicameral legislature with an elected lower house, and an upper house elected by electors. An elected monarch would serve as the executive, with the monarch being elected by the upper house. [4] The plan was a radical departure from what was generally accepted to future of the United States, and while considered well designed by all delegates, the plan truly only saw small level of support when it was first proposed. However as the Regulators continued to advance, more and more support was thrown behind the Hamilton Plan, leaving the Convention in a three-way deadlock that may have ended it had it not been for the Great Compromise.

Alexander Hamilton​

The Great Compromise was a plan devised by four men: Roger Sherman, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Nathaniel Gorham and Oliver Ellsworth. Working outside of the Convention in private, the four men each held far-differing beliefs that allowed them to unite the three plans. The Compromise Plan called for a bicameral legislature, with a popularly elected lower house that would be proportioned by population, and an upper house that would be appointed by the state governments, with each state receiving equal representation. The executive would be a three-person affair, with a monarch and two other executives, all of whom would share equal power. [5] A judicial branch, with explicit powers to render federal laws null and void would be created as well, with judges being appointed by the executives. [6] Another provision which was explicitly proposed in the plan was that the states would have full control over all powers not granted to the federal government and have the rights to decide whether or not the state would be a republican or monarchical government. While the Compromise Plan satisfied none of the delegates, when the plan was put forward before the Convention on July 5th, it narrowly managed to come out as the working plan for the Constitution. [7]

Over the next two and a half months, the remaining elements major elements of the Second Constitution would be added. In order to placate many of those who were still concerned that the new monarchy would establish a tyranny, a Bill of Rights would be integrated into the Second Constitution and a proposed “necessary and proper” clause was nixed. [8] Issues involving slavery were frequently argued during the Convention, with another element of critical importance was added. Pro-slavery delegates from the South pushed for significant concessions, threatening that they wouldn’t even join if the new federal government had the authority to interfere with slavery. Anti-slavery elements however found many of the demands to be unwelcome and extremely distasteful, and while a few concessions, such as a proposal to allow 3/5ths of the slave population to be counted as representation in the House of Representatives had been made previously, the debate remained as contentious as ever in July. On August 16th, a series of proposals were made by John Dickenson and Charles Pinckney that largely resolved the situation. Slavery and the international slave trade were not to be touched by the federal government until 1818, at which point the federal government could begin the process of compensated emancipation that was to take “no more than thirty years.’ In order to sell this to the pro-slavery faction, the full slave population was to be counted for representation, export taxes were to be fully banned, and import taxes would require two-thirds approval by Congress. Even still, and despite Charles Pinckney throwing his weight behind it, the proposal faltered. However, it was at this point that Washington broke his otherwise stalwart impartiality and spoke up in support of the proposals. Washington’s support, along with an agreement that the national capital would be place north of the Mason-Dixon line, finally propelled the proposals to passing. [9] Despite their extremely contentious nature, the issues surrounding slavery were ultimately amongst the least important in the long term as the Third Constitution would override the bulk of them when it was established in 1842. [10]

With the largest of the issues resolved, the remaining period saw many smaller issues be debated as the Committee of Detail finished drafting the body of the constitution, and the Committee of Style piece together all of the various details into a cohesive document. On September 21st, the final draft of the Second Constitution was complete, and three days later adopted by the Convention. The Constitution ultimately pleased none of the delegates, but as Benjamin Franklin would go on to say: “Considering our current situation, I doubt too whether any other Convention we can obtain, may be able to make a better Constitution.” Ultimately forty-three of the sixty-one total delegates [11] would sign the Constitution that would be published for the whole of the United States to read on September 28th. While the Constitution called for ratification by all of the states through their own individual ratification conventions, due to the situation, the Congress of the Confederation could temporarily ratify the Constitution until each of the states could hold a ratification convention themselves. Thus, the Second Constitution came into effect on October 3rd as the Congress of the Confederation unanimously voted to ratify the Second Constitution…

[1] Rhode Island didn't attend OTL, but given the circumstances, the exiled government likely would have sent representatives.
[2] All per OTL
[3] IOTL Hamilton proposed what was in effect called for an elective monarchy, so the Hamilton Plan is largely his OTL proposal re-branded. It's doubtful Hamilton was a monarchist IOTL, and even ITTL he really isn't an actual monarchist but instead is using the idea to advance his ideas. Of course, he won't be characterized that way ITTL because his proposal forms a monarchical government.
[4] All Hamilton's OTL plan.
[5] Most of this is OTL as well, of course with the addition of an elected monarch to the compromise. To avert fears of establishing a tyrannical monarchy, the two executives (Directors) are added which makes the monarchist government actually resemble some of OTL's most outspoken anti-monarchists proposals as they too proposed a multi-person executive.
[6] The Judiciary has the precedent set by Marbury v. Madison from the get go in this proposal, likely to give extra assurance against tyranny.
[7] Like most compromises, nobody's particularly happy, but they can tolerate it for the good of all.
[8] IOTL three members of the Convention, Elbridge Gerry, George Mason and Edmund Randolph attempted to get a Bill of Rights in during the Convention but the proposal failed. ITTL the Convention is more acceptable.
[9] In OTL, the Capital was placed as close to the north as it could while still being considered a southern city so ITTL the capital will be as far south as it can be while still being north of the Mason-Dixon line.
[10] I know this makes it seem like slavery ends peacefully, but that isn't strictly speaking true.
[11] Similar ratio to OTL.

 

[Schnozzberry]

Hello everyone, it has been a bit.

I had some ideas planned out, and even a couple of updates practically finished shortly after the last update, but I decided to completely rework Martin Horn's path, and with work/school eating up a lot of my time, the rework took a bit. Anywho, onwards to the next segment!

The Confederation of Free American Republics is Declared
​

A most Abhorrent Violence: The Death of the First American Republic by August H. Drake. USA, 2037.

As the Second Constitution reorganized the First Republic in order to ensure security and continuing stability, Republicans across the Union began to organize for one last hurrah – a Second Revolution to complete the order of the first. [1] By late October, as the weather began to foul and bring an end to the potential for any more campaigns in 1787, formerly pacified upper New York State fell into the hands of local Regulator-aligned Republicans who established the Republic of the Hudson that rapidly aligned with Hopswood and the other Regulators. New Jersey saw an anti-Regulator Republican rising in southern New Jersey that wouldn’t survive the winter as internal struggle tore the revolt apart. [2] Philadelphia was shaken apart by riots, and Pennsylvanian control over the western reaches of the state collapsed. Vermont declared that it would reject any proposal for admission into the Union if the Republic wasn’t restored, although this action would only lead to New York and New Hampshire reiterating their claims to the territory.

In Regulator-held territory however, the Second Constitution would be spun by Clark Hopswood, Luke Day and the other radicals into being proof of the righteousness of the Regulator cause. Through the winter, the Regulators would use this opportunity to hold their own equivalent of the First Constitutional Convention, the Boston Convention. The Boston Convention would see representatives of Massachusetts, Merrymack, Rhode Island, the newly proclaimed “Free” Connecticut and Hudson establish their own Constitution to unite the Regulator movements. Coming into effect on January 1st of 1788, the Regulator Constitution would establish the Confederation of Free American Republics as the Regulator’s answer to the United States. According to the Regulator Constitution, the CFAR broadly resembled the First Republic, being weak confederation where most of the power was in the hands of the states. A legislature did exist, with some authority to establish levy tariffs and maintain the military, and each state being represented equally with a single vote. An executive was created, a five-man affair with a “Chief Executive” heading it.

Clark Hopswood would serve as the first (and only) Chief Executive of the CFAR, with Luke Day, Job Shattuck, Nathaniel Peabody and Goodluck Johnson as the other four Executives. While on paper the Executives had little power, Hopswood maintained de-facto dictator status as the Regulator Constitution provided for emergency powers, with Day and Johnson’s popularity amongst the Regulator armies keeping things in line.

Flag of the CFAR​

The two Regulator leaders’ popularity hinged upon continued victory for the Regulators, which would be seen as winter gave way to the spring of 1788. Day and Johnson would finish subjugating Connecticut in the harsh winter months, allowing the Regulators to cross into New York that March, cutting a bloody path towards New York City. General Anthony Wayne would launch a sound defense through March, seizing foodstuffs and other supplies in a slow retreat back towards New York City which nearly forced the Regulators to retreat for a lack of supply. Unfortunately for the Union, a protest in New York City escalated into a riot, and then into a full-on revolt. General Wayne’s army was near Yonkers, only a few miles from New York City at the time, and now faced being pressed between New York City and the Regulator Army. With no realistic hope of breaking both, General Wayne abandoned his plan and retreated across the Hudson River into New Jersey.

Wayne would be heavily critiqued for his decision to retreat. The reports of the revolt in New York City that Wayne received exaggerated the situation, requiring the Regulator Army to intervene to keep the revolt from being beaten back. Regardless, Wayne would remain in control of the Union’s forces for the time being, regrouping his forces near Newark.

For the Regulators, the fall of New York was an unimaginable victory, and it gave a glimmer of hope that the war would be over soon, especially with the unrest in the remainder of the northern states. However, the southern states remained stable and firmly stood against the spread of the Regulators. Many within the southern political order feared what might happen if the Regulators rose to power, not wanting to lose the power that had been increasingly concentrating in the hands of the plantation elite, and with New York falling, the southern states finally began to come to the aid of their northern brethren.

None of the Regulator Executives took the southern states seriously however. Hopswood himself would declare “it would only take a hard blow, and the whole rotten structure would crumble. The farmers of Virginia are too slaves to the gentry as the negro – they just need to be enlightened to that fact…” [3] in a letter between him and Day about the south’s involvement. The sole major dissenting voice was Martin Horn. Following his sidelining, Horn had begun to grow increasingly paranoid and skeptical of the other leading elements of the Regulators. Fearing that Hopswood and the other Executives’ decision to ignore the south would lead to the Regulator’s destruction, Horn began to concoct a scheme to destroy the power of the south…


American Spartacus by Joseph K. Lee. Republic of Dixie, 2020

On April 19th, 1788, Richard Smalls arrived in Boston. An escaped slave from Charleston, Smalls had beard of the Regulators from a conversation his master had, and after fighting back against a particularly brutal beating from an overseer, Smalls fled north until reaching Boston.

Robert Smalls [4]​

It was here that Smalls and Horn would meet, greatly affecting Horn’s plans for a Southern war as Smalls convinced Horn to change the plan for a poor free farmer’s revolt into including a servile rebellion alongside it. While the new plan would have the potential to destabilize the South far more, it would also require far more effort and preparation than Horn and his small clique could provide. And so, Horn would meet with Job Shattuck to try and obtain material support from the Confederation. The ever-weary Shattuck, trying desperately to restrain the radicalism of his fellows, rejected the plan. “Such an action,” Shattuck would state, “were to end in defeat, as it near certainly would, would provoke total wrath from the Potomac to Florida.” This startlingly accurate prediction did not deter Horn however who then proceeded to meet with Hopswood instead.

And Hopswood loved the plan.

While the first rains of May splattered on the small glass window of Horn’s upper room, Horn, Hopswood, Shattuck and Smalls met with the others of Horn’s clique. Shattuck stood aside, his concerns and cautions ignored as Hopswood revealed that the Spanish had planned to send aid to the Confederation, [5] and that some of that aid could go towards Horn’s Southern war. After the meeting however, Shattuck would privately talk with Horn, telling him that he believed Hopswood was actually trying to get rid of Horn, revealing to Horn that Hopswood continually disregarded the South’s potential. Shattuck also revealed that Hopswood hadn’t not told him or the other Executives about the Spanish aid, and that he was beginning to grow concerned with Hopswood’s plans. Shattuck then pled to Horn to reconsider, not wanting to lose one of the few who might feel the same way as him. Horn however, determined to restore his reputation, refused. This would be the last meeting between Horn and Shattuck.

On May 17th, the Spanish aid arrived, and even despite reversing fortunes on the battlefield in New Jersey, some of that aid was, as promised, put forward towards Horn’s Southern war. Whether Horn managed to receive his aid because news of the defeat had yet to arrive in Boston is uncertain, but when news of the defeat arrived, what material Horn did receive was scaled back. Despite this, Horn would manage to recruit 84 men to his plan, and after a month of final preparation, Horn’s Southern expedition would embark on June 12th. The ship Finley carried Horn, Smalls and the 84 men of the expedition southward towards Charleston. For three months the ship traveled, slowly making its way south until a squall beached the Finley just south of Georgetown, South Carolina, about 60 miles from Charleston on September 21st…

[1] This isn't the "Second Revolution" that everyone ITTL remembers as the Second Revolution.
[2] Death of a Republic may have had 2 New Jerseys, but that was a mistake I'm not making twice.
[3] To some degree this was arrogance on Hopswood's part, but it is more reflective of ignorance than anything else.
[4] The portrait was made long after Smalls' death and a lot of TTL's historians suspect it might be a portrait of someone else that has been misattributed.
[5] The Spanish aid might not have come from Spain, or even existed at all. It will be important a good time later however.

 

[Schnozzberry]

This is going to be a bit smaller (and slightly choppier) of an update, but this is some of what I salvaged from before I reworked Horn's story.

Also, no song this time because the song that keeps coming to my mind might be seen as distasteful.


“You think of George Washington, this man who was larger than life, and in some ways he was. But at the same time, he's just a person.”
--Benjamin Walker

A most Abhorrent Violence: The Death of the First American Republic by August H. Drake. USA, 2037.

After the retreat to Newark, the Union forces would be formally reorganized by the Congress of the Confederation. The First American Regiment, the last organized remnants of Continental was recalled from western Pennsylvania back east, and Wayne’s forces were organized into the Second through Tenth American Regiments [1] with calls to reinforce the now highly below strength regiments being put out. While General Wayne would remain in command for the interim, General George Washington was requested to come back to command the newly reformed army. This was the last act by the Congress of the Confederation (other than disbanding itself) as by May, the House of Representatives and Senate created by the Second Constitution would finally establish themselves in the nation’s provisional capital of Baltimore.

Washington re-assuming control of the United States Army​

General George Washington would accept the position, ultimately sealing his fate. This was incredible critical for the fledgling Second Constitution’s government however as Washington was at the time the only figure every actually intended to be appointed Monarch of the United States, and Washington’s assumption of the command of the army was seen as implicitly accepting the role. This would only prove more likely when Washington accepted the position of Regent a few months later. [2] For the suppression of the Regulators, Washington assuming command of the Union Army would prove crucial as well as General Washington’s prestige would see the Union Army receive more enlistees than actually required to reinforce the already formed regiments, with the Union Army swelling to nearly eleven-thousand by July.

The growing disparity between the Regulator’s strength and the Union’s strength was not lost on Luke Day who was actively working on stabilizing Regulator control of Connecticut and “Hudson.” Day had attempted to cross the Hudson in May however the crossing attempt had failed in spectacular fashion, seeing men and material be lost with virtually no loses from the Union side. This loss had led to morale plunging in the remaining Regulator forces under Day’s command. Further weakening the Regulator position was Executive Goodluck’s decision to try and annex the Republic of Vermont by force which had technically succeeded but had led to Vermont turning into a bleeding ulcer for Regulators. With these mounting issues, Day began to consider his infamous plan to fragment the Union's army and achieve victory…

Vermont irregulars pledge to keep fighting after the republic's surrender​

…On August 6th, George Washington and the Union Army crossed the Hudson River to no opposition. Luke Day and the Regulators fled from the Union Army, allowing General Washington to do without any serious danger what he had been denied doing half-a-decade prior: liberate New York City from occupation. While the Regulators were far less threatening than the British, it was no doubt a small triumph for Washington. But, as the Union Army marched into New York City on August 10th without resistance, there is no doubt that something seemed wrong to Washington. Luke Day did not seem to be the kind of person who would have simply abandoned New York City without a fight; he must have a purpose for doing so, and the fact that Washington and his officers couldn’t piece it together troubled the General.

He was completely right to be troubled however for a young and radical Charles Oswald remained in the city, ready to act upon Day’s master plan…


Killing Washington by William Reilly II. [3] USA, 2017

TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1788
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
1:00 PM

“Wayne,” George Washington says to his right-hand man, “something with this victory feels false. I do not find it possible that the Rebels should abandon this city so easily.”

The two generals are planning the next operation against the Regulators in Fraunces Tavern. Washington wants the war to be ended as soon as possible as the issue of the American monarchy rests on his shoulders more than before as very recently Congress has appointed him Regent of the United States. Wayne is less troubled, but he too wants a swift end to the war and presses for a more aggressive approach, while Washington prefers a more cautious approach. The two men continue to discuss for a few minutes before the heat and stuffiness of the room prompts the two to take a brief walk as they continue their discussion. They step outside of the Tavern and begin to walk north on Pearl Street.

Charles Oswald is waiting for them.

--{}--​

As Charles Oswald walks up the stairs to his room, he checks his rifle one last time. Everything has been planned out in advance and now Oswald would go down in history as the man who decapitated the monarchist beast. He had spotted George Washington and Anthony Wayne leave the Tavern and begin heading his way. As he goes to the window, he sees the generals slowly walking down the street amongst the bustle of the city. Heart racing, he opens his window, takes aim and pulls the trigger.

Regent and General George Washington, the man who successfully fended off the British and preserved American Independence, shutters as the bullet strikes his neck. [4] He tries to turn to Wayne, but he can’t. His body loses strength and crumples as blackness consumes him. For a split second, Wayne is shocked in place, but he swiftly regains his composure and snaps towards the direction the bullet came from. Seeing the open window and a rifle’s barrel quickly retreating inside, he runs towards the building as he draws his sword. People on the streets begin to realize what is happening as well. Some scream, a few act to try and save the already dead Washington and some others follow Wayne inside the building in pursuit of Oswald.

Oswald can hear the men storming the building and ascending the stairs towards his room as Oswald swiftly reloads his rifle. The door in the room over slams open and seconds later the door to his room begins to shake as Wayne and the other men begin to force their way inside. Oswald levels his rifle towards the door as the sound of wood cracking accompanies the pounding. A final snap sees General Wayne push through the door. Oswald fires once more, downing “Mad” General Anthony Wayne.

Oswald has little time to enjoy successfully assassinating both generals though as the men who accompanied Wayne stream through the door and descend upon the assassin with fists and bludgeons… [5]

[1] This correlates to about 7,000 men.
[2] Some ITTL might try to argue George Washington was the "first Monarch" of the United States similarly to how some argue John Hanson was the first President IOTL.
[3] Yes, this is TTL's version of who you are thinking of.
[4] This isn't accurate to the events of Washington's assassination, he gets hit in the head, not the neck.
[5] Unmentioned is the fact that Oswald is also defenestrated which is what actually kills him.

 

[Schnozzberry]

A most Abhorrent Violence: The Death of the First American Republic by August H. Drake. USA, 2037.

In the immediate aftermath of General Washington and General Wayne’s assassinations, it almost seemed as if Luke Day’s plan to fragment the Union Army might actually be successful to some degree. General Putnam suffered a second and smaller stroke shortly after receiving the news; whether or not Putnam’s angered reaction to the news prompted the stroke remains a matter of debate, but nevertheless it ended Putnam’s career, making him the third General lost by the army on that day. With the death of the three generals, confused orders briefly led to the army splitting into two, one group hunkering in New York, and another attempting to retreat back across the Hudson. General William Heath would put an end to the chaos however, successfully wrangling control of the army and keeping it intact. While General Heath did successfully maintain it intact, morale plummeted due to the loss of the three generals, all of whom were seen as heroes by the Union soldiers. Desertion swelled with the army shrinking at a rate of hundreds per day through August.

General Josiah Harmar​

With the death of Washington, the most senior officer of the United States Army was Brigadier General Josiah Harmar. Harmar had actually been the senior officer before Washington had been recalled to command the Union Army, but as he was in the Northwest leading the fight against the natives, his position as senior officer was somewhat ignored. With Washington dead however, Harmar was recalled back east to take command of the Union Army, which Harmar would do on September 27th. On the political front, Robert Morris would be appointed Regent in Washington’s stead, much to his chagrin. [1]

General Harmar was considered one of the best officers in the Union by General Washington during the War for Independence, and while his career on the frontier was somewhat lacking due to his skills laying within a more classical military focus than those suitable for warfare on the frontier, [2] his reputation remained high. When he assumed command from General Heath, morale improved somewhat amongst the Union army, although desertions continued at a slower rate through the remaining fall and winter as General Harmar began to prepare for an offensive when the thaw in 1789.

An unnamed Regulator politician, believed to be Edward Price
​

In the Confederation, the death of General Washington tore straight through Regulator society. Those who sided with the more radical elements celebrated the death of America’s “Caesar” while the moderates mourned. Executive Shattuck however finally decided that it was time to take action to stop the radicals and would meet with two other Regulator moderates, Edward Price and Taylor Hammond to begin planning the radical’s overthrow. The three conspirators would only gain more allies as September came as Hopswood published his plan for an “ideal” state in the 48-page pamphlet, The Principles of a Regulated State, on September 3rd which drove many moderates (and a few radicals) into opposition of Hopswood and the radicals.

Luke Day’s view of the event was also mixed. Day did express a degree of triumph for his plan succeeding beyond what he even thought could happen, but Day was also saddened by Washington’s death. He wouldn’t let this stop him however, Day would attempt to break the Union army after receiving confirmation of Washington’s death with a second attack on the Union Army, but he was once more repulsed. With this second defeat, Day was recalled back to Boston by Hopswood (a further abuse of Hopswood’s power) and replaced by Executive George Goodluck. After being recalled, Day would be informed of Hopswood’s plans for publishing (and implementing) The Principles, with Hopswood revealing to Day that he wanted Day to assist in maintaining order as the Confederation’s government restructured along the lines of The Principles. Most critically for Hopswood was his fears over unrest due to his planned land reforms…



Radicalism From Apotheotic Anarchism to Ultra-Nikism: A Brief Guide by the Committee for the Preservation of Democracy. Dixie, 1961

HOPSWOODISM
ALTERNATIVE NAMES: Physiocratic Minarchism, Regulatorism
Origins:
Hopswoodism’s origins are within a period of unrest and revolt in the late first republican period of the United States. An agrarian revolt that spanned the New England region was led for a time by Clark Hopswood, a printer turned revolutionary who sought to establish a “perfect” form of governance that solved the issues of those he led in revolt. During his time leading the revolt, Hopswood would write The Principles of a Regulated State, a novelette length treatise that would outline the ideology that would eventually be known as Hopswoodism although Hopswood himself called it Regulatorism.

Theory:

As outlined in The Principles, a Hopswoodist state would be near-anarchistic in structure with a very weak government that only stood the purpose of defending the state from outside invasion, collect tariffs, and ensuring that land reform was continued “in perpetuity.” This land reform marks the most distinguishing element of Hopswoodism. According to Hopswoodism, all large scale farms are to be broken up and all public lands are to be distributed to any citizen who desired a plot of land. The plots given to a citizen were supposed to be livable via farming and once given to a citizen, the plot was supposed to be unable to be taken from a citizen, sold or otherwise kept from a citizen after given… [3]


A most Abhorrent Violence: The Death of the First American Republic by August H. Drake. USA, 2037.

…Immediately upon the passing of the Land Reform Bill through the Confederation’s Congress, Executive Shattuck vetoed the law. Shattuck’s veto was ignored, and radical regulator supporters took to the land reforms readily. As the rhetoric around the land reform began to escalate, Shattuck would return to his hometown of Gronton as he feared for his life as radical thugs began to attack those opposed to the land reforms, as well as the remaining well-to-do merchant classes. Hopswood and Day supported these actions, polarizing even more the situation between the radicals and the moderates. As the fall finally gave away to winter, the violence continued to simmer in the Confederation. After a brutal blizzard, the Regulator government would finally being to collapse as the Rector of Merrymack, Jonathan Moulton, caught ill during the storm and died on January 26th. Executive Nathaniel Peabody would be called back to Merrymack, only to find that the policies of land reform and the violence of the radicals were devastating the state. Peabody would denounce the actions of the radicals, leading to a split between Merrymack and the remaining of the Confederation. Chief Executive Hopswood would send a letter to Peabody demanding his resignation in response. Peabody refused.

Throughout Merrymack, Peabody would turn out the Merrymacker militia to stop the radicals’ violence, triggering an effective low-level civil war as radicals and moderates clashed openly. When the winter frosts thawed, Hopswood would send Day north to “restore order” to Merrymack with five-hundred men. In response, Peabody would declare the State of New Hampshire restored on April 7th, placing the imprisoned John Sullivan back in charge of the state. When General Harmar launched his offensive to push back the Regulators that April as well, the victory which had seemed so close to the Regulators only a year before now finally slipped away entirely…

[1] The financier of the United States under the First Constitution and one of the only other figures considered an option for head of the Constitutional Convention.
[2] IOTL this led to Harmar being disgraced.
[3] The Principles wouldn't have been published widely, but Hopswoodism's ideal government resembling Thomas Jefferson's vision of America does make the idea less popular when the political situation stablizes.

 

[Schnozzberry]

"I confess that there are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them. For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise."
--Benjamin Franklin​

The Importance of the Second Constitution from ITTS:usa.was.americanhistory.gov, 2042

Today, most Americans are familiar with the structure of our current government; the Imperial Congress of Representatives serves as the nation’s legislative body with the head of the legislature, the President of Congress, taking up the executive functions of the state as well with the Empress (or Emperor) being a figurehead. This parliamentarian type of government is a fairly recent development in American history [1] and came about during the denikification of the 1970s as separating the new Democratic government from the Nikist regime. Before then, apart from the First Republic, America’s governments were at least nominally based on the government created by the Second Constitution from 1787.

While controversial when it was passed, the Second Constitution is both the second longest lasting constitution used by the United States and the most revolutionary. The first constitution in the world to provide explicit protections for basic human rights such as the Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press, the first to provide for a democratic government, and one of the first to properly attempt to separate the powers of government. [2] These revolutionary aspects would guarantee that even after James Polk overthrew the government in 1842 and established the Conductorate, countries from across the world would take inspiration from the Second Constitution in forming their own governments…

The only Niepcegraph [3] of the US Congress building used under the Second Constitution​

…In contrast to what our current Eleventh Constitution has established, the legislature established by the Second Constitution was bicameral, with the lower house being the House of Representatives, headed by the Speaker of the House, and the upper house being the Senate, headed by the Speaker of the Senate. In the House of Representatives, the number of Representatives were distributed by the population of the states and elected by the people, while in the Senate, each state received two Senators who were chosen by the state governments. This system was put into place as a compromise between the large and small states, a necessary compromise as the early United States placed a far higher amount of power in the states’ hands than successor governments.

Any law which was to be passed required being passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and would then require approval of the executive branch. The executive branch consisted of three offices, the Director of the People, the Director of the State, and the Monarch, each of which held different powers. Arguably the most powerful office was the Director of the People who was elected via popular vote to serve for a six year term, although during some period of where the office wasn’t filled, the House of Representatives could appoint an officeholder until new elections were held. (This was how the first Director of the People, John Jay, would come into office.) The Director of the People’s powers included the ability to veto legislation, although the veto could be blocked by an agreement by both the Director of the State and the Monarch or overwritten by a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress, as well as appoint many of the offices such as the Justices of the Supreme Court, Federal Judges or Secretaries, and the ability to issue executive orders, although the order could also be vetoed via an agreement by the Director of the State and the Monarch.

Director John Jay​

The Director of the State on the other hand was appointed by the Senate for a term set upon their appointment. The term had a maximum of six years although shorter terms were occasionally given, such as the first Director of the State, George Clinton, who was appointed for a two-year term. [4] The Director of the State was tasked with appointing ambassadors, could veto legislation which could in turn be overwritten by either agreement by the Director of the People and the Monarch, or by a two-thirds vote by both houses of Congress, and sign treaties with foreign states. In contrast with the Director of the People, the Director of the State could not issue executive orders, although the Director of the State could be re-elected where the Director of the People could not be, although only Director Thomas Jefferson was the only Director to ever be re-elected. [5]

The final executive position was the Monarch. In contrast to the Empresses/Emperors of today, the Monarch was an elected, not an inherited position under the Second Constitution, with the Monarch serving for life or until abdication. For the first few years under the Second Constitution, the official title of the Monarch was simply “Monarch of the United States,” being changed in 1794 to “Princeps” before finally becoming Emperor after the annexation of Louisiana…

…While the Second Constitution was a radical change, it should be noted that the change from a republic to a monarchy was in many ways the least radical change. It was a large point of contention during the adoption of the Second Constitution, but following the adoption, it actually changed surprisingly little as the Second Constitution guaranteed the states the right to choose their government structure as long as it was a “representative” form of government, as well as affording them considerable autonomy. This meant that, immediately after the Second Constitution was adopted, the same republican governments remained in place in the states, and far more change was noted by the new Congress and the Directorships by even the most ardent republicans from the time… [6]


The Ratification of the Second Constitution and the Provisional Congress of 1788-1789 from ITTS:usa.was.americanhistory.gov, 2042

When the Congress of the Confederation ratified the Second Constitution on October 3rd, it allowed for the new House of Representatives and Senate to assemble on a provisional basis with members coming from each state regardless of that states’ ratification status. May 1st,1788, was set for the date of the first meeting of the provisional Congress.

While opposition to the Second Constitution did see some violence in New Jersey and led to the Regulator revolt spreading to New York, most of the opposition was done peacefully through pamphlettering and letter-writing than revolt. The greatest concerns amongst the “Anti-Federalists,” or those opposed to the Second Constitution, was the abandonment of republicanism and the establishment of a monarchy, although other concerns such as the fear that the federal government would be too unresponsive to local communities or seize power from the states were also expressed frequently.

The Anti-Federalist movement was extremely unorganized, hindering efforts by the Anti-Federalists to block the ratification of the Second Constitution despite the fact that it is believed that somewhere between one-half and two-thirds of Americans at the time supported Anti-Federalist causes. Furthermore, popular Anti-Federalist fears were able to be at least somewhat dealt with by pro-Second Constitution Federalists who were more organized although split between the “Princely” pro-monarchy Federalists, and “Caton” pro-republic Federalists. These two factions both argued for the Second Constitution in different ways, the Princely faction arguing that the new monarchy was actually more republican (at the time, republican did not necessarily mean the same as it does today, some argued that a republican government is representing its population, not that it isn’t a monarchy) [7] than the First Constitution thanks to the existence of the House of Representatives. The Caton Federalists on the other hand argued that the Second Constitution could be reverted back into a republican form relatively easy, and that with its distribution of power and the built-in Bill of Rights, it allowed for the benefits of a strong government without an easy potential for abuse.

Articles such as these were the main method of public argument​

For both Federalist factions, the greatest boon was the ongoing Regulator Revolt which cast serious doubt on the practicality of a weak republican government and soured the prospects of a republic in general for many Americans. This souring drove many who would have otherwise been Anti-Federalists into being Caton Federalists, leading to a more rapid adoption of the Second Constitution by the states than likely would have happened had there been no ongoing revolt. The Bill of Rights too was almost certainly another deciding factor in the ratification, perhaps more so than the ongoing revolt with many accounts from several states’ ratification conventions critically noted that many who voted for ratification in those conventions referenced the Bill of Rights explicitly.

The first six states to ratify the Second Constitution did so before the Provisional Congress assembled, starting with Pennsylvania on November 25th, 1787, followed by Delaware, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and finally Maryland on March 6th, 1788. South Carolina would begin to ratify the Second Constitution in 1787, but ongoing disruption from a Regulator-backed slave rebellion led to the South Carolinian convention agreeing to postponing until July 1788 when it would ratify in a virtually unanimous vote, allowing New Jersey to ratify the Second Constitution before South Carolina on June 22nd. With South Carolina’s ratification, only one more state’s ratification was required for the Second Constitution to become official, however that ratification would only come a year later in 1789 as the Regulator Revolt was crushed…

[1] Not the truest statement, at least depending on how strictly one defines the term Parliamentarian as arguably the Second Constitution is at least quasi-parliamentarian.
[2] Once more, not a 100% true statement.
[3] OTL's daguerreotype.
[4] Technically a flawed statement as well, the Second Constitution is imperfectly worded on the definition of the Director of the State's term. Depending on the interpretation it might set no term definitions.
[5] Whether a Director of the People could be elected a Director of the State, or vice-versa, is undefined in the Second Constitution.
[6] Since the Second Constitution empowered the Monarch so little the "Republican" elements of government (Congress, the Directors, etc.) are dominant and the changes these elements bring are far more visible.
[7] IOTL James Madison argued the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was a republic, and that the House of Commons of Great Britain was a republican body so the argument that the Second Constitution just creates a "crowned republic" or something similar wouldn't be too out there.

 

[Schnozzberry]

The fall of the Rebels was a most disgraceful affair.
Half were in possession of only a bludgeon for Arms,
many wore raggs and near-all were without shoes.
Sir, I can not claim this as a victory for to do so would be to
imply there was an enemy of capacity that we fought...
--Josiah Harmar in a letter discussing the Battle of Farmington​

A most Abhorrent Violence: The Death of the First American Republic by August H. Drake. USA, 2037.

…General Harmar’s offensive tore through the remaining forces of the Regulator’s “Republic of Hudson,” hammering the most cohesive unit of the Hudsonian defenses in the Battle of Bedford on April 19th with only token resistance being offered by the remaining elements of Hudson through the rest of April. After the victory at Bedford, Harmar’s army would cross the border into Connecticut.

Executive Goodluck would lead the Regulator’s defense of Connecticut, attacking Harmar’s forces in a series of hit-and-run fights as the Union army drove ever further. Goodluck would be forced to make a stand against the Union army in the Battle of Farmington as the continually unwinding situation in the Confederation had led to a pro-Union uprising by the residents of Hartford who gave the boot to the Regulators “Free Connecticut” government. With the uprising at his back, there was no longer the luxury of retreat for the Executive. The Battle of Farmington was surprisingly a close affair, the Regulators held a position behind a short stone wall that allowed for a successful defense against the first Union assault. As the second assault was about to begin, the first drops of rain began to fall from gloomy clouds, and for a fateful moment, General Harmar would pause, uncertain whether to call the assault off due to the potential impending thunderstorm.

The rain did not begin to pour however, so Harmar would order the assault to proceed. Executive Goodluck, seeing the Union forces move towards a second assault would raise his sword to rally his men, to signal that yet once more the wave of war would breach upon their rock. A flash of light would fill the grey, shaded day with a brilliant, piercing illumination as a bolt of lightning shot from the skies straight and true through George Goodluck on its journey to the ground. [1] Horrified and now with their morale thoroughly shot, the second Union assault would shatter the Regulator army. Surprisingly, Goodluck was still alive after having been struck by lightning, although he was far worse for wear. Singed badly, his left arm was paralyzed and his eardrums were burst, Goodluck was captured by the Union forces after having been abandoned by his men on the battlefield, although he would only live for a few more days as on the fourth day after having been struck, Goodluck would suffer a series of violent seizures and perish.

Regulators fleeing Farmington​

In New Hampshire, President Sullivan successfully ousted the radical Regulators by March, although he would hesitate to pursue the Regulators into Massachusetts due to memories of last invasion. In a somewhat interesting turn of events however, Nathaniel Peabody would lead a small band of three-hundred former moderate Regulators across the Vermont border in an attempt by Peabody to seek redemption for his treason. Linking up with Vermontoise [2] irregulars, Peabody and his band would assist in the ousting of the Regulators from Vermont with President of the Republic of Vermont, [3] Thomas Chittenden, returning to the capital, Castleton, on June 6th.

Governor Chittenden​

The defeat of Goodluck finally pushed Shattuck and the conspiracy to overthrow Hopswood to action. On the 15th of June, Shattuck returned from Gronton to Boston and met up with the other conspiracy members, launching the plan. Shattuck and a dozen loyal men would march into the State House to arrest Hopswood, Taylor Hammond would go to free Daniel Shays from his arrest, and Elijah Price with the rest of the conspiracy would go to arrest Luke Day. The plan’s implementation went well for Shattuck and Hammond, but Price would end captured by Regulators loyal to Day and Hopswood. In a grisly display, Price would be beheaded, and his dismembered head raised upon a pike by the Regulator army that would proceed to march into Boston to free Hopswood from the other conspiracy members. Day’s exact role in this isn’t certain, no primary sources discuss it, with the accounts that stated Day personally held the pike with Price’s head upon it coming from a second-hand account written decades later.

Taylor Hammond freed Daniel Shays surprisingly easy, claiming that it had been ordered that Shays was to be taken to the State House to meet with Hopswood, and Shays was freed from the Boston Gaol almost immediately, far worse for wear as he was visibly emaciated upon his release. While Hammond was taking Shays to meet up with the other conspiracy members, the two would spot the anti-conspiracy army, and realizing that the plan had failed, they would flee the city.

Shattuck would successfully arrest Hopswood, and while he along with the other conspiracy members were escorting Hopswood out of the State House, an angry crowd would begin to build, preventing the conspiracy’s members from leaving. Shattuck would attempt to address the crowd in a speech outlining Hopswood’s actions as treason, but in the middle of the speech, the anti-conspiracy elements would arrive, killing several of the conspirators including Shattuck and freeing Hopswood. The conspiracy was broken, with the only successful part being Hammond and Shays escaping. Shattuck’s head, as were several other conspiracy members had their heads raised on pikes as well and raised outside the State House along with two empty pikes. The Regulator Revolt would now only be spared descending into a period of violence thanks to the Union army which was slowly closing in on Boston…

Celebration of the defeat of the conspiracy​

…General Harmar and the Union army entered Massachusetts on May 23rd, not encountering serious resistance from the Regulators, although their advance was slowed as Regulator irregulars struck repeatedly. By June 25th, Waltham fell to the Union army, putting the Union army only about ten-miles from Boston. Executive Day worked tirelessly to prepare Boston for the oncoming battle, focusing on constructing improvised fortifications on the Boston Neck. When the Union Army arrived at Boston, the fortifications prevented the Union from entering Boston. After a skirmish on June 29th proved to General Harmar that it wasn’t possible for a conventional assault to break the Regulators’ defenses, Harmar would take an action that mimicked some of the opening moves of the War for Independence.

Dorchester Heights, Bunker Hill and Charlestown Hill would see the Union’s artillery placed upon them in preparation for laying siege to the Regulators. On June 30th, the Regulators were given an ultimatum of surrender by General Harmar. Somewhat anti-climatically, a weary and resigned Eli Parsons would surrender to the Union forces at that point. Clark Hopswood and Luke Day had disappeared, and Parsons did not have the will to pursue the siege alone, and so, on June 30th, 1789, the Confederation of Free American Republics ceased to exist after only five-and-a-half hundred days of existence, bringing the Regulator Revolt to its conclusion although some Regulator irregulars would remain fighting for a few more months in the Berkshires, and Martin Horn’s mad campaign continued in the southwest. [4]

Now came the difficult task of surviving the peace…

[1] Dramatic? Perhaps. However this wouldn't be the first time in history that holding a metal sword aloft in a relatively open area during a thunderstorm ended poorly, similar situations arose IOTL.
[2] So, it probably goes without saying by now that a decent number of the demonyms used in Buttercups don't correlate correctly with OTL's demonyms. The reason for this is that spell check on my computer dislikes all US state demonyms so it's more often than not a mistake that I've decided to keep as TTL's demonym for the respective state.
[3] The correct title would be Governor, but President is used retroactively ITTL.
[4] Technically it hasn't begun yet, Horn went south less than three weeks before the fall of Boston

 

[Schnozzberry]

Sorry for the delay again everyone, class is taking up a lot of time and I just haven't been able to focus to work on a single update. Anywho, the Marquis de Lafayette is finally making his way to the USA in this update, although it's at a far more inopportune time this time around than in DoaR.

Minister Short, I declared him a traitor to the French people not three hours ago…
--Minister of Justice, Georges Danton​

The Trial of Getting a Monarch from ITTS:usa.was.americanhistory.gov, 2042

The Provisional Congress would largely push the actual question of the Monarchy aside, leaving Regent Robert Morris in place as the United States began to slowly settle into peace and governance under the Second Constitution. The ratification of the Constitution by New York in October, 1789, would see the formal ratification of the Second Constitution, and thus the First Congress assembled in 1790.

Director Rutledge​

Director Clinton would be replaced by John Rutledge, a member of the Caton faction of the Federalists, who would argue that since the obvious intended candidate for the Monarchy, George Washington, had been assassinated, the country should abandon the monarchy. Congress would vote against this proposal, leading to a further intensification of the debate. In April, 1791, the resignation of Regent Morris would lead to John Adams ascending to the Regency. [1] Regent Adams would negotiate a compromise between the Caton and Princely Federalists, leading to the Declaration of Intent which would affirm that the Union would elect a monarch so long as the monarch accepted a “republican title” of Princeps, and swear their acceptance of their constitutional obligations.

The first candidate to be put forward under these conditions was Prince Henry of Prussia who was proposed in large part because of the Prussian Scheme which had seen Prince Henry put forward as a potential monarch, with an offer actually being extended to the Prince. Henry flatly rejected the offer however, claiming that “no man would possess the patience to stand the burden of ruling the [United Statesian] people for more than a week.”

Undeterred, Congress would continue to debate over who should be the next candidate, throwing a number of names into the ring only to reject them without even sending an offer to be monarch to the proposed candidates through the remainder of 1791. The Second Congress which assembled in 1792 saw a larger Federalist majority, leading to renewed vigor in the monarch debate. The second candidate to be put forward, and to actually have an offer sent was the Hero of the Two Worlds, the Marquis de Lafayette, Gilbert du Motier.

The Monarch-Elect Gilbert du Motier​

The Marquis’ acceptance wasn’t believed to be likely as Lafayette had established himself as a critical figure in the ongoing first French Revolution, and many believed Lafayette wouldn’t abandon his homeland during what was increasingly seeming to be the most chaotic period in living memory. However, unbeknownst to the United Statesians upon sending the offer, the French Revolution was beginning its descent into radicalism, and the offer would reach the hands of the American minister to France, William Short, on August 13th, only a day before Lafayette would attempt to goad the army to march on Paris to free the French Royal Family from the grasp of the radicals.

Minister William Short​

On August 14th, Lafayette would fail in his plan to secure a march on Paris and was subsequently declared a traitor with an order being put out for his arrest. Minister Short, unaware of all of this, would meet with Georges Danton, the Minister of Justice and one of the arch-Revolutionaries in an attempt to secure an agreement with the Revolutionary government to allow Lafayette at least the option of becoming the United States’ Monarch. Danton would flatly inform Short that even if Danton hadn’t declared Lafayette a traitor that day, he would not have supported such a measure. Frustrated, Minister Short would return to his residence, however after a few days, Short would learn that Lafayette had fled to the Austrian Netherlands with the intention of embarking to the United States. [2] This was done all without knowledge of the United Statesian offer, leading to Short writing to the United States’ Congress that Lafayette was coming to the United States without knowledge of the offer, and that Congress could just give Lafayette the offer in person. Short would then move to The Hague as he had been appointed Minister to the Dutch Republic in order to try to secure better terms for the US’ significant debt.

Unfortunately, however, Lafayette would be recognized in the Austrian Netherlands and was arrested for being a high-ranking member of the Revolutionary government, falling into the custody of the Kingdom of Prussia. [3] When Minister Short learned of this, he made the journey to Berlin to meet with the King of Prussia, Frederick William II, arriving in early October. Frederick William refused to free Lafayette to the United Statesians, and after a week of attempting to negotiate, Minister Short would proceed to Trier where the brothers of King Louis XVI, the Count of Providence and the Count of Artois had created a French Court in exile. One success which American diplomats would achieve however was the successful smuggling of the Marquis’ son, Georges Washington de Lafayette, to the United States. [4]

Charles, Count of Artois​

In Trier, Minister Short would meet with the Regent of the court-in-exile, the Count of Providence, who refused to even listen to Short’s pleas for leniency for Lafayette. Instead, the Count of Artois would meet with Minister Short, telling Short he was “elated” the United States had adopted a “proper” form of government, and that if the Americans so desired, the Count would be willing to offer his services as a “proper” monarch in place of Lafayette. [5] Minister Short would use this offer as a pretense to keep his position in Trier as he developed a new plan of attack to release the Marquis. While Minister Short was making his way to Trier however, Francis Kinloch Huger, a South Carolinian studying medicine in Vienna and noted admirer of Lafayette decided to attempt to break the Marquis out of prison. [6] Huger and Short would end up in contact with each other while Short was embroiled in Trier.

Huger would get into contact with Short, and the two men planned out the prison escape. On November 5th, Huger would successfully bribe two guards in the Magdeburg prison to smuggle Lafayette out. From there, Huger and Lafayette would flee across Prussia and several of the minor Holy Roman Empire’s states to the Free City of Hamburg, successfully making it there on November 21st and departing for the United States. [7] From there, Lafayette would successfully make his way to the United States, putting an end to the tribulations of the Union’s quest for a Monarch.

Francis Huger (later in life)​

The Marquis’ prison escape and departure for the United States was not without consequences however. Minister Short would be arrested when news reached Trier, then mock-executed before being released and sent back to The Hague. More importantly however was status of Adrienne de Lafayette, the Marquis’ wife. United Statesian diplomats had been negotiating for Adrienne’s release, along with the Marquis’ daughters from their imprisonment by the Revolutionary French government. They had been released to be exiled to the United States, however when news of the Marquis’ escape reached Paris, Adrienne would be re-imprisoned. The Marquis’ daughters would be smuggled out of France by America’s new Minister to France, Gouverneur Morris, likely saving their lives as Adrienne would be executed by the French government in 1793…

[1] Adams wasn't a volunteer for the office, he was a Republican. He accepted however for what he believed to be the good of the country. It does make the accusations Adams was a closet monarchist he receives later seem somewhat more reasonable.
[2] Lafayette actually attempted to flee to the United States IOTL as well.
[3] Also OTL.
[4] Once more OTL.
[5] The Count of Artois was King Charles X IOTL, and considering Charles attempted to bring back the Royal Touch, this would have been a horrifying nightmare if it were to somehow go down.
[6] Huger did this IOTL as well.
[7] IOTL Huger successfully broke Lafayette out of prison with this exact plan. It didn't work IOTL however.

 

[Schnozzberry]

There is a blight in America.
A blight, I tell you all that is poisoning the
souls of the people of this fair nation!
The blight of slavery.
Many out there will argue that slavery is moral,
that slavery is just,
that slavery is the natural order of things
as the Negro is a son of Ham and therefore cursed!
Well, I say to you that the Negro is yoked by Ham,
that he is bound to be a slave to others.
But!
That does not make slavery moral,
the same as how gaining knowledge of
what is good did not make eating the fruit moral!
Indeed, the only way to cure this blight is to ensure
Ham’s curse shall no longer continue to be spread…
--Martin Horn, 1801


​

Under a Burning Cross by Frederick Dilworth, Republic of Liberty, 2027

The Finley expedition’s landing at Georgetown would prove to be a rather fortunate affair for the expedition as the Georgetown region was far more suitable for the ensuing conflict. This was due to the plan for a “general uprising” of South Carolina’s lower classes never coming to fruition, forcing the Hopswoodists to flee into the Georgetown District’s many swamps and forests.

Without the general uprising, Horn would switch tactics to attempting to provoke a slave uprising instead of an agrarian one, with the Hopswoodists attacking and raiding the numerous rice and indigo plantations in the Georgetown district. Through the winter and spring, the Hopswoodists guerillas would rapidly expand in numbers as more and more slaves were liberated in the raids. However, as more and more of the Hopswoodist forces were freed slaves, Smalls began to have an increased level of influence over the Hopswoodist forces. Smalls’ ascending star and the lack of a large victory to call his own would lead to Horn’s insecurities to spur Horn to a rash action, launching an all-out attack on Georgetown in April, 1789.

The attack failed miserably, and Smalls would usurp Horn’s position as commander of the expedition, returning to the tactic of raiding plantations and slowly expanding the guerilla campaign. With his position lost, Horn would begin to act irrationally and violently, a far cry from the quiet and nervous demeanor Horn usually possessed. It is commonly believed by most psychohistorians that this personality change was the first manifestations of some form of psychosis or dementia praecox which Horn would suffer his remaining life.

Despite his frayed mental state, Horn’s military prowess remained and when the Swamp Fox, General Francis Marion, was called out by the South Carolinian government to defeat the Hopswoodists during a particularly hot July, Horn knew that the Hopswoodists were staring defeat in the face if they didn’t move deeper inland to the frontier. Marion’s knowledge of guerilla warfare sprang from his time waging a guerilla campaign against the British within the Georgetown District, and with the hot summer drying some of the swamps, Horn knew that the situation was rapidly turning against the Hopswoodists. Smalls however argued that the vast plantations of Georgetown were perfect for the origins of a massive slave revolt, and that they should continue stoking the fires. This would lead to Horn and Smalls cutting their ties, with Smalls reorganizing the escaped slaves into the “New African Army” (no relation to the modern day New African Autonomous Republic within Dixie) while Horn and the small contingent loyal to him attempted to flee to the interior.

General Marion would learn of Horn’s flight almost immediately. And, on August 16th, at the Battle of St. Stephen, Horn and his men were slaughtered with nearly two-hundred Hopswoodists being killed in a daring night attack by General Marion. Horn would survive, albeit severely injured as he was cut down by a South Carolinian militiaman with a slash to the left side of his face. The injury would permanently destroy his left eye and scar Horn’s face, as well as giving Horn a speech impediment due to damage to his cheek and jaw as well. After the injury, Horn collapsed and while several Hopswoodists would attempt to save their leader, a charge by the South Carolinians would lead to Horn being trampled by his own men, further inuring the unconscious Horn. In a somewhat miraculous event for Horn, he would be dragged back to St. Stephen by some South Carolinians who thought he was a member of the South Carolinian militia where Horn would be taken in by the head of the St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Reverend Willian Meiners.

Reverend Meiners would slowly nurse Horn back to health and although Horn would recover physically, his mind was far more damaged than before with products of Horn’s sick mind blending with religious and racist ideas preached by Reverend Meiners. The end result was Horn viewing himself as some sort of prophet of God with a divine mission to complete. After recovering, Horn would leave St. Stephen to preach his newfound revelation and rally support for it. 1790, the year Horn had begun preaching, was also the beginning of the Second Great Awakening and with the general increase in religiousness, Horn and his new movement would see rapid success throughout much of the United States south of the Potomac.

What Horn preached too was without a doubt an important element of his success for Horn would preach that God had revealed to him that the United States was on the verge of creating the New Jerusalem, that they were on the verge of creating a perfect and divine society. There was just one issue in the way preventing the establishment of this divine society: the decadence and “atheistic tendencies” of the plantation class in the southern United States. Horn’s solution was rather simple, all that had to be done was to end slavery as that would strip the planters of their economic means and force them to a “godly life full of labour.”

Normally, anti-slavery messages were unpopular in the ante-abolition United States however Horn’s message found far greater success as in contrast to most anti-slavery messages which argued some moral reason for abolition, Horn didn’t use morality to justify his message. Instead, Horn argued that people of color were under the “Curse of Ham” and that the only way to end slavery was the eradication of black people of color as due to the Curse of Ham they would inherently be enslaved regardless of their legal status as free or slave.

Modern readers will no doubt find this idea both utterly repulsive and insane. Putting aside the fact that the Curse of Ham as it is given in the Christian Bible does not match with this racist justification for slavery, the idea that the only solution to slavery was the eradication of the slaves simply doesn’t seem like it would have made sense even when Horn was preaching. Indeed, many commentators noted that Horn’s preachings were irrational and made little sense. Horn’s message instead found popularity, not for as it actually was, but because it provided a solution to a growing fear over what was to be done with the slaves when slavery’s inevitable end came. This day seemed to be not too far off for many United Statesians at the time although slavery would drag on into the 1840s because of how often slaves were being manumitted during this time period, and the increasingly unviable economics of slavery. With the day seemingly approaching, many white United Statesians were afraid of having to compete with the freed people of color and thus joined with Horn to prevent such future competition.

Horn’s message would spread rapidly through the first years of the 1790s, with Horn drawing crowds of thousands by 1794. During this time, Horn would begin preaching at night with a large flaming cross behind him, supposedly to represent God’s divine light. This burning cross is what would give Horn’s followers their name: the Red Crosses.

As their popularity grew, the Red Crosses would come into conflict with the plantation class, free people of color, and those other peoples who were opposed to Horn’s idea of extermination. This conflict would boil over in the 17th April, 1795, riots in Charleston that saw the governments of South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia take measures to clamp down on the Red Crosses with Governor of South Carolina, Arnoldus Vanderhorst declaring the Red Crosses to be the “gravest threat to the stability of South Carolina.” In response, Martin Horn would begin to take the Red Crosses in a more aggressive direction.

On a humid, May night, Horn would hold a night rally near Charleston, not dissimilar to any of his others. However, part way through, Horn would announce his intention to begin their campaign to end slavery by attacking a plantation that night which was overwhelmingly met with cheers and applause. And so, Horn and nearly a thousand of his followers would brand torches and march on Snee Farm, the plantation owned by former Governor Charles Pinckney where they would attack all slaves on the plantation. Eighty-seven slaves would be slaughtered in an orgy of violence, with Pinckney and several other plantation workers being dragged out of their residences and lynched as punishment for their “decadent and demonic actions” as Horn would put it later in life. This action was the beginning of the Red Cross War that would terrorize tens of thousands of people in the southern United States for decades to come...

 

[Schnozzberry]

I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute
the Office of Monarch of the United States,
and will to the best of my Ability,
Preserve, Protect and Defend
the Constitution of the United States.
--Gilbert I

Federal Hall, where Gilbert I was sworn in as well as all Directors before 1800​

The Election of 1790 from ITTS:usa.was.americanhistory.gov, 2042

One of the last acts of the Provisional Congress was to set the date for the first election for Director of the People to be March 1st, 1790. While the election would be contested by twelve major candidates, only four candidates would receive national attention: Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr II. Notably, only one major candidate, Alexander Hamilton, was pro-monarchy with all other candidates being anti-monarchical or neutral on the matter.

Thomas Jefferson​

Thomas Jefferson was a planter and lawyer from Virginia, the United States’ former minister to France, the author of the Declaration of Independence, an Anti-Federalist, and republican. While not necessarily a pragmatic politician, especially on the monarchy question, Jefferson nevertheless chose to focus on other political issues during his campaign. When speaking on the matter, Jefferson stated that maintaining the Regency and averting the election of a monarch would inevitably lead to a swift restoration of the Republic; Jefferson would argue that if the country was perpetually under a Regent, bound to continually elect a monarch but never doing so, the Republic would be restored if not in name, at least in spirit. [1] On other domestic issues, Jefferson promoted the idea of the United States as an agrarian nation of small farmers, with a limited government taking a strict interpretation of the (Second) Constitution.

Aaron Burr II​

Aaron Burr II was also a lawyer and Lieutenant colonel from Newark, New Jersey, although by 1790 Burr had become heavily involved with the politics of New York State, having been appointed Attorney General of said state by Governor Robert Yates. Burr’s politics were somewhat less defined than his rivals as Burr operated with realpolitik than political idealism, although Burr’s known anti-slavery stance [2] made him fiercely unpopular with the planter classes of the southern United States. Despite his realpolitiking, Burr would make one thing very clear: while the decision had been made to switch to monarchism had been made, and the country ought to elect a monarch, however that elected monarch would be the first and last monarch of the United States. The sentiment was summed up by a popular slogan championed by Burr: “One thousand kings England may have, only one will be our own.”

Alexander Hamilton​

Alexander Hamilton was the current Secretary of the Treasury, having been appointed by Director of the State George Clinton, a staunch Federalist and the chief architect of the current monarchy. This status as America’s foremost monarchist made Hamilton far less popular amongst the American people who were still predominantly lukewarm to the monarchy and viewed Hamilton as being “too monarchist.” Indeed, many suspected Hamilton of being a quasi-Loyalist, or supporting an absolute monarchy as in France. [3] None of these fears were put aside by Hamilton’s advocacy for a Federal government that would be so strong that the states would be reduced to mere provinces and counties akin to how they were in England.

The election was carried out in a confused, but calm manner that would set the precedent for no future Directoral election under the Second Constitution. [4] Little campaigning would occur during the election, with most campaigning that was done by local supporters of some candidate or another. Additionally, without organized political parties, the election saw many candidates who were effectively only voted for in their native regions as word of mouth managed to secure votes for them, and the major candidates only managed to achieve widespread success as their names were spread by their supporters through pamphlets, articles and other means. The timeframe of the election was also far shorter than normal and held over a period different than any other under the Second Constitution. [5]

On June 1st, the results of the election were announced, with Aaron Burr II securing the Directorship with forty-one percent of the vote, beating out his closest rival, Thomas Jefferson, by over thirteen percent. Director Burr, along with the newly elected Director John Rutledge would now face the task of dealing with the question of the monarchy, as well as forging the new direction the United States was bound for.


Crowning of Gilbert I from ITTS:usa.was.americanhistory.gov, 2042

Gilbert du Motier​

Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, was an accomplished man despite his relative youth, being only thirty-four when he was selected by the United States government to serve as Monarch of the United States. The Marquis had served as an aide to George Washington during the Revolution and an officer outright, had been a critical figure during the early and moderate period of the French Revolution and was one of the authors of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. When the Marquis arrived in New York City on April 17th, much of that success however was imploding as the French Republic descended further into Terror and Tyranny, tearing up the Declaration and claiming the Marquis as a traitor.

The citizens of New York City, and indeed the whole of the United States, did not care much about that, greeting the Marquis with banners, cheers and teeming, happy crowds. Despite the Marquis being French, many United Statesians viewed the Marquis as one of their own; many viewing the relationship between him and the late General Washington as making the Marquis Washington’s successor. Even many Republicans, including figures like Thomas Jefferson and Director Aaron Burr, were finally able to breathe a small sigh of relief with Lafayette’s arrival; the Marquis was perhaps the only man alive who could become the United States’ Monarch that the Republicans could agree was not destined to tear down the liberties they held so dear.

Oliver Ellsworth​

So, on May 15th, 1793, when Congress voted to finalize the recognition of Lafayette as Monarch, only three dissenting votes were cast. One hour later, Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, would be sworn in as Gilbert, by the Grace of the People of the United States of America, Monarch of the United States. Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth would administer the Oath of Office, which Gilbert would swear, his left hand upon a book of law rather than a Bible due to a dispute over Gilbert’s religion, [6] as well as to show that Gilbert was swearing to uphold the (Second) Constitution.

In contrast to his successors, Monarch Gilbert would not be coronated with a large ceremony and a grand crown. Instead, after being sworn in by Justice Ellsworth, Regent Adams would place a leafy crown (often referred to as a crown of laurels, although this is unconfirmed) upon Gilbert’s head and then Gilbert would proceed to the balcony of the Federal Hall and give a speech to the cheering crowds below. It was this humble beginning that set the stage for Gilbert’s forty-five year reign, and the beginning of the United States’ “Golden Age.”

[1] Miklos Horthy would disagree, but semantics I suppose.
[2] This was one of many political stances Burr held that makes his OTL status as a Democratic-Republican seem kind of unfitting.
[3] Mostly baseless rumours
[4] As calm as can be at least. The situation in the USA under the Second Constitution is always a tad rowdy but a lot of historical work ITTL will tend to glaze over the situation a little due to the perception of the era as a golden age.
[5] As per OTL's first set of elections.
[6] He's Catholic and it's the beginning phase of the Second Great Awakening so the Catholic-Protestant antagonism is going to be a little sensitive.

 

[Schnozzberry]

The Phoenix Shall Rise from the Ashes!
--New Legionnaire Mantra

Face it, the United States is surrounded by Republics. New England, Liberty, Canada, Dixie, all republics and they all view the Empire with unease… The future for the United States is a Republic, not because of some moral argument, or a New Legionnaire bomb blowing up a department store, but as a logical consequence of integration between the United States and her neighbors.
--U.S. Prime Minister Phillip Cheng, 2042


For We March Under a Phoenix’s Wings by Francisco Garrido, United States, 2037

The New Legion is difficult to discuss in an objective manner for most Americans. Few organizations have had the staying power and resilience to continually be a terroristic threat for nearly two and a half centuries; [1] not even organizations as horrific as the Red Crosses or brutal as the Young Americans have had the staying power or long-term threat. As such, many Americans have memories of New Legion attacks that are still fresh, and practically all have knowledge of at least some New Legion atrocities…

Alexander Hamilton​

Hamilton’s Whiskey Tax would prove successful at earning the income necessary to repay the newly established Federal Debt, however it would not be without consequences. The Whiskey Tax was extremely poorly structured, to the point that many would suspect Hamilton had deliberately done so in pursuit of some nefarious plan. Whether deliberate or not, the Whiskey Tax would disproportionally harm those living on the frontier where specie was rare so whiskey was often used as currency instead; thus the Whiskey Tax went from a “Sin Tax” as it was promoted, to an income tax for those frontiersfolk. [2]

Frontier resistance to the Whiskey Tax meant that it was rarely if ever collected in the Appalachian and Western regions. Continually escalating tensions over the resistance to tax collection would lead to full on revolt. When General John Neville attempted to shelter a Federal Marshal David Lenox, whom had been issuing subpoenas, was killed and his house razed by angry protestors. Violence would begin to increase as radicals began to take over, egged on by the death of a prominent protestor, Major James McFarlane, during the razing of Neville’s house. A convention of radicals on August 1st, 1794, would lead to the radicals taking charge under the leadership of David Bradford, a local lawyer, who would then lead a march on Pittsburgh. [3]

A tax collector being tarred and feathered during the rebellion​

With the rebellion escalating, the government in New York City would re-organize the American army into the Legionary Structure, calling out ten thousand troops to establish two Legions of the United States. While initially intending for General Harmar to lead the Legions against the radicals, Princeps Gilbert would volunteer to take command, making him one of only two American Monarchs to lead an army in office. This decision would lead to a mentally ill [4] republican, Francis Wilkie, attempting to assassinate Gilbert, the attempt ending with Wilkie missing with both of his single-shot pistols and only wounding the Princeps with a glancing shot to the leg before making his escape. Gilbert would recover in time to take up command.

Reportedly Francis Wilkie​

While the Legions mustered in the east, the situation in the west continued to change. Protestors rose Liberty Poles, flew six-striped or seven-striped flags after the number of counties in revolt, and in Pittsburgh, Bradford, who self-styled himself as America’s Robespierre, would have several pro-government forces arrested with two being hung. [5]

David Bradford​

That September as the Legion was making final preparations to move out, the protestors would declare independence after a convention in Pittsburgh where radicals once more overwhelmed the moderates. The declaration would establish the Alleghenies Republic which would consist of several western counties of Pennsylvania and two from Virginia. In a speech given after the declaration of independence, Bradford would declare that in response to the newly established Legions by the Federal government, the Alleghenies would establish a “new legion” and restore the ideals of the American Revolution. It was here that the New Legion in an early form would come into existence…

Common flag flown by Alleghenies Republicans [6]​

The Battle of Pittsburgh would be the only significant battle of the entire Alleghenies War as it represented the first and last time the Alleghenies New Legion fought. Outnumbered ten to one, the ANL would be surrounded and defeated relatively swiftly, Bradford would be captured, and without its chief architect, the Alleghenies Republic faded away…

With the defeat of the Alleghenies Republic, many radical republicans would begin to fear that the new Federal Legions would be used to persecute them and began to flee, mainly to upper Louisiana and the old Northwest. In what would later become known as Ohio, members of the New Legion would begin to reorganize as a defensive movement to protect their settlements from both Native and Federal interference. This state of affairs would be extremely short lived however as the passage of the 1795 Sedition Act would lead to a reaction by the New Legion. The Sedition Act explicitly forbid “false speech which undermines the legitimacy and order” [7] of the United States.

Unpopular even with some of the governing Federalist Party, the Sedition Act was passed in the wake of the Alleghenies Rebellion to provide the mechanism for a crackdown on radical republicans. The Sedition Act would lead to support for the Republican Party to swell, and also establish a bizarre coalition of interests between Princeps Gilbert, who’s veto of the Sedition Act had been overwritten by Director Burr and Rutledge, and Thomas Jefferson who would lead the Republican Party in the upcoming Directorial Election. During this time of political upheaval, and largely motivated by fears stoked by the Sedition Act, the New Legion would return to their militancy, launching a guerilla campaign in the Northwest…


The Sedition Act and the Revolution of 1796 from ITTS:usa.was.americanhistory.gov, 2042

The 1795 Sedition Act would lead to controversy and crisis that would cripple the remainder of the Burr-Rutledge Government. The Act was so controversial for many United Statesians that opposition to the Act would emerge even within the Federalist Party, led by former Regent and Federalist John Adams who would end up defecting to the Republican Party due to the Sedition Act. The controversy and outrage over the act would only grow worse when, after two journalists were arrested under the Sedition Act, Princeps Gilbert would give a speech denouncing Directors Burr and Rutledge for refusing to veto the Act, as well as denouncing several other prominent supporters of the Act for violating the principles of the Second Constitution. Gilbert would then go on to demand that since he made similar statements as the arrested journalists, if the government was intending to have the Act be just, then they must arrest their Princeps for committing a similar crime.

The Late Director​

Unsurprisingly, the Princeps was not arrested, and the issue continued to fester. On January 8th, 1796, the situation reached its climax when the newspapers reported that Director Burr, when his term as Director of the People expired, was intending to run for Director of State. Legally speaking, this was technically allowed, and may have come to pass had it not been for the fact that Director Rutledge would be found dead, floating in the Hudson River a few hours after the story broke. While Director Rutledge’s death was most likely a suicide, [8] many began to accuse Burr of murdering Rutledge so that he could unify the Directorships and “rule the same as Cromwell.” Burr was burned in effigy across the United States, and although he would refuse to resign his office before his term expired despite massive pressure to do so, Burr would retreat from active politics and not attempt to become Director of the State.

With Burr and the Federalists’ star falling, the Republican Party would see tremendous success in the elections held in 1796, successfully electing Thomas Jefferson as Rutledge’s replacement for Director of the State and gaining a majority in the House of Representatives. Most importantly however was the race for Director of the People which saw John Adams run as a member of the Republican Party, winning the election with nearly 61% of the vote as Adams was able to gain support from Federalists who were also pro-republic, as well as most Republican Party members. As the election occurred, and the Republicans victory seemed apparent, rumours that Burr and the Federalists were going use the newly established Legions to launch a coup swirled, although this would not happen. Instead, Burr would accept the election results, peacefully transferring power to Adams. This peaceful transfer of power has been called the “Revolution of 1796” as it reflected the first peaceful transfer of power between different political parties in US history, beginning the only period the Republicans assumed power in the United States peacefully…

[1] I believe it would be none IOTL, and arguably ITTL as it's hard to say that the New Legion is a continuous organization through the centuries.
[2] All OTL.
[3] Mostly OTL as well.
[4] This isn't a pejorative or anything, Wilkie will return. He suffers from dementia praecox and will make an odd and kind of sad fellow.
[5] Bradford called himself that IOTL.
[6] It isn't really unique, but the common design attributed to the Whiskey Rebellion IOTL is likely a regimental flag used by the forces that put down the Rebellion. A lack of cloth meant that IOTL the rebels used flags like that if they used them at all.
[7] Similar to OTL's Sedition Act.
[8] Rutledge tried to kill himself by jumping into the Hudson IOTL as well. He seems to have suffered from severe depression.

 

[Schnozzberry]

Hello Everyone! Some of you may have noticed that there seem to be too few flags this time around.

Do not worry, I am going to rectify the situation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Symbols of the USA by David Lee, 2020

First Imperial Flag, 1793-1888
​

Of all US flags, the First Imperial Flag is perhaps the most recognizable of all United States' flags barring the current flag. Based on the Betsy Ross flag, the First Imperial Flag was devised due to the withdrawal of Rhode Island from the US. When Rhode Island withdrew, a question as to what ought to be done with the number of stars and stripes was debated. The number of stars and stripes had grown to fifteen, two more than what it was upon independence to reflect the admission of Vermont and Kentucky, so the question as to whether or not to keep a star and a stripe for Rhode Island became an issue of contention.

After a period of debate, the situation would be resolved with a redesign of the US flag to the "First Imperial" Design, although that name was first used in 1929 and the redesign was often called the "Pattern 5" as it was the fifth official design of the US flag used. Like its predecessors, the Pattern 5 had thirteen red & white stripes, one for each of the original colonies, decreasing the number of stripes as there were concerns the flag would grow too cluttered should a new stripe be added for every new state. Contrasting its predecessors however, the number of stars did not correlate to the number of states; instead there were 13 stars, 12 the same size and one larger. The twelve stars were to symbolize the twelve original colonies that remained, while the 13th larger star represented the union as a whole.

US Variant Flag (1793-1796/1810)
​

Concerns by some anti-Federalists that the flag 's symbolism might be "too kingly" would also lead to the creation of a variant flag which more closely resembled the First Republic's flag. Thirteen striped, just like the First Imperial, the major difference was that there were equal-sized stars, one for each state in the Union. The variant was co-official with the First Imperial flag until the declaration of the Empire, although similar designed flags continued to be used all the way until the collapse of the Nikist Third Empire.

Republican Party Flag (1795-1858)
​

The exact origins of the Republican Party Flag are uncertain, although it is thought that it may have origins in the "Trekker" Republicans in the old Northwest of the United States. In the Northwest, the Trekker Republicans are known to have used green and red flags, inspired by the flags used by General George Rogers Clark's expeditions in the Northwest; it is generally thought that Richard Peters, a republican judge from Pennsylvania, drew inspiration from the Trekkers' standards in designing his "Republican Variation" of the US flag which would become the Republican Party's official flag. The sixteen stars of the flag were meant to represent the 14 states, the recently seceded Rhode Island, and a sixteenth star for the Union as a whole. The star representing the Union was given as equal in size to the rest as "under the Republic, the Federal Government shall be Equal in Stature to the government of the States."

Trekker Flag
​

During the Princepate and the Anteconductorate Empire, tens of thousands of Republicans would move west in the "Westward Trek," moving primarily to the upper reaches of Spanish Louisiana. These Trekkers would rally around multiple different symbols. These were predominantly simple multi-striped flags, often red and white although other color schemes were known to exist. In a settlement of Trekkers in St. Charles, led by infamous Republican Daniel Boone, the Trekkers used a red, white and black flag. The exact design is unknown, although it would inspire the white-black-red tricolor flag which would be used by many of the Trekker Republics when they rose up against Spain and later the United States in the early 19th century. Symbolically, the white and red were born simply from the other early Trekker flags, while the black was intended to represent "mourning" for the Death of the First Republic

Flag of the New Legion
​

Perhaps the most infamous symbol to originate in the days of the Princepate, the flag of the New Legion was derived from the Trekker flag although the New Legion is generally not considered an element of the Trekkers. Instead, the New Legion was, and still is, a terrorist organization that sought to destroy the monarchy through radical means, using the symbol of a phoenix rising from flames which also appears on their flag. The designer is unknown, with the first documented instance of the flag having been observed in 1824, although the New Legion is known to have used flags with phoenixes upon them from the organizations foundation. The stars upon the flag, although often described as being inspired by the First Imperial Flag, were actually intended to represent the "Twelve Republican Virtues" which the New Legion would triumph.

First Great Seal of the United States (1795-1848)
​

The Great Seal was designed by Charles Thomson, the first and only Secretary of the Continental Congress. When created, the Seal was somewhat controversial due to its inclusion of a crown upon the eagle's head; the United States would not use a crown until the reign of Emperor Oscar. The inscribed words would become the unofficial motto of the First Empire, Pacem Unitur Igni, which translate to Peace United in Fire.

 

[Schnozzberry]

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: "Hey, did it take Schnozzberry ten days to write an update with not much text and a bunch of images, most just recycled from the previous version?"

My answer is: Yes.

However, I also wrote a piece on the smallest nation in the Americas, the Venice of North America, and future colonial power, Rhode Island.

~~~~~

"Even with a thick snowfall, protests continue today in Providence Province as the 250th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Rhode Island approaches. Pro-Independence parties continue to demand a referendum for independence from New England..."
--USNN Reporter on the Providence Protests, December 2041

President McGrath II​

President of Rhode Island, James McGrath II, sat in his office, staring at the person seated across from him in silence. Slowly, the ornate grandfather clock in the corner ticked through the seconds, demarking every time another second slipped into the past. The person seated across his desk was perhaps the worst person the President of the diminutive republic had ever had in his office: his son.

James McGrath III, at only fifteen years old, had managed to cause his father more stress than the ongoing Third Global War or the Nikists and their none-too-subtle threats. Reaching for a paper on his desk, McGrath finally broke the silence.

"Do you know what I received today?" His son mumbled something in response, but it proved too quiet for McGrath to understand.

"Speak up boy." McGrath said, his voice terse but calm.

"No."

"I received this," McGrath held up the paper, revealing the signature of Orson Mark, the head of the school his son was attending, "You have been ignoring your classes."

"What need of education do I have? My future is already secure, just as yours was from Grandpa." The haughty response prompted McGrath to angrily reach across his desk and strike his son.

"You arrogant child! You have no comprehension of what it takes to govern, of how much work it took to become President!" McGrath seethed for several more moments before speaking again, his voice returned to its terse, but calm manner.

"Son, it is true that you have a better chance at being President than pretty much anyone else from the Families, but that is only if you value information and cunning. Gone are the days of the Fenners, where you could take the Presidency by simply having the right family name. Our ancestor, Ichabod, was the one who ended that and it was his success in doing so that made the McGraths what we are today. Ever since then, our family has kept from falling into the same trap as the Fenners, and I'll be damned if my son is the one who is snagged by it!"…


A Brief History of the Americas’ Smallest Country by James McGrath III

…By 1791, the passage of the United States’ Princely Constitution had gone through in twelve of the original thirteen colonies, and two other states, Vermont and Kentucky had been added to the US, and yet, Rhode Island, despite still triumphing its status as a state, had not ratified the Constitution. Fourteen conventions to ratify the Constitution had assembled between 1789 and 1791, and all had failed, often voting against the Constitution by a margin exceeding 75%. The penultimate convention had even almost led to civil war as anti-Constitution and pro-Constitution elements turned out in a tense standoff to bully the convention to vote in their supported direction. [1]

Rhode Islander Anti-Federalist Propaganda​

Unable to ratify the Constitution, Rhode Island was stuck in an awkward limbo as both a state of the United States but not operating under its governing basic law, for which it was called “Rogue Island” by pro-Constitution advocates in Rhode Island and the other states. After the third failed ratification convention, the United States’ government would issue an ultimatum to Rhode Island: ratify the Constitution or be expelled. [2] So, on June 1st, 1791, the fifteenth ratification convention would assemble and debate the issue for over three weeks, once more voting against it albeit in a far closer margin. The fifteenth convention would issue the Declaration on the Constitution, the closest thing Rhode Island has to a declaration of independence.

We, the delegates of the people of the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, duly elected and met in Convention, having maturely considered the Constitution for the United States of America, agreed to on the seventeenth day of September, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, by the Convention then assembled at Philadelphia, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, (a copy whereof precedes these presents,) and having also seriously and deliberately considered the present situation of this state, do declare and make known that there are certain natural rights of which men, when they form a social compact, cannot deprive or divest their posterity,—among which are the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety. The said Rights are in and of so far as the Constitution is in the form it holds in the present are not Satisfied or Protected. ​

All power is naturally vested in, and consequently derived from, the people; that magistrates, therefore, are their trustees and agents, and at all times amenable to them which is not by the said Constitution clearly delegated to the Congress of the United States, or to the departments of government thereof, remain to the people of the several states, or their respective state governments, to whom they may have granted the same; and that those clauses in the Constitution which declare that Congress shall not have or exercise certain powers, do not imply that Congress is entitled to any powers not given by the said Constitution; but such clauses are to be construed as exceptions to certain specified powers, or as inserted merely for greater caution.​

Under these impressions, and declaring that the rights aforesaid cannot be abridged or violated, and that the explanations aforesaid are not consistent with the said Constitution. We, the said delegates, in the name and in the behalf of the people of the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, do, by these presents, do not assent to the said Constitution.​

Done in Convention, at Newport, in the county of Newport, in the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, the twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, and in the fourteenth year of the independence of the United States of America. [3]​

Flag of the new Republic​

The Declaration on the Constitution made Rhode Island’s stance fully known. And so on September 18th, the US legislature would vote to expel Rhode Island from the United States. While Emperor Gilbert I tried to veto the act, hoping to find a compromise, but Directors Burr and Rutledge would jointly override his veto and so, on January 1st, 1792, Rhode Island ceased to be the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, becoming the Independent Republic of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, beginning 149 years of Rhode Islander sovereignty.

Rector Fenner​

Arthur Fenner, the anti-Federalist governor of Rhode Island, would become Rector of the Republic. Rector Fenner would see his government under duress from the moment of independence. Rhode Island used the same charter which it had when established as a colony by England in 1663, preventing the enfranchisement of most Rhode Islanders, [4] leading to tensions between the social classes. In order to avert the situation from descending into crisis, Fenner would come up with a scheme to keep the status quo valid.

The government of Rhode island would hold a referendum on the issue, asking them whether or not the state should create a new governing constitution. Every white adult male was able to vote in the referendum, which would see a vote of 9,815 for keeping the charter, and 8,992 for changing it for a total of 18,807 votes. This was, of course, quite the curious result for a country with 15,874 white adult males…

[1] Functionally the same IOTL
[2] A similar ultimatum was issued, although the Federal government just threatened to levy tariffs.
[3] Adapted Rhode Island's OTL ratification which contained pages of demands.
[4] The same happened IOTL, prompting a mini-rebellion in Rhode Island in the 1840s.

 

[Schnozzberry]

"France will find, as we have found, the lamb committed to the custody of the wolf. "
--Director John Adams

Revolution vs. Revolution by Isaac Carter, United States, 2037

1796, the twentieth year of independence for the United States would prove to be the most prosperous one the Union had seen yet. A peaceful transfer of power had occurred between the Federalists and the Republicans, with the exception of the odd case of violence from the Red Crosses in the south or Republicans in the northwest, the whole country was at peace, and the economy was steadily improving. Truly things were looking up for the union.

While political tensions were rising between the Adams and Jefferson factions of the Republican party, and French privateers were ramping up their assaults on American shipping, these issues were unable to overcome the feeling of optimism. Unbeknownst to most Americans however, Clark Hopswood had allied with the French to make his great comeback…


The Free Army of the Republican Union of America from ITTS:usa.was.americanhistory.gov, 2042

Franco-United Statesian relations had been falling for some time in the 1790s. After the French Revolution, [1] the US government refused to pay back the debts the country had racked up during the French Revolution, and while many United Statesians supported the Revolution during its early days, the rise of the Jacobins led to relations breaking down even further. Only compounding on this was the execution of Princeps Gilbert’s wife, Adrienne, and the Author of Common Sense, Thomas Paine by the Revolutionary government. [2]

Clark Hopswood Maximilien Robespierre​

The United States would withdraw its diplomatic relations with France in 1793 after it was discovered that Clark Hopswood, Luke Day, and many other Regulators were welcomed into exile in France. The exiled Regulators would create a “Regulated Government of America” in Paris with support by the French government after relations were broken. In 1794, with personal support by Maximilien Robespierre, exiled Regulators and other Republicans would organize the “Free Army of the Republican Union of America” which would be led by Hopswood. Robespierre believed that the FARUA would be useful to bring the Revolution to the New World after it overtook the Old.

Director Paul Barras [2]
The longest serving French Director​

Robespierre’s personal involvement however would leave the FARUA isolated after his downfall, with the new Directory stripping the FARUA of a lot of supplies and all French soldiers attached to the project. Forced to seek funding and resources privately, the FARUA would end up pulling in “volunteers,” mostly Jacobins who joined to try and escape reprisals by the Directory. This would lead to the FARUA growing to nearly four thousand, with French volunteers outnumbering American exiles eight-to-one. Fearing that the growing private army might pose a danger to the Directory, the French government would claim that they were going to give the FARUA passage to the United States and had the FARUA moved to Bordeaux. This promised passage wouldn’t occur however until fall of 1796.

USS Washington vs. L'Insurgente, 1796
USS Washington was captured.​

Initially, the Directory had no intention of launching the FARUA to the United States, however the United States was rapidly proving a thorn in the side for the French. In retaliation to the US breaking off relations with France and refusing to pay their debts owed to France, the French government authorized privateer attacks on US ships which led to the re-establishment of the US Navy. By 1796, the US Navy consisted of only three retrofitted merchantmen, however reports that US shipyards were rapidly constructing eight larger frigates meant that the United States might pose a danger to French control of her colonies in the Caribbean. Furthermore, the United States signed a treaty with Great Britain that permitted the Royal Navy to supply in United Statesian ports in exchange for naval supplies and munitions, allowing the British even more capacity to strike at French privateers. [3] With a deteriorating situation that saw US and French ships clashing openly at sea, the “Quasi-War” as it came to be known, the Directory decided to use the FARUA as a distraction to regain the upper hand. After signing a treat of alliance with the Kingdom of Spain, the FARUA would finally be transported, not by French ships however, but by privately-hired Spanish ships to try and avoid British and US ships.

George Walton​

The initial plan for where the FARUA was to attack was based on two highly flawed pieces of information Hopswood possessed. The first was the last letter Hopswood had received from Martin Horn, which told how Horn planned to push into South Carolina’s interior, and a letter from former Georgian governor George Walton which claimed that Georgia was “on the verge of a revolt.” From this information, Hopswood concluded that a landing in Georgia would allow for the FARUA to join with Horn and the Republicans in Georgia, then march north and “unroll the whole Kingly abomination.” This was, of course, a flawed premise: Horn had created the Red Crosses and Walton severely overestimated the support for a revolt in Georgia. Regardless, the fleet would set out for Georgia.

The FARUA’s trip to North America was not a very successful one; less than a hundred miles from Georgia, a storm struck the fleet, sinking over half the fleet, including the ship Luke Day was on, and blowing the ships south. The fleet would arrive in St. Augustine, Spanish Florida on March 12th, only to find out that Walton had been found out for his communications with Hopswood and had fled to Florida with his supporters. Furthermore, Horn had gone completely mad, further cutting off any potential support the FARUA was supposed to have received. With an assessment of the dire situation the expedition was in, the French members of the expedition would mutiny and decide to return to France, abandoning the Americans in Florida. Before they departed, a bound and gagged Hopswood was unceremoniously hauled and dumped aboard one of the French ships by the Americans for having reportedly wanted to try and continue with the expedition regardless. With that, the FARUA dissolved into nothingness, and Hopswood’s plans for a triumphant return collapsed as never again would the Arch-Revolutionary Clark Hopswood would set foot in the New World…


Revolution vs. Revolution by Isaac Carter, United States, 2037

News of Hopswood’s attempted return would slowly filter into the United States albeit in a piecemeal manner. France’s exact involvement, or whether France even was involved was uncertain, with accusations against Spain, Britain or even the Netherlands being thrown around by the press. However, as information about the event slowly became to be known to the wider population, demands for war and an increasing anti-French sentiment began to echo across the Union. War-Hawks called for a declaration of war upon France, with the most radical calling for an “immediate” invasion of France’s Caribbean colonies. In a moment of increasingly uncommon cooperation, neither Directors Adams and Jefferson nor Princeps Gilbert were willing to lead the United States to war, especially one which the Directors and Princeps thought the Americans would lose badly. Adams would state that if the two nations were at war, “the meagerest change in attitude or action towards indifference in the Atlantic by England ought see twenty thousand Sans-Culottes in New York.” Instead of war, Director Adams and Princeps Gilbert would agree to engage in a campaign of naval and army buildup, ordering the construction of three more frigates, and the repairing of many of the American coastal forts that were rapidly falling into disarray.

Political Cartoon mocking the French, 1798​

Director Jefferson and the Princeps would also attempt to seek reparations through a diplomatic mission to France in 1797, however the attempt at diplomacy would fail as French ministers would demand a bribe before even engaging in diplomacy. The event would become known as the XYZ affair, as when bringing the information to Congress, the ministers who demanded the bribe were referred to as “X,” “Y,” and “Z.” It was a further blow to the American people’s relations with the French, and calls for war continued to grow further as it became apparent, at least to the American people, that the French had no desire to deal with the as equals on the diplomatic front…

[1] This happened OTL.
[2] The Directory's Director's uniform is the best thing about the French Directory.
[3] IOTL while the USA and Britain recognized each other as cobelligents, they didn't cooperate.

 

[Schnozzberry]

Hello everyone! Bit of a shorter update, but this is on the status of the USA's capital city. It's still a different location than OTL, but not the nightmare of a capital being in New Jersey as in the previous version.

"Is Washington a better city for America than New York? In truth, I do not know for I fear it shall become the Columbian Versailles."
--Emperor Gilbert I, 1820

The Historical Roots of the Capital Debate by Robert Harrison, 1984, USA

Today the SDC (1) forced the vote on the Capital issue, and now it seems official: the Capital City of the United States will be moved from Washington to New York City. While SDC members celebrate the move as the next step to denikification, several National (2) representatives such as Virginian Carl Riddar and Massachusettsan Viktor Putnam have denounced the move as being disrespectful to the United States’ history. Others have expressed concerns that with the New English referendum scheduled for next month, the capital could end up virtually on the border should the yes vote win the referendum. However, something that representative Riddar seems to have ignored is that the US’ capital city has historically moved around, chiefly between Washington and New York City, although Richmond, Baltimore and Saint Louis have all served as the nation’s capital for over a year as well since the establishment of the Empire.

The debate over where the United States’ capital should be only began with the creation of the Second Constitution. Prior to this, no national capital existed with the location the Congress of the Confederation’s meetings being the de facto capital. Under the Second Constitution, the demand for a permanent capital was made, with the caveat that the capital was to be in the north. Nothing more had been put forward when the Second Constitution came into effect, so the capital remained in its temporary location, New York City and after a few years, apathy set in and many accepted New York City would remain the capital even if not officially mandated by law.

New York would remain the capital for several years before the debate over whether to officialize the city as the United States’ capital sprung up after the 1796 election. Newly elected Director, Thomas Jefferson, didn’t particularly believe that the capital should remain in New York. New York was a hotbed of republicanism even then, which Jefferson supported, but Jefferson believed that keeping the capital in the largest city in the country could lead to a government which supported the cities over the rural classes who Jefferson was a champion of. Jefferson would open the debate over the capital in 1797, and successfully guiding the majority Republican Party into opposing a New York capital.

John Vining​

With the capital to be moved from New York, which was eventually mandated by a law passed in 1797, the question now came as to where. One man had a solution. John Vining, a Senator from Delaware, would come forward to argue that the city of Wilmington in Delaware ought be the capital. (3) Alcoholic and inflammatory but genius, Vining would argue the point before the Senate in 1797 before being rebuffed. Wilmington being located within a single state, not being seen as being northern enough, and already being an established city led to Wilmington being rejected. And so, Vining would return to Delaware where for the next two years he would commission surveys of the territory around Wilmington. Vining’s dedication surprised all who knew him, as the man once described as a “drunken dandy who was good for naught” proved remarkably determined, returning to New York in 1799 with a new plan for a capital.

Despite no longer being a Senator, (4) Vining was allowed to present his new plan as the past two years had seen the debate stagnate as the prospect of war with France was slowly growing to dominate American politics. Vining proposed that a roughly 150 square mile (5) piece of territory along the Delaware-Pennsylvania border should be purchased by the Federal government where a new capital city could be built up. Within the proposed territory, Vining would outline two separate sites where the capital could be built. The first was on the Delaware River, which made the proposed territory’s eastern border, the second was in the interior of the territory.

Vining's Proposed Territory​

Vining’s proposal had several advantages listed by Vining to make his argument stronger. Firstly, the two sites were either on or near the Delaware river, and the new capital would be near Philadelphia, allowing the city to become an important trade hub. Second, the new Federal territory directly bordered Pennsylvania and Delaware, shared a riverine border with New Jersey, and the southwestern corner of the territory formed a quadripoint with Maryland. This made the proposed territory a nexus where the states came together, and as Vining put it: “encourage the unity by being neither northern or southern, not beholden to the culture of any state.” Finally, Vining noted that the territory would also solve a territorial dispute between Delaware and Pennsylvania, which would permit “an increase in harmony between the states, no matter how small.” Of course, unmentioned by Vining was the fact that Wilmington would be within the Federal territory, the next best thing to the city being the capital in Vining’s mind.

With few other serious ideas for a location for the new capital having risen to prominence, and the approval of the plan by Director Jefferson, Vinning’s plan would be converted into the Residence Act and on July 29th, 1799, the official mandate for the establishment of the new “Capital City of Washington and the Federal District” was born. Delaware would readily cede the territory that August, with Pennsylvania ceding their portion of territory in March, 1800. A deadline of 1811 was set for the completion of the governmental buildings, and until then, the capital would remain as New York…


(1) The Solidarity and Democracy Coalition, the governing coalition
(2) National Front, the opposition
(3) Vining argued for Wilmington to be the capital in OTL.
(4) His term expired in 1798
(5) roughly 380 Square Kilometers

 

[Schnozzberry]

Hello everyone! I know it's "just a bit" since the last update, but with the world collapsing in flames around us I haven't had a good chance to do a lot of writing. However, I got the next update finally finished and since the plant I work at is shut down as the workforce is suffering a newsworthy outbreak of the 'rona, I should have more free time. Anywho here we go.



There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.
--John Adams, 1789

Foundation of the Second Party System from ITTS:usa.was.americanhistory.gov, 2042

The 1798 congressional elections proved critical for both the Republican and Federalist Parties as tensions between intra-party factions were flaring. The Republican Party was torn between the “Democratic” faction which pushed for a more limited federal government, the “Federal” faction which pushed for a stronger federal government, and a small but vocal “Radical” faction which demanded a republican restoration at any cost. Similarly, the Federalists were splitting as the de facto head of the party, Alexander Hamilton and his “High Federalist” clique were leading the party down a pro-monarchical path which caused those more neutral on the issue to grow increasingly resistant.

The results of the election were somewhat unsurprising as the Republicans kept the majority in the House of Representatives albeit with thinner margin than before as independents and Federalists took several new seats. A number of American citizens shifted against the Republicans due to Clark Hopswood’s attempted return and the slowly emerging New Legion led to some who were on the fence on the monarchy shifting against the Republicans. This shift highlighted the tensions within the parties as many of the new voters who voted for the Federalists were neutral towards the monarchy or even slightly republican which stood at odds with the Hamiltonian clique. For the Republican Party, the intra-party division between the pro-British Federal faction and pro-French Democratic faction intensified due to the election, while the de facto leader of the Radial Faction, North Carolinian Senator Timothy Bloodworth, [1] drove the wedge between the Radicals and the rest of the republican movement even deeper by openly referring to Princeps Gilbert as a traitor, tyrant and “papal slave” on the Senate floor.

While the divisions between the Republicans were patched over by the common belief in republicanism, the Federalist Party had no such unifying force. Senator Charles Pinckney would lead the breakup of the Federalist Party, working with four other members of Congress to form a new party: the National Party on September 12, 1798. The National party was supportive of a stronger Federal government but with a “wait and see” attitude towards the monarchy. This neutrality made the National Party a perpetually popular party in United Statesian politics of the era; starting in 1800, the National Party would remain in the governing coalition for three decades even as other parties came and went. The National Party would ultimately be forcefully merged with the Liberty Party in 1844 by Conductor James Polk...

As many Federalists were neutral on the monarchy or even leaned slightly republican, the Federalist Party suffered a number of defections to the National Party. By the 1802 elections, the Federalist Party had lost many members who were ardent supporters of Federal power with many who replaced them being more pro-monarchy than proponents of Federal power. Only Alexander Hamilton and a select few holdouts’ strong nationalism which maintained the pro-Federal power stance of the party after 1810 as the Federalist party withered to only about half a dozen Congressmen at any given time. After Hamilton finally resigned from politics in 1824, the long-in-decline Federalist Party would abandon its pretensions of being anything other than a pro-Monarchy party and change into the Imperial Unity Party which would in turn maintain a minor but vigorous existence until being one of the five parties involved in the formation of the Pan-American Nikist Party in 1925.

While the breakup of the Federalist Party should have given the Republican Party a massive leg up, it did the exact opposite. Tensions between the Democratic and Federal factions only rose as the need to maintain party unity decreased with the collapse in unity in the opposition. Additionally as the pro-monarchy bloc shrunk, the Radicals began to fight any political action which wasn’t explicitly geared towards reestablishing a republic. Radical Republican Senator Bloodworth would go so far as to end every one of his speeches with “Ceterum censeo Regno esse delendam,” furthermore, in my opinion, the Kingdom must be destroyed. [2] By 1799, the factions were openly quarreling with each other, leading to the Republican Party breaking up as Director Jefferson led the Democratic faction to establish a new political party, the Democratic-Republican Party on May 9th. The Democratic-Republican Party was a states rights, pro-farmers and planters, and moderate republican party. Being led by the popular Director of the State Thomas Jefferson, and being the only party that embraced a pro-state power stance, the Democratic-Republican Party quickly became the largest party in both the House of Representatives and the Senate although the Democratic-Republicans would never achieve a majority in either branch of Congress. Much like Director Jefferson, the Democratic-Republican Party was fairly francophilic, although in contrast to Director Jefferson who viewed the early French Republic positively, the majority of the Democratic-Republicans publicly argued for the exiled Bourbons with favor and rallied against Jacobinism and the corrupt Directory. How much of this was just political rhetoric however is frequently debated by historians as many Democratic-Republicans were known to be critics of the Bourbons in private, and the Franco-American War made public support for the French Republic near political suicide...

The Federal faction, led by Director of the State John Adams, would establish the Liberty Party on May 16th both in response to the Democratic Party’s establishment and to leave behind the increasingly politically toxic Radicals. The Liberty Party was broadly pro-federal power, although less so than the National Party, as well as additionally being a moderate republican party. While Director Jefferson would write privately that he dreamed of a future where the United States was a sprawling republic of self-sufficient yeoman farmers, Director Adams would publicly and explicitly lay out the Libertyite plan for a future Republic of the United States. Adams envisioned “a government strong enough to defend the liberties so that a Republic could be maintained,” rhetoric which flowed against even that used by the Nationalists. Furthermore, the Libertyites would argue that the idea that a successful Republican government was one that was “so weak as to be unable to take away the liberties of the people'' was what had led to the First Constitution failing in the first place. According to Libertyite rhetoric such a republic, if it were established again, would inevitably lead to a repeat of the crises of the First Constitution that would lead to a despotic Monarchy the next time around. The current government had only avoided ending in Monarchist tyranny because, as the Libertyites put it, Princeps Gilbert was “of a totally unique nature which mankind has not otherwise seen nor shall be seen again.” The fall of the French Directory and Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to Emperorship in France was often drawn upon by Libertyites as a glimpse of the future of a Second Republic if the Libertyite plans for a Republican government were ignored. Curiously however, even as the Liberty Party argued for a Second Republic, the Libertyites would begin to reconcile with the monarchy after Director Adams’ term ran out in 1802. Libertyite Senator James Madison took charge of the party after Adams, and his eclectic views on republicanism would somewhat reshape the Liberty Party.

After the murder of his father and brother in 1800 by New Legionaires, Madison engaged in a slightly bizarre period of revision and “correction” of his pro-republican writings, driven by guilt for some perceived connection between Madison’s writings and the murders. [3] In truth, the New Legionaires had just mistaken his father, James Madison Sr. for Senator Madison whom they had intended to murder for being an architect of the Second Constitution. During this period, Madison seems to have reconciled his republican beliefs to support the Princepate by concluding that the United States was already a republic as republicanism was truly about principles, not the superficial titles that were used. Madison would refer to this as the government of the United States being a “sheep in wolf’s clothing,” arguing that while the country seemed to be a monarchy which was “inherently tyrannical” that it was merely a harmless republican state instead. This interpretation of the situation was never truly accepted by most republicans and was controversial even within the ranks of the Libertyites, but Madison’s arguments would see the beginning of a shift in the Liberty Party that would eventually see the party not only accept the monarchical government but openly support it under the Polk and Walker dictatorships...

...even as the political parties continued to fragment, the need for a unified government grew. The Raid on Pointe-à-Pitre triggered a political crisis in Franco-US relations, culminating in then Consul Napoleon’s decision to issue his 1800 Declaration of War upon the United States to “sweep away the Marquis’ upstarts” and secure his ambitions for a North American colonial empire. Initially the official state of war changed little as the fighting continued to just be a string of naval skirmishes as Great Britain’s far larger navy and fighting in Europe kept France too busy to fight the United States. Without a significant threat from France, no unity came in response to the War and domestic political issues prevented decisive action during the initial period of the war. Director Jefferson would win the only re-election of a Director of the State by the narrowest of margins thanks to a series of backroom deals, and Colonel Henry Dearborn would win the Director of the People election in 1802 as a Democratic-Republican. However, shifting political winds meant that while the Democratic-Republicans continued to maintain a plurality, the Liberty and National Parties could form an alliance to achieve a majority, deadlocking the government even as the Treaty of Amiens meant that the United States was now forced to fight France with only the Haitian rebels as cobelligents...



An Empire of Republics: The States Before Polk by Isaac Carter, 2024

When the Second Constitution was adopted, it permitted each state to adopt a form of government so long as it was “representative.” For the first few years the states simply maintained the titles they had under the First Constitution, however on September 6th, 1793, Connecticut changed its official name from the “State of Connecticut” to the “Republic of Connecticut.” In response, the government would pass a law that forbade any state from having a republican government. While Gilbert I would attempt to veto the law, citing the rights of the states, Directors Aaron Burr and John Rutledge would override his veto.

In response to the law, Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut, Oliver Wolcott, would sue the Federal government over the issue and after a two-year legal battle in the case Wolcott vs. United States, the US Supreme Court determined that the States had a constitutional right to establish republican governments. With Wolcott’s victory, six other states: Georgia, Cumberland, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire would declare themselves to be republics as well. Pennsylvania would also declare their state a republic without changing the title from Commonwealth. Until the reorganization of the state governments by the Third Constitution, the USA would see the admission of seven additional republics, and the abolishment of the Georgian and New Hampshirite republics.

With the exception of New York which declared itself to be a “neutral” state, other states would officially establish ”monarchical” governments although only South Carolina would establish an actual noble position which was anything other than symbolic; the Duke of South Carolina would have a limited veto. The remainder of the monarchical states were what was referred to by later accounts as “Regent Republics,” or monarchical governments with an elected position assuming all executive functions. The term Regent Republic comes from the structure of the Commonwealth of Virginia which created the title of “Duke of Virginia,” however an elected Regent served in the position until the Virginian government was reorganized by the Third Constitution. While the term would be expanded to refer to all of the US states which didn’t actually put a noble into office, the term only accurately refers to Virginia and New Jersey’s structure of government…

...Under the 1791 Constitution, one of the few powers given to the Princeps was the right to grant noble titles “with the consent of those under the jurisdiction of the title,” and to revoke “harmful or abused” titles unilaterally. Curiously, this provision was the only mention of noble titles in the Second Constitution, likely an unintentional oversight by the drafters of the Second Constitution. With this power and the go-ahead by the newly elected Directors Adams and Jefferson, Princeps Gilbert would sponsor the creation of the College of American Titles and Arms in 1796 to oversee the granting of noble titles and coats of arms. Formally, the College had no powers beyond that which Princeps Gilbert possessed, however most states would eventually agree to follow the College’s direction after the College arbitrated the “Title War,” a political dispute between the states when Virginia attempted to claim a status of being “First amongst Equals” and granted itself a higher ranked title of “Archduchy” to reflect these claims. Without any significant legal basis existing at the time by which the dispute could be answered, and with the risk that a fight in the courts would be expensive, unpopular and potentially entirely useless without a legal basis, the parties in the dispute agreed to allow the CATA to arbitrate the dispute. This decision led to the general acceptance of the CATA which would only be enshrined in actual law in 1821...

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And finally, here's a list of US states with a little bit of info on their government structures. I've had GIMP eat two maps I've tried making for this info, so I'll add one when I finish.


Massachusetts, Republic of
Executive: Governor, elected popularly in yearly elections.
Legislature: Bicameral, Senate and House of Representatives
Special Considerations: In response to the Regulator Rebellion, the pre-existing District of Maine and a newly created District of Berkshire were granted special autonomous judiciaries.

New Hampshire, Republic of
Executive: President, elected popularly in yearly elections.
Legislature: Bicameral, Senate and House of Representatives
Special Considerations: none

Vermont, Republic of
Executive: President/Governor used interchangeably, elected popularly in yearly elections
Legislature: Unicameral, General Assembly
Special Considerations: none

New York, State of
Executive: Governor, elected popularly in yearly elections
Legislature: Bicameral, Senate and Assembly
Special Considerations: Due to harsh internal division over the Monarchy, New York is the only state which never adopted a status as a Republican or Monarchical state.

Connecticut, Republic of
Executive: Executive Council (1802 onwards), five officials elected by the Connecticut legislature
Legislature: Unicameral, House of Representatives (1802 onwards)
Special Considerations: The 1802 Constitution reformed the Connecticut government by establishing the Executive Council and abolishing the Senate.

Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of:
Executive: President of the Supreme Executive Council, elected by the Supreme Executive Council
Legislature: Unicameral, General Assembly. The Supreme Executive Council is sometimes considered a de facto upper house
Special Considerations: The President of the Supreme Executive Council was the only US official to officially be addressed with “his Excellency” by 1810.

New Jersey, Duchy of:
Executive: Regent, elected popularly every three years.
Legislature: Bicameral, the General Assembly and Legislative Council
Special Considerations: Neither branch of the legislature was apportioned by population, and the position of Duke was perpetually filled by constitutional obligation to be filled by an elected Regent instead of a Duke.

Federal District, no title
Executive: the Executives of the United States: Princeps/Emperor, Director of State and Director of People
Legislature: none, the US Congress serves as a de facto legislature for the territory.
Special Considerations: The Federal District is directly governed by the US Federal government and while some proposals to grant autonomous government to the district did exist, they were never ratified.

Delaware, Earldom of
Executive: Joint government of the Earl and President
Legislature: Unicameral, General Assembly appointed quasi-proportionally by population.
Special considerations: De Facto power never was held by a separate Earl as the position was always held by the President, not as a regency but as an actual filling of the office. The formal address for the executive of Delaware was “President and Earl of Delaware.”

Maryland, State of
Executive: Governor, elected yearly by the General Assembly
Legislature: Bicameral, House of Representatives and Senate
Special Considerations: A position of “Palatine Lord” of Maryland was created in the 1791 Constitution, however the position was never filled by either a regent or officeholder. The CATA would declare the title of Palatine Lord invalid in 1799 and although the government of Maryland was one of the few to reject cooperation with the CATA, the title went unused.

Virginia, Duchy of
Executive: Duke of Virginia, unelected
Legislature: Unicameral, House of Delegates
Special Considerations: The establishment of the Duchy of Virginia saw the dissolution of the 1776 Senate. In 1797 Virginia attempted to declare their government an Archduchy and claim that as the largest and most populous state, Virginia was the “preeminent” state in the Union, although this was rebuffed.The office of Duke was always filled by an elected Regent, never an actual office-holder and possessed no powers.

Kentucky, March Republic of
Executive: Governor, elected every two years
Legislature: Bicameral, House of Representatives and Senate
Special Considerations: The term March Republic was controversial upon its adoption, however as the March Republic continued, it was embraced as the Kentuckians saw it as a symbol of their states status as the “Shield of Civilization on the Frontier.”

North Carolina, State of
Executive: Governor, elected yearly
Legislature: Bicameral, House of Representatives and Senate
Special Considerations: Officially a monarchist state, no noble titles were ever created by North Carolina.

Cumberland, Free State of
Executive: President, elected every four years
Legislature: Bicameral, House of Representatives and Senate
Special Considerations: Cumberland was officially called the Free State of Tennessee, however unofficial parlance began to refer to the state as “Tennessee-Cumberland,” “East Tennessee” or just ‘Cumberland” as to differentiate between the US State of Tennessee and the Trekker Republic of Tennessee which was named after the state. The name would be changed in 1814 and the state is generally referred to Cumberland retroactively.

South Carolina, Duchy of
Executive: Duke of South Carolina, unelected
Legislature: Bicameral, General Assembly and Senate (1794 onwards)
Special Considerations: South Carolina was the only state to have an independant empowered noble position. The General Assembly was elected by qualified voters while all of the Senate was appointed by the General Assembly except for three Senators appointed by the Duke.

Georgia, Free Republic of
Executive: First Minister, elected by the Senate
Legislature: Unicameral, Senate of the Free Republic of Georgia
Special Considerations: In contrast to many of the other republics during this period, the Georgian Republic actually became more restrictive and embraced a form of quasi-arisocratic legalism to govern the state in an effort to disenfranchise the radical Waltonites who sought Georgian secession from the United States. In 1827, the Free Republic would trigger a political crisis when the Georgian Senate accidentally self-terminated.

[1] Bloodworth was a bit of a radical IOTL too, his letters to Jefferson are an interesting read.
[2] Despite having taken two years of Latin, I have no clue if this is a good rendition of the language. Apologies if I butchered it.
[3] IOTL Madison tried to rewrite his works, as well as personal correspondences at one point, I've just moved the cause around.

 

[Schnozzberry]

I missed this TL

Thank you, that's a really kind remark. I'm always glad to see people enjoying it!

Anywho, here's a mini-update about Rhode Island. The tiny country's merchants are getting up to some hijinks, and the one in this update really doesn't have anywhere else to organically slide into the other updates so it's getting a special place all on its own!

Also, I've apparently messed up the threadmarks, forgotten images and the map for the last update, and got a little bit of cleaning up to do. Sorry about that everyone, I'm going to get it a bit better then!

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"...the people of Kauai are of a far more industrious and shrewd stock than their counterparts in the rest of the [Sandwich] Isles. If it were not so that disease and hardship had depleted their numbers such that the White population of the Isle now exceeds theirs near three-to-one, we might have seen the day that Kauain ships sailed into a Providence that flew their purple flag the same as Rhoder ships now sail into Lihue..."

--Governor Ambrose Burnside

A Brief History of the Americas’ Smallest Country by James McGrath III

The Rhoder ship Vincent had set sail from Providence in early 1794 carrying a load of powder, cannon, shot and rifles. Unlike many of the other ships with such a cargo during this era, the Vincent was not destined for a French or British colony, but for a far more exotic locale. The captain of the ship, Eugene Sussex, had heard rumours that the “Emperor of Ohah-Hoo” [1] of the recently discovered Sandwich Islands was wealthy in gold and seeking to buy “Christian arms,” and so set out to the Sandwich Islands in pursuit of profit.

Eugene Sussex later in life​

Sussex had no idea how this decision would change the fate of the Sandwich Islands forever.

In the Sandwich Islands, the tribal chieftain Kamehameha of the largest island, Hawaii, had waged a relatively bloody campaign of conquest to unify the island chain and by this time had only the island of Kauai left to conquer. Backed by the British, and seeing great success by using some western arms, Kamehameha had sought to take Kauai and launched an attack on Kauai in early 1796 that was forced to retreat due to a storm. The Vincent would arrive in the middle of this conflict, making landfall on Kauai on August 17th, 1796.

Kamehameha​

Upon landing, Captain Sussex would engage in negotiations with King of Kauai, Kaumualii, whom Sussex believed was the “Emperor of Ohah-Hoo” and agreed to trade the arms for native Sandalwood and a trading agreement with the Rhode Islanders. While less valuable than the gold Sussex initially sought, it was still a profitable trade mission and Sussex would repeatedly return to Kauai on trade missions until his death in 1816. The trade agreement would see Rhoders become the dominant Western trading partner for Kauai, a contrast from the rest of the Sandwich Islands which would be dominated by English, United Statesian and Russian merchants.

View attachment 545751
Modern rendition of King Kaumualii​

The arms granted to the Kauaians would prove quite important for not just Kauai, but the Sandwich Islands as a whole. When the Conqueror Kamehameha attacked Kauai for a second time in 1797, the Kauaians fought back and repulsed Kamehameha’s men. Kamehameha would be mortally wounded in the fight, and when he died, so too did any ambition of a united Sandwich Islands. This action would maintain Kauaian independence for nearly seventy years, with Kauai being the last of the Sandwich Islands to be swallowed up by colonial ambitions...

[1] It's mangled something awful, but Hawaiian hadn't been standardized yet and was spelled Owhyhee in English at the time. I would imagine Hawaiian might be written/anglicized slightly differently, but I'm no linguist so that's a bit beyond me.