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This timeline came from a small "what if?" moment after thinking about the fact that Mexico and Haiti were originally empires. I somewhat wondered how the world would change if the American Revolution failed and was soon afterwards Andrew Jackson would rise up to become one of the towering, if not the towering, figure of the late 18th and early 19th century, making himself Emperor Andrew I of America. I am relatively new to this thing so please forgive any errors. So without further ado, here is:

The Jacksonian Empire, A History of a World (1777-present)

Chapter 1: The Blunder of Our Country

From the Wikipedia Article "George Washington"

Washington sent General Horatio Gates and state militias to deal with Burgoyne while he moved the main Continental army south to block Howe's march on Philadelphia. However, Washington's flank was turned at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, enabling Howe to march into Philadelphia unopposed. While they occupied the American capital, British forces had become increasingly spread out at this point in the war and Washington saw an opportunity to strike after months of feigned retreats. Thus, Washington's army led a massive attack on the British garrison at the Battle of Germantown in early October. While unsuccessful, the battle left the British army badly scarred and marked the beginning of several offensively-minded moves by Washington. Meanwhile Burgoyne, out of reach from help from Howe, was trapped and forced to surrender his entire army at Saratoga. The British had gained the empty prize of Philadelphia, while losing one of their two armies. The victory caused France to enter the war as an open ally (followed by Spain and the Netherlands as allies of France), turning the Revolution into a major world-wide war in which Britain was no longer the dominant military force.
Washington's army encamped at Valley Forge in December 1777, where it stayed for the next six months. Over the winter, 2,500 men (out of 10,000) died from disease and exposure. The next spring, however, the army emerged from Valley Forge in good order, thanks in part to a full-scale training program supervised by Baron Von Steuben, a veteran of the Prussian general staff.
Washington, however, did not survive the winter. On December 12, 1777, Washington caught a very severe cold and a throat infection that on the next day turned into pneumonia. On December 14, Brigaidier General Thomas Conway came to his bedside, with the news that Gates had won at Saratoga. Washington responded, " 'Tis well, Gates will be my successor.", and died. He was only 45.


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From The American Pageant


An Incompetent Leader
Before dying, General Washington named General Horatio Gates as the leader of the Army, thinking that it was his decisions that made Americans victorious in Saratoga. But he got the facts wrong. Although Gates was the command officer during the battle, and Burgoyne surrendered to him, the credit of the victory went to his officers, especially the brilliant Benedict Arnold. Gates, however, was sort of a coward when it came to battle, bad enough to give him the moniker "Granny Gates" by none other than Arnold himself. However, Washington's wishes was respected, and by Feberuary, 1778, the Continental Congress made Gates Commander in Chief.​
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