Launching the New Republic: An American TL

I have been here for almost six months now, and I have finally found the courage to post my first timeline, and see what everyone thinks. The timeline will be written in a mainly history textbook-style, with some character scenes as well. And I would like to note that there are several PODs that will influence this timeline, with a few showing in the first chapter. :)

I would like to thank Alexander Hamilton for the valuable insight into the character bearing his name, and wilcoxchar for writing Union and Liberty, which provided a lot of inspiration for this project.

Part One :: The Ascendance of Alexander Hamilton (1791-1796)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1791):

Alexander Hamilton answered the door, and was greeted by the presence of a young woman & her daughter. Hamilton asked the lady her purpose of standing at his door, and the lady, who introduced herself as Maria Reynolds, began to explain. She claimed that her husband, James Reynolds, had abandoned her & her daughter, and asked for money to travel back to their home in New York City. Hamilton consented with Reynolds, and agreed to deliver the money later that night.

Later that night, Hamilton met Maria Reynolds in person, and delivered the necessary amount to send her to New York. She sincerely thanked Hamilton, and began to appeal to him with seductive movements. Hamilton was infatuated by Reynolds, but his morality had kicked in, and resisted Reynolds' body language.[1] He pleaded farewell to Reynolds, and she & her daughter set off into the night.

Washington's Farewell Address:

George Washington, the first President of the United States, declined running for a third term of office, despite calls from supporters. He cited a wish to return to his plantation at Mount Vernon, Virginia, and retire in peace. Throughout his presidency, his two main advisors - Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton & Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson - strongly opposed each other's policies, and while Washington claimed to be nonpartisan, he favored Hamilton.

On September 17th, 1796, Washington published his farewell address to the American public. In the document, Washington advocated for the United States to maintain an "isolationist" foreign policy and avoid "foreign entanglements" in Europe, which was on the brink of war. He also decried political parties, calling them divisive "factions" that harmed the integrity of the young republic. The key note, however, was his nomination of Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton as his successor to the presidency.[2]

The Election of 1796:

The United States Presidential Election of 1796 was the first contested election in U.S. history. Alexander Hamilton was chosen as the Federalist Party candidate, along with the popular Governor Thomas Pinckney of South Carolina. Thomas Jefferson led the opposition Democratic-Republican ticket with Senator Aaron Burr of New York.

The campaign was vibrant, with Federalists and Democratic-Republicans campaigning heavily for their respective candidates. In the debates, the Federalists tied the Democratic-Republicans to the revolution taking place in France, while the opposition fired back by accusing the Federalists of favoring monarchism and aristocracy.

When the electors of the electoral college met on December 7th, the electors decided on the next President. Alexander Hamilton received the greatest amount of electoral votes, 89, winning all of Pennsylvania's votes & even managing to earn one in South Carolina, thanks to the efforts of ally John Laurens. Jefferson ended up receiving 52 electoral votes, carrying all of the southern states. Thomas Pinckney, Hamilton's running mate, managed to win 59 electoral votes.[3]

The next President of the United States would be Alexander Hamilton, and the Vice President would be Thomas Pinckney.

[1] In OTL, Hamilton engaged in an affair with Maria Reynolds that lasted three years, and would eventually ruin his reputation as a politician in 1795.
[2] Washington's Farewell Address did not contain any endorsements for his successor in OTL, who would be John Adams.
[3] In OTL, Jefferson won more electoral votes than Pinckney, and became Adams' vice president. Due to Washington's endorsement of Hamilton and butterflies, the electors would vote Pinckney as the vice president.
 
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Penelope

Banned
I like it! :D

I wonder who will be in Hamilton's Cabinet.. Oh, how long will this TL run for? Up to the modern day, or just through the near future? (1800's)
 
I wonder who will be in Hamilton's Cabinet.. Oh, how long will this TL run for? Up to the modern day, or just through the near future? (1800's)
I am hoping the timeline will run until at least the 20th Century, maybe further. :D
 
lets see more. Indian policy? Slavery? France? Thomas Jefferson?
edit: is it intentional or a typo? Hamilton was never Sec. of State
Edit 2: I love it, keep her coming. I agree with scifi guy lets see more. Any help or questions feel free to PM, I wrote my Senior thesis on AH
 
Great start! I'm excited to see what you have planned for the United States. I wonder how Hamilton's US will respond to the Napoleonic wars.
 
When the electors of the electoral college met on December 7th, the electors decided on the next President. Alexander Hamilton received the greatest amount of electoral votes, 89, winning all of Pennsylvania's votes & even managing to earn one in South Carolina, thanks to the efforts of ally John Laurens. Jefferson ended up receiving 52 electoral votes, carrying all of the southern states. Thomas Pinckney, Hamilton's running mate, managed to win 59 electoral votes.[3]
[3] In OTL, Jefferson won more electoral votes than Pinckney, and became Adams' vice president. Due to Washington's endorsement of Hamilton and butterflies, the electors would vote Pinckney as the vice president.
At this time there were no Running Mates. Everyone would be running their own campaigns** for President.
The VP is simply the person who gets the second most votes.
There also are no Conventions to Nominate a candidate, The Candidates are selected as Favorite Sons, from the Regions.


I think in Your senerio Adams and Jefferson would fight it out for second, with Adams dropping out leaving Jefferson as the VP.

**Lots of Politicians thought that Campaigning was undignified. they simply announced their candidacy, and let any supporters do the campaigning.
 
Yay!

This TL reminds me of Union and Liberty. It's great!

MOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!11111
 
Aero,

First, thank you for the shout out. I am truly unworthy. Secondly, a few thoughts:
1. I see one unmentioned POD, the survival of John Laurens. With his great friend not being killed in a meaningless battle just before the end of the war, I can see many butterflies in both AH's character and his policies. One immediate difference might be a place in Hamilton's cabinet for the talented and passionate South Carolinian, perhaps Secretary of War.
2. I think the battle to succeed Washington in 1796 might be messier than you indicate. Although there were no formal tickets and no real campaigning (in the modern sense), it was understood in 1796 and 1800 in OTL by the proto- parties (really more like factions) who was the candidate for President and who was the VP choice, Adams clearly saw himself as the natural successor to Washington, both by his service as VP and his service in the Revolution and the peace negotiations. Interestingly enough, Jefferson agreed with this and acknowledged Adams as his "senior". Jefferson may have been only being polite and trying to avoid responsibility for the dangers he saw any President whould have to face in 1797 and immediately after, but he did have a lingering respect for his colleague.
3. As to his cabinet, I think Hamilton would look to friends such as Laurens (a good choice), McHenry (a great guy but a disaster as Secretary of War in OTL) and to Federalists such as Timothy Pickering (not such a great guy, but with some redeming qualities such as a relatively enlightened attitude towards Blacks) and Robert G. Harper ( a moderate, Southern Fedrealist). I would be fascinated to see if Hamilton and Marshall could develop a close working relationship in this TL; in OTL Marshall was an Adams supporter.
4. The biggest political question for the new Hamilton Adminstration will be Revolutionary France. I expect AH to be even more anti-French than Adams and Marshall were in OTL. Will this lead to a real, rather than a Quasi War with France? I think so, but you will be the author of this particular destiny.
5. With the support of his friend John Laurens and without the political and personal disaster of the Reynolds affair, will AH learn to hold his tongue (or pen), will he learn to avoid confrontation and develop some political patience like Jefferson, will he be able to lead and not just be an idea man? You, Mr. Aero, will decide these questions.:)

Your humble servant
Alexander Hamilton
 
I love it so far, however,

Could Hamilton really be President? I had heard in more than a few places the reason they included the clause that you needed to be born in the United States to be POTUS was so Hamilton could never be, as he was born in the West Indies. Im sure there are more than a few loopholes, but thats what Ive been taught.
 
I love it so far, however,

Could Hamilton really be President? I had heard in more than a few places the reason they included the clause that you needed to be born in the United States to be POTUS was so Hamilton could never be, as he was born in the West Indies. Im sure there are more than a few loopholes, but thats what Ive been taught.

none of the 1st 5 presidents were they were born in the colonies, i believe there is an exception written into the Constitution.

Edit: AH, I have suggested the Laurens POD several times on this board, thanks for giving it the big shtick.
 
I would like to thank everyone for the initial feedback, and expressing interest in this timeline. I do plan on making an update, hopefully this week. I am in the process of putting together Hamilton's cabinet, the inuagaration, and some other points (increased conflict with France).

And a teaser: George Washington will be commander of the Armed Forces, and live past 1799. :)
 
I love it so far, however,

Could Hamilton really be President? I had heard in more than a few places the reason they included the clause that you needed to be born in the United States to be POTUS was so Hamilton could never be, as he was born in the West Indies. Im sure there are more than a few loopholes, but thats what Ive been taught.

I think in the US Constitution you were eligible for the Presidency if you lived in the US at the time the Constitution was ratified or written, in addition to being a naturalized citizen.

I think you got things reversed.
 
I didn't think Hamilton could be president either when I first read this, but went and found the clause in the Constitution that allows him in:

Acticle II, Section 1- "....No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty five years, and been fourteen Years a resident within the United States...."

While born in Charlestown, Nevis, Hamilton had been a resident since 1772.
 
I would like to thank everyone for the initial feedback, and expressing interest in this timeline. I do plan on making an update, hopefully this week. I am in the process of putting together Hamilton's cabinet, the inuagaration, and some other points (increased conflict with France).

And a teaser: George Washington will be commander of the Armed Forces, and live past 1799. :)

Might I suggest
Governeur Morris at State
Wayne at War
JPJ at Navy

Washington will be damn old though. In his 70s? He will need a reliable second perhaps Sec. Wayne? I am assuming that Hamilton will be annoucing a massive military/industrial build up much to the South's chagrin

I am stoked for the update:D
 
Subscribed. Can't wait to see where this ends up. An earlier Federalist US, may very well lead to an earlier rift between the North and South.
 
I see more federal funding (partial funding) for roads and canals during the 18-teens & 20's in TTL if the Federalists remain strong. The Federalists would be quick to say that Congress has the authority to allocate money for inter-state postal, defense and commerce routes, citing Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution to "provide for the common defense and general welfare (read economic health) of the U.S.", to "establish post-offices and post-roads", "raise and support armies" and to "regulate commerce..." to back them up. In my CofHE TL the Supreme Court ruled “that Article 1, Section 8 of the Federal Constitution does give Congress the authority to allocate money for public works projects such as roads and canals which promote inter-provincial commerce, enable the mail to be delivered more efficiently, and assist our military to move men and equipment more speedily across the country.”

I'm looking forward to reading more.:)
 
I'm truly sorry, but an update is being postponed. I am still researching and have a bit of writer's block with the next segment. :eek:
 
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