Deleted member 92121
Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth of America.
1785: Benjamin Franklin (Crossbencher) [1]
1788: John Dickinson (Crossbencher) [2]
1794: George Thatcher (Crossbencher - National Faction) [3]
1802: Alexander Hamilton (National) [4]
1808: John Randolph (Liberal) [5]
1820: John Marshall (National)** [6]
1824: Henry Clay (National) [7]
1826: John Randolph (Liberal)* [8]
1830: Daniel Pope Cook (Country Liberal-leading Liberal minority government) [9]
1837: Theodore Frelinghuysen (Commonwealth) [10]
1840: Henry Clay (Unionist) [11]
*Died in office.
**Assassinated.
[1] The American Commonwealth was the peaceful confederation of Britain's North American possessions following a near revolution over taxation. Though King George III remains the King in London, power is exercised by the Governor General and his appointed Prime Minister.
[2] After Prime Minister Franklin retired due to old age, representatives from all over the Commonwealth met with the Governor-General in Philadelphia in order to nominate a new Prime Minister. Though the decision rested in the hands of the Governor-General, this informal congress would play a decisive role. After short deliberations, Governor of Pennsylvania John Dickinson was appointed to the position. A extremely popular figure in the Commonwealth, Dickinson was seen as a natural leader figure throughout it's extent. His opposition to slavery, however, did scare some southerners. Though the idea of Home rule and a Continental Parliament were not yet formally circulated, the existence of a informal congress of representatives in Philadelphia working alongside the Prime Minister became a reality under Dickinson.
[3] By time Prime Minister Dickinson had announced his retirement, the members of the now formalized Con-federal Congress were separated into three informal coalitions: The National group favored a stronger government guiding the new nation, The Independent conglomerate favored a policy of non-partisan politics, and the Reform faction desired a less powerful central government. The designation of George Thatcher as Prime Minister came after the ninth round of voting with a small section of the Independents favoring him over the more radical George Logan. While in power Thatcher oversaw the creation of the House of Commons of America, which with the Co-federal Congress became the Parliament of America, the enactment of the Bill of Rights 1798, and the establishment of the Church of America. The establishment of the Church of America and the introduction of tariffs on several European countries - which led to the Panic of 1801 - led to the discontent of many Congress members; this resulted in the first ever vote of no confidence put forth by the Congress, which resulted in the Thatcher ministry collapsing and his resignation in 1802.
[4] Alexander Hamilton's rapid rise in politics began with his 1785 election to the First Parliament, and under Dickinson and later Thatcher he served as the Minister of Finance; succeeding Thatcher, Hamilton pushed for westward expansion and internal development. In 1803, the Louisiana campaign of the Napoleonic Wars brought the Commonwealth into the broader war for the first time. American forces were able to take New Orleans following a daring amphibious attack. Within months, other settlements such as Saint Louis were also seized. The 1806 Treaty of Pressburg, which ended the War of the Third Coalition, saw France ceding all of New France to the Commonwealth. Hamilton, having managed to obtain the repeal of the Proclamation of 1763, oversaw the first rapid westward expansion as settlers rushed into the newly seized territories as well as the rapidly increasingly populated Ohio River Valley. The controversial Bank of America is chartered, and provincial debts are assumed by the federal government.
[5] By 1808 the idea of non-partisanship was long gone. The reformers and independents that had stood against Thatcher and Hamilton's "National party" firmly solidified themselves into the Liberal Party. Preaching free markets, rights of the landed aristocracy, and an large autonomy of the individual states, the Liberal party soon found a charismatic representative in the form of John Randolph of Virginia, himself a pupil of Patrick Henry. Randolph was highly critical of Thatcher and especially Hamilton, calling them tyrants in disguise, and believed that the Continental Parliament and the Prime Minister were concentrating too much power. With the war in the Americas long over, and the tariffs imposed by the National government becoming a ever growing sore on the southern houses, Randolph won himself the seat of PM. Famous for his oratory skills, Randolph would successfully negotiate a number of key proposals during his tenure. he would become the first Commonwealth PM to approach the subject of Home Rule, that is, a Continental Parliament that is not subject to the British one. The approach would be careful of course, less he and his Liberals be accused of treason, and though nothing concrete came from it during his tenure, seeds were planted.
[6] By the end of the first Liberal government; the party was collapsing. The Liberals had suffered to win across the nation, with some strongholds like New Jersey becoming significantly more National. By time the process of designation of the Prime Minister came around after the 1820 House of Commons election; the Co-federal Congress had three major groups, the Nationals, the conservative wing of the Liberals which became the Unionists, and the more reformist Radical Party. With the splitting of the liberals, the National Party's John Marshall was able to form the second National government. His government invoked tariffs on Europe once again, increased the power of the executive on numerous occasions, and removed the power of the judicial functions of the Co-federal Congress (which limited its power to strike down laws). The most important event in Marshall's tenure was the Mexican-American war; a couple of close battles (such as Monterrey) resulted in the failure of the American forces. This led to the treaty of Bogotá: which forced the succession of large parts of the territory won in the War of the Third Coalition. Once the treaty was concluded the Governor General ordered the return of Prime Minister Marshall (to force him to resign) but during the returning journey, a southern dissident named Joseph Smith assassinated Marshall.
[7] Henry Clay ascended to the Premiership in 1824, following the assassination of John Marshall by a deranged southern republican. A long serving MP, Clay's rise to power sees a return of Hamiltonism to American politics. The Prime Minister uses tariffs to fund internal development and infrastructure projects, helping to rapidly increase westward expansion while fueling the flames of discontent with American foreign policy following the defeat in the Mexican War; it was under Clay that the cry of "Manifest Destiny" was first heard uttered, becoming a national mantra of sorts.
[8] Clay's ambitions and skill, however, would not be enough to please the ballot box. After years of division, by 1824 the former Liberal party was finally reformed under the leadership of the aged Randolph and his disciple John Calhoun. The defeat at the Mexican war was successfully blamed on the National administration and, as Marshall successor, Clay took the blunt of the blame. Randolph returned to power, with a policy that was more and more focused on the issue of Slavery. With the British ban on the international slave trade, many in the Commonwealth feared that further attacks on the "peculiar institution" would follow. Randolph and Calhoun became ardent opponents of British restriction of the practices, and once again turned to the issue of Home Rule, seeking to make the Continental Parliament independent. Their defense of southern practices helped turn the South into a decisive Liberal stronghold, while their support for home rule was echoed by some liberals, with Clay himself taking a moderate stance. Randolph would eventually die in office, and with no compromise over the issue being resolved with mother England, tensions escalated.
[9] The death of Randolph amplified the problems facing the government, and with the Liberal position threatened by the threat of war or domestic violence the party faced complete collapse. The party had long been a broad church and with divisions between the slavers and the Anglophiles now threatened to tear the country apart. At a tense party session after Randolph's death party moderates refused to endorse Calhoun as leader and crossed the floor as an independent faction of 'Country Liberals'. These mainly consisted of figures favoring a middle-ground in diplomatic relations with Britain, a gradual end to slavery in the north and a national plebiscite on wider emancipation. Courting National support Daniel Pope Cook secured permission from the Governor-General to form a minority government with those still willing to support a Liberal ministry, while the Nationals both encouraged and hindered the government in equal measure. The issue of slavery slowly became entwined with the issue of Home Rule, with many believing that one could not come without the other. This polarized public discourse and radicalized the South (many of whom felt betrayed by Liberal party infighting despite the majority of traditional party figures being highly committed to the slaver cause).
[10] By 1837 the debate over slavery had died down; people still held on to their beliefs but understood the need to unite the nation (after the Summer Riots of 1835). This resulted in the appointment of the anti-slavery candidate Theodore Frelinghuysen with a pro-slavery Deputy Prime Minister. Due to this a compromise was put in place six years after the UK passed the Slavery Abolition Act 1833: the comprise entailed that the slave owners will be compensated, only children aged 5 years would be free while the other slaves would work for there slave owners in "Unpaid-Apprenticeships" for several years. While the abolition was the most notable part of Frelinghuysen tenure other strong accomplishments were noted: the abolition of the Co-federal Congress (the power to appoint the Prime Minister was given to the sole house of Parliament: the House of Commons), the disestablishment of the Church of America (the long awaited fight to separate church and state was achieved without Frelinghuysen's approval), and the establishment of police forces in many counties.
[11] Hailed as one of the heroes of the "Compromise of 1839", and arleady a very influential politician(not to mention former PM), Henry Clay found himself back in the Prime Minister's Manor. The 1830's saw both the National and the Liberal parties split, with the moderates from both factions(led by the National Clay and the Country Liberal Cook) to form the Unionist Party. The Party sold itself on moderation between the Anglophiles and abolitionists from New England and Canada(Former Nationals that now called themselves the Commonwealth Party, led by Frelinghuysen and John Quincy Adams), and the near-republicans that formed the Liberal party from the South(enraged by the compromise, and led by Deputy PM John Calhoun). Clay promised to upheld the Compromise, and to continue with the plans for gradual abolition, but to not let the Commonwealth be divided by the issue of slavery any longer. By picking the new englander Daniel Webster as Deputy PM, and by criticizing the radical stance of the Commonwealth party on slavery, Clay pleased moderates on all sides. After a hung parliament in 1840 forced special elections, Clay was elected with a respectable Unionist Majority, and reluctantly confirmed by London. Above all, he made his stance on two issues: Home Rule and western expansion. Clay was weary of the British Parliament control over the Continental one, and, under his tenure, the first Home Rule bill would be proposed and passed by the Continental Parliament, something not even his former rival John Randolph had managed(the bill would receive wild support particularly from Calhoun and his Liberals). Indeed, Clay would remark that the Commonwealth of North America was "A Union more than anything else", thus forming his party's name. Much to Clay's discontentment, however, the bill was vetoed by London. His second stance found much greater success, as the Second Mexican War proved aa major victory for the Commonwealth. Mexico was forced to cede vast amounts of land, almost doubling the Commonwealth's territory, and giving it access to the Pacific Ocean.
1785: Benjamin Franklin (Crossbencher) [1]
1788: John Dickinson (Crossbencher) [2]
1794: George Thatcher (Crossbencher - National Faction) [3]
1802: Alexander Hamilton (National) [4]
1808: John Randolph (Liberal) [5]
1820: John Marshall (National)** [6]
1824: Henry Clay (National) [7]
1826: John Randolph (Liberal)* [8]
1830: Daniel Pope Cook (Country Liberal-leading Liberal minority government) [9]
1837: Theodore Frelinghuysen (Commonwealth) [10]
1840: Henry Clay (Unionist) [11]
*Died in office.
**Assassinated.
[1] The American Commonwealth was the peaceful confederation of Britain's North American possessions following a near revolution over taxation. Though King George III remains the King in London, power is exercised by the Governor General and his appointed Prime Minister.
[2] After Prime Minister Franklin retired due to old age, representatives from all over the Commonwealth met with the Governor-General in Philadelphia in order to nominate a new Prime Minister. Though the decision rested in the hands of the Governor-General, this informal congress would play a decisive role. After short deliberations, Governor of Pennsylvania John Dickinson was appointed to the position. A extremely popular figure in the Commonwealth, Dickinson was seen as a natural leader figure throughout it's extent. His opposition to slavery, however, did scare some southerners. Though the idea of Home rule and a Continental Parliament were not yet formally circulated, the existence of a informal congress of representatives in Philadelphia working alongside the Prime Minister became a reality under Dickinson.
[3] By time Prime Minister Dickinson had announced his retirement, the members of the now formalized Con-federal Congress were separated into three informal coalitions: The National group favored a stronger government guiding the new nation, The Independent conglomerate favored a policy of non-partisan politics, and the Reform faction desired a less powerful central government. The designation of George Thatcher as Prime Minister came after the ninth round of voting with a small section of the Independents favoring him over the more radical George Logan. While in power Thatcher oversaw the creation of the House of Commons of America, which with the Co-federal Congress became the Parliament of America, the enactment of the Bill of Rights 1798, and the establishment of the Church of America. The establishment of the Church of America and the introduction of tariffs on several European countries - which led to the Panic of 1801 - led to the discontent of many Congress members; this resulted in the first ever vote of no confidence put forth by the Congress, which resulted in the Thatcher ministry collapsing and his resignation in 1802.
[4] Alexander Hamilton's rapid rise in politics began with his 1785 election to the First Parliament, and under Dickinson and later Thatcher he served as the Minister of Finance; succeeding Thatcher, Hamilton pushed for westward expansion and internal development. In 1803, the Louisiana campaign of the Napoleonic Wars brought the Commonwealth into the broader war for the first time. American forces were able to take New Orleans following a daring amphibious attack. Within months, other settlements such as Saint Louis were also seized. The 1806 Treaty of Pressburg, which ended the War of the Third Coalition, saw France ceding all of New France to the Commonwealth. Hamilton, having managed to obtain the repeal of the Proclamation of 1763, oversaw the first rapid westward expansion as settlers rushed into the newly seized territories as well as the rapidly increasingly populated Ohio River Valley. The controversial Bank of America is chartered, and provincial debts are assumed by the federal government.
[5] By 1808 the idea of non-partisanship was long gone. The reformers and independents that had stood against Thatcher and Hamilton's "National party" firmly solidified themselves into the Liberal Party. Preaching free markets, rights of the landed aristocracy, and an large autonomy of the individual states, the Liberal party soon found a charismatic representative in the form of John Randolph of Virginia, himself a pupil of Patrick Henry. Randolph was highly critical of Thatcher and especially Hamilton, calling them tyrants in disguise, and believed that the Continental Parliament and the Prime Minister were concentrating too much power. With the war in the Americas long over, and the tariffs imposed by the National government becoming a ever growing sore on the southern houses, Randolph won himself the seat of PM. Famous for his oratory skills, Randolph would successfully negotiate a number of key proposals during his tenure. he would become the first Commonwealth PM to approach the subject of Home Rule, that is, a Continental Parliament that is not subject to the British one. The approach would be careful of course, less he and his Liberals be accused of treason, and though nothing concrete came from it during his tenure, seeds were planted.
[6] By the end of the first Liberal government; the party was collapsing. The Liberals had suffered to win across the nation, with some strongholds like New Jersey becoming significantly more National. By time the process of designation of the Prime Minister came around after the 1820 House of Commons election; the Co-federal Congress had three major groups, the Nationals, the conservative wing of the Liberals which became the Unionists, and the more reformist Radical Party. With the splitting of the liberals, the National Party's John Marshall was able to form the second National government. His government invoked tariffs on Europe once again, increased the power of the executive on numerous occasions, and removed the power of the judicial functions of the Co-federal Congress (which limited its power to strike down laws). The most important event in Marshall's tenure was the Mexican-American war; a couple of close battles (such as Monterrey) resulted in the failure of the American forces. This led to the treaty of Bogotá: which forced the succession of large parts of the territory won in the War of the Third Coalition. Once the treaty was concluded the Governor General ordered the return of Prime Minister Marshall (to force him to resign) but during the returning journey, a southern dissident named Joseph Smith assassinated Marshall.
[7] Henry Clay ascended to the Premiership in 1824, following the assassination of John Marshall by a deranged southern republican. A long serving MP, Clay's rise to power sees a return of Hamiltonism to American politics. The Prime Minister uses tariffs to fund internal development and infrastructure projects, helping to rapidly increase westward expansion while fueling the flames of discontent with American foreign policy following the defeat in the Mexican War; it was under Clay that the cry of "Manifest Destiny" was first heard uttered, becoming a national mantra of sorts.
[8] Clay's ambitions and skill, however, would not be enough to please the ballot box. After years of division, by 1824 the former Liberal party was finally reformed under the leadership of the aged Randolph and his disciple John Calhoun. The defeat at the Mexican war was successfully blamed on the National administration and, as Marshall successor, Clay took the blunt of the blame. Randolph returned to power, with a policy that was more and more focused on the issue of Slavery. With the British ban on the international slave trade, many in the Commonwealth feared that further attacks on the "peculiar institution" would follow. Randolph and Calhoun became ardent opponents of British restriction of the practices, and once again turned to the issue of Home Rule, seeking to make the Continental Parliament independent. Their defense of southern practices helped turn the South into a decisive Liberal stronghold, while their support for home rule was echoed by some liberals, with Clay himself taking a moderate stance. Randolph would eventually die in office, and with no compromise over the issue being resolved with mother England, tensions escalated.
[9] The death of Randolph amplified the problems facing the government, and with the Liberal position threatened by the threat of war or domestic violence the party faced complete collapse. The party had long been a broad church and with divisions between the slavers and the Anglophiles now threatened to tear the country apart. At a tense party session after Randolph's death party moderates refused to endorse Calhoun as leader and crossed the floor as an independent faction of 'Country Liberals'. These mainly consisted of figures favoring a middle-ground in diplomatic relations with Britain, a gradual end to slavery in the north and a national plebiscite on wider emancipation. Courting National support Daniel Pope Cook secured permission from the Governor-General to form a minority government with those still willing to support a Liberal ministry, while the Nationals both encouraged and hindered the government in equal measure. The issue of slavery slowly became entwined with the issue of Home Rule, with many believing that one could not come without the other. This polarized public discourse and radicalized the South (many of whom felt betrayed by Liberal party infighting despite the majority of traditional party figures being highly committed to the slaver cause).
[10] By 1837 the debate over slavery had died down; people still held on to their beliefs but understood the need to unite the nation (after the Summer Riots of 1835). This resulted in the appointment of the anti-slavery candidate Theodore Frelinghuysen with a pro-slavery Deputy Prime Minister. Due to this a compromise was put in place six years after the UK passed the Slavery Abolition Act 1833: the comprise entailed that the slave owners will be compensated, only children aged 5 years would be free while the other slaves would work for there slave owners in "Unpaid-Apprenticeships" for several years. While the abolition was the most notable part of Frelinghuysen tenure other strong accomplishments were noted: the abolition of the Co-federal Congress (the power to appoint the Prime Minister was given to the sole house of Parliament: the House of Commons), the disestablishment of the Church of America (the long awaited fight to separate church and state was achieved without Frelinghuysen's approval), and the establishment of police forces in many counties.
[11] Hailed as one of the heroes of the "Compromise of 1839", and arleady a very influential politician(not to mention former PM), Henry Clay found himself back in the Prime Minister's Manor. The 1830's saw both the National and the Liberal parties split, with the moderates from both factions(led by the National Clay and the Country Liberal Cook) to form the Unionist Party. The Party sold itself on moderation between the Anglophiles and abolitionists from New England and Canada(Former Nationals that now called themselves the Commonwealth Party, led by Frelinghuysen and John Quincy Adams), and the near-republicans that formed the Liberal party from the South(enraged by the compromise, and led by Deputy PM John Calhoun). Clay promised to upheld the Compromise, and to continue with the plans for gradual abolition, but to not let the Commonwealth be divided by the issue of slavery any longer. By picking the new englander Daniel Webster as Deputy PM, and by criticizing the radical stance of the Commonwealth party on slavery, Clay pleased moderates on all sides. After a hung parliament in 1840 forced special elections, Clay was elected with a respectable Unionist Majority, and reluctantly confirmed by London. Above all, he made his stance on two issues: Home Rule and western expansion. Clay was weary of the British Parliament control over the Continental one, and, under his tenure, the first Home Rule bill would be proposed and passed by the Continental Parliament, something not even his former rival John Randolph had managed(the bill would receive wild support particularly from Calhoun and his Liberals). Indeed, Clay would remark that the Commonwealth of North America was "A Union more than anything else", thus forming his party's name. Much to Clay's discontentment, however, the bill was vetoed by London. His second stance found much greater success, as the Second Mexican War proved aa major victory for the Commonwealth. Mexico was forced to cede vast amounts of land, almost doubling the Commonwealth's territory, and giving it access to the Pacific Ocean.
