POTUS John Bell

Wolfpaw

Banned
John Bell was a curious fellow. A slaveholder from Tennessee, Bell started out as a Democrat, then switched over to the Whig camp due to a falling out with Andrew Jackson, earning him the moniker of "the Great Apostate."

He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, served as Speaker for a bit, less than a year as Secretary of War under William Henry Harrison and John Tyler, and then went on to serve in the U.S. Senate.

He is perhaps best remembered now as a presidential candidate in the chaotic election of 1860 for the Constitutional Union Party, a sort of bizarre hodgepodge of Southern Democrats and Whigs who didn't go over to the Republicans. In a strange turn of fate, he actually managed to garner more electoral votes than Stephen Douglas, even though Douglas came in second in the popular vote.

So let's say Bell wins the 1860 election. Granted, that's probably bordering the realm of ASBs, but let's go with it. What would a Bell Administration look like? What would the effects be on the Civil War? Would it be delayed, would it break out as in OTL, etc., etc. How about his Cabinet? Foreign policy? Would he accept Britain, France, and Spain's invitation to invade Mexico?

What in the world would happen if the USA had ever had John Bell as president?
 
I'm actually working on this for a future TL. POD is in 1860, Douglas does better in the north, taking enough votes away from Lincoln to throw the election to the House of Representatives. Deciding that Breckenridge or Lincoln might cause a civil war, Bell and the Constitutional Party are elected to power. Bell serves one term, administers the Crittenden Compromise under executive order (later it's a Congressional Act) and helps stabilize Mexico which leads to a second Mexican Purchase and several slave states being added.

The Constitutional Party ends up absorbing the Democratic Party. The Republican Party, after failing two Presidential runs falls from power, running Charles Sumner in 1864 but only getting New England votes. Other parties rise up in both north and south. The Solidarity Party finally rises above all of them and elects Horatio Seymour President in 1872. By now, war with Spain has granted Cuba to the United States as a slave state.

The catch, slavery is abolished by 1873 thanks to President Lee. Although the 13th Amendment is the only Amendment. There is no 14th or 15th, ensuring a state of feudalism in the American South. Reason of course is international pressure and domestic compromise. The south was fine with "freeing" the slaves while Britain and France wanted to "make sure" America wasn't imposing more slavery on another race of peoples. Class warfare in the US gets... interesting later on.
 
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