alternatehistory.com

My attempt to a preliminary timeline based on only 9 of the 13 states (ending in OTL NH ratification, prior to NY's ratification). I figure there are others working on this idea based on a previous discussion thread, and hope this helps spur ideas for them and they can branch and explore possibilities I find uninteresting but others want to see.

So, my POD is that Alexander Hamilton as a young boy, who has gotten the attention of wealthy Caribbean settlers who want to send him to the British East Coast colonies, ends up drowning on his way. Footnote in history of the St Croix how he wrote an amazing account of a hurricane and then as he was shipped to America he dies. AH.com later writes WIs about if he had made it to NY in 1772 and if he'd be a patriot or loyalist and how, if at all, he'd affect the nascent Revolution.

Without Hamilton, the Federal Papers are not written. James Madison, adamant about there having to be a Bill of Rights and without Hamilton's push and co-support, becomes a less effective supporter. Washington, without Hamilton at his right hand during the end of the War and pushing politics and ideas of Federalism, keeps out of the public debate and makes comments that he himself probably would not accept election as the most likely first executive if ratification occurs. Governor Clinton of New York, a fervent anti-Federalist OTL has more influence in NY without Hamilton around and Hamilton's connections with the very wealthy Schuyler family through marriage to General Schuyler's daughter (in fact Aaron Burr ends up courting and marrying her instead, having met her while studying law in Albany). Jefferson ends up lukewarm to the Constitution as well as time drags on and the 9th ratification takes so long and NH puts the Constitution into effect without NY, VA, NC, and RI and the longer it takes the more it looks that NY, a linchpin to the states is not going to ratify; VA effectively becomes the second state to declare a permanent no. NC with the majority of its population centered on the Ablemarle Sound near the VA border and with rivalry and distrust of the Charleston dominated SC, decides to not ratify the Constitution either, but does not go as effective in saying a permanent no as VA and NY do. RI which in OTL never attended the Constitutional Convention and was 13th to ratify in OTL, in this ATL does not ratify either, seeing no need with only 9 states and assumes (incorrectly) that even though the 9 have been reached, that it wont go into effect without VA and NY approval, and RI state legislature and many anti-federalist even put forth the legal argument that the Constitutional Convention and resulting "A Frame of Government" document were illegally convened and while the document had been sent to the Confederation Congress for approval it had declined to approve or oppose; and RI, having not endorsed it to go before the states and therefore the Constitutional Convention was not unanimous, meant it couldn't go before the states for ratification.

June 21, 1788 NH became the 9th state. As per OTL the Confederation Congress setting a date for electors for President to meet and an effective date, the Confederation Congress goes ahead and sets dates expecting at least NY and VA to come to senses prior to effective date.

Now the ATL and the butterflies make a real difference-

Whereas OTL Confederation Congress stops having a quorum after October 1788 and stops meeting 2 days before Constitutional Congress, this does not occur in this ATL. At the 10 October 1788 meeting of Confederation Congress the vote is decided that for the purposes of deciding what is needed for a quorum only the calculations from the number of NY, VA, NC, and RI members would be taken into account, and conversely members from any other states that may attend can be counted towards reaching a quorum. Quorums continue to be met.

Presidential election occurs without NY, VA, NC, or RI (in OTL both NC and RI did not participate because they failed to ratify, NY did not appoint electors in time). Washington, Jay, and Clinton can't run, neither can any other alternate possible candidates that didn't run in OTL like Jefferson or Madison.

Next post will deal with who is elected president and what each of the congresses and individual states do in response to the events of the Constitution moving forward while the Articles remain in effect for 4 states; along with what Vermont and British North America respond and how Kentucky, which is ready to become a state, is going to make a decision.
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