It's this atlas and its volume 2 by the way: https://www.loc.gov/item/59007452/
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Saratoga of the South: An Alternate History of America
- Thread starter zhenghe1421
- Start date
Chapter 18: The Consitution
Chapter 18: The Constitution
After Shay’s Rebellion was put down, the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation were made clear and more and more political leaders were making noises that there had to be a new set of documents to make the difficult task of building the national structures of government clearer and to start repaying the debts that had been taken on to win the nation’s freedom from Great Britain. A convention was called to meet in the summer of 1786 in Philadelphia to iron out what this new system of government would look like.
As the convention was getting closer, there was grumblings about what the leader of this system would look like. Would it be Washington as a king? Would it be based on the Roman system, or the Spartan system? George Washington was asked to chair the convention, and agreed. Rumors were swirling that Washington would try and take power himself. Given his popularity among the army, his status as winning important battles, and the trust that he had earned, most thought that he would be the right choice. Still others argued that the head of this new government should be someone who had been with the rebellion since the beginning, which was rumored to be John Adams or John Hancock.
On June 15th, 1786 the delegates arrived at the Pennsylvania State House to begin their deliberations. Little did they know that the debates surrounding what this new system of governance for the United States would be fractious and lead to issues down the road.
Washington accepted the offer to chair the convention, and John Laurens was named as the convention’s secretary. Laurens was from a prominent South Carolina family, and had narrowly survived being killed at the end of the war. His father was a former President of the Congress, and he was viewed as one of the rising stars of the political realm, and was close to Alexander Hamilton. It would be Laurens’s views on slavery that would cause one of the greatest fights at the convention.
Slavery was one of the biggest stumbling blocks. The Southern states had no intention of conceding the slave trade or allowing any restrictions on the expansion of slavery. Laurens was aghast at how his fellow delegates couldn’t look at the bigger picture. In the television film 1786, Laurens was depicted as someone who wanted all Americans to be treated equally. That was truth in television, but despite Laurens making an effort, slavery would remain legal, with the promise to revisit the issue later in order to avoid breaking down. Thus, the slavery can was kicked down the road, with tragic consequences.
But the biggest issue was how to structure Congress. Smaller states wanted there to be equal representation, with larger states wanting it to be based on population. This debate lasted weeks, and threatened to scupper the whole convention. But then, a compromise was reached. The compromise was that Congress would be organized in two houses. The upper house would have 3 Senators elected per state. The lower house would be called the House of Representatives, with proportional representation based on the total population of the state. The Maryland Compromise would be one of the key successes of the Constitution, as it gave every state a voice in some way. All members of Congress would be elected by direct election.
The head of state and head of government would be the same, with a President to be elected by popular election with a group of Electors certifying the result and would be bound to honor the votes of the states, with harsh penalties for defying the will of the people. A term would last 4 years, with no limits in place, and the first election was scheduled for 1788. A Vice President would be appointed by the President after the election was certified.
As for the Judiciary, a series of courts were set up that would create the federal court system. There were no qualifications for who could serve, and they would be confirmed by the Senate and nominated by the President to lifetime terms, with the strict expectation that they would be politically neutral and focus on upholding the laws of the country and dealing with constitutional issues.
When the Constitution was signed on September 11, 1786, the battle for ratification would begin. It would take 2 years, but then all 13 states would ratify the document.
Author’s Notes: So we have a couple of differences from OTL, but nothing too out there. I had John Laurens survive because he is someone who could have been an important Founding Father, but sadly died too young like Joseph Warren. No new sources, and I want to thank the great readers I have for waiting for this update. If you have any questions or comments, let me know.
After Shay’s Rebellion was put down, the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation were made clear and more and more political leaders were making noises that there had to be a new set of documents to make the difficult task of building the national structures of government clearer and to start repaying the debts that had been taken on to win the nation’s freedom from Great Britain. A convention was called to meet in the summer of 1786 in Philadelphia to iron out what this new system of government would look like.
As the convention was getting closer, there was grumblings about what the leader of this system would look like. Would it be Washington as a king? Would it be based on the Roman system, or the Spartan system? George Washington was asked to chair the convention, and agreed. Rumors were swirling that Washington would try and take power himself. Given his popularity among the army, his status as winning important battles, and the trust that he had earned, most thought that he would be the right choice. Still others argued that the head of this new government should be someone who had been with the rebellion since the beginning, which was rumored to be John Adams or John Hancock.
On June 15th, 1786 the delegates arrived at the Pennsylvania State House to begin their deliberations. Little did they know that the debates surrounding what this new system of governance for the United States would be fractious and lead to issues down the road.
Washington accepted the offer to chair the convention, and John Laurens was named as the convention’s secretary. Laurens was from a prominent South Carolina family, and had narrowly survived being killed at the end of the war. His father was a former President of the Congress, and he was viewed as one of the rising stars of the political realm, and was close to Alexander Hamilton. It would be Laurens’s views on slavery that would cause one of the greatest fights at the convention.
Slavery was one of the biggest stumbling blocks. The Southern states had no intention of conceding the slave trade or allowing any restrictions on the expansion of slavery. Laurens was aghast at how his fellow delegates couldn’t look at the bigger picture. In the television film 1786, Laurens was depicted as someone who wanted all Americans to be treated equally. That was truth in television, but despite Laurens making an effort, slavery would remain legal, with the promise to revisit the issue later in order to avoid breaking down. Thus, the slavery can was kicked down the road, with tragic consequences.
But the biggest issue was how to structure Congress. Smaller states wanted there to be equal representation, with larger states wanting it to be based on population. This debate lasted weeks, and threatened to scupper the whole convention. But then, a compromise was reached. The compromise was that Congress would be organized in two houses. The upper house would have 3 Senators elected per state. The lower house would be called the House of Representatives, with proportional representation based on the total population of the state. The Maryland Compromise would be one of the key successes of the Constitution, as it gave every state a voice in some way. All members of Congress would be elected by direct election.
The head of state and head of government would be the same, with a President to be elected by popular election with a group of Electors certifying the result and would be bound to honor the votes of the states, with harsh penalties for defying the will of the people. A term would last 4 years, with no limits in place, and the first election was scheduled for 1788. A Vice President would be appointed by the President after the election was certified.
As for the Judiciary, a series of courts were set up that would create the federal court system. There were no qualifications for who could serve, and they would be confirmed by the Senate and nominated by the President to lifetime terms, with the strict expectation that they would be politically neutral and focus on upholding the laws of the country and dealing with constitutional issues.
When the Constitution was signed on September 11, 1786, the battle for ratification would begin. It would take 2 years, but then all 13 states would ratify the document.
Author’s Notes: So we have a couple of differences from OTL, but nothing too out there. I had John Laurens survive because he is someone who could have been an important Founding Father, but sadly died too young like Joseph Warren. No new sources, and I want to thank the great readers I have for waiting for this update. If you have any questions or comments, let me know.
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Aaaand it's back. Blessed be and call us all Yankee Doodles with ponies named Macaroni.
On the other hand...the Constitution is bound to cause more problems isn't it?
Although, just to clarify: a President to be elected by popular election with a group of Electors certifying the result and would be bound to honor the votes of the states, does it mean an electoral college as per OTL or does it mean that the Electors serve as the official vote-counters?
On the other hand...the Constitution is bound to cause more problems isn't it?
Although, just to clarify: a President to be elected by popular election with a group of Electors certifying the result and would be bound to honor the votes of the states, does it mean an electoral college as per OTL or does it mean that the Electors serve as the official vote-counters?
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Three senators instead of two
How that happened?
Through it be fun watching how that shake things up
How that happened?
Through it be fun watching how that shake things up
The Constitution is going to cause some problems. Sadly the answer to what to do with slavery will have to be settled in blood later. The Electors are the official vote counters, and their job is to certify the result and investigate any irregularities in national elections.
So the third senator is based on two factors. One, it was a compromise to the smaller states in exchange for counting slaves as one whole person instead of the 3/5ths in OTL. Two, less likely to have ties.
Patrick Henry will not be happy
And with states having less power he might get more traction
Which is going to be one of the major themes in this TL. While America in TTL was able to have more battlefield success at the end of the Revolutionary War, the consequences of both the Treaty of Vienna and the TTL Constitution will show that America will have a much more difficult road to travel in building a nation.
Chapter 19: Conference of Nations
Chapter 19: Conference of Nations
After the signing of the Treaty of Vienna, the tribes on the frontier of America were facing a challenge similar to what had happened at the end of the French and Indian War. Only this time, there were two new players on the horizon in the Americans and French, and thus the various tribes had to face the realities that they had 3 different nations in which to play off against each other. Compounding the difficulties that the tribes faced was that the Iroquois Confederacy had been splintered by the debate on who to support during the Revolution. There was a vacuum of power, and the fate of the frontier would be decided in blood amongst the tribes, French, British, and Americans who would be trading and living amongst one another over the following years.
The Shawnee were one of the most prominent tribes in the border regions between the three white powers, and had been allies of the British during the Revolutionary War. The tribe became concerned about losing their land because of an increase in settlers who were lured by the promise of cheap land and advocacy from groups like the powerful Society of the Cincinnati. By the spring of 1787, the Shawnee war chief Cheeseekau had called on all of the tribes who resided west of the Proclamation of 1763 line to meet to discuss possible ways to work together to keep their land and customs from being submerged by the changing world after the Treaty of Vienna was signed.
In the summer of 1787, hundreds of Indian leaders descended on an area in the Ohio Country named Fallen Timbers for what would be known as the Conference of Nations by Indian historians. Leaders of tribes ranging from the Iroquois, Shawnee, Miami, Creek, and smaller tribes joined in what would become one of the largest gatherings of Indians outside of battle in the history of America.
There were trading agreements, wampum, the settling of accounts, and all the other diplomatic trappings of a European style meeting, which dubbed one observer to mention it as the “Vienna of the frontier”, and the Conference of Nations would be centerpiece of the first book in the Old Northwest series of fictional novels written in the 1970’s.
The biggest question at the conference was what to do about dealing with the American government and signing away tribal lands in treaties. It took the charisma of chiefs like Cheeseekau, Joseph Brant, and other prominent leaders to hammer an agreement on what to do. It was eventually decided that the tribal leaders would go back to their tribes and figure out a way to get weapons and be prepared to defend their lands to the death, and to keep the lines of communication open to unite if needed. The confidence that the Indians had was increased by two events that happened on the final day of the Conference.
The first was that in the early morning hours there was a shooting star that passed over where a young chief from the Shawnee was sleeping. Tecumseh was the younger brother of Cheeseekau, and had seen that the settlers would stop at nothing and that it was impossible to stay out of conflicts. When he and his brother had gone to Vienna to attempt to convince the British to honor their commitments, the British had washed their hands of the matter, and both young men would never forget that gesture, and would play a critical part in the coming struggle for the future of the Old Northwest. The shooting star would be interpreted as a divine sign that Tecumseh would go on to become a great leader.
On the last day of the conference, the second event would happen that would go down as one of the greatest speeches in the history of the United States. Tecumseh may have only been 19 years old, but his charisma and leadership abilities had made him a name among the Shawnee, but this speech would put him on the radar of a much wider audience.
“The white men have come here for generations, and they are not to be trusted. All of their promises have been empty, and they do not honor the land and have defiled our sacred rights. We may all come from different bands and tribes, but we are facing a struggle that will determine the fate of both us, our children, and their descendants. This land was created so that we could all live together in harmony. We have done our best to uphold that sacred covenant with the Creator, but the white men seek to force us to give up that covenant so that we can follow their teachings and their God. It’s time to set aside our differences and make the white men pay dearly for their policies, and to make sure that our land stays our land.”
The United States had gained a formidable enemy, and one who would lead a desperate struggle that would forever change the country in ways that are still becoming known after 200 years.
Authors Note: Tecumseh is someone who I feel is one of the most interesting characters in US history, and his confederation was an interesting idea and had a decent chance of working if some things had gone differently. In TTL, Tecumseh will have a lot of success, and what he and his brother do will make America have to confront some truths. Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a comment or question if you have them.
After the signing of the Treaty of Vienna, the tribes on the frontier of America were facing a challenge similar to what had happened at the end of the French and Indian War. Only this time, there were two new players on the horizon in the Americans and French, and thus the various tribes had to face the realities that they had 3 different nations in which to play off against each other. Compounding the difficulties that the tribes faced was that the Iroquois Confederacy had been splintered by the debate on who to support during the Revolution. There was a vacuum of power, and the fate of the frontier would be decided in blood amongst the tribes, French, British, and Americans who would be trading and living amongst one another over the following years.
The Shawnee were one of the most prominent tribes in the border regions between the three white powers, and had been allies of the British during the Revolutionary War. The tribe became concerned about losing their land because of an increase in settlers who were lured by the promise of cheap land and advocacy from groups like the powerful Society of the Cincinnati. By the spring of 1787, the Shawnee war chief Cheeseekau had called on all of the tribes who resided west of the Proclamation of 1763 line to meet to discuss possible ways to work together to keep their land and customs from being submerged by the changing world after the Treaty of Vienna was signed.
In the summer of 1787, hundreds of Indian leaders descended on an area in the Ohio Country named Fallen Timbers for what would be known as the Conference of Nations by Indian historians. Leaders of tribes ranging from the Iroquois, Shawnee, Miami, Creek, and smaller tribes joined in what would become one of the largest gatherings of Indians outside of battle in the history of America.
There were trading agreements, wampum, the settling of accounts, and all the other diplomatic trappings of a European style meeting, which dubbed one observer to mention it as the “Vienna of the frontier”, and the Conference of Nations would be centerpiece of the first book in the Old Northwest series of fictional novels written in the 1970’s.
The biggest question at the conference was what to do about dealing with the American government and signing away tribal lands in treaties. It took the charisma of chiefs like Cheeseekau, Joseph Brant, and other prominent leaders to hammer an agreement on what to do. It was eventually decided that the tribal leaders would go back to their tribes and figure out a way to get weapons and be prepared to defend their lands to the death, and to keep the lines of communication open to unite if needed. The confidence that the Indians had was increased by two events that happened on the final day of the Conference.
The first was that in the early morning hours there was a shooting star that passed over where a young chief from the Shawnee was sleeping. Tecumseh was the younger brother of Cheeseekau, and had seen that the settlers would stop at nothing and that it was impossible to stay out of conflicts. When he and his brother had gone to Vienna to attempt to convince the British to honor their commitments, the British had washed their hands of the matter, and both young men would never forget that gesture, and would play a critical part in the coming struggle for the future of the Old Northwest. The shooting star would be interpreted as a divine sign that Tecumseh would go on to become a great leader.
On the last day of the conference, the second event would happen that would go down as one of the greatest speeches in the history of the United States. Tecumseh may have only been 19 years old, but his charisma and leadership abilities had made him a name among the Shawnee, but this speech would put him on the radar of a much wider audience.
“The white men have come here for generations, and they are not to be trusted. All of their promises have been empty, and they do not honor the land and have defiled our sacred rights. We may all come from different bands and tribes, but we are facing a struggle that will determine the fate of both us, our children, and their descendants. This land was created so that we could all live together in harmony. We have done our best to uphold that sacred covenant with the Creator, but the white men seek to force us to give up that covenant so that we can follow their teachings and their God. It’s time to set aside our differences and make the white men pay dearly for their policies, and to make sure that our land stays our land.”
The United States had gained a formidable enemy, and one who would lead a desperate struggle that would forever change the country in ways that are still becoming known after 200 years.
Authors Note: Tecumseh is someone who I feel is one of the most interesting characters in US history, and his confederation was an interesting idea and had a decent chance of working if some things had gone differently. In TTL, Tecumseh will have a lot of success, and what he and his brother do will make America have to confront some truths. Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a comment or question if you have them.
Just in case, Florida and Louisiana are Spanish? It would be interesting to see what happens there.
Tecumseh you say?
As for this timeline, I see some interesting developments here, including the inclusion of three senators instead of two. The senate will be three times as large as OTL, and I wonder if that will make reform easier or harder further down the line?
Glad to see that a respected member of this forum enjoying this timeline. Glad to have you aboard.
I don't want to spoil things, but TTL United States will have a different path than OTL, for better or for worse.
Chapter 20: The Election of 1788
Chapter 20: The Election of 1788
With the Constitution settled upon and ratified, the first election of a president in the history of the United States was set to begin in 1788 as scheduled. The office had a 4-year term, with no term limits in place. That was compared to 2 in the House and 6 in the Senate, with no term limits as well. This first election and whomever would be the president would have a key role in determining the traditions of the office and setting a precedent.
Many expected Washington to win comfortably if he was willing to put his candidacy forward. While there were no political parties at this stage, Washington was the most popular figure in America because of his leadership and handling of the Continental Army during the war. But Washington was concerned about running for office. He had spent years away from Mount Vernon in service to the United States, and wanted to focus on being a gentleman farmer and not get involved in politics. But after much convincing from Alexander Hamilton, Washington decided to run.
Washington was far from the only candidate to run. John Adams, John Hancock, John Jay, and John Rutledge had all announced their candidacy, and were hoping to win the honor of being the first president in the history of the United States.
But there was one controversial figure who threw his hat in the ring before Washington made his decision. General Horatio Gates was always someone who had rumored ambitions of a higher office, and his service during the war was impressive. But his service was also dogged by accusations of trying to undermine other officers and take credit that belonged in part to others. During the Saratoga Campaign, Gates was the first American general to accept the surrender of a British army. Gates’s critics had claimed that it was Arnold and Morgan who deserved a lot of credit for actually fighting at both Bemis Heights and Freeman’s Farm, while Gates was absent from the front line. Gates also had come in for criticism for his embarrassing defeat at Camden, where he had fled the battlefield after setting his militia against Tarleton’s elite Redcoats. He faced an inquiry into his conduct at Camden, but was able to be cleared. But even though Gates was cleared by the inquiry, that still didn’t mean that he was cleared in the court of public opinion. Gates was ambitious and politically connected due to his experience on the Board of War during the Revolutionary War, and his ambitions to be president has become a common part of the historiography of his life, and it would be a defining factor in his actions both during this election and until his death.
Washington was far from thrilled to see Gates announce his candidacy. The two generals had not worked together, and Washington always felt that Gates was an inferior officer who had benefitted from others at Saratoga, and Congress had gone against his wishes by appointing Gates to command the southern army after the First Siege of Charleston instead of allowing Washington to appoint his man. Washington had been vindicated by history for his choice to send Greene south after Camden. Thus, Washington was willing to run to both serve his country again and to avoid having his fellow officer win.
Once Washington entered the race, the result was inevitable. While other candidates got votes, when the Electors tabulated the votes over a couple of weeks in later November 1788, Washington won with 73% of the votes. On March 20, 1789 Washington was sworn in by Chief Justice John Marshall in Philadelphia as the first President of the United States. He selected John Adams as his Vice President because Adams was among the early Revolutionary leaders, and he wanted some geographic balance.
Author’s Notes: So Gates having the ambition to be president is something that wouldn’t be too ASB, given that he was connected politically, and in OTL military success certainly hasn’t been a barrier to seeking the office of president. Washington winning seems too logical, and though his vote total is a bit high, he was very popular in both OTL and TTL. Thanks for reading, and feel free to share your comments and questions. It’s awesome that you guys seem to be enjoying this, and I thank you for your time and interest.
With the Constitution settled upon and ratified, the first election of a president in the history of the United States was set to begin in 1788 as scheduled. The office had a 4-year term, with no term limits in place. That was compared to 2 in the House and 6 in the Senate, with no term limits as well. This first election and whomever would be the president would have a key role in determining the traditions of the office and setting a precedent.
Many expected Washington to win comfortably if he was willing to put his candidacy forward. While there were no political parties at this stage, Washington was the most popular figure in America because of his leadership and handling of the Continental Army during the war. But Washington was concerned about running for office. He had spent years away from Mount Vernon in service to the United States, and wanted to focus on being a gentleman farmer and not get involved in politics. But after much convincing from Alexander Hamilton, Washington decided to run.
Washington was far from the only candidate to run. John Adams, John Hancock, John Jay, and John Rutledge had all announced their candidacy, and were hoping to win the honor of being the first president in the history of the United States.
But there was one controversial figure who threw his hat in the ring before Washington made his decision. General Horatio Gates was always someone who had rumored ambitions of a higher office, and his service during the war was impressive. But his service was also dogged by accusations of trying to undermine other officers and take credit that belonged in part to others. During the Saratoga Campaign, Gates was the first American general to accept the surrender of a British army. Gates’s critics had claimed that it was Arnold and Morgan who deserved a lot of credit for actually fighting at both Bemis Heights and Freeman’s Farm, while Gates was absent from the front line. Gates also had come in for criticism for his embarrassing defeat at Camden, where he had fled the battlefield after setting his militia against Tarleton’s elite Redcoats. He faced an inquiry into his conduct at Camden, but was able to be cleared. But even though Gates was cleared by the inquiry, that still didn’t mean that he was cleared in the court of public opinion. Gates was ambitious and politically connected due to his experience on the Board of War during the Revolutionary War, and his ambitions to be president has become a common part of the historiography of his life, and it would be a defining factor in his actions both during this election and until his death.
Washington was far from thrilled to see Gates announce his candidacy. The two generals had not worked together, and Washington always felt that Gates was an inferior officer who had benefitted from others at Saratoga, and Congress had gone against his wishes by appointing Gates to command the southern army after the First Siege of Charleston instead of allowing Washington to appoint his man. Washington had been vindicated by history for his choice to send Greene south after Camden. Thus, Washington was willing to run to both serve his country again and to avoid having his fellow officer win.
Once Washington entered the race, the result was inevitable. While other candidates got votes, when the Electors tabulated the votes over a couple of weeks in later November 1788, Washington won with 73% of the votes. On March 20, 1789 Washington was sworn in by Chief Justice John Marshall in Philadelphia as the first President of the United States. He selected John Adams as his Vice President because Adams was among the early Revolutionary leaders, and he wanted some geographic balance.
Author’s Notes: So Gates having the ambition to be president is something that wouldn’t be too ASB, given that he was connected politically, and in OTL military success certainly hasn’t been a barrier to seeking the office of president. Washington winning seems too logical, and though his vote total is a bit high, he was very popular in both OTL and TTL. Thanks for reading, and feel free to share your comments and questions. It’s awesome that you guys seem to be enjoying this, and I thank you for your time and interest.
Chapter 21: The Greene Doctrine
Chapter 21: The Greene Doctrine
After Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States, he began his efforts to strengthen the central government and take on the challenges of making sure that the country was going to be in the best shape possible so that when he left office. One of the most important decisions he made was to establish academies so that the American army would have competent officers. On February 23rd, 1790, the United States Military Academy was signed into law and that fall the first class of cadets was admitted.
The academy was based at Bemis Heights, which was the site of a critical engagement during the Saratoga Campaign. Bemis Heights has a varied terrain that still challenges the cadets to think and simulate a variety of terrains that an officer would face on campaign. While the campus has evolved as the United States faced the challenges of various conflicts and the increasing technological aspects of war, the core values of Bemis Heights continue to define the curriculum that cadets face. A long list of America’s finest officers can trace at least some of their career to Bemis Heights, even if they did not graduate as part of the Long Gray Line.
But in order to have Bemis Heights begin to train officers, the army needed to find someone to oversee the academy. Washington turned to an officer who had been with him since the beginning of the Revolution. Greene’s record spoke for itself, and his success in the South with the victories at Guilford Courthouse and Charleston had given him a level of cache, and with both Washington and Secretary of War Henry Knox being supportive, Greene made the decision to take the post as Superintendent of the Academy.
Thus, the Greene Doctrine was born. Greene had been a proponent of European style warfare before he had been sent to take over command in the South, and had distrusted the militia. However, Greene had learned to incorporate the militias and the more irregular style of war that had been a hallmark of wars fought in North America since European colonization had begun. Greene in essence had combined the European tradition of war that had been birthed by the Dutch and improved on by Gustavus Adolphus with the lessons that the colonists had learned starting with the Pequot War and King Phillips War. The following is from the book Nathanael Greene: A Life by prominent scholar Richard Nixon in 1980.
“Greene was the ideal candidate to lead West Point, and his melding of two distinct military styles is very similar to his superior officer in Washington. During the French and Indian War, Washington had impressed upon Braddock that it would be better to fight France and her native allies with the tactics that would be mastered by Rogers and Morgan. Braddock was someone who had been trained in the European tradition, and was deeply uncomfortable with being advised by someone who was a colonial, and who had blundered into battle at Fort Necessity. Washington had desired to make the Continental Army based on the style of European armies, hence the drilling at Valley Forge. Greene’s command in the Southern Theater represented the building blocks of the American way of war, which would be tested in the early 1800s. That style is to be well-drilled and be based on the European tradition, but to incorporate more irregular options to give officers another tool to fight by recognizing that the enemy doesn’t have to be put to one decisive battle and instead can be brought to defeat by harassment and being willing to disregard the rules of war when the situation demanded it. Greene would adopt these principles as he built the curriculum at Bemis Heights. Those first few classes of officers would go on to improve upon Greene’s lessons that were learned as settlers encroached upon the lands of the Ohio Country, and the results would be something that most observers never saw coming.”
Author’s Notes: Thanks for your patience, and sorry for this chapter being a bit shorter. This chapter is important, because Greene in TTL is using his experiences in TTL Southern Theater to make the American army into something that is very different, and we continue to see the hints dropping about a coming confrontation in the Ohio Country between the United States and Tecumseh, which will be the next major arc of the timeline. I have a couple of sources that further explain some of my thinking and were used as sources for this chapter, and also could be useful research to someone reading.
NPR article: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2010/09/27/130157285/most-underrated-american-general
Foreign Policy Magazine article: https://foreignpolicy.com/2010/09/2...general-in-american-history-nathaniel-greene/
Thanks so much for reading and feel free to leave any comments or questions.
After Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States, he began his efforts to strengthen the central government and take on the challenges of making sure that the country was going to be in the best shape possible so that when he left office. One of the most important decisions he made was to establish academies so that the American army would have competent officers. On February 23rd, 1790, the United States Military Academy was signed into law and that fall the first class of cadets was admitted.
The academy was based at Bemis Heights, which was the site of a critical engagement during the Saratoga Campaign. Bemis Heights has a varied terrain that still challenges the cadets to think and simulate a variety of terrains that an officer would face on campaign. While the campus has evolved as the United States faced the challenges of various conflicts and the increasing technological aspects of war, the core values of Bemis Heights continue to define the curriculum that cadets face. A long list of America’s finest officers can trace at least some of their career to Bemis Heights, even if they did not graduate as part of the Long Gray Line.
But in order to have Bemis Heights begin to train officers, the army needed to find someone to oversee the academy. Washington turned to an officer who had been with him since the beginning of the Revolution. Greene’s record spoke for itself, and his success in the South with the victories at Guilford Courthouse and Charleston had given him a level of cache, and with both Washington and Secretary of War Henry Knox being supportive, Greene made the decision to take the post as Superintendent of the Academy.
Thus, the Greene Doctrine was born. Greene had been a proponent of European style warfare before he had been sent to take over command in the South, and had distrusted the militia. However, Greene had learned to incorporate the militias and the more irregular style of war that had been a hallmark of wars fought in North America since European colonization had begun. Greene in essence had combined the European tradition of war that had been birthed by the Dutch and improved on by Gustavus Adolphus with the lessons that the colonists had learned starting with the Pequot War and King Phillips War. The following is from the book Nathanael Greene: A Life by prominent scholar Richard Nixon in 1980.
“Greene was the ideal candidate to lead West Point, and his melding of two distinct military styles is very similar to his superior officer in Washington. During the French and Indian War, Washington had impressed upon Braddock that it would be better to fight France and her native allies with the tactics that would be mastered by Rogers and Morgan. Braddock was someone who had been trained in the European tradition, and was deeply uncomfortable with being advised by someone who was a colonial, and who had blundered into battle at Fort Necessity. Washington had desired to make the Continental Army based on the style of European armies, hence the drilling at Valley Forge. Greene’s command in the Southern Theater represented the building blocks of the American way of war, which would be tested in the early 1800s. That style is to be well-drilled and be based on the European tradition, but to incorporate more irregular options to give officers another tool to fight by recognizing that the enemy doesn’t have to be put to one decisive battle and instead can be brought to defeat by harassment and being willing to disregard the rules of war when the situation demanded it. Greene would adopt these principles as he built the curriculum at Bemis Heights. Those first few classes of officers would go on to improve upon Greene’s lessons that were learned as settlers encroached upon the lands of the Ohio Country, and the results would be something that most observers never saw coming.”
Author’s Notes: Thanks for your patience, and sorry for this chapter being a bit shorter. This chapter is important, because Greene in TTL is using his experiences in TTL Southern Theater to make the American army into something that is very different, and we continue to see the hints dropping about a coming confrontation in the Ohio Country between the United States and Tecumseh, which will be the next major arc of the timeline. I have a couple of sources that further explain some of my thinking and were used as sources for this chapter, and also could be useful research to someone reading.
NPR article: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2010/09/27/130157285/most-underrated-american-general
Foreign Policy Magazine article: https://foreignpolicy.com/2010/09/2...general-in-american-history-nathaniel-greene/
Thanks so much for reading and feel free to leave any comments or questions.
By the time Nixon is born, there will be a ton of butterflies flapping. And I like to include fun little Easter eggs. Welcome aboard, and hope you enjoy the ride.
Can't blame him for hating this version of the US Military Academy, even though Newburgh didn't happen in TTL. Welcome aboard, and hope you enjoy the ride.