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Chapter I: The Death of a Lion (June 28th, 1912)

It was another late night in the study at Sagamore Hill for former President Theodore Roosevelt and he knew that this was the first of many sleepless nights for the next few months. Just the week before TR had led his delegates and supporters out of the Republican National Convention in Chicago to protest the corrupt and underhanded way President William Taft had secured the Republican nomination over his predecessor. The clash between the two candidates had resulted in the progressive wing within the Republican Party, bolting and forming a new “Progressive Party” that was to hold its convention in the next few weeks. Roosevelt knew over the coming months he would not be able to return home often because of the rigors of the campaign so he decided to spend some time with his families. It turned out he spent most of the time working on planning the convention. Looking at the Grandfather clock in his office, Roosevelt discovered that he had again worked late into the night and had to get to bed. He walked up to be, but as he was examining the halls of his home he missed placed his footing on the top step and fell to the bottom of the stairs. When his head struck the hardwood floors of his home, a resounding crack echoed throughout the home. By the time his butler, who had heard him fall, former President Theodore Roosevelt had already lapsed into unconsciousness.

Later that evening the whole house was abuzz with action as a team of doctors arrived to treat the still unconscious former President. Their prognoses weren’t good, most agreed he wouldn’t survive the day. As the President’s condition worsened through the day his advisers led by his potential campaign manager, George Perkins and the Pinchot brothers, Gifford and Amos gathered at Sagamore Hill Manor. The rest of the potential campaign apparatus was informed of the Presidents condition by telegraph messages. The campaign staff were baffled about how to proceed so they reach out to prominent supporters.

At 6:27pm in the presence of his wife Alice and his family, President Theodore Roosevelt passed away. The chaos of this great man death was felt across the world, but created huge tremors within his own countries political scene.



A couple of days later...

As the funeral procession for former President Theodore Roosevelt was attended and viewed by many Americans, since Roosevelt was such a popular President and was a day for mourning for the country and for the nascent political movement that was the Progressive Party. For one Senator, his mind could not focus on the procession in front of him, continually wandering at the various paths of the Progressive movement that he led since 1911. He wondered whether he should lead his followers back into the Republican Party that had shunned them after their failed intraparty rebellion, or should he lead them to the Democratic Party that had recently nominated progressive Woodrow Wilson as their candidate, or should he continue and create an independent Progressive Party. As the procession ended Senator Robert Lafollette Sr. of Wisconsin and de-facto leader of the Progressive Republican faction, headed back towards his Senate office for his late afternoon meetings. When he arrived at the office he went to his private office room to calm his scattered thoughts. Waiting for him was today mail, mainly letters and telegrams from fellow progressives asking for their marching orders and guidance in the wake of tragedy. One letter stuck out to him, a simple hand written note on the letterhead of a fellow Wisconsin Congressman. In this letter, the author propositioned a most interesting proposal that piqued a curious idea in the Senators head. The author of the letter asked for a meeting to discuss his proposition with the Senator, which he accepted for latter that afternoon. The letter written by a first-term congressman would be the quake that would shake America and the world to its core… To be continued…



(This is my first attempt at writing an Alternate History timeline, so please go easy on me. If you have any suggestions or grammar corrections, please PM.)
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