The World Without Roosevelts

Time for a third attempt to get a reasonable, realistic timeline going :D.

POD: In 1687 Nicholas Roosevelt is publicly insulted by a man by the name of Herman van der Burg, a citizen of New Amsterdam. Van der Burg writes to several New Amsterdam newspapers claiming that Roosevelt had lied to him in an attempt to over charge him for furs and 'warns' the community not to do business with the fur trader by profession. In response, the outraged Roosevelt challenges van der Burg to a duel, a challenge which is accepted. On March 4, 1687 the duel takes place. Roosevelt looses and is fatally wounded, dieing the next day. [1]

- From 1687 until 1899 the timeline continues essentially the same as OTL with a few minor adjustment which I will address once the main timeline is hammered out.

- On January 1, 1899 Frank S. Black is sworn in for his second term as governor of New York, having defeated all the minor challenges opposing him.

- As the election of 1900 approaches McKinley nominates 74-year-old and 27 year member of the house of representatives from Illinois, Joseph Gurney Cannon, as his VP. Cannon was known as a radical who gave little regard to the constitution.

- McKinley goes on to narrowly defeat his democratic opposition in the election by a much smaller margin then in OTL. He receives only 47% of the vote.

- At 2:15 a.m. on September 14, 1901, eight days after he was shot, McKinley dies, victim of an assassin's bullet. Cannon is sworn in as president.

- On October 16th, as in OTL, Booker T. Washington is invited to the White House. The South reacts in outrage to this and racial violence increases.

- A few days later, on the 21st, when asked about the Southern outrage to his meeting Cannon makes several controversial comments about the South which further outrages the southerners. Several protests occur and a post office is bombed in rural Alabama.

- The tensions between the South and Cannon's government continues to heighten and reaches a fever pitch on November 28th, when the new Alabama constitution requires literacy tests to vote. Two days later Cannon speaks before congress, requesting they pass a law over the heads of the Alabama constitution and ban literacy tests. In the middle of his speech a large number of congressman walk out.

- When news reaches Alabama of the speech the public is even more outraged. On December 3rd nearly 10,000 gather in Birmingham to protest the Cannon administration. The protest descends into violence when a group of the white protesters attack a group of black men walking nearby. The protesters proceed to lynch the men while the police refuse to step in against them.

- On December 5th Cannon holds a press conference about the reaction to the lynching. During the press conference an Alabama-born reporter, by the name of Timothy A. Scott, pulls out a pistol and fires several shots at the president, one of which strikes him in the face. The shot turns out to be fatal and Cannon dies two days later.

- This begins a bit of a constitutional crisis as there is no clear line of succession beyond the vice-president. Cannon has never appointed a Vice-President. Congress begins several days of joint-session and finally, on December 11th, pass a resolution announcing that congress shall choose, from among their ranks, the next president. Any congressman may vote for any other congressman besides themselves and each round that person with the least number votes (and if a tie all the persons with the least number of votes) would be eliminated until someone wins a majority. The voting day is set for December 19th.

- On December 19th long time moderate Massachusetts senator George Frisbie Hoar is chosen as the next president, supported by a coalition of 'unionist' Republicans and Democrats. He wins when there are still 4 people left for balloting, well over the #2 in that round who received around 25% of the vote.

- George Frisbie Hoar is sworn in on December 20th, becoming the third president to serve in the last 4 months.

- Hoar focuses his presidency on 'holding the country together' as he puts it. He rules with 'congressional acceptance,' his policy of signing anything passed by congress. At the same time he makes several concessions to the South to settle the situation.

- This angers many hardcore Republicans and on March 1st 27 Republican congressman break away to form the new Radical Party, drawing their name from the reconstruction 'Radical Republicans.'

- Very little occurs over the remainder of 1902 as Hoar refuses to take any initiative and congress is heavily divided. This brings us up to November's congressional election which seems heavily favored towards the Democrats due to the disunity in the Republican party.

- In the election in the house the Democrats win 242 of the 386 seats. The remaining 144 are divided between the Republicans (112) and the Radicals (32).

[1] This event is entirely fictional for the purpose of the ATL.


Any feedback on it thus far?
 
There was a clear presidential succession in place at this time. If Cannon died than the Secretary of State would assume the office of President until a special election the following November.

If Cannon kept the Cabinet as it was, John Hay would become President until the special 1902 election.
 
There was a clear presidential succession in place at this time. If Cannon died than the Secretary of State would assume the office of President until a special election the following November.

If Cannon kept the Cabinet as it was, John Hay would become President until the special 1902 election.

OK sorry about that all I used was Wiki and it said that there wasn't anything beyond the VP from my understanding. I could re-write it to change things though.
 
Time for a third attempt to get a reasonable, realistic timeline going


AL,

And, sadly, your third time didn't prove to be a charm...

... McKinley nominates 74-year-old and 27 year member of the house of representatives from Illinois, Joseph Gurney Cannon, as his VP. Cannon was known as a radical who gave little regard to the constitution.

The announcement was made as monkeys flew out of McKinley's bum.

You really need to read up on Joe Cannon, really, really, really need to read up. You also need to be aware of Cannon's place, relationship, and reputation within the GOP at the national level.

... Booker T. Washington is invited to the White House. The South reacts in outrage to this and racial violence increases.

You really need to read up on Joe Cannon, really, really, really need to read up.

This begins a bit of a constitutional crisis as there is no clear line of succession beyond the vice-president.

Actually, there is.

That's another thing you need to really really really read up on.

... pass a resolution announcing that congress shall choose, from among their ranks, the next president.

Which is against federal law, not that something like would matter in this timeline.

Any feedback on it thus far?

Look! More monkeys!



Bill
 
OK sorry about that all I used was Wiki and it said that there wasn't anything beyond the VP from my understanding. I could re-write it to change things though.


AL,

A good way top begin that would be to start a thread asking this question:

If Theodore Roosevelt was dead or had never been born, who would the GOP choose for their VP candidate in 1900? What sort of changes would be plausible after McKinley is assassinated and this different VP becomes President?


Bill
 
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