Okay, now that I'm ten chapters in, I'd like to see what readers think of this TL so far and the direction it seems to be headed in. Because of that, I'm adding a poll.
Timeline 1828: A Southern-Less USA
- Thread starter PGSBHurricane
- Start date
I for one love it! Unusual POD with potential for very interesting butterflies
Oh there's definitely going to be butterflies with the Quasi-war going hot and secession from the USA (which leads to the war turning hot). As for how the war will end I may need someone who's more versed in war history than me to assist me. Just spend my a PM.
Chapter Eleven: The Atlas Navigates America
Chapter Eleven: The Atlas Navigates America
The inauguration of John Adams as the second President of the United States was held on Saturday, March 4, 1797, in the House Chamber of Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This marked the commencement of the four-year term of John Adams as President and of Oliver Ellsworth as Vice President. The presidential oath of office was administered to John Adams by Pennsylvania Chief Justice of Thomas McKean and was the last president to receive the oath of office from someone other than a Chief Justice of the United States, and the first head of state to peacefully and legally succeed to office from a living predecessor since in 1724.
After his inauguration, one of his first tasks was to expand the presidential cabinet. Instead of three positions, there were five. When Adams became president, there was no precedent regarding the continued service of the previous president's top officials. Rather than seize the opportunity to select a new loyal group of advisors, Adams retained four members of Washington's cabinet, Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott Jr, Secretary of War James McHenry, Attorney General Charles Lee,and former Secretary of War Timothy Pickering who became the Secretary of State. The former three had respectively replaced Alexander Hamilton, Henry Knox, and Edmond Randolph. The only new person in the cabinet was Benjamin Stroddert as Secretary of the Navy, eventually emerging as one of his most important advisors. Pickering, McHenry, and Wolcott Jr. were all devoted to Hamilton and often actively worked against Adams's proposals. The other holdover from the Washington administration, Attorney General Charles Lee, worked very well with Adams.
The French continued searching and seizing neutral American vessels from the fall of 1796 onward. As relations between the two countries worsened into spring of 1797, John Adams sent Elbridge Gerry and John Marshall to Paris to negotiate a new agreement that would revise the 1778 Treaty of Amity and Commerce. The diplomats arrived in Paris in October 1797. French foreign minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord only allowed enough time for a fifteen minute meeting before leaving them with three French officials named Jean Hottenguer, Pierre Bellamy, and Lucien Hauteval. The three officials respectively became known as X, Y, and Z in the popular press. The French asked for large bribe of over a quarter of a million dollars and an apology before negotiations even began. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord tried to reinforce his own political power while also attempting to regain American support for France. The American officials refused and when further talks failed the Americans returned home in the spring of 1798.
The negotiations angered Adams, who asked Congress to support defense measures. Congress supported Adams and on the condition from his opponents that he further demanded that he publish the correspondence messages because they believed he was hiding positive news. Adams complied. Instead of being relieved, Congress and the American public angered, viewing the French as insulting America. A two-year war followed, with French ships harassing and capturing American vessels that were trading with Britain. The United States engaged in a military buildup, with George Washington brought out of retirement to serve again as Commander-in-Chief of an enlarged navy consisting of six new naval frigates and an enlarged ten thousand man Provisional Army. The British and the Americans began working together to reduce the actions of the French Navy.
With fears of an imminent French invasion and enemy spies infiltrating American society, the Federalist majority in Congress passed four new laws in summer 1798, known as the Alien and Sedition Acts. The Alien Acts were composed of the Naturalization, Alien Enemies, and Alien Friends Acts. The Naturalization Act allowed Congress to increase residency requirements for U.S. citizenship to 14 years from five. The Alien Enemies Act permitted the government to arrest and deport all male citizens of an enemy nation during a state of war, while the Alien Friends Act allowed the president to deport any non-citizen suspected of plotting against the government in war or peace.
Most importantly, Congress passed the Sedition Act, signed into law on July 14, 1798, targeting those who spoke out against Adams or the Federalist-dominated government. The new law outlawed any “false, scandalous and malicious writing” against the government and made it illegal “to oppose any measure or measures of the government.” The Federalist in Congress majority argued, against the Republican minority, that English and American courts had long punished seditious libel and that free speech should be balanced against libel and slander. Matthew Lyon, a Republican congressman from Vermont, became the first person tried under the new law in October 1798. A grand jury indicted Lyon for publishing letters in Republican newspapers during his reelection campaign that showed “intent and design” to defame the government and President Adams. Lyon defended himself by claiming the Sedition Act was unconstitutional, and that he had not intended to damage the government. He was convicted, and the judge sentenced him to four months in prison and a fine of $1,000. Another individual famously prosecuted under the Sedition Act was journalist James Callender. He was sentenced to nine months in prison for his “false, scandalous, and malicious writing, against the said President of the United States.”
In late 1798 and early 1799, the legislatures of Kentucky and Virginia passed resolutions in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, declaring them as unconstitutional and threatening to block the enforcement of those acts within those states. James Madison authored the Virginia Resolution in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson, the latter also authoring the Kentucky Resolution. Both argued that the federal government did not have the authority to enact laws not specified in the constitution. Jefferson wrote: “[T]he several states who formed that instrument [the Constitution], being sovereign and independent, have the unquestionable right to judge of its infraction; and that a nullification, by those [states], of all unauthorized acts….is the rightful remedy.” The end of both resolutions inserted (at Jefferson's insistence and Madison's reluctance) that the best solution to this was to “part ways with the Union and amicably as possible.” Little did they know that this would lead to a massive chain reaction and would alter the courses of both Europe and North America.
The inauguration of John Adams as the second President of the United States was held on Saturday, March 4, 1797, in the House Chamber of Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This marked the commencement of the four-year term of John Adams as President and of Oliver Ellsworth as Vice President. The presidential oath of office was administered to John Adams by Pennsylvania Chief Justice of Thomas McKean and was the last president to receive the oath of office from someone other than a Chief Justice of the United States, and the first head of state to peacefully and legally succeed to office from a living predecessor since in 1724.
After his inauguration, one of his first tasks was to expand the presidential cabinet. Instead of three positions, there were five. When Adams became president, there was no precedent regarding the continued service of the previous president's top officials. Rather than seize the opportunity to select a new loyal group of advisors, Adams retained four members of Washington's cabinet, Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott Jr, Secretary of War James McHenry, Attorney General Charles Lee,and former Secretary of War Timothy Pickering who became the Secretary of State. The former three had respectively replaced Alexander Hamilton, Henry Knox, and Edmond Randolph. The only new person in the cabinet was Benjamin Stroddert as Secretary of the Navy, eventually emerging as one of his most important advisors. Pickering, McHenry, and Wolcott Jr. were all devoted to Hamilton and often actively worked against Adams's proposals. The other holdover from the Washington administration, Attorney General Charles Lee, worked very well with Adams.
The French continued searching and seizing neutral American vessels from the fall of 1796 onward. As relations between the two countries worsened into spring of 1797, John Adams sent Elbridge Gerry and John Marshall to Paris to negotiate a new agreement that would revise the 1778 Treaty of Amity and Commerce. The diplomats arrived in Paris in October 1797. French foreign minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord only allowed enough time for a fifteen minute meeting before leaving them with three French officials named Jean Hottenguer, Pierre Bellamy, and Lucien Hauteval. The three officials respectively became known as X, Y, and Z in the popular press. The French asked for large bribe of over a quarter of a million dollars and an apology before negotiations even began. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord tried to reinforce his own political power while also attempting to regain American support for France. The American officials refused and when further talks failed the Americans returned home in the spring of 1798.
The negotiations angered Adams, who asked Congress to support defense measures. Congress supported Adams and on the condition from his opponents that he further demanded that he publish the correspondence messages because they believed he was hiding positive news. Adams complied. Instead of being relieved, Congress and the American public angered, viewing the French as insulting America. A two-year war followed, with French ships harassing and capturing American vessels that were trading with Britain. The United States engaged in a military buildup, with George Washington brought out of retirement to serve again as Commander-in-Chief of an enlarged navy consisting of six new naval frigates and an enlarged ten thousand man Provisional Army. The British and the Americans began working together to reduce the actions of the French Navy.
With fears of an imminent French invasion and enemy spies infiltrating American society, the Federalist majority in Congress passed four new laws in summer 1798, known as the Alien and Sedition Acts. The Alien Acts were composed of the Naturalization, Alien Enemies, and Alien Friends Acts. The Naturalization Act allowed Congress to increase residency requirements for U.S. citizenship to 14 years from five. The Alien Enemies Act permitted the government to arrest and deport all male citizens of an enemy nation during a state of war, while the Alien Friends Act allowed the president to deport any non-citizen suspected of plotting against the government in war or peace.
Most importantly, Congress passed the Sedition Act, signed into law on July 14, 1798, targeting those who spoke out against Adams or the Federalist-dominated government. The new law outlawed any “false, scandalous and malicious writing” against the government and made it illegal “to oppose any measure or measures of the government.” The Federalist in Congress majority argued, against the Republican minority, that English and American courts had long punished seditious libel and that free speech should be balanced against libel and slander. Matthew Lyon, a Republican congressman from Vermont, became the first person tried under the new law in October 1798. A grand jury indicted Lyon for publishing letters in Republican newspapers during his reelection campaign that showed “intent and design” to defame the government and President Adams. Lyon defended himself by claiming the Sedition Act was unconstitutional, and that he had not intended to damage the government. He was convicted, and the judge sentenced him to four months in prison and a fine of $1,000. Another individual famously prosecuted under the Sedition Act was journalist James Callender. He was sentenced to nine months in prison for his “false, scandalous, and malicious writing, against the said President of the United States.”
In late 1798 and early 1799, the legislatures of Kentucky and Virginia passed resolutions in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, declaring them as unconstitutional and threatening to block the enforcement of those acts within those states. James Madison authored the Virginia Resolution in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson, the latter also authoring the Kentucky Resolution. Both argued that the federal government did not have the authority to enact laws not specified in the constitution. Jefferson wrote: “[T]he several states who formed that instrument [the Constitution], being sovereign and independent, have the unquestionable right to judge of its infraction; and that a nullification, by those [states], of all unauthorized acts….is the rightful remedy.” The end of both resolutions inserted (at Jefferson's insistence and Madison's reluctance) that the best solution to this was to “part ways with the Union and amicably as possible.” Little did they know that this would lead to a massive chain reaction and would alter the courses of both Europe and North America.
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Never fear, Captain Dixie is here! Standing up to protect the God given rights of all Protestant, slave owning, white male landowners. No man can opress others on his watch*!
* Unless you are black or poor
Thomas1195
Banned
Logically, I expect Adams and the moderate Federalists to back down, because they simply could not afford to lose the biggest state.
In the end they will be keeping half of Virginia. How that comes to be will be told when it's written and posted.
Almost guaranteed to cause massive amount of civil conflict considering nearly all of Virginia was heavily Republican. OTL 1800 election shows Adams only had support around the Eastern Shore and the Maryland border areas.
Thomas1195
Banned
I think Adams would probably make concessions to at least persuade one of the Jefferson-Madison duo.
Anyway, it is certain that there would be no US President Andrew Jackson.
Chapter Twelve: One Is By Sea, Two Is By Land
Chapter Twelve: One Is By Sea, Two Is By Land
The Federalist Party increasingly favored war with France to stop their privateering but this was not universally popular. Adams knew that if he acted rashly, the Republicans could gain steam the 1800 elections if they cards well. Still, he sought to make real efforts to protect America’s commercial interests. In 1798, “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute” became the rallying cry of the Federalists. On April 30, Congress commissioned 1,000 privateers to defend against French hostilities and established the United States Navy and the Marine Corps. On July 7, 1798, Congress rescinded all treaties with France, kicking off the American Front of the War of the Second Coalition, or more commonly known as the American-Franco War in North America, as the USS Delaware captured the French privateer La Croyable off of New Jersey. Two days later, Congress authorized American warships to attack French vessels. Most states supported the measure with a handful of obvious exceptions. Even Adams only urged authorization under pressure from the public.
With a fleet of about 25 ships, including six newly constructed frigates the U.S. Navy patrolled the coast down through the Caribbean, looking for French ships. There were two major engagements in the Naval War, at least in the earlier stages. The most famous battles involved the frigate USS Constellation, a 38-gun ship commanded by Thomas Truxton. The first battle occurred on early February 1799, off the island of Nevis, against the 36-gun French frigate L’Insurgente. The French attempted to board the Constellation, but Truxton was able to maneuver away and fire on the L’Insurgente, leading to the French surrender. About a year later, on February 2, 1800, Constellation engaged the 52-gun frigate La Vengeance near Saint-Kitts. The Constellation pounded the French ship for five hours and both ships suffered heavily, but the French suffered more (thanks to British assistance onboard) and surrendered. The Constellation’s mainmast barely escaped collapse.
In the entire conflict, the Americans only lost the USS Retaliation, which was a re-christened La Croyable previously captured from the French in 1778. The ship was in the West Indies, under the command of Lieutenant William Bainbridge with the USS Montezuma and USS Norfolk. The Retaliation was overtaken by L’Insurgente and Volontaire, on November 20, 1798. After, Bainbridge found himself outgunned and surrendered. On the flip sides, the United States Navy captured 85 French vessels, who in turn lost 2,000 and 2,000 merchant vessels at American and British hands.During The War, the Adams administration provided material support for the ongoing slave rebellion in the French colony of Saint-Domingue. The majority of the population of the colonies were slaves, and when the French Revolution broke out, they took up arms to secure freedom in the Haitain Revolution. After years of constant fighting, the rebels gained control over the colony under the leadership of General Toussaint L’Ouverture. As Adams engaged in warfare with France and removed an embargo on Saint-Domingue, Toussaint was empowered to declare full independence. This move enraged the Southern American Confederation and received praise from the United States.
It should hardly shock anyone that Kentucky and Virginia seceded from the Union once the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions were issued. It was only one of several factors leading to their choice. As far back as 1787, when both states were part of Virginia, they had been trying to undermine the United States. The arming signs should have been seen as soon as the Virginia delegates tried walking out of the Constitutional Convention over the issue of slavery. As soon as it was announced that slaves would not count for representation purposes, Thomas Jefferson encouraged Virginians to leave, only to be stopped by Washington and his fellow Republican, James Madison. While slavery was a contentious issue, Kentucky and Virginia did not align with the other states in general. The two states refused to send troops to put down the Whiskey Rebellion and actively backed France instead of Britain as the French Revolution broke out, during the negotiation of the XYZ Affair, and during the negotiations of the Jay Treaty. The Alien and sedition Acts were just the last straw. The uproar in these two states was unimaginable. In response to this, Southern Vice President Edward Telfair began engaging in a series of written letters to Thomas Jefferson about the possibility of seceding from the United States and joining the Southern American Confederacy. Jefferson took him up on it and engaged in a few meetings with the Pinckney cabinet. Pinckney himself, while glad to be reunited with a fellow southerner, said to proceed with patience. Everyone else agreed. The task was to monitor possible trends in which the midterm election will trend. With careful strategizing, they noted the results that November. Both chambers of Congress maintained strong Federalist control, with the House of Representatives gaining even more Federalist seats and bumping out some Republicans. The situation looked hopeless.
Jefferson-Telfair talks continued but with the talking point shifting towards secession and reuniting with southern brethren. This kind of rhetoric had already traveled throughout underground society meetings but the defeat in the midterm elections in 1798 amplified it, encouraged by Telfair. By December, the majority of Virginians and Kentuckians supported secession from the Union, into the SAC. Kentucky declared its intent on November 16, 1798 to secede as the Kentucky Resolutions were passed. The Virginia Resolution passed on December 24, 1798. Whatever support there was for remaining with the Union was obliterated ten days earlier with the unexpected murder of George Washington (later confirmed to be by a pro-Southerner). He was the one who kept his home state in check as he was respected by his fellow Virginians who feared that he would intervene militarily if they rebelled. As he passed away, his will was revealed to order the emancipation of his slaves upon death. Among Virginia whites, race riots and massacres of slave populations took place in protest of Washington’s will. As Virginia was a slave state and had a large slave population, it could not tolerate this and the Virginia Resolution recognized its right to leave the Union. To them, emancipating slaves was basically giving into the Federalist establishment. Still, some Virginians opposed secession like Federalist John Marshall and even James Madison, who called the anti-Washington riots “horrifically vile to the utmost degree” and voluntarily leaving the union “extremely unpatriotic.” The spring of 1799 would result in the United States Army traveling South to try and crush resistance, bringing the War of the Second Coalition to the American mainland.
Key:
Red = United States of America
Green = Northwest Territory
Blue = Southern American Confederation
Violet = Seceded States
A/N: This may be the last chapter to be updated for a few days as I have my first final exam on Wednesday and a couple projects are due this upcoming week. So don't count on another update for at least 4-5 days.
The Federalist Party increasingly favored war with France to stop their privateering but this was not universally popular. Adams knew that if he acted rashly, the Republicans could gain steam the 1800 elections if they cards well. Still, he sought to make real efforts to protect America’s commercial interests. In 1798, “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute” became the rallying cry of the Federalists. On April 30, Congress commissioned 1,000 privateers to defend against French hostilities and established the United States Navy and the Marine Corps. On July 7, 1798, Congress rescinded all treaties with France, kicking off the American Front of the War of the Second Coalition, or more commonly known as the American-Franco War in North America, as the USS Delaware captured the French privateer La Croyable off of New Jersey. Two days later, Congress authorized American warships to attack French vessels. Most states supported the measure with a handful of obvious exceptions. Even Adams only urged authorization under pressure from the public.
With a fleet of about 25 ships, including six newly constructed frigates the U.S. Navy patrolled the coast down through the Caribbean, looking for French ships. There were two major engagements in the Naval War, at least in the earlier stages. The most famous battles involved the frigate USS Constellation, a 38-gun ship commanded by Thomas Truxton. The first battle occurred on early February 1799, off the island of Nevis, against the 36-gun French frigate L’Insurgente. The French attempted to board the Constellation, but Truxton was able to maneuver away and fire on the L’Insurgente, leading to the French surrender. About a year later, on February 2, 1800, Constellation engaged the 52-gun frigate La Vengeance near Saint-Kitts. The Constellation pounded the French ship for five hours and both ships suffered heavily, but the French suffered more (thanks to British assistance onboard) and surrendered. The Constellation’s mainmast barely escaped collapse.
In the entire conflict, the Americans only lost the USS Retaliation, which was a re-christened La Croyable previously captured from the French in 1778. The ship was in the West Indies, under the command of Lieutenant William Bainbridge with the USS Montezuma and USS Norfolk. The Retaliation was overtaken by L’Insurgente and Volontaire, on November 20, 1798. After, Bainbridge found himself outgunned and surrendered. On the flip sides, the United States Navy captured 85 French vessels, who in turn lost 2,000 and 2,000 merchant vessels at American and British hands.During The War, the Adams administration provided material support for the ongoing slave rebellion in the French colony of Saint-Domingue. The majority of the population of the colonies were slaves, and when the French Revolution broke out, they took up arms to secure freedom in the Haitain Revolution. After years of constant fighting, the rebels gained control over the colony under the leadership of General Toussaint L’Ouverture. As Adams engaged in warfare with France and removed an embargo on Saint-Domingue, Toussaint was empowered to declare full independence. This move enraged the Southern American Confederation and received praise from the United States.
It should hardly shock anyone that Kentucky and Virginia seceded from the Union once the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions were issued. It was only one of several factors leading to their choice. As far back as 1787, when both states were part of Virginia, they had been trying to undermine the United States. The arming signs should have been seen as soon as the Virginia delegates tried walking out of the Constitutional Convention over the issue of slavery. As soon as it was announced that slaves would not count for representation purposes, Thomas Jefferson encouraged Virginians to leave, only to be stopped by Washington and his fellow Republican, James Madison. While slavery was a contentious issue, Kentucky and Virginia did not align with the other states in general. The two states refused to send troops to put down the Whiskey Rebellion and actively backed France instead of Britain as the French Revolution broke out, during the negotiation of the XYZ Affair, and during the negotiations of the Jay Treaty. The Alien and sedition Acts were just the last straw. The uproar in these two states was unimaginable. In response to this, Southern Vice President Edward Telfair began engaging in a series of written letters to Thomas Jefferson about the possibility of seceding from the United States and joining the Southern American Confederacy. Jefferson took him up on it and engaged in a few meetings with the Pinckney cabinet. Pinckney himself, while glad to be reunited with a fellow southerner, said to proceed with patience. Everyone else agreed. The task was to monitor possible trends in which the midterm election will trend. With careful strategizing, they noted the results that November. Both chambers of Congress maintained strong Federalist control, with the House of Representatives gaining even more Federalist seats and bumping out some Republicans. The situation looked hopeless.
Jefferson-Telfair talks continued but with the talking point shifting towards secession and reuniting with southern brethren. This kind of rhetoric had already traveled throughout underground society meetings but the defeat in the midterm elections in 1798 amplified it, encouraged by Telfair. By December, the majority of Virginians and Kentuckians supported secession from the Union, into the SAC. Kentucky declared its intent on November 16, 1798 to secede as the Kentucky Resolutions were passed. The Virginia Resolution passed on December 24, 1798. Whatever support there was for remaining with the Union was obliterated ten days earlier with the unexpected murder of George Washington (later confirmed to be by a pro-Southerner). He was the one who kept his home state in check as he was respected by his fellow Virginians who feared that he would intervene militarily if they rebelled. As he passed away, his will was revealed to order the emancipation of his slaves upon death. Among Virginia whites, race riots and massacres of slave populations took place in protest of Washington’s will. As Virginia was a slave state and had a large slave population, it could not tolerate this and the Virginia Resolution recognized its right to leave the Union. To them, emancipating slaves was basically giving into the Federalist establishment. Still, some Virginians opposed secession like Federalist John Marshall and even James Madison, who called the anti-Washington riots “horrifically vile to the utmost degree” and voluntarily leaving the union “extremely unpatriotic.” The spring of 1799 would result in the United States Army traveling South to try and crush resistance, bringing the War of the Second Coalition to the American mainland.
Key:
Red = United States of America
Green = Northwest Territory
Blue = Southern American Confederation
Violet = Seceded States
A/N: This may be the last chapter to be updated for a few days as I have my first final exam on Wednesday and a couple projects are due this upcoming week. So don't count on another update for at least 4-5 days.
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I'm find this timeline interesting. And take your time with those finals, I have some to worry about too.
Excellent job. I wonder about the riots, I don't think there was much hostility at this time anyway in the upper south toward a slave owner purposely freeing his slaves, but with the walkout in 1787 I can imagine things are more charged racially here.
I wonder, is Charleston a separate territory ( not part of S. Carolina ) like Washington D.C. in OTL? Likewise for Philadelphia...