Madison is now part of North Virginia so he would be able to become president. That, and he opposed secession in 1798.
Timeline 1828: A Southern-Less USA
- Thread starter PGSBHurricane
- Start date
Some people do have long memories though and lumping all Virginians in "category traitor" would hardly be an uncommon reaction.
I’ll say this much. The Hamiltonian wing (some more than others) are definitely going to have an issue with that. But if Adams can still appoint John Marshall, a Virginian who opposed secession, as a Supreme Court Chief Justice then Adams should be able to forgive Madison. He was much more moderate compared to the Hamiltonians (although still a solid Federalist) and he personally respected Madison more than Washington and certainly more than Jefferson.
Sorry for the less frequent updates (or less frequent than I had hoped). I have an on-and-off case of writer's block.
Chapter Sixteen: Thomas Jefferson and the SAC Election of 1801
Chapter Sixteen: Thomas Jefferson and the SAC Election of 1801
To some, Thomas Jefferson was a simple man. To others, he was a complicated enigma. He was born April 13, 1743 on the Shadwell Plantation located along the Rivanna River in central Virginia. He was born to Peter Jefferson, a successful planter and surveyor, and Jane Randolph, a member of one of Virginia’s wealthiest families. When Jefferson's father died when he was fourteen, homas inherited 5,000 acres, including Shadwell. In 1768, he contracted the clearing of a 250 square foot site 868 feet above Shadwell, which he would name Monticello. Additionally, Jefferson inherited slaves from his father, not to mention he bought and sold slaves himself. Over the course of his life, he owned 600 slaves, typically 200 at a time. About eighty of these enslaved individuals lived at Monticello, the rest living in Albemarle County and Bedford County. His enslaved house servants included Elizabeth Hemmings and six of her children whom Jefferson himself fathered.
After completing a two-year course of study at the College of William and Mary, he began his six-year tenure for Virginia’s House of Burgesses (the Virginia legislature) in 1769. He first gained attention outside of Virginia in 1774 when he reminded British king George III that, “he is no more than the chief officer of the people, appointed by the laws, and circumscribed with definite powers, to assist in working the great machine of government. . . .” It was not his wish for Virginia to separate from Britain until 1776. He then drafted the Declaration of Independence, declaring the thirteen colonies free and independent states. Later that year, he returned to Virginia to serve in the Virginia House of Delegates, working closely with James Madison who he would eventually become best friends with. Their first collaboration was to end the religious establishment in Virginia, culminating with the passage of Jefferson’s Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786. Elected governor from 1779 to 1781, he suffered an inquiry into his conduct during the British invasion of Virginia in his last year in office.
In 1784, he entered public service again, eventually becoming the American minister to France. In 1787, he infamously tried to urge Virginians and Maryland delegates to walk out of the Constitutional Convention, only to be stopped by George Washington and James Madison. In 1790 he agreed to be the first secretary of state under the new Constitution under the presidency of George Washington. His tenure was marked by his rivalry with Alexander Hamilton, who wanted a large and powerful national government and was too pro-British for Jefferson. In 1796, as the presidential candidate of the nascent Democratic-Republican Party, he failed to became president or vice-president after losing to John Adams and Oliver Ellsworth. Believing that the United States was headed for doom and functioned as a country that could not co-exist with his political views, he coauthored the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions in 1798 just months after the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed by the Federalist Congress. It was also this point where his friendship with James Madison came to a grinding halt.
In 1801, Jefferson was living in a completely different landscape. He was in a state and continent being torn up by war. He was a member of the SAC Congress and well-integrated into it thanks to the welcoming by most southern politicians. The public, on the other hand, while initially trusting of him, grew divisive over whether his anti-nationalist motives were genuine and only grew more divisive as he declared he would run for president. He had no problem gaining support from Kentucky and Virginia. It was the reset of the South that seemed difficult on getting board with 100%. Granted, outgoing President Thomas Pinckney was neither popular nor hated outside of the Carolinas where he received his greatest support due to being based there and where nationalism (the southern name for federalism) was strongest. His platform continued to help build up the Confederation as a viable nation, particularly gaining international trading ties with France (and to a lesser extent, Britain). Pinckney was hesitant to allow the states to allow their own currencies but he was pressured to go along with it, and he did o the proposition that there would be a national intestate currency that would xo-exist besides it. Furthermore, the war, especially after the Ohio River Raids in what is now Ohio and Indiana, was either a loss (in Kentucky or Tennessee) or a stalemate (Virginia) with much of the Upper South experiencing major damage. Between all that, Pickney sought to end a war which he did not want in the first place.
He sent William Richardson Davie, Charles Pinckney (his cousin, not brother), and three others to the negotiation table. Their goal was to end the war with retaining strong ties to the British and French, reduce hostilities toward its northern neighbor, and (most importantly), retain Kentucky and Virginia even though that was the main source of hostility in the first place between the two North American nations. What they got was rather unexpected. The Southern Confederacy had no use for Upper Louisiana because it lacked a suitable climate and soil needed for slavery. Lower Louisiana and New Orleans, on the other hand, were perfection for the country. After all, Southerners wanted to settle the Lower Mississippi River Valley region plus buying New Orleans. What ended up happening was, in some ways, bizarre. Lower Louisiana would be granted to the SAC with New Orleans split into three zones with the French controlling two zones and the SAC controlling the other. Like the USA, the SAC pledged de jure neutrality in the British-Franco conflict, with impressment limited and any impressed ships would receive compensation. The same would hold true with SAC ships impressed by the USA. Virginia and Kentucky were to be split in half, with the map drawn so that Monticello and his other property would be on the southern side of the border.
This would invariably shape the 1801 SAC election for its third president. Heading into concessions, Thomas Jefferson vowed to open settlement out west for Southerners, to firmly establish strong ties with European powers, and to maintain the states of Kentucky and Virginia. If all at possible, he wanted to abolish the national bank if everything else on the list was complete. With that, he was able to clinch the Democratic Party Presidential nomination. His opponent was none other than the outgoing president’s brother, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. Their respective choices for Vice President were John Breckenridge of Kentucky (later Cumberland) and Samuel Johnston of North Carolina. When it came time for the election in November and December, North and South Carolina went for the Nationalists while the other states went for the Democrats, most especially Virginia and Kentucky. The Democrats won, but the electoral votes cast were split between Jefferson and Breckinridge. The result was a tie in the Electoral College. For the first time, the House of Representatives decided the presidency, and the Democratic majority easily favored Thomas Jefferson. This sparked outrage from the North, branding Thomas Jefferson as the biggest traitor the Union has ever seen. For the first time, someone not from the Original Three States was the Confederate President.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I've been kind of having writer's block and exploring other interests while getting ready for summer classes which start next week. Anyway, I apologize if this chapter is poorly written compared to the others. The ramifications of the War on the South will be explored more in depth either in the next chapter or within the next few (I haven't decided yet).
To some, Thomas Jefferson was a simple man. To others, he was a complicated enigma. He was born April 13, 1743 on the Shadwell Plantation located along the Rivanna River in central Virginia. He was born to Peter Jefferson, a successful planter and surveyor, and Jane Randolph, a member of one of Virginia’s wealthiest families. When Jefferson's father died when he was fourteen, homas inherited 5,000 acres, including Shadwell. In 1768, he contracted the clearing of a 250 square foot site 868 feet above Shadwell, which he would name Monticello. Additionally, Jefferson inherited slaves from his father, not to mention he bought and sold slaves himself. Over the course of his life, he owned 600 slaves, typically 200 at a time. About eighty of these enslaved individuals lived at Monticello, the rest living in Albemarle County and Bedford County. His enslaved house servants included Elizabeth Hemmings and six of her children whom Jefferson himself fathered.
After completing a two-year course of study at the College of William and Mary, he began his six-year tenure for Virginia’s House of Burgesses (the Virginia legislature) in 1769. He first gained attention outside of Virginia in 1774 when he reminded British king George III that, “he is no more than the chief officer of the people, appointed by the laws, and circumscribed with definite powers, to assist in working the great machine of government. . . .” It was not his wish for Virginia to separate from Britain until 1776. He then drafted the Declaration of Independence, declaring the thirteen colonies free and independent states. Later that year, he returned to Virginia to serve in the Virginia House of Delegates, working closely with James Madison who he would eventually become best friends with. Their first collaboration was to end the religious establishment in Virginia, culminating with the passage of Jefferson’s Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786. Elected governor from 1779 to 1781, he suffered an inquiry into his conduct during the British invasion of Virginia in his last year in office.
In 1784, he entered public service again, eventually becoming the American minister to France. In 1787, he infamously tried to urge Virginians and Maryland delegates to walk out of the Constitutional Convention, only to be stopped by George Washington and James Madison. In 1790 he agreed to be the first secretary of state under the new Constitution under the presidency of George Washington. His tenure was marked by his rivalry with Alexander Hamilton, who wanted a large and powerful national government and was too pro-British for Jefferson. In 1796, as the presidential candidate of the nascent Democratic-Republican Party, he failed to became president or vice-president after losing to John Adams and Oliver Ellsworth. Believing that the United States was headed for doom and functioned as a country that could not co-exist with his political views, he coauthored the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions in 1798 just months after the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed by the Federalist Congress. It was also this point where his friendship with James Madison came to a grinding halt.
In 1801, Jefferson was living in a completely different landscape. He was in a state and continent being torn up by war. He was a member of the SAC Congress and well-integrated into it thanks to the welcoming by most southern politicians. The public, on the other hand, while initially trusting of him, grew divisive over whether his anti-nationalist motives were genuine and only grew more divisive as he declared he would run for president. He had no problem gaining support from Kentucky and Virginia. It was the reset of the South that seemed difficult on getting board with 100%. Granted, outgoing President Thomas Pinckney was neither popular nor hated outside of the Carolinas where he received his greatest support due to being based there and where nationalism (the southern name for federalism) was strongest. His platform continued to help build up the Confederation as a viable nation, particularly gaining international trading ties with France (and to a lesser extent, Britain). Pinckney was hesitant to allow the states to allow their own currencies but he was pressured to go along with it, and he did o the proposition that there would be a national intestate currency that would xo-exist besides it. Furthermore, the war, especially after the Ohio River Raids in what is now Ohio and Indiana, was either a loss (in Kentucky or Tennessee) or a stalemate (Virginia) with much of the Upper South experiencing major damage. Between all that, Pickney sought to end a war which he did not want in the first place.
He sent William Richardson Davie, Charles Pinckney (his cousin, not brother), and three others to the negotiation table. Their goal was to end the war with retaining strong ties to the British and French, reduce hostilities toward its northern neighbor, and (most importantly), retain Kentucky and Virginia even though that was the main source of hostility in the first place between the two North American nations. What they got was rather unexpected. The Southern Confederacy had no use for Upper Louisiana because it lacked a suitable climate and soil needed for slavery. Lower Louisiana and New Orleans, on the other hand, were perfection for the country. After all, Southerners wanted to settle the Lower Mississippi River Valley region plus buying New Orleans. What ended up happening was, in some ways, bizarre. Lower Louisiana would be granted to the SAC with New Orleans split into three zones with the French controlling two zones and the SAC controlling the other. Like the USA, the SAC pledged de jure neutrality in the British-Franco conflict, with impressment limited and any impressed ships would receive compensation. The same would hold true with SAC ships impressed by the USA. Virginia and Kentucky were to be split in half, with the map drawn so that Monticello and his other property would be on the southern side of the border.
This would invariably shape the 1801 SAC election for its third president. Heading into concessions, Thomas Jefferson vowed to open settlement out west for Southerners, to firmly establish strong ties with European powers, and to maintain the states of Kentucky and Virginia. If all at possible, he wanted to abolish the national bank if everything else on the list was complete. With that, he was able to clinch the Democratic Party Presidential nomination. His opponent was none other than the outgoing president’s brother, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. Their respective choices for Vice President were John Breckenridge of Kentucky (later Cumberland) and Samuel Johnston of North Carolina. When it came time for the election in November and December, North and South Carolina went for the Nationalists while the other states went for the Democrats, most especially Virginia and Kentucky. The Democrats won, but the electoral votes cast were split between Jefferson and Breckinridge. The result was a tie in the Electoral College. For the first time, the House of Representatives decided the presidency, and the Democratic majority easily favored Thomas Jefferson. This sparked outrage from the North, branding Thomas Jefferson as the biggest traitor the Union has ever seen. For the first time, someone not from the Original Three States was the Confederate President.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I've been kind of having writer's block and exploring other interests while getting ready for summer classes which start next week. Anyway, I apologize if this chapter is poorly written compared to the others. The ramifications of the War on the South will be explored more in depth either in the next chapter or within the next few (I haven't decided yet).
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New poll. What should I focus on next? I'm having trouble deciding on my own.
www.strawpoll.me
What Should I focus on next?
Vote Now! [The whereabouts of Europe in the early 19th century] [Thomas Jefferson's SAC Presidency] [Other (explain in the comments)]
www.strawpoll.me
Despite the poll results So far, I think I’m focus on Europe next chapter and head back to North America after that.
It's your TL, do what you need to do to tell the story you want to tell.
Chapter Seventeen: Napoleonic Europe in the 1800s
Chapter Seventeen: Napoleonic Europe in the 1800s
The European political landscape in the first decade of the nineteenth century was dominated by the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleonic Wars, a series of conflicts declared against Napoleon's French Empire and changing sets of European allies by opposing coalitions that ran from 1799 to 1815. This was responsible for revolutionizing European armies on an unprecedented scale thanks to the application of mass conscription. French power rose quickly, conquering most of Europe by the end of the decade.
Bonaparte returned to France from Egypt on 23 August 1799, his campaign against Britain at the Battle of the Nile having failed. On November 9, 1799, Napoleon overthrew the French government in a bloodless coup d'etat, replacing it with the Consulate, and declared himself First Consul Ithus transforming the new republic into a de facto dictatorship. He further reorganized the French military forces, establishing a large reserve army positioned to support campaigns in the Rhineland or Italy. Meanwhile, Russia was knocked out of the war during the Second Battle of Zurich, and Austria was defeated in 1800 from the Battles of Marengo and Hohenlinden and the Treaty of Luneville. With that, the British were compelled to sign the Treaty of Amiens with France, establishing a tenuous peace between the two. The consolidation of power only continued on December 2, 1804, after a failed assassination plot caused him to crown himself Emperor. The War of the Second Coalition saw a French victory in Europe but an overall loss in North America. After that, there would be no interference in the Western Hemisphere.
The War of the Third Coalition began in 1803. Britain had already warring with France following the breakdown of the Peace of Amiens. The Third Coalition itself came to full fruition in 1804–05 as Napoleon crowning himself with the Iron Crown of Lombardy and the arrest and execution of the Duc d'Enghien caused Austria and Russia to join Britain against France. The war would be determined on the continent, and the swift French victory would be owed to the Ulm Campaign which lasted from late August to mid-October 1805. It culminated in the decisive French victory over a combined numerically superior Russo-Austrian force under Tsar Alexander I at the Battle of Austerlitz on December 2, 1805. Austerlitz effectively brought the Third Coalition to an end, although later there was a small side campaign against Naples, which also resulted in a decisive French victory at the Battle of Campo Tenese.
On December 26, 1805, Austria and France signed the Treaty of Pressburg, which took Austria out of both the war and the Coalition, while reinforcing the earlier treaties of Campo Formio and Lunéville. It confirmed the cession of Austrian lands in Italy and Bavaria to France, imposed an indemnity of 40 million francs on the defeated Hapsburgs, and allowed defeated Russian troops free passage, with their arms and equipment, through hostile territories and back to their home soil. Victory at Austerlitz also permitted the creation of the Confederation of the Rhine, a collection of German states intended as a buffer zone between France and central Europe. As a direct consequence of these events, the Holy Roman Empire ceased to exist in 1806. At that point, Holy Roman Emperor Francis II abdicated the Imperial throne, and emerged as Francis I, Emperor of Austria. Only Britain remained in the war after Pressburg. Throughout 1805, Napoleon planned to invade Britain, but the renewal of the British alliance between itself, Russia, and Austria forced his attention towards the continent. Any hopes for an invasion of Britain came to an end after a decisive French defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805.
In 1806, a Fourth Coalition was set up between Prussia and Russia on October 9, 1806, with contributions from Saxony, Sweden and Britain, because of Prussian worries about growing French influence in Central Europe, particularly the establishment of the French-sponsored Confederation of the Rhine. Prussia and Russia mobilized for a fresh campaign with Prussian massing troops in Saxony. Thus, the War of the Fourth Coalition was launched. On October 14, Napoleon decisively defeated the Prussians at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, marched through Germany and captured Berlin before defeating the Russians at Friedland on June 14, 1807. Three days later, Russia asked for a truce.
The Treaties of Tilsit divided Europe between France and Russia and created the Duchy of Warsaw. This was important for Poland because this was the first taste of Polish independence since the partitions of Poland by Russia, Austria, and Prussia between 1772 and 1795. This led to an increase in Polish nationalism that would persist throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Russia also joined the Continental System, created against Britain in 1806. Prussia, whoever, was forced to cede much of the Prussian territory along the lower Rhine River west of the Elbe River and in the former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Respectively, these acquisitions were incorporated into the new Kingdom of Westphalia and the Duchy of Warsaw. At the end of the war Napoleon controlled much of western and central continental Europe, excepting Spain, Portugal, Austria and other small states.
Despite the end of the Fourth Coalition, Britain remained at war with France. Hostilities on land resumed later in 1807, when a Franco-Spanish force invaded Britain's ally Portugal. In 1807, Napoleon created a highly mobile, well-armed artillery force. It gave artillery usage increased tactical importance. Napoleon, rather than relying on infantry, could now use massed artillery to pound a break in the enemy's line. Once that was achieved he sent in infantry and cavalry. A further Fifth Coalition would be assembled between Austria, Britain, Portugal, and Spain, when Austria re-joined the conflict in 1809, opposing France and Bavaria. Prussia and Russia did not participate. The War of the Fifth Coalition unfolded over much of Central Europe from April to July, causing very high casualty rates on both sides. Britain launched the Walcheren Campaign in order to relieve the Austrians despite not having significant impact on the outcome of the conflict.
After much campaigning in Bavaria and across the Danube River valley, combined with the bloody struggle at Wagram in early July, he war ended favorably for the French and resulted in the Treaty of Schönbrunn. While most of the hereditary lands remained part of Hapsburg territories, France received Carinthia, Carniola, and the Adriatic ports from Austria, while Galicia was given to the Poles and the Salzburg area of the Tyrol went to Bavaria. Austria lost over three million subjects, about 20% its total population, as a result of these territorial changes. The War of the Fifth Coalition was the last major conflict on the European continent until the French invasion of Russia in 1812, while Britain, Spain and Portugal remained at war with France in the ongoing Peninsular War.
The European political landscape in the first decade of the nineteenth century was dominated by the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleonic Wars, a series of conflicts declared against Napoleon's French Empire and changing sets of European allies by opposing coalitions that ran from 1799 to 1815. This was responsible for revolutionizing European armies on an unprecedented scale thanks to the application of mass conscription. French power rose quickly, conquering most of Europe by the end of the decade.
Bonaparte returned to France from Egypt on 23 August 1799, his campaign against Britain at the Battle of the Nile having failed. On November 9, 1799, Napoleon overthrew the French government in a bloodless coup d'etat, replacing it with the Consulate, and declared himself First Consul Ithus transforming the new republic into a de facto dictatorship. He further reorganized the French military forces, establishing a large reserve army positioned to support campaigns in the Rhineland or Italy. Meanwhile, Russia was knocked out of the war during the Second Battle of Zurich, and Austria was defeated in 1800 from the Battles of Marengo and Hohenlinden and the Treaty of Luneville. With that, the British were compelled to sign the Treaty of Amiens with France, establishing a tenuous peace between the two. The consolidation of power only continued on December 2, 1804, after a failed assassination plot caused him to crown himself Emperor. The War of the Second Coalition saw a French victory in Europe but an overall loss in North America. After that, there would be no interference in the Western Hemisphere.
The War of the Third Coalition began in 1803. Britain had already warring with France following the breakdown of the Peace of Amiens. The Third Coalition itself came to full fruition in 1804–05 as Napoleon crowning himself with the Iron Crown of Lombardy and the arrest and execution of the Duc d'Enghien caused Austria and Russia to join Britain against France. The war would be determined on the continent, and the swift French victory would be owed to the Ulm Campaign which lasted from late August to mid-October 1805. It culminated in the decisive French victory over a combined numerically superior Russo-Austrian force under Tsar Alexander I at the Battle of Austerlitz on December 2, 1805. Austerlitz effectively brought the Third Coalition to an end, although later there was a small side campaign against Naples, which also resulted in a decisive French victory at the Battle of Campo Tenese.
On December 26, 1805, Austria and France signed the Treaty of Pressburg, which took Austria out of both the war and the Coalition, while reinforcing the earlier treaties of Campo Formio and Lunéville. It confirmed the cession of Austrian lands in Italy and Bavaria to France, imposed an indemnity of 40 million francs on the defeated Hapsburgs, and allowed defeated Russian troops free passage, with their arms and equipment, through hostile territories and back to their home soil. Victory at Austerlitz also permitted the creation of the Confederation of the Rhine, a collection of German states intended as a buffer zone between France and central Europe. As a direct consequence of these events, the Holy Roman Empire ceased to exist in 1806. At that point, Holy Roman Emperor Francis II abdicated the Imperial throne, and emerged as Francis I, Emperor of Austria. Only Britain remained in the war after Pressburg. Throughout 1805, Napoleon planned to invade Britain, but the renewal of the British alliance between itself, Russia, and Austria forced his attention towards the continent. Any hopes for an invasion of Britain came to an end after a decisive French defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805.
In 1806, a Fourth Coalition was set up between Prussia and Russia on October 9, 1806, with contributions from Saxony, Sweden and Britain, because of Prussian worries about growing French influence in Central Europe, particularly the establishment of the French-sponsored Confederation of the Rhine. Prussia and Russia mobilized for a fresh campaign with Prussian massing troops in Saxony. Thus, the War of the Fourth Coalition was launched. On October 14, Napoleon decisively defeated the Prussians at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, marched through Germany and captured Berlin before defeating the Russians at Friedland on June 14, 1807. Three days later, Russia asked for a truce.
The Treaties of Tilsit divided Europe between France and Russia and created the Duchy of Warsaw. This was important for Poland because this was the first taste of Polish independence since the partitions of Poland by Russia, Austria, and Prussia between 1772 and 1795. This led to an increase in Polish nationalism that would persist throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Russia also joined the Continental System, created against Britain in 1806. Prussia, whoever, was forced to cede much of the Prussian territory along the lower Rhine River west of the Elbe River and in the former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Respectively, these acquisitions were incorporated into the new Kingdom of Westphalia and the Duchy of Warsaw. At the end of the war Napoleon controlled much of western and central continental Europe, excepting Spain, Portugal, Austria and other small states.
Despite the end of the Fourth Coalition, Britain remained at war with France. Hostilities on land resumed later in 1807, when a Franco-Spanish force invaded Britain's ally Portugal. In 1807, Napoleon created a highly mobile, well-armed artillery force. It gave artillery usage increased tactical importance. Napoleon, rather than relying on infantry, could now use massed artillery to pound a break in the enemy's line. Once that was achieved he sent in infantry and cavalry. A further Fifth Coalition would be assembled between Austria, Britain, Portugal, and Spain, when Austria re-joined the conflict in 1809, opposing France and Bavaria. Prussia and Russia did not participate. The War of the Fifth Coalition unfolded over much of Central Europe from April to July, causing very high casualty rates on both sides. Britain launched the Walcheren Campaign in order to relieve the Austrians despite not having significant impact on the outcome of the conflict.
After much campaigning in Bavaria and across the Danube River valley, combined with the bloody struggle at Wagram in early July, he war ended favorably for the French and resulted in the Treaty of Schönbrunn. While most of the hereditary lands remained part of Hapsburg territories, France received Carinthia, Carniola, and the Adriatic ports from Austria, while Galicia was given to the Poles and the Salzburg area of the Tyrol went to Bavaria. Austria lost over three million subjects, about 20% its total population, as a result of these territorial changes. The War of the Fifth Coalition was the last major conflict on the European continent until the French invasion of Russia in 1812, while Britain, Spain and Portugal remained at war with France in the ongoing Peninsular War.
This is not a proper update. I'm just here to know that I've started yet another timeline on here called New Haven (Connecticut Capital). Feel free to check it out when you can.
Chapter Eighteen: The Jeffersonian Age of Southern Exploration
Chapter Eighteen: The Jeffersonian Age of Southern Exploration
The Southern American Confederation was not the nation at the beginning of his presidency as it was at the end. The thrill of Kentucky and Virginia reuniting with the rest of the Southern states soon wore off, especially after officially dividing them in two. Both sides of the borders found themselves struggling with their new arrangements. There were some, such as James Madison, who were happy with it. In his case, while he ideally wanted Virginia to be one state, he recognized that the differences between him and his southern peers would be too insurmountable to overcome. Many in the southern half of Virginia never saw themselves as part of the United States in the first place. Others, though, wanted their Virginia brethren to be united all under one state. Being Virginian was often seen as being more important than being American at the time. And splitting the state in two was like stripping away that identity. All of the above could be said for Kentuckians too. People in both states initially protested this decision in 1802 but presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams jointly ordered troops to put the rebellion down quickly.
On February 22, 1802, Thomas Jefferson arrived at his inauguration as President of the Southern American Confederation. He knew very well that one of his major tasks was to heal and rebuild a war-torn nation, particularly in the upper half of the country. When the states' electoral votes were cast in December 1801, he tied with Democrat running mate John Breckinridge, sending the election to the Senate. The Twelfth Amendment to the SAC Constitution, ratified in 1804, changed the process for electing the president and vice president by directing the states to vote separately for each. The House convened in Charleston in January 1802, but after several days of balloting, there was still no decision until the 6th ballot.
The contested campaign and the drawn-out election process, plus predictions of possible resistance to the new administration inspired Jefferson to use his inaugural address to unify the nation. He thought that words would reach a larger audience than merely the crowd that would assemble for the inauguration to be held in the city of Charleston. That morning, in fact, he gave an advance copy of his address to a printer so it could be distributed later in the day. On the morning of Monday, February 22, Jefferson emerged from his residence on Carolina Street, where he had been residing for several months. Demonstrating his desire for "republican simplicity," The tall, 58-year-old Virginian wore clothes "of a plain citizen without any distinctive badge of office," and walked a short distance to the rebuilt Capitol building, accompanied by Virginia militia officers and a group of congressmen.
Jefferson arrived to find the Senate Chamber extremely crowded. Jefferson was sworn in by Chief Justice Bushrod Washington, his distant cousin and a staunch political foe. The crowd then fell silent as Jefferson began his address. He affirmed that America's future depended upon "the preservation of the General Government in its whole constitutional vigor, as the sheet anchor of our peace at home, and safety abroad." He called on the nation to "unite with one heart and one mind." Most importantly, he said, "[E]very difference of opinion is not a difference of principle," and that everyone in their hearts and minds living under the borders of the nation is a Confederate, regardless if they’re a new state or one of the originals, nationalist or Democrat.
Towards the beginning of his presidency, the SAC was granted Lower Louisiana from the French. In addition to this was two out of three zones of New Orleans, with the third remaining with the French. This was a huge deal as southerners were itching for more land to expand their borders (and bring slaves with them). The president wanted to oversee an expedition into the Rocky Mountains and his top choice to lead it was Meriwether Lewis, his former secretary, military captain, and a fellow native of Albemarle County, Virginia. He chose William Clark, also of Virginia, to assist him in leading this expedition, commonly known today as the "Corps of Discovery." On February 28, 1803, the Southern Congress appropriated funds for the Expedition. In order to gain scientific knowledge needed for the journey, Lewis traveled to Charleston in spring 1803 to study with the nation’s leading scientists. He also visited During this time, he also twice visited the arsenal at Richmond to obtain rifles and other supplies. Lewis also purchased gifts for Native Americans in order to gain their friendship and allegiance if necessary.
After Lewis returned to Charleston in the summer of 1803, the treaty confirming Confederacy’s annexation of Louisiana was announced as final. The journey’s stakes increased significantly, as that land now belonged to the Southern American confederation. With Jefferson's letter of instructions in hand, Lewis set out to the Tennessee River, meeting William Clark at Clarksville, Tennessee. They packed the keelboat, which Lewis had designed, and two pirogues (canoe-like boats) with supplies and headed downriver, accompanied by recruited soldiers, Clark's black slave York, and Lewis's Newfoundland dog Seaman. Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1803-04 at Dennis Landing, just on the east bank of the Mississippi River, just a matter of miles upstream from the Mouth of the Arkansas River. On May 14, 1804, the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 40 men began its trip up the Arkansas River.
One cannot underestimate the territorial changes that came at this time. The land between Tennessee and Mississippi Territory previously ceded from Georgia was contested for years. On March 27, 1804, the resolution to this matter came about when this land became designated as the Yazoo Territory. Later that year, Orleans Territory was organized from the Lower Louisiana Acquisition south of 33° north, with the remainder being designated as Louisiana Territory. Yazoo and Orleans territories in particular became popular settlement destinations among the country’s white population. The increasingly westbound and interior country, plus the large populations of Cumberland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia led to a vote before the end of Jefferson’s presidency to decide where the capital should be located.
A/N: Hooray, an update. Between summer classes (with a mid-term coming up) and writer's block, which can be partly attributable to other ongoing interests, I haven't posted anything in nearly two weeks. Forgive me with the rather infreqent updates. Hopefully this is temporary.
The Southern American Confederation was not the nation at the beginning of his presidency as it was at the end. The thrill of Kentucky and Virginia reuniting with the rest of the Southern states soon wore off, especially after officially dividing them in two. Both sides of the borders found themselves struggling with their new arrangements. There were some, such as James Madison, who were happy with it. In his case, while he ideally wanted Virginia to be one state, he recognized that the differences between him and his southern peers would be too insurmountable to overcome. Many in the southern half of Virginia never saw themselves as part of the United States in the first place. Others, though, wanted their Virginia brethren to be united all under one state. Being Virginian was often seen as being more important than being American at the time. And splitting the state in two was like stripping away that identity. All of the above could be said for Kentuckians too. People in both states initially protested this decision in 1802 but presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams jointly ordered troops to put the rebellion down quickly.
On February 22, 1802, Thomas Jefferson arrived at his inauguration as President of the Southern American Confederation. He knew very well that one of his major tasks was to heal and rebuild a war-torn nation, particularly in the upper half of the country. When the states' electoral votes were cast in December 1801, he tied with Democrat running mate John Breckinridge, sending the election to the Senate. The Twelfth Amendment to the SAC Constitution, ratified in 1804, changed the process for electing the president and vice president by directing the states to vote separately for each. The House convened in Charleston in January 1802, but after several days of balloting, there was still no decision until the 6th ballot.
The contested campaign and the drawn-out election process, plus predictions of possible resistance to the new administration inspired Jefferson to use his inaugural address to unify the nation. He thought that words would reach a larger audience than merely the crowd that would assemble for the inauguration to be held in the city of Charleston. That morning, in fact, he gave an advance copy of his address to a printer so it could be distributed later in the day. On the morning of Monday, February 22, Jefferson emerged from his residence on Carolina Street, where he had been residing for several months. Demonstrating his desire for "republican simplicity," The tall, 58-year-old Virginian wore clothes "of a plain citizen without any distinctive badge of office," and walked a short distance to the rebuilt Capitol building, accompanied by Virginia militia officers and a group of congressmen.
Jefferson arrived to find the Senate Chamber extremely crowded. Jefferson was sworn in by Chief Justice Bushrod Washington, his distant cousin and a staunch political foe. The crowd then fell silent as Jefferson began his address. He affirmed that America's future depended upon "the preservation of the General Government in its whole constitutional vigor, as the sheet anchor of our peace at home, and safety abroad." He called on the nation to "unite with one heart and one mind." Most importantly, he said, "[E]very difference of opinion is not a difference of principle," and that everyone in their hearts and minds living under the borders of the nation is a Confederate, regardless if they’re a new state or one of the originals, nationalist or Democrat.
Towards the beginning of his presidency, the SAC was granted Lower Louisiana from the French. In addition to this was two out of three zones of New Orleans, with the third remaining with the French. This was a huge deal as southerners were itching for more land to expand their borders (and bring slaves with them). The president wanted to oversee an expedition into the Rocky Mountains and his top choice to lead it was Meriwether Lewis, his former secretary, military captain, and a fellow native of Albemarle County, Virginia. He chose William Clark, also of Virginia, to assist him in leading this expedition, commonly known today as the "Corps of Discovery." On February 28, 1803, the Southern Congress appropriated funds for the Expedition. In order to gain scientific knowledge needed for the journey, Lewis traveled to Charleston in spring 1803 to study with the nation’s leading scientists. He also visited During this time, he also twice visited the arsenal at Richmond to obtain rifles and other supplies. Lewis also purchased gifts for Native Americans in order to gain their friendship and allegiance if necessary.
After Lewis returned to Charleston in the summer of 1803, the treaty confirming Confederacy’s annexation of Louisiana was announced as final. The journey’s stakes increased significantly, as that land now belonged to the Southern American confederation. With Jefferson's letter of instructions in hand, Lewis set out to the Tennessee River, meeting William Clark at Clarksville, Tennessee. They packed the keelboat, which Lewis had designed, and two pirogues (canoe-like boats) with supplies and headed downriver, accompanied by recruited soldiers, Clark's black slave York, and Lewis's Newfoundland dog Seaman. Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1803-04 at Dennis Landing, just on the east bank of the Mississippi River, just a matter of miles upstream from the Mouth of the Arkansas River. On May 14, 1804, the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 40 men began its trip up the Arkansas River.
One cannot underestimate the territorial changes that came at this time. The land between Tennessee and Mississippi Territory previously ceded from Georgia was contested for years. On March 27, 1804, the resolution to this matter came about when this land became designated as the Yazoo Territory. Later that year, Orleans Territory was organized from the Lower Louisiana Acquisition south of 33° north, with the remainder being designated as Louisiana Territory. Yazoo and Orleans territories in particular became popular settlement destinations among the country’s white population. The increasingly westbound and interior country, plus the large populations of Cumberland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia led to a vote before the end of Jefferson’s presidency to decide where the capital should be located.
A/N: Hooray, an update. Between summer classes (with a mid-term coming up) and writer's block, which can be partly attributable to other ongoing interests, I haven't posted anything in nearly two weeks. Forgive me with the rather infreqent updates. Hopefully this is temporary.
For those wondering how the OTL Lewis and Clark Exploration of the northwest is going to be affected, it's probably not going to happen for years or even decades. Much of the expansionist interest IOTL was from the South, so the north would more likely to be content with their current landholdings and not ambitiously explore beyond their western border. Yeah, there's Upper Louisiana but the government would probably rather use it for its natural resources rather than American Settlement for the time being.
Probably not, since settlement would be underway by the 1860s at latest.
Furthermore, I apologize for the lack of cabinet mentioned under Jefferson’s presidency. Much of his cabinet IRL was from the north and as a result I’m finding it difficult to find southern (Democrat-Republican) politicians who could fit in with his cabinet. Any and all suggestions are welcome.
Secretary of State: Nathaniel Macon
Secretary of the Treasury: John Brown (Senator, not abolitionist)
Secretary of War: Thomas Sumter
Attorney General: Wilson C. Nicholas
Secretary of the Navy: Matthew Lyon (Assuming that he moved from Vermont to Kentucky as IOTL)
I wonder what will happen to the more famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) John Brown? As the north and south are opposed to one another, I predict a couple more wars down the line. Maybe Brown goes down south to start a rebellion during one of the future conflicts?
Thanks, I'm looking into those choices right now. Although you have to consider that Kentucky is split in two ITTL with the Southern half being renamed Cumberland.
It's too far down the line to see what John Brown will do but I think his role will surprise all of us. But I'm not going to have the North and South go to war with each other every generation, especially this early on when both countries are still in their youth. The only reason there was even a war last time was because of Kentucky and Virginia seceding and the Quasi-War turning hot thanks to the Union's stronger allegiance to Great Britain with the SAC serving a similar role with France. If Britain and France didn't go to war with each other, at most you're talking a quick war due to secession. The USA's stance to the SAC is this, "We've taken a hardline stance with the representation of slaves and the slave trade. You don't like it, you southern states can just leave and get out of our sight. Unless your name is Virginia or Maryland." Except for a few hardliners on both sides of the border, no one really wants to engage in a cycle of revenge for the sake of it, as it'll just make things worse for everyone. There's not going to be any real appetite for war again until the 1820s at earliest, more realistically the 1830s or 1840s. The motto here is, "If you leave us alone, we'll leave you alone." I think that sums it up quite nicely.
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By the end of the weekend I will probably post an updated map of North America at this time (1807/1808) and another poll might be coming. So stay tuned.