A rowdy Klan member, pissed at Republican nominee General Grant for his support for Reconstruction, decides to shoot him. Let’s say this assassination occurs in July 1868 at a Grant 4th of July speech. What happens next? I’m sure the immediate effect would be much of the country becoming greatly upset at the Klan, and support for a radical reconstruction would grow, while Republican officials convene to select a new candidate. My guess is that Republicans would go with Colfax for President with Ben Wade for Vice President, but I’m not sure. Would a modestly more radical Republican ticket win the election by a bigger margin than Grant IOTL, or would the election be closer given no realistic candidate is going to have Grant’s personal popularity and probably would be more radical in his support for Reconstruction? I don’t think it’s very realistic for this to cause Seymour to actually win, but other than this, I’m not sure what’s actually going to happen in the long term? Would Reconstruction be more successful? If Republicans go with Colfax, he probably won’t let Congress handle Reconstruction the way Grant did, but he also was more corrupt than Grant was, given his involvement in the Credit Mobilier scandal. What do you guys think?
WI: Klan member assassinates Grant in 1868
- Thread starter KaiserWilhelm
- Start date
The KKK going to be chop chop chop after the assassination of another president that got shot by a southern sympathizer and Lincoln death wasn't lasted an decade until another Republican got shot by Southerners.
I think they would be a lot more focus on cracking down any CSA influence and with two presids got murdered meaning alot more stronger support Reconstruction
I think they would be a lot more focus on cracking down any CSA influence and with two presids got murdered meaning alot more stronger support Reconstruction