WI: One of the Proposed Constitutional Amendments of 1893..........

.............specifically that one which would rename the United States of America to the United States of Earth, was passed and ratified?

This is a relatively silly what-if, but I thought it might provoke some interesting discussion. :p
 
If we take this amendment somehow passing as indicative of a sort of uber-Manifest Destiny "unite the entire world under American democracy" popular and political opinion, perhaps there is more pressure that the "constitution follow the flag" and earlier statehood efforts in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippines?
 
.............specifically that one which would rename the United States of America to the United States of Earth, was passed and ratified?

This is a relatively silly what-if, but I thought it might provoke some interesting discussion. :p

Who proposed this amendment? :eek:
What were the other (I presume there were others given the thread's title) brilliant ideas for constitutional change?
 
.............specifically that one which would rename the United States of America to the United States of Earth, was passed and ratified?

This is a relatively silly what-if, but I thought it might provoke some interesting discussion. :p

Hehe, sounds like something that could've come right from the pages of Eurofed's old Ameriwank TL.....that was a fun read, even if it was a tad implausible in places. :D
 

Thande

Donor
I would think the Nations of the World. Would. Be. Pissed.

Actually this kind of thing did happen quite a bit back in the day (albeit not to the same extent), and the general international reaction was more along the lines of ":rolleyes: :D" than ":mad: :eek:" if you follow me. Basically people in the UK and Europe largely had this view of American exceptionalism that saw it as a kind of amusing eccentricity, softened by the fact that a lot of people did subscribe to the idea of the American dream for poor immigrants moving there. It was only when war scares were threatened that people started seeing the USA's inflated national ego as potentially 'scary dogmatic' rather than 'silly, but it's just their way, and it looks like they have a big future ahead of them so let them have their hyperbole'.
 
Who proposed this amendment? :eek:
What were the other (I presume there were others given the thread's title) brilliant ideas for constitutional change?

In 1876, there was an attempt to abolish the United States Senate.

In 1878, there was a proposition to replace the position of President with a Three-Person Executive Council.

In 1893, there was a proposal that would have abolished the Armed Forces of the United States.

Likely have heard of this one, but in 1916, and later 1936, there was a proposal to require a nationwide vote on whether to go to war, taking that power out of the hands of both Congress and the President (though mostly the former).

In 1933, someone suggested an amendment that would limit the personal wealth of any individual to a ceiling of $1 million dollars. I don't see any mention of enforcement, or inflation.

In 1938, someone tried to forbid Drunkenness.

Also, Abraham Lincoln gave his personnel signature to the following proposed amendment, in March of 1861:
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following article be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which, when ratified by three-fourths of said Legislatures, shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution, viz:


“ARTICLE THIRTEEN
“No amendment shall be made to the Constitution which will authorize or give to Congress the power to abolish or interfere, within any State, with the domestic institutions thereof, including that of persons held to labor or service by the laws of said State.”
Suffice to say that might create some butterflies, though I don't believe you technically can keep an amendment of any kind out of the Constitution.
 
Also, Abraham Lincoln gave his personnel signature to the following proposed amendment, in March of 1861:
Suffice to say that might create some butterflies, though I don't believe you technically can keep an amendment of any kind out of the Constitution.
Are you sure? Looking at the dates of the President's signature, I would think that was Buchanan who signed it.

In 1893, there was a proposal that would have abolished the Armed Forces of the United States.

Now that would've set the butterflies flapping!
 
This might actually be a legitimate sign-off for news broadcasts...

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