WI: US-Spanish War of 1819 (or thereabouts)

On May 29, a caucus of dissident Democratic-Republicans in the New York legislature nominated Dewitt Clinton, the nephew of the late Vice President, who had served as Senator and now was Mayor of New York City and Lieutenant Governor of New York. Clinton's campaign tailored their pamphlets and speeches by region. In the Northeast, Clinton was portrayed as the anti-War candidate. Meanwhile, in the South and West, where there were few people opposed to the war, Clinton ran on the basis of a more vigorous prosecution of the war.
In September, after fierce debate, a Federalist nominating caucus in New York City decided to support Clinton as their best chance to defeat the Democratic-Republicans since the "Revolution of 1800". The caucus then picked former United States Attorney Jared Ingersoll of Pennsylvania as his running mate.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1812

From Wikipedia. I guess we are both right. the above is the link for the page
 
Thanks. I saw that earlier and double checked with a hard-copy book I have (a wise thing to do when dealing with Wiki based history articles).

So if there is no War of 1812, a disappointing development for the War Hawks of the west, can Clinton win? I think so. But if the Democratic-Republicans get their act together they be able to challenge Clinton's re-election to such an extent that the Federalists become something else. This then becomes a BIG problem for the Democratic-Republicans who have their origins in the agrarian philosophy of TJ. If the new party, lets call them National-American Party after the economic systems that Hamilton and Clay developed, steals enough votes in Kentucky and Tennessee then the D-Rs would be in real trouble. Long term consequences would be even more interesting if the west becomes tied to the ideology of internal improvements and a central bank thus linking the region to the North instead of the South. I think this is a very real possibility since in OTL Kentucky and Tennessee were never as closely tied to "slave power" as was the Deep South. If the West develops a Northern economic outlook then gradual emancipation before the 1850s (when the cotton boom really made slavery profitable) is a distinct possibility.

Also, a war with Spain gives the West far more than a war with Britain would...guaranteed unhindered access to the Mississippi and more land closer to home.

Benjamin
 
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