WI: Washington Dies in 1788

Wolfpaw

Banned
Let's say that Washington suffers a fatal fall from a horse in the spring of 1788.

Who is the first POTUS? What are some of the presumably pterodactyl-sized butterflies that come out of this?
 
Let's say that Washington suffers a fatal fall from a horse in the spring of 1788.

Who is the first POTUS? What are some of the presumably pterodactyl-sized butterflies that come out of this?


Adams is most likely the First President, or even Jefferson,


im not sure of the butterflies through :rolleyes:
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
Franklin was way too old by that point. He didn't even make it on the ballot IOTL.

My guess would be John Adams as the first POTUS and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney as the first VPOTUS.
 
How does Adams deal with the Whiskey Rebellion?

EDIT: Or Jefferson, as those, IMO, are the two most likely choices.
 
Washington was seen as the natural choice for the first President, due to his role throughout the Revolution, and more importantly his non-partisanship. Either Adams or Jefferson taking the role without the other as VP (or, more likely, SecState or some other high-power position) would lead to huge split between their factions.
 
Washington was seen as the natural choice for the first President, due to his role throughout the Revolution, and more importantly his non-partisanship. Either Adams or Jefferson taking the role without the other as VP (or, more likely, SecState or some other high-power position) would lead to huge split between their factions.
The split would have already been forming anyway. Especially given their views on government.
 
If you want to go for absolutely the most like OTL outcome possible, Henry Knox, Washington's friend and second-in-command, is elected to be the first president. The only difference is that Knox might serve a third term, or even a fourth if he's up for it (the old general died in 1806 in OTL), creating a much longer precedent. The capital might get named Washington anyway (in honor of the man still regarded as the Father of the US), but if you want to go for even more divergence the capital could be Knox, DC.
After M. Knox's third term ends, the 1800 election will be up in the air. Probably a Federalist would win (John Adams?) because the Democratic-Republicans will not have quite as powerful a base (being in the opposition during the Quasi War and Alien and Sedition crises really helped their cause, which won't happen to the same extent ITTL), but I think in 1804 it would swing to the D-R under Jefferson or possibly Madison / Burr. The navy would probably be larger ITTL, creating an interesting situation in the Barbary wars and beyond. I might have to revisit this idea, actually. It is intriguing.
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
I don't know how long Knox would stay on. IOTL he retired in 1795, so I could see him creating a two-term precedent of his own, stepping down in '97 like GW did.

I could see Adams being POTUS from 1797-1801 as per OTL, with the A&S Acts sinking him.

The question now is who gets their hands on the WH in 1801? One of Hamilton's boys, or Burr or Madison?

My money's on Burr...
 
The split would have already been forming anyway. Especially given their views on government.

This is true, but Washington was a father figure for the nation. Even Jefferson didn't think Washington aspired to despotism, even though he believed Hamilton did. But if you remove that glue during the time of the Alien and Sedition Acts, when French agents are sniffing around in the West? Well, things could get messy.
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
This is true, but Washington was a father figure for the nation. Even Jefferson didn't think Washington aspired to despotism, even though he believed Hamilton did. But if you remove that glue during the time of the Alien and Sedition Acts, when French agents are sniffing around in the West? Well, things could get messy.
This makes me think of two things:

1) The French support a rival nation in the LT largely led by disaffected Democratic-Republicans?

2) This is a massive change of the OP, but say Washington just declines the Presidency instead?
 
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