====== For Want of a Rail ======

A [[19th century]] [[USA|American]] [[political timelines|political timeline]] by [[offtopic:Perhapsburg]].

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====POD ====

Franklin Pierce is killed in the train crash that in OTL killed his son.

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====Presidents of the United States====

King 1853-1853

Atchison 1853-1853

Douglas 1853-1857

Seward 1857-1857

Lyon 1857-

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====Notable Butterflies====

King, Atchison and Seward aren't typos. There's just a higher presidential mortality rate

President David Rice Atchison strides into office in 1853.

Santa Ana marches over the border into New Mexico. 

Cardigan is killed in a charge that almost destroys the British army. 

John Brown attempts to assassinate Stephen Douglas, or does he?

Albert Sidney Johnston battles Nathaniel Lyon, in Kansas.

William Henry Seward is the Whig nominee in 1856, and Buchanan dies before the election. 

Seward himself is assasinated, so Nathaniel Lyon is the president who leads America to war

====Important Events====

  * Pierce dies in the train crash that in OTL killed his son
  * Vice President King is inaugurated, only to die and leave power to David Rice Atchison
  * Atchison approves a plan for two railroads in the west
  * the southern railroad gets America into a brief war with Mexico
  * the northern route stirs the fires of sectional conflict

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==== Navigation ====

**[[19th century|19th century Timelines Main Directory]]**