Of Laws, Not Men: A New England AAR

cavebear3000: Ha ha, well cheers.

BigBadBob: High praise indeed, thank you very much. Webster is a bit 'difficult' shall we say, but we'll get on to that.

Nathan Madien: Cheers. I basically just used the in-game adult male population and guesstimated a turnout.

John Forseti: Indeed. Its a creeping concern. In 1811, the secessionists were so happy to have NY on board, they ignored the problems it could bring to the electoral college. Then you had two decades of all but unopposed Federalists rule, so again it didn't matter as they always swept the board. Circa 1840 however, its being talked about more frequently but since its very much a swing state, whoever is in power is happy to maintain the huge plurality. However an increasing immigrant population and Tammany Hall might derail any hope of balance. It will be a future issue, of that I can assure you.

alhoward: Now there's a plan

Sandino: Indeed, quite lucky. And a bigger foe? There's a few issues boiling away that might bring one.

Estonianzulu: Interesting theories. I will say, its no one thing alone, and 'controversial' doesn't automatically mean bad.

Kroisistan: Yes it was about as nice as a punitive expedition could go. Sadly I do think the Commonwealth's 2-0 war record will make it a bit cocky.

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Update sometime tomorrow

PrawnStar: Cheers. Not at present no, the Brits despite warm relations seem happy to maintain about 60,000 troops near my border. Just chums looking out for each isn't it!

alhoward: Interesting results. Naturally loan defaults are my biggest weapon.

RossN: Thank you very much, hope you stick around. The elections will get quite heated as we go on, and New York is a time bomb, but now for something... slightly different.

The surge of patriotism following the Mexican Expedition’s success saw President Webster at the height of his popularity in 1841. Somewhat perturbed by the need for private shipping during the war, and taking more notice of the lucky circumstances surrounding Wade’s march into the interior than a jingoistic public, Webster pushed bills enlarging the navy and investing in modern weaponry for the army through a Republican Congress to virtually unanimous support. The economy was bullish and despite calls from Federalist diehards, he avoided the issue of tariffs (an issue he had always been noncommittal towards during his Senate years), predicting his opponents would prove far less pliable on such a tender topic, particularly at a time of industrial growth. Quiet progress marked the next few years. In late 1841 The state of Rhode Island became the first in the Commonwealth to provide widespread infant schooling, beginning the Nursery Movement which would spread nationally over the coming decades. The period also saw a cultural boom, with the philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson and author Edgar Poe[1] becoming the leading lights of the New England Romantics. The 1842 Congressional elections saw the Federalists regain a majority in both houses. However the press was much more interested in the summer long manhunt through the Vermont hills for escaped convict Benedict Hopkins, eventually killed by militia at the ‘Battle of Round Mountain‘. Meanwhile in the world of astronomy, the Dutchman Fredrik Kaiser discovered the solar system’s eighth planet in November 1843 and christened it Erebos[2].

By 1844, people were beginning to tire of the Webster presidency. Though a period of prosperity, many deemed the President inactive and detached. This was not strictly true, as Webster, formerly the Secretary of State under Hunter, spent considerable effort on foreign diplomacy, encouraging economic ties with British North America, Europe and the United States. Due to latter events, it is often forgotten that Webster, a reluctant secessionist in 1810, was the first president to engage in a concerted effort of reconciliation between the republics. In 1842, Webster had met with President Calhoun and signed the Treaty of Newark, dealing with fishing rights, anti-slave trade cooperation, and crucially, the New York-Pennsylvania border. Although now largely forgotten, the Treaty was celebrated by many at the time as the first towards healing the wounds of secession. Domestically however, the criticisms did hold some merit. Notably the growing issue of universal manhood suffrage received Webster’s complete disdain, combining his distrust of populism with a strong belief in states rights.

By the 1840s, the majority of the Commonwealth either offered the vote to all men or had relatively limited restrictions[3]. The exception to this however was Rhode Island. Due to a landed franchise intended for the yeomen farmers of the colonial period, by 1840, the state charter denied the vote to 60% of the male population. Reformists, led by Thomas Dorr, petitioned the President in 1842 to intervene but he refused, declaring them “militant rabble rousers”. From here the reform movement enacted a ’shadow legislature’ elected by ineligible voters, denying the state government‘s legitimacy. By late 1843, tempers had risen on both sides and hearing of rumours of government crack down, Dorr and sympathetic members of the state militia (primarily Irish immigrants) attacked the Providence arsenal[4]. The Dorr Rebellion was defeated after several hours of battle, but soon attracted sympathy across the country. Several Federalist and Republican Congressmen suggested an investigation into the uprising and an Amendment to grant male suffrage across the Commonwealth. President Webster would hear none of it, and supported Rhode Island’s punishment of the insurrectionists, as well castigating his sympathetic Party colleagues in private.

Just as tensions over the Dorr Rebellion subsumed, in May 1844, recession struck New England. Fuelled by a bad U.S. cotton harvest, the booming textile industry was sent into a nosedive, with dozens of mills and hundreds of related businesses collapsing in the following months. The Republicans were quick to attack the Federalist focus on, and supposed subservience to, industrialists over agriculture and artisans, claiming one bad harvest had ruined the entire economy. It was not the only cause however. Other exports such as steel and coal were facing increasingly stiff competition unlike ever before. Although British exports had always fought for markets, increasingly French, Prussian and U.S. goods were joining in, forcing prices down. Meanwhile exports of wheat, never a massive slice of the New England economy, had also fallen due to increasing domestic production in many former markets. Intent on reigning in spending and protecting Commonwealth industry, Webster announced new tariffs and budget cuts, including the cancellation of five paddle-frigates, ordered at the start of his term.


Both acts met with anger, the former with Republicans, the latter with pretty much everyone. Despite attempts to explain the financial logic, Webster and his allies in Congress were met with nationalist passion. One of the ships, preemptively dubbed Commonwealth, became the focus of the populist press with knowingly titled headlines like “Save the Commonwealth” attacking the President for his betrayal of the patriotic rhetoric he had used to be elected. Although primarily partisan slander, such accusations gained unexpected support in September. That month, news of conditions at the Binghamton army barracks reached the New York papers before spreading nationally. Tales of inadequate winter fuel, month long pay delays, brutal discipline and absent officers angered thousands of readers and unveiled the terrible conditions at many provincial garrisons across the country. Webster claimed ignorance, probably truthfully, but under pressure from Congress was soon forced to direct funds to the army. In return the President and Vice-President Tallmadge finally corralled rebel Federalists into accepting the ship cancellation.

As Webster attempted to maintain order, across the border the United States presidential elections were underway. In Washington, more so than Boston, one party rule was still in full effect. While the U.S. Congress swung occasionally to the opposition Whigs, they had never entered the White House. 1844 seemed their year. John Calhoun’s single term had been one of economic problems and regional division, and the Democrats had failed to re-nominate him, instead choosing Lewis Cass. The Whigs meanwhile had trumped for Winfield Scott, a hero of the Secession and Texan War. The election was a close one, with Scott’s background seeing him win a slew of southern states. However it ultimately came down to West Florida’s five electoral votes, which went easily to Cass. A populist and expansionist, Cass promised to fix the economy and battle hard to resolve the Oregon boundary dispute in the United States’ favour. A slave owner himself, one of Cass’ first action was to have a Fugitive Slave Act pushed through Congress, in order to meet southern concerns about the so-called ‘underground railway’ funneling blacks north. Although the Act was met with disapproval in abolitionist circles, its most powerful impact would be felt at the New England border, with the case of the slave called David.


[1] The ’Allen’ came from family friends he lived with in Richmond as a boy. The Secession puts a stop to this and he grows up in Boston. His work ITTL is linked closely to New England folklore, becoming part of the national identity. He dies in 1871 a respected writer.
[2] Erebos is the primordial Greek god of darkness and shadows. The name was also used for their equivalent of purgatory.
[3] Jacksonian Democracy was both mocked and feared during the Federalist Ascendancy, so voting reform is somewhat retarded in New England compared to OTL.
[4] Dates changes to fit a real in-game revolt. Bar that, this is all true.

Tommy4ever: Why thank you, I hope I can provide and entertaining read.

Omen: Cheers, I agree, a bit of seasoning can add to the flavour.

RossN: It is but its only 1845, there's plenty of time to up the anty. I should point out the Commonwealth Navy does have a moderately respectable force of frigates and a few men-o-war at this point, and Albany wasn't the only CR to survive the cuts. But the media will always focus on the bad wont they. I don't have numbers for mid 1840s (I'm into the 1880s in-game) but my notes say the grand total is hovering around 6 million by 1850, which is a jump of 1.5 million since 1836. Immigration is a respectable trickle, in 1850 the Irish make up about 5% of the population and another 5% are 'other' consisting of Germans, Ashkenazi Jews, Belorussians, Ukrainians, British and French in roughly that order plus few little groups from elsewhere.

Estonianzulu: Well we'll go into the details next but safe to say the events of 1845 are not isolated and sudden. TBF to Webster technically he only said, 'I'll kick Santa Anna's arse'. Ever the elitist he probably looked at any greater public jingoism with an eye roll and let it ride.

Sandino: Up to 1844 it was going alright. It seems a six year term is too long for a President to survive unscathed. Worse? It'll get messier that's for sure.

Kroisistan: Oh yes they're a clear majority at this point. However the Secession has made plenty of Union politicians wary of alienating certain segments of the country, and with U.S. industry focused in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Ohio, the pro-slavery factions (both main parties are pan-regional) aren't terribly keen on throwing them away. Also the majority makes the slave states far less defensive ITTL and it is the North that is paranoid about the West becoming an all slave empire. All in all the 1820 Missouri Compromise still took place, in order to placate the North. However Lewis Cass has 'democratic' ideas about Kansas that might prove controversial.

Nathan Madien: But her award-winning pizza lives on! I can see your point but Webster also has unfortunate disinterest to telling people if he does anything. As far as he's concerned within the limits of the presidency he now has 6 years to do whatever he likes and see's no reason in being all vulgar and rabble rousing.

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Update tonight maybe, tomorrow more likely.