The Road to Liberty - a U.S.A. PDM AAR

Statement from the Administration: "With the end of these two terms in office nearing, one cannot help but reflect on the of achievements reached by our great nation. When I entered office, our union of states were indebted to European financiers in the mount of fifty-eight million dollars. Since that time, the entire national debt has been paid and we have now accumulated a surplus dollar amount of over one hundred thousand. My sincerest wish is for every American man to enjoy the prosperity bared witness by many. It is unfortunate that some of our countrymen endure a daily struggle to feed their families. It is not for a lack of work ethic. The blame most certainly lies with the opponents to this administration, namely those Whigs who aim to interfere with voluntary exchange across each state's borders, who passed a bill last year requiring all tariffs to be set at a fixed rate. Such economic ludicrousy required Democrats in Congress to revise the budget of this year so that American industry is not damaged from tariffs on raw materials. Secretary Woodbury is currently evaluating whether directly purchasing goods and selling them to factory owners and artisans while raising the standard tariff rate will ease the burden some of our laborers face.

An embassy was recently opened in Austin, the heart of the Republic of Texas. Two months ago I offered Sam Houston support in his men's defensive war against Mexican aggressors. Those brave Texas, having long settled lands many miles north of the Rio Grande, are fighting desperately to gain independence. Following the advice of Secretary Cass, I assembled an expeditionary force of 12,000 men, stationed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who will be sent into assist our sister state at the request of the President of the Texan republic. Our officials in the State Department negotiated a number of treaties with natives populating this continent, most recently purchasing a large amount of land in Michigan, offering to move natives inhabitants settled therein, at the cost of our National government, to fertile lands west of the Mississippi. Though some protest amongst the natives has troubled several governors in the north, these treaties have all been signed voluntarily and many of the natives are happily enjoying these newly-established reservations.

Over the course of the remainder of my term in office, we will assert further authority on this great continent. I support the United States of Central America's establishment of a democracy and I am assembling forces in Florida to be sent across the gulf so that anti-democratic rebellions may be quelled. On behalf of the United States government, I ask for volunteers to join our armed forces. Not only must we defend the rule of law at home, we must seek to defend it abroad and across our entire continent. In closing, I wish to state my intentions to retire after this term and thus I endorse my Vice President, Martin Van Buren, in his endeavor for the presidency and the continuation along this road to liberty, free trade, and prosperity."

Current Party: Democrat (Conservative) with a solid majority in the house and senate.
Estimated Population: 16.03 million, ~4 million males of working age
Average Literacy: 42.1%
Standing Army: 42,000 Soldiers
Navy: 20 Warships, 3 Transports

Current Diplomatic Missions:
Texas: Offer for War Subsidies [Accepted]
USCA: Request for Military Access [Granted]

Budget for 1836:

Domestic Plans and Policy:

• Construct twenty-one new warships and nine new transports. [Ongoing]
• Increase both standing army size and number of soldiers by at least 100%. [Ongoing]
• Ease burden on middle class artisans either by reducing taxes or subsidizing raw materials. [Incomplete]
• Continue financing colonial expeditions to Oregon. [Ongoing]

Foreign Policy:

• Increase relations with the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire. [Ongoing]
• Avoid entangling European alliances. [Ongoing]
• Assist the USCA in stabilizing Central America. [Ongoing]
• Negotiate a peace settlement between Texas and Mexico. [Incomplete]
• Assert the Monroe Doctrine in the Americas. [Ongoing]
• Encourage railroad investment in the Americas. [Ongoing]

The United States currently ranks #7 in total world gross domestic product ("GDP") at £7,727 per annum, accounting for nearly 3% of the world's total. The U.S. economy, in terms of raw GDP, virtually matches that of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Ottoman Empire. U.S. efforts to spread national boundaries westward should grant access to new resources and liberal immigration policies is projected to provide a source of cheap labor for the foreseeable future.

Unemployment, however, is rampant throughout the states, in some more than others, at a national rate of 18.8%. Even though it is unpopular to raise tariffs, particularly in the southern states that rely heavily on imports, it may be necessary in order to increase demand for domestic products and materials, thus increasing the likelihood of rising commercial activity and general employment. I respectfully request the President to meet with Congress to push for a bill to that effect.

At first glance it appears the U.S. has a strong, stable economy and domestic demand for consumer goods is met. A more in-depth analysis shows that our markets lack access to several important goods such as tea, sugar, pharmaceuticals, silk, luxury clothes, luxury furniture, wool, and tropical wood. The Department of State must make a concerted effort to be more assertive in acquiring trade agreements throughout the rest of the world, particularly in Japan, China, South America, and West Asia.

If the U.S. does not acquire these goods here in the states, our wealthiest citizens of means will purchase fine goods in rich European countries, boosting their tax revenue. Diplomatic efforts shall henceforth focus on opening up untapped markets in China and Japan, as well as strengthening our ties with the Central American government and the Empire of Brazil so that we may import certain rare and exotic goods. We believe efforts already underway, particularly establishing a strong friendship with the USCA, will be fruitful.

volksmarschall said:

I always love a good American AAR set in this time period, because so much is possible! And this is looking like it will be among that class of American AARs!
Cheers!

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Thanks! In my last game, I conquered the western half of Canada and nearly all of Mexico, so in this one I think I'm just going for the typical cores plus Columbia and will focus instead on "spreading democracy" elsewhere in the world The American Civil war will be very interesting because I'm going to set myself up for a challenge - I'll be keeping Southern armies (with artillery) in the South and separated from the Northern soldiers so that I will actually see some bloody battles when the war happens.

Buckingham said:

Great start, man.

I'll be following along for the whole ride.

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Thank you! I enjoyed writing what I call "flavor posts" in my Vic2 forum-based multiplayer games and was inspired by the high quality of posts by some other players who had been doing it for a while.

Hoosier_Jedi said:

Interesting format. I'm impressed.

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I try to keep it visually interesting. I wanted to put a focus on the economy since that is such an important part of the Victorian 2 era. I've had an idea for a while to make yearly saves and make a graph of GDP growth over time and I'm finally going to do it. Stay tuned!

Chapter IV: The 1836 Presidential Election
Violence in the Streets, Rise of Vigilantism in the South
February 24, 1837​

The 1836 election season officially commenced on September 4th. Running for the Democratic Party was Vice President Martin Van Buren. Noteworthy opponents running for the Whig Party were Hugh White, a Senator from Tennessee, and William Henry Harrison, a former Senator from Ohio. The recent conflict in Central America presented a major difference in war policy between the two parties. The unpopularity of the involvement of the U.S. military in the recent conflict should have meant one of the Whig candidates would succeed Jackson's presidency. However, the southern states and northern states disagreed on which Whig should sit as the head of state in 1837.

. . . . . .

After learning of the large number of casualties in the Central American conflict, the American people were furious with Jackson's administration. "If we have room in the budget to commit half our forces to a conflict outside our own borders, we have more than enough for a tax break for our struggling middle class artisans." - William Henry Harrison, presidential candidate for the Whig Party. Turmoil in the streets of major U.S. cities found its way onto the Senate floor, disrupting several political debates between the candidates.

Turmoil also gave certain lesser-known factions in the U.S. opportunity for advancement. In Mobile, Alabama, a group of Southerners raided a neighborhood where several escaped slaves were hiding out. Many were captured, more were murdered, and several homes burned to the ground. The Knights of the Golden Circle, as they call themselves, seek to expand the number of slave states, as they feel politically underrepresented in Washington. Alabama Governor Clement Comer Clay quickly denounced the actions of the vigilante group, calling for citizens in Mobile to seek state action should a similar situation arise again.

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Election Results:

On February 4, 1837, Martin Van Buren was declared the victor of the Presidential election. Due to the Democratic Party's superior organization throughout the states, Van Buren won 170 out of 294 electoral votes, even though he only received roughly half of the popular vote. Van Buren will be inaugurated on March 4, 1837 in Washington, D.C.

InvisibleSandwi said:

Seems us AARlanders like our infographics. Your usage of such, combined with the unique tone of your writing, have already made this an AAR to watch.

Anyways, a few gameplay notes. POP Demand Mod has a system that encourages victors in wars against uncivilized China to take concession ports; otherwise they'll end up angering great powers and giving them a casus belli. It isn't perfect in keeping Europeans from getting overpopulated colonial concessions, but it helps a lot. I also find that for eligible nations, using most national focuses to encourage immigration is actually very powerful - a few can turn a minor destination into a land of opportunity beyond OTL USA's wildest dreams, and the extra population growth partially offsets research penalties from a lack of bureaucracy/clergy.

Also, if you can write a suitable justification for an American concession in Morocco, do it. I don't know much about the two countries' historical friendship, but I at least know of it.

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Thanks for the feedback - I like to know how I'm doing, especially since I'm new to this community. I was wondering how that mechanic re: China worked, because as my last game as Spain, I was able to conquer several provinces at once, which seemed really unfair because others could only capture one at a time. However, I was a secondary power at the time, so that explains why I was able to get away with it. Either that, or so many one-province concessions had already been made - I think there were seven or eight by the time I was eating China.

So far I've kept my NFs on immigration. I don't know if this holds true or not, but it seems like I net more immigrants if I rotate my NFs to different states for three months at a time. It seems like if there are certain-culture POPs already existing in a province, other POPs of the same culture are more likely to migrate to that province (e.g., if Russian POPs already exist in Boston, then Russian POPs in Russia are more likely to move to Boston). Rotating the NFs to different states allows each state to gather a number of different cultures, and if my theory holds correct, I will net more immigrants than I would otherwise. I've already grown by 1.5m people in 2 1/2 years, but the beginning of the game sees a MASSIVE migration to the new world for some reason. I'll heed your advice for Morrocco - I've got some ideas, and may work them into the U.S. Civil War somehow. Thanks for tuning in!

trekfan said:

Subbed

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Thanks, I enjoy your Dixie AAR ;D

Buckingham said:

Loving your "flavor posts". I'm a visual kind of feller, so these are a lot of fun for me to look over.

Great job.

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I like it eagle-flavored with a double-dose of freedom.


As always, thanks for the feedback. I appreciate comments and suggestions as it gives me a sense of how I'm doing and how to make this better as I go along.

Vol. II, Chapter 2: The 1840 Presidential Election
The Republic's First Struggle with Slavery in a National Election
April 11, 1841​

The presidential election in 1840 unexpectedly proved to be a contentious one. Having seen four years of consistent economic growth in the nation and successfully convincing the British to withdraw from the Washington territory - most likely to avoid a conflict with the U.S. during a failing war against the Sikhs in India - Van Buren's administration was the favorable pick in nearly every news publication throughout the states. However, the Democrats passed a gag rule in the House during the Summer of 1840, barring bills on the slavery issue from being presented, which proved to be unpopular amongst the pro-slavery South and intellectuals in the North. Further complicating the issue, near the end of last year, an abolitionist was hanged in Virginia, for a failed attempt to start an armed slave revolt, causing violent reactions between citizens along the Mason-Dixon line.

President Van Buren, though morally against the institution of slavery among men, found grounds for supporting federal and state law dealing with the issue in the Constitution. Despite this seemingly neutral position on what became a central issue of the election, Van Buren gained significant support from abolitionists in the North. Presidential candidate W.H. Harrison, on the other hand, found overwhelming support from Southern slaveowners, likely drummed up by established Whig party members, citing the need for economic growth in the South and U.S. territories.

Violence broke out in a number of cities along the Mason-Dixon line as a result of the federal government's decision to enforce fugitive slave laws against an escaped slave. "Negro Harry," a tobacco-picker from Albemarle County, Virginia, owned by a Mr. Abraham Daniel, found his way to Pennsylvania. He was soon identified by U.S. Marshalls, who recognized him from the wanted postings, and taken back to Mr. Daniel. Later that year, in Huntington, Virginia, a trade hub located along the Ohio River, a disagreement between Benjamin Johnson, a local drunk, and Henry Goody, a wealthy slaveowner, devolved into an all-out riot between abolitionists and slaveowners. Twelve were reported as dead, twenty-three reported injured with significant disabilities, and six people are still missing after the quarrel.

Abolitionist John Brown was hanged for treason in November, following his failed raid on a U.S. arsenal in Harper's Ferry, Virginia. A number of marines, commanded by Colonel Robert E. Lee, fought back Brown and his men, capturing the abolitionist and taking him to stand trial in Charles Town. Brown's attempt concerned slaveowners in the South greatly, for a Northern abolitionist nearly succeeded in starting a slave uprising in a Southern state. Brown's failed raid will likely only lead to more distrust and disputes between abolitionists and proponents of slavery.

---

Election Results:

Taking advantage of the conflict, and by framing slavery as a key issue, the Whigs fought hard for a victory. Unfortunately for the liberals, it appeared a clear majority of the nation supported Van Buren's more neutrally-toned position on slavery. Coupled with four years of significant growth in nearly every state, Van Buren pulled out another victory against Harrison, acquiring 176 of the necessary 145 electoral votes needed to win. Van Buren's victory was announced on February 4, 1841. The U.S. Supreme Court waited until after the election results were announced to issue a decision directly relating to the slavery question. Some say that had this decision been issued before the election, Harrison might have won.

In 1839, a Spanish schooner was traveling along the coast of Cuba, carrying a number of alleged slaves captured in Sierra Leone. These captives broke free from their shackles, killed the captain and another crew member, and escaped in a lifeboat. They were later found by U.S. law enforcement patrolling the waters in New York, who took the escapees into custody. The Supreme Court found that the alleged slaves were "unlawfully kidnapped, and forcibly and wrongfully carried on board [the Spanish] vessel." U.S. v. The Amistad, 40 U.S. 518, at 531. The captives were ruled to have acted as free men when they fought to escape their illegal confinement and they were entitled to take whatever legal measures necessary to secure their freedom, including the use of force. The Court ordered that the Africans be released and considered free men.


((OOC: I've lost a huge amount of prestige recently. Two -10 prestige election events in the last 4 years and -2 prestige for every state with a Confederate core has left me with ~20 prestige, ranking me in the 'teens in terms of total prestige. I'll have to make this up somehow. But..I really lucked out with the Colonial competition in Washington State not boiling over into a crisis. UK was at war with the Sikh Empire, which caused the 100% flashpoint region not to turn into a crisis. The UK ran out of colonial points at stage 10, US at stage 9. Luckily, my ports completed construction and gave me enough colonial points to surpass the UK's investment, giving me Washington State.))