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Fulcrumvale: Yeah, I'm thinking elephants through the streets of Philadelphia and New York.
JimboIX: Yes, the South looses like always, not that I wanted that or anything
Gilded age? Perhaps, but the apetite for conflict has been wetted, I dount it will be the last one.
RGB: Indeed, and I think that historical societies named after the ancestors of these soldiers will raise monuments and then, years later, we will argue over flags.
Lafayette53: Thanks! I wasn't overly happy with it, but the civil war ended just about as quickly as it did in that post. Plus I'm ready to move on in my writing.
thrashing mad: Thank you sir! You've got a pretty good one going there yourself
Ayeshteni: Sausage all around.
JimboIX: Yes, the South looses like always, not that I wanted that or anything
Gilded age? Perhaps, but the apetite for conflict has been wetted, I dount it will be the last one.RGB: Indeed, and I think that historical societies named after the ancestors of these soldiers will raise monuments and then, years later, we will argue over flags.
Lafayette53: Thanks! I wasn't overly happy with it, but the civil war ended just about as quickly as it did in that post. Plus I'm ready to move on in my writing.
thrashing mad: Thank you sir! You've got a pretty good one going there yourself
Ayeshteni: Sausage all around.
I've just finished updating the directory/index which can be found on page 3 (or via link in page one) it should have most of the Civil War generals and politicians on it now.
I have my potato and I am very sorry!
Update coming soon, just been a bit overwhelmed this last week.
The Election of 1868
--
As 1868 chipped away, the election approached. The Congress of 1866, which had established the extension to President Clark’s term in office, also established a new date for elections. Election Day was to be the first Tuesday after the first Monday of the month of November. The President would then take office January 20th of the next year. Thus Tuesday, November 3rd 1868 was to be the date of the election. Clark set about ensuring, as the war came to its end, that he would be re-elected. Very little of a real challenge stood in his way, as his victory in the Civil War was making him the most popular of politicians.
No Republicans were willing to challenge him, and the American Party was a defeated entity. Only the Democrats could hope to challenge him. The debate became not over the war, but what to do after the war was over. The Republicans were split; many favored a smooth and easy path back towards reunion. Others however called for harsh penalties and force. The Democrats wanted even less in terms of punishment, and called upon President Clark to pardon the leaders of the war immediately. The Democrats, especially those in Kentucky, Texas and Maryland, wanted Lee and his counterparts to be forgiven, and wanted President Brown to be allowed back in the United States.
Oden Bowie
The main competitor aligned against Clark was Oden Bowie, the Governor of Maryland who had helped push through the Constitution of 1867, which had made some alterations to the State’s governance. Bowie was a traditional slave owning southerner, who gave up his slave’s to gain political clout. He saw that the tide was heading towards national emancipation, and preempted the move by freeing his slaves. They remained on his farm and became poor tenant farmers, but he could proudly announce to the world that he had freed them.
This gave him little clout with abolitionists who wanted to force emancipation as part of the peace settlement. Bowie wanted a quick reconstruction, and was adamant in calling for the pardoning of all Confederate leaders. Samuel B. Maxey of Texas was chosen as his running mate. It was a decidedly pro-Southern ticket. Clark, and the US Senate, refused to allow the rebellious states to join in on the election, even those which had been conquered. They also passed resolutions allowing West Virginia to have electoral votes. Clark, with longtime supporter Abraham Lincoln as his running mate, went on the offensive quickly.
Abraham Lincoln
Bowie fell behind early, and stayed there. Clark was leaps and bounds ahead in New England, where a Democrat was a rare thing indeed. He managed to gain ground in the Ohio River valley thanks to Lincoln’s Midwestern support. That support traveled into the West, where a harsh reconstruction policy was favored. Nebraska and its neighbors suffered immensely from the economic devastation of the conflict. Many towns were abandoned during the conflict, and their residents wanted revenge. Likewise Clark’s platform was a well liked one. He suggested the creation of a State of California, which would cover the West Coast. He also designed a plan by which Victoria could enter the Union and become a state itself.
Bowie jumped on him for trying to rig the election in his favor. When Clark defended himself by pointing out that theses states would exist after the election, Bowie retreated. It became the most one sided election to date. The real death knell came when West Virginia was granted the right to vote as the State of Virginia, thus brining all its electoral votes into Clark’s camp. Clark swept the election with 217 electoral votes to 29. He immediately pardoned General Robert E. Lee and the other military officers who agree to re-swear loyalty to the United States. He re-approved the military governors of the South, and named Albert Sydney Johnston as Military Governor-General over all the Southern States. When Johnston resigned his commission to return to Texas, Philip Sheridan was chosen as his replacement. Reconstruction was begun.
The Election of 1868
Daniel Clark and Abraham Lincoln, Republican- 217
Oden Bowie and Samuel Maxey, Democrat- 29
--
As 1868 chipped away, the election approached. The Congress of 1866, which had established the extension to President Clark’s term in office, also established a new date for elections. Election Day was to be the first Tuesday after the first Monday of the month of November. The President would then take office January 20th of the next year. Thus Tuesday, November 3rd 1868 was to be the date of the election. Clark set about ensuring, as the war came to its end, that he would be re-elected. Very little of a real challenge stood in his way, as his victory in the Civil War was making him the most popular of politicians.
No Republicans were willing to challenge him, and the American Party was a defeated entity. Only the Democrats could hope to challenge him. The debate became not over the war, but what to do after the war was over. The Republicans were split; many favored a smooth and easy path back towards reunion. Others however called for harsh penalties and force. The Democrats wanted even less in terms of punishment, and called upon President Clark to pardon the leaders of the war immediately. The Democrats, especially those in Kentucky, Texas and Maryland, wanted Lee and his counterparts to be forgiven, and wanted President Brown to be allowed back in the United States.
Oden Bowie
The main competitor aligned against Clark was Oden Bowie, the Governor of Maryland who had helped push through the Constitution of 1867, which had made some alterations to the State’s governance. Bowie was a traditional slave owning southerner, who gave up his slave’s to gain political clout. He saw that the tide was heading towards national emancipation, and preempted the move by freeing his slaves. They remained on his farm and became poor tenant farmers, but he could proudly announce to the world that he had freed them.
This gave him little clout with abolitionists who wanted to force emancipation as part of the peace settlement. Bowie wanted a quick reconstruction, and was adamant in calling for the pardoning of all Confederate leaders. Samuel B. Maxey of Texas was chosen as his running mate. It was a decidedly pro-Southern ticket. Clark, and the US Senate, refused to allow the rebellious states to join in on the election, even those which had been conquered. They also passed resolutions allowing West Virginia to have electoral votes. Clark, with longtime supporter Abraham Lincoln as his running mate, went on the offensive quickly.
Abraham Lincoln
Bowie fell behind early, and stayed there. Clark was leaps and bounds ahead in New England, where a Democrat was a rare thing indeed. He managed to gain ground in the Ohio River valley thanks to Lincoln’s Midwestern support. That support traveled into the West, where a harsh reconstruction policy was favored. Nebraska and its neighbors suffered immensely from the economic devastation of the conflict. Many towns were abandoned during the conflict, and their residents wanted revenge. Likewise Clark’s platform was a well liked one. He suggested the creation of a State of California, which would cover the West Coast. He also designed a plan by which Victoria could enter the Union and become a state itself.
Bowie jumped on him for trying to rig the election in his favor. When Clark defended himself by pointing out that theses states would exist after the election, Bowie retreated. It became the most one sided election to date. The real death knell came when West Virginia was granted the right to vote as the State of Virginia, thus brining all its electoral votes into Clark’s camp. Clark swept the election with 217 electoral votes to 29. He immediately pardoned General Robert E. Lee and the other military officers who agree to re-swear loyalty to the United States. He re-approved the military governors of the South, and named Albert Sydney Johnston as Military Governor-General over all the Southern States. When Johnston resigned his commission to return to Texas, Philip Sheridan was chosen as his replacement. Reconstruction was begun.
The Election of 1868
Daniel Clark and Abraham Lincoln, Republican- 217
Oden Bowie and Samuel Maxey, Democrat- 29
Went back and added a bit of a library to the first post, going to get it updated as time goes on.
I’m surprised that Lincoln wound up as the VP given that the position entailed no power whatsoever back then. I’d expect him to have wound up as the secretary of state/treasury instead.
I read that update and forgot. And now I do feel rather silly.
Um. Yay! Reconstruction!
Um. Yay! Reconstruction!
Splitting Texas in two is sacrilege. If it is to be split, it must be into five states and then all independent parts of the independent Republic of Texas..the ghosts of the Alamo will not forgive you..they're just now recovering fromt he ego shock of the admission of Alaska and her endless miles of Tundra to the Union. Enjoyable update, I like the Lincoln VP scenario.
I agree - A reunion of Texas could be on the cards now that slavery is out of the way. The Lincoln as VP does seem like a bit of a demotion considering he was Secretary of State previously.
What happened to Virginia? Did she not join the South?
What happened to Virginia? Did she not join the South?
Vincent Julien said:
Lincoln's move to VP will have a further explanation. Primarily it is because there is some pressure to bring in a less extreme voice. Lincoln is, in this timeline, a bit further Republican. Clark wanted to make sure that the move south is unhindered by heavy harsh-reconstructionists.
Besides, this timeline has not seen the Secretary of State-President switchover all that often.
On Virginia- WV was given the voting representation of Virginia.