Seconded. We're talking about a period where Isandhlwana didn't produce outrageous casualties - it produced outrageous casualties fighting spear-wielding savages, as far as the British were concerned. 11k casualties against a gunpowder enemy isn't even noticeable by period standards.
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@ mad general: Why not Haiti! 
The Dominican Republic's future part of the island under US control as well. Tis the beginning of the Age of Imperialism for the United States... what does the future hold for Lady Liberty?
@ M4 Emperor: Well, Haiti isn't an official territory looking to become a state... so the United States is skeptical of pouring money into a piece of land that won't become a state. However, the US will try to make massive modernization projects on the island in hope of bringing the island nation out of poverty and depression.
@ OAM: You're glad, I'm elated to move out of the Reconstruction Era and into the new frontier! And you're right, the term third world didn't come around until the Cold War, but most people on the forums know the term and I thought it described Haiti very well.
@ Nathan Madien: Grant can't make any Radical happy? Grant can't make anyone happy! And yes, the Supreme Court is uber uber Conservative at this point - but they do have a valid point of as long as they're aren't inciting violence there's nothing illegal: one of the few flaws in our Constitution because it's up to interpretation. As for NH and CT, they don't have chapters but the Know Nothings are on the ballot box.
@ Enewald: Americanization, and Westernization in general is overrated! It's a waste of time and taxpayer dollars IMO. And attrition sucks - period!
@ Kurt_Steiner: Glad to have you onboard sir! Hope you like it.
@ Flying Dutchie: It's true that Sherman didn't have a great love for politics... but with Sherman's brother being a major Senator and Presidential hopeful, I just couldn't help myself but see "what if" William T. Sherman was a politician.
@ c0d5579: Nitpick noted, was just a slight typo.o Since we're talking about ROTC, I think every high school and college or university should have an ROTC or JROTC program. But that's just me. And Haiti will more than serve as a fuel for the future conflicts in the Caribbean.
@ Serek000: American presence in Haiti is a major message t.o the Europeans who have any interests in the Caribbean.
@ CatKnight: This versions Grant is more in a light-filled eye than OTL's Grant... I personally think Grant is underrated, but hey, that's just me. I don't think the death of 11,000 American soldiers is the problem Grant has caused in invading Haiti, it's invading Haiti. How does that make the US look like in the eyes of London and Paris and Madrid?
@ Nathan Madien (2): Grant wasn't the world's brightest military leader, he just knew how to fight, win, and use numbers to his advantage. IMO, Hancock was the best Union general in the entire war.
@ c0d5579 (2): The British, frankly were smashed in the Anglo-Zulu War. If it wasn't for the fact they had superior weaponry and logistical capabilities, I think it is quite plausible that the Zulu's could've saved their kingdom from the imperialists in London... but they would've eventually fallen either way.
The Dominican Republic's future part of the island under US control as well. Tis the beginning of the Age of Imperialism for the United States... what does the future hold for Lady Liberty?@ M4 Emperor: Well, Haiti isn't an official territory looking to become a state... so the United States is skeptical of pouring money into a piece of land that won't become a state. However, the US will try to make massive modernization projects on the island in hope of bringing the island nation out of poverty and depression.
@ OAM: You're glad, I'm elated to move out of the Reconstruction Era and into the new frontier! And you're right, the term third world didn't come around until the Cold War, but most people on the forums know the term and I thought it described Haiti very well.
@ Nathan Madien: Grant can't make any Radical happy? Grant can't make anyone happy!
And yes, the Supreme Court is uber uber Conservative at this point - but they do have a valid point of as long as they're aren't inciting violence there's nothing illegal: one of the few flaws in our Constitution because it's up to interpretation. As for NH and CT, they don't have chapters but the Know Nothings are on the ballot box.@ Enewald: Americanization, and Westernization in general is overrated! It's a waste of time and taxpayer dollars IMO. And attrition sucks - period!
@ Kurt_Steiner: Glad to have you onboard sir!
Hope you like it.@ Flying Dutchie: It's true that Sherman didn't have a great love for politics... but with Sherman's brother being a major Senator and Presidential hopeful, I just couldn't help myself but see "what if" William T. Sherman was a politician.
@ c0d5579: Nitpick noted, was just a slight typo.
o Since we're talking about ROTC, I think every high school and college or university should have an ROTC or JROTC program. But that's just me. And Haiti will more than serve as a fuel for the future conflicts in the Caribbean.@ Serek000: American presence in Haiti is a major message t.o the Europeans who have any interests in the Caribbean.
@ CatKnight: This versions Grant is more in a light-filled eye than OTL's Grant... I personally think Grant is underrated, but hey, that's just me. I don't think the death of 11,000 American soldiers is the problem Grant has caused in invading Haiti, it's invading Haiti. How does that make the US look like in the eyes of London and Paris and Madrid?
@ Nathan Madien (2): Grant wasn't the world's brightest military leader, he just knew how to fight, win, and use numbers to his advantage. IMO, Hancock was the best Union general in the entire war.
@ c0d5579 (2): The British, frankly were smashed in the Anglo-Zulu War. If it wasn't for the fact they had superior weaponry and logistical capabilities, I think it is quite plausible that the Zulu's could've saved their kingdom from the imperialists in London... but they would've eventually fallen either way.
Episode Twelve: Ulysses Grant
Episode Twelve, Part IV
Number 19: Ulysses Grant
Party: Republican
46 years old, from Ohio
The Election of 1872
The four years of the current Grant Administration went by rather quickly if you asked anyone within the United States. The Grant Administration was noted for bringing about the end of Reconstruction, and the successful conquest of Haiti, and the promotion of both civil and human rights in the deep-south. However, political corruption, cronyism [1], and the impending financial crisis dominated local and national headlines when it came to the Grant Administration.
The Republicans unanimously re-nominated President Grant as their choice for the Presidency, the Democratic Party nominated Horace Greeley, who had was the first candidate to be on three party tickets all at once. The Liberal Republicans, a splinter faction of the Republican Party seeking an end to Radical leadership and reforms, formed by Horace Greeley was the first to nominated the New York editor as their candidate for the Presidency. This was followed by the American “Know Nothing” Party, the Know Nothings, who were held in a sympathetic light by Horace Greeley, was quick to nominated Greeley on their ticket. By the time the Democratic Party’s Convention rolled around, the party decided to nominate Greeley as well, hoping that he would be able to defeat Grant and the Republicans rather than the leading Democrat, Senator Thomas F. Bayard of Delaware, who would have a tough time having to face Greeley on two tickets, and Grant on the Republican Ticket.
Horace Greeley, a prominent Newspaper publisher, now the Democratic, Liberal Republican, and Know Nothing nominee for the office of the Presidency.
The race between the two men became national headlines across the country. Horace Greeley, who was seen as a political moderate, attacked Grant for wasteful spending, political corruption, and leading the United States into economic stagnation. The less-than charismatic Grant simply smiled at Greeley and laughed off his threats and talked about improving the standing of living in the South and talked about his new monetary reforms that would prevent the country from falling into financial panic.
The campaign of 1872 was nothing more than a one-sided debate. Horace Greeley was unanimously conceived as the next President and the superior debater and orator. Greeley laid out his plans for economic and financial reforms, political reforms, and the withdrawal of US troops and ships from Haiti as soon as possible. Greeley proposed a 20% tax decrease and a 30% tax freeze to get the economy stabilized. He then proposed tighter restriction on banks and increased business taxes to keep the country from entering debt. Lastly, Greeley stated that he would nominate real politicians for political office, not friends and inexperienced military officers who knew nothing of national politics.
The election of 1872 marked the last election of the “Reconstruction Era,” and marked the beginning of the “Gilded Age” in American political history, marking the final shift out of the ‘civil war syndrome’ that the Republican Party played on to maintain their power following the collapse of the Confederacy in 1864, a syndrome that saw the Republicans play the “we won the war” card in the 1864 and 1868 Presidential elections, and the 1866 and 1870 midterm elections.
In New York City, President Grant went toe-to-toe with Horace Greeley in front of 10,000 citizens who gathered to listen to the two men debate in person. During the debate, Greeley famously said, “You know what you’ll get if you vote for Grant. You’ll get a President who thinks he can spend more money than he actually has, which will result in tax increases on all Americans. You’ll get a President who doesn’t have an experienced cabinet, and you’ll get a President who doesn’t have a rational thought about the second-tier, yet still important matters of immigration, monetary reform, and the public-image of the United States in light of the unnecessary war with Haiti. So you can vote for this man who stands before you and pretends that there are no problems facing the United States, or you can vote for Horace Greeley, a man who will effectively combat the problems facing the United States with an experienced political cabinet of all ideologies; that’s why I’m running as a Liberal Republican, Know Nothing, and a Democrat.”
Despite the one-sided campaign, the Republicans, mainly the Radicals who disapproved of Greeley, fought back and used many slanderous cartoons to try and sway the vote back to Grant and the Republicans.
Come Election Day, the verdict was unanimous across the country. As reports came flooding into mainstream newspapers, writers, cartoonists, and editors hailed the Greeley victory as a turn away from the Reconstructionist policies of the past and a vote for the policies of the future.
House Breakdown: (294 members)
House Plurality: Democratic, 139 seats
House Minority: Republican, 133 seats
Third Party: American Party, 22 seats
Senate Breakdown (76 members)
Senate Majority: Republican, 40 seats (-3)
Senate Minority: Democratic, 30 seats (-)
Third Party: Liberal-Republican, 3 seats (+3)
Fourth Party: American Party, 3 seats (-)
House Speaker: Thomas Kinsella (D-New York)
President Pro-Tempore: Henry B. Anthony (R-Rhode Island)
However, the unthinkable and unforeseeable happened. As a majority of the college electors made their trip to Washington DC to cast their vote, Greeley’s wife died. Horace Greeley quickly descended into madness, and when he spotted Whitelaw Reid, owner of the New York Herald, who also became the owner of the New York Tribune as Greeley was running for the Presidency, Greeley shouted, “You son of a bitch, you stole my newspaper!” As Greeley went insane, he died on November 29, 1872, days before the Electoral College would cast their vote.
As a result of his death, the Liberal Republicans folded back into the Republican ranks, their party destroyed without their leader. With the death of Greeley following his electoral victory, the Electoral College was in shambles and chaos. They were, among other things, confused, and not sure what to do. Greeley, who had won 188 Electoral votes, winning the election 188-182 (carrying the states of: Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Ohio).
The League of Dixie ordered all Democratic states to cast their vote for Senator Thomas “Stonewall" Jackson, all American Party states ordered for all Know Nothing states to cast their vote for Henry Perrin Coon, the former Know Nothing candidate in 1868, and all Liberal Republican states ordered their votes to be cast for Greeley’s running mate, Benjamin Gratz Brown, who would end up being the Vice Presidential candidate on multiple tickets following Greeley’s untimely death.
The lack of communication doomed the Democratic-American-Liberal Republican coalitions that had defeated Grant in the general election with 3,568,488 (52.1%) popular votes, to Grant’s 3,164,508 (46.1%) popular votes. Rather than all vote for the same candidate, their electors pledged to individual party leaders, and, to make things worse, several state electors broke party ranks, and voted for Grant, who had ran second over the Prohibition Party which gathered 121,001 votes (2.8%). In the end, Grant went on to win reelection when the Electoral College met and cast their vote.
Greeley/Brown (Coalition), 0 Electoral votes, 0 states carried (had carried 21 states), 3,568,488 popular votes (52.1%)
Grant/Wilson (Republican), 206 Electoral votes, 18 states carried, 3,164,508 popular votes (46.1%)
Jackson/Brown (Democrat), 116 Electoral votes, 12 states carried, no popular votes
Coon/Brown (American), 48 Electoral votes, 8 states carried, no popular votes
Black/Russell (Prohibition), 0 Electoral votes, 0 states carried, 121,001 popular votes (2.8%)
Total: 370 Electoral Votes - 38 states - 6,853,997 popular votes (100%)
[1] Cronyism is a political term that describes the favorable preference of friends receiving benefits over men who are more deserving in the political world.
Episode Twelve, Part IV
Number 19: Ulysses Grant
Party: Republican
46 years old, from Ohio
The Election of 1872
The four years of the current Grant Administration went by rather quickly if you asked anyone within the United States. The Grant Administration was noted for bringing about the end of Reconstruction, and the successful conquest of Haiti, and the promotion of both civil and human rights in the deep-south. However, political corruption, cronyism [1], and the impending financial crisis dominated local and national headlines when it came to the Grant Administration.
The Republicans unanimously re-nominated President Grant as their choice for the Presidency, the Democratic Party nominated Horace Greeley, who had was the first candidate to be on three party tickets all at once. The Liberal Republicans, a splinter faction of the Republican Party seeking an end to Radical leadership and reforms, formed by Horace Greeley was the first to nominated the New York editor as their candidate for the Presidency. This was followed by the American “Know Nothing” Party, the Know Nothings, who were held in a sympathetic light by Horace Greeley, was quick to nominated Greeley on their ticket. By the time the Democratic Party’s Convention rolled around, the party decided to nominate Greeley as well, hoping that he would be able to defeat Grant and the Republicans rather than the leading Democrat, Senator Thomas F. Bayard of Delaware, who would have a tough time having to face Greeley on two tickets, and Grant on the Republican Ticket.
Horace Greeley, a prominent Newspaper publisher, now the Democratic, Liberal Republican, and Know Nothing nominee for the office of the Presidency.
The race between the two men became national headlines across the country. Horace Greeley, who was seen as a political moderate, attacked Grant for wasteful spending, political corruption, and leading the United States into economic stagnation. The less-than charismatic Grant simply smiled at Greeley and laughed off his threats and talked about improving the standing of living in the South and talked about his new monetary reforms that would prevent the country from falling into financial panic.
The campaign of 1872 was nothing more than a one-sided debate. Horace Greeley was unanimously conceived as the next President and the superior debater and orator. Greeley laid out his plans for economic and financial reforms, political reforms, and the withdrawal of US troops and ships from Haiti as soon as possible. Greeley proposed a 20% tax decrease and a 30% tax freeze to get the economy stabilized. He then proposed tighter restriction on banks and increased business taxes to keep the country from entering debt. Lastly, Greeley stated that he would nominate real politicians for political office, not friends and inexperienced military officers who knew nothing of national politics.
The election of 1872 marked the last election of the “Reconstruction Era,” and marked the beginning of the “Gilded Age” in American political history, marking the final shift out of the ‘civil war syndrome’ that the Republican Party played on to maintain their power following the collapse of the Confederacy in 1864, a syndrome that saw the Republicans play the “we won the war” card in the 1864 and 1868 Presidential elections, and the 1866 and 1870 midterm elections.
In New York City, President Grant went toe-to-toe with Horace Greeley in front of 10,000 citizens who gathered to listen to the two men debate in person. During the debate, Greeley famously said, “You know what you’ll get if you vote for Grant. You’ll get a President who thinks he can spend more money than he actually has, which will result in tax increases on all Americans. You’ll get a President who doesn’t have an experienced cabinet, and you’ll get a President who doesn’t have a rational thought about the second-tier, yet still important matters of immigration, monetary reform, and the public-image of the United States in light of the unnecessary war with Haiti. So you can vote for this man who stands before you and pretends that there are no problems facing the United States, or you can vote for Horace Greeley, a man who will effectively combat the problems facing the United States with an experienced political cabinet of all ideologies; that’s why I’m running as a Liberal Republican, Know Nothing, and a Democrat.”
Despite the one-sided campaign, the Republicans, mainly the Radicals who disapproved of Greeley, fought back and used many slanderous cartoons to try and sway the vote back to Grant and the Republicans.
Come Election Day, the verdict was unanimous across the country. As reports came flooding into mainstream newspapers, writers, cartoonists, and editors hailed the Greeley victory as a turn away from the Reconstructionist policies of the past and a vote for the policies of the future.
House Breakdown: (294 members)
House Plurality: Democratic, 139 seats
House Minority: Republican, 133 seats
Third Party: American Party, 22 seats
Senate Breakdown (76 members)
Senate Majority: Republican, 40 seats (-3)
Senate Minority: Democratic, 30 seats (-)
Third Party: Liberal-Republican, 3 seats (+3)
Fourth Party: American Party, 3 seats (-)
House Speaker: Thomas Kinsella (D-New York)
President Pro-Tempore: Henry B. Anthony (R-Rhode Island)
However, the unthinkable and unforeseeable happened. As a majority of the college electors made their trip to Washington DC to cast their vote, Greeley’s wife died. Horace Greeley quickly descended into madness, and when he spotted Whitelaw Reid, owner of the New York Herald, who also became the owner of the New York Tribune as Greeley was running for the Presidency, Greeley shouted, “You son of a bitch, you stole my newspaper!” As Greeley went insane, he died on November 29, 1872, days before the Electoral College would cast their vote.
As a result of his death, the Liberal Republicans folded back into the Republican ranks, their party destroyed without their leader. With the death of Greeley following his electoral victory, the Electoral College was in shambles and chaos. They were, among other things, confused, and not sure what to do. Greeley, who had won 188 Electoral votes, winning the election 188-182 (carrying the states of: Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Ohio).
The League of Dixie ordered all Democratic states to cast their vote for Senator Thomas “Stonewall" Jackson, all American Party states ordered for all Know Nothing states to cast their vote for Henry Perrin Coon, the former Know Nothing candidate in 1868, and all Liberal Republican states ordered their votes to be cast for Greeley’s running mate, Benjamin Gratz Brown, who would end up being the Vice Presidential candidate on multiple tickets following Greeley’s untimely death.
The lack of communication doomed the Democratic-American-Liberal Republican coalitions that had defeated Grant in the general election with 3,568,488 (52.1%) popular votes, to Grant’s 3,164,508 (46.1%) popular votes. Rather than all vote for the same candidate, their electors pledged to individual party leaders, and, to make things worse, several state electors broke party ranks, and voted for Grant, who had ran second over the Prohibition Party which gathered 121,001 votes (2.8%). In the end, Grant went on to win reelection when the Electoral College met and cast their vote.
Greeley/Brown (Coalition), 0 Electoral votes, 0 states carried (had carried 21 states), 3,568,488 popular votes (52.1%)
Grant/Wilson (Republican), 206 Electoral votes, 18 states carried, 3,164,508 popular votes (46.1%)
Jackson/Brown (Democrat), 116 Electoral votes, 12 states carried, no popular votes
Coon/Brown (American), 48 Electoral votes, 8 states carried, no popular votes
Black/Russell (Prohibition), 0 Electoral votes, 0 states carried, 121,001 popular votes (2.8%)
Total: 370 Electoral Votes - 38 states - 6,853,997 popular votes (100%)
[1] Cronyism is a political term that describes the favorable preference of friends receiving benefits over men who are more deserving in the political world.
Very nice. Unexpected, but rather brilliant. This is why the electoral college aggravates me.
Epic! This type of event is what makes politics interesting.
(It also reminds me of a roleplay I'm taking part in right now :rofl
(It also reminds me of a roleplay I'm taking part in right now :rofl
No Horace no!!! Horace Greeley is great, I might even have voted for him. Would the thought of being President kept him alive in the absence of his wife? Maybe, it worked for Jackson. Anyway, very interesting stuff. If the Democrats can get a great candidate in 76, they'll have this. I'd recommend Hancock or Tilden. Or I would, if I could time travel.
The American Party is growing strong enough to turn into a legitimate third party. If they keep going at this rate, the electoral college might have to change: It's not really built to handle more than two major parties well.
As for the electoral college being aggravating...true. In 2010 it's an anachronism (less so in 1872). Still, with Greeley dead the election would have just passed to Grant anyway.
Brown was Greeley's running mate, but not his VP since no one had taken the oath of office at that time. We probably would have had a constitutional crisis that the Supreme Court (probably Republican controlled after the past several presidents) would have needed to straighten out.
As for the electoral college being aggravating...true. In 2010 it's an anachronism (less so in 1872). Still, with Greeley dead the election would have just passed to Grant anyway.
Brown was Greeley's running mate, but not his VP since no one had taken the oath of office at that time. We probably would have had a constitutional crisis that the Supreme Court (probably Republican controlled after the past several presidents) would have needed to straighten out.
This Greeley guy certainly gets around.
This is stuff I would vote for.
A line we will likely hear again in 2012.
Wow! That's a hell of a way to get re-elected!
I can't wait to see what you do about 1876 - another messed-up election.
I wonder how time travel would affect the Constitutional requirements.
Well, I must say I'm a bit dissapointed because Little Mac didn't manage to loose the war waiting for a enormous building up of his army and then didn't manage to become president of the USA.
Woah, lol.
Why would Louisiana and Missouri? or what state is north it vote for republicans?
Why would Louisiana and Missouri? or what state is north it vote for republicans?
I suspect that Louisiana went Republican because of James Longstreet threatening to kill any elector who came back with either a Democrat vote registered, or both arms.
Oh, one other note for the "Where Are They Now?" - Forrest is probably where he was about this time historically, managing a penal farm in Mississippi. Oddly, a lot of his postwar statements were basically "we lost, get over it and adjust," though he had rather strong feelings about what he was being forced to adjust to, claiming that many of the reconstructed state governments were illegally constituted, but that they were the closest thing to legitimate authority in the area. I must confess my feelings on him are changing somewhat, as Forrest was about the only person on the Confederate side at Shiloh who thought to do a reconnaissance the night between the first and second days of fighting, and his conclusion was essentially that the Confederate army had shot its bolt, especially with Johnston dead.
Oh, one other note for the "Where Are They Now?" - Forrest is probably where he was about this time historically, managing a penal farm in Mississippi. Oddly, a lot of his postwar statements were basically "we lost, get over it and adjust," though he had rather strong feelings about what he was being forced to adjust to, claiming that many of the reconstructed state governments were illegally constituted, but that they were the closest thing to legitimate authority in the area. I must confess my feelings on him are changing somewhat, as Forrest was about the only person on the Confederate side at Shiloh who thought to do a reconnaissance the night between the first and second days of fighting, and his conclusion was essentially that the Confederate army had shot its bolt, especially with Johnston dead.
Grant running against a deadman . Didn't it go almost the same during Grants real re-election?
As for Louisiana, if John Bell Hood is your Democratic representative, how can you vote for anything else than the party that opposes him?
. Didn't it go almost the same during Grants real re-election?As for Louisiana, if John Bell Hood is your Democratic representative, how can you vote for anything else than the party that opposes him?
That really depends on whether Hood has used his Barbarian Rage ability, which allows him three times per day to fly into a berserk killing frenzy, but renders him incapable of using skills that require concentration or focus - great for charging uphill into hopeless odds, not so great for commanding an army.
Grant sure did dodge a bullet there. If he can manage to not get impeached, he'll be the first two term president in quite a while. I wonder if he'll institute policies to boost his approval ratings after that close call, or decide that he won and that's all that matters, to hell with the electorate?
I am wondering if he will still have an appetite for a third term like he did historically.
Why not? Greeley's untimely demise is kind of like the bomb being moved to the other side of the table leg. I still hold out hope of a Hancock Presidency, though, and it sounds like the pendulum's swinging Democrat.
Quite an unexpected end to the Presidential election. It's good to see the country moving away from Reconstruction. Perhaps after Grant's second term we'll see Stonewall Jackson in the White House?
@ c0d5579: You were unexpected, I had to write the update that was "unbelievable" Well, if you weren't expecting the outcome, I did my job well then!
@ Legoism: Personally, I think the Electoral System undermines American Democracy. I think a little fushionism of Parliamentary politics along with are (more perfect version) of Congressional politics should be shaped up or something.
@ OAM: And this is why I like politics! (Just imagine the chaos in today's world had John McCain or Barack Obama died before the Electors cast their vote).
@ jpj1421: The Democrats, as it looks, should be on a good path to victory. The only problem is: how many votes did Horace bring in because of his "Liberal Republicans" who were disenfranchised by Grant's Republican Party? And just how far can the Democrats go without third party politics helping them as it did for Greeley. Greeley may have won, but for being on three tickets, I think Grant should be happy how he did with 46% of the vote.
@ CatKnight: The American Party has to move past their regional politics first before becoming a major nationalized party as it did in 1856 (in this AAR). And I can't imagine how it life was like for Brown. One day he's Greeley's running mate, the next day the electors are voting him as Jackson and Coon's running mate.
As for the Electoral College, it undermines American politics (I think). A bit unfair for a few of the smaller states that are right on that cusp of getting an extra seat, but not... just imagine our representation (representative per citizen) rate in like 50 years with 535 set members.
@ Nathan Madien: I think Grant should win an Emmy Award or Oscar for "Best Re-Election win" in American Political History. Greeley, a shame he wasn't a President, now the country has another four years of Grant and his policies. But, then again, Greeley was just a newspaper man.
@ Kurt_Steiner: Little Mac, I kept him in a good light by not losing the war! That far already! I can't even read up to the Civil War from scratch in just a few days, and I'm the writAAR.
@ Enewald & c0d5579 (2): Louisiana and Arkansas went Red (Grant) because the electors for the state decided to vote for Grant because he finished in Second, and with no "first place" candidate, they just voted for Grant. After all, just because a state goes to a certain candidate, doesn't mean the electors have to vote for him. And I think John Bell Hood was the main reason the electors in Louisiana voted for Hood's opposition!
@ FlyingDutchie: Well, it coulda been worst. He coulda lost to a dead man! The 1876 matchup was a historic matchup, except, Greeley didn't even come close to beating Grant. So it doesn't look like Greeley becoming President was enough to keep him from dying in this timeline.
@ c0d5579 (3): :rofl:
@ Serek000: Wow! You're right! Grant might just be the first, full two-term president we've had since, since... he'd be the first in this AAR to carry out a full eight years!
@ Nathan Madien (2): Maybe, maybe not. I'm leaning towards no in 1876, but maybe in 1880 or 1884 he might just come back into American politics.
@ c0d5579 (4): The pendulum is easily swinging in the favor of the Democrats... but the Republicans are still holding tight to the "civil war winners" card. Can they manage to win with this card again?
@ Hardraade: Not only unexpected, but very weird! :wacko: And you're happy about moving away from Reconstruction, I think I'm happier! Now I don't need to write about that boring repetition of North vs South. Now we can move forward into the Wild Wild West!
Well, if you weren't expecting the outcome, I did my job well then! @ Legoism: Personally, I think the Electoral System undermines American Democracy. I think a little fushionism of Parliamentary politics along with are (more perfect version) of Congressional politics should be shaped up or something.
@ OAM: And this is why I like politics!
(Just imagine the chaos in today's world had John McCain or Barack Obama died before the Electors cast their vote).@ jpj1421: The Democrats, as it looks, should be on a good path to victory. The only problem is: how many votes did Horace bring in because of his "Liberal Republicans" who were disenfranchised by Grant's Republican Party? And just how far can the Democrats go without third party politics helping them as it did for Greeley. Greeley may have won, but for being on three tickets, I think Grant should be happy how he did with 46% of the vote.
@ CatKnight: The American Party has to move past their regional politics first before becoming a major nationalized party as it did in 1856 (in this AAR). And I can't imagine how it life was like for Brown. One day he's Greeley's running mate, the next day the electors are voting him as Jackson and Coon's running mate.
As for the Electoral College, it undermines American politics (I think). A bit unfair for a few of the smaller states that are right on that cusp of getting an extra seat, but not... just imagine our representation (representative per citizen) rate in like 50 years with 535 set members.
@ Nathan Madien: I think Grant should win an Emmy Award or Oscar for "Best Re-Election win" in American Political History. Greeley, a shame he wasn't a President, now the country has another four years of Grant and his policies. But, then again, Greeley was just a newspaper man.
@ Kurt_Steiner: Little Mac, I kept him in a good light by not losing the war!
That far already! I can't even read up to the Civil War from scratch in just a few days, and I'm the writAAR. @ Enewald & c0d5579 (2): Louisiana and Arkansas went Red (Grant) because the electors for the state decided to vote for Grant because he finished in Second, and with no "first place" candidate, they just voted for Grant. After all, just because a state goes to a certain candidate, doesn't mean the electors have to vote for him. And I think John Bell Hood was the main reason the electors in Louisiana voted for Hood's opposition!
@ FlyingDutchie: Well, it coulda been worst. He coulda lost to a dead man!
The 1876 matchup was a historic matchup, except, Greeley didn't even come close to beating Grant. So it doesn't look like Greeley becoming President was enough to keep him from dying in this timeline.@ c0d5579 (3): :rofl:
@ Serek000: Wow! You're right! Grant might just be the first, full two-term president we've had since, since... he'd be the first in this AAR to carry out a full eight years!
@ Nathan Madien (2): Maybe, maybe not. I'm leaning towards no in 1876, but maybe in 1880 or 1884 he might just come back into American politics.
@ c0d5579 (4): The pendulum is easily swinging in the favor of the Democrats... but the Republicans are still holding tight to the "civil war winners" card. Can they manage to win with this card again?
@ Hardraade: Not only unexpected, but very weird! :wacko: And you're happy about moving away from Reconstruction, I think I'm happier!
Now I don't need to write about that boring repetition of North vs South. Now we can move forward into the Wild Wild West!
Episode Twelve, Part V
Number 19: Ulysses Grant
Party: Republican
50 years old, from Ohio
Another Term For Grant
President Grant, well knowing he was a minority president, having received less than 50% of the popular vote knew that the Republican policies of Wade and himself were not lit in the same eye as that of Abraham Lincoln. Grant coasted into the White House again with a small and unrecognizable second inaugural address where he outlined his plans to push west, and move out of the old North vs. South politics that have been polarizing the nation since the end of 1864.
Into the Wild, Wild West
Beginning in 1873, President Grant issued General Jonathon Pope, a veteran of the Civil War and a brevet Major General in the Western Department under Major General Lew Wallace, who had replaced George Henry Thomas after his death. General Wallace ordered General Pope to conduct a military expedition into the Mountain West territories where Native Americans dominated the landscape.
General Pope’s 18,700-man expedition, called the “Pope Expedition” laid out a series of maps and forts where American settlers could safely travel (from fort to fort) without fear of being attacked by Indians. Starting in Northern Iowa, and moving all the way into Utah, General Pope began constructing a series of forts, all of them 20 to 25 miles apart from each other, a one-day journey for those who would be journeying on horseback or wagon.
General Pope, when reaching Colorado, ordered Colonel Thomas James and Major Lewis Scott’s 5,000 soldiers to continue to trek through the lands as Pope had stationed garrisons at every fort he had so crudely constructed. One week later, the 5,000 soldiers under the command of Colonel James came into direct conflict with Native Americans in the Battle of the Colorado Springs, where 417 American soldiers were killed and wounded while about 500 Cheyenne Indians were killed in their daring raid. Despite the heavy toll of US casualties at the hands of an “inferior enemy and people” the victory, and the engagement showed the resolute determination of native tribes to hold on to what they had left; while the United States realized they would have to conduct a war against these people to continue their push westward.
An Indian attack on American settlers and soldiers, just as this depiction above, was thought to be common. In reality, attacks like this, and the Battle of Colorado Springs were actually very rare.
The American thrust into the new west was, nonetheless, awe-inspiring for anyone around to see it. Hundreds of people, every day, putting their life and families on the line, for the opportunity of a lifetime, and as more and more people moved west, the opposition from Native American tribes would increase… a plague on the next President and the United States military, primarily cavalry, for years to come.
The Crisis of 1873
As expected, the United States had spent herself into oblivion under the Wade and the first-term of the Grant Administration. The coffers were dry with gold and the farmers in the Midwest would suffer the worst. As banks collapsed, the United States was forced to freeze spending and all government programs for the next six months. Despite the move to save the US economy, the average American was outraged as unemployment skyrocketed, and was likely over 25% despite no real polling or identification to prove so.
Hoping to find a quick fix to the problems, Senator Alexander Ramsey of Minnesota (Republican), proposed to coin silver as a means to fix the economic problems and reduce make it easier for the farmers and laborers who were struggling out in the Midwest farmlands. This idea was shot down by Gold-standard Democrats and Republicans, who claimed that such a measure would cause inflation at a level never before seen in the history of the country.
The Crisis of 1873 spilled elsewhere, the Deep South was destroyed by failing businesses, and in the Northeast, the industrial heartland of the country, businesses cut workers left and right to ensure revenue amounts to pay overhead [1] on their businesses. President Grant proclaimed a state of emergency, and the US Treasury Department closed the National Bank of the United States effective immediately under executive orders.
The Crisis ended in 1874 when, after eight months of frozen projects and federal spending was rekindled after massive tax hikes on the rich and middle-class. The Transcontinental Railroad suffered greatly from the crisis as scared businessmen refused to fund a project they were afraid would collapse in the light of the financial panic. Needless to say, the crisis sent a shockwave across the country; the United States couldn’t keep spending money without facing repercussions, and Grant would face the backlash of an angry and upset people in the Midterm Elections.
President Grant issued an executive order to close down the National Bank of the United States after talking to Treasury Secretary George Boutwell. The move caused outrage, shock, and panic amongst the laborers and business owners alike, allowing for the first labor unions to form in America.
New States Admitted into the Union
Despite the panic facing the nation financially, the territories of Colorado and Columbia [British Columbia], were requesting to become the latest states to join the union. Both states drew up state constitutions and proceeded into being admitted into the Union, the state of Colorado being admitted on September 24, 1874 (note, not historical admittance day – August 1876 was historical) and the state of Columbia being admitted into the union on October 13, 1874.
The addition of these two states, so close to an election; led to all four senate and two representative seats (one from each state) to be held in vacancy until the election would settle to determine the seating arrangement by party. Both the Republicans and Democrats fought to gain leverage in the new states, while the American Party was hitting hard rocks from the financial crisis, and determined to let the two main parties fight it out until a more suitable date for the Know Nothings to expand… if they had the chance.
Collapse of the Second American Party
The financial panic was felt everywhere, even in the political arena. The American “Know Nothing” Party, which was revived by San Francisco Mayor Henry Perrin Coon, saw his growing national party lack the funds following the crisis of 1873 to continue to be recognized as a nationalized party. Chapters in New England burned out when businessmen, worried about their private enterprises stop funding their chapters. By 1875, the last “Know Noting” Chapters were delegated to California, Oregon, one in Columbia, and two chapters in New York City.
Citizen Know Nothing once again, collapsed from the political arena, by 1880, the American Party ceased to exist with the final party chapter disappearing from New York City. Despite the fall of the Know Nothing movement, their legacy was left in-tact, and now remembered in most American history books. Coincidentally, most of their supporters rallied around a new emerging political party out in the west and Midwest following the financial panic of 1873.
The Know Nothing Flag, like this one above, was a common sight in the 1840’s and 1850’s, and again in the late 1860’s and into the early 1870’s. However, the collapse of the Know Nothing Movement allowed for many Know Nothings to nationalize into a potentially more potent political force: The Populist Movement, following the Panic of 1873.
[1] Overhead is a business and financial term to describe the amount of money it takes to operate/run a business.
Number 19: Ulysses Grant
Party: Republican
50 years old, from Ohio
Another Term For Grant
President Grant, well knowing he was a minority president, having received less than 50% of the popular vote knew that the Republican policies of Wade and himself were not lit in the same eye as that of Abraham Lincoln. Grant coasted into the White House again with a small and unrecognizable second inaugural address where he outlined his plans to push west, and move out of the old North vs. South politics that have been polarizing the nation since the end of 1864.
Into the Wild, Wild West
Beginning in 1873, President Grant issued General Jonathon Pope, a veteran of the Civil War and a brevet Major General in the Western Department under Major General Lew Wallace, who had replaced George Henry Thomas after his death. General Wallace ordered General Pope to conduct a military expedition into the Mountain West territories where Native Americans dominated the landscape.
General Pope’s 18,700-man expedition, called the “Pope Expedition” laid out a series of maps and forts where American settlers could safely travel (from fort to fort) without fear of being attacked by Indians. Starting in Northern Iowa, and moving all the way into Utah, General Pope began constructing a series of forts, all of them 20 to 25 miles apart from each other, a one-day journey for those who would be journeying on horseback or wagon.
General Pope, when reaching Colorado, ordered Colonel Thomas James and Major Lewis Scott’s 5,000 soldiers to continue to trek through the lands as Pope had stationed garrisons at every fort he had so crudely constructed. One week later, the 5,000 soldiers under the command of Colonel James came into direct conflict with Native Americans in the Battle of the Colorado Springs, where 417 American soldiers were killed and wounded while about 500 Cheyenne Indians were killed in their daring raid. Despite the heavy toll of US casualties at the hands of an “inferior enemy and people” the victory, and the engagement showed the resolute determination of native tribes to hold on to what they had left; while the United States realized they would have to conduct a war against these people to continue their push westward.
An Indian attack on American settlers and soldiers, just as this depiction above, was thought to be common. In reality, attacks like this, and the Battle of Colorado Springs were actually very rare.
The American thrust into the new west was, nonetheless, awe-inspiring for anyone around to see it. Hundreds of people, every day, putting their life and families on the line, for the opportunity of a lifetime, and as more and more people moved west, the opposition from Native American tribes would increase… a plague on the next President and the United States military, primarily cavalry, for years to come.
The Crisis of 1873
As expected, the United States had spent herself into oblivion under the Wade and the first-term of the Grant Administration. The coffers were dry with gold and the farmers in the Midwest would suffer the worst. As banks collapsed, the United States was forced to freeze spending and all government programs for the next six months. Despite the move to save the US economy, the average American was outraged as unemployment skyrocketed, and was likely over 25% despite no real polling or identification to prove so.
Hoping to find a quick fix to the problems, Senator Alexander Ramsey of Minnesota (Republican), proposed to coin silver as a means to fix the economic problems and reduce make it easier for the farmers and laborers who were struggling out in the Midwest farmlands. This idea was shot down by Gold-standard Democrats and Republicans, who claimed that such a measure would cause inflation at a level never before seen in the history of the country.
The Crisis of 1873 spilled elsewhere, the Deep South was destroyed by failing businesses, and in the Northeast, the industrial heartland of the country, businesses cut workers left and right to ensure revenue amounts to pay overhead [1] on their businesses. President Grant proclaimed a state of emergency, and the US Treasury Department closed the National Bank of the United States effective immediately under executive orders.
The Crisis ended in 1874 when, after eight months of frozen projects and federal spending was rekindled after massive tax hikes on the rich and middle-class. The Transcontinental Railroad suffered greatly from the crisis as scared businessmen refused to fund a project they were afraid would collapse in the light of the financial panic. Needless to say, the crisis sent a shockwave across the country; the United States couldn’t keep spending money without facing repercussions, and Grant would face the backlash of an angry and upset people in the Midterm Elections.
President Grant issued an executive order to close down the National Bank of the United States after talking to Treasury Secretary George Boutwell. The move caused outrage, shock, and panic amongst the laborers and business owners alike, allowing for the first labor unions to form in America.
New States Admitted into the Union
Despite the panic facing the nation financially, the territories of Colorado and Columbia [British Columbia], were requesting to become the latest states to join the union. Both states drew up state constitutions and proceeded into being admitted into the Union, the state of Colorado being admitted on September 24, 1874 (note, not historical admittance day – August 1876 was historical) and the state of Columbia being admitted into the union on October 13, 1874.
The addition of these two states, so close to an election; led to all four senate and two representative seats (one from each state) to be held in vacancy until the election would settle to determine the seating arrangement by party. Both the Republicans and Democrats fought to gain leverage in the new states, while the American Party was hitting hard rocks from the financial crisis, and determined to let the two main parties fight it out until a more suitable date for the Know Nothings to expand… if they had the chance.
Collapse of the Second American Party
The financial panic was felt everywhere, even in the political arena. The American “Know Nothing” Party, which was revived by San Francisco Mayor Henry Perrin Coon, saw his growing national party lack the funds following the crisis of 1873 to continue to be recognized as a nationalized party. Chapters in New England burned out when businessmen, worried about their private enterprises stop funding their chapters. By 1875, the last “Know Noting” Chapters were delegated to California, Oregon, one in Columbia, and two chapters in New York City.
Citizen Know Nothing once again, collapsed from the political arena, by 1880, the American Party ceased to exist with the final party chapter disappearing from New York City. Despite the fall of the Know Nothing movement, their legacy was left in-tact, and now remembered in most American history books. Coincidentally, most of their supporters rallied around a new emerging political party out in the west and Midwest following the financial panic of 1873.
The Know Nothing Flag, like this one above, was a common sight in the 1840’s and 1850’s, and again in the late 1860’s and into the early 1870’s. However, the collapse of the Know Nothing Movement allowed for many Know Nothings to nationalize into a potentially more potent political force: The Populist Movement, following the Panic of 1873.
[1] Overhead is a business and financial term to describe the amount of money it takes to operate/run a business.
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