Triple Calamity: What if the Three Most Important Men in the Executive Branch Died in One Night?
- Thread starter Mr.Q
- Start date
Haitian War Timeline
1891
June 1st: President Legitime is assassinated by a disgruntled citizen.
June 9th: The Haitian Assembly selects Monpoint Jackson as the next President of Haiti over Florvil Hyppolite after an emergency election.
June 10th: Due to Jackson's pro-business stances and neutral American stances, General Tiresias Simon Sam of the Haitian army enters Port-Au-Prince and occupies governmental buildings. The same day Jackson flees the capitol, Sam inaugurates Hyppolite (a Haitian nationalist) to the presidency.
June 11th: Jackson flees to Saint Marc. There he meets with the Dominican Goods Corporation at their center in Saint Marc, who offers him monetary support.
June 12th: Hyppolite declares Jackson an outlaw and declares martial law across the nation.
June 13th: President Grant is informed of the situation just a few hours after Jackson declares Saint Marc to be the provisional capitol.
June 14th: Jackson's loyalists raise an army with the support of the Goods Corporation.
June 14th: Hyppolite sends out General Sam to Saint Marc with orders to capture the city.
June 15th: The Haitain Army camps outside Saint Marc and orders Jackson's surrender within 24 hours.
June 16th: The Battle of Saint Marc takes place, and a stray artillery shell hits the Goods Companies' refinery just outside Saint Marc. Six Americans are killed, along with 15 Haitian workers.
June 17th: President Grant is informed of the deaths. Secretary Miles formally requests a declaration of war against Haiti.
June 17th: The Battle of Saint Marc ends in an army victory. Jackson again flees, this time to the American border, along with some escaping American businessmen.
June 17th: President Hyppolite formally apologizes for the incident.
June 18th: As newspapers across the US pick up the story, Grant allows Jackson asylum in Dominica. He refuses to comment on the situation.
June 19th: President Hyppolite offers reparations and recompense for the deaths of the Americans.
June 20th–21st: Revolts and protests against Hyppolite begin across Haiti.
June 22nd: Grant announces that the six dead American lives will not be lost in vain.
June 23rd: President Grant asks Congress to declare war on Haiti for the killing of Americans, the threat to American businesses, and the threat to the State of Dominica. The resolution passes 311-28.
June 24th: Hypoplite declares that the US is no enemy and calls for peace.
June 25th: General William Shafter is dispatched to Miami with 5000 men. His orders are to sail to Dominica as soon as possible.
June 26th: The State Department cuts off all communication with Port-Au-Prince.
June 27th: Haitian insurgents and militias begin to cross the border into Dominica and attack American settlers. Within hours, the Dominican Nation Guard is ordered to send them back over the border. Without any losses, they are successful, killing 24 Haitians.
June 28th–July 5th: No major combat.
July 1st: Captain George Dewey is sent aboard the USS Iowa to Port-Au-Prince Bay. Iowa arrives just outside the bay on the 2nd; guns idle, she waits ominously on the horizon.
July 3rd: Shafter and American troops arrive in Santo Domingo and set out for the border.
July 6th: After handling the remaining Haitian insurgents in Dominica, Shafter crosses the border and occupies Cornillion within a day.
July 8th: Shafter meets with President Jackson and helps raise up American-supporting rebels.
July 11th: The first true skirmish of the war begins as the Haitian Army is caught in Shafter's trap outside Cornillion. After a crushing Haitian defeat, Shafter chases them down.
July 13th: General Sam loses a second skirmish to Shafter about halfway to Port-Au-Prince.
July 13th: After the skirmish, President Jackson is sent ahead with 500 American men and 2000 Haitian Loyalists in hopes that they will gain more support. Shafter, planning for a long game, moves north towards Saint Marc to free up the Dominican Goods Company.
July 15th: Jackson arrives in Port-Au-Prince; though initially outnumbered by Sam and the Army, a riot quickly begins among the terrified populace. Iowa finally decides to sail into the Bay directly.
July 16th: During the chaos, President Hyppolite flees the Capitol, going south.
July 18th: General Sam gets the upper hand on the rioters and President Jackson. Requests for help is sent to the Iowa in the Bay. Captain Dewey orders a bombardment of Port-au-Prince.
July 18th: The city cannons fire at the Iowa; three sailors are killed, but the city defense is no match for the guns. The coastline is leveled, and hundreds of civilians are killed. The chaos led to mass surrenders by the Haitian army. General Sam is captured.
July 19th: General Shafter fights a third skirmish outside Saint Marc before taking the city.
July 20th: Shafter supports the Dominican Goods Company in getting back up and running. He then learns of the battle in the Capitol and rushes south.
July 22nd: Shafter arrives in Port-Au-Prince and watches the second inauguration of Monpoint Jackson. Shafter and Dewey declare victory.
July 23rd: A manhunt for Hyppolite begins as the whole nation is placed under American occupation with little resistance.
July 25th: Shafter assists the Goods Company in gaining favorable contracts in every city in Haiti.
July 29th: Hyppolite officially surrenders. The next day, he is shot alongside General Sam.
August 28th: The Treaty of Savannah is signed, keeping Haiti "independent" though under American occupation.
September 3rd: Dewey and Shafter are given a parade in New York City. President Grant gives out medals to both.
June 1st: President Legitime is assassinated by a disgruntled citizen.
June 9th: The Haitian Assembly selects Monpoint Jackson as the next President of Haiti over Florvil Hyppolite after an emergency election.
June 10th: Due to Jackson's pro-business stances and neutral American stances, General Tiresias Simon Sam of the Haitian army enters Port-Au-Prince and occupies governmental buildings. The same day Jackson flees the capitol, Sam inaugurates Hyppolite (a Haitian nationalist) to the presidency.
June 11th: Jackson flees to Saint Marc. There he meets with the Dominican Goods Corporation at their center in Saint Marc, who offers him monetary support.
June 12th: Hyppolite declares Jackson an outlaw and declares martial law across the nation.
June 13th: President Grant is informed of the situation just a few hours after Jackson declares Saint Marc to be the provisional capitol.
June 14th: Jackson's loyalists raise an army with the support of the Goods Corporation.
June 14th: Hyppolite sends out General Sam to Saint Marc with orders to capture the city.
June 15th: The Haitain Army camps outside Saint Marc and orders Jackson's surrender within 24 hours.
June 16th: The Battle of Saint Marc takes place, and a stray artillery shell hits the Goods Companies' refinery just outside Saint Marc. Six Americans are killed, along with 15 Haitian workers.
June 17th: President Grant is informed of the deaths. Secretary Miles formally requests a declaration of war against Haiti.
June 17th: The Battle of Saint Marc ends in an army victory. Jackson again flees, this time to the American border, along with some escaping American businessmen.
June 17th: President Hyppolite formally apologizes for the incident.
June 18th: As newspapers across the US pick up the story, Grant allows Jackson asylum in Dominica. He refuses to comment on the situation.
June 19th: President Hyppolite offers reparations and recompense for the deaths of the Americans.
June 20th–21st: Revolts and protests against Hyppolite begin across Haiti.
June 22nd: Grant announces that the six dead American lives will not be lost in vain.
June 23rd: President Grant asks Congress to declare war on Haiti for the killing of Americans, the threat to American businesses, and the threat to the State of Dominica. The resolution passes 311-28.
June 24th: Hypoplite declares that the US is no enemy and calls for peace.
June 25th: General William Shafter is dispatched to Miami with 5000 men. His orders are to sail to Dominica as soon as possible.
June 26th: The State Department cuts off all communication with Port-Au-Prince.
June 27th: Haitian insurgents and militias begin to cross the border into Dominica and attack American settlers. Within hours, the Dominican Nation Guard is ordered to send them back over the border. Without any losses, they are successful, killing 24 Haitians.
June 28th–July 5th: No major combat.
July 1st: Captain George Dewey is sent aboard the USS Iowa to Port-Au-Prince Bay. Iowa arrives just outside the bay on the 2nd; guns idle, she waits ominously on the horizon.
July 3rd: Shafter and American troops arrive in Santo Domingo and set out for the border.
July 6th: After handling the remaining Haitian insurgents in Dominica, Shafter crosses the border and occupies Cornillion within a day.
July 8th: Shafter meets with President Jackson and helps raise up American-supporting rebels.
July 11th: The first true skirmish of the war begins as the Haitian Army is caught in Shafter's trap outside Cornillion. After a crushing Haitian defeat, Shafter chases them down.
July 13th: General Sam loses a second skirmish to Shafter about halfway to Port-Au-Prince.
July 13th: After the skirmish, President Jackson is sent ahead with 500 American men and 2000 Haitian Loyalists in hopes that they will gain more support. Shafter, planning for a long game, moves north towards Saint Marc to free up the Dominican Goods Company.
July 15th: Jackson arrives in Port-Au-Prince; though initially outnumbered by Sam and the Army, a riot quickly begins among the terrified populace. Iowa finally decides to sail into the Bay directly.
July 16th: During the chaos, President Hyppolite flees the Capitol, going south.
July 18th: General Sam gets the upper hand on the rioters and President Jackson. Requests for help is sent to the Iowa in the Bay. Captain Dewey orders a bombardment of Port-au-Prince.
July 18th: The city cannons fire at the Iowa; three sailors are killed, but the city defense is no match for the guns. The coastline is leveled, and hundreds of civilians are killed. The chaos led to mass surrenders by the Haitian army. General Sam is captured.
July 19th: General Shafter fights a third skirmish outside Saint Marc before taking the city.
July 20th: Shafter supports the Dominican Goods Company in getting back up and running. He then learns of the battle in the Capitol and rushes south.
July 22nd: Shafter arrives in Port-Au-Prince and watches the second inauguration of Monpoint Jackson. Shafter and Dewey declare victory.
July 23rd: A manhunt for Hyppolite begins as the whole nation is placed under American occupation with little resistance.
July 25th: Shafter assists the Goods Company in gaining favorable contracts in every city in Haiti.
July 29th: Hyppolite officially surrenders. The next day, he is shot alongside General Sam.
August 28th: The Treaty of Savannah is signed, keeping Haiti "independent" though under American occupation.
September 3rd: Dewey and Shafter are given a parade in New York City. President Grant gives out medals to both.
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Pictures from Haiti
American troops heading to the Haitian border.
An American Solider overlooking loyalist rebels during the Battle of Port-Au-Prince.
American Troops outside Saint Marc after days of walking.
The USS Iowa after leaving Charleston Bay, headed to Haiti.
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Mini Chapter: Grant, Pershing, Custer and Bryan
January 18th, 1892
"What do you think, Fred?" Nelson Miles looked to Grant. Miles was in full military uniform; he wore it to every damn cabinet meeting. Miles removed his reading glasses and raised his eyebrows.
"Well, uh, I think Nelson is right. Any insurgents in Haiti ought to be put down with haste," the president slumped back in his seat. He was tired. These meetings had become tiresome; he wished that he could be the general occupying Haiti, but no, he was stuck with leading the Union. The worst goddamn job in the fucking Union.
"Very well! Shall I have the preliminary restrictions removed?" Miles again looked at Grant with a semi-stern look.
"Yes, Nelson, you should. Mr. Lodge, how's the end of the occupation in the rust belt going along?" Henry Cabot Lodge piped up and smiled at Grant.
"Well, Mr. President, it's going smoothly; the first and second corps are leaving as we speak. To my understanding, there has been no violence. The Illinois and Ohio guards did report some vandalism earlier in the morning, but nothing to worry about." Grant smiled. Some good news.
"Excellent Henry, thank you."
"Mr. President, if I may inquire, How has convincing the party bosses of the merits of the Booker Bill gone?" Grant slumped back down again.
"Well Henry,-" Grant was stopped. At the end of the table, an old man sat up and began to speak with a gravelly voice.
"I'm giving it my all, Mr. Lodge. The RNC is hesitant to make the bill so front and center on the campaign trail.” Rutherford B. Hayes looked a hundred, and despite all of Grant's contempt, that old man ran the party. Grant gritted his teeth. He looked at the men in his cabinet and then took a deep breath.
"Gentlemen, I've been meaning to tell you..." Hayes again piped up in the middle of Grant's sentence.
"You aren't running. Aren't you a boy?" Grant turned to look at Hayes. Hayes smiled so wide that he started to cough.
"How did you?"
"Thank christ."
"Excuse me!" Grant raised his voice and looked at Hayes.
"Show some respect, Mr. Hayes," Miles said from the other side of the room.
"Mr. President, I think you should reconsider."
"I don't," again, Hayes was deadly serious, cutting Miles off. Again, Grant turned. Again, Hayes let out a cough.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?" Grant screamed that time. It had gotten to him. Quickly, he realized his mistake. Hayes smiled and laughed.
"I am your boss, Pipsqueak! Who do I think I am? Who do you think you are, boy!?" Grant went quiet, as did the rest of the room.
"I'll tell you! You are jackshit! Your only worth comes from your name; you are a brute, a fool, and a failure! A failure upwards perhaps, but one nonetheless," Hayes stood up.
"DO NOT THINK THAT YOUR FANCY HOUSE MAKES YOU SKILLED! IT MAKES YOU PRIVLE, AH!" Hayes began to cough violently. He grabbed the table, then he grabbed his chest.
"CHRIST!" Hayes hit the ground, coughing. Miles rushed over and propped him up.
"Fuck, someone get a doctor!"
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January 6th, 1893
The soft sounds of the spoon clinking against the coffee cup emanated throughout the tent. Lieutenant John J. Pershing had woken up just ten minutes ago. It was now his 22nd day in this junglescape. He could hear the calling of exotic birds outside. Pershing hadn't wanted to map out and pre-settle land in West Africa. He had wanted to stay at West Point and continue his instruction. He felt like command was sending him away to the edge of the world for nothing.
At least morale was high enough. It's rare that the men are still chipper this far in; only five have been lost. Mostly malaria. One to some sort of bug bite.
"Lieutenant! Lieutenant!" A young scout rushed into his tent, covered in dirt. He haphazardly saluted Pershing.
"Christ, can it wait?" Pershing placed his mug down.
"No, sir, I'm afraid not! In the distance, a large army is coming!" Pershing's eyes widened.
"What?! A tribe?"
"No sir! I couldn't get a good look, but they looked white; there must be a few hundred rustling around out there. I couldn't get a good look with all the foliage." The scout was panting heavily.
"Breathe. It's alright." Pershing stood and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"How long do we have?" The scout looked up.
"A few hours at the latest."
"Did they seem hostile?"
"I couldn't tell."
"Thank you, private; get some rest." Pershing saluted the scout and then exited his tent.
"Jack!" An officer looked up.
"You heard, sir?" Pershing nodded.
"Yes, tell the men to be at attention." Captain Jack Fowler saluted and started yelling at the men to get up and be at attention. Pershing's son heard distant yelling. Before he had time to properly react, three horsemen rode into the center of the camp, causing a commotion. The men wore khaki and yelled out.
"Where is your commanding officer?!" Pershing strolled up to the horsemen and yelled back.
"That would be me! Lt. John Pershing, United States African Expedition!"
"Ah! Hello Lieutenant! I am Major Thomas Downing of her majesty's Sierra Leone garrison. I regret to inform you that you have seemingly trespassed into British territory." Downing smiled at Pershing, who gave him a perplexed look. Pershing looked to Jack, who quickly shrugged.
"Major, correct me if I'm wrong, but the Niger River is behind us, right?"
"Yes, Lieutenant, it is indeed."
"Well, then I regret to inform you that you are trespassing on American territory. In just under a month, some settlers are set to arrive and"
"You are mistaken, Mr. Pershing!"
"I am definitely not Mr. Downing!" The two men awkwardly stared at one another for a few moments before Downing spoke again.
"Well, this is unfortunate. Lieutenant, by order of Governor Fleming, you must leave this territory and return to Liberia within 48 hours," Pershing smiled.
"I see, well, Major, by order of the President, I am not to leave this territory until settlers arrive in a few weeks." Downing's demeanor changed from chipper to serious.
"If you do not vacate this territory, I shall have you forcibly removed from it."
"What if I don't want to be forcibly removed?" Pershing smiled.
"That would be a predicament, wouldn't it?" Pershing followed up. Downing opened his mouth to respond, but was beat to the punch again by Pershing.
"You three enjoy whiskey?" The Brits stared at Pershing.
"Maybe we can, uh, sort this out over a bottle."
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May 8th, 1892
"Dear Governor Custer,
You are honorably invited to the 1892 Liberal National Convention, to be held on the 15th of July inside the beautiful Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Sincerely,
The Liberal National Committee"
Thomas Custer placed the letter down on his desk and stared at it. Less of a letter and more of a note card. They didn't even write a thoughtful message. Custer let out a small laugh all alone in his office. He would finish what George started. Ever since 1888, Libbie has turned her attention to Thomas. After all, his political career was going somewhere, and George had seemingly gotten tired of it all.
Thomas took the letter and placed it in his drawer. He then put his reading glasses back on and continued to half-read his morning briefing. All the words were tiring; he'd have some aide read them out to him in simpler terms later. All of this was a sideshow anyway. The real game was about to begin.
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May 22nd, 1892
"The House is adjourned!" Speaker Reed hit the gavel to the podium, and the House began to light up with conversion. For the eighth week in a row, the silver bill has stagnated. Repressive William Jennings Bryan sat in the back of the room in extreme disappointment. These people were refusing to lift a finger to do damn near anything. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bearded man approach him.
"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Bryan. The Liberals won't do a damn thing," James Weaver said in a consoling tone.
"Oh yes, I understand that, Mr. Weaver. They cannot see sense in a good bill if they have the eyes of a hawk," Weaver frowned.
"The unfortunate truth of politics, Mr. Bryan. Have no fear; we will get that damn bill of yours through, just maybe not in this Congress. Speaking of, I was wondering if you planned to come to the People's Convention next month in Topeka," Bryan smiled.
"Yes, sir, I plan to return west for the occasion." Weaver smiled brightly at that response.
"I'm glad to hear it! If you weren't 32, I'd personally nominate you for the Vice Presidency!"
"Thank you, sir; it's an honor coming from you."
"You do plan to speak at the convention? Yes?"
"Yes, Mr. Weaver, I do."
"Good, in that case, could I ask you a favor?"
"Of course!" Weaver went into a hushed tone and leaned in.
"How would you like to nominate me for the presidency next month in Topeka?" Bryan looked up at Weaver in shock.
"Why, it would be the honor of my life, sir."
"Good. I'll see you there, Will." Weaver gave him a pat on the back and left the floor. Bryan sat, frozen in time.
"What do you think, Fred?" Nelson Miles looked to Grant. Miles was in full military uniform; he wore it to every damn cabinet meeting. Miles removed his reading glasses and raised his eyebrows.
"Well, uh, I think Nelson is right. Any insurgents in Haiti ought to be put down with haste," the president slumped back in his seat. He was tired. These meetings had become tiresome; he wished that he could be the general occupying Haiti, but no, he was stuck with leading the Union. The worst goddamn job in the fucking Union.
"Very well! Shall I have the preliminary restrictions removed?" Miles again looked at Grant with a semi-stern look.
"Yes, Nelson, you should. Mr. Lodge, how's the end of the occupation in the rust belt going along?" Henry Cabot Lodge piped up and smiled at Grant.
"Well, Mr. President, it's going smoothly; the first and second corps are leaving as we speak. To my understanding, there has been no violence. The Illinois and Ohio guards did report some vandalism earlier in the morning, but nothing to worry about." Grant smiled. Some good news.
"Excellent Henry, thank you."
"Mr. President, if I may inquire, How has convincing the party bosses of the merits of the Booker Bill gone?" Grant slumped back down again.
"Well Henry,-" Grant was stopped. At the end of the table, an old man sat up and began to speak with a gravelly voice.
"I'm giving it my all, Mr. Lodge. The RNC is hesitant to make the bill so front and center on the campaign trail.” Rutherford B. Hayes looked a hundred, and despite all of Grant's contempt, that old man ran the party. Grant gritted his teeth. He looked at the men in his cabinet and then took a deep breath.
"Gentlemen, I've been meaning to tell you..." Hayes again piped up in the middle of Grant's sentence.
"You aren't running. Aren't you a boy?" Grant turned to look at Hayes. Hayes smiled so wide that he started to cough.
"How did you?"
"Thank christ."
"Excuse me!" Grant raised his voice and looked at Hayes.
"Show some respect, Mr. Hayes," Miles said from the other side of the room.
"Mr. President, I think you should reconsider."
"I don't," again, Hayes was deadly serious, cutting Miles off. Again, Grant turned. Again, Hayes let out a cough.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?" Grant screamed that time. It had gotten to him. Quickly, he realized his mistake. Hayes smiled and laughed.
"I am your boss, Pipsqueak! Who do I think I am? Who do you think you are, boy!?" Grant went quiet, as did the rest of the room.
"I'll tell you! You are jackshit! Your only worth comes from your name; you are a brute, a fool, and a failure! A failure upwards perhaps, but one nonetheless," Hayes stood up.
"DO NOT THINK THAT YOUR FANCY HOUSE MAKES YOU SKILLED! IT MAKES YOU PRIVLE, AH!" Hayes began to cough violently. He grabbed the table, then he grabbed his chest.
"CHRIST!" Hayes hit the ground, coughing. Miles rushed over and propped him up.
"Fuck, someone get a doctor!"
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January 6th, 1893
The soft sounds of the spoon clinking against the coffee cup emanated throughout the tent. Lieutenant John J. Pershing had woken up just ten minutes ago. It was now his 22nd day in this junglescape. He could hear the calling of exotic birds outside. Pershing hadn't wanted to map out and pre-settle land in West Africa. He had wanted to stay at West Point and continue his instruction. He felt like command was sending him away to the edge of the world for nothing.
At least morale was high enough. It's rare that the men are still chipper this far in; only five have been lost. Mostly malaria. One to some sort of bug bite.
"Lieutenant! Lieutenant!" A young scout rushed into his tent, covered in dirt. He haphazardly saluted Pershing.
"Christ, can it wait?" Pershing placed his mug down.
"No, sir, I'm afraid not! In the distance, a large army is coming!" Pershing's eyes widened.
"What?! A tribe?"
"No sir! I couldn't get a good look, but they looked white; there must be a few hundred rustling around out there. I couldn't get a good look with all the foliage." The scout was panting heavily.
"Breathe. It's alright." Pershing stood and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"How long do we have?" The scout looked up.
"A few hours at the latest."
"Did they seem hostile?"
"I couldn't tell."
"Thank you, private; get some rest." Pershing saluted the scout and then exited his tent.
"Jack!" An officer looked up.
"You heard, sir?" Pershing nodded.
"Yes, tell the men to be at attention." Captain Jack Fowler saluted and started yelling at the men to get up and be at attention. Pershing's son heard distant yelling. Before he had time to properly react, three horsemen rode into the center of the camp, causing a commotion. The men wore khaki and yelled out.
"Where is your commanding officer?!" Pershing strolled up to the horsemen and yelled back.
"That would be me! Lt. John Pershing, United States African Expedition!"
"Ah! Hello Lieutenant! I am Major Thomas Downing of her majesty's Sierra Leone garrison. I regret to inform you that you have seemingly trespassed into British territory." Downing smiled at Pershing, who gave him a perplexed look. Pershing looked to Jack, who quickly shrugged.
"Major, correct me if I'm wrong, but the Niger River is behind us, right?"
"Yes, Lieutenant, it is indeed."
"Well, then I regret to inform you that you are trespassing on American territory. In just under a month, some settlers are set to arrive and"
"You are mistaken, Mr. Pershing!"
"I am definitely not Mr. Downing!" The two men awkwardly stared at one another for a few moments before Downing spoke again.
"Well, this is unfortunate. Lieutenant, by order of Governor Fleming, you must leave this territory and return to Liberia within 48 hours," Pershing smiled.
"I see, well, Major, by order of the President, I am not to leave this territory until settlers arrive in a few weeks." Downing's demeanor changed from chipper to serious.
"If you do not vacate this territory, I shall have you forcibly removed from it."
"What if I don't want to be forcibly removed?" Pershing smiled.
"That would be a predicament, wouldn't it?" Pershing followed up. Downing opened his mouth to respond, but was beat to the punch again by Pershing.
"You three enjoy whiskey?" The Brits stared at Pershing.
"Maybe we can, uh, sort this out over a bottle."
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May 8th, 1892
"Dear Governor Custer,
You are honorably invited to the 1892 Liberal National Convention, to be held on the 15th of July inside the beautiful Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Sincerely,
The Liberal National Committee"
Thomas Custer placed the letter down on his desk and stared at it. Less of a letter and more of a note card. They didn't even write a thoughtful message. Custer let out a small laugh all alone in his office. He would finish what George started. Ever since 1888, Libbie has turned her attention to Thomas. After all, his political career was going somewhere, and George had seemingly gotten tired of it all.
Thomas took the letter and placed it in his drawer. He then put his reading glasses back on and continued to half-read his morning briefing. All the words were tiring; he'd have some aide read them out to him in simpler terms later. All of this was a sideshow anyway. The real game was about to begin.
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May 22nd, 1892
"The House is adjourned!" Speaker Reed hit the gavel to the podium, and the House began to light up with conversion. For the eighth week in a row, the silver bill has stagnated. Repressive William Jennings Bryan sat in the back of the room in extreme disappointment. These people were refusing to lift a finger to do damn near anything. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bearded man approach him.
"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Bryan. The Liberals won't do a damn thing," James Weaver said in a consoling tone.
"Oh yes, I understand that, Mr. Weaver. They cannot see sense in a good bill if they have the eyes of a hawk," Weaver frowned.
"The unfortunate truth of politics, Mr. Bryan. Have no fear; we will get that damn bill of yours through, just maybe not in this Congress. Speaking of, I was wondering if you planned to come to the People's Convention next month in Topeka," Bryan smiled.
"Yes, sir, I plan to return west for the occasion." Weaver smiled brightly at that response.
"I'm glad to hear it! If you weren't 32, I'd personally nominate you for the Vice Presidency!"
"Thank you, sir; it's an honor coming from you."
"You do plan to speak at the convention? Yes?"
"Yes, Mr. Weaver, I do."
"Good, in that case, could I ask you a favor?"
"Of course!" Weaver went into a hushed tone and leaned in.
"How would you like to nominate me for the presidency next month in Topeka?" Bryan looked up at Weaver in shock.
"Why, it would be the honor of my life, sir."
"Good. I'll see you there, Will." Weaver gave him a pat on the back and left the floor. Bryan sat, frozen in time.
-
NOMINATIONS TO BEGIN TOMMORROW!
NOMINATIONS TO BEGIN TOMMORROW!
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Good chapter, hope nothing bad happens in Africa between the Americans and British.
Funny that the redeemers hate the black people but when they want to leave suddenly their states they are like hell no 🤣.The Hancock Cabinet
Vice President George B. McClellan Secretary of State Thomas Bayard Secretary of the Treasury Wade Hampton Secretary of War John Cochran Attorney General Lucius QC. Lamar II (Until 1883), Charles O'Conner (Until 1884) Secretary of the Navy John A. McClernand Secretary of the Interior George Hearst Postmaster General William F. Vilas
"When one discusses the Presidency of Winfield Scott Hancock, they often stick their focus on the Louisianian Affair and his congressional troubles. While I will certainly be bringing both issues up in extensive detail later on, first we must discuss how Hancock handled the other duties of the Executive Mansion...
Foreign Policy was perhaps the second most glaring issue for the Hancock administration. Hancock was quick to ignore the rest of the world, often leaning on SoS Bayard for any and all matters abroad. The primary matter of the day that concerned the US, was the chaos that erupted from South America. After President Adams refused arbitration in the Paraguayan matter, the land was left in limbo. That was until President Roca marched Argentinian men into the territory anyways. Brazil quickly mobilized for a battle with their southern neighbor. DC attempted to arbitrate a peaceful settlement. However, Hancock's terms were unacceptable to both nations. The flare up of the conflict was largely an embarrassment to Hancock and Bayard... [1}
In 1882, President Hancock signed the 'Eastern Orient Alien Act' restricting all immigration from East Asia, primarily of course, from China. Today this is recognized for it's racist dogma and horrid effects on Asian communities in the US, however in the 1880's it was seen as a strong bill and continued to balloon Hancock's popularity among the states on the Pacific coast. In fact domestically, Hancock was seen as a strong President until the Louisianan affair. Due mostly to the Liberals in Congress being willing to work with him. Hancock was successful in passing further Civil Service Reform, comprising on the tariff issue, and saving face when initially pulling the troops from the south.
Then, everything changed... I won't bore you with the details of the Louisianian affair. I've already done a watchie on that. It's aftermath however is instrumental. Famously Hancock's wife, said that her husband was never the same after. Hancock was extremely guilty over the whole ordeal and began to pick up drinking. He couldn't even bare to meet Louis Andrieux when he arrived in DC under Federal Marshal protection. In the aftermath, Hancock's letters to Congress began to be entirely ignored. In meetings with Liberal and Republican congressmen he was given an icy treatment. In particular the Liberal Speaker of the House Alexander McCure of Pennsylvania (Replacing Speaker Maynard who retired in 1882) had a particular hate for the President and only spoke to him via intermediaries.
This icy treatment wasn't just from the radicals, it came from reactionaries as well. Redeemers would refuse to meet with Hancock at all, furious that he was supporting Freedmen in their move out of the failed reconstruction states. (This was also untrue, congress was doing this not Hancock. Overturning the President's vetoes.) Nonetheless, the Redeemers didn't give a damn. Hancock had just become a lame duck, spiralling the aging diabetic President, further into the bottle. In the background thousands of freedman left Louisiana, the Carolinas and Mississippi. Most went to successful reconstruction states, some to Lincoln, many to New York and New England. Southern Democrats did damn near anything they could, legally or illegally to keep the freedman within their states. Defying congressional orders, terrorizing black families and even giving marginal pay raises to those in the fields.
Throughout 1883 and 1884, Hancock's only friends were the Bourbon Democrats and his cabinet. (Minus the Attorney General Lamar who was fired for insubordination after the Louisianian Affair.) Moving in to the 1884 DNC it was clear that forces within the party planned to unseat the now unwilling and unhealthy Hancock. However they wouldn't get the chance. While meeting with Senator John Sherman in the White House on May 22nd 1884 Hancock suffered a massive heart attack. [2]. He grasped for air and died in Sherman's arms. His last words were 'I'm so sorry.'
We don't know if Hancock was planning to run for re-election or not, evidence is conflicting. We know he hated the job, but we also know that the general public had a strong sense of empathy for the depressed General. He also maintained a strong base among western delegates. But hey, this channel isn't about counterfactuals. It's about the truth.
The same day Hancock passed, Vice President George McClellan 'Little Mac', assumed the Office of the Presidency 20 years after first running for the office. McClellan was perhaps an even larger Bourbon Democrat than Hancock. He planned on getting the damn Democratic nomination. Apparently he said to SoS Bayard on the 25th of May...
'Tom, I'll be the Democratic nominee, my destiny does not stop for traitors...'"
-From Watchie Channel Tommy's History
by Tom Kingsley, published 2020 [3]
-
[1]: This war ends in a stalemate. Paraguay ends up being restored as a Brazilian puppet state in the northern half of the Nation. Argentina annexes the rest. The wto nations are still at odds, the peace is tenuous to say the least.
[2]: OTL Hancock died in 1886. He was super unhealthy and the stress of his job just cut his life short. The Curse of Tippecanoe lives on.
[3]: ITL equivalent of YouTube
Thanks for reading! Get hyped for the next DNCI'm gonna get you the 1880 census results by tonight DON'T WORRY!
If the black population leaves their oppressive state and moves elsewhere, succeeding in making a life for themselves, there will be no use for the Redeemers. They need the black populace around to continuously justify their hatred and belief of white superiority.
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It's one the more intriguing hypocrisies of the late nineteenth century. It's actually worse ITL too, many freedmen don't need to run all the way north, some like in Mississippi only have to cross one state border into Alabama or Florida to be infinitely better off.
ITL the best states in the country for black people are Lincoln (obviously), Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and Grant.
The First Round of Nominations
THE PEOPLE'S NATIONAL CONVENTION: June 21st-June 25th 1892, Topeka Kansas
"The People's Party National Convention was the largest gathering of American Progressives in history. The Farmers Alliance, the Prohibition Party, the Knights of Labor, the Greenback Party, the Nationalist Clubs, representatives from the Democratic and Freedmen Parties, the Anti-Monopoly Party, and the Labor Reform Party all sent representatives. Former Republicans, Democrats, and even a couple Liberals were in the hall; the air was vibrant. Hundreds of journalists were there to take notes. 'The People's Convention' is incredibly well recorded.
A lot of politicians were floated for the nomination. Perhaps most interestingly was the number of people who predicted a labor nominee, someone who was tied to labor unions. After the 'Great Strike', labor had become violently unpopular out east, but in the west and among the lower classes, labor leaders were seen as American folk hero's. People like Eugene Debs and Terrence Powderly became household names. These more socialist options for the nomination represented a little under half of the delegates in Topeka. The other two major factions of the Party were the farmers, represented by western politicians, primarily the famed James Weaver, who had taken on a position as the de facto leader of the Party, and Charles Macune, who led the Farmers Alliance. Finally, there were the Southern Populists. Most of these men were former Democrats from failed reconstruction states who represented white populism. Weaver believed it vital to placate the south more than the north in the convention. He believed that it was possible to convince the Democrats to nominate the populist candidate if there was a southern populist on the ticket; after all, their party had become limited to just a regional party; if the populists did well, they'd be back in the game!
The candidates for the presidential nomination were all expected. Edward Bellamy and Terrence Powderly split the labor vote on ballot one. Weaver was immediately the frontrunner but was being split by Macune's farmers and Field's southern men. Weaver had gotten an early boost from a young Nebraskan congressman named William Jennings Bryan. Bryan had become famous for his efforts on a silver bill in Congress; his speech in nominating Weaver gained a 20-minute standing ovation, hailing him as the poor man's champion and the breaker of monopoly power. Bryan's speech was so good that when it made it to the papers, the People's Convention gained a lot more traction. Even people in New York started to follow the latest.
On the second ballot, Powderly and Bellamy teamed up, uniting most of the Labor vote, but it wasn't enough. As the third ballot approached, some began to get jittery over the prospect of a long haul. Bryan and some other strong orators began to whip farmer votes to show any sign of voting change. They were successful in raising Weaver's overall share. Afterwards, the flood gates broke open. Weaver promised to support a southern man for the Vice Presidency, and with the united southern and western votes and further promises to include labor leaders in any future administration, Weaver was selected as the nominee on the fourth ballot by a huge margin.
True to his word, by the time of the vice presidential ballot, Weaver and many farmers had supported a surprise choice. The former Democratic nominee for Vice President and South Carolinian Governor is Benjamin Tillman. Tillman shared nearly every view that your average populist had on the economy. One of the main reasons he hadn't joined the People's Party was its nonexistence in his home state. But for Weaver's hope of uniting the populists and Democrats, he was the perfect choice. Again, William Jennings Bryan was asked to give the speech, placing Tillman's name in contention. Once again, his speech was excellent and persuasive, tactfully ignoring Tillman's views on race and emphasizing his views on the economic woes of the nation. The vote was generally region-based, with the southern and western delegates supporting him and the midwestern delegates supporting the young Eugene Debs.
There was some discontent among the laborers over Tillman's white supremacist views, but Weaver and Bryan made some more concessions and agreements that convinced them not to bolt.
Tillman didn't know about his nomination until a day later. Upon learning this, he decided that he would only accept if the Democratic National Convention asked him too.
PEOPLE'S NOMINEES
For President: James B. Weaver
For Vice President: Benjamin Tillman
THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION: June 29th-July 1st 1892, Atlanta Georgia
SHALL WE NOMINATE MR. JAMES WEAVER FOR PRESIDENT AND MR. BENJAMIN TILLMAN FOR VICE PRESIDENT?
Almost as soon as the Democratic National Convention ended, the battle for the Democratic Party began. Populist donors and politicians hopped on trains from Topeka straight towards the south. For four days, heated negotiations began with every single one of the 910 Democratic delegates. Though Tillman didn't personally negotiate with anyone, he was almost certainly involved behind the scenes. Tillman pulled as many strings as he could without making it seem explicit, to gain votes moving into the convention.
When the actual convention finally came, all the populist handwork not only came to fruition but seemed to be a waste! Damn, everyone in the hall agreed to nominate the people's ticket. With the exception of some leftover Bourbon Democrats, the party was united in this decision. They knew more uniquely than anyone that their party was dying. Relegated to the south, with no defense but the marshes of Louisiana and no hope to convince anyone in the north to vote for them ever again, the People's Party was thus, to them, a saving grace, a deliverance from the heavens. The way the south can become prominent, one again...
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEES
For President: James B. Weaver
For Vice President: Benjamin Tillman
THE FREEDMEN NATIONAL CONVENTION: July 1st 1892-July 4th 1892, Sewardton, Grant
The stagnation in Congress, especially over the Booker Bill, had left the most influential Freedmen incredibly dismayed. As a whole, the last four years could be described as chaotic, deadlocked, and eventful to a detrimental degree. Famed Freedmen speakers thus put a lot of blame on the RNC, and in particular the FNC-RNC alliance from 1888. In 1892, the FNC once again wanted to make a splash on the national scene and show the RNC that if freedmen aren't given proper attention, that voting bloc can always go away.
There was also fear of Black Gold and the other burgeoning freedmen running companies in the US. With the rapidly growing populist movement and the willingness of the RNC to appeal to them, most businesses felt threatened. Black Gold planned to make generous contributions to the Liberals in 1892 in hopes that they would win the election. What made them different from other monopolies that were doing the same, though, was their massive contributions to the FNC as well. James Garfield's victory outright in 1888 can be generally attributed to the black vote. Black Gold hoped that if the black vote was once again supercharged and split off from the Republicans, then they could throw the election to a much more lobby-able house of representatives.
Ever since the 'Booker Bill' was introduced to Congress a year prior, the young rising representative Washington from Alabama was named the frontrunner for the Freedmen Nomination, should they run their own candidate. In the weeks before the convention, this was even more sure, as Washington had been making a name for himself among the electorate outside of Alabama. By the time of the presidential ballot, absolutely no one was shocked to see Washington take the stage with haste.
The vice presidential ballot was more contentious, though also somewhat forgone. It was generally agreed that the vice presidential candidate needed to be older and more experienced than Washington. There were many options, from Representative Robert Smalls to the Governor of Lincoln, Jefferson T. Moore, but the one who stood out the most was Representative John M. Langston of Virginia. Langston was born a freeman in 1829. A lawyer, diplomat, legislative aide, and Representative, he was a steady hand. After a strong performance on the first ballot, he was selected as the vice presidential nominee and the first ever free-born FNC nominee."
FREEDMEN NOMINEES
For President: Booker T. Washington
For Vice President: John M. Langston
-From Every National Convention in American History
by Jacob Cohen, published 2012
| Presidential Ballots | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Vice Presidential Ballot | 1 |
| James B. Weaver | 433 | 435 | 506 | 795 | Benjamin Tillman | 602 |
| Edward Bellamy | 242 | 362 | 364 | 254 | Eugene Debs | 471 |
| James G. Field | 207 | 223 | 199 | 43 | Others | 33 |
| Terrence Powderly | 122 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Charles Macune | 88 | 82 | 35 | 13 | ||
| Others | 14 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
"The People's Party National Convention was the largest gathering of American Progressives in history. The Farmers Alliance, the Prohibition Party, the Knights of Labor, the Greenback Party, the Nationalist Clubs, representatives from the Democratic and Freedmen Parties, the Anti-Monopoly Party, and the Labor Reform Party all sent representatives. Former Republicans, Democrats, and even a couple Liberals were in the hall; the air was vibrant. Hundreds of journalists were there to take notes. 'The People's Convention' is incredibly well recorded.
A lot of politicians were floated for the nomination. Perhaps most interestingly was the number of people who predicted a labor nominee, someone who was tied to labor unions. After the 'Great Strike', labor had become violently unpopular out east, but in the west and among the lower classes, labor leaders were seen as American folk hero's. People like Eugene Debs and Terrence Powderly became household names. These more socialist options for the nomination represented a little under half of the delegates in Topeka. The other two major factions of the Party were the farmers, represented by western politicians, primarily the famed James Weaver, who had taken on a position as the de facto leader of the Party, and Charles Macune, who led the Farmers Alliance. Finally, there were the Southern Populists. Most of these men were former Democrats from failed reconstruction states who represented white populism. Weaver believed it vital to placate the south more than the north in the convention. He believed that it was possible to convince the Democrats to nominate the populist candidate if there was a southern populist on the ticket; after all, their party had become limited to just a regional party; if the populists did well, they'd be back in the game!
The candidates for the presidential nomination were all expected. Edward Bellamy and Terrence Powderly split the labor vote on ballot one. Weaver was immediately the frontrunner but was being split by Macune's farmers and Field's southern men. Weaver had gotten an early boost from a young Nebraskan congressman named William Jennings Bryan. Bryan had become famous for his efforts on a silver bill in Congress; his speech in nominating Weaver gained a 20-minute standing ovation, hailing him as the poor man's champion and the breaker of monopoly power. Bryan's speech was so good that when it made it to the papers, the People's Convention gained a lot more traction. Even people in New York started to follow the latest.
On the second ballot, Powderly and Bellamy teamed up, uniting most of the Labor vote, but it wasn't enough. As the third ballot approached, some began to get jittery over the prospect of a long haul. Bryan and some other strong orators began to whip farmer votes to show any sign of voting change. They were successful in raising Weaver's overall share. Afterwards, the flood gates broke open. Weaver promised to support a southern man for the Vice Presidency, and with the united southern and western votes and further promises to include labor leaders in any future administration, Weaver was selected as the nominee on the fourth ballot by a huge margin.
True to his word, by the time of the vice presidential ballot, Weaver and many farmers had supported a surprise choice. The former Democratic nominee for Vice President and South Carolinian Governor is Benjamin Tillman. Tillman shared nearly every view that your average populist had on the economy. One of the main reasons he hadn't joined the People's Party was its nonexistence in his home state. But for Weaver's hope of uniting the populists and Democrats, he was the perfect choice. Again, William Jennings Bryan was asked to give the speech, placing Tillman's name in contention. Once again, his speech was excellent and persuasive, tactfully ignoring Tillman's views on race and emphasizing his views on the economic woes of the nation. The vote was generally region-based, with the southern and western delegates supporting him and the midwestern delegates supporting the young Eugene Debs.
There was some discontent among the laborers over Tillman's white supremacist views, but Weaver and Bryan made some more concessions and agreements that convinced them not to bolt.
Tillman didn't know about his nomination until a day later. Upon learning this, he decided that he would only accept if the Democratic National Convention asked him too.
PEOPLE'S NOMINEES
For President: James B. Weaver
For Vice President: Benjamin Tillman
THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION: June 29th-July 1st 1892, Atlanta Georgia
SHALL WE NOMINATE MR. JAMES WEAVER FOR PRESIDENT AND MR. BENJAMIN TILLMAN FOR VICE PRESIDENT?
| YES | NO |
| 866 | 44 |
Almost as soon as the Democratic National Convention ended, the battle for the Democratic Party began. Populist donors and politicians hopped on trains from Topeka straight towards the south. For four days, heated negotiations began with every single one of the 910 Democratic delegates. Though Tillman didn't personally negotiate with anyone, he was almost certainly involved behind the scenes. Tillman pulled as many strings as he could without making it seem explicit, to gain votes moving into the convention.
When the actual convention finally came, all the populist handwork not only came to fruition but seemed to be a waste! Damn, everyone in the hall agreed to nominate the people's ticket. With the exception of some leftover Bourbon Democrats, the party was united in this decision. They knew more uniquely than anyone that their party was dying. Relegated to the south, with no defense but the marshes of Louisiana and no hope to convince anyone in the north to vote for them ever again, the People's Party was thus, to them, a saving grace, a deliverance from the heavens. The way the south can become prominent, one again...
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEES
For President: James B. Weaver
For Vice President: Benjamin Tillman
THE FREEDMEN NATIONAL CONVENTION: July 1st 1892-July 4th 1892, Sewardton, Grant
| Presidential Ballot | 1 | Vice Presidential Ballots | 1 | 2 |
| Booker T. Washington | 1,002 | John M. Langston | 530 | 888 |
| Others | 62 | Others | 534 | 176 |
The stagnation in Congress, especially over the Booker Bill, had left the most influential Freedmen incredibly dismayed. As a whole, the last four years could be described as chaotic, deadlocked, and eventful to a detrimental degree. Famed Freedmen speakers thus put a lot of blame on the RNC, and in particular the FNC-RNC alliance from 1888. In 1892, the FNC once again wanted to make a splash on the national scene and show the RNC that if freedmen aren't given proper attention, that voting bloc can always go away.
There was also fear of Black Gold and the other burgeoning freedmen running companies in the US. With the rapidly growing populist movement and the willingness of the RNC to appeal to them, most businesses felt threatened. Black Gold planned to make generous contributions to the Liberals in 1892 in hopes that they would win the election. What made them different from other monopolies that were doing the same, though, was their massive contributions to the FNC as well. James Garfield's victory outright in 1888 can be generally attributed to the black vote. Black Gold hoped that if the black vote was once again supercharged and split off from the Republicans, then they could throw the election to a much more lobby-able house of representatives.
Ever since the 'Booker Bill' was introduced to Congress a year prior, the young rising representative Washington from Alabama was named the frontrunner for the Freedmen Nomination, should they run their own candidate. In the weeks before the convention, this was even more sure, as Washington had been making a name for himself among the electorate outside of Alabama. By the time of the presidential ballot, absolutely no one was shocked to see Washington take the stage with haste.
The vice presidential ballot was more contentious, though also somewhat forgone. It was generally agreed that the vice presidential candidate needed to be older and more experienced than Washington. There were many options, from Representative Robert Smalls to the Governor of Lincoln, Jefferson T. Moore, but the one who stood out the most was Representative John M. Langston of Virginia. Langston was born a freeman in 1829. A lawyer, diplomat, legislative aide, and Representative, he was a steady hand. After a strong performance on the first ballot, he was selected as the vice presidential nominee and the first ever free-born FNC nominee."
FREEDMEN NOMINEES
For President: Booker T. Washington
For Vice President: John M. Langston
-From Every National Convention in American History
by Jacob Cohen, published 2012
-
This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but my WiFi router died. It's back now!
The other conventions should be posted sometime in the next few hours.
Also Sewardton is a fake town, obviously. It's in the north of Grant in the rockies and has a good reputation as a resort town.
This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but my WiFi router died. It's back now!
The other conventions should be posted sometime in the next few hours.
Also Sewardton is a fake town, obviously. It's in the north of Grant in the rockies and has a good reputation as a resort town.
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The Second Round of Nominations
THE LIBERAL NATIONAL CONVENTION: July 15th-July 28th, Cleveland, Ohio
"'THE SECOND CONVENTION OF THE CENTURY' was the monecker given to the Liberal National Convention held in Cleveland, Ohio, throughout most of July. The first 'Convention of the Century' was the name for the 1872 RNC, given its long and exciting nature. The 1892 LNC, in many ways, mirrored it but took everything to a greater extreme. More candidates, more politics, a more unknown dark horse, and more ballots—lots more ballots. In many ways, it was a damn slog. The Liberals were expecting to see victory in the 1892 presidential election; everyone coming hoped to be the one to win; none of them were willing to rest.
There were upwards of 40 people who got a vote at the convention; we couldn't possibly go over all of them, so I narrowed the list down to the nine most interesting. Going into the first ballot, there was New York Governor Grover Cleveland. Cleveland had been a presidential hopeful for some time; his support was vast but not rooted; his support was generally spread thinly and equally among the factions of the Democratic Party. Next was Richard P. Bland. Bland represented the 'Silver Libs', the few more populist-minded libs left in the party. It was their hope to deadlock the convention and grow their influence. After him was Thomas Custer, the brother of the 1888 Liberal nominee. Custer was an excellent choice and incredibly inoffensive, except he wasn't seen as particularly smart and was often seen to be brutish. Next was Chauncey Depew, a New York Liberal who had been engrained in the New York scene; early on, he was a problem for Cleveland, splitting his home state vote. Then there was William Phelps, a former Republican Governor of New Jersey, who commanded some other Republican-minded Liberals, and finally (for the first ballot), there was J.C.S. Blackburn of Kentucky. Blackburn had control over the southern libs.
The first five ballots showed everyone how deadly this convention would be. Cleveland and Custer took early leads and were seen as the two most likely candidates, while favorite sons and smaller candidates assembled their voting blocs. By ballot five, Custer and Cleveland understood that there were upwards of 25 deals to be made without any contractions if they wanted the nomination. On ballot ten, Depew dropped out and ensured that his votes would be funneled towards Cleveland. A ballot later, Phelps also dropped out, asking for his support to hop ship towards Custer.
The next major change came on ballot 14, in which 33 delegates voted for John Sherman, a staple of Liberal politics at this point. They hoped his magnetic influence would be enough to finally crack the deadlock. On ballot 15, another 100 delegates flipped their votes; it seemed like things would finally end. Except, no. The fuse burned out by ballot 20. Why? Well, Sherman wasn't actually at the convention; he was in D.C. and wasn't showing much interest through telegram when he first learned of his vote increase. (Though this was probably due to his small numbers at first.) The next 21 ballots were all the same. Cleveland and Custer showed marginal increases as favorite sons began to be peeled off, while Bland and Blackburn held tight control over their wings of the party. On ballot 42, though Bland finally dropped out, a deal had been made with Cleveland.
On ballot 43, it became clear to Custer that Blackburn wouldn't drop out, so he employed a different strategy: just pick off the individual delegates. This was used to good effect until ballot 61, when no more delegates could really be peeled off. Then, once again, the convention was totally deadlocked. That was until another shot at compromise was found. Governor Robert E. Pattison of Pennsylvania was a very young man and one who had offended basically no one. The one primary achievement under his belt was cracking down on the Great Strike quickly, making Pennsylvania one of the least affected striker states. He was popular and unknown, the perfect combination for a dark horse. By 62, he had gained 23 votes. By ballot 63, he had gained one more. Then, by ballot 64, he had up to 69 votes. After that, the floodgates broke. Almost all of the undecided delegates broke ranks. Pattison's supporters began to preach him further as the perfect candidate, and votes from Custer and Cleveland began to fade.
Finally, on the 66th ballot, Robert E. Pattison was chosen as the Liberal nominee for President of the United States. In his acceptance speech, he endorsed his former opponent Thomas Custer to be his vice presidential nominee. The quick endorsement once again led to Cleveland being snubbed by Custer, now the third time in a row. With that, the 1892 LNC was over.
LIBERAL NOMINEES
For President: Robert E. Pattison
For Vice President: Thomas Custer
THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONVENTION: July 22nd-July 23rd, Muskogee, Sequoya
SHALL WE NOMINATE MR. JAMES WEAVER FOR PRESIDENT?
The INC was a pretty huge upset for most Americans at face value. Presented before the INC was the question, "Shall we nominate James Weaver for the Presidency?" In other words, should the INC combine tickets with the populists in 1892? This passed by a somewhat lopsided margin. At face value, this may surprise you; after all, many populists from the west weren't very supportive of native rights. After the Great Relocation Plan went into action under Grant and many natives were shipped south, seeds of hate were further sown between natives and whites. In fact, almost every vote was from representatives of the northern tribes, still angry at populists for standing by as the migration happened.
So why then did the INC vote to nominate Weaver? There were two reasons: one was due to Weaver's lack of vote on the Relocation Plan in 1890. The second, and more importantly, was due to influence. The INC understood that it had a better chance going with the Democratic Party, and it was the initial plan to combine with their ticket, hoping to disenfranchise black-owned businesses like Black Gold, which had monopolized Sequoya's oil and robbed the state of vital funding. After the Democrats combined with the populists, though, this plan shifted to just nominating Weaver. Mostly for the same reasons.
The INC did agree to not nominate Tillman as Vice President, though, due to his vocal white supremacist views, he was seen as unsavory among the convention. Instead, Representative and Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Samuel H. Mayes was selected to be Weaver's vice presidential nominee.
For President: James B. Weaver
For Vice President: Samuel H. Mayes
THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION: August 2nd-August 5th, Lansing, Michigan
The ballad of the 1892 RNC is a ballad of war, a war between the straight Republicans and the federal Republicans. In March of 1892, President Grant announced he had no intention of seeking a full term as president. This wasn't because of unpopularity; in fact, if Grant had sought a full term, it was very likely he would've not only won the election but won it outright. The reason he didn't run again was because he didn't want to. He never wanted to be president, and his time in the office had only further proven the job's horrid nature. While some were still in support of him moving into the convention, most were not.
Luckily, a frontrunner for the nomination had been apparent ever since Grant made his announcement. Russell A. Alger was the governor of Michigan. He succeeded Governor Thomas during the Great Strike after his resignation. Alger soon became a household name for his speed and ferocity in putting down the strike in Detroit. He then became more popular for his cooperation during the occupation. Now this may make you believe that he was a straight Republican, but economically, Alger was more in tune with the Federal Republicans. In the lead-up to the convention, he was seen as the perfect choice to lead the Republicans to victory. It wasn't a surprise then that, by over a 2/3rds majority, Alger was chosen as the Republican nominee.
The actual fight came in the vice presidential nomination. The straight choice was Benjamin Harrison, the portege of the now deceased Rutherford Hayes and seemingly his successor in the unofficial RNC leader position. The Federal choice was Walter Gresham, a populist-minded Republican who argued that in order to combat the populists properly, it was necessary to incorporate many of their ideas. These two men were essentially polar opposites and old rivals; the feeling on the convention floor was, to say the least, tense. Alger stayed out of the whipping, saying his support would go to whichever of the two won the damn vote.
In the end, Harrison squeaked out a victory over Gresham; he was more influential, and the straight Republicans outnumbered the Democrats, especially after the strike and populist split. The dissatisfaction of the Federals was hard to contain. Gresham endorsed Alger but then left the Republican Party, becoming an independent. Many Federals walked out and endorsed Weaver. Alger and the Republicans had a mess of a party on their hands. How could they unite the nation?"
REPUBLICAN NOMINEES
For President: Russell A. Alger
For Vice President: Benjamin Harrison
-From Every National Convention in American History
by Jacob Cohen, published 2012
| Presidential Ballots | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ...14 | 15 | ...22 | 23 |
| R. Pattison | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G. Cleveland | 101 | 101 | 105 | 106 | 106 | 124 | 124 | 141 | 155 |
| R. Bland | 52 | 68 | 88 | 92 | 91 | 103 | 104 | 102 | 102 |
| T. Custer | 33 | 55 | 99 | 100 | 102 | 155 | 142 | 183 | 201 |
| C. Depew | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| W. Phelps | 22 | 28 | 28 | 55 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| J. Blackburn | 19 | 42 | 66 | 109 | 110 | 119 | 119 | 118 | 120 |
| J. Sherman | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 33 | 133 | 9 | 1 |
| Others | 638 | 569 | 478 | 403 | 412 | 370 | 284 | 353 | 327 |
| ...34 | ...44 | ...61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | Vice Presidential Ballot | |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 24 | 69 | 333 | 509 | T. Custer | 552 |
| 228 | 280 | 332 | 350 | 355 | 355 | 240 | 141 | G. Cleveland | 288 |
| 103 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | J. Blackburn | 51 |
| 210 | 277 | 355 | 355 | 355 | 355 | 302 | 256 | R. Bland | 8 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Others | 7 |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 166 | 101 | 55 | 56 | 51 | 58 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 199 | 236 | 158 | 122 | 110 | 63 | 22 | 2 |
"'THE SECOND CONVENTION OF THE CENTURY' was the monecker given to the Liberal National Convention held in Cleveland, Ohio, throughout most of July. The first 'Convention of the Century' was the name for the 1872 RNC, given its long and exciting nature. The 1892 LNC, in many ways, mirrored it but took everything to a greater extreme. More candidates, more politics, a more unknown dark horse, and more ballots—lots more ballots. In many ways, it was a damn slog. The Liberals were expecting to see victory in the 1892 presidential election; everyone coming hoped to be the one to win; none of them were willing to rest.
There were upwards of 40 people who got a vote at the convention; we couldn't possibly go over all of them, so I narrowed the list down to the nine most interesting. Going into the first ballot, there was New York Governor Grover Cleveland. Cleveland had been a presidential hopeful for some time; his support was vast but not rooted; his support was generally spread thinly and equally among the factions of the Democratic Party. Next was Richard P. Bland. Bland represented the 'Silver Libs', the few more populist-minded libs left in the party. It was their hope to deadlock the convention and grow their influence. After him was Thomas Custer, the brother of the 1888 Liberal nominee. Custer was an excellent choice and incredibly inoffensive, except he wasn't seen as particularly smart and was often seen to be brutish. Next was Chauncey Depew, a New York Liberal who had been engrained in the New York scene; early on, he was a problem for Cleveland, splitting his home state vote. Then there was William Phelps, a former Republican Governor of New Jersey, who commanded some other Republican-minded Liberals, and finally (for the first ballot), there was J.C.S. Blackburn of Kentucky. Blackburn had control over the southern libs.
The first five ballots showed everyone how deadly this convention would be. Cleveland and Custer took early leads and were seen as the two most likely candidates, while favorite sons and smaller candidates assembled their voting blocs. By ballot five, Custer and Cleveland understood that there were upwards of 25 deals to be made without any contractions if they wanted the nomination. On ballot ten, Depew dropped out and ensured that his votes would be funneled towards Cleveland. A ballot later, Phelps also dropped out, asking for his support to hop ship towards Custer.
The next major change came on ballot 14, in which 33 delegates voted for John Sherman, a staple of Liberal politics at this point. They hoped his magnetic influence would be enough to finally crack the deadlock. On ballot 15, another 100 delegates flipped their votes; it seemed like things would finally end. Except, no. The fuse burned out by ballot 20. Why? Well, Sherman wasn't actually at the convention; he was in D.C. and wasn't showing much interest through telegram when he first learned of his vote increase. (Though this was probably due to his small numbers at first.) The next 21 ballots were all the same. Cleveland and Custer showed marginal increases as favorite sons began to be peeled off, while Bland and Blackburn held tight control over their wings of the party. On ballot 42, though Bland finally dropped out, a deal had been made with Cleveland.
On ballot 43, it became clear to Custer that Blackburn wouldn't drop out, so he employed a different strategy: just pick off the individual delegates. This was used to good effect until ballot 61, when no more delegates could really be peeled off. Then, once again, the convention was totally deadlocked. That was until another shot at compromise was found. Governor Robert E. Pattison of Pennsylvania was a very young man and one who had offended basically no one. The one primary achievement under his belt was cracking down on the Great Strike quickly, making Pennsylvania one of the least affected striker states. He was popular and unknown, the perfect combination for a dark horse. By 62, he had gained 23 votes. By ballot 63, he had gained one more. Then, by ballot 64, he had up to 69 votes. After that, the floodgates broke. Almost all of the undecided delegates broke ranks. Pattison's supporters began to preach him further as the perfect candidate, and votes from Custer and Cleveland began to fade.
Finally, on the 66th ballot, Robert E. Pattison was chosen as the Liberal nominee for President of the United States. In his acceptance speech, he endorsed his former opponent Thomas Custer to be his vice presidential nominee. The quick endorsement once again led to Cleveland being snubbed by Custer, now the third time in a row. With that, the 1892 LNC was over.
LIBERAL NOMINEES
For President: Robert E. Pattison
For Vice President: Thomas Custer
THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONVENTION: July 22nd-July 23rd, Muskogee, Sequoya
SHALL WE NOMINATE MR. JAMES WEAVER FOR PRESIDENT?
| YES | NO |
| 566 | 331 |
| Vice Presidential Ballot | 1 |
| Samuel H. Mayes | 601 |
| Benjamin Tillman | 187 |
| Others | 99 |
The INC was a pretty huge upset for most Americans at face value. Presented before the INC was the question, "Shall we nominate James Weaver for the Presidency?" In other words, should the INC combine tickets with the populists in 1892? This passed by a somewhat lopsided margin. At face value, this may surprise you; after all, many populists from the west weren't very supportive of native rights. After the Great Relocation Plan went into action under Grant and many natives were shipped south, seeds of hate were further sown between natives and whites. In fact, almost every vote was from representatives of the northern tribes, still angry at populists for standing by as the migration happened.
So why then did the INC vote to nominate Weaver? There were two reasons: one was due to Weaver's lack of vote on the Relocation Plan in 1890. The second, and more importantly, was due to influence. The INC understood that it had a better chance going with the Democratic Party, and it was the initial plan to combine with their ticket, hoping to disenfranchise black-owned businesses like Black Gold, which had monopolized Sequoya's oil and robbed the state of vital funding. After the Democrats combined with the populists, though, this plan shifted to just nominating Weaver. Mostly for the same reasons.
The INC did agree to not nominate Tillman as Vice President, though, due to his vocal white supremacist views, he was seen as unsavory among the convention. Instead, Representative and Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Samuel H. Mayes was selected to be Weaver's vice presidential nominee.
For President: James B. Weaver
For Vice President: Samuel H. Mayes
THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION: August 2nd-August 5th, Lansing, Michigan
| Presidential Ballot | 1 | Vice Presidential Ballot | 1 |
| Russell A. Alger | 544 | Benjamin Harrison | 433 |
| Benjamin Harrison | 118 | Walter Q. Gresham | 392 |
| Walter Q. Gresham | 100 | Others | 7 |
| Frederick D. Grant | 59 | ||
| Others | 11 |
The ballad of the 1892 RNC is a ballad of war, a war between the straight Republicans and the federal Republicans. In March of 1892, President Grant announced he had no intention of seeking a full term as president. This wasn't because of unpopularity; in fact, if Grant had sought a full term, it was very likely he would've not only won the election but won it outright. The reason he didn't run again was because he didn't want to. He never wanted to be president, and his time in the office had only further proven the job's horrid nature. While some were still in support of him moving into the convention, most were not.
Luckily, a frontrunner for the nomination had been apparent ever since Grant made his announcement. Russell A. Alger was the governor of Michigan. He succeeded Governor Thomas during the Great Strike after his resignation. Alger soon became a household name for his speed and ferocity in putting down the strike in Detroit. He then became more popular for his cooperation during the occupation. Now this may make you believe that he was a straight Republican, but economically, Alger was more in tune with the Federal Republicans. In the lead-up to the convention, he was seen as the perfect choice to lead the Republicans to victory. It wasn't a surprise then that, by over a 2/3rds majority, Alger was chosen as the Republican nominee.
The actual fight came in the vice presidential nomination. The straight choice was Benjamin Harrison, the portege of the now deceased Rutherford Hayes and seemingly his successor in the unofficial RNC leader position. The Federal choice was Walter Gresham, a populist-minded Republican who argued that in order to combat the populists properly, it was necessary to incorporate many of their ideas. These two men were essentially polar opposites and old rivals; the feeling on the convention floor was, to say the least, tense. Alger stayed out of the whipping, saying his support would go to whichever of the two won the damn vote.
In the end, Harrison squeaked out a victory over Gresham; he was more influential, and the straight Republicans outnumbered the Democrats, especially after the strike and populist split. The dissatisfaction of the Federals was hard to contain. Gresham endorsed Alger but then left the Republican Party, becoming an independent. Many Federals walked out and endorsed Weaver. Alger and the Republicans had a mess of a party on their hands. How could they unite the nation?"
REPUBLICAN NOMINEES
For President: Russell A. Alger
For Vice President: Benjamin Harrison
-From Every National Convention in American History
by Jacob Cohen, published 2012
-
THERE YOU HAVE IT! The 1892 Nominations are done!
I'll have pictures and a breakdown of platforms out tonight
The election should come tomorrow or the next day depending on @InsertCoolUsernameHere schedule and my writing speed.
THERE YOU HAVE IT! The 1892 Nominations are done!
I'll have pictures and a breakdown of platforms out tonight
The election should come tomorrow or the next day depending on @InsertCoolUsernameHere schedule and my writing speed.
1892 Party Platforms
PEOPLE'S PARTY:
-An Anti-Trust Act month one
-Support free silver over the gold standard
-Favor extending the indian relocation deadline
-In favor of a federal income tax
-Wish to see senators directly elected
-Tacit support for temperance
-Even more tacit support for women's suffrage
-No mention of the Booker Bill
-Anti interventionist
-Admit Utah into the Union
REPUBLICAN PARTY:
-Finish western pacification
-Pass the Booker Bill
-Pass an Anti Trust Act
-Steady the ship, limit major changes
-Admit Utah into the Union
-Pro interventionist
-Infrastructure Reform
-Generally pro gold
LIBERAL PARTY:
-Extend the Indian relocation deadline until more money is available
-Raise tariffs
-Neutral on intervention
-Pass the Booker Bill (with caveats, after a supreme court case)
-Anti Utah admission
-Pro gold standard
-Laisse Faire economics
FREEDMEN'S PARTY:
-Pass the Booker Bill ASAP
-Fund smaller corporations
-Finish western pacification
-Infrastructure reform.
-An Anti-Trust Act month one
-Support free silver over the gold standard
-Favor extending the indian relocation deadline
-In favor of a federal income tax
-Wish to see senators directly elected
-Tacit support for temperance
-Even more tacit support for women's suffrage
-No mention of the Booker Bill
-Anti interventionist
-Admit Utah into the Union
REPUBLICAN PARTY:
-Finish western pacification
-Pass the Booker Bill
-Pass an Anti Trust Act
-Steady the ship, limit major changes
-Admit Utah into the Union
-Pro interventionist
-Infrastructure Reform
-Generally pro gold
LIBERAL PARTY:
-Extend the Indian relocation deadline until more money is available
-Raise tariffs
-Neutral on intervention
-Pass the Booker Bill (with caveats, after a supreme court case)
-Anti Utah admission
-Pro gold standard
-Laisse Faire economics
FREEDMEN'S PARTY:
-Pass the Booker Bill ASAP
-Fund smaller corporations
-Finish western pacification
-Infrastructure reform.
Based on these platforms I'd probably end up voting for the People's Party but I could see myself switching to the Freedmen's.
Honestly the PP would have to mess up pretty badly to lose my vote. The Republicans lost my vote with their crackdown on the strike (which is a shame as they've got a couple positions I'd otherwise approve of) and I'm not touching the Libs laissez faire policies with a 10 foot poll.
After the People's Party the Freedman's are the least offensive to me and my vote for them would be based largely on my support for the Booker Bill.