-great Americans

Winfield Scott

-was virginian planter

-served in virginian militia, first bout of military service

-served as practicing lawyer first in virginia then in south carolina for a while

-also serves in virginian house of delegates for a stint, not very notable

-enlists in american army when expanded by monroe in 1819 over aroostook affair, even after defused he's still part of it

-gets disturbed at army lack of preparedness and army chief wilkinson's tremendousness, tenders resignation but revokes it when anglo-french war begins

-natural leadership qualities bring him up to lt colonel

-then luisiana war begins

-plays well-respected role at battle of st augustine where us wins there thx to him

-wins congressional gold medal, made major general

-gets selected as major general upon army demobilization in 1829

-leads forces in south carolina in this period

-studies and improves defenses, focuses on discipline

-plays role in indian removal, gets in seminole war which he wins, seminole forced to leave as part of treaty

-during second quasi war, involves himself in army preparation particularly in charleston, nothing needs to occur though

Thomas Wilson Dorr

-fan of Daniel Webster

-and identifies himself as a "Daniel Webster Unionist" until the end of his life

1834-1838: Member of the Rhode Island General Assembly

-rhode island reforms its makeup early, gives more representation to larger towns in 1831

-allows for more and further reform over time

-dorr helps bring up more general reforms in 1837 with new constitution reducing qualification due to powerful manufacturing interest

-sends him to congress as anti-populist

-and as figure opposed to the Fugitive Slave Act

1839-1845: Member of the United States House of Representatives

-opposes pike's enforcement of fugitive slave act

-advocates against jury packing

-and attempts to remove special jury reward, viewing it as going against the entire concept of a jury

-opposes US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), views it as fought on behalf of slave power

-joins union party on that basis

-following Recessions > Panic of 1842, supports adding new tariff and becomes influential leader on basis of his charisma

1845-1853; 1859-1865; 1869-1880: United States Senator for Rhode Island

-becomes elected senator (following retirement of predecessor) as unionist in great wave year

-firm daniel webster supporter as senator, and during second nullification crisis conveys webster spirit against nullificationists

-but association with webster results in defeat at hands of populist controlled general assembly in 1852

-returns in 1858 in anti-populist year

-opposes "burrism" of attempted invasion of cuba with great anti-slave power rhetoric

-opposes disqualification of irish in nebraska, and upon ratification of slave code calls it unconstitutional in famed speeches

-when union party splits in 1864, dorr is nominee of northern splinter, gives good performance but not enough to win

-declining to run in same year as pres campaign, he returns in 1868 a grey eminence and plays deep role in radical reconstruction till his death

-famously pushes through multiple civil rights bills through Congress

-including an impressively radical civil rights bill which bans segregation in public

Aaron Burr

1784-1785: New York Assemblyman for New York County

1789-1791: Attorney-General for New York

1791-1797: United States Senator for New York

1797-1799: Attorney-General for New York

1801-1805: Secretary of State of the United States

-selected for this role from American Presidents > 1801-1809 Thomas Jefferson (Republican)

-consolation of him having lost vice presidency

-and to keep him in cabinet

1805-1809: Vice President of the United States

1809-1817: President of the United States

1809-1817: Aaron Burr (Republican, then Democratic)

1808: (with James Monroe) def. Charles C. Pinckney/Rufus King (Federalist)

1812: hung electoral college: Aaron Burr/James Monroe, John Marshall/Jacob Stout (Federalist)

1813: (with James Monroe) def. in contingent election James Monroe

-Jefferson attempts to remove him through caucus

-promoting Madison in it

-however, this attempt goes awry and the caucus votes for Burr

-next, Jefferson attempts to depose Burr through electoral vote shenanigans

-but Burr beats Jefferson in them

-thus, Burr becomes president

-tries to renew first bank with wholly new charter granting new power to New York interests

-but this is badly defeated by coalition of anti-bank elements and enemies of New York interests

-continues jeffersonian economic policy broadly but with some of the madisonian impulse influencing it

-and is very very pro internal improvements

-builds up

-American Infrastructure > Erie Canal which sees conclusion towards end of Burr's tenure

-American Infrastructure > Union Canal from Washington to Pittsburgh

-American Infrastructure > James River and Kanawha Canal from Richmond to Charleston Virginia

-American Infrastructure > Union Canal (Pennsylvania) from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh

-American Infrastructure > Tennessee-Chattahoochee Canal from Tennessee River to Chattahoochee

-and a set of canals linked to it from Georgia

-additional feeder to Santee River and thus to Charleston

-introduces Tariffs > Tariff of 1810 to power all this internal improvements building

-increasingly grates on the entire party establishment

-viewed as ambitious and a would-be American Catiline

-and a demagogue

-only gets worse when he uses the appointment system as a spoils system contrary to Jefferson

-with this, his Democratic faction becomes separate from the Republicans

-relatively popular john marshall made federalist nominee in 1812 to get southern votes, not enough and still beaten handedly

-in 1812 after much scheming Monroe wins as many votes as Burr, in a clear attempt to depose him

-but contingent election sees this fail

-end of public debt in 1813

-assures all that Burr's pro-infrastructure policy well-shown

-tensions with uk at times over impressment, but cools down with informal agreements

-wilkinson conspiracy discovered, gets destroyed

-but dissatisfaction over kentucky and tennessee's semi-detachment from republic continues to cause resentment, talk of invading new orleans

1819-1821: Governor of New York

-considering presidency blocked off to him, runs for Governor of his state

-wins in a sweeping landslide

-off popularity of recently completed Erie Canal

1821-1823: President of the United States

Alexander Hamilton

1782-1783; 1788-1789: Delegate to the Confederate Congress for New York

1789-1795: Secretary of the Treasury of the United States

1799-1800: Senior Officer of the United States Army

1823-1824: Captain of the Heart of Oak Guard

-with the US's Wars > Luisiana War (1823-8) decides this is a good way to revive his career

-organizes a militia with an intention to deploy it southwards

-engages in scheming

-in 1824, American Personalities > Aaron Burr reveals proof of a conspiracy where they align with British

-to invade Venezuela in a conspiracy with Francisco de Miranda

-in Burr's eyes this is an alliance with enemy of the United States and he'll come back as a conqueror

-and virtual treason

-fleeing prosecution Hamilton goes to Erie Canal and zips his way up to York

1824-1826: General of the Columbian Expeditionary Force

-in York assembles a private army to be directed at Venezuela

-in 1826 it lands and he and Miranda form a beachhead

1826-1837: Curaca of the Venezuelan Republic

-regarded as a traitor, never able to return

-instead, in exile, he becomes a government officer in Venezuela till his death

John Quincy Adams

1794-1797: United States Minister to the Netherlands

1797-1801: United States Minister to Prussia

1802-1803: Massachusetts State Senator

1803-1821: United States Senator for Massachusetts

-without embargo act, sticks with federalists

-but anglophobic attitude over aroostook war scare results in defeat for reelection as federalists do him in

1821-1829: United States Minister to Russia

-appointed minister to russia by monroe, who respects him despite him being ex-federalist

-serves well, continues under Harrison, before clay recalls him for being assoc with his enemies

1833-1835: Governor of Massachusetts

-nominated by anti-catholics, accepts, wins election narrowly

-serves well but alienates anti-catholics when he refuses to play along as they thought

-wins 1834 election as national republican nominee linked with Clay government

-but ultimately defeated in 1835 election

1836-1839: United States Representative from Massachusetts

-kicks off Missouri Crisis by proposing ban on slavery

-and this in turn leads to him running for president after having been nominated by Anti-Missourians without his knowledge

-opposes Missouri Compromise but happens anyways

1839-1848: United States Senator for Massachusetts

-elected during chaos over missouri going back on compromise

-in office, serves as independent-minded representative if affliated with natreps and unionists

-supports antislavery efforts

William Henry Harrison

1798-1799: Secretary of the Northwest Territory

1801-1813: Governor of Indiana Territory

-leaves office after end of tenure

1814-1817: Secretary of War of the United States

-acquires appointment based on popularity defeating tecumseh's alliance

-associated with American Presidents > 1809-1817 Aaron Burr (Republican, then Democratic) and thus removed upon Burr's 1816 defeat

1821-1823: Vice President of the United States

-Democrats see him as good candidate in 1820

-to balance the very northern Burr

1823-1829: President of the United States

DeWitt Clinton

1798-1798: Member of New York State Assembly

1798-1802; 1806-1811: New York State Senator

1801-1802: 1806-1807: New York Councillor of Appointment

1803-1807; 1808-1810; 1811-1813: Mayor of New York

1811-1813: Lieutenant-Governor of New York

1813-1817: Vice President of the United States

-instead of running for president, gets made vp

-acquires funding for erie canal

-serves quite well

1819-1820; 1823-1827; 1829-1831: Governor of New York

-runs after failed presidential run in 1816

-in 1825, opponents cut gov terms to 2 years

-doesn't run in 1820 and 1828 cuz running for pres those years

-also was defeated in 1827 by tompkins, before defeating him in 1829

-defeated by van buren in 1831 by close margin

-but maintains dreams of presidency, and badly failed 1832 presidential run is last act before dying

Daniel D. Tompkins

1802-1803: Assemblyman for the New York State Assembly

1804-1807: Associate Justice for the Supreme Court of New York

1807-1819: Governor of New York

1819-1825: Secretary of State of the United States

-runs for president in 1824, crushed because gets no votes in south, and in north clinton swallows his votes

1827-1829: Governor of New York

-loses in 1829 to clinton, crushing defeat and he retires from political office afterwards

1830-1834: Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court

Martin Van Buren

1808-1813: Surrogate of Columbia County, New York

1813-1819: New York State Senator

1819-1831: Associate Justice for the Supreme Court of New York

-retires after death of wife, gets appointed to supreme court

-un-retires to run for governor against clinton in 1830, wins

1831-1833: Governor of New York

-wins, builds up effective patronage network

-but distraught by clay's "federalism", runs for senate and resigns after winning

1833-1837: United States Senator for New York

1837-1845: Secretary of State of the United States

Henry Clay

Henry Clay

1803-1806: Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives

1806-1807: United States Senator for Kentucky (3 months)

1807-1809: Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives

1810-1811: United States Senator for Kentucky (3 months)

1811-1821: Member of the United States House of Representatives

-major part of pivot towards government willing to fund internal improvements

-in era of debt having been cleared and repeated budget surpluses

1814-1821: Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

-turns this post into fulcrum of legislation

-in what is unprecedented accumulation of power into the post

-and when restrained by precedent on what he can say

-he turns the House into a Committee of the Whole which allows him to speak openly with softened rules

1821-1829: Secretary of State of the United States

-moving force behind the US's Wars > Luisiana War (1823-8)

-having long been part of the effort to secure better US rights over Mississippi trade

-is leading representative of government in peace talks

-and successfully secures peace treaty

1829-1837: President of the United States

1839-1852: United States Senator for Kentucky

-wants to retire for a time

-but is involved in union party formation

-beginning of US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42) means he wants to be in congress again, arranges it

-Clay gets elected senator, quickly become frontbencher

-anti-pike opposition crystallizes around him and his policies

-reunifies the Democrats by doing so

-opposes war firmly in congress but pike initiates actions nevertheless

-promotes new financial laws in congress

-upon election of American Presidents > 1845-1852 Daniel Webster (Democratic) †, attempts to push cabinet appointment, refused

-relations frosty, but clay nevertheless moving force behind new laws

-during second nullification crisis, clay attempts to push compromise

-but webster preempts clay by pushing against nullification hard

-through lobbying Webster is able to scuttle Clay's compromise

-when nullifiers defeated, clay admits webster might be right

-but insists it might be the beginning of a later break between north and south

-dies on July 4, most patriotically

-on same day as Daniel Webster

-joint funerary oration by Edward Everett, hyper-influential in the shaping of their modern images

1841-1850: President pro tempore of the United States Senate

-honor granted to Clay in honor of his tenure as president

-he is first ex-president ever elected to the senate

-not actually very active in this role

-firstly under American Presidents > 1837-1845 Zebulon Pike (Republican) Peter V. Daniel serves in this role to take it from Unionists

-secondly under American Presidents > 1845-1852 Daniel Webster (Democratic) † Petigru is very effective presiding officer of Senate

-eventually bows out of this post due to old age and bad health

Clay Cabinet

Vice President

-1829-1837: John Sergeant

Secretary of State

-1829-1830: William Lowndes (resigned over nullification)

-1830-1837: James Barbour

Secretary of Domestic Affairs (created by bill)

-1831-1837: idk

Secretary of the Treasury

-1829-1832: Richard Rush (resigned to run for senator)

-1832-1837: Louis McLane

Secretary of War

-1829-1837: Peter B. Porter

Attorney General

-1829-1831: Richard M. Johnson (resigned over the tariff)

-1829-1832: John J. Crittenden (became Supreme Court Associate Justice)

-1832-1837: Francis T. Brook

Secretary of the Navy

-1829-1837: James Pleasants

Postmaster General

-1829-1837: Robert P. Letcher

Zebulon Pike

Zebulon Pike

1799-1799: Second Lieutenant in the Army of the United States

1799-1806: First Lieutenant in the Army of the United States

1806-1808: Captain in the Army of the United States

-is ordered to launch expedition in Spanish Luisiana to explore it

-which is dangerous since Lewis and Clark expedition mysteriously disappeared previously

-comes to an end when he is captured by Spanish troops

-he pretty brazenly pretends to be lost - "Is this not the Mississippi River?"

-Spanish aren't convinced and many of them fear he's part of the Burr Expedition (which he's never heard of) but it does save his life

-results in him captured and, after period in custody, released to the US through New Orleans

-but this makes him into an American icon

1808-1809: Major General in the Army of the United States

1809-1814: Lieutenant Colonel in the Army of the United States

1814-1825: Colonel in the Army of the United States

1825-1827: Brigadier-General of the Army of the United States

-with US's Wars > Luisiana War (1823-8) he is promoted

-leads successful campaigns

-and even takes New Orleans which makes him national war hero

1827-1837: Major-General of the Army of the United States

-in this era recurrent calls for him to run for president

-he refuses them in 1828 because views Henry Clay as unbeatable

-and 1832 confuses the shit out of him

-but eventually refusal of Clay to make him a territorial governor or otherwise satisfy his ambitions

-means he is finally attracted to run for the presidency

-and American Personalities > Martin Van Buren is able to attract him to that position

1837-1845: President of the United States

1837-1845: Zebulon Pike (Republican)

1836: hung electoral college: William Lowndes/Levi Woodbury (Republican), John Quincy Adams/Thomas Morris (Free Democratic), Henry Clay/Richard Rush (Straight-Out Democratic)

1837: (with Levi Woodbury) def. in contingent election John Quincy Adams/Thomas Morris (Free Democratic)

-essentially the lieutenant of John C. Calhoun

-but more likeable and stately

-Adams fails to consolidate northern opinion around him

-most notably his history as an Anti-Catholic haunts him

-plus anti-abolitionism successfully makes headway in the North at his expense

-plus he's not a man for the democratic age

-result is 1836 election ends up with a hung electoral college

-Missouri sends electoral votes (all for Lowndes) and Clay successfully organizes for ratification of EVs with and without it

-with ambiguity over whether it counts

-Clay successfully organizes for Southern Democrats to vote for Lowndes

-over Missouri, Lowndes and Calhoun successfully include it as a slave state

-simply by accepting its delegation as a fait accompli post-election

-results in a secession of the House of Free Democrats

-additional controversy over jury packing in the North

-results in several northern states refusing to recognize this

-jury nullification intensifies which only increases jury packing

-additionally free state settlers increasingly settle into Missouri

-in order to make it free

-this causes controversy and mass infighting in what's known as "Bloody Missouri"

-results in formation of a separate government in the state supported by the Free Democrats

-when Congressman William Leggett gives a vituperative speech condemning slavery, John Dawson attacks him

-with a knife, slits his throat

-people aghast at the sight of this congressman bleeding out

-radicalizes everyone further

-results in midterms being huge shellacking for northern Republicans and also northern straight-out Democrats

-sees a moderate Kentuckian Democrat win the nomination

-polarizes debates even more, all legislative decision comes to an end

-a moderate border southerner becomes speaker

-then when next election sees victory of Webster everything finally crashes

-leaves presidency under a cloud of failure

-but still has a fairly impressive amount of popularity for his pre-presidential achievements

-retires to Kentucky with his family

-where he raised most of his family

-dies in 1849

-legacy is that he is remembered more for his pre-presidential achievements than his presidential ones

-but his presidency has somewhat tainted his reputation

-as he is remembered as an agent of the slave power in part

-also he's remembered as the great hero of the People's Party and that party being the losing force of the Liberty and Union War (1868-76) means that he has that cloud about him

Pike Cabinet

Vice President

-1837-1845: William C. Rives ^[1] Nominated by the Old Republican caucus in 1836 and wins votes of (most) Pike electors. Is a figure well-poised to serve as successor of Pike, and indeed he does become presidential candidate in 1844.

Secretary of State

-1837-1845: Joel R. Poinsett ^[2] Considered a Calhounite, but in practice ends up leading a separate faction over time.

Secretary of Domestic Affairs

-1837-1845: Levi Woodbury ^[3] Leads the implementation of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1837. Gets excoriated in much of the North for his attempts to pack juries in fugitive slave cases, as well as his attempts to enforce this law as far as New England.

Secretary of the Treasury

-1837-1845: Langdon Cheves ^[4] Oversees general cut-down of spending money on internal improvements. This process accelerates with the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), and even more with the diminishment of the tariff in 1841. With the Recessions > Panic of 1842, he refuses to take any action whatsoever on the issue.

Secretary of War

-1837-1840: Hugh L. White ^[5] Oversees a general expansion of the army and navy following bad American performance in the US's Wars > Luisiana War (1823-8), albeit now directed mostly southwards to protect the South from "abolitionists" from abroad. With the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), has a pretty ready military for the new war effort. Dies in 1840.

-1840-1845: Joel R. Poinsett ^[6] A gung-ho and nationalistic Southerner. Appointed to lead the US war effort in the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42) to general success.

Attorney General

-1837-1843: Felix Grundy (died) ^[7]

-1840-1845: David Henshaw ^[8]

Secretary of the Navy

-1837-1843: John Branch ^[9] Leads effort to revamp and expand the US Navy, with southern interests intent on expanding it to protect their plantations from "abolitionist" foreign powers. With the rise of the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), largely credited at the time for the generally effective US war effort.

-1843-1845: Robert F. Stockton ^[10]

Postmaster General

-1837-1845: Benjamin F. Butler ^[11] (link )) Van Buren ally, appointed for him to take full advantage of important post patronage.

Nominated by the Old Republican caucus in 1836 and wins votes of (most) Pike electors. Is a figure well-poised to serve as successor of Pike, and indeed he does become presidential candidate in 1844. ⮐
Considered a Calhounite, but in practice ends up leading a separate faction over time. ⮐
Leads the implementation of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1837. Gets excoriated in much of the North for his attempts to pack juries in fugitive slave cases, as well as his attempts to enforce this law as far as New England. ⮐
Oversees general cut-down of spending money on internal improvements. This process accelerates with the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), and even more with the diminishment of the tariff in 1841. With the Recessions > Panic of 1842, he refuses to take any action whatsoever on the issue. ⮐
Oversees a general expansion of the army and navy following bad American performance in the US's Wars > Luisiana War (1823-8), albeit now directed mostly southwards to protect the South from "abolitionists" from abroad. With the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), has a pretty ready military for the new war effort. Dies in 1840. ⮐
A gung-ho and nationalistic Southerner. Appointed to lead the US war effort in the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42) to general success. ⮐
⮐
⮐
Leads effort to revamp and expand the US Navy, with southern interests intent on expanding it to protect their plantations from "abolitionist" foreign powers. With the rise of the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), largely credited at the time for the generally effective US war effort. ⮐
⮐
(link )) Van Buren ally, appointed for him to take full advantage of important post patronage. ⮐

Daniel Webster

Daniel Webster

1814-1817: Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives

-serves quite notable role as such

-moves to massachusetts following year without a summer, as sees that decline is imminent, builds new law career in boston

1821-1829: Member of the United States House of Representatives

-law career very successful, particularly after great defence of dartmouth at supreme court

-serves as leading member of Northern sectionalism in this era

-derides Illinois for its treason but from a very pro-Union stance

-increasingly becoming regarded as a Democrat

-with US's Wars > Luisiana War (1823-8) is very much pro-war

-continues to make him prominent and regarded as "voice of New England"

-as New England is zealous for control of the Mississippi

1829-1835: United States Senator from Massachusetts

-opposes the Compromise of 1829 but after the fact praises it as a big win for the North

-debates nature of union in famous reply to Calhoun, makes him famous name

-like OTL Second Reply to Hayne

-in reaction Calhoun left very angry, and president of senate can do nothing but adjourn

-but in the end Calhoun recovers and acknowledges he has been beaten

-after failed effort to become pres nominee pushes for appointment to plenipotentiary of british isles, gets it

1835-1837: United States Consul-General to the British Isles

-warm anglophilia, moderate spirit makes him popular in this position

-here, his charisma makes him known as the American version of Edmund Burke

-makes himself known to be controversial when he is derided by Daniel O'Connell

-leaves him out of the way during missouri crisis, though he does make his antislavery stance clear

1837-1845: United States Senator from Massachusetts

-secures resignation that opens the way for him to become senator

-subsequent anti-pike stance means he retains popularity in west and upper south

1845-1852: President of the United States

1845-1852: Daniel Webster (Democratic) †

1844: (with James L. Petigru) def. William C. Rives/Levi Woodbury (Republican)

1848: (with James L. Petigru) def. John C. Calhoun/David Henshaw (Republican)

-restores clay’s economic policies to full extent

-establishes Tariffs > Tariff of 1845 which causes disgruntlement in south because viewed as settled issue

-federal government takes on debts from states suffering from debt

-including from Georgia and South Carolina

-about half of the debt of the several states

-allows for new booming era of internal improvements brewing

-though some of them do still have issues

-but rising (slave-powered) industry funded by bank investment, unionist presence means more southerners are pro-tariff, also more northerners anti-tariff

-due to european warfare, trans-caribbean slave trade cut off, and slaves traded to brazil instead sold to home markets

-value of slaves collapses massively, and as south has a lot of "wealth" calculated in terms of slaves, results in "economic" crisis

-in upper south, many slaves sold southwards, in context where slaves are viewed as investment slaveholders want to get "full value"

-with economy of virginia dependent on slave breeding, ravages it, results in investment in (slave-powered) industry

-similarly across rest of south there is more use of slaves in urban area due to there being very many

-in kentucky, maryland, and delaware, where bringing in further slaves is banned, this instead causes panic and slaves being sold downstream

-out of fear of attempt to allow further slaves in, as well as lowering value of slave affecting things in general

-Lowndes and Calhoun crush neo-nullificationist talk in south carolina over tariff because wants to make presidential run

-attempts to buy San Francisco, rebuffed by Spain

-south starts saber rattling about Texas Cuba, webster says no and his party has to work to maintain southern support

-there is big northern push for acquiring columbia despite weak us claim

-Webster sees that he can't really make a claim

-after much negotiation, does get britain to agree to giving usa a perpetual lease over olympia triangle by substantial payment for it

-hopes to bring columbia under american influence as friendly state through immigration

-guarantees the us the right to make roads to olympia, with webster aiming at transcontinental railroad one day

-lays out trail to oregon as far as possible, in effort to settle it as friendly state america, results in large settlement of mostly young men

-despite many viewing this negatively as a waste of money/betrayal, american commerce immediately is boosted by this pacific port

-With Webster viewed as threat to Missouri Compromise settlement, filibusters organized to nab for South more land

-expedition into Texas launched under a charismatic leader

-however, this expedition fails badly

-webster prosecutes hard those responsible

-controversial in south where some support filibusters but others view spain as fellow slaver and ally

-Orleans court votes to find accused innocent

-British Wars > New Granadine War of Independence (1848-52) breaks out, results in anxiety across south over it destroying slavery

-despite general support for new granadine independence

-webster anxious to avoid a british takeover of california

-british take monterey quickly, soon after war

-webster sends american ships to monterey to threaten intervention to drive them out

-after much negotiation, they leave in 1849

-ultimately, webster offers to mediate negotiations, accomplished in 1852 just before his death

-Calhoun partially reverts to nationalism, builds up south west coalition in name of internal improvements and low tariff

-due in part to grand success of charleston-cincinnati railroad

-also mentions texas a lot, to bring up spectre of british controlled texas breathing down us's neck

-threatens to drive out british from monterey if necessary

-wins nomination, ticks off northeast, only barely able to conciliate burenites

-plan emerge filibuster to texas with many army members assoc with it, pending his election and suspension of neutrality act

-webster includes preemption act in platform, decisive and important despite break with traditional unionist view of land distribution

-and successfully ties this to the tariff

-election proves closer than expected, but webster wins in the Middle West and this wins the day

-due to the US sending slaves to Portuguese Brazil following Bahia revolt, much of South's economy dependent on it

-and following France declaring war on Portugal and entirely cutting off slave trade during French Wars > Third French War (1847-54), this causes a sudden crash of slave prices

-due to slaves being most valuable asset in South, causes giant crash

-due to slaves being collateral used by Bank of the United States, results in Bank quickly getting massive amounts of slaves as "assets", becoming the largest slaveholder in the US

-in general, this low price for slaves results in slaves becoming much more widespread across social classes in South

-including mass use of slaves in industry

-and also many states try to stem this by having Kentucky-style import prohibitions

-and a panic of slaves sold south

-in general, also wreaks havoc on Northern ties with slave economy as institutions which heavily invested in south, and with it the slave as commodity, wrecked badly and avoid it in the future

-which also means that slave-powered industry, and the whole slave system, is now counterpoised to compete with the north

-to assure South, Webster gets Bank to send slaves owned by it into Fredonia

-to increase price of slaves

-a lot of slaves sent there

-and crisis eventually brought under control

-additionally, also because of French Wars > Third French War (1847-54), immigration cut off which results in labor issues in North

-to resolve this, industrialists look to poor white trash of South, recruit to bring them northwards to work in labor

-is pretty massive and South is fairly happy with this

-additionally poor whites have better lives in the North

-however, does worsen population ratio between North and South

-preemption act gets passed with difficulty despite southern unhappiness

-and land-grant colleges established

-in wake of Calhoun's defeat, south carolina legislature calls for organization of southern convention against tariff with his support

-initial talk of forming nullification convention right away fails

-due to rising merchant, trader, industrial class (risen due to railroad, rising industry) which views south carolina as tied to its neighbors

-indeed, part of this class is, while not okay with rise of tariff, acquaintanced to it

-delegates sent by legislatures of missouri, mississippi, virginia, georgia, and south carolina to charleston in 1850 to organize united support

-in contrast to missouri crisis, is not united action and in all states except south carolina is done over sizeable minority

-massively controversial and webster threatens force, even getting force bill through

-issues nullification proclamation, not only condemning nullification but also secession as unconstitutional

-results in some disgruntlement by south, including pro-tariff unionists who agree with logic of secession because they think might be needed if north gets too powerful

-but ultimately only disgruntlement, and crisis is for the most part brought under control

-midway georgia and virginia depart after unionists take control of legislatures and pull delegates

-after passing some resolutions moderated by non-sc presence, charleston convention dissolves

-smaller more radical convention meets dominated by sc, threatens secession, but dissolves afterwards because lone action not possible

-though south carolina disgruntled, cowed by Force Act and fact that most of south not with it

-in wake of second nullification crisis and southern disarray, Juniper (iowa) organized as territory with bill passing through congress with tight margins

-despite longstanding worry over illinois being almost surrounded by free soil

-some border southern senators reluctantly choose to abstain or vote for it, and some note it wouldn't mean total encirclement

-webster victorious, without compromise that Clay seeks to organize

-Juniper formed as free territory in 1849, having already had a degree of settlement

-missouri congress, threatened by free territory, votes that its border reaches des moines,

-soon afterwards, missourian tax collectors come in

-federal government, intent on observing the law, declares few slaves coming in should leave or be free

-Land Grant Act intensifies controversy, as settlers claim land both ways

-skirmishes between settlers breaks out near border

-this even includes bloodshed between Missouri militia and Juniper territorial settlers

-webster sends small military detachment, intent on enforcing the law in the territory and bringing in controversy to an end

-south being divided means it cannot support Missouri strong enough

-but Illinoians support it, bring slaves into Juniper to provoke constitutionality crisis, and though terr authorities free their slaves it provokes long court cases

-but in the end, missouri backs down and accepts a commission to demarcate boundary, votes Juniper side

-slaves brought in freed, but they find hostility in Juniper

-controversy comes to an end (not in the least because missouri divided on issue), but rising extremism in south

-talk of overturning missouri compromise, or even of federal slave code in the territories

-webster's national unity tour in south met with widespread applause, papering over this new issue

-revealed that directors of bank of the united states had a dummy investors scheme to get around investment cap

-they artificially inflated stock values and sold at the top for personal enrichment

-some claim he knew of this before renewing its charter, point to friend Samuel Appleton being president of bank

-webster initially denies this report, then when confirmed popular outrage forces him to push new appointments and replace them

-bank of us generally suffers as a result of less competent appointments, results in bank being overstretched

-crashes his popularity

-bank generally weakened by this

-however, soon afterwards, Webster revealed to be cartoonishly corrupt

-including accepting massive "loans" and selling appointments to highest bidder

-accepts ludicrous gifts, sells appointments in Secretaryship of State

-Democrats lose various elections in late 1851-2, due to a certain lack of confidence (but not all the way because v. personal)

-south sees some anger emerge over Juniper

-Great Shoemaker Strike of 1851 emerges, over introduction of sewing machine in 1840s

-thanks to rising industry, communication more generally

-earlier since rise of pneumatic, hydraulic tech results in these technologies getting combined earlier to use pnuematic, hydralic tech to make it better

-across Eastern Seaboard, spreading from Lynn Massachusetts across to Washington

-much of it even comes to President's Mansion

-Webster well known to be anti-strike, brings ire

-but in the end, strike comes to an end due to local opposition, police, despite some small opposition

Early life

-son of federalist father

-served as hardcore and impressive lawyer

-elected to new hampshire house on that basis, shines in role but resigns, moves to boston after year without a summer, wins election to house afterwards

-during war scares with uk makes well-known antiwar speeches

-but has different stance with spain, desires to spread american commerce across mississippi and so when crisis begins endorses war in break with his allies

-note: in OTL webster was all for war with spain if they were to close mississippi in an essay he wrote in 1800

-makes him pseudo-republican, gets nominated by party as senator

-upon end of war he becomes allied with clay as British Wars > Popular Revolution (1827-9) ends uk issues

-as senator he's crucial clay ally

-makes famous reply to Calhoun in senate, widely published speech for legendary eloquence and defence of the union

-equiv. to second reply to hayne

-makes him one of leaders of unionist party upon formation

-so dejected after clay's compromise tariff he contemplates joining anti-clay forces, decides not to as it's shown as anti-tariff decisively

-supports bank of us when it gets crit after panic of 1834

-tries to gain support from presidential run, but fails to get southern and much western support

-afterwards, sulks and get appointed to ambassador to british isles, notes that it's stepping stone

-serves role well, v. popular in this context

-when missouri compromise strikes, considers returning but avoids it because he thinks compromise imminent

-then when he realizes not, winter has come, webster cannot brave winter storms

-returns following pike's victory, successfully retains antislavery bonafides with some statements on the subject, and gets himself elected senator again

-in senate, furiously ripostes pike administration

-on gag issue, is very anti-gag, votes against all gags but clay's gag sending abolition petitions to packed committee goes through

-on jury nullification of fugitive slave act, webster defends the rights of juries in speeches, no doubt affected by british views on them

-when missouri decides to allow full importation of slaves, widespread panic and webster expresses he hoped it would not

-but nonetheless argues they are constitutional in doing so

-when south makes motions about jury nullification of fsa

-webster argues that, considering missouri permitted slave importation, south can hardly be picky about north going back on part of bargain about fsa

-"webster addendum" to missouri compromise, succeeds for most part in cooling tensions despite south carolina being miffed

-initially pro-war with france, but advocates peace with honour as it goes on too long

-doesn't run for pres though as general view is it's bound to be populist victory

-supports bank of us hardcore and his friend its president nathan appleton, secures leadership second only to clay

Presidency