A New Era: The American Political Dynasties and the Progressive Empire (1957)

[justW353]

Questions?  Comments?  Concerns?

Any feedback or comments (negative or positive) encourage me to do better and continue at this TL.

Also, I'm eager to answer any questions about what certain people are doing or how certain events occurred.

[tb78]

I would rather have Stevenson as president than McCarthy.

[justW353]

The First Term of President Adlai E. Stevenson II  (1957 - 1961)

Governor Adlai Stevenson was sworn in to his first term as President on January 20, 1957.  At the time of the inauguration, the United States was experiencing a time of prosperity, while in Asia capitalism bloomed. 

Cabinet

Vice President:  Robert M. La Follette, Jr.
Secretary of State:  Dwight D. Eisenhower
Secretary of Treasury:  Herbert H. Lehman
Secretary of Defense:  Omar N. Bradley
Attorney General:  Thomas E. Dewey
Secretary of the Interior:  Kermit Roosevelt I
Secretary of Agriculture:  Raymond D. Gray
Secretary of Commerce:  C. Sinclair Weeks
Secretary of Labor: 

  Arthur J. Goldberg

During his campaign, President Stevenson vowed to continue to ensure America’s superiority over the Soviet Union and the world.  As President, he continued the buildup of nuclear arms, and continued to fund young democracies. 

In September of 1957, Governor Orville Faubus of Arkansas called out the National Guard to prevent African-American students from enrolling in Central High School in Little Rock.  President Stevenson responded by sending in the United States Military to provide safe passage for the students.

On November 3, 1957, Explorer 2 was launched.  It was the first spacecraft to orbit with a living creature aboard, a year old German Shepard named Ruby.  The dog remained in orbit for two and a half days.  The spacecraft was originally not recoverable, but President Stevenson demanded the plan be changed so the dog survive.  The craft was recovered on November 5 with Ruby safe inside. 

Ruby's flight proved it was possible for living creatures to survive weightlessness.  Plans were soon made for a manned spaceflight.

On March 27, 1958, Nikita Khrushchev became the Premier of the Soviet Union.  The USSR, which had begun to crumble since the end of the Second World War, was substantially behind the United States in the areas of economic prosperity, science, and international influence. 

On May 13, 1958, Vice President Robert La Follette, Jr. visited the Protectorate of Venezuela.  A mob of Anti-American protesters gathered in Caracas, and began attacking his car.  The local police were unable to contain the huge crowd.  Eventually the Vice President's car was overturned, and he was pulled out of the car.  He was severely beaten, and by the time the riot was contained, the 39th Vice President of the United States had died due to a severe brain injury.  (This really happened to Nixon, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvigX1doz2U)

On May 15, President Stevenson moved American troops into Venezuela in masses.  Later in the month, he changed their status to a self-governing commonwealth.  Thousands of troops moved into Venezuela, seemingly taking all steps with the exception of overthrowing the government.  However, the Anti-American rallies were relatively small.  Overall, most Venezuelans pushed for further US control in their country.

On June 1, President Stevenson announced his choice as Vice President; Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts.  He was confirmed by Congress on June 14, and sworn in the next day.

On July 7, 1958, President Stevenson signed the Alaska Statehood Act into law, granting it statehood as the 49th state.  In 1958, Soviet Premier Khrushchev ordered Western allies to evacuate West Berlin within 6 months.  NATO doubted his threats, and saw him as relatively defenseless.  Eventually, he backed down.

On March 18, 1959, President Stevenson signed the Hawaii Statehood Act into law, granting it statehood as the 50th state.  On June 26, 1959, President Stevenson and Queen Elizabeth II formally opened the St. Lawrence Seaway.

On September 3, 1959, Pioneer 3 crashed into the Moon, becoming the first man-made object to impact the lunar surface.  Several days later, Pioneer 4 succeeds in taking photos of the Far Side of the Moon. 

In early 1960, President Stevenson sent 3,000 Americans to South Vietnam.  In addition, bombers were flown in from the Philippines.  On May 6, 1960, President Roosevelt signed the Civil Rights Act of 1960 into law.  The Act was a United States federal law that established federal inspection of local voter registration polls and introduced penalties for anyone who obstructed someone's attempt to register to vote or actually vote. 

On December 5, 1960, in Boynton v. Virginia, the US Supreme Court ruled segregation in public transit was unconstitutional. 

As the election of 1960 drew near, President Stevenson's health had begun to fail.  He ultimately decided to retire from politics.

Democratic Nomination - 1960

President Stevenson did not seek reelection in 1960, despite his relative popularity.  The main candidates for the nomination were Vice President John F. Kennedy, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson, and Senator Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota.  President Stevenson endorsed the young Vice President, who ultimately won the nomination.  Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson was chosen as Vice President.

Republican Nomination - 1960

The main candidates for the Republican nomination in 1960 were Governor Richard Nixon of California, Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York, and Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona.  After an intense primary battle between Rockefeller and Nixon, Nixon came out on top and received the nomination.  As Vice President, he selected Senator John Dulles of New York as his nominee.

General Election - 1960

The battle for the election in 1960 was brutal.  Vice President Kennedy had the upper hand; he was young, charismatic, and had name recognition.  With the support of President Stevenson, Vice President Kennedy was narrowly elected President of the United States in 1960.

Kennedy/Johnson:  307
Nixon/Dulles:  230

[justW353]

List of Presidents:

24:  Stephen Grover Cleveland  (March 4, 1893 - March 4, 1897)
25:  Robert Todd Lincoln  (March 4, 1897 - September 6, 1901)
26:  Theodore Roosevelt  (September 7, 1901 - March 4, 1909)
27:  Robert Marion La Follette Sr.  (March 4, 1909 - March 4, 1913)
28:  Theodore Roosevelt  (March 4, 1913 - March 4, 1921)
29:  Hiram Warren Johnson  (March 4, 1921 - July 20, 1923)
30:  Theodore Roosevelt  (July 21, 1923 - March 4, 1925)
31:  Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.  (March 4, 1925 - March 4, 1933)
32:  Franklin Delano Roosevelt  (March 4, 1933 - April 12, 1945)
33:  Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr.  (April 12, 1945 - June 20, 1946)
34:  Quentin Roosevelt I  (June 20, 1946 - January 20, 1957)
35:  Adlai Ewing Stevenson II  (January 20, 1957 - January 20, 1961)
36:  John Fitzgerald Kennedy  (January 20, 1961 - Present)

List of Vice Presidents:

23:  Adlai Ewing Stevenson I  (March 4, 1893 - March 4, 1897)
24:  William McKinley  (March 4, 1897 - March 4, 1901)
25:  Theodore Roosevelt  (March 4, 1901 - September 7, 1901)
26:  Charles Warren Fairbanks  (March 4, 1905 - March 4, 1909)
27:  William Howard Taft  (March 4, 1909 - March 4, 1913)
28:  Hiram Warren Johnson (March 4, 1913 - March 4, 1917)
29:  Warren Gamaliel Harding (March 4, 1917 - March 4, 1921)
30:  Theodore Roosevelt  (March 4, 1921 - July 21, 1923)
31:  John Calvin Coolidge, Jr.  (March 4, 1925 - March 4, 1929)
32:  Charles Evans Hughes  (March 4, 1929 - March 4, 1933)
33:  John Nance Garner IV  (March 4, 1933 - January 20, 1937)
34:  Henry James Ford  (January 20, 1937 - January 20, 1941)
35:  Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr.  (January 20, 1941 - April 12, 1945)
36:  Quentin Roosevelt I  (April 29, 1945 - June 20, 1946)
37:  Henry Lewis Stimson  (July 11, 1946 - September 24, 1949)
38:  Harry S. Truman  (October 30, 1949 - Present)
39:  Robert Marion La Follette, Jr.  (January 20, 1957 - May 13, 1958)
40:  John Fitzgerald Kennedy  (June 15, 1958 - January 20, 1961)
41:  Lyndon Baines Johnson  (January 20, 1961 - Present)

[justW353]

Questions?  Comments?  Concerns?

Any feedback or comments (negative or positive) encourage me to do better and continue at this TL.

Also, I'm eager to answer any questions about what certain people are doing or how certain events occurred.

[justW353]

Questions?  Comments?  Concerns?

Any feedback or comments (negative or positive) encourage me to do better and continue at this TL.

Also, I'm eager to answer any questions about what certain people are doing or how certain events occurred.

[yoman82]

A curiosity, what's the situation like in Africa and the outermost US territories?

[justW353]

A curiosity, what's the situation like in Africa and the outermost US territories?

In Africa, things are not dramatically unlike they were OTL.  Presidents Stevenson, Q. Roosevelt and Kennedy have drastically increased aid to democratic, free market nations in the continent.  Nelson Mandela has become the main leader of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.  The most prosperous nations; Egypt, Ghana, and South Africa are supported financially by the United States.  

Puerto Rico:  Self governing commonwealth

Hispaniola:  Colony; Haiti and Dominican Republic merged into one colony; Hispaniola.  Colony divided into two regions.  Pushing for self-governing status and statehood

Philippines:  Self governing colony; Pushing for independence or statehood, but mostly for statehood.

Greenland:  Self-governing protectorate.  Pushing for independence or integration with Denmark/Canada.

Hawaii:  50th State

Alaska:  49th State

Micronesia:  Received independence in 1950; Guam remains under US control.

Virgin Islands:  Self governing colony

Marianas Islands:  Self governing colony

Samoa:  Self governing colony

Marshall Islands:  Self governing colony

Venezuela:  Self-governing commonwealth.  While Anti-American protests occur, a large amount of the population is pushing for further US control.  English is becoming common in the commonwealth.

Newfoundland:  Territory of the United States; pushing for statehood.

[justW353]

The First Term of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy  (January 20, 1961 - January 20, 1965)

Vice President John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States on January 20, 1961.  At the time of his inauguration, the United States had a clear advantage over any nation in the world. 

Cabinet

Vice President:  Lyndon B. Johnson
Secretary of State:  Dean D. Rusk
Secretary of Treasury:  Herbert H. Lehman
Secretary of Defense:  Omar N. Bradley
Attorney General:  Robert F. Kennedy
Secretary of the Interior:  Stewart L. Udall
Secretary of Agriculture:  Raymond D. Gray
Secretary of Commerce:  Luther H. Hodges
Secretary of Labor:  Hubert H. Humphrey

On March 1, 1961, President Kennedy founded the Peace Corps.  On April 12, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first human to travel in space, on the spacecraft Freedom 7.  Two months later, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin would become the second human to travel in space.  Shepard would be declared an American hero, and would meet with President Kennedy at the White House.

In March of 1961 Kennedy sent Congress a special message, proposing an ambitious and complex housing program to spur the economy, revitalize cities, and provide affordable housing for middle and low-income families.  The bill proposed spending $3 billion dollars and placed major emphasis on improving the existing housing supply, instead of on new housing starts, and creating a cabinet-level Department of Housing and Urban Affairs to oversee the programs.  President Kennedy also signed the Fair Labor Standards Act, protecting workers with an increase in the minimum wage.

On May 27, before a joint session of Congress, President Kennedy announced his goal to put a man on the Moon before the end of the decade.  The Apollo space program had begun. 

On August 13, 1961, construction began on a wall separating East and West Berlin.  On October 27, a standoff between Soviet and American  tanks in Berlin heightened Cold War tensions.  On October 30, the Soviet Union detonated a 58-megaton yield hydrogen bomb known as Tsar Bomba, the largest ever man-made explosion in human history. 

On November 18, 1961, President Kennedy sent 18,000 "military advisors" to assist the South Vietnamese against communist aggressors. 

On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first human to orbit the Earth, on the spacecraft Friendship 7. 

In June of 1962, American bombers began targeting Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces.  The North Vietnamese were extremely poorly supplied; Chinese forces had blockaded their country and prevented Soviet troops or supplies from entering the nation.

On June 11, 1963, President Kennedy delivered his Civil Rights Address, in which he proposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The address transformed civil rights from a legal issue to a moral one.  Later that month, President Kennedy ordered the termination of the Mercury Program, with all it's assets going toward the Apollo Project.

On August 5, 1963, the United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union signed a nuclear testing ban.  On August 28, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famed "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. 

In his third State of the Union address on January 8, 1963, President Kennedy declared a "War on Poverty".  The speech led the United States Congress to pass the Economic Opportunity Act, which established the Office of Economic Opportunity to administer the local application of federal funds targeted against poverty.  President Kennedy also increased Social Security benefits, and increased mandates on healthcare coverage.

On January 30, General Nguyen Khanh led a coup replacing Duong Van Minh as Prime Minister of South Vietnam.  Van Minh was placed under house arrest, but was allowed to remain as a figurehead chief-of-state.  On March 26, U.S. Defense Secretary Omar Bradley delivered an address that reiterated American determination to give South Vietnam increased military and economic aid, in its war against the Communist insurgency. 

Privately, President Kennedy began to wonder whether the war in Vietnam was worth fighting.  He urged General Khanh to make major pushes into North Vietnam, guaranteeing Chinese and American support.  A plan was written up; Chinese forces would invade from the north, while South Vietnamese forces invaded from the south.  American bombers would bombard North Vietnamese forces into submission.  The operation, dubbed Operation Snakeskin, would be the only opportunity for American aid in the war.  The operation is proposed to begin on March 1, 1965.

On July 2, 1964, President Kennedy signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, abolishing racial segregation in the United States.  On October 14, 1964, Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

On October 15, 1964, Nikita Khrushchev was deposed as leader of the Soviet Union; Leonid Brezhnev and Alexei Kosygin assumed power.  Two days later, the Republic of China tested their first nuclear weapon. 

As the 1964 elections drew near, President Kennedy remained exceptionally popular throughout the nation, with the possible exception of the Southeast, where his Civil Rights Act had alienated many voters.  The President sought reelection in 1964.

Democratic Nomination - 1964

The two main candidates for the Democratic nomination in 1964 were President John Kennedy and Governor George Wallace of Alabama.  While Wallace did well in southern primaries, President Kennedy overwhelmingly received the nomination for President.  Vice President Johnson did not seek the nomination for Vice President.  Instead, Governor Terry Sanford of North Carolina was selected as the President's running mate.

Republican Nomination - 1964

In 1964, the main candidates for the nomination were Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona, Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine, Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York, and former Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Jr of Massachusetts.  In a battle between Goldwater and Rockefeller, Goldwater ultimately won the nomination, and selected Congressman Walter Judd of Minnesota as his running mate.

General Election - 1964

Despite President Kennedy's Civil Rights Act of 1964, he was popular in nearly every section of the country.  While the Civil Rights Act had "lost the South for a generation", it had gained universal support for President Kennedy in the 1964 election, and he was reelected handily.

Kennedy/Sanford:  439
Goldwater/Judd:  99

[justW353]

List of Presidents:

24:  Stephen Grover Cleveland  (March 4, 1893 - March 4, 1897)
25:  Robert Todd Lincoln  (March 4, 1897 - September 6, 1901)
26:  Theodore Roosevelt  (September 7, 1901 - March 4, 1909)
27:  Robert Marion La Follette Sr.  (March 4, 1909 - March 4, 1913)
28:  Theodore Roosevelt  (March 4, 1913 - March 4, 1921)
29:  Hiram Warren Johnson  (March 4, 1921 - July 20, 1923)
30:  Theodore Roosevelt  (July 21, 1923 - March 4, 1925)
31:  Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.  (March 4, 1925 - March 4, 1933)
32:  Franklin Delano Roosevelt  (March 4, 1933 - April 12, 1945)
33:  Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr.  (April 12, 1945 - June 20, 1946)
34:  Quentin Roosevelt I  (June 20, 1946 - January 20, 1957)
35:  Adlai Ewing Stevenson II  (January 20, 1957 - January 20, 1961)
36:  John Fitzgerald Kennedy  (January 20, 1961 - Present)

List of Vice Presidents:

23:  Adlai Ewing Stevenson I  (March 4, 1893 - March 4, 1897)
24:  William McKinley  (March 4, 1897 - March 4, 1901)
25:  Theodore Roosevelt  (March 4, 1901 - September 7, 1901)
26:  Charles Warren Fairbanks  (March 4, 1905 - March 4, 1909)
27:  William Howard Taft  (March 4, 1909 - March 4, 1913)
28:  Hiram Warren Johnson (March 4, 1913 - March 4, 1917)
29:  Warren Gamaliel Harding (March 4, 1917 - March 4, 1921)
30:  Theodore Roosevelt  (March 4, 1921 - July 21, 1923)
31:  John Calvin Coolidge, Jr.  (March 4, 1925 - March 4, 1929)
32:  Charles Evans Hughes  (March 4, 1929 - March 4, 1933)
33:  John Nance Garner IV  (March 4, 1933 - January 20, 1937)
34:  Henry James Ford  (January 20, 1937 - January 20, 1941)
35:  Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr.  (January 20, 1941 - April 12, 1945)
36:  Quentin Roosevelt I  (April 29, 1945 - June 20, 1946)
37:  Henry Lewis Stimson  (July 11, 1946 - September 24, 1949)
38:  Harry S. Truman  (October 30, 1949 - Present)
39:  Robert Marion La Follette, Jr.  (January 20, 1957 - May 13, 1958)
40:  John Fitzgerald Kennedy  (June 15, 1958 - January 20, 1961)
41:  Lyndon Baines Johnson  (January 20, 1961 - January 20, 1965)
42:  James Terry Sanford  (January 20, 1965 - Present)

[justW353]

Questions?  Comments?  Concerns?

Any feedback or comments (negative or positive) encourage me to do better and continue at this TL.

Also, I'm eager to answer any questions about what certain people are doing or how certain events occurred.

[yougo1000]

How is the US Soviets doing

[justW353]

How is the US Soviets doing

...what?

[yoman82]

I'm thinking he means USSR. What's US-Colombia relations like?

[yougo1000]

What are the US-USSR relations

[justW353]

What are the US-USSR relations

That was the entire topic of the last post...The USSR is still a superpower, but the USA has a clear lead over the Soviets.  The Cuban Revolution never happened (Batista never came to power)...

[justW353]

I just screwed up again...Soo...

JFK passes medicare and medicaid into law.  Then, he does all this other stuff.  Then he does some other stuff in Vietnam...

I worked three hours on that update...

Anyways, JFK's second term goes similarly to LBJ's OTL.  He passes most Great Society initiatives, under the New Frontier plan.

He steps up bombing in Vietnam, the war ends in 1966 after the death of Ho Chi Minh. 

JFK also focuses efforts on the Apollo project.  On January 11, 1969, Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon.

The Democrats nominated George McGovern and George Smathers as their ticket, while the GOP nominated Nixon and George Romney.

After years of Democratic fatigue, Nixon won in 1968.

Nixon/Romney:  278
McGovern/Smathers:  215
Wallace/LeMay:  45

This'll probably be my last update...I'm just fuming right now.  This is fun, but there is barely any interest shown.  Plus, with those mistakes...

[Captain Chaos]

Did you use Word and save your timeline (especially with a USB drive)?

[yoman82]

Please, please don't stop this timeline. It's excellent.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

Out of curiosity, what happened to Reagan in this timeline? 

And I like Progressive America, although towards the mid-1900s, it seems to have merged into the original timeline....

[justW353]

Out of curiosity, what happened to Reagan in this timeline? 

And I like Progressive America, although towards the mid-1900s, it seems to have merged into the original timeline....

Ronald Reagan was elected Governor of California in 1966.  He ran for President in 1968, but lose in the primaries to Nixon.

By the mid-1900s you had Kennedy win.  In this TL, the US never really got involved in Vietnam; US infantry never fought in the war.  With the US winning the Cold War, America has taken the lead in the Space Race, and capitalism is prospering throughout the world. 

Lee Harvey Oswald never killed JFK (the Cuban Revolution never occurred, which was LHO's major motive), but JFK still passed the same policies as LBJ did for one reason; they were his policies to begin with.

[justW353]

Bump.  I want to see if there is any widespread appeal here before I continue (if I continue).

[dwkulcsar]

Should we expect any Udall's?

[justW353]

Should we expect any Udall's?

Stewart Udall served as Kennedy's Secretary of the Interior for both of his terms.

Mo Udall is a US Representative for Arizona.  He is seriously considering a run for Senate in 1970.

[Mr. Morden]

Just read through this, and I'm hoping you'll continue it.