January 3rd, 1816:Following less than a month of consideration, the
Treaty of London is ratified by the United States Senate. With the nation weary of war, it faced an easy passage, its only notable opposition being some ardent war-hawks from the Western Republicans and a few Nationals from states such as Pennsylvania and New York.
January 5th, 1816:With news being slow to travel across the country, the final blow of the war is made by William Clark in the Eastern portion of Ontario.
March 12th, 1816:The Republican caucus occurs in D.C. While few men are willing to campaign openly for the Presidency still, the party is deeply divided between supporters of DeWitt Clinton of New York, the President James Monroe, and rising star War Secretary William Clark.
March 16th, 1816:Despite votes in favor of President Monroe, Secretary Clark, and even Vice President Crawford, Governor DeWitt Clinton of New York manages a bare majority on the last day of the caucus.
As opposed to tradition, which dictates that a Southerner or Westerner be nominated for Vice President, the majority of attendees instead support another anti-war Northerner, this one being Senator Jeremiah B. Howell of Rhode Island.
Meanwhile, retiring to the Executive Mansion, President Monroe sighs and laments on his political career, for it seems that he has been tossed out of office by his own party, and that his career is over.
April 9th, 1816:The National Caucus occurs in New York City, New York, ironically the city where their political rival, DeWitt Clinton, once served as Mayor. For the first time lacking the presence of Alexander Hamilton as a powerful influence, there is little organization. However, former Speaker Henry Clay soon takes charge of the gathering and established himself as its greatest political leader. Clay, an ambitious politician, nevertheless declines whisperings that he run for the Presidency. Instead, he proposes Secretary of Foreign Affairs John Quincy Adams.
April 13th, 1816:With the conclusion of the National caucus, John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts is nominated for President. While there are still calls to nominate Henry Clay for the Vice Presidency, he defers to his senior, both in age and in politics, General William Henry Harrison. Still only in his forties, Harrison is a noted military leader and former cabinet secretary. The Nationals are hoping to use their ticket to deliver a message of foreign policy accomplishment and war victory. However, such images may be out of vogue in the wake of the debacle of the
War of 1811.
