Collaborative Presidential Elections - New

[Kitteh]

Okay, since no one else has, I'll jumpstart this. Our point of departure will be where William H. Crawford died from the stroke he survived IRL in 1823.

1824
Since the collapse of the Federalist Party the Democratic-Republicans had been the nation's only political party. For the 1824 election, the Democratic-Republican caucus in congress had chosen William H. Crawford as their party's nominee. However, Crawford died unexpectedly of a stroke, leaving the party with no clear nominee. A number of candidates entered the race. Most of Crawford's supporters gathered behind Senator Andrew Jackson, who was popular in the South, where most of Crawford's support came from. Jackson won a close and divided election over House Speaker Henry Clay and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams.

Popular Vote:

States with divided electors:
MD: 8 Jackson, 3 Adams
IL: 2 Jackson, 1 Adams


States with no popular vote:
LA: 3 Jackson, 2 Adams
SC: 11 Jackson
DE: 3 Jackson
NY: 31 Adams, 4 Clay, 1 Jackson
VT: 7 Adams
ME: 8 Adams, 1 Jackson
GA: 9 Jackson

Total:
Senator Andrew Jackson (DR-TN), 151 EVs, 49.4% of the popular vote
Secretary of State John Quincy Adams (DR-MA), 89 EVs, 31.8% of the popular vote
Speaker Henry Clay (DR-KY), 21 EVs, 14.0% of the popular vote

Jackson won a strong victory, but with very polarized results. While Jackson's votes outnumbered Adams's and Clay's votes combined, in a number of states Clay's and Adams's combined votes would have swung the outcome, including Ohio, Illinois, and Maryland. Following the election there was a lot of talk among the supporters of the two men about forming a unified front to oppose Jackson in the next election.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Bump. I was unaware we could make maps from 1828 using the EVC. I thought it was 1848 and onwards. I'll have to check it out. This is looking to be a good list.

[Kitteh]

I was unaware we could make maps from 1828 using the EVC. I thought it was 1848 and onwards.

It is technically only 1848 and onwards with the EVC, but if you take the part where it says "year=1848" and change it to "year=1828" it gives you a map of the US in 1828. Then you just delete all the states that weren't in the union at that point as well as those that didn't hold a popular vote (like I did in my last post). 1824 seems to be the earliest year you can do, anything earlier than that and the map comes up blank. Idk why it seems to have earlier years built in but it doesn't let you do them on the EVC app.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I was unaware we could make maps from 1828 using the EVC. I thought it was 1848 and onwards.

It is technically only 1848 and onwards with the EVC, but if you take the part where it says "year=1848" and change it to "year=1828" it gives you a map of the US in 1828. Then you just delete all the states that weren't in the union at that point as well as those that didn't hold a popular vote (like I did in my last post). 1824 seems to be the earliest year you can do, anything earlier than that and the map comes up blank. Idk why it seems to have earlier years built in but it doesn't let you do them on the EVC app.

Gotcha. I guess I will do a new one, to keep this list going.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

1828
President Jackson’s election by the House of Representatives was seen as a victory for the Constitutional process, but by the American people, it was seen as a defeat of Democracy. Fearing popular resentment towards his Presidency, Jackson pushed the 13th Amendment, which required states to hold popular votes for the determination of their electors support. Jackson also worked for the destruction of the National Bank, a battle he was still fighting well near the end of his term. Jackson was easily renominated by the young Democratic Party at their convention. Jackson continued to push his philosophy of direct democracy which is today known as “Jacksonian Democracy.”

The National Republican’s dropped the name Republican and became the National Party. They nominated former Sec. of State John Quincy Adams, and Speaker of the House Henry Clay on a unity ticket focus the defeat of President Jackson, which they successfully did.

Former Secretary of State John Q. Adams (N-MA)/Speaker Henry Clay (N-KY)-179 EV, 56.4% of the popular vote.
President Andrew Jackson (D-TE)/Vice President John Calhoun (D-SC)-109 EV, 42.8% of the popular vote.
Other (Liberty, Abolitionist, Nullification)-0.8% of the popular vote.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

As much as I'd love to write up 1832, I'm in no position to do that. I'll leave you the fact that in this tl, JQA wouldn't be a former president.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

1832
The last four years had not gone well for President Adams. The debates over the expansion of slavery into various territories, national vs. sectionalist policies, and of course the Tariff of Abominations. Despite protest in South Carolina over the tariff, it would work to Adams' favor as his opposition would be split between the Democrats led by Martin Van Buren and the Nullifiers who nominated former Vice President John C. Calhoun.

President John Quincy Adams (N-MA)/Ambassador William Henry Harrison (N-OH) 151 electoral votes, 48.9% of the popular votes
Governor Martin Van Buren (D-NY)/Congressman James K. Polk (D-TN) 129 electoral votes, 47.6% of the popular vote
Senator John C. Calhoun (Nu.-SC)/Economist Henry Lee (Nu.-MA) 11 electoral votes, 2.9% of the popular vote
Others: 0 electoral votes, .6% of the popular vote

[Kitteh]

*bump*

1836
President Adam's second term would be even more controversial then his first. The South strongly opposed the Tariff of Abominations, and when President Adams refused to lower the tariff some Southerners began calling for secession. The crisis hurt Adams's popularity, and in 1834 the Nationals lost control of Congress. The Democrats could not overcome President Adams's veto, so they were unable to lower the tariff on their own. After a long standoff, Senate President Pro Tempore Hugh Lawson White reached a deal with Adams known as the Compromise of 1835 whereby the tariff would be gradually lowered, and the charter of the national bank, which was due to expire in 1836, would be renewed for another eight years. White immediately became very popular across the country for having solved the national crisis and prevented secession, and in 1836 the Democrats nominated him for President.  The National Party was split between radicals who supported Senator Daniel Webster and moderates who supported Vice President William Henry Harrison. Most Nationals knew that their only chance of winning was to nominate the popular war hero Harrison, and Harrison won the nomination and chose Willie Person Mangum of North Carolina as his VP to appeal to the South. Despite Harrison's popularity, White was regarded as a national hero and a moderate, while voters were tired of National government. White won the election easily.

Senator Hugh Lawson White (D-TN)/Governor Martin Van Buren (D-NY) 203 electoral votes, 55.4% of the popular vote
Vice President William Henry Harrison (N-OH)/Senator Willie Person Mangum (N-NC) 91 electoral votes, 44.8% of the popular votes
Others: 0 electoral votes, .8% of the popular vote

[Kitteh]

So far in this TL:

Presidents
Andrew Jackson (D-TN) 1824-1828
John Quincy Adams (N-MA) 1828-1836
Hugh Lawson White (D-TN) 1836-

Vice Presidents
John C Calhoun (D-SC) 1824-1828
Henry Clay (N-KY) 1828-1832
William Henry Harrison (N-OH) 1832-1836
Martin Van Buren (D-NY) 1836-

[Spamage]

I'll claim next.

[Spamage]

1840
The early portion of President White's term was somewhat uneventful. Him and the Democrats controlled Washington and yet had to continually deal with the somewhat hard minded and bitter Nationalists. Legislation was passed but the margins were never extremely in favor of the Democrats and the American people began to gain a distaste for Washington politics. The Democrats were thrown out as a results in the midterm of 1838 and gridlock worse than previously ensued. Former President John Quincy Adams had been reelected to the Senate and began to somewhat improve the Nationalist's standing on Capital Hill. The White House on the other hand began to take a somewhat standoffish view of Congress and the President signed little Legislation that was passed.

The American people began to become somewhat more polarized as the Presidential election began to near with some blaming "Veto-Hughie"  for the lack of an effective national government while others turned towards the "Rascal Congress". Turnout was exected to b extremely high and both sides began preparing.

The Nationalists were initially torn between former Vice President Henry Clay and Senator Daniel Webster. However, they looked largely upon their previous failure under Harrison and saw a lack of support for the mid-section of America so Clay was handily given the nomination. He chose Webster, igniting protests from the few Southern members of the party.

The Democrats very enthusiastically renominated President White and Vice President Van Buren. They were so confident in a presidential win much of their resources was put in local races such as the House and Governorships. However, tragically, President White passed away suddenly and the newly sworn in Martin Van Buren was placed on top of the ticket. He lacked the enthusiasm that White garnered and attempted to counter it by placing another former Vice President John C. Calhoun on his ticket. Calhoun was somewhat reluctant but agreed to do so but announced he would only serve 1 more term as Vice President.

The Nation voted in Clay/Webster with clear regional divergences emerging. Over a single state's border results were drastically different. Even Van Buren's home state of New York joined New England in voting for Clay-Webster, although it was somewhat narrow. The Democrats were now out of office after 1 term for the 2nd time since their party's inception.

Former VP Henry Clay/ Sen. Daniel Webster 196 EVs (53.45%)
President Martin Van Buren/ Former VP John C. Calhoun 98 EV's (46.52%)
Others 0 EVs (0.03%)

[Kitteh]

I'm going to take the next one.

[Kitteh]

1844
President Clay's term had been dominated by foreign policy. Texas had repeatedly asked to join the United States, which was strongly supported in the South but opposed in the North as a Southern power-grab to expand slavery.President Clay and the mostly Northern Whigs opposed annexation and so no action was taken on the issue, despite the fierce opposition of the mostly Southern Democrats.  Meanwhile, negotiations with Britain over the Oregon boundary dispute were going nowhere. In 1844 President Clay and VP Webster were renominated by the Nationals on a platform that mostly opposed annexation of Texas while calling for the Oregon issue to be set aside while American settlers moved into the territory. The National platform attempted to appease Western expansionists by supporting a Homestead Act and federal funding to build roads in the Western territories to help settlers.

Former President Van Buren attempted to win the Democratic nomination again, but by this time the Democrats were dominated by Southerners who favored Calhoun over Van Buren. Van Buren's small chances at the nomination were killed when letters written by him opposing the annexation of Texas were found and made public. Former VP John Calhoun won the nomination over Van Buren by a massive margin. Deeply angry at the Democrats, Van Buren and his supporters walked out of the Democratic convention. Calhoun and the Democrats took a strong stand in favor of Texas annexation, while also supporting a tough position against Oregon to win over Westerners. The Democrats chose for VP Senator William Allen of Ohio, an ardent Oregon expansionist who favored annexing all of the Oregon territory up to the 54th parallel and called for war with Britain if they refused. However, the Democratic position was undercut by Calhoun's previous statements against a tough position on Oregon, and the Nationals vigorously attacked Calhoun for his flip-flopping on the issue. Meanwhile, Southern Democrats opposed the proposed Homestead Act because they were afraid it would lead to Northerners settling the West instead of Southern slaveowners. This position also cost them support among Westerners.

Van Buren and his supporters met in Albany, NY, where they formed a new political party composed of the few remaining Northern Democrats. Officially known as the Free Democratic Party, the party was popularly known as the "Barnburners". The party nominated Van Buren for President and Representative John P Hale of New Hampshire for VP on a platform that strongly opposed annexation of Texas while attacking the Nationals on economic issues and supporting a lowered tarriff and the abolition of the National Bank (President Clay had just gotten the Banks' charter, set to expire that year, re-extended).

The anti-slavery Liberty Party had also been growing in prominence under newspaper editor James G. Birney. Birney's campaign got more attention this year than in the past, and he picked up some support from anti-slavery Nationals who thought Clay was too moderate but disliked Van Buren.

On election day, the Nationals fell just short of a majority:

President Henry Clay (N-KY)/Vice President Daniel Webster (N-MA) 40.3% of the popular vote, 133 EVs
Former Vice President John C Calhoun (D-SC)/Senator William Allen (D-OH) 36.4% of the popular vote, 91 EVs
Former President Martin Van Buren (Barnburner-NY)/Representative John P. Hale (Barnburner-NH) 23.0% of the popular vote, 51 EVs
Mr James G. Birney (Liberty-MI)/Mr Salmon P Chase (Liberty-OH) 1.1% of the popular vote, 0 EVs
Others .2%

With no majority, the election went to Congress. Calhoun offered Van Buren the Vice Presidency, but Van Buren was bitter from his loss at the conventions and refused to negotiate with Calhoun. As the situation dragged on with no resolution, some Southerners began threatening secession. Clay and Webster wanted above all to keep the country together, so they came to an agreement with the Democrats where Clay and Webster would be reelected but Texas would be allowed to join the union. This deal, known as the Compromise of 1844, was controversial in the North; Clay's supporters said it was the only way to keep the country united, but it was strongly opposed by anti-slavery Northerners and some National politicians defected to the Liberty party over the Compromise.

[Spamage]

1848

Whereas Clay's 1st term largely contained few diplomatic actions, his second contained many. He negotiated the Oregon border with Britain and both sides agreed, somewhat reluctantly, to extend the pre-existing border between the 2 nations all the way to the Pacific. Many northerners felt betrayed by the "Claitor" who had annexed all of Texas and half of Oregon. In order to prevent the South from seceding however, Clay believed it was both necessary and fair.

War with Mexico soon followed after several border incidents and America pummeled the larger nation and took much of the land to the Southwest. The Nationalists did as the Democratic-Republicans had done with the war of 1812 and turned it into a national movement. The Democratic Party, already weak from several presidential losses began to tumble and made huge losses in the midterms, the United party however, made many gains.

Vice President Webster quickly ruled out running and wished to return to the Senate. This left the nomination wide open and in the ensuing power grab 2 names stood above all others: Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor. Both men were fresh War heroes with extremely high popularity and so the nomination was close. However, at the Convention Scott narrowly beat out Taylor who put on a brave face and reconciled with his military counterpart. For his Vice Presidential Nominee Scott decided to go with what appeared to be balanced and chose the new, moderate member of the party Lewis Cass as his Vice Presidential Nominee.

The Barn-burners, led by the retired Martin Van Buren, refused to end their stint as a party and made it clear the Northern and Southern factions of the Democratic Party would not be unified for quite some time. At their convention they announced a moderate approach to slavery and moved to the center on many issues in order to win over border states. They christened themselves the United Party to show that they wanted to keep the Union together at almost any cost with a moderate approach to slavery. They nominated a quasi-Van Buren William L. Marcy who chose the moderate John Tyler as his Vice Presidential Nominee.

Whereas the Barn-burners moved closer to the center the Democrats moved further to the right. They were quickly becoming a regional party and so they embraced a much more pro-slavery, southern, approach to their platform. To embody their new found sense of Conservatism the Democrats nominated the state's rights champion John C. Calhoun who dutifully chose Senator John McKinley as his Vice Presidential Nominee.

The campaign was brutal and the border states were heavily contested. General Scott narrowly triumphed in the Electoral College but dominated the Popular Vote due to extremely high total in the Northeast. The National was to continue its rule under "Scott and that goddamn Democrat in sheep's clothing". Many Nationalists still were suspicious of Cass' true political leanings.

Winfield Scott [NA-NY]/ Lewis Cass [NA-MI] 151 EVs (53.33%)
William L. Marcy [UN-NY]/ John Tyler [UN-VA] 65 EVs (24.23%)
John C. Calhoun [DE-SC]/ John McKinley [DE-AL] 74 EVs (20.44%)
Mr. William Garrison [LI-NY]/ Mr. James Birney [LI-MI] (2.01%)

[Kitteh]

I'd do the next one but Drj/Spamage back to back gets a little tiring.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The Scott Presidency would be marked by the utter collapse of the Democrats. Scott, himself opposed to slavery, nonetheless saw that a pragmatic path would have to be taken. He refused utterly to allow for the expansion of slavery into the territories or into California, while at the same time not directly harming slavery in the South. The Democrats, however, made themselves out to look like radicals and quasi-secessionists in comparison.

1852
At the Nationals' convention, President Scott was nominated unanimously and paired with Senator John J. Crittenden for Vice President. Meanwhile, the Democrats, in continuing their downward spiral, nominated Senator Andrew James Butler of South Carolina for President, and former Senator Franklin Pierce--a doughface--for Vice President.

President Winfield Scott (National-New Jersey)/Senator John J. Crittenden (National-Kentucky) 261 electoral votes, 54% of the popular vote
Senator Andrew James Butler (Democrat-South Carolina)/Former Senator Franklin Pierce (Democrat-New Hampshire) 35 electoral votes, 41% of the popular vote
Others: 0 electoral votes, 5% of the popular vote

[Kitteh]

The Scott Presidency would be marked by the utter collapse of the Democrats. Scott, himself opposed to slavery, nonetheless saw that a pragmatic path would have to be taken. He refused utterly to allow for the expansion of slavery into the territories or into California, while at the same time not directly harming slavery in the South. The Democrats, however, made themselves out to look like radicals and quasi-secessionists in comparison.

1852
At the Nationals' convention, President Scott was nominated unanimously and paired with Senator John J. Crittenden for Vice President. Meanwhile, the Democrats, in continuing their downward spiral, nominated Senator Andrew James Butler of South Carolina for President, and former Senator Franklin Pierce--a doughface--for Vice President.

President Winfield Scott (National-New Jersey)/Senator John J. Crittenden (National-Kentucky) 261 electoral votes, 54% of the popular vote
Senator Andrew James Butler (Democrat-South Carolina)/Former Senator Franklin Pierce (Democrat-New Hampshire) 35 electoral votes, 41% of the popular vote
Others: 0 electoral votes, 5% of the popular vote

Note: the reason that South Carolina is only at >50% margins is because the state senate decided SC's electoral vote allocation back in those days, thus there is no popular vote shade to give to it. Thus, I give it the "standard" one.

In this TL there was an amendment passed during AJ's term that required all states to do popular vote.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Fixed.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I really enjoyed this thread. Anyone else up for a revival?

1916

Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Hughes (R-NY)/Former Vice President Charles Fairbanks (R-IN)-272 EV, 48.77% of the popular vote.
President Woodrow Wilson (D-NJ)/Vice President Thomas Marshall (D-IN)-259 EV, 45.51% of the popular vote.
Mr. Allan Benson (S-NY)/Mr. George Ross Kirkpatrick (S-NJ)-4.09% of the popular vote.
Former Governor Frank Hanley (PB-IN)/Mr. Ira Landrith (PB-TN)-1.44% of the popular vote.
Mr. Arthur Reimer (SL-MA)/Mr. Caleb Harrison (SL-IL)-0.19% of the popular vote.

President Wilson's narrow losses in New Hampshire and California cost him the presidency, and Charles Evan Hughes is elected President, with the daunting prospects of war looming on the horizon.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

While historians would rate Hughes as one of the most progressive and visionary U.S. Presidents, his contemporaries would not look at him that way. America, a country used largely to isolationism and with little taste for intervention in European affairs, would soon come to reject "Hughes' War" as evidenced by large Democratic losses in 1918. While trying to hammer out his grand internationalist vision, Democratic isolationists in Congress proved to be incredibly obstructionist, dooming what could have been one of America's greatest presidents.

1920
In reaction to Republican internationalism, the Democrats nominated freshman Senator, isolationist, and industrialist Henry Ford for President. With appeal to urban and northern areas as well as the Mid-West as well as an amount of celebrity due to his work in business, it was hoped Ford could properly destroy the Republican coalition. The Republicans, meanwhile, on the run (in an electoral sense) nominated a New Englander and isolationist for Vice President, hoping just to keep their base in line. With rage against the war and the Republicans to blame, Ford was swept into office with a landslide. In that same year, prohibition was ratified by the states and made part of the constitution. Ironically, a candidate supported by immigrants due to traditional Democratic support and outrage over the war, Ford had no intention of being any easier on them than had Hughes, if not worse. Change was coming to America.

Senator Henry Ford (D-MI)/Senator Carter Glass (D-VA) 445 electoral votes, 58% of the popular vote
President Charles Evan Hughes (R-NY)/Governor J. Calvin Coolidge (R-MA) 86 electoral votes, 39% of the popular vote
Others: 3% of the popular vote

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

1924

President Henry Ford (D-MI)/Attorney General John W. Davis (D-WV)-298 EV, 51.27% of the popular vote.
Senator Robert LaFollette (R-WI)/Senate Majority Leader Charles Curtis (R-KS)-233 EV, 48.20% of the popular vote.
Other (Prohibition, Socialist, Communist)-0.53% of the popular vote.

President Ford’s first term was a mixed bag for both sides of the political spectrum. On the right, his hardliner approach to labor issues was popular, but his advocacy of US entry to the League of Nations was not. Likewise, the leftwing of American politics generally liked his advocacy of “welfare capitalism” but found his support for removing government regulations on businesses contradictory and abhorrent.

Ford won the Democratic nomination for another term easily, though Vice President Carter Glass had decided against seeking reelection with the President. In his place, the President picked his Attorney General, John Davis of West Virginia, to be his running mate. They were re-nominated without opposition at the Democratic National Convention.

The Republican National Convention was the exact opposite of the Democratic Convention. For over thirty ballots, the left and right of the party cashed as Governor Coolidge of Massachusetts and Senator LaFollette of Wisconsin battled hard for the nomination. LaFollette finally won the nomination, and selected Charles Curtis, the Senate Majority Leader, as his running mate. Curtis faced his own battle for the Vice Presidential nomination, as the Coolidge faction pushed strongly for a “unity ticket.” Despite three close ballots for the Vice Presidential nomination, Curtis was nominated, and the LaFollette/Curtis ticket went on to the general election.

The race for the White House was heated and close throughout. LaFollette campaigned hard with the support of ailing former President Theodore Roosevelt throughout the West, though Ford’s support among the industry belt in the Midwest was enough to narrowly push him over the top in one of the closet Presidential elections in memory at that point.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Impatient bump.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

On it, bro. Got the scenario, working on the map. Gotta find the right GOP candidate, though I think I got that.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

1928
Four years after Ford's close re-election, the nation was happy it had gone with the Democrats. Immigration was at a low, the "Noble Experiment" of prohibition appeared to be a success, and the economy was doing well. Secretary of State William G. McAdoo, Wilson's Treasury Secretary, a former California Senator, and the Democratic heir apparent, was nominated with Ford's blessing. The Republicans, hoping to tap into the nation's conservatism but also to win immigrant voters that were being alienated by the Ford administration, nominated Senator Calvin Coolidge of Massachusetts. Famously silent, he seemed mum on the subject of prohibition, much friendlier to immigrants and the Irish than the last eight years had been, yet would keep in place several of the economic policies of Ford. With prosperity, agriculture and industry both flourishing, and the nation unwilling to turn to what McAdoo billed as an immigrant-loving "wet" that would repeal the more progressive tenets of Ford's economic agenda. While Coolidge's surrogates assembled a respectable northern and urban coalition, he was unable to pick up much-needed Western and "upper South" voters.

Secretary of State William G. McAdoo (D-CA)/Senator Joseph T. Robinson (D-AR) 338 electoral votes, 54% of the popular vote
Senator J. Calvin Coolidge (R-MA)/Former Governor Frank O. Lowden (R-IL) 193 electoral votes, 45% of the popular vote
Others: 0 electoral votes, 1% of the popular vote