Hail, Columbia! (The Election of 1796)

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

All in all, the Presidential Election of 1792 and the Congressional elections held the following year were an overwhelming victory for Miguel Hidalgo and the Continental Party, which by 1794 had gained undisputed control of the Commonwealth government. Freed from the limitations of coalition governance that had restrained previous presidents, Hidalgo was therefore able to enact his agenda with ease, continuing the internal improvements begun under Franklin and, at the urging of former Vice President Hamilton, establishing the National Bank of North America to regulate the Commonwealth currency. To the delight of his supporters in Mexico, as well as those north of the Mason-Dixon line, Hidalgo also pushed successfully for the abolition of the slave trade, with a 1795 bill outlawing the importation of new slaves after 1800.

Despite these accomplishments, Hidalgo has made his fair share of enemies, and his opponents are significantly stronger heading into the 1796 election. Charges of imperialism, wielded mainly by the Democrats but also by some Federalists, have dogged the president throughout his second term, fueled by the establishment of the National Bank. Western settlers have also taken issue with Hidalgo's support for reserving the territory south of Tennessee and north of West Florida for the use of Native peoples, a move that has angerd land-hungry speculators in the Appalachian provinces.

While the Continental Party's Congressional caucus privately urged the president to seek reelection in 1796, Hidalgo has announced that he will not accept a third term, desiring both to maintain a "republican presidency" and to enjoy the fruits of retirement after eight years at the head of the Commonwealth. As in 1788, the prospect of an open seat has prompted a great deal of interest amongst ambitious politicians, though the rising spirit of partisanship has restricted the size of the field.


Governor Samuel Adams of Massachusetts [Democratic]
As the Democrats seek to expand their appeal beyond the rural hinterlands to include all those opposed to the rise of an "imperial presidency," Massachusetts Governor Samuel Adams has emerged as the ideal candidate to head the party's ticket in 1796. While Adams was a strong supporter of Benjamin Franklin during the latter's time as President of the Commonwealth, he has expressed doubts about the extent of Hidalgo's "Continental System," particularly the National Bank. While it is unlikely that he will be able to undo the majority of Hidalgo's accomplishments, Adams can be depended on to oppose further attempts to consolidate power in the hands of the Commonwealth government. His weakness lies in his outspoken opposition to Catholicism, which limits his ability to appeal to Americans in Canada and the former Mexican provinces.


Secretary of Foreign Affairs John Jay of New York [Continental]
At the advice of former Vice President Alexander Hamilton, who himself declined to stand for the presidency, the Continental Party's nominating caucus has thrown its support behind John Jay, who has spent the las eight years as Hidalgo's Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Like Hidalgo a prominent anti-slavery advocate, Jay supports the bulk of Hidalgo's "Continental Plan," and has called for establishing a permanent Continental Navy to oppose the threat posed by the Barbary Pirates.


Vice President John Johnson of Niagra [Federalist]
Having lost most of their seats in the 1793 Congressional elections, the Federalists are dying as a political entity; their candidate in 1796 is Vice President John Johnson, whose opposition to Hidalgo's policies has made him a virtual nonentity over the last four years. On other counts, Johnson supports greater authority for the provinces (the better to preserve the dwindling power of Canadian loyalists) and, somewhat paradoxically, a strong president.

[Goldwater]

Sam Adams.

[Intell]

Jay!

[Mr. Smith]

Jay!

[PPT Spiral]

I'm with Sam. Let's not mess this one up.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Should Adams win this, this will be the second timeline I've helped write in which Sam Adams was president from 1796 to 1801.

[Cassius]

John Johnson

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Bump. A few hours left in this.

[TDAS04]

Jay!

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Election of 1796

John Jay [Continental-New York]—28 Electors
Samuel Adams [Democratic-Massachusetts]—21 Electors
John Johnson [Federalist-Niagara]—3 Electors

The Election of 1796 would rank among the most hotly contested - and therefore the closest - elections up to that point in North American history. Whereas Miguel Hidalgo had faced only token opposition four years earlier, the 1796 campaign would see Samuel Adams of the Democrats nearly topple Hidalgo's chosen successor, John Jay, with only the Catholic strongholds of Quebec and the Spanish provinces preventing a Democratic sweep. As it was, Jay won 14 of the 26 provinces for a total of 28 electors, while Adams carried ten for a total of 21 (with the Democrats and the Federalists splitting Niagara). While Adams would receive the vice presidency, and thus a platform from which to promote his philosophy for the next four years, the Federalist Party would loose out completely, with incumbent Vice President John Johnson carrying only the Province of Acadia and thus sealing his party's doom.