Fortune Favors the Bold: The Story of Earl Baldwin

[LLR]

October 7, 1896 was an unremarkable day. There was a month left in the Bryan-McKinley election, and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania it was snowing. That day, in that city, in that snow, the world was given the gift of Earl Baldwin. Born to a rich family, Earl Joseph Baldwin was the second child of four, having two brothers and a sister. His father, a third-generation American, owned a steel plant, while his mother, from an even richer family, had grown up in the world of Wall Street and was more knowledgeable about finance than her husband.

The Baldwin family were a traditional Republican family in Republican stronghold Pennsylvania, and the family enthusiastically sent money to William McKinley. They were mostly secular Episcopalians, and really couldn't understand the appeal of "backwards" William Jennings Bryan. Earl himself would grow up in this household, raised a Republican. And for his youth, he proudly identified as such.

Wikipedia: Earl is a popular English given name meaning "warrior" or "nobleman"
The name Baldwin or Balduin is of Anglo-Saxon and Old German origin, from the Old English Bealdwine, or the Old German equivalent Baldavin, meaning "brave, bold friend".

And so Earl Baldwin, "brave warrior," was born.


Thanks for reading! Comments welcome. I know it's a terrible idea to have three timelines, but I really want to focus on this the most. That being said, Dubya Downfall isn't dead, and neither is Takeover of the Nerds. But this one will be my main one. Thanks!

[LLR]

Earl's childhood started out easy. He went to a fantastic school and did well enough to be in the top part of his class, and by the 10th grade he was thriving. Then, his father came down with a disease and quickly died. With no steady income and their money drying up, the Baldwins turned to work and Earl left school for the steel mines, hoping to earn enough money to get into college. Earl was overworked and underpaid, but he would later remark on his time in the mines as a great character-building experience that he'd never forget.

Meanwhile, to get income, Earl's older brother Ted turned to politics. The family, having left the upper class and cherishing the rights of labor, came to the Democratic Party, which was a minority in Pennsylvania. Ted took the helm and ran for the State Senate

1910 Election: Pennsylvania State Senate, 43rd District

Theodore M. Baldwin 50.56% √
State Sen. Joseph K. McClain (inc.) 49.44%

And so Ted Baldwin became a State Senator


The Baldwin Family
Father: Roland S. Baldwin (1854-1910)
Mother: Edwina Mayer Baldwin (1857-)
Children: Roland S. Baldwin Jr. (1883-)
Theodore M. Baldwin (1885-)
Helen Baldwin (1893-)
Earl J. Baldwin (1896-)


Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed. Comments welcome

[LLR]

Earl Baldwin finally got enough money to get into Penn, no doubt thanks to his hard work (and his football playing). And he knew what he wanted to study - law. Baldwin, if his political ambitions were to come true, would have to become a great orator and lawyer. Meanwhile, his brother Ted secured re-election in the state senate, and was appointed to chair the Judiciary Committee, a strange feat for a first-term member of the opposition party. But he was well-liked by all his colleagues and especially his constituents.

1914 Election: Pennsylvania State Senate, 43rd District

State Sen. Theodore M. Baldwin (inc.) 53.17%
Carl G. Raymond 38.64%
Stanley W. McCarthy 8.19%


State Sen. Baldwin in 1913


Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it - I'd really like some feedback though. How is it? Should I just jump to Earl's political career? All comments welcome!

[LLR]

This TL is hot. Do continue.

Thanks so much dar! Don't worry, I shall.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

This is great so far. Are the Baldwin family original characters?

[LLR]

This is great so far. Are the Baldwin family original characters?

As far as I know

Although, there was some guy named Earl Baldwin in Pittsburgh who was arrested for drunkenness or something

[LLR]

Earl Baldwin graduated from Penn remarkably, and he was brought into the administration at the steel plant which Roland Baldwin had run. Earl and Ted's salaries were enough for the family to relax a little more, and so life got better. Ted Baldwin was an important State Senator, receiving some votes in the Minority Leader election in 1916. Alas, in 1918, he chose to run against incumbent Guy Campbell in the House primary. Baldwin was 14 years Campbell's junior, and yet he had more experience, He launched a great campaign, but was written off.

House Democratic Primary, PA-32, 1918
Guy E. Campbell 44.5%
Solomon H. Maiszter 8.5%
Theodore M. Baldwin 47%

PA-32 House Election, 1918
Theodore M. Baldwin 76%
Earl Gunther 16%
George Briggs 8%

Following this election, Baldwin was the only Democratic representative in Pennsylvania, a tough role for any man to fill, much less a 33-year-old freshman. Meanwhile, Earl, at age 22, chose to run for Ted's old State Senate seat.

1918 Election: Pennsylvania State Senate, 43rd District
Earl J. Baldwin 50.2%
Fmr. State Sen. Joseph J. McClain 49.8%

Earl won by very few votes, but was welcomed in the State Senate, at least by the Democratic Party.


Thanks for reading! All comments welcome !

[Kingpoleon]

Is it possible that Ted Baldwin could get something passed in 1919 to help the flagging economy?

[LLR]

Is it possible that Ted Baldwin could get something passed in 1919 to help the flagging economy?

It is possible, but the Democratic party is down 48 seats in the house so don't count on anything yet.

[LLR]

Ted Baldwin and the fight for Women's Suffrage

"As a nation, we've stood, unmoved, for long enough. It's time we give women a chance to vote!" -Theodore Baldwin on the campaign trail in 1918

Baldwin was a huge civil rights activist, and that wasn't popular with the rest of his state. Pennsylvania was anti-suffrage, but Baldwin was going to try damn hard to change that. After only a month, the issue of women's suffrage was brought to the house. On February 10, 1919 a proposal was brought up for the third time. Baldwin's passionate arguments were enough to get the proposal passed by 4 votes.¹ The 19th Amendment would pass into law a little over a year later.



¹This proposal failed by 1 vote in real life, but butterflies + Baldwin's own vote change that

Thanks for reading All comments welcome!

[/]

Great TL! Can't wait to see what happens in 1920.

[LLR]

Ted Baldwin's 1920 Campaign

The 1920 campaign was going to be harder than 1918. The Republican party intended to run a candidate, and the presidential election was shaping up to be a landslide. His challenger, State Sen. Charles Kline, was a tough fighter (he'd eventually be elected mayor of Pittsburgh).

Rep. Theodore M. Baldwin 48.6%
Charles Kline 45%
Ahab Mahlykschall 6.4%

Campaigning as the "Champion of the 19th Amendment", Baldwin squeezed out a victory.


While fighting his own re-election campaign, Baldwin (and his brother Earl) campaigned with Democratic candidate James Cox in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky. Earl Baldwin would eventually be given a high position in the Cox campaign, and was promised a cabinet spot - but alas, it was not to be. Cox lost the election by 25 points and Pennsylvania by 36.

[LLR]

The 1922 Election and Earl Baldwin

Earl Baldwin grew worried when he saw who the Republican candidate was. Earl had been criticized as a "do-nothing" in the Senate, but that was largely due to his obstinate sticking behind party lines - far behind them. Baldwin was called a "kooky leftist". His opponent was Republican steel mogul James Farrell: friend of workers, and had a ton of money. Baldwin fought his heart out that campaign, to no avail.

1922 Election: Pennsylvania State Senate, 43rd District
James Farrell 62.5%
Earl Baldwin (inc.) 36%

Meanwhile, Ted Baldwin ran without major opposition, as Farrell had opted to join the state senate race.