Hermit
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« on: July 19, 2004, 04:31:48 PM » |
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In the election of 1800, Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson each received an equal number of electoral votes (73) throwing the election into the House. The voting and re-voting went on for days, with neither candidate able to sway the majority. The ruling Federalist party was not a fan of Jefferson, but enough were convinced, with a great deal of nudging by Alexander Hamilton, to vote TJ in. Let's say that Hamilton was struck by disease the month of the election, and was confined to his bed, too weak to move. After several more days of re-voting than in our timeline, Burr emerges the winner. This would drastically alter the course of American history. Although depicted as crazy imperialist out to conquer whatever possible, Burr was said to have believed the Louisiana Purchase to be illegal under the US constitution; would he have ignored the vast territories to the west, or were his opinions just bitter digs at Jefferson? And no Jefferson also means James Monroe might never go to France, and Marbury v. Madison, the groundbreaking Supreme Court case, would have never happened. Finally, Alexander Hamilton is still lurking in the wings, perhaps ready to be the victim of the first Presidential Homicide...
Thoughts? Extrapolations?
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