A Timeline In A Month: The 1827 Shuffle.

Well, folks, this project has been running around in my head for almost 2 whole years now, and I've finally found the opprotunity to get it going at last.

I've decided to take a rather different approach with this project: What I post here will actually be just an "overview" of sorts, of the wider timeline. To make this possible, I decided to borrow the narrative style from Tony Jones' various TLs(Gurkani Alam, Cliveless World, etc.). In theory, this would allow for a minimal presentation while still engaging in enough world building to enthrall the reader. Whether or not I'll be able to do it quite as well as TJ did, well, I guess we'll see, but I can try, at least.

Anyway, here's a little interview thing:

So, what's this about?

Well, as with many of my other projects, it's a multiple POD type of thing. But it starts out, innocently enough, with Daniel Webster not running for office in 1827.....and a somewhat different lineup of candidates in 1828, with Henry Clay making his own run. Hence, the "Shuffle" part of this TL's name. :cool:

Didn't you try a TLIAD last year.....that kinda sorta, erm.....flopped a bit?

Well, yeah. Admittedly, that is true. Hopefully, though, this one won't. :rolleyes::eek:

But aren't these supposed to involve......

British politicians? Yeah, I know, it was originally a Politibrit thing. But hey, times change. :p

Well, OK. So, can you give as any hints as to where this TL's going to go?

Well, believe it or not, I actually have parts of it planned all the way up to the 2000s...

Hmmm.....wow. Really?

Yeah, it's kind of an old habit of mine. But it helps me not to abandon TLs, though. :D

Are there going to be Drakas? Or Jake Featherston clones? Or even time travelling Boers hell-bent on taking over the South so they can set up a.....

No, no. I mean no offense to either Stirling or Turtledove when I say this(truly), but I want to keep this whole thing realistic, ok? So no Eric von Shrakenberg in a starship or Andrees Rhoodie wielding AK47s in the name of Dixie and Zuid Afrika. But I can say that things will definitely get quite interesting, especially during the 20th Century. I will reveal one major spoiler: there will be somewhat of an analogue to the Cold War of our world. But it won't be Evul Godless Commies versus Glorious Almighty Capitalism, quite. :p;)
The American parties will be somewhat different as well. So will pop culture. So will.....well....you'll see. :cool::D

You'll try not to forget about "Stars & Stripes", "La Tierra Afortunada", and all your other stuff, right?

Relax, I'm working on them, too. This is more of a side project I got going.

What's your favorite Tony Jones TL, btw?

Probably Gurkani Alam, more than anything. But I like 'em all, TBH. :D

Good luck, man. And try not to lose track this time, OK?

I'll do my best. Promise. ;)

Alright, then. First few parts should be up tomorrow, I hope. :cool::)
 
Looking forward to it!

Also, your inner voice bold type guy is unusually nice to you.

...suspiciously so...

Thanks. :cool:

In any case, now that I've gotten to this, I might as well post the first 12 years....and the 3 before that(borrowing a page from Gurkani Alam here). As may be seen, the butterflies are pretty small at first; but they definitely will add up eventually.

1824


In the United States, the Bureau of Indian Affairs is formed on March 11th, allowing for better communication between Native Americans and the American government.


A major revolt of the Chumash people occurs in Mexican California after an incident involving a young boy visiting relatives in the La Purisima area. It only lasts three days but causes a large amount of damage.


During the month of May, the British seize the Burmese city of Rangoon.


On Sept. 16th, Charles X is elevated to the French throne after his elder brother, Louis XVIII, passes away in the Palais de Louvre in Paris.

In November, the 1824 U.S. federal election will become one of the most controversial in that nation's history; due to no one ticket receiving a majority of the electoral vote, and other problems, electoral procedures are tied up for several months afterwards. The House of Representatives eventually decide in favor of John Q. Adams, which upsets many Jacksonians. However, though, the fervently right-wing former Secretary of War from South Carolina, John C. Calhoun, becomes Vice-President, due to his being the “consensus” VP candidate, which is finalized on February 9th of the following year.



1825


Shortly before James Monroe leaves office, the Creeks of Georgia (reluctantly) sign away the last of their property rights to the U.S. government and proceed to move west to Alabama and Mississippi.
John Q. Adams is then inaugurated as the 6th President of the United States on March 4th.


On April 17th, Charles X of France grudingly recognizes Haiti as an independent nation, but also demands the payment of 150 million gold Francs as a down payment.


On May 26th, an interesting historical coincidence occurs when two separate Unitarian organizations, the American Unitarian Association and the British and Foreign Unitarian Association, in Boston, Mass., and in the English county of Essex, respectively, on the same date.


An interesting discovery occurs in the South Pacific on the 30th of July, when the captain of the HMS Blonde, the 7th Lord Byron, a cousin of the renowned poet, happens upon a currently uninhabited island, which is named after the navigator, Lt. Charles Malden.


In Great Britain, the Panic of 1825 begins after the shenanigans of the infamous Scottish adventurer, Gregor MacGregor, cause a serious problem in the British banking system.

In October, the Erie Canal is opened for business. It will later become a crucial link in the chain of American international trade.


1826


On July 4th, the 50th anniversary of American independence passes with both former Presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams dying on the exact same day.


1827


During the month of May, Daniel Webster decides to decline running for office upon hearing of the imminent retirement of Elijah Hunt. He instead opts to continue practicing law, but wishes his fellow Federalist the best of luck in the coming years[and this is the initial Point of Divergence].


Also, on July 6th, the Treaty of London ends the Greek War of Independence, with the Ottoman Empire now forced to recognize Greece as an independent nation.


George Canning, Prime Minister of the U.K., dies on August 8th. F.J. Robinson, the Lord Liverpool, is chosen as his successor.


American mystic Joseph Smith has a vision in which he is handed golden plates by an angel by the name of Moroni, on September 22nd.


1828


Henry Clay, the American statesman, decides, on April 7th, to try to convince the dying Federalist Party to run for one last election, and the next evening, begins to write to several compatriots, informing them of his plans. Some decline, but others are more willing, and they agree on the date of May 30th to hold a convention in Baltimore, Maryland; amongst the attendees, is Daniel Webster, the former Massachusetts Congressman.....[this is the first significant Point of Divergence].​

Sometime between July and September 1828, a typhoon kills about 10,000 people on the Japanese island of Kyushu.​

The 1828 elections were held in the United States in November. It was a close and rather heated race, but Henry Clay proves to be a vital spoiler, siphoning off just over 100,000 votes, and winning the states of Maryland and Delaware(though by only about 35% of the total vote each).....though the real effects could be felt in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio; it was Clay's vote that tipped the scales in those states, giving Adams a narrow edge in all three(though two electors cast their votes for Jackson in protest)....Adams also won 4 electoral votes in Virginia and 2 in Kentucky, along with 2 in Indiana and even one of Illinois's 3 electoral votes. But unlike in 1824, Adams had an actual popular vote advantage over Jackson, taking 575,000 to his 532,000. Though many Jacksonians began to decry what would later be labelled the “Second Corrupt Bargain”, there was no changing the fact that Adams had won, and under more believable circumstances this time.​

Also in December, a young Hungarian inventor named Anyos Jedlik creates a tiny device powered by direct electric currents; it is considered to be the first electric motor ever built[as in the real world as well].​



1829


In the U.K., the signing of the Catholic Relief Act on April 13th, allows for some emancipation of Catholics from within Ireland.


On May 15th, American mystic Joseph Smith claims to receive a visit from John the Baptist, receiving the mantle of what he described as the “Aaronic Priesthood”.


On June 3rd, the Swan River Colony is founded in western Australia, which helps finalize Britain's claims to the continent.


On July 22nd, William Burt receives a patent for the very first typewriter, or “typographer”, as he calls it, from the U.S. federal government[a day earlier than in our world]. Some of these early machines will become known as “Burtographers” after the man who invented them.


On October 9th, the Rocket steam locomotive wins the Rainhill Trials, in Lancashire in Britain.


The Welland Canal in Ontario opens in November, and is intended as a British alternative to the American Erie Canal.


1830


On March 26th, the Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York. It garners a significant amount of interest in New York and Joseph Smith's home state of Vermont, but it also sparks concern in neighboring Pennsylvania as well as much of New England outside of Vermont. About a week and a half later, on April 6th, Smith establishes his first church of the Latter Day Saints.


On May 29th, the Indian Removal Act fails to survive a veto from President Adams. This angers many more conservative Southerners, including John C. Calhoun, the notorious South Carolina senator.


On June 26th, George IV of the United Kingdom dies. His brother succeeds him as William IV.


The bloody Paris Uprising occurs on July 26th, after Charles X issues a decree known as the “Ordinances of Saint-Cloud”, which effectively puts France under an early form of the police state. The attempt to force Charles X off the throne fails, but it does allow for further actions in the country to occur.


The city of Brussels is taken by Belgian nationalists on September 27th, during the War of Belgian Independence.


Inspired by the uprising in Paris, a similar event takes place in Warsaw, Russian Poland, on November 15th[2 weeks earlier than in our world]


1831


On New Year's Day, William Garrison, a budding young abolitionist, starts to publish “The Liberator”, an anti-slavery periodical, in Boston, Massachusetts.


A major revolt begins in Bosnia over the abolition of the Ayan system in late March.


The slave rebellion headed by Nat Turner paralyzes much of the American state of Virginia, beginning in late August. It ends with the execution and/or imprisonment of over two hundred slaves[virtually as in the real world]


Also in August, the Dutch Ten Days' Campaign against Belgium is called off after French partisans fighting against Charles X threaten to intervene on behalf of the Belgians.


On September 7th, a failed attempt to take Warsaw ends with the death of the Russian general Ivan Paskevich; but also, with the destruction of much of the city. This is considered to be the peak of the Polish Uprising, which gradually winds down over the next 2 years.


1832


During the month of February, a terrible cholera outbreak ravages the United Kingdom, killing thousands, as many as 3,000 in London alone. It spreads to France and North America by the end of the year, claiming thousands more lives.


In the month of April, the Black Hawk War begins in the United States.


On June 6th, the bloody June Rebellion starts when the French Army opens fire on demonstrating students in Paris. Many of the students fight back, some with guns. News of the unprovoked attack sparks a massive outcry in much of the country, and leads to more widespread, and more constant rebellion. [the real world uprising occurred under Louis-Phillipe, and failed]


In early August, the Bad Axe Massacre in Wisconsin proves to be the last major Native American resistance against European settlement east of the Mississippi River.


On December 8th, Martin Van Buren wins by a large margin in a surprisingly modest campaign season against the Federalist Candidate, Henry Clay. The winning motto: “Any One But Adams. Vote Van Buren”.


1833


On April 6th, Charles X is forced to flee Paris after Army personnel opposed to his rule capture the city.


In Mexican Texas, a convention is held on April 10th, for the reason of requesting Mexico to provide more civil liberties to the settlers. Mexican President Santa Anna refuses.


On June 5th, a young Ada Lovelace is introduced to Charles Babbage. The famous inventor's life is permanently changed by this chance meeting.


On the anniversary of the June Rebellion, a provisional government is set up in Paris.


What would become the city of Chicago, Illinois, is settled on August 12th.


The Carlist War breaks out in Spain on September 29th, following the death of Ferdinand VII.


October 4th, sees the coronation of Louis Phillipe, Duke of Orleans, supported by many moderates in the hope that France's social condition will improve.


On the 14th of December, a young man named Kasper Hauser, claiming to be the son of nobility, is murdered in Germany. Many years later, his death will inspire a number of novels, and even a play.


1834


The town of York, Upper Canada, is renamed Toronto on March 6th, a name that it keeps to the present day[as in the real world]
On March 27th, American Vice-President Andrew Jackson is censured by the U.S. Congress.


On June 7th, Theodoros Kolokotronis is convicted of treason for his opposition to the rule of Otto I in Greece.


Slavery is abolished in the British Empire on the 1st of August, causing many to rejoice from New York City to London and back.


Sir Robert Peel, the creator of the world's first official police force, is elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on December 10th.


1835


In March, American inventor Thomas Davenport demonstrates a small electric vehicle model he had constructed the year prior. It's nothing more than a curiosity, but does help provide later inspiration.


In July, the Catholic Apostolic Church is founded in the United Kingdom.


What becomes known as the “Ragamuffin War” by some more humor-inclined historians begins in Brazil on September 20th.


On October 2nd, a major battle erupts in Mexican Texas, in the town of Gonzales, over the seizure of a cannon. This eventually provides the impetus for the 'Texians', as they are called, to declare independence.


James Pratt and John Smith, two British gay men convincted of buggery, are hanged on November 27th. Thankfully, however, they are the last two to be executed for such in the United Kingdom.


1836


On February 24th, Samuel Colt files a patent for what he calls a “revolver” pistol; the weapon later becomes a major success and is eventually elevated to cultural status in America and other places.
Also, on this same day, the Texians begin to occupy the Alamo in San Antonio[these two events occurred a day later and a day earlier than in our world, respectively].


The Battle of the Alamo occurs in San Antonio in Texas on March 6th. The large majority of the defenders die in the fighting. William B. Travis, the head of the commanding forces, is injured, but survives, and later, when the opprotunity arises, escapes the Goliad Massacre, so that he may fight another day[in our world, Travis died at the Alamo, fighting to the end].


On April 21st, the Battle of San Jacinto ends with Mexican President Santa Anna, surprisingly, losing. William Travis makes a last minute appearance towards the end, and afterwards, is given a hero's welcome.


In June, the British scientist, Charles Darwin, leaves on a scientific voyage that takes him across much of Africa in search of new discoveries to make. He returns to England on October 2nd.


On September 11th, the Riograndense Republic is officially proclaimed in southern Brazil.


On December 28th, the colony of South Australia is founded by John Hindmarsh. Also, Spain finally recognizes Mexico's sovereignty on this day.


1837


On March 4th, Martin Van Buren is re-inaugurated for a second term as President of the United States.


On May 10th, the markets crash in New York City, sparking the first series of economic problems which will culminate in the Panic of 1837.....


June 20th, sees the ascension of Victoria I to the throne in Great Britain. She will rule for 61 years and 10 months before her death.


An important milestone in British regal history occurs, as the seat of royalty moves from St James's Palace to Buckingham Palace in Kensington, on July 13th.


The French capture Constantine, Algeria, on October 13th, after only three days of fighting.


On November 7th, anti-slavery activist Elijah Lovejoy is murdered by a pro-slavery mob in Alton, Illinois.


November 9th, sees the beginning of the Canadian Rebellion, led by Louis-Joseph Papineau, and William Lyon McKenzie[three days later than in reality].


1838


An interesting meteorological milestone occurs on January 21st, when a temperature of -76 degrees Fahrenheit is recorded in the Siberian town of Yakutsk. This is the first time that a confirmed record of a lowest temperature has ever been produced.


On April 22nd, Isambard Brunel completes the first ever transoceanic voyage of a commercial steam ship. He later creates a successful ferrying business around such.


On April 30th, Nicaragua breaks away from the United Provinces of Central America. A month later, this leads to the country's complete dissolution.


William and Grace Darling, a father and daughter pair of lighthouse keepers, rescue a small number of survivors from a capsized ship off the coast of Northumberland in September.


October 27th, sees the attempt by Missouri governor Lilburn W. Boggs to eliminate the presence of Mormons in his state.


In December, the Pastry War, which will later be regarded as one of the most trivial conflicts in Western history, not to mention one of the most embarrassing disasters for the French military, begins when the French try to seize the port of Veracruz.


At some point during this year, in a fascinating turn of events, the isolated Pitcairn Islands, in the South Pacific, becomes the first place in the world in which women are able to obtain, and hold, suffrage.


1839


On January 6th, the highly unusual event that will be known as the “Big Wind” occurs in Ireland; wind gusts of as high as 185 km/h(about 115 mph) are reported, along with heavy rains. Several hundred people were killed, and three and a half dozen ships were also lost.


The French military pulls out of Mexico on March 9th, having been humiliated. As a seeming gesture of generosity, however, Santa Anna allows 50,000 pesos to be paid to one Msr. Remontel, the man whose claims started the whole conflict.


On April 19th, the Kingdom of Belgium is formally established as a sovereign nation.


May 12th, sees the end of the Carlist Wars in Spain, with a Liberal victory[a day earlier than in our timeline].


On June 6th, Louis-Phillipe, King of France, abdicates the French throne under much pressure. This time, however, there is no one to replace him.


On June 30th, an assassination attempt is made against the life of American Vice-President Andrew Jackson, in St. Louis. Jackson survives, but former Ky. Senator Robert Mentor Johnson dies of his wounds a week later. The murderer is eventually caught, and hung on July 28th.


On July 12th, the Chinese Emperor, Daoguang orders Lin Zexu to destroy opium deposits in Humen. This annoys the British, who demand that they stop. China refuses, and the Emperor decides to evict British diplomats & other government figures from his nation, sparking the First of the Opium Wars.


Louis Daguerre is given a lifetime's pension for his invention of the Daguerreotype machine by the provisional government of France, on August 19th. In return, Daguerre allows the machine to be used by anyone, without mandatory royalties.


On August 31st, the Carlists and the Liberals meet in the town of Vergara in the Basque Country, to discuss a treaty. One is signed several days later, finally ending conflict between the two sides.....for now, at least[a similar event happened on this day in the same place in our world].


The Great Fire of Mobile burns hundreds of buildings in the Alabama town of the same name on September 9th. Dozens are killed.


On November 4th, the infamous Newport Rising occurs in Wales, in the United Kingdom. The battle between the Chartist reformers, and local police, is rather brief, and the Chartists lose, but not before many of their leaders escape on a boat in the city docks, sailing for North America. The escapees, William Jones, William Price, Zephaniah Williams, and John Lovell, amongst a few others, all made it safely to New Haven, Conn. in the United States. The rest were all sentenced to death, but eventually, all of their sentences were commuted to either imprisonment or transport to Australia; perhaps the most famous of the transportees would be Allan Pinkerton, who eventually became a feared soldier, and later constable in western Australia[somewhat different to our timeline; in our world, only Pinkerton escaped to the United States-he later founded the world-famous Pinkerton Detective Agency. All of the others who had not been deported to Australia remained in Britain.].


On December 8th, Frederick VI of Denmark dies in his sleep. His son, Christian Frederick, is crowned King in his place[five days later than in the real world].

----

So yeah, There we go. I'll put more up soon. :)
 
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Update #2.

1840

The American explorer, Charles Wilkes, discovers land in eastern Antarctica. The find helps prove that Antarctica is indeed a continent, and because of this, the area is eventually named in his honor.

In February, the Lower Canada Rebellion finally ends. However, though, few concessions are given to the Canadians, London feeling that they need to prove themselves. Because of this, responsible government is not granted at this juncture.

On April 17th, Joseph Smith, Sr. the father of the now well-known American mystic, dies in his home.

Natchez, Mississippi, was struck by a tornado on the afternoon of May 7th; 332 people were killed, and as many as 1,800 others were injured, as the storm devastated Natchez and several other towns along the Mississippi River. [amazingly enough, the injury count from the real world tornado was far lower; only 109, in fact!]

In late May, New Zealand becomes an official British colony.

On July 21st, Upper and Lower Canada are renamed to Canada West and Canada East, respectively.

On September 16th, the first public park in England is opened in Derbyshire.

Willem II becomes King of the Netherlands on October 7th, taking the place of his deceased father.

The 1840 Presidential elections are held in the United States. The fledgling Whig Party, under the ticket of Daniel Webster/William P. Mangum, tries to make a honest effort, but ultimately wins only Delaware by a clear majority. Democratic candidate Winfield Scott won most of the South, but could not regain his previous popularity up north. It was the candidate of the recently revived Federalists, Henry Clay, that ultimately won the election, banking on his status as a moderate and also stating his willingness to remedy the causes of the Panic of 1837.

On December 7th, David Livingstone begins a journey to Africa, which will last many years.

1841

On March 11th, the S.S. President survives a close call in the waters of the North Atlantic. Her captain, Richard Roberts, is able to steer the ship to Liverpool, where he is lauded as a hero after telling his tale.

In the Republic of Texas, a firefight breaks out over a property dispute on April 17th; amongst those killed was the brother of the former mayor of San Antonio, and former Vice-President of Texas under Sam Houston, Juan N. Seguin.

On June 2nd, Cherokee Indians clash with federal authorities over land rights in Georgia.

July 11th sees the death of David Wilkie, the Scottish painter. In his honor, a gallery will be erected in Aberdeen on the 8th anniversary of his death, by a fan of his.

1842

On February 27th, former Texian Vice-President Juan Seguin confronts the man whom he believes killed his brother. The man denied doing the deed, and demanded that Seguin prove the allegation. What happened after this is generally not known, but what is, is that only Seguin emerges alive. Seguin then is forced to flee to Mexico, eventually ending up in Alta California.

In April, an ill-fated mission to claim New Mexico for Texas, ends up with over 100 Texians dead.

In the month of June, local political tensions in Rhode Island over limited suffrage for eligible citizens finally boil over when Thomas Dorr and some allies try to seize a federal arsenal building in Providence.

On July 11th, Richard Owen coins the term Dinosauria to describe a certain type of large reptilian creature that lived on Earth until about 65 million years ago.

The Webster-Ashburton Treaty was signed on September 2nd, permanently establishing the borders between currently British (and later independent) Canada and the U.S.

On October 29th, a rare hurricane struck the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula with winds in excess of 100 miles per hour near the eye of the storm.

The famous American general, and one time Presidential candidate, William Henry Harrison, dies in his home in Indiana on November 9th. His funeral is attended by over 10,000 people, including the current President, Henry Clay.

On December 29th, William Darling, the British lighthouse keeper locally known for his heroic 1838 rescue of the passengers of a sinking ship, dies at his post. To honor him, over 2,000 people across Northumberland attend his funeral. His daughter Grace inherits the post, and continues her work for another 55 years.

1843

On March 8th, the government of Denmark re-establishes the Althing of Iceland, to the approval of many.

Stendhal, the French writer, dies in his sleep on March 23rd.

Marc Brunel opens the first underwater tunnel in London, England, on March 25th.

On July 20th, a major uprising in Greece occurs after King Otto refuses to allow reforms to the country's political system. When the protests persist, he sends in his royal guards to disperse the protesters, which sparks a brief but important period of unrest. On Sept. 17th, Otto is assassinated while in Athens. His wife, Amalia of Wittenburg, becomes queen in his place.

On November 3rd, a group of Americans are caught engaging in suspicious behavior in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. Instead of being deported to Texas, however, they are all taken to the notorious Perote Prison....where some are later executed. This horrifies many in the States and Henry Clay demands an apology from Mexico City. Santa Anna, however, refuses.
1844

In February, Queen Amalia of Greece agrees to a temporary government, one that is set up until the country can permanantly solve it's problems.

Tensions between the United States and Mexico worsen during the month of April when several skirmishes occur between Mexican troops and Anglo settlers in Alta California.

On June 27th, Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum, and Brigham Young are both murdered in Carthage, Illinois, by an angry mob. John Taylor, a close confidant of Smith's, is wounded, but survives. Taylor will, eventually, direct the remaining Mormons westward.

In July, a conflict occurs in British Canada after a Catholic man is arrested on dubious charges of aiding and abetting crimes against the state in Ottawa, Canada West. Dozens of protesters, both Protestant and Anglo, appear outside a local courthouse on July 7th, demanding that the man in question be released. He is not, and the protesters are ordered to disperse. Some do, but many do not; as a result, a riot breaks out in the area and some of the protestors end up wounded, with at least four dead. The Ottawa Uprising that follows, takes nearly a full month to put down completely, and many in London are becoming increasingly concerned about the potential for widespread violence in the whole region.

On August 28th, two German economists by the name of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels meet in Paris[as in the real world]. They soon strike up a friendship, and begin to collaborate on works together.

On September 12th, a Mexican platoon attacks a group of Texian sentries just south of San Antonio, sparking a rather low-key but still noticeable conflict between the two nations[similar to the conflicts that occurred after the failed Somervell Expedition in our reality's 1841]. The United States is becoming increasingly involved in the affair, and many begin to worry that war may soon be imminent.

The small town of San Ysidro, in Alta California, is attacked by Santa Anna's forces on November 27th, after reports of seditious activity are made. Amongst the dead are two dozen American citizens; Washington sternly warns Mexico City to back off, but Santa Anna again brushes off the warning.

In December, Henry Clay is re-elected for a second term as President of the United States. Also, in this same month, a revolt breaks out in the Mexican state of Zacatecas.

1845

On March 17th, a fire fueled by unusually dry weather, wrecks a good portion of Pittsburgh, Penn., killing 20.

On April 22nd, Mexico withdraws from Texas to deal with rebel activity in the Californias, Zacatecas, and the Yucatan, signing a temporary cease fire.

On May 25th, a Mexican cavalry group is called out to dispatch a small group of Texians & Americans operating on the border, assisting the Yucatan rebels. The accused flee and are tracked all the way to Louisiana. After finding their position on May 27th, one of the cavalry officers, for reasons unknown even in the modern era, gives the order to charge them, crossing the bridge separating La. from Texas and eventually come across an American military post, which they destroy. President Clay feels that his hand has been forced, and on May 30th, declares war on Mexico, officially starting the Mexican-American War.

July 17th, sees a meeting hosted by the American Texas Society in Austin, to discuss whether or not the country should join the United States. Due to the hostilities erupting elsewhere, the meeting goes nowhere, but the society will meet again several times over the next two years.

In Ireland, farmers begin to discover that their potato yields are beginning to drop dramatically, during the month of September.....the Potato Famine has begun.

1846

On April 17th, following much in the way of noise making, the Republic of California officially declares its secession from Santa Anna's Mexico. Two days later, a new flag design is unveiled, that of a bear on the top center, with a green star and a red bottom, with the words “California Republic” in black[much like the real world 1846 flag]. John C. Fremont is inaugurated as the nation's first president.

The Mexican government begins their campaign against California in earnest on June 7th, when they make a move for San Diego. Many in the small town of 3,000 people have no firearms of their own, but some are loaned weapons by American mercenaries. It also helps that Santa Anna's men don't exactly have the best supply lines as of yet.

On July 13th, former Missourian politician turned soldier Thomas H. Benton dies just outside of San Antonio, Texas, killed by a Mexican cannonball.

July 22nd sees the raid of Corpus Christi, Texas, in which most of the town of 2,200 is razed, then torched by Santa Anna's men. 180 of the city's residents are killed by these actions, which infuriates many Texians.

On September 11th, the government of the French Second Republic offers some volunteer logistical support to the Americans, in a show of solidarity.

The Mexicans try to capture both Houston and Galveston, Texas, but fail, on November 9th. This is a major turning point in the war, and combined with recent defeats in California, revolts begin to break out again in Mexico.

On the morning of December 22nd, a letter arrives in Washington, from Austin, Texas, asking for the United States to annex the nation. The motion goes to Congress that afternoon, and Henry Clay approves the resolution. One week later, President Clay officially approves the annexation of Texas into the Union.

1847

Californian forces drive the invading Mexicans out of the small town of Santa Cruz on January 28th, following 2 weeks of heavy fighting. The front progressively collapses all the way back down to Hunter's Gulch[near the real world Bakersfield, Calif.], by the end of February, and the Mexicans make no more gains in California, as more and more troops are being drawn in to deal with the increasingly destructive rebels, particularly those in the Yucatan and Coahuila.
On February 27th, the Americans, with assistance from secessionist rebels, defeat a Mexican army of 20,000 near Buena Vista, Coahuila.

Henry M. Lawrence, a British educator, founds the Sanawar School in India on April 12th; it is the first mixed-sex boarding school ever created.

On April 27th, American General Winfield Scott lands near Veracruz in an attempt to take the city. The fighting goes on for almost 2 weeks, but the Americans emerge victorious, and the Mexican line of defense collapses further.

On May 19th, Mexican General Adrian Woll surrenders in Sonora after Californian militias and American troops defeat his men in an intense battle just north of Hermosillo.

June 28th sees the Battle of Hidalgo just outside of Mexico City, led by General Winfield Scott, and aided by Brigadier General Jefferson Davis.

The former American colony of Liberia gains its independence on July 26th; news of this development proves to be promising in the eyes of many black Americans, including those still stuck in slavery. Three days later, Frederick Douglass, a freedman already becoming famous in abolitionist circles, expresses sympathy for the Liberians, but raises a skeptical view on the idea of sending blacks there to gain their freedom; in his view, the evils of slavery, and even racism in general, would be best addressed if black Americans who wanted to stay in the country would be allowed to do so, and be given a say in their own affairs[much as in the real world].

On July 28th, Winfield Scott's men enter the communal limits of Mexico City; having been bested by the Americans, Santa Anna's top active general, Mariano Zurita, surrenders on the evening of July 30th, ending the Mexican-American War. However, though, Santa Anna himself fled the city the night before Scott's intrusion, and will remain at large for some time.

Despite the end of the official hostilities, however, some Mexican units will continue occasional fighting for months afterwards.

On August 10th, not knowing the war has ended, Mexican Lt. General Luis Pardihas attempts to raid an American garrison at Culiacan; the two day siege fails, however, and Pardihas is shot a week after it's end by anti-Santanista[those opposed to Santa Anna's rule, that is] forces, dying of his injuries on the 19th.

The Republican Party is created in the United States in the small town of Sterling, Ill., on September 2nd.

A September 27th attack on another American garrison near Puebla also fails.

During the fall of 1847, the Bronte sisters will publish their first two major works, though under pseudonyms[as in the real world].

1848

In February, the last battle by Mexican troops against Americans takes placee in the Yucatan, just south of Merida. Also, Antonio de Santa Anna is captured on the 27th, just outside of a small village in Potosi.
A day later, the Treaty of Mexico City not only gives all of Mexico north of the 33rd parallel to the Americans, but it also results in the creation of several independent states in what was the north of the country; Rio Grande, Tamaulipas, Nueva Vizcaya, and Durango, as well as the Yucatan in the east. The status of Sonora and Baja California will remain unclear for some time, however.

On April 12th, the state of East Texas is admitted to the Union. West Texas will remain a territory for about a decade afterwards, however.

The provisional Mexican government under Francisco Bustamante ratifies the Mexico City Treaty, on April 27th,

Protests occur in Transylvania over the region's annexation to Hungary throughout the latter half of April and all of May. On May 15th, the response to one demonstration results in the deaths of two dozen people.

In June, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels finish writing their epic scholarly tome, The Communist Manifesto. They submit a copy of their final manuscript to a small publisher in London for review[In our universe, the book was published on Feb. 21, 1848].

Sometime in July, Swiss immigrant & mill owner John Sutter discovers gold in northern California, driving many to settle in the region, including many Americans[In our world, Sutter didn't *discover* the gold, but he did still own a small mill nearby as ITTL; the OTL state capital of Sacramento was originally named “Sutter's Mill”, after the property].

On August 19th, John C. Fremont, President of the Republic of California, announces that he will be retiring in February of the next year. Speculation begins to develop around who exactly plans to replace Fremont, called the “First Citizen” by many.

On Sept. 12th, the Swiss Federal Constitution goes into effect, creating one of the first modern democracies in all of Europe.
'
1848 U.S. elections- Daniel Webster, the elder statesman from Massachusetts, wins the White House as a Whig in a raceversus William Brownlow, the former governor or Tennessee Democrat. Webster will be the only Whig to ever successfully win office in the U.S.

On December 21st, the French island of Reunion eliminates slavery, to inaugurate a program to eliminate slavery by 1 January, 1853, initiated by the new government of the Second Republic.
 
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1824

In November, the 1824 U.S. federal election will become one of the most controversial in that nation's history, tying up electoral procedures for weeks after. The courts eventually decide in favor of John Q. Adams, which greatly upsets many Jacksonians. As a compensatory measure, the fervently right-wing former Secretary of War from South Carolina, John C. Calhoun, becomes Vice-President.

1827

During the month of May, Daniel Webster decides to decline running for office upon hearing of the imminent retirement of Elijah Hunt. He instead opts to continue practicing law, but wishes his fellow Federalist the best of luck in the coming years[and this is the initial Point of Divergence].

No, it isn't the PoD. The election of 1824, as described, is very different from OTL. There was no involvement of any court in the resolution of the election; it was handled by the House of Representatives per the 12th Amendment. This process took until 9 February 1825.

As to the election of Calhoun - none of the "Presidential" candidates designated a running mate. Calhoun was a sort of consensus candidate, and received 182 of 261 electoral votes; no other candidate got more than 30.
 
No, it isn't the PoD. The election of 1824, as described, is very different from OTL. There was no involvement of any court in the resolution of the election; it was handled by the House of Representatives per the 12th Amendment. This process took until 9 February 1825.

Okay, well, it looks like I made a mistake, then(Maybe I was thinking of Bush v. Gore at the moment? IDK, TBH. Probably just a temporary lapse in memory :eek:). I'll go back and fix that ASAP; thanks for pointing that out.

As to the election of Calhoun - none of the "Presidential" candidates designated a running mate. Calhoun was a sort of consensus candidate, and received 182 of 261 electoral votes; no other candidate got more than 30.
I'll try to reword that to better reflect the reality of the matter. TBH, I only went before the POD(just 3 years, in fact) as kind of an homage to Gurkani Alam in particular.

Edit: Fixed the part about the 1824 elections. Hopefully things are better now. :)
 
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Suggestions wanted.

Any ideas on what you'd like to see? Feel free to suggest(and/or request) some ideas here, if you'd like. :D:cool:
 
A map, more on Japan, pop culture.

Okay, well, I was definitely thinking about covering pop culture anyway, at some point; Japan will probably have to wait a while, though. And, TBH, I'm not that good at mapmaking, at least not in the traditional manner(more specifically, drawing borders, etc), so I'll need some help with that.

In the meantime, I can try to expand on some of the things touched upon in this scenario beforehand. And hopefully, soon. :cool:
 
Here's a little more, then.

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } (I even included a bit on Japan! ;))


1849


The Punjab region becomes a British protectorate on February 22nd.


Daniel Webster becomes the first U.S. president to be photographed, in Boston, Mass., on April 9th.[in our world, that honor went to James K. Polk, shortly before the inauguration of his successor, Zachary Taylor.]


Despite significant opposition from free trade advocates, the British Parliament narrowly votes to keep the Corn Laws in effect, on June 2nd.


On July 7th, the wife of Edgar Allan Poe, the famous poet, dies of a terrible illness in Baltimore, Maryland. Her death is widely noted by many a major paper from Savannah to Boston and back.


On August 7th, David Rice Atchison, the President pro tem of the U.S. Senate, resigns after being caught up in a major financial scandal. Three months later, he will be assassinated in Kansas City, Missouri, by a furious stockbroker.


The transportation of convicts directly to Western Australia begins on 9 Sept. of this year, with the first convicts landing in New Perth[basically the OTL Perth, W.A.].


Two months after his wife's tragic death, Edgar Allan Poe commits suicide in Washington D.C., on September 27th. Also, on this day, Denmark becomes a constitutional monarchy[June 5th in the real world].


Lajos Batthyany, the Hungarian reformist nobleman, is executed on October 7th, in Budapest, along with Istvan Szechenyi. Batthyany's wife flees to England, and then the United States, with her three children.


Anne Bronte and two of her siblings, Emily and Branwell fall seriously ill with influenza during the fall of this year. Emily survives; Branwell does not, and leaves behind two children, Branwell, Junior, and Mary Anne.


On November 19th, Joszef Bem, the Polish-Hungarian general, dies in Debrecen, Hungary, on his way to a self-imposed exile in Aleppo.


On December 6th, the government of Hungary agrees to begin crucial social and economic reforms. Also, on this day, the Taiping Rebellion begins in southern China,


1850


On May 22nd, a hippopotamus named “Obaysch” is brought to the London Zoo from the Nile; it's the first such animal to be spotted in Europe since the days of the Roman Empire.


On July 9th, the founder of Babism, Sayyid `Alí Muhammad Shirazi, is executed by the Persian government for heresy; the religion will linger on until the 1880s in Ottoman Turkey, where the last believer dies. The Bahai movement that was inspired by it, however, will last to the present day.


On September 17th, the Lyttelton colony is founded in British New Zealand.


Johann Coaz, a young Swiss amateur mountaineer, tries to claim the Piz Bernina mountain in Switzenland in October, but fails. Three years later, he will die of pneumonia while trying to climb another mountain, Piz Corvatsch.


On November 9th, Edward May, an Indiana State Senator, gives an impassioned speech in favor of granting suffrage to African-American citizens. Two years later, the state government votes in favor of a bill allowing for just that(albeit, causing some hardcore conservatives to protest, and, in some cases, leave the state altogether).
1851


A somewhat controversial bill that would have disenfranchised African-Americans in Pennsylvania, is shot down by a vote of three to one in Harrisburg, on February 22nd; even many of the openly prejudiced legislators cannot bring themselves to deny rights that have already been granted[Unfortunately, perhaps largely due to sheer poor luck, a similar measure was actually *approved* IOTL].


The first confirmed sighting by European-descended peoples of the Yosemite Valley occurs on March 27th. The government of California initially shows interest in the region, but ultimately decides to leave it alone for now.


On May 1st, the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations opens in London, England; it is a marvelous success.


Sometime in July, an abolitionist is shot to death in Knoxville, Tennessee. The murder generates outcry up North, but little can be done for the man.


During the month of September, John B. Russwurm, the Afro-American publisher, arrives in Liberia in the hopes of establishing permanent residence there.


1852


The Studebaker brothers found a small wagon company in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on April 9th.


On May 17th, Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, the first major anti-slavery novel ever written in America, is successfully published in Boston. It quickly becomes a best seller.


On September 7th, Former U.S. President Henry Clay passes away in Washington, D.C.; 2 days later, he becomes the first statesman to ever lay under the Capitol Rotunda.


U.S. Presidential Elections, 1852: In a surprising twist, Republican candidate from Illinois[He never left Ohio IOTL] William Dayton, manages to beat both the Whig candidate from North Carolina, William Mangum, and the Democrat ticket of Stephen Douglas/Lewis Cass, to the White House. Dayton becomes the first Republican candidate to ever win a Presidential election in the U.S. Also, in California, William B. Ide of the Bear Party loses to American immigrant David Broderick of the Liberal Party.


1853


On March 17th, Levi Strauss founds a clothing company in San Francisco, California.


John Brown Russwurm, the African-American publisher, and Liberian statesman, dies in Monrovia following a bout with malaria on April 2nd.


On May 14th, the city of Nanjing comes under siege by Taiping forces.


Joaquin Murrieta, the famous Californio bandito, survives an encounter with the California Republic Militia on July 21st.


Iesada Tokugawa becomes the 13th Shogun of Japan on July 27th, after the death of his father.


A major slave revolt occurs in Alabama, in which a notorious slave driver is killed, started by about 400 African-Americans, but manages to grow up to 2,000. Despite the seemingly small-scale rebellions, it takes 3 weeks in September and October to put down the revolt, in which 180 of the blacks are executed. President Dayton angers many conservative Southerners by refusing to condemn the revolt, or the killing of the abusive overseer.


In November, growing discontent over the lack of responsible government, and what is seen as continued neglect by Britain, broke out into a full-scale revolt on the 7th, after a demonstration in Montreal went horribly wrong.....when a blundering policeman shot into the crowd. By the end of the month, half a dozen other revolts were taking place in both Canada East and Canada West.


On December 22nd, an American wannabe filibuster by the name of James Gadsden is shot after a botched money deal in Sonora. He dies five days later, but the shooter is not prosecuted. A fellow adventurer, William Walker, then living in West Texas, then took advantage of the shooting, and, as it's said, formed the James Gadsden Society with a small group of friends on December 29th, of that year, in Franklin, just outside of El Paso.



Hope you like it. :)
 
Can't wait to see how the Civil War turns out...

Good updates.

Well, I can say that it'll come a little later than it did IOTL. But the Union still wins....in the meantime, here's a little buildup to that:

1854

On Feb. 27th, the Canadian militias seized the small town of Bytown, Canada West, after a short firefight with colonial forces.

The body of Friedrich Beneke, the famed German psychologist, is found in Berlin on April 8th; the man has apparently committed suicide.

A brief, but bloody skirmish occurs between the West Texas militias and the Army of the Republic of the Rio Grande, near Laredo, West Texas, on April 27th. It doesn't amount to much on it's own, but it does make clear to some that the border is not yet secure for Americans.

The James Gadsden Society organizes their first filibustering raid against the small town of Santa Teresa, Sonora, on July 2nd, sparking attention and concern in both Mexico and the United States.....

On August 7th, William Walker personally leads an attack on a Sonoran garrison 50 miles southwest of Santa Teresa, which sparks concerns of a larger invasion of the country, in Hermosillo.....

The Canadian Patriotes seize the city of Laval, Canada East, on October 7th; they then use this as a bridge head for a future invasion of Montreal. This tactic proves to have paid off, as Montreal falls on October 12th, after 3 days of heavy fighting. Significant concern is sparked in Britain as many fear this could lead to rebellions elsewhere; the Prime Minister considers sending a large contingent to Canada, but American President Dayton warns that the United States will intervene if London makes that decision. At the end of the month, the British back off.

On November 3rd, Quebec City falls to the Canadian insurgents.

A large number of mercenaries swarm out of El Paso, West Texas, during the afternoon hours of November 28th, headed westward with much haste.

On December 27th, a pair of enslaved African-Americans from Kentucky make a bee-line for the North; slave catchers desperately try to find them before they lose track of them.

1855

On March 9th, former American President Daniel Webster dies in Massachusetts.

May 17th sees the "Great Gold Robbery" in Britain, the largest of its kind yet.

On July 31st, the U.S. government buys land in the Oregon Country, for the first time, in the Quinault River area.

To the horror of many, the Fugitive Slave Act is signed into law by a slight margin on September 17th, in the U.S.

On November 9th, the colony of New South Wales in Australia becomes self-governing.
 
Here's 1856 for you, then.

1856
On April 7th, West Texas is admitted to the Union as a slave state, with it's capital at San Antonio. As a compromise, however, some counties are allowed to ban slavery from their jurisdictions: chief amongst them are Bexar County,[or at least the purchase or sale of slaves], Crockett County, and Pecos County. This essentially makes West Texas a border state of sorts.


April 27th: A major schism begins in the Mormon faith after a heated debate between the conservative Brighamites, and the more liberal Smithites, over interpretations of certain doctrines.


June 6th: William Walker's men raid and otherwise terrorize the small town of Caborca in Sonora. Many of the Mestizo inhabitants are either brutalized or murdered outright, and there are several instances of Hispano women being raped by the vicious thugs.


On July 28th, widespread allegations of corruption in the California Democratic Party are released in San Francisco, to the outrage of many; several Democratic officials, two of them Southerners(one of them a member of the notorious Calhoun family of South Carolina), are lynched in the city.


On October 4th, William Walker's men attack the small town of San Luis, Sonora, near the American border. This becomes the final straw, and three days later, the government of Sonora asks America to intervene, to which Dayton gladly accedes.


William Dayton narrowly loses the 1856 American Presidential election to N.J. Democrat Robert F. Stockton, a noted war hero.


The fighting in Canada eventually wears down during the latter half of 1856, as British forces find themselves unable to hold on, mainly as they are engaged in combat elsewhere, chiefly in Persia and Crimea. The Canadians agree to a cease-fire and treaty in October, with the promise that Britain will pull out all troops by no later than 31 May of the following year; in return, the Canadian government will make their best effort to ensure the safety of those British troops not engaged in further fighting.
Any thoughts?
 
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p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }Well, it looks like things are starting to get a little testy in the States; the Civil War isn't coming just yet but it's on the horizon now, and as tensions rise, tempers will flare. When does the final spark light the final fire? Stay tuned.

1857


On January 21st, William Walker's forces retreat back to West Texas, having been chased out of Sonora altogether.


Elisha Gray Otis installs the first elevator in a small apartment building in Chicago, Ill., on April 4th[in the real world, this occurred on March 23rd, in New York, at 488 Broadway]. These machines also become known as levitators in Europe later on.


On April 9th, The United States finalizes it's annexation of the Republic of California, when a new state constitution is ratified. For the first time, the popular sovereignty doctrine is put to the test, as voters decide whether or not to allow slavery; California becomes a free state by a margin of nearly 4 to 1(a clause is inserted, however, that does allow individual counties to restrict or even ban the settling of free blacks in the area; at least a few counties, nearly all dominated by Southerners, do the latter). Admission to the Union is granted on July 9th.


On June 2nd, a treaty is signed between Persia and the U.K., after 9 months of fighting.


Minnesota is admitted to the Union on July 10th; unsurprisingly, as with California, it is a free state. With this, however, the balance between slave and free states has been thrown off and concern eventually develops amongst many southern quarters.


On July 19th of this year, the Canadian government comes together in Ottawa[formerly Bytown], Ontario for it's first official business. This day later becomes memorialized as Canada Day, similar to the Fourth of July in the U.S.


On July 20th, Baja California breaks away from Mexico, as an independent state of its own.


Frederick Douglass, the African-American abolitionist, survives an assassination attempt in Chicago on July 30th. The shooter, a cousin by marriage to Democratic Congressman Levi Boone, is apprehended quickly by police. When the connection to Boone is revealed, the Congressman becomes so embarrassed by this that he essentially shuts himself away from the public; despite retaining support from conservative Democrats, he will resign his office in February, 1858.


On August 19th, the Welsh city of Cardiff becomes home to Britain's, and the world's, first association football team[In the real world, it was Sheffield that became the home of the first such sports organization in our reality, on October 24th of the same year, to be precise].


Also, in August, the African-American abolitionist, Sojourner Truth, travels to the British Isles. Her reception in Britain is a tad mixed, but receives a rather warm welcome in Ireland. She will return to America in November and discuss her experiences over there.[Based on, and inspired by, Frederick Douglass's own trip to the Emerald Isle in the real world in 1855.]


Ignacio Comonfort steps down as Mexican President on Sept. 12th of this year. Felix Zuloaga, a veteran of the Mexican War, will take his place[this occurred on Nov. 30th in the real world].


Sometime in October of this year, a small settlement was founded in Malaysia at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers, as a trading post. It would eventually evolve into the town of Kuala Lumpur, later becoming the capital of British Malaya.


1858


Felix Zuloaga is assassinated in Mexico City on February 7th, by a pro-Liberal veteran of the Mexican War. Jose Mariano de Salas takes his place, but he is not popular with many liberals or some moderates and thus, unrest begins to become a problem....
Without the ascension of Napoleon III to power, there is no French Empire, as we know it, exactly. And thus, Felice Orsini does not try to assassinate him on March 10th of this year, as it the real world.


In Italy, the attempted kidnapping, in April, of a young Jewish boy named Francesco Mortara, fails, and his parents flee to New Orleans, in the United States. This attempted kidnapping will later provoke much international controversy. [In the real world, this young man was named Edgardo and, unfortunately, the real-world individual could not escape his kidnapping. He later joined the Augustinian Order and became a priest, including spending some time in New York].


On August 7th, an assassination attempt is made on the life of elderly former South Carolina senator John C. Calhoun. The shooter, a free black man, manages to flee the country, despite the best efforts of authorities to capture him, and results in the creation of a bill that supports either the eviction, or enslavement, of any free African-American that the government chooses to target.....[In the real world, the state of Arkansas passed a bill that would have enslaved all free people of color by 1860. Amazingly, this OTL law wasn't enforced but it did, unfortunately, terrorize many free African-Americans into leaving the state.]


Two major slave revolts occur in the American South in September, one in Alabama and the other in Mississippi, both of which cause extensive damage in certain areas. In both cases, free blacks and abolitionists are both blamed for supposedly causing the uprisings, and as a result, many begin to openly call for even harsher laws against abolitionism.


In October, to the horror & astonishment of many observers, even some Southerners, the legislature of the state of South Carolina passes the “Rhett Bill”, after a brother of Robert B. Rhett, the firebrand pro-slavery extremist, who was currently serving in the State Senate at the time.


Martin Delany, a successful African-American businessman, survives a murder attempt by a South Carolina slaveowner's son in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 22nd. His assassin is jailed, but tries to escape on Christmas Eve; the boy doesn't get far, however, and is lynched by a multiethnic mob after he beats a white woman who doesn't cooperate with him. News of this causes an uproar amongst conservatives in South Carolina, but little can be done.
 
And here's 1859 and 1860.

1859


On February 27th, American congressman Daniel Sickles is shot by Philip Barton Key, after it's discovered that the latter had been engaged in adultery with his wife. Sickles dies of his wounds a few days later and Key makes a run for Mexico.


On July 11th, a protest occurs in Venice over recent alleged abuses and general wrongdoing by the Austrian government. The authorities don't take this well, and later on that very day, some protestors end up being shot by Austrian soldiers. This incident sparks further unrest across the Hapsburg lands.


At the end of August, and early in September, a truly incredible solar storm amazes many on Earth with it's dazzling displays of light in the skies above many places, even reaching to the tropics. Unfortunately, however, the storm also affects many telegraph lines across the world, costing many millions of U.S. dollars' worth in damages.


On September 22nd, John Brown and some associates raid the plantation of a Mr. Simmons in southeast Virginia. Brown is injured by gunfire, but he is able to convince 4 dozen of the man's slaves to go with him. They are later led to a ship which takes them to Liberia.


Mekteb-i Mülkiye, the Ottoman Empire's first modern university, is founded on November 17th of this year.


1860


The state of Mississippi becomes the second state to sign what are called “Negro Exclusion” laws on February 17th of this year. Free blacks must leave the state by no later than 1 Jan., 1861, or face possible enslavement. News of this horrifies many people in the North and West but little can really be done for now, still. It does, however, rally abolitionists from across the country.


An unprovoked bolt-out-of-the-blue attack occurs on the Wiyot people, near Arcata, California on April 17th; nearly 4 dozen, mainly women, die. Bret Harte, a well-respected local news reporter, travels to San Francisco to break the news. A good number of people are stunned by the brutality, but local lawmen in Arcata are intimidated into keeping their mouths shut by some of the less scrupulous residents of town. When the current Republican Governor and former President of the California Republic, John C. Fremont, hears of that, he decides that he will not tolerate such disrespect of lawmen for any reason, and on the 26th, sends some of the state militia to arrest the parties responsible. This doesn't go well and a major shootout breaks out on the white-occupied part of Indian Island on the 27th; thirty-two of the white men die in a vain attempt to hold off the militia. During the next two days, many more conservative elements of California society take to the streets in many communities, and one protest in San Jose turns into a full-blown riot, which apparently is targeted towards any minorities they can find; nearly twenty African-Americans and Chinese, and one Native American, are killed before law and order can be restored. There is also at least one attempt to assassinate Bret Harte in early May; Harte will leave Arcata altogether in 1862 and does not return for some time.


National reaction to this event is mainly that of astonishment and bewilderment, but many more hardcore conservatives find themselves sympathizing with the murderers of the Natives; there are some, particularly in the Southeast, that make such praise public, including, no less, influential former South Carolina Congressman Robert Barnwell Rhett.


On June 9th, Illinois Governor Abraham Lincoln signs a historic labor law that provides for the basic protection of laborers within the state. Including the right to strike under poor working conditions.


On September 11th, an attempt is made to assassinate John C. Fremont in San Francisco; Fremont survives, but a man who was hit, dies of his injuries the next evening. The perpetrator, whose real name will not be known for some years, is soon outed as a perpetrator of the Indian Island massacre, by an associate of the Arcata reporter, Bret Harte. An attempt to bail him out is made a week later, and temporarily succeeds. The fugitive, however, tries to hijack a stagecoach headed southwards to San Diego, when he realizes he's been unable to coverall his tracks. He fails, but not before brutally beating a woman passenger, which doesn't stop until a male passenger punches him, forcing him to drop out of the vehicle, which speeds away. The male passenger of the coach is later revealed to be Republican State Senator David Broderick, a resident of San Francisco; the woman victim was a sister of a business associate of his. The would-be assassin is brought back to S.F. and tried for his crimes, including the attempted murder of Gov. Fremont. The man is found guilty on all counts and is to sentenced to be hung. When the date of November 4th comes, he frankly states his lack of regret, and openly mocks not just the dead victim[a Californio, and associate of the Governor], but those Natives who died at Indian Island, until his death.


Perhaps partly thanks to this, John C. Fremont wins nearly 60% of the vote and is re-elected for a second term. (When he is sworn into office, he makes it clear that any further unprovoked massacres of minorities will not be tolerated. Partly because of this, many more reactionary conservatives will later leave the state for other places, over the next half decade, peaking in 1861-62; several Southern newspapers openly welcome these voluntary exiles. This does not, of course, eliminate racism in California by any means. But Fremont's victory does send a clear message: one should not be allowed to utilize one's prejudices to skirt the law.)


Also, Stephen Douglas, the Democratic candidate former governor of Indiana, wins the 1860 U.S. elections in a narrow race versus not just radical Republican Hannibal Hamlin, but also Southern Democrat Congressman Louis T. Wigfall, lately of Mecklenburg, East Texas. In the end, it's actually the state of Illinois that puts him over the edge: Hamlin is too radical for many moderates and very few are willing to vote for the highly pro-slavery “Tobacco Democrat” faction[in the real world, Southern Dems, particularly those especially beholden to planter interests, were labelled “Bourbon” Democrats].


[During the dozen years or so immediately preceding the American Civil War, there is a growing movement to eliminate slavery in much of the country, even in some of the “border” states, especially Kentucky and Missouri, both of which are receiving significant amounts of European immigrants, particularly those of French, Czech, Belgian and German extraction. Even in southern Louisiana, the heart of “Cajun Country”, another movement, albeit much deeper underground, supporting an initiative to free the slaves is also starting to blossom, including in New Orleans; Although many abolitionists are willing to accept the full equal citizenship of African-Americans, a good number of the in Missouri and their underground deep-cover comrades in La. in particular, greatly prefer sending these freed blacks to Liberia, as many as possible. In any case, tensions will gradually get worse, with violence becoming more and more of an issue as time flies by.....]
 
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Here's 1861 thru 1863. Things aren't just getting hairy in the States, but Europe's having problems as well. Comments welcome as always.

1861


On April 11th of this year, the Austrians put down a protest in Split, in Croatia; 20 people are shot. There is much international condemnation of these crimes but very little is actually done.


The Second Battle of Nanjing, in June, proves to be a vital turning point in the favor of the Taiping forces, as the Qing Chinese fail to defend the city. The Russians, who had been aiding the Taiping rebels since 1856, now begins to put pressure on Beijing to end the conflict once and for all.


On September 7th, American president Stephen Douglas suffers a heart attack on the grounds of the White House, sparking immediate concern for the President's health.....


Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, mother of the current British monarch Queen Victoria, dies in Windsor, Berkshire, on October 20th. She is mourned by many across the Anglosphere, even in Canada and the United States.


On November 22nd of this year, a bill that will mandate compensated emancipation of slaves is introduced in the Delaware state Congress in Dover. This comes on the heels of the state of Maryland banning the trading of slaves within its borders in 1856. Mainly because Delaware actually has very few slaves at this time, aided by the fact that are actually more free than enslaved blacks in the state, and growing abolitionist sentiment, the bill faces no serious opposition, and is signed by the Governor a month later, taking full effect on April 1st of the next year.


1862


On April 26th, Frederick William IV of Prussia dies, and is replaced by his son, who becomes Wilhelm I.


In July, a meeting of Italian nationalists, representing half a dozen different polities, occurs in the city of Genoa. The meeting is a success, but word of this raises concerns of a potential major conflict erupting in the region.


Serfdom is abolished in Russia, by decree of the Tsar, on August 7th of this year[this occurred in March 1861 in the real world.....or February 19th, to be more precise, using the old Julian calendar].


Nebraska is admitted as a state on Sept. 12th of this year. It is a free state.


American President Stephen Douglas suffers another heart attack on November 4th of this year; sadly, however, he doesn't recover and dies with his wife by his side five days later. His Vice-President, a rather middle-of-the-road Western Democrat, Lovell H. Rousseau, a Kentucky native who had recently served as a two-time Missouri congressman before the 1860 election, is sworn in as his successor. Rousseau continues his predecessor's moderate policies, but does more to reach across to Republicans in private, while also trying to appease some of the less reactionary Southern Democrats, including trying to assuage fears of possible widespread violence by blacks if they are freed; in one speech in 1864, he points to the example of Delaware, a state which itself eliminated slavery but has not seen any sort of outbreaks of racial violence since then.


In Australia, the British colony of Cooksland[IOTL Queensland] is split off from New South Wales on September 30th. Brisbane is selected as the capital.


In Mexico, a significant amount of unrest continues under Jose Mariano de Salas, particularly in Chihuahua, and in Chiapas and the Yucatan as well. And, also, revanchism from the Mexican government prompts many of the breakaway states to unite into a loose federation in Sept., which is officially called “Rio Bravo” but colliquially known as “Mexico Del Norte”, with it's headquarters in Monclova; Chihuahua secedes from Mexico and joins the Rio Bravo Federation in early November, which sparks a significant amount of political tension in the area.....[Some readers may note some similarities to the “The Story of a Party” timeline. This is actually a homage to that story, if a loose one, perhaps.]

1863


In a highly stunning turn of events, the Arizona Territory actually ends up allowing slavery by a very small margin, on February 26th of this year. However, though, quick moves are made to prevent the “Peculiar Institution” from spreading beyond certain areas, but mainly as appeasement to anti-slavery forces in the area, many of them former (mostly blanco) Mexicans.


In June, Alabama becomes the third Southern state to sign a law explusing it's free black population from within their borders. And, as with S.C. and Miss., free blacks who don't leave are threatened with enslavement.


In Missouri, the largely pro-abolitionist town of St. Genevieve is terrorized by the Cape Girardeau based outlaw named William Quantrill, on July 21st. It will be the first of many attacks to occur in the state over the next few years.


On August 5th, Frederick VII of Denmark passes away. His cousin, Christian IX, replaces him.


Also in August, another significant peaceful demonstration occurs in Venice; the Austrians try to put it down, but not before dozens of partisans come out of hiding and kill many of the Austrian soldiers. This event creates the initial spark for what will soon become known as the Italian Liberation Wars.


In October, a major slave rebellion occurs at the plantation of a brother of Robert Barnwell Rhett in South Carolina, involving over 400 slaves; the revolt is put down within two weeks but 180 whites killed, most of them well-to-do. This strikes terror into the hearts of many, and Robert Rhett himself personally executes several of the slaves who were involved in the revolt, including a ten-year-old boy.


A former small planter turned abolitionist, L.J. Bozeman, is murdered in Kentucky on November 16th after he is confronted by a neighbor regarding his hosting of a conference by William Lloyd Garrison on his property. His killer is convicted, charged with murder, and hung on Christmas Eve. The death of Mr. Bozeman convinces many Kentuckian slaveholders to begin to distance themselves from the Fire Eaters as quickly as possible[this may surprise some readers, but yours truly actually directly used an OTL relative of his; the real L.J. Bozeman, at this time in our world, was serving the Union during the Civil War.]
 
Sounds like the Civil War will be interesting...

In addition, this might lead to earlier desegregation.

Waiting for more, of course.
 
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