AHC: Southern Republican elected President between the end of the Civil War and 1900

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get a Southern Republican from the Reconstruction era to the new century elected as President of the United States.
 
Probably easiest to start as VP to a Northern Republican, have the POTUS die, and then win reelection in his own right. Sort of like Andrew Johnson, but without his issues.
 

TFSmith121

Banned
George Thomas might be a possibility, early one.

One could imagine circumstances that lead to a political career for Thomas, if he lives longer.

Best,
 
Assuming free elections under the Constitution are allowed to continue Mississippi and South Carolina are certainly solid Repubican states, Lousiana and Florida might go that way.

A successful and popular governor or Senator from there might be possible
 

Kingpoleon

Banned
Railroads are built more slowly in this case, preventing the Panic of 1893. Carlisle later pointed out it was his economical printing of 20% for his first three years that allowed a mass panic to be prevented, merely resulting in the Slip of 1891.

In January of 1894, Carlisle would be appointed Secretary of the Treasury for his excellent reforms. Immediately, he began ordering it down to 112% of the 1889 printing in 1894, and proceeded to lower it to 105% in 1895. By the beginning of 1896, it was down to 98% and Carlisle was the most popular choice. He managed to run for President and gain W. J. Bryan's support, winning with 53% of the vote with Bryan as his Vice President and McKinley as his Secretary of State. Roosevelt would become Secretary of Defense in 1897.

After Carlisle won the 1900 election with 57% of the vote, he had Bryan remain but as a senior advisor and speech writer. Roosevelt would be his new Vice President. Carlisle won with 64% of the vote in 1904, with the economy now being at an all time high since 1860 and printings at 84% of the 1890 ones. John Griffin Carlisle would be assassinated on October 9, 1906, and Roosevelt would become President. Theodore Roosevelt won reelection in 1908 with Bryan as Vice President, in 1912 with McKinley, and in 1916 with Wilson becoming Vice President after McKinley's "corporation big cigar" scandal.
 
Assuming free elections under the Constitution are allowed to continue Mississippi and South Carolina are certainly solid Repubican states, Lousiana and Florida might go that way.

A successful and popular governor or Senator from there might be possible

This requires that Reconstruction be either indefinitely extended or revived--which is probably not politically possible in the late nineteenth century.

To see why it wasn't, we need only look at Grant's decision in 1875 not to come to the rescue of the Mississippi Republican governor Ames, whose government was on the verge of being toppled by white-supremacy Democrats who were terrorizing blacks who dared to vote. As Grant later told Mississippi's African American Congressman John Lynch, he had been on the verge of sending federal troops to support Ames, when a delegation of Ohio Republicans came to tell him that if he did so, the Republican gubernatorial candidate Rutherford Hayes would certainly lose to the Democrats' candidate William Allen, and Ohio would be sure to vote Democratic for president in 1876. Grant could count: Mississippi had only eight electoral votes, Ohio, twenty-two. Without Ohio, the Republicans' chances of retaining the presidency were dim. So Grant reluctantly decided that the interests of Mississippi's African Americans had to be sacrificed. After all, the Republican government in Mississippi could never survive a Democratic presidential victory in 1876, anyway...
 
This requires that Reconstruction be either indefinitely extended or revived--which is probably not politically possible in the late nineteenth century.

To see why it wasn't, we need only look at Grant's decision in 1875 not to come to the rescue of the Mississippi Republican governor Ames, whose government was on the verge of being toppled by white-supremacy Democrats who were terrorizing blacks who dared to vote. As Grant later told Mississippi's African American Congressman John Lynch, he had been on the verge of sending federal troops to support Ames, when a delegation of Ohio Republicans came to tell him that if he did so, the Republican gubernatorial candidate Rutherford Hayes would certainly lose to the Democrats' candidate William Allen, and Ohio would be sure to vote Democratic for president in 1876. Grant could count: Mississippi had only eight electoral votes, Ohio, twenty-two. Without Ohio, the Republicans' chances of retaining the presidency were dim. So Grant reluctantly decided that the interests of Mississippi's African Americans had to be sacrificed. After all, the Republican government in Mississippi could never survive a Democratic presidential victory in 1876, anyway...

What was needed was radical action in the spring of 1865, giving former slaves security of land ownership and destoying the class that started the rebellion by expropriation and possibly exile
 
The last Republican Senators from the Old Confederacy didn't finish their terms until the 1880s.

Is there any chance that one of them (or a former one) might have been put on a ticket in say 1880, as a way to cock one last snook at the Redeemers?
 
Probably easiest to start as VP to a Northern Republican, have the POTUS die, and then win reelection in his own right. Sort of like Andrew Johnson, but without his issues.

That's probably the easiest, but I'd like to avoid that sort of trickery. For the purposes of this challenge lets have them elected outright.

One could imagine circumstances that lead to a political career for Thomas, if he lives longer.

Best,

Was he interested much in politics?

Assuming free elections under the Constitution are allowed to continue Mississippi and South Carolina are certainly solid Repubican states, Lousiana and Florida might go that way.

A successful and popular governor or Senator from there might be possible

The big question is how do we get them to stay fairly democratic/


Ugh, I'm not really sure what you posted. John G. Carlisle was a Kentucky (border state) Bourbon Democrat. The rest of those men either aren't southern, or aren't Republican.

This requires that Reconstruction be either indefinitely extended or revived--which is probably not politically possible in the late nineteenth century.

You're telling me there isn't a single OTL Southern Republican who could be elected before the turn of the century? Not one?

What was needed was radical action in the spring of 1865, giving former slaves security of land ownership and destoying the class that started the rebellion by expropriation and possibly exile

Short of President Ben Butler, an the assassination being planned by Jeff Davis himself, I don't think that'll happen.

The last Republican Senators from the Old Confederacy didn't finish their terms until the 1880s.

Is there any chance that one of them (or a former one) might have been put on a ticket in say 1880, as a way to cock one last snook at the Redeemers?

Like I said above, can any of those guys be chosen? Where any of them clean enough to be on a ticket?
 
I have to think it would be a carpet bagger or maybe a southern General whom fought for the south like General Thomas.

Certainly, African Americans must keep the vote for any form of Republican to win statewide.
 
In 1976, Samuel J. Tilden, selects former Florida Governor, David S. Walker as his running mate.
Not a major change but gave the democrats an extra four electoral votes which saw them with 188 to 184, which gives the Democrats the overal majority apart from state carried.

But as of March 4, 1877, Samuel J. Tilden is President, until March 19th 1877, when former William M. Tweed, American politician most notable for being the "boss" of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th century New York City and State, hires a man to assassinate the President, not for any political reason, but simple cold hard revenge.
Revenge against Tilden for convicting Tweed of stealing an amount estimated by an aldermen's committee in 1877 at between $25 million and $45 million from New York City taxpayers through political corruption, leading to Tweed's arrest and ultermet downfall.
He choose the date 15 days into office, so as Tilden will go down in history as the shortest serving Presidents.

This sees, David S. Walker becoming the 20th President, a position he never really wanted and was under the impression that he did not have to worry about Tilden dying in office, what with his young age, so after thinking long and had, President Walker firstly makes an Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Stating a new line of succession to the Presidency and establishes procedures both for filling a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, as well as responding to Presidential disabilities. It supersedes the ambiguous wording of Article II, Section 1, Clause 6 of the Constitution, which does not expressly state whether the Vice President becomes the President or Acting President if the President dies, resigns, is removed from office or is otherwise unable to discharge the powers of the presidency. This is supported by congress and the senate.

Once this is passed he chooses to fil the vacant spot with Former Mississippi Governor, Adelbert Ames, who as a Radical Republican and a Carpetbagger and military governor, Walker hopes this will pacify the unrest in the nation, once Ames is sworn in, President Walking in a shock to the nation, becomes the first person to resign from the office, meaing Vice President, Adelbert Ames, not only becomes the 21st President of America, and the first Southern Republican to hold this office, but he also becomes the first and to date only person to have served as both Vice President and President of the United States without being elected by the Electoral College.

However in his first term President Ames, surprises the nation by becoming one of the greatest presidents since the founding fathers, and when he stands for election in 1880, he wins a landslide against Democrat nominatee, Major General Winfield Scott Hancock of Pennsylvania.
 

TFSmith121

Banned
He died in 1870, still on active duty;

Was he interested much in politics?

He died in 1870, still on active duty, so there's really no evidence one way or the other - Johnson tried to promote him to lieutenant general, but Thomas asked for it to be withdrawn, because he saw it as an obvious political move aimed at Grant.

He did have a reasonable record during Reconstruction, which given his background as a Virginian, is presumably worth noting; his relationship with Grant was strained, but in a situation where Grant died young and Thomas did not (Thomas was only six years older than Grant, and four years older than Sherman, for example), there's certainly the possibility Thomas could have been a contender for the Democratic nomination in '68 (historically) or later (had he lived, obviously).

As a loyal Virginian, a general officer with an excellent record (one of the top four in terms of reputation by the end), and a southerner with an acceptable record on Reconstruction, he's certainly the best possibillty early on...

The farther you get toward the end of the Nineteenth, obviously, the more ripples are possible.

Best,
 

TFSmith121

Banned
This one is entertaining...

However in his first term President Ames, surprises the nation by becoming one of the greatest presidents since the founding fathers, and when he stands for election in 1880, he wins a landslide against Democrat nominatee, Major General Winfield Scott Hancock of Pennsylvania.

This one is entertaining...points for creativity.;)

Best,
 
Once this is passed he chooses to fil the vacant spot with Former Mississippi Governor, Adelbert Ames, who as a Radical Republican and a Carpetbagger and military governor...

Why on earth would Walker do that??

By 1876, the Reconstruction governments in the South had become infamous for corruption. Men like Ames were universally reviled in the South, and not much liked anywhere. As Dave T noted, when Grant was going to send Federal troops to Mississippi to uphold Ames' authority against the mob violence of the Redeemers and the Klan, he was told that Ohio Republican voters would bolt the party in revulsion.

If Walker felt the need to "reach out", it would not be to a Radical Republican from the South. He would pick a Northerner, and preferably a moderate. Someone with impeccable Unionist credentials, like Lyman Trumbull: Free-Soil Democrat turned Republican turned Liberal Republican (in 1872) and finally Democrat again.

But never Ames.
 
This one is entertaining...points for creativity.;)
Thanks always like to be creative, even if it is outside the box :D

Why on earth would Walker do that??

By 1876, the Reconstruction governments in the South had become infamous for corruption. Men like Ames were universally reviled in the South, and not much liked anywhere. As Dave T noted, when Grant was going to send Federal troops to Mississippi to uphold Ames' authority against the mob violence of the Redeemers and the Klan, he was told that Ohio Republican voters would bolt the party in revulsion.

If Walker felt the need to "reach out", it would not be to a Radical Republican from the South. He would pick a Northerner, and preferably a moderate. Someone with impeccable Unionist credentials, like Lyman Trumbull: Free-Soil Democrat turned Republican turned Liberal Republican (in 1872) and finally Democrat again.

But never Ames.
Grant was infamous for corruption, the 1870-1890s is famous for corruption.
 
Grant was infamous for corruption, the 1870-1890s is famous for corruption.

Grant wasn't corrupt. His idiotic and backstabbing friends were, but Grant himself remained an impeccable man concerning how he spent government money.
 
In 1976, Samuel J. Tilden, selects former Florida Governor, David S. Walker as his running mate.
Not a major change but gave the democrats an extra four electoral votes which saw them with 188 to 184, which gives the Democrats the overal majority apart from state carried.

In 1876 it would be politically impossible for the Democrats to nominate a southern ex-Confederate (even a reluctant one who had opposed secession but "went with his state") for vice-president. This would just play into the hands of the Republicans who warned that a Democratic victory meant "rebel rule." It would cost the Democrats far more votes in the North than it would gain them in the South, where white voters overwhelmingly supported the Democrats anyway.

In particular, to nominate Walker instead of Hendricks (who was chosen to appease the powerful western "soft money" faction of the Democracy) would almost certainly lead to the Democrats' losing Hendricks' home state of Indiana. With Indiana's 15 electoral votes, Hayes cold lose Florida *and Louisiana* and still win! http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/u/usa/pres/1876.txt
 
Let me go at this a diffrent way. Can we get a Southern Republican, not necessarily an officeholder in OTL, in a high office, like Secretary of Treasury or such, and parley that into a run for the Presidency later on? I ask because it seems to me like there is very little suggestions for any real candidates, which probably mimics the enthusiasm most of those men faced nationwide.
 
Let me go at this a diffrent way. Can we get a Southern Republican, not necessarily an officeholder in OTL, in a high office, like Secretary of Treasury or such, and parley that into a run for the Presidency later on? I ask because it seems to me like there is very little suggestions for any real candidates, which probably mimics the enthusiasm most of those men faced nationwide.

There was only one Southerner in Grant's cabinet (and he wasn't in it very long). And he was born in New Hampshire! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos_T._Akerman
 
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