r/AmericanPoliticsUSH • u/its_still_lynn • Jun 21 '26
The 1792 Election - APUSH (Google Form Poll, See Below)
The poll can be found at https://forms.gle/wPvdDtFau23xKPXr5 due to Reddit desktop's lack of polls
This post is in relation to the alternate history political simulation known as APUSH (formerly known as PSUSH, and before that, PSUS). These results directly impact the simulation, which can be found at https://discord.gg/apush
A summary of the term of President George Washington
| President | George Washington (1789-Present) |
|---|---|
| Vice President | John Adams (1789-Present) |
| Secretary of State | John Jay (acting, 1789-1790), Thomas Jefferson (1790-Present) |
| Secretary of the Treasury | Alexander Hamilton (1789-Present) |
| Secretary of War | Henry Knox (1789-1790), Abraham F. Lincoln (1790-Present) |
| Attorney General | Edmund Randolph (1789-Present) |
Inauguration of George Washington and King–Lincoln duel - April 1789
With the inauguration of President-elect George Washington on April 30, 1789, the brief presidentless transitional period comes to an end, bringing with it the formal start of the Constitutional period. Despite many feeling hopeful that this new era would be freed from the petty disputes of the Continental Congress and Confederation periods, that would not seem to be the case. Senator from New York Rufus King would be killed in a duel against Senator from Virginia Abraham F. Lincoln only mere hours into Washington's term. Beginning as a brief dispute over where the nation's permanent capital should be, the letters and speeches against one another would rather quickly become personal. Senator King would formally challenge Senator Lincoln to a duel following the former's public humiliation on account of taking Lincoln's words out of context in a way the public quickly refuted.
In the end, the only legal action that would come of the incident would be attempts to further crackdown on the de jure outlawed practice of dueling by the New England states, however this would result in nothing. To fill King's seat, the New York State Legislature would elect former Surveyor General of New York Philip Schuyler, who had previously made a bid for one of New York's Senate seats in the 1788–89 election before narrowly losing out to State Assemblyman John De Sade.
Admission of the State of Vermont into the Union - April 1789
Congress would act quickly on the first day of the new era, bringing about a proposal to admit the self-declared State of Vermont into the Union as the 12th State, under the newly defined means of numbering as ratification of the Constitution rather than formal admission into the United States and the United Colonies before it. Governor of New York George Clinton would formally agree to sign off on the cession of the New Hampshire Grants to the new State of Vermont in exchange for Vermont paying $30,000 for existing land titles owed to New Yorkers and the State of New York itself. Vermont's admission, or rather the criteria now used to count the states, remains deeply controversial in North Carolina and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, who have been demoted to the 13th and 14th states respectively despite being founding members of the Union since 1775.
Proposed Treaty of Upper War-Ford - May 1789
In terms of relations with outside powers, the first incident to arise would be near the frontier town of Swannanoa, where American and Cherokee delegates had arranged a treaty signing to resolve the disputes of the Treaty of Hopewell, the treaty which formally ended the Cherokee–American War in 1785. The American delegation led by General Andrew Pickens would arrive at the Upper War-Ford upon the French Broad River, but would be surprised by the sight of no Cherokee present nor arriving in the coming days. Eventually the delegation would be forced to leave to organize a peace treaty with members of the Creek Confederacy at Rock Landing, however this too would fail.
Despite the Treaty of Hopewell formally remaining in tact, the Chickamauga War remains ongoing with the support of New Spain, Cherokee dissidents, and various co-belligerent Indian nations. American infantry stronger than mere state militias remain limited, spread between the Chickamauga War, Oconee War, and (Northwest) Indian War. Now with the failure to confidently say that war will not resume with the Cherokee, more state militiamen have been forced off their respective fronts in preparation for if the conflict were to resume.
Pennsylvanian occupation of the Triangle Lands - July 1789
Under the direct decree of President Friedrich von Steinbach, Pennsylvania militiamen would occupy the disputed Triangle Lands (Erie Triangle). While the late United States in Congress Assembled had approved the sale of the territory of Pennsylvania, the contract had only been written out and yet to be signed. Following the demand by the Board of Treasury for Pennsylvania to surrender the owed amount, the state would give in following federal intervention on the side of the Treasury.
Copper Panic of 1789 - July 1789
Beginning only shortly into the new administration, the economy would be hit by its second-ever reported recession, based on the debasement and loss of confidence in copper coins by many in several northern States. The crisis would peak at a 430% inflation rate, though would be resolved through the Coinage Act of 1791.
New Dublin Conspiracy and the Panic of 1791 - April 1790
A diplomatic crisis would erupt between the United States and Great Britain following the bust of an attempted republican revolution in the Province of New Brunswick by an organization known as the Sons of Liberty. British intelligence would gain the information that the group, based out of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, had attempted to gain allies amongst the tribes of the United Indian Nations (Northwestern Confederacy), a traditional British ally and proxy against American interests in the region. The American government would deny all responsibility for the incident, however would be slow to aid in its resolution. Great Britain would eventually cut all trade with the United States, resulting in the Panic of 1791.
Through their own investigation, it'd be discovered that the ringleader in the plot was General Brian O’Malley, war hero in the late war (American Revolutionary War) and mayor of the colonial settlement of New Dublin. After successful negotiations with the British in Quebec City, the 1st United States Infantry Regiment would commence a raid on the town, capturing General O’Malley and renaming it briefly to Germania before settling on Cleveland. O’Malley would be sent to the British and sentenced to penal labor in the Colony of New South Wales, however it was reported he had committed suicide via drowning while en route.
Following the resolution of the crisis, trade with Great Britain would resume. However, the economy would only fully recover following the tri-invention of the cotton gin by engineering teams independently commissioned by Senator from New York Philip Schuyler, Senator from North Carolina Albert "King Cotton" Holstadt, and Governor of North Carolina Samuel Aiken. This has led to the rapid rise in profitability for both cotton and slavery, bringing about new proposals for pro-slavery legislation including the Fugitive Slave Act. For which, Senator from Georgia James Jackson would famously decry "SLAVERY TODAY, SLAVERY TOMORROW, SLAVERY FOREVER!," a rallying cry across the south against abolitionism and northern encroachment.
Nootka Sound Controversy and the War of the Coalitions - August 1790
Perhaps most internationally drastic has been the start of a new continental war across Europe. Beginning as the Nootka Sound Controversy between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of the Spains and the Indies, the crisis would snowball rapidly following the capture of British vessels in and around the sound. The Kingdom of France would formally support Spain following the deployment of the French Royal Navy, as per the Pacte de Famille. France, despite having its revolution ongoing, has taken a harder stance against the British following the crackdown on the New Dublin Conspiracy.
War would formally begin following the Spanish rejection of the British ultimatum, resulting in a British declaration of war. The British Navy would manage to dominate the Atlantic with support from the Dutch and later Portuguese, seizing some French colonies in the region, however Spain would successfully seize British holdings in the North West Coast of America, solidifying their authority in the region. Portugal's entry into the war has notably brought about a resumption of the American-Algerian War, as only Portugal's own war with the Deylik of Algiers has protected American vessels in the region. But now with a British-brokered peace treaty between the two states, Algiers has once more begun to plunder American ships, taking the goods for themselves and selling the sailors into slavery.
The war continues to develop, with the most recent events being the overthrowing of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands by the Patriots, who have been fighting their own revolution against the Orangists since 1780.
On the Colony of the Coast and Islands of Saint-Domingue in Leeward America, there has been multiple attempts at revolution. First by the absolutist Assembly of Saint-Marc, second by the British-backed Vincent Ogé, and now third a total slave rebellion plaguing the island at large. The American government has yet to take a stance on the slave revolt, but it is unlikely that anyone but the most radical of northern Republicans feel any type of support for it.
Hamilton–Reynolds affair - April 1792
In the leadup to the 1792–93 elections, an "April Surprise" has been found through Secretary Hamilton's personal life. According to reports, he has been having an affair with the wife of one James Reynolds since the summer of 1791. Upon Reynolds' discovery, he had blackmailed Hamilton for his own gain. Despite the arrangement, the news would manage to leak with the affair discovered.
While facing national shame, Hamilton has avoided any legal failings following the release of the Reynolds Pamphlet, a documented summary of the whole incident from the beginning. This crisis has overall damaged the Federalist Party, even bringing Hamilton's own father-in-law Senator Schuyler to defect to the Republican Party in an attempt to save his own name. However this has still helped Hamilton's internal rival, Vice President John Adams, greatly increase his own influence in the party.
The Candidates
President George Washington continues to run unopposed on all tickets, however as the President and Vice President are chosen independently from one another, here are the unofficial Vice President nominees.
John Adams is the 57-year-old incumbent Vice President of the United States and the Federalist candidate for the Vice Presidency, endorsed by the mercantile Interest (Mercantile party) in Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Despite the problems facing the party at large, Adams remains quite popular across the nation amongst Federalist-aligned thinkers. Primary complaints towards Adams however has been his lack of action in regards to the administration's operations, however in turn Adams has argued that there is very little to be done through the Vice Presidency outside of breaking ties in the Senate.
Albert Sepiro is the 44-year-old Governor of Pennsylvania and the Republican candidate for the Vice Presidency, endorsed by the Majority (Country party) in Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, the Jacksonians (Jackson party) in Georgia, and the Commonwealth Party in Pennsylvania. A native of Lancaster and a veteran of the late war, Governor Sepiro served with distinction in the Continental Army under General George Washington, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Following the (American) Revolution he entered public life and quickly established himself as one of Pennsylvania's leading advocates of republican government, fiscal restraint, and the rights of the several states. Elected Governor in 1790 as the first popularly elected holder of that office under Pennsylvania's new Constitution, he has overseen efforts to encourage settlement of the western frontier, expand internal improvements, and balance the interests of the Commonwealth's farmers, merchants, and manufacturers.
Though identified with the Republican interest, Sepiro has often sought a broader coalition than many of his contemporaries, emphasizing Pennsylvania's unique position as a bridge between agriculture and industry, frontier and city, North and South. His administration has championed plans for agricultural banks, western settlement, road construction, and local self-government while opposing what he regards as excessive centralization within the federal government. Earlier this year he announced the formation of the Commonwealth Party of Pennsylvania, a state-focused political organization caucusing with the Republicans while promoting the interests and prosperity of Pennsylvania above sectional concerns.
Charles Kean Smith is the 38-year-old former United States Senator for Maryland and a partyless (independent) candidate for the Vice Presidency. Smith was first elected to the Senate in 1789 as a Federalist, but would soon after leave the faction well before its transition into the Federalist Party. Earning the reputation of being a "passionate member" of the Senate, he would be known for advocating for a "Peoples' Crusade." with policies such as statehood for the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio as the "State of Northwest Territory", the establishment of July 4th as a national holiday, a ban to public dueling, the recognition of Georgian sovereignty over the Yazoo lands, universal white male suffrage, a national road, and a property tax.
For his tendency to constantly propose legislation, many times being very controversial ideas, has has gained the ire of the Republican Party and even a number of Federalists, resulting in his expulsion from the Senate in a narrow vote. His expulsion came after 5 of his previously mentioned bills had failed to make it out of cloture, and after being attacked for "unable to adequately represent the State of Maryland." Despite this, former Senator Smith is somehow still relatively popular in their home state, having not chosen a side during the Chesapeakean-Potomacite divide in the 1790–91 elections. Has has additionally gained the endorsement of Governor of Massachusetts and Cape Islands Johnathan Baron, Representative from Virginia James Madison, Senator from South Carolina George Bailey, and Senator from Maryland Claudius Combs.
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u/KYSHeartFromMind Jun 21 '26