6. Aaron Burr Goes West

With the purchase of New Orleans in 1802, Spanish Louisiana became isolated from the rest of New Spain and mostly unprotected from British or American incursions. Both powers eyed the territory greedily. But it was former vice-president Aaron Burr, who now acted as a free agent, to be the first to plunge in for the win.  

Apparently, and while he was still Vice-President, Burr had met with the British ambassador to discuss a plan to break off New Orleans from the US and establish a “Southwestern Republic” under the protection of a European sponsor. Burr’s Vice-Presidency ended after he got tangled into a duel with the Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. The duel resulted in Hamilton’s death and Burr being accused of murder. With his political career apparently over, Burr placed his western plan into motion. 

With the rebellions in New Spain increasing day by day and the scramble between the U.S., Britain, France, and Spain over the remainder of the Louisiana territory Burr realized the needed war was eminent. Convinced that he could claim Louisiana or Tejas for himself with a relatively small force when war finally broke out, Burr leased 40,000 acres of land from the Spanish government. And allied himself with James Wilkinson, who was the governor of New Orleans, and the Anglo-Irish aristocrat Herman Blennerhassett. Wilkinson offered the possibility of breaking off New Orleans while Blennerhassett had enough capital and resources to pull off the conspiracy. The final pieces of the conspiracy fell into place early in 1806 when the French minister contacted Burr guaranteeing French support. France was not keen in seeing the United States or Britain create a colossus in North America and Burr’s success could help prevent this. Furthermore they saw Burr's plan as a way to deal with the growing problem of piracy around the Spanish territories of  Louisiana and Tejas. [1]

By the time President Jefferson was informed of Blurr’s plans, and Burr was declared a traitor, the former Vice-President was already safely settled in Tejas, which at that point was still part of New Spain, with a small band of farmer-soldiers in for the venture. His plan was straightforward: initiate a rebellion, declare Tejas independent from Spain and once a war broke out over Louisiana move into New Orleans where the new state would be based in. 

“In New York I am to be disenfranchised, and in New Jersey hanged. You will not…conclude that I have become disposed to submit tamely to the machinations of a banditti.” - Aaron Burr on his flight westwards. 

[1] Small butterfly of Spain keeping the majority of Louisiana a bit longer means there is a larger safe-haven for pirates like Pierre and Jean Lafitte. 

5. Indians and the West

Aside from the territorial purchase of New Orleans, Jefferson’s time in office saw the growth of the nation in economic and demographic terms. The growing number of settlers to the west would often clash with the local Indian population. In the Southeast the territorial and state governments forced out several tribes out of their ancestral homes. As President, Jefferson accorded with Georgia’s state government, that if the state were to abandon its claims on the lands to its west, the Federal military would help expel the Cherokee Nation from Georgia. This fully violated an existing treaty between the United States government and the Cherokee Nation and marked the first forced “Indian removal” by the Federal government. Many Indians were forced to flee to Spanish Florida where the lack of authority gave them much wanted freedom. 

"If we are constrained to lift the hatchet against any tribe, we will never lay it down until that tribe is exterminated, or driven beyond the Mississippi.” - President Jefferson to Secretary of War Henry Dearborn [1]

Meanwhile, in the Northwest, the Shawnee continuously laid raids into white settlements as their leaders attempted to form a Confederacy of Indian Tribes in the area. Relationships between Great Britain and the United States strained as it became clear the British were supplying the Shawnee and other tribes in the area with guns. For the most part, the Jefferson administration kept a cool head, following Washington’s Neutrality Act. But Britain’s incursions into Spanish Florida, and their unofficial support of Aaron Burr’s expedition into Louisiana and Tejas did not help ease the tensions. Halfway through Jefferson’s second term it became clear that the only way to avoid Britain from taking over Louisiana would be for the US to take it for itself. 

Secretary of War Henry Dearborn, architect of the Indian Exodus. 

[1] This is an actual quote BTW. 

Unites States Presidential Election 1804

Federalist Party: Charles C. Pinckney (SC) - Rufus King (NY): 34 EVs, 19%

Democratic-Republican: Thomas Jefferson (VA) - John Breckenridge (KY): 142 EVs  81%

4. If it looks like Federalist, and acts like a Federalist? Jefferson’s First Term

The New Orleans Purchase brought the reach the federal government into question. Jefferson himself was unsure if the government had the right to purchase land. Thus, even though a majority of congress supported the purchase, Jefferson pushed for the creation of a constitutional amendment that clarified the federal government’s right to purchase land. This became the first of two amendments passed during the Jefferson administration - the latter revising the presidential election procedures - this places a bit of stress between Jefferson and his anti-Federalist Republicans. But it also allowed for a few moderate Federalist to defect to Jefferson’s side. 

To balance the power equation, Jefferson repelled many federal taxes. This made the government excessively dependent on custom’s revenue. And the policy would latter prove disastrous when trade between the United States and Europe is interrupted by the Napoleonic Wars.

In 1803 the Miami Valley Territory was admitted as a state; as the nation expanded the anti-federalist policies of Jefferson became increasingly appealing to most voters causing major rifts in the Federalist Party. By the election of 1804 New England remained the only Federalist stronghold. Thus Jefferson’s first reelection happened to be an easy victory against Charles C. Pinckney.

But despite, Jefferson’s stance as a staunch anti-Federalist, many of his New England based critics believed, “the actions he took during his three terms as President would only strengthen executive power, bend the constitution until it broke, and bring down the Union with it”. 

Contemporary political opponents of Jefferson sought to destroy his presidency and his new political party with charges of Jefferson’s promiscuous behavior and his ownership of slaves. The cock was also a symbol of revolutionary France, which Jefferson was known to admire and which, his critics believed, Jefferson unduly favored.

[1] Yes, I know the Ohio Territory was called that well before the POD in OTL. But I like the name change. No worries there will still be an Ohio in TTL. 

3. New Spain, Old Headaches

On November 1799, Félix Berenguer de Marquina arrived in New Spain as the newly appointed Viceroy. Berenguer found it impossible to deal with New Spain’s internal problems, not only was he facing a population much frustrated with Spanish rule, but The Audiencia regulated every single one of his actions. As a result, Berenguer opted instead to focus on external problems, mostly reinforcing the ports against pirate raids and securing the northern frontier from the “uncivilized” tribes. 

His indifference towards the woes of the criollos and mestizos resulted in greater discontent, and indirectly provoked a handful of rebellions. The largest of these rebellions include: the Tepic Conspiracy (in which the idea of crowing an Emperor for New Spain was first promulgated) and the Nuevo Leon Incident where a pseudo-Emperor was actually crowned. Collectively these events are known as the Indio Mariano Rebellion.

The uprising began in Tepic, where a handful of influential men under the leadership of José Desiderio Maldonado, began to promulgate the idea of crowning a monarch for New Spain. Maldonado and his men planned to hold a symbolic coronation of a native of Tlaxcala in January 5th 1801 as a form of protest against the Spanish government. The ceremony - however - was interrupted by the local Spanish forces, turning the otherwise peaceful demonstration into a violent confrontation. The violence quelled within a couple of days but Maldonado and several leaders managed to escape to Guadalajara. Rumors that a force of 1,000 Yaquis and Yumas had gathered to assist Maldonado sparked a second uprising a few weeks later. Once again Maldonado’s forces were defeated and the rebels were forced to scatter through out New Spain. Several smaller battles followed though out Jalisco but the rebellion was successfully quelled by the Spring of 1802.

Frustrated by the impotence of his position, when it came to dealing with such situations, Berenguer de Marquina resigned as Viceroy of New Spain just a few years later. His successor, Jose Joaquin de Iturrigaray y Arósetgui, arrived in New Spain on January 6th, 1803. 

2. What Spain Sold for 10 Million Dollars

At the time of Jefferson’s inauguration Spain was facing serious financial troubles. British attacks on its colonies and a blockade on its major ports only worsened the situation. After the first rebellions broke out in Spain’s American colonies, United States’ officials had been sent to Madrid with the purpose of negotiating the purchase of New Orleans to financially assist Spain. Jefferson’s predecessor, John Adams, had already considered the idea of purchasing the port but negotiations did not begin until Jefferson became President. Immediately after his inauguration, Jefferson sent Robert R. Livingston and James Monroe to negotiate the purchase of New Orleans for up to 10 million dollars. France was also interested in acquiring the territory; Napoleon had openly expressed his plans to start a colonial Empire for France. A small bidding war began between France and the United States but France backed down at the possibility of loosing Spain’s alliance against the British if the negotiations happened to fall apart, or getting in a quarrel with the United States. 

In November 1801, less than a year into the presidency of Thomas Jefferson the United States purchased New Orleans form Spain. Napoleon’s France readily recognized the purchase. But in the haste of finishing the transaction and transferring New Orleans over to the Americans several details of the treaty had been overlooked! For starters, there was no direct land connection between the port and the rest of the United States. For the Americans it seemed easiest to assume that the purchase included the land between the Mississippi River and the Pearl River. This territory was later organized into the Mississippi Territory, but the American claim would become a source of contention between the US, Spain and Britain over the next few years. 

1. Once Upon A Time...

      At the end of the 18th century, life wasn’t easy in New Spain. Even the criollos, descendants of Europeans elite but born in the New World, could only climb so far in society, as the top offices in government were reserved for the those born in the Iberian peninsula, across the ocean. These penninsulares had it easy... or easier, for they found themselves ruling an increasingly unrestful population. By the first decade of the the new century, New Spain had experienced a handful of revolts; criollo and indigenous led; each one more violent than the last. It could only be a mater of time before the right spark ignited the fire!

      Meanwhile, in the north, the United States of America were celebrating the inauguration of their third President, Thomas Jefferson. So far the new nation, which was created out of a loose alliance of former British colonies had enjoyed relative stability. But political schisms were starting to appear. The new President led a faction that fancied themselves “Democratic-Republicans”; these Republicans stood in favor of a decentralized government, preferring to allocate power into the hands of the individual states. In opposition to Jefferson, the Federalist party had formed. Spearheaded by Alexander Hamilton, and former President John Adams. The Federalists supported a strong executive office at the head of government. Their differences and quarrels would pile up over the course of Jefferson’s three terms as President. It would only be a matter of time before the right domino was pushed to and the whole pile was brought down!

The World at the Start of this Story