The United States of America
Introduction
The Arsenal of Democracy, the Guardian of the Free World, the United States of America. Spanning the majority of the North American continent, and being the largest and oldest democracy on Earth, the United States is indisputably one of the great powers of the world. Though a newer player of the Great Game than the venerable empires of the Old World, the United States has nonetheless taken to imperium with great vigor. Over the last century and a half they have expanded rapidly from thirteen colonies hugging the eastern seaboard to a global - and interstellar - empire. Today they boast vast territories, immense economic potential, and a frightening capacity for invention and innovation.
History
The Seven Years War
The history of the United States is rooted in their experience as a colony of the mighty British Empire during the 18th century. In 1756 the Seven Years War began throughout the world, though fighting had already been occuring in North America for nearly two years at this point. While the British colonies had a much larger overall population, the French had much closer relations with the Native Americans. Because of this, and a newly modernized French Navy, British forces found little success in their initial campaigns, with attacks into Ohio country and New France resulting in a series of disastrous losses. The French Navy harassed the Royal Navy as they attempted to deliver new soldiers to the colonies, sinking many ships. As a result, the colonies were forced to raise their own defensive forces to fend off the coming attacks. As the war in Europe dragged on, North America burned. In 1757 a French offensive broke through the lines near Fort William-Henry. Pushing to the coast, they burned their way down the Hudson River and were able to lay siege to New York City. The siege would last for nearly three months before forces arrived strong enough to challenge the French in the field. During this time help from the wider empire tapered off, as the continental war escalated further. In order to support an army, the colonial economy retooled itself for the production of military material. The iron foundries of Pittsburg nearly tripled their output over the course of the war.
In 1763 the war came to a close. Years of fighting had devastated much of New England as well as large parts of New France, and the borders were restored to their previous condition. With essentially a white peace having been signed, the American colonists were left with an enduring resentment of their colonial overlords. They had fought and bled for the nation, and in return had been abandoned when they needed aid. Though limited funding was provided by Parliament for reconstruction, this feeling of abandonment endured.
The tension came to a head close to a decade later. The British Empire, weakened by the Seven Years War, had taken on an extreme amount of debt and had since struggled under the burden. They emphasized an expansionist policy, in order to offset the heavy costs of the conflict. As a result, American settlers pushed west in violation of their previous treaties. Many of these settlements were successful, but the crown did not see many gains in this less-than-legal effort. In the early 1770s Parliament levied a series of taxes on the colonies, straining their relationship with their colonies even further. The pressure came to a head in 1775, as colonial partisans clashed with loyalists across New England. This conflict soon developed into a full-blown revolution not a year later.
The Revolution
The American Revolution was held together by a collective of colonial statesmen, philosophers, and militia commanders, who met in the summer of 1776 to form a unified government to bind together the colonies. The government structure was heavily influenced by Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, a man who dedicated much of his twilight years to attempting to unify the American colonies in order to better appeal Parliament for change. Franklin and a few other statesmen, including the young Thomas Jefferson, wrote up both the fledgling nation’s Declaration of Independence and a Federally-focused constitution, a structure that many individualistic officials were displeased by. The Continental Congress was left with a difficult decision; appointing the first President of the new United States. Given his role in combating the British Army, Congress appointed George Washington as the first President. Given his focus in the military, Washington sought an experienced statesman to help round out his presidency. His choice was the wise council of Benjamin Franklin, hoping that as the main mind behind the nation, he could ensure that the system be executed in a manner with fairness and integrity.
One of the big changes in the new American government was the abolition of the institution of slavery. Slave labor had been instrumental to the growth of the nation, especially in the south. While this was the case, the many advances in machinery and innovations in farming reduced demand for cheap labor, and also gave the northern states a better stance in negotiations. With profit margins low, and the northern opposition by Pro-Franklin politicians high, the slave trade was immediately cut from the fabric of American culture, and all current slaves were freed. This noble gesture did have a minor ulterior motive, as the newly freed men were often coerced into joining the defense effort in the Continental Army.
Washington’s first term proved difficult, as balancing the governance of a new state with a constant war left the President strained. When focusing on the war, he relied on Franklin to maintain the state, even though his vice president was often in transit to meet with the French. When presiding over Congress, Washington relied on his aides to maintain momentum in the push against the loyalists, often utilizing Alexander Hamilton as a mouthpiece for his command. This period of intense juggling paid off, as Franklin’s many absences garnered him French support in the war effort. By the end of the term, the war had started to turn in America’s favor.
As the French were to aid the Revolution soon, Franklin was able to better support the government in Washington’s absence. When their term was up, the duo decided to swap roles, with Franklin taking the seat as head of state in 1781. His term was much smoother, as the newly reinforced Washington was able to turn the tide, and force the British to the negotiation table in 1783. The fledgling Arsenal of Democracy had earned its freedom. The duo of Franklin and Washington ultimately proved to be a well balanced team, setting precedent for any capable President and Vice President to split their duties based on their talents, with one member of the pair often being more militarily minded.
The Early Republic and French Collaboration
The United States had earned its independence through bloodshed and now faced the formation of a more cohesive union. Factionalism quickly emerged in Congress following the Franklin presidency, with a strong Federalist party emerging the victor. From the onset, many states resisted the amount of control ceded to the Presidency and the federal government. The policy decisions of Presidents John Adams and Alexander Hamilton were often critiqued for their resemblance to a soft monarchy, a comparison that was often unfairly leveled or exaggerated. Even as the Democratic-Republican Party gained power with President Jefferson in 1797, party disputes persisted. In a famous incident, Jefferson’s vice president Aaron Burr challenged former president Hamilton to a duel, shooting him down on July 4th, 1800. Burr never faced official repercussions for his shooting of a former head of state, however, he was replaced for Jefferson’s second term by a cooler-headed politician, and his political career was finished.
Jefferson made sure to continue the diplomatic relationships of his predecessors, namely their first ally France. France had struggled in the years since the revolution, and continued to face conflict with the British. Jefferson also desired to expand the borders beyond the Mississippi and also hoped to aid the French in hampering a potential British counter-attack. Unfortunately, a full-scale offensive was not yet feasible, as the Continental Army had not yet recovered from the Revolutionary War. Jefferson instead signed the United States into a long-term military pact with France, so that when the time came for a confrontation, the Americans would aid in the war effort.
The time for conflict would arrive in 1812, as continued Anglo-Frankish tensions over colonial border disputes boiled over. The French Ambassador to America passed on a secret bargain to President James Madison, telling him that in exchange for an invasion of British Canada and naval support against the royal navy, America would be granted the territory of Louisiana, allowing the U.S. to officially expand to the West. Due to their political closeness, many American settlers had long since moved into these French lands, but the transition of ownership would cement U.S. control in the region. The deal was accepted, and the United States invaded Canada during the War of 1812.
The Invasion of Canada lasted three years, with the American military quickly suppressing the bulk of the British standing army. The coalition navy blockaded the colony, preventing large-scale reinforcement. The Americans also possessed upgraded military hardware, outgunning the out-of-date colonial militia. Only pockets of scattered resistance stalled the conquering army from completely wiping out the British presence. The American support of the navy also allowed France to dominate the English Channel, preventing the British from launching an amphibious assault on Normandy.
The British eventually gave up on reclaiming Canada, with the regional governors surrendering in 1815. The majority of British Canada was yielded to France, and in turn America received the territory of Louisiana. The invasion proved the military efficacy of the United States, with the phrase “Arsenal of Democracy” being utilized to highlight their militant dedication to freedom. Several commanders were also revered as war heroes, including Andrew Jackson, who was regarded as a hero for his deeds at the Battle of Toronto. The former British colonists reviled Jackson, who they referred to as the “Butcher of Ontario”.
Imperium Americanum
America continued to expand west in the mid-nineteenth century, formally reaching the Pacific Ocean in the 1830s with the establishment of the Oregon Territory. Basic rail infrastructure was a top priority, and work on the first transcontinental railroad was underway by the decade’s end. The line was completed in 1843, however the rapid construction had the unforeseen consequence of leaving much of the nation’s interior underpopulated, as very few waystations were needed during the process. With time, multiple rushes for precious metals brought settlers into the western territories, further stimulating the development of the new frontier. These bursts in population, with the addition of many technological advances, allowed for the great cities of the Pacific to grow quickly, and rival the older urban sprawl of the Atlantic. However, this seaward growth, while integral to the American spirit of expansionism, was only the preamble to a period of bloody conquest.
To the south of the American expanse, a conflict was brewing over the control of the Republic of Texas. The breakaway state formed in 1836 after a brief clash with the Mexican army. Mexico itself had for the past decade been struggling to maintain control over its territory since the defeat of their Spanish overlords in Europe. After establishing its own government, the fledgling Texas was supported by the United States, who they would eventually seek to join. As Mexico never formally released the state, this annexation caused political tensions to skyrocket. As diplomacy failed, President James Polk ordered an army led by General Zachary Taylor to take position along the southern border, a sentiment mirrored by the Mexican Federal forces. After a brief skirmish between Mexican cavalry and an American patrol in 1846, the Mexican-American War began.
While the highly decentralized Mexican military managed to pull off a few surprise victories, the multi-directional assault of the United States proved insurmountable. The highly industrialized military complex of the American east coast provided advanced military technology, including the earliest armored land vehicles. The Mexicans were still using leftover supplies from their days as a Spanish colony, and a lack of strong military hierarchy prevented efforts to mobilize updated equipment. While much of the Mexican military was engaged in the north, an amphibious assault of the nation’s heartland was being proposed back in the states. A contingency commanded by General Winfield Scott landed at Veracruz in the spring of 1847, and quickly cut a swath across central Mexico, capturing the nation’s capital at Mexico City. Rather than simply holding the region, Scott continued to pursue the Mexican government as they fled further south. The northern assault led by Zachary Taylor additionally pushed south, breaking the defensive line, and completely pacifying the territory. By the winter of 1848, Mexico was completely under American occupation.
After decisively defeating a brief insurgency by former General and self-proclaimed President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the remnants of the Mexican Government agreed to an unconditional surrender. While opinions were initially divided on the fate of the occupied nation, the designs of the aptly named “All Mexico Movement” won out in the end. The entirety of Mexico was annexed, with Texas and California(including the Baja peninsula) being admitted as states in the immediate aftermath. The remainder of “Greater Mexico” was left as an army-occupied territory for the next decade, with its first military governor being Winfield Scott, the same general who took the capital city a year prior. The region would slowly be incorporated into the republic over the following decades, adding thirty new states to the Union. Governor-General Scott eventually ran for President in 1852, defeating the Democrat Franklin Pierce, and serving two terms.
Immigration and Global Conflicts
The 1860s were a period of growing tension between the United States of America and the great powers of Europe. Growing colonial interests in Africa resulted in an unprecedented refugee crisis in the U.S., with tens of thousands fleeing the continent each year. The new arrivals were distributed across the largely unpopulated interior, forming many New-African communities in the region. This situation was met with mixed opinions initially, however, the distance between America and Africa limited the call to action. Attitudes soured further as the U.S.’s old foe Great Britain threatened the region, and American interests abroad.
Following the absorption of the Spanish Empire in 1807, Britain sought to solidify control over its new possessions, including many colonies in Asia and the Americas. In the Caribbean, the British desired Cuba, a fledgling island nation born of the Spanish collapse. Since its reformation, it had the guarantee of American protection, as per the Monroe Doctrine. This stewardship provided a brief period of safety, yet British antagonism continued to grow slowly. Great Britain also held claims over the Philippines, another former Spanish colony. Their presence in the far Pacific was still stretched very thin, and the archipelago had no formal occupation. The arrival of the U.S. Pacific Air fleet, led by Commodore Matthew Perry, resulted in the incorporation of the Philippines in 1843 after the removal of Spanish remnants. This maneuver greatly irritated U.S.-Britain relations, however, the island empire was at the time too preoccupied with conflicts in Europe to enforce any claims.
The Anglo-American War
On July 27th, 1861 a British missive was delivered to the desk of President Sam Houston, demanding the return of all former Spanish lands not located on the North American continent. In exchange for their cooperation, the Union would be allowed to keep all territories claimed from the Mexican-American War. The request was quickly refused, with the formal response only including a half-page of military posturing. A week later The British Empire would declare war on the Cuban protectorate, simultaneously launching air raids against the American eastern seaboard. The American response was swift and brutal, as they quickly conquered the British forward base in the Bahamas, and deployed Perry’s fleet to defend the Philippines. Perry’s Holdout became a standout account of the conflict, as his numerically disadvantaged force defended against a British assault from India. After wiping out the initial invasion forces in each theater, the remainder of the war was a bloody island-hopping campaign led by General Ulysses S. Grant, as the United States attempted to remove the British from the Caribbean Sea.
The Anglo-American Island War lasted less than two years, yet the death toll numbered in the millions. America may have repelled the British forces, but this was largely due to their geographical advantage and closeness to the main theater. The reality was that the U.S. had a higher casualty rate, with the civilian count in the States alone numbering 1.5 million dead. Conversely, the British suffered half that in fatalities, but their entire long range fleet was crippled as a result. In the end, all Caribbean land claims and Pacific claims east of Vietnam were relinquished by the British, and Cuba was finally formally enrolled as part of the United States. Additionally, the ambitions of British expansion into South America were forever halted. Lastly, as their success greatly increased their popularity, the two great heroes of the conflict, Perry and Grant, would go on to serve as future Presidents of the great republic.
Following the conflict with Britain, the United States of America entered a brief period of relative peace, both as an effort to rebuild the regions bombarded in the war, and to pursue other forms of expansion. The Monroe Doctrine was now in its strongest effect, cementing American dominance over the twin continents, and making any European attempt at expansion an unprofitable scenario. This bubble of protection allowed minimal safety for new powers to grow in the South, a fact that would cause issues decades later. In the meantime, America would attempt to spread further by way of the stars.
The National Extraplanetary Administration
The National Extraplanetary Administration had been founded in 1860 as a scientific body studying possible aether travel and related technology. When it was founded it could not have been possible to imagine what they go on to accomplish. The Hidalgo Project happened by chance, due to the early theories of Dr. Edwin Aalmers. Using his theories, they constructed, in near complete secrecy, a gate that could break into the network of jump lanes underlying our universe. The United States was responsible for the discovery of these lanes, of the way to breach them, the first Jump Gate, and the first interstellar colony, Concord. These accomplishments propelled the United States into the position of Great Power, and firmly cemented it on the world stage.The colonization of Concord Minor did go smoothly however, with the Merchant Expedition encountering immense and immediate setbacks. Due to a false theory, the construction of the return gate from the Concord system had to be rushed. This caused the technology the gates were founded upon to be shared almost immediately with most other Great Powers. The gate technology being shared so quickly caused an immediate rush to construct more gates, and the course of history was forever and deeply altered.
The eyes of the nation fixed on Concord, and the success of the colony became paramount for the United States government. A slew of bills were quickly passed to offer incentives for prospective colonists. Immigration controls were loosened to allow for further growth, and by the end of the decade the colony boasted several million residents. In 1886 a major discovery was made that assured the colony's continuation. The atmosphere of Concord Major, the gas giant that the inhabited colony of Concord Minor orbited, contained large amounts of volatile organic compounds that allows it to be refined into an explosive liquid fuel. The discovery of this essentially unlimited fuel source led to another great wave of immigration as the scramble began to exploit it. Dubbed Caeleum, or "Oil of the Heavens" it quickly came to be the preferred fuel of most machinery, replacing coal or crude petroleum.
The Colombian-American War
While the United States continued to spread across the Concordian system, power was consolidated on the southern border back on the homeworld. The former colonies of South America were allowed to peacefully develop, creating two minor powers not incredibly behind that of Europe. In the east, the Empire of Brazil represented the last bastion of Portuguese culture, with its monarchy serving as a continuation of the old house of Braganza. The northwestern region of the continent was conversely united under the nation of Gran Colombia. The republic formed initially in the early 19th century, but due to infighting and a lack of colonial development the nation faced a long period of hardship. The saving grace of the nation was its founding father Simon Bolivar, who was able to see the country through much of its centralization. By Bolivar’s death in 1859, Colombia was a burgeoning representative democracy, which had largely done away with the dictatorial system of its foundation.
Gran Colombia had slowly incorporated areas formerly under Spanish control, annexing Costa Rica in 1847, Nicaragua in 1869, and controversially Honduras in 1883. This northern expansion caught the attention of the United States, especially in the 1890s, as then Colombian President Javier de Sucre proposed the annexation of Guatemala, an expansion that would remove the last buffer state between Colombia and America. Sucre had also sought British arbitration over the incorporation, a move that further soured opinions with the American public. The situation deteriorated rapidly following an attempted coup in Guatemala, orchestrated by the father and son duo William Walker Sr. and Jr. The elder Walker was a renowned filibuster in his youth and had often led small expeditions into Central America to destabilize the region. This venture proved to be a far more dangerous situation than what he had dealt with previously, as his armed insurrection prompted Gran Colombia to deploy a military peacekeeping operation. His small private army was quickly suppressed, and the Walkers were brought into Colombian custody on March 23rd, 1899. The Walkers remained incarcerated for seven months while many American congressmen and high-profile capitalists called for their release. In spite of the tense situation between the two nations, the Walkers’ execution was carried out on November 12th, 1899, to the cheering of the largely Guatemalan crowd. With the death of these two men, war between the United States and Gran Colombia was all but assured.
War was formally declared by the United States on March 3rd, 1900. The official justification was recourse for hostile acts against American citizens, however, the obvious ulterior motive was to cease Colombian expansion northward. In spite of decades of rapid technological catch-up, Gran Colombia was still technologically inferior to the U.S. Military and was fighting an obvious uphill battle. However, the war was a far greater struggle for the Americans than predicted. Due to the immense colonial efforts to support Concordia’s development, precious resources and manpower were being siphoned off to the stars, limiting military access. The American populace also greatly underestimated the military power of Gran Colombia, which resulted in low popular support for the conflict. These two issues worsened the problems that arose should the U.S. consider an invasion of South America. An amphibious landing would require an excess of resources and troops, at a time where these factors were already stretched thin. The geography of Colombia and its allied states in Central America also allowed them to have greater secrecy for troop movements and reduced the efficacy of invading forces.
The course of the war can be divided into two stages, with the first stage being largely fought for the client states of Gran Colombia located in Central America. Due to Mexico’s gradual industrialization, the U.S. military was able to quickly mobilize forces into Guatemala and its surrounding states. The Guatemalan government, still in the process of ceding control to Colombia, was captured by an American army detachment commanded by Colonel Hernando Deloera, an overly eager officer stationed previously in the Yucatan. Deloera was only able to capture the government after a period of harsh occupation in the nation’s capital, in which several hundred civilians were injured or killed. In the meantime, the American Army continued to quickly push Colombian forces deep into Panama, cutting off support to regional governments. By December of 1900, American forces reached the outskirts of Panama City, facing off with the bulk of Colombian forces at what is known as the battle of Bolivar Canal.
The battle at the canal lasted over a month, with neither side yielding. Ultimately Colombian forces abandoned much of Panama, though they managed to resist American incursions for another 13 months, and were only forced to retreat after an excessive use of naval bombardment by the U.S. The remainder of the war saw continuously diminishing returns as the Colombian defensive line heavily entrenched itself in what is known as the Darien Gap. With the only land route to Gran Colombia blocked, and the Colombian naval perimeter well fortified, the American Army was forced to maintain a blockade of the entire continent, while also competing for a 60-mile stretch of land for the next 2 years. In an effort to save face, and recoup the losses of a years-long invasion, the United States formally brokered peace with Colombia on March 7th, 1904. While the conflict is seen by many as a military upset between two unequal powers, the United States was permitted to hold all claimed territory from the Mexican border to Panama, with the Darien Gap serving as a new demilitarized zone.
Stellar Expansion and Labor Tensions
American policy at the turn of the century grew increasingly focused on domestic affairs, with all expansion efforts after the Colombian conflict instead occurring in the new colonies. Since 1883, the Concordian jump gate had been fully operational, allowing travel in both directions. Early settlements primarily focused on resource extraction, however, a series of migrations brought new communities to Concord. The discovery of oil and other valuable resources brought multiple waves of immigration in the 1900s, especially among veterans of the war. After initial settlement, proper communities were constructed to better support the fuel-towns scattered across the planet’s largest continent.
Expansion in the homeland also caused issues with the many First Nations of America, especially along the Great American Railway, which connected the Transcontinental Railroad at Cheyenne, Wyoming to the newly acquired territory of Panama. Protests broke out at multiple locations along the new construction, provoking a swift government response. On November 22nd, 1907 Congress passed the Tribal Reallocation Act, partitioning a continent on Concord amongst the First Nations, while simultaneously expelling their tribal governments from their historic homelands. While many tribal groups received a greater plot of land than they were previously granted in North America, the move was reviled as a forced exile of many great cultures and was dubbed the Second Trail of Tears by advocacy groups.
As raw resources poured in from the jump gate, American industry flourished. A vast majority of the American lower class worked in manufacturing, which was dominated by a handful of conglomerates. The working conditions were often brutal, with little safety precautions in these massive operations, and no compensation for the families of deceased laborers. The excess profits from these operations were often hoarded amongst the board members of the monopolistic extraction companies, allowing for the formation of an American pseudo-aristocracy. America was thriving, yet its constituents on the low end were suffering. The early 1910s saw widespread attempts to unionize the industrial sector, and many politicians sympathetic to the worker’s cause lobbied Congress for greater social programs. This movement was greatly influenced by the recent rise of the Russian Bolshevik movement, though the American iteration never saw the same level of unity or success. Labor movements were often snuffed out by harsh corporate crackdowns, and on occasion targeted attacks on union leaders.
The fight for better wages became more desperate in 1917, following a massive economic crash that crippled the world economy. In order to offset their losses on Wall Street, many business leaders laid off as much as half of their workforce, offsetting the drop in production with longer shift times and the implementation of prison labor. The outrage to this was swift, with many former workers taking to the streets in various protests and riots over the next few years. This further ionized public opinion, with much of the lower class calling for government intervention to improve labor wages and quality of life. This strong liberal push allowed for inclusion of the American Socialist Party in the 1920 presidential election primary, where their candidate Eugene V. Debs garnered 22% of the popular vote. While this showing did not win the election, the popularity of Debs only grew over the next few years.
The entire planet had been struggling over the past few years to meet food quotas, and the summer of 1920 struck the United States with widespread drought, contaminated yields from mismanaged industry, and overall crop failure. Thousands of lower-class households starved over the next few years, and many middle-class families that could afford passage to Concord fled to more bountiful pastures. The government continued its hands-off policy, insisting that the closure of smaller farms would allow for the industrial enterprises to intervene, as they could handle the stresses of short-term profit loss. Rather than help the problem, the government insisted on blaming the inadequacies of small businesses. This divide between the American aristocracy and its populace came to a head a year into the famine, with a widespread demonstration in front of the White House. Tens of thousands of hungry and homeless Americans gathered on July 4th to demand immediate social aid and greater corporate accountability. In response, President Warren G. Harding, at the behest of his many wealthy contributors, ordered the immediate dispersal of the protesters by way of military force. This move resulted in many civilian casualties, which were quickly circulated in the news as the “Independence Day Massacre”, sparking widespread riots in Washington D.C., and other major cities.
The Massacre destroyed the popularity of Harding and Vice-President Coolidge, who would succeed him following his death mid-term. In the 1924 election, the aging Eugene V. Debs was able to win a narrow victory as a third-party candidate, infuriating the many tycoons bankrolling the reelection of Coolidge. Almost immediately after the election, a plan was in motion to stage a coup against Debs, in order to prevent him from dismantling the corporate power structure. The conspirators mainly comprised corporate CEOs, industrial tycoons, and Wall Street icons, who used their wealth and contacts to organize a private army to seize the capitol. The FBI uncovered this plot and attempted to arrest many of the known culprits. Unfortunately, the bureau did not act quickly enough to stop the plot, and several skirmishes between the PMC and the National Guard broke out. The city streets around Capitol Hill were filled with gunshots, and the President-Elect’s home was lit ablaze in an attempted bombing. The Wall Street Coup was ultimately crushed, but many of its conspirators were never officially identified.
Debs survived his first term as President, however, his tenure was not an easy one. His presidency was marred by opposition in Congress, which still aligned with the traditional Democrat and Republican parties. He was able to provide limited relief efforts but was unable to pass any significant controls on corporate monopolies. This resulted in the nation accruing massive debts, as the lack of increased taxation on the high end meant the government had to take on the costs of his new social programs. In 1927, Debs was further distracted by military operations in Joseon-ruled China, as part of a joint task force with many of the world's great powers to pacify unrest in the south. The situation resulted in increased tensions between the many factions involved, as the resulting alterations to the map greatly favored the Anglo-Japanese Alliance.
Debs was able to win a second term, but his reduced popularity meant that compromises had to be made. He was forced to replace his former Vice-President Seymour Stedman with the urban democrat Al Smith, who was seen as a moderate draw to procure wider support. His second term saw many attempts to improve labor safety, but much of his legislation involving improved benefits and company responsibility was still shut down. Disaster struck in the autumn of 1929; President Debs was found one morning dead, having passed suddenly in his sleep. Many devout socialists suspected foul play, however, all formal investigations were quickly concluded by the new President Smith, and his death was ruled to be natural causes. Smith’s two years in office saw little momentum in the policies proposed by his predecessor, and the fact that he was a devout catholic often hampered his national support. He would not go on to be elected in 1932, with American politics swinging greatly in the opposite direction.
A Campaign smearing the ineffectiveness of Debs’ Administration gave rise to a new Republican President, the industry icon John D. Rockefeller Jr. Rockefeller promised to put American business back on top among the global superpowers, incentivizing innovation both in private and military technology. His company revolutionized the fuel ratios used in the many mechanized battle platforms employed by the American armed forces, allowing for larger machines to function without large, vulnerable fuel tanks. He also vehemently denounced the socialist movement of his predecessors, and harshly stamped out workers unions. In order to improve the crop situation in the American heartland, Rockefeller strengthened ties with France, who in response to the famines, retooled their economy to bolster crop yields. In exchange for grain supplies, France gained American oil, munitions, and goods, supplying the rapidly transforming French military.
Founding Date
July 4th, 1776
Type
Geopolitical, Republic
Government System
Democracy, Representative
Notable Members
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