| January 6 |  |
Editor says, what if the Andover train disaster had killed Franklin Pierce? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the February 2012 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.
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In 1853, on this day the President-elect of the United States Franklin Pierce (pictured) and his family were crushed to death when the train car that they had boarded in Boston was derailed and then rolled down an embankment near Andover, Massachusetts.
Tragic Death of Franklin PierceIn his place, William Rufus King was sworn in as President on March 4th. Problem was, King was dying of tuberculosis and succumbed to the disease just six weeks later, so that the presidency fell to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, David Rice Atchison.
Just four years before, he had served as President for a single day. Because on Saturday, March 3, 1849, outgoing President James Polk's term had expired, but incoming President Zachary Taylor refused to be sworn in on the Sabbath and put the ceremony off until Monday, March 5 -- which meant nobody was President on Sunday, at least officially.
He did not undertake any presidential duties, but claimed to have taken a nap whilst serving as 12th president of the United States. But unlike that temporary ceremonial fill-in function, the succession after the deaths of Pierce and King was fundamentally differently. Because Atchison was a pro-slavery expansionist who was brought to power at a pivotal moment in the nation's history.
Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
© Alternate Historian, 2004-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Movies Source: Wikipedia Labels: Franklin Pierce, William Rufus King, David Rice Atchison, Premature death, Presidency. Editor says, in reality Wikipedia reports ~ on January 6, 1853, the President-elect's family had boarded a train in Boston, and were trapped in their derailed car when it rolled down an embankment near Andover, Massachusetts. Pierce and his wife survived, merely shaken up, but saw their 11-year-old son Benjamin crushed to death. Jane Pierce viewed the train accident as a divine punishment for her husband's pursuit and acceptance of high office.
Huffington Post concludes ~ King was dying of tuberculosis when he was sworn in as Vice President. If Pierce had succumbed, and King shortly thereafter, then the presidency would have fallen to David Rice Atchison, President Pro Tempore of the Senate. The succession law was different from 1792-1886. Also, the president didn't appoint a new VP to fill out a term until much later. Atchison is famous for the myth of having been "resident for a day" in 1849. He was pro-slavery expansionist and may have looked south in expanding the country. King is notable for being best friend, and possible lover, of bachelor president James Buchanan.
~ Wow. Just in time for "bleeding Kansas" we get a fervently pro-slavery president. The era's conspiracy theorists would have had a field day.
~ Well, the civil war starts four years earlier. Buchanan was a pro-slavery president.
~ The abolitionists go absolutely nuts, and people like John Brown get a lot more freedom of action from them.
~ Despite what some others have said I don't believe the Civil War could start that much earlier, people were irritable but not incensed and the territories gained from Mexico during the recent war were just starting to attract settlers. With an Atchison Presidency you might see swarms of pro slaver settlers arriving in New Mexico and Arizona to nail down the territory for the South. Getting more balance in the Senate was a top priority for the pro-slavery movement of the time. As for the abolitionists, many if not most of them were horrified by John Brown and his methods and the courts were firmly against those methods. It takes more than a few rabble rousers to get things going towards war, it takes years and many incidents.
~ If Atchison is as overt about pro-slavery rather than Buchanan's somewhat passivity, maybe John Brown would go after him, being the earlier John Wilkes Booth.
© Today in Alternate History, 2013-. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
