| June 16 |  |
Editor says, what if Madison and Gerry had both succumbed to their serious health problems in the summber of 1813? 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 June 2010 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.
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In 1813, on this day Elbridge Gerry suffered a fatal stroke caused by the shock of James Madison succumbing to malaria and in the absence of a President Pro Tempore of the Senate thirty-six year old Speaker of the House Henry Clay (pictured) entered the Oval Office.
Henry Clay
Fifth US President, 1813-Elected at the height of his powers, Clay was seen as a "hawk" due to his increasingly outspoken criticisms of the conduct of the war with Great Britain. Having dismissed Madison as "wholly unfit for the storms of War" he was now presented with the challenge of having his own leadership abilities put to the harshest of tests.
Over-confident but time-boxed by the outcome of the Congressional debate on the mandatory election clause, Clay was forced to take the boldest of short-term decisions. The Acting President ordered Andrew Jackson to march north and take Niagara..
Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
© Alternate Historian, 2004-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: War Source: Wikipedia Labels: James Madison, Henry Clay, Elbridge Gerry, Presidency, America. Editor says, in the posts on the Global News Bulletin this intriguing scenario is played out with multiple variants.
~ Don't know enough about Clay to comment very well, but sending Old Hickory north might not have been the best idea in the world. The British had not recognized the Louisiana Purchase, and if they'd taken NOLA, might have either keptit for themselves or given it back to the Spanish.
~ Eric, I see your point but you have to remember the British were already in force in Canada at the time, while in OTL they didn't get to New Orleans until 1815. If you want to take Canada, it makes sense that the USA's first move would be an invasion at Niagara. Occupy and hold Niagara (in 1812) and you cut off everything west in Canada, plus you secure four of the five Great Lakes.
~ In addition to Jackson, he'd better send O.H. Perry along as well to build a fleet to secure that fifth lake (I'm assuming that you mean Ontario) against any and all British fleets sent to regain territory....
I would like to see a Battle of the Thousand Islands, myself.
~ At least Clay won't let Washington be sacked without a fight!
~ If we saw a Clay Doctrine in place of a Monroe Doctrine, there would be even more imperialism seen across North America. Perhaps too much, setting up for an eventual downfall.
~ If Jackson were more successful in his Canada expedition than those that preceded him during this war, then perhaps Lord Wellington would have been sent to North America in 1814 at the head of his victorious Peninsula army. And so at Waterloo, some other general...
© Today in Alternate History, 2013-. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
