Zebulon Pike

1799-1799: Second Lieutenant in the Army of the United States

1799-1806: First Lieutenant in the Army of the United States

1806-1808: Captain in the Army of the United States

-is ordered to launch expedition in Spanish Luisiana to explore it

-which is dangerous since Lewis and Clark expedition mysteriously disappeared previously

-comes to an end when he is captured by Spanish troops

-he pretty brazenly pretends to be lost - "Is this not the Mississippi River?"

-Spanish aren't convinced and many of them fear he's part of the Burr Expedition (which he's never heard of) but it does save his life

-results in him captured and, after period in custody, released to the US through New Orleans

-but this makes him into an American icon

1808-1809: Major General in the Army of the United States

1809-1814: Lieutenant Colonel in the Army of the United States

1814-1825: Colonel in the Army of the United States

1825-1827: Brigadier-General of the Army of the United States

-with US's Wars > Luisiana War (1825-8) he is promoted

-leads successful campaigns

-and even takes New Orleans which makes him national war hero

1827-1837: Major-General of the Army of the United States

-in this era recurrent calls for him to run for president

-he refuses them in 1828 because views Henry Clay as unbeatable

-and 1832 confuses the shit out of him

-but eventually refusal of Clay to make him a territorial governor or otherwise satisfy his ambitions

-means he is finally attracted to run for the presidency

-and American Personalities > Martin Van Buren is able to attract him to that position

1837-1845: President of the United States

1837-1845: Zebulon Pike (Old Republican, then People's)

1836: (with Peter V. Daniel) def. Louis McLane/Francis Granger (National Republican), John Quincy Adams/John W. Taylor (Anti-Missouri), George Troup/Abel P. Upshur (Nullifier)

1840: (with Peter V. Daniel) def. William Henry Harrison/John M. Clayton (Unionist), William Leggett/Thomas Morris (Equal Rights)

-(note: pike is kentuckian)

-party formed out of fractured opposition, in no small part thanks to martin van buren's skills

-nominated first by various states rights associations, then tennessee, then various other southern states

-only afterwards does new york legislature provide endorsement

-he deliberately pushes slave-sided ticket to make it seem like ticket of south

-pike keeps lips silent, as per tradition, gives him a broad appeal, and he wins

Pike Cabinet

Vice President

-1837-1845: Peter V. Daniel ^[1] Nominated by the Old Republican caucus in 1836 and wins votes of (most) Pike electors. Is an extreme proslavery zealot who refuses to even step foot onto free stater soil and there's a failed attempt to depose him in the 1832 election

Secretary of State

-1837-1845: Martin Van Buren ^[2] Is the chief organizer of the pro-Pike party movement and is a really effective Secretary of State. Successfully unifies northern and southern interests behind a moderately proslavery agenda. Is a leading party organizer, obtains the respect of the South, and attempts to succeed Pike.

Secretary of Domestic Affairs

-1837-1845: Levi Woodbury ^[3] Leads the implementation of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1837. Gets excoriated in much of the North for his attempts to pack juries in fugitive slave cases, as well as his attempts to enforce this law as far as New England.

Secretary of the Treasury

-1837-1845: Langdon Cheves ^[4] Oversees general cut-down of spending money on internal improvements. This process accelerates with the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), and even more with the diminishment of the tariff in 1841. With the Recessions > Panic of 1842, he refuses to take any action whatsoever on the issue.

Secretary of War

-1837-1840: Hugh L. White ^[5] Oversees a general expansion of the army and navy following bad American performance in the US's Wars > Luisiana War (1825-8), albeit now directed mostly southwards to protect the South from "abolitionists" from abroad. With the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), has a pretty ready military for the new war effort. Dies in 1840.

-1840-1845: Joel R. Poinsett ^[6] A gung-ho and nationalistic Southerner. Appointed to lead the US war effort in the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42) to general success.

Attorney General

-1837-1843: Felix Grundy (died) ^[7]

-1840-1845: David Henshaw ^[8]

Secretary of the Navy

-1837-1843: John Branch ^[9] Leads effort to revamp and expand the US Navy, with southern interests intent on expanding it to protect their plantations from "abolitionist" foreign powers. With the rise of the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), largely credited at the time for the generally effective US war effort.

-1843-1845: Robert F. Stockton ^[10]

Postmaster General

-1837-1845: Benjamin F. Butler ^[11] (link )) Van Buren ally, appointed for him to take full advantage of important post patronage.

Nominated by the Old Republican caucus in 1836 and wins votes of (most) Pike electors. Is an extreme proslavery zealot who refuses to even step foot onto free stater soil and there's a failed attempt to depose him in the 1832 election ⮐
Is the chief organizer of the pro-Pike party movement and is a really effective Secretary of State. Successfully unifies northern and southern interests behind a moderately proslavery agenda. Is a leading party organizer, obtains the respect of the South, and attempts to succeed Pike. ⮐
Leads the implementation of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1837. Gets excoriated in much of the North for his attempts to pack juries in fugitive slave cases, as well as his attempts to enforce this law as far as New England. ⮐
Oversees general cut-down of spending money on internal improvements. This process accelerates with the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), and even more with the diminishment of the tariff in 1841. With the Recessions > Panic of 1842, he refuses to take any action whatsoever on the issue. ⮐
Oversees a general expansion of the army and navy following bad American performance in the US's Wars > Luisiana War (1825-8), albeit now directed mostly southwards to protect the South from "abolitionists" from abroad. With the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), has a pretty ready military for the new war effort. Dies in 1840. ⮐
A gung-ho and nationalistic Southerner. Appointed to lead the US war effort in the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42) to general success. ⮐
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⮐
Leads effort to revamp and expand the US Navy, with southern interests intent on expanding it to protect their plantations from "abolitionist" foreign powers. With the rise of the US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), largely credited at the time for the generally effective US war effort. ⮐
⮐
(link )) Van Buren ally, appointed for him to take full advantage of important post patronage. ⮐

-after kentucky brings forward date for election of representative (in otl it was pretty late), henry clay returns to congressional politics

-clay advises pike on calling early session of congress in may

-secures after 3 ballots the election of john m clayton as speaker with the assent of the lower north, upper south, and enough supporters elsewhere

-presents resolution from missouri convention banning further importation of slaves (which he convinced them to make)

-notes that slavery was already introduced by spanish, so it would be violation of norms to abolish slavery from above

-and argues it's among privileges of treaty of washington assuring continued privileges

-successfully secures missouri compromise

-missouri gets made a state in conformance with its own prev resolution, in return for slavery in arkansaw being assured, passage of new stronger fugitive slave law, and indian removal

-fsa of 1837 includes provisions allowing for jury trials in contrast to otl

-but it's really weird jury which gives commissioners, appointed across the north, wide latitude to select jurors without state supervision

-also jurors given special bribe of one dollar if they rule the accused a slave

-and this is deemed a civil, not a criminal, trial - which means res judicata, not double jeopardy applies

-and if jury gives hung verdict, considered a mistrial

-immediately fugitive slave cases see jury nullify ppl known to be slaves

-high-profile jury nullification in Boston commences, causing widespread disgruntlement

-over one case, commissioners try to arrange for a jury that will return guilty verdict

-results in state issuing law declaring this a mistrial, this is ignored, and slave is freed by mob which through vigilant committees shuffles slave to north

-results in it blowing up in the govt's faces, lets opposition unify in the name of the jury

-however, in "Lower North", slave cases generally rule accused being a slave

-spans from lower parts of Middle West, to New Jersey, to New York

-culminates in missouri convening new constitutional convention, legalizing importation of additional slaves

-as retaliation against northern jury nullification

-Indian removal goes under a truly federal process

-all but small branch of cherokee cross border into spanish texas, considering Great American Desert uninhabitable

-joining their tribesmen that already settled there

-Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek follow and prefer going to Texas too

-in part because they consider their allotted land bad for settlement

-and in part due to Cherokee refugees within their domains looking there

-Seminole refuse to move west

-Pike's attempts to force them leads to US's Wars > Second Seminole War (1839-51)

-tries to reform bank of United States, but fails to get it past congressional opposition, puts it aside for a while

-lets tariff decrease despite monetary issues

-when French Republic refuses to repay money for raids of goods during wars which it had previously accepted, sees tensions

-then after france forcibly stops american ships trading slaves from portuguese mozambique to portuguese brazil, tensions increase

-this having been done because after 1820s war, france forces portugal to give it right to stop ships

-american ships used to loop around it, proactive french captains seize them anyways

-despite this being illegal under american law, clay nor pike enforce it too much

-in 1839, this results in naval war, US's Wars > Second Quasi War (1839-42), with support from both parties despite some opposition

-unionists nominate william henry harrison as compromise option, for "peace with honor"

-in 1840 liberia's fear of becoming raided by french results in sheriff, council results in it deciding to join british east africa

-doesn't include maryland in africa on edge, where virginia and delaware form their own colonies which eventually agglomerate

-despite him being well-respected and holding campaign with some effectiveness, pike's popularity wins the day decisively

-war brought to end in 1842 with agreement where us agrees to enforce slave trading ban more, but also restricts french ability to seize ships

-results in blooming slave trade from american south to portuguese brazil, technically not against treaty

-recession occurs due to cotton glut (helped by improved canal transportation), bad relations of govt with bank of united states worsen things

-investments in internal improvements depress price of cotton, resulting in a cascade effect

-bank overstretched due to existing loans used to fight against collapse of bank of england, can't do much more

-pike allows public lands to be purchased with ordinary non-certified bank money, fuels credit bubble which pops

-a number of states default on debts in this era

-including biggest of all Georgia and South Carolina, and Pennsylvania and New York come pretty close (but avoid it)

-causing brewing crisis

-which results in Barings and other British banks going after

-bank takes a great deal of land in the west from people who used it as collateral for loans

-resulting in resentment across the west

-auctions it off, common people left out in favor of corporations and the wealthy

-bank also takes control over slaves, used as collateral in south

-fights to constitute new board and overthrow existing one, but effort fails and pike gets backlash for challenging their efforts against downturn

-attempt at measure to sell govt stock in bank fails, as unionist congress declares it would result in him selling stock to his cronies

-causes a backlash against him despite reputation as great hero of discovery and war, on campaign trail unionists often deemphasize his personality

-low tariff results in crisis, also makes pike utterly unable to finance infrastructure projects

-leaves office in dust, but remains a very well respected man

-leaves presidency under a cloud of failure

-but still has a fairly impressive amount of popularity for his pre-presidential achievements

-retires to Kentucky with his family

-where he raised most of his family

-dies in 1849

-legacy is that he is remembered more for his pre-presidential achievements than his presidential ones

-but his presidency has somewhat tainted his reputation

-as he is remembered as an agent of the slave power in part

-also he's remembered as the great hero of the People's Party and that party being the losing force of the Liberty and Union War (1868-76) means that he has that cloud about him