What if....Aaron Burr had succeeded in establishing his own personal empire? The idea being germinated in 1799 when he became aware of a charter establishing the Russian-American company over on the pacific coast which was responsible for exploring and claiming land grants in the name of Russia. At the same time he had established his Manhattan Company. The charter for the Manhattan Company includes a clause which could be interpreted as a permit for the company to invest excess funds in banking. Claiming that the Russian-American company was a venture by Americans alone Burr obtained government protection from invasion of unfriendly forces. This gave Burr virtual control of the Russian-American company. He placed his friend James Wilkinson in control of security and with that sent Wilkinson west during the years 1805-1813 where Wilkinson and company came upon a river some 60 miles from what is now San Francisco naming it the Russian. A fort was built and gold was found which went a long way in helping a new country. Wilkinson returned and while the United States fought Great Britain helped Burr in the taking of Tennessee and Kentucky naming the new country Burrkent. In 1815 two weeks after the signing of the treaty of Ghent between the U.S. and Great Britain Andrew Jackson rode into New Orleans after battling the british and was stunned at Wilkinson's presence who claimed New Orleans and all of Louisiana as a part of Burrkent. Jackson bowed to Wilkinson and returned to Washington to be scandalized by the situation for having not put up a fight but had instead relented. This was repeated in his seizure of Florida where Wilkinson's presence made him walk away while Florida too became a part of Burrkent. In 1822 Burr destroyed efforts of the society for colonizing the free people of color in their attempts of sending africans back to africa. Thus slavery was continued in Burrkent on into the 20th Century. In the same year Stephen Austin officially established the first American colony in Texas after receiving permission from the Mexican government. This angered Burr. Later, after Santa Ana was defeated by Sam Houston, Houston wrestled with Wilkinson and lost. Wilkinson moved quickly and in one swipe he took Texas and Mexico sweeping southward in one bold move. Aaron Burr died in 1845 and Wilkinson himself was enfeebled but led the country for two years before dying himself. There now existed a power vacuum in Burrkent which by now included Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, The Louisiana area, Texas, Mexico, California and Russian America by lease. Brigham Young, a mormon from Illinois seeking religious freedom rode into power in 1847. In 1854 a document sent to U.S. Secretary of State William Marcy from James Buchanan, the Ambassador to Russia in Ostend, was intercepted by spies of Brigham Young in which he learns Buchanan urging a military seizure of Cuba if Spain did not sell the island. Brigham saw an opportunity in expanding Burrkent's borders and proceeded to negotiate privately with Spain, and came to an early settlement by allowing Secretary of State Marcy to receive the message but that when the American Army moved against Spain, Cuba was to have already been sold. When Spain learned that it had been had when the Americans did not move and so announced of its deal with Brigham Young. The United States was stunned at the revelation. President Pierce and Secretary of State Marcy were forced out of office. It took a lot longer in Burrkent but Brigham Young too suffered as he was ousted in 1860. Hannibal Hamlin came into power as the most ruthless leader since Burr. The civil war in the U.S. posed no real threat to Hannibal despite some texan sympathy towards the confederates. But when it was over confederate migrants' presence in Texas soon led to a power struggle between confederate supporters and those opposed to them. It was a groundswell as the anti-confederate texans were riding on a high and soon declared their independence, becoming a republic. This divided Burrkent into two parts. There developed a rift between the two and as time went by so did their differences sharpen. Hannibal was doing his damndest to keep the country unified. The leader of the new republic of Texas was Maximillian, the Vienna born catholic archduke of the hapsburg dynasty who had high aims of extending Napoleon the 3rd's french empire in the new world. In 1870 when the Franco-Prussian war broke out Maximillian was thrust between the two and it did not help any when he did not take sides. Napoleon the 3rd and his empire crumbled in Europe while Maximillian outlasted Napoleon for another eleven years. The next year when the Chicago fire broke out so did a groundswell against the aging Hannibal. Hannibal died 10 years later leading a still split country. Schuyler Colfax became the fifth ruler of Burrkent. All five having been born and raised in the United States before seeking a different avenue in life. Schuyler died in 1885 having ruled for only four years while a country cooled down leaving a stable period in the country's history. William Almon Wheeler came too from the U.S. seeking a different avenue in life and becoming the country's sixth ruler. The last of the U.S. born rulers. Wheeler died in 1891. At the age of 61 Porfirio Diaz , a native Mexican became the seventh ruler of Burrkent. For the next 35 years Diaz suppresed revolutionaries, bandits, and legitimate dissenters without discrimination. Ardently wooing foreign investors, Diaz pumped outside capital into public improvements , factories, and railroads. All this did not come without cost, however. While the "Diaz System" played well to the military , the large landowners, and the church, it neglected the needs of the slaves and indians. When the execution of Maximillian occured in 1881 other leaders who also died in the same year were President Garfield of the U.S., and Tsar Alexander the 2nd of Russia who was also assasinated. After Maximillian's execution in 1881 Texans began electing their leaders. In 1926 when Porfirio died at the age of 96 his son Enrici Diaz became the eighth ruler of Burrkent. Porfirio had ruled for 35 years and did more good for the country than the others combined. The country was still split in two with Texas in between. They were two separate entities that Enrici inherited from his father. Enrici had some sympathy towards the slaves and indians giving them support by helping them eat better and live more comfortably. Porfirio had kept Burrkent out of the great war that was fought in Europe in 1918. Since the founding of Burrkent the United States still did not recognize Burrkent diplomatically. And because of an unbroken international law could not deny protection of Burrkent. The United States was now comprised of the Eastern Seaboard, The Southeast, Midwest and what was once Canada. Alaska was still in Russian hands though , the Russian-American company was not, and virtually controlled by Burrkent who had the right to rule Alaska but since 1867 the Russians moved in militarily preventing a possible takeover. Hannibal Hamlin, at the time though , did not want anything to do with the United States despite the fact that he could have asked for help in moving the Russians out but did nothing about it, even realizing he could have taken on the Russians because Burrkent was militarily strong and with his leadership would have provided a spinal strength to the country. The Manhattan Company had become a bank over the years merging with other banks in and around New York City until by 1955 it was known as the Chase Manhattan which was the world's largest bank. The Chase Manhattan was still controlled indirectly by whomever the ruler of Burrkent was. Burrkent was indeed a wealthy country as time went by having a natural storehouse of minerals in the rocky mountain area and the resources to exploit and this is where Wilkinson, Inc. the world's largest corporation came in which was named after James Wilkinson. The only competition was from the U.S. before 1917 the U.S. And Russia were allies because of Burrkent's existence. But then in 1917 a revolution occured in Russia leaving the U.S. alone and with an unfriendly new ruler of what has become known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Burrkent was aware of this and took advantage at every opportunity that popped up. Enrici especially hated the U.S.. Burrkent was drawn into Wold War 2 when Japan attacked the west coast after its Pearl Harbor attack. Burrkent fought along with the U.S. against Japan. After World War 2 The Communists in the Soviet Union took Alaska for permanent keeping. Enrici was looked upon as a traitor for having fought with the U.S. Against Japan. And in 1949 was ousted. A fellow named Che Guevara came into power and although he was a supporter of Communism he held the respect of a long needed for ruler. In 1962 a band of cuban exiles along with U.S. troops landed in Cuba in an attempted takeover of the island. It became known as the Bay of Pigs Fiasco. This led to Che Guevara's downfall in 1968. For the first time the people of Burrkent despite what seemed to be two countries were concerned for a new leader. These two groups of people, those east of Texas were more friendly towards the U.S. despite a sense of wariness. And those west of Texas were of a loose knit type of people. A mixture of Slaves, Indians, Mexicans and Americans. Elections were considered. Previous leaders held onto a title-less position ruling both parts with equal standing of the other. It was even considered that the president and chief executive officer of either the Chase Manhattan or Wilkinson, Inc. would be the leader despite the fact that the one was in fact a property of the whole country by being owned by whomever the ruler was. A private non-profit corporation was organized to look into the matter and after a five month long series of discussions came to the conclusion that Wilkinson, Inc. be the ruling power of Western Burrkent and Chase Manhattan, despite its location in the U.S., be the ruling power of Eastern Burrkent. Cuba was to be granted independence. Everything seemed to work out until the President of Texas said that no company should be the government of a nation and he went so far as to say, he was by right the ruler of Burrkent. It was an obvious play for power but both companies realized the logic and so Texas and Burrkent merged with one elected leader. Burrkent was still the name of the merged nation. A new capital was considered because there had been no permanent capital since 1813. From 1813 to 1847 the capital had been at Boonesboro. From 1847 to 1883 the capital was at St. Louis. 1883 to 1912 the capital was at New Orleans. 1912-1953 the capital was at Albuquerque. 1953-1958 the capital was at Olympia. 1958-1966 the capital was at Bakersfield. 1966-1967 the capital was at Salt Lake City. 1968 the capital was located at Cuernavaca. After it was settled about the politics a search for a capital started. After a period of time it was settled it should lie in Texas since it held a geographical pivot in the country. An idea for a new city came into being. It was to be named Aaron City after the founder of the country. The first elected president to the republic of Burrkent was Gustavo Diaz Ordavo. A constitution was written with the parongial system in mind, not a presidential or parliamentary system like most other republics adopt. The term set for the Secretary General was for six years. Ordavo did not seek a second term in 1974. During his administration he managed to get the Soviets out of Alaska. With this in his pocket Ordavo recognized Communist China. This angered the Soviet Union but Burrkent by international law could be protected by the other superpower, the United States. Native Alaskans for the first time felt relieved after Communist rule and were ready to take on the responsibility of self-rule. What had been California, Texas, Mexico were also autonomous in the parongial system of government. Burrkent was now made up of Alaska, Columbia, Yukon, Oregon, California, Arizona, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana, Colorado, and Mexico regional governments. In 1974 Almanzo Wheeler Diaz, a descendant of both Wheeler and Diaz families was elected Secretary General. Slavery was still a problem for most of the population because the wealthy had such influence in the government and it was during the term of Almanzo W. Diaz when slavery was finally buried. Indians had been no problem since they no longer resisted White man since the 1890s. Most of them lived in Arizona and Mexico. They got along well with Mexicans.
The Following Secretaries General and their terms of office are; 1968-1974; Gustavo Diaz Ordavo. 1974-1980 Almanzo Wheeler Diaz. 1980-1986; Dennis Diaz. 1986-1992; Edythe Blythe Diaz. 1992-1996; Wliiam Jefferson Blythe. 1996-2002; Sanford Dole. Since 1968 until an Earthquake destroyed Aaron City in 1985 was the capital of Burrkent. From 1985-1986 Seattle was the capital. From 1986 to 1992 Washington-on-the-Brazos was the capital until it was destroyed by Flood. From 1992 to 1994 the capital was Cuernavaca until it was destroyed by a meteor. Finally a permanent Capital of Burrkent was settled at Wichita in 1994.
WOW, that was some good reading th:
You have a great imagination!! th: th:
Interesting read, tonym5, for sure.
Alternate history stories always intrigue me with their "What if?" factor.
I wrote Burrkent over 20 years ago recalling an assignment in high school where we had to write a "what if" story that I wrote about what if Jesus had lived a normal life. Crazy idea, eh? yike: So sometime in the mid eighties I wrote this to make up for such a crazy notion about jesus living a normal life.