Post by mcnutt on Apr 15, 2019 16:37:41 GMT
What if Lincoln wasn’t assassinated? The POD is simple In those days the Washington DC Police were responsible for Presidential security. The officer who assigned to protect President Lincoln that night was John Fredrick Parker. Parker had been reprimanded but somehow not fired for being drunk on duty and for sleeping in a street car instead of walking his beat. On April 14, 1865, his laziness had tragic consequences, He was supposed to sit in the chair by the door to the President’s box, instead he moved to a place where he could watch the play. During intermission, he went to a bar. There was no one to stop Booth from entering the President’s box. ITTL there is a competent officer there. He stops Booth. When Booth pulls out his knife. The competent officer quickly shoots Booth. There is an investigation that reveals Booth’s conspiracy. Edwin Booth’s career is not harmed. After Congress adjourns in April 1865, President Lincoln implements his ten percent plan in which the former Confederate states could organize new governments after a tenth of 1860 voters took an oath of allegiance. The new Southern state legislatures enacted Black Codes that made the Freedmen second class citizens. When the Republican dominated Congress came back in December 1865 they were very angry. President Lincoln works with Congress to protect the rights of Blacks.. He has also evolved on the vote. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 not only guaranteed citizenship and equal rights to African Americans but it ended racial restrictions to voting. So did the Fourteenth Amendment that was just like OTL, sent to the states for ratification in the Summer 1866 and is ratified in 1868. There is no OTL Fifteenth Amendment. ITTL there is one less amendment to the US Constitution. With Lincoln and Congress working together there is no OTL Reconstruction Acts of 1867, There is also no Tenure of Office Act. In 1868 Ulysses Grant is still elected President. He still brings his commitment to civil rights and his corrupt cronies, Andrew Johnson is not President. Because he is remembered fondly as the one Southern Senator who did not support the Confederacy and for his service as Military Governor of Tennessee. So his less obscure then most nineteenth century Vice Presidents. Because Johnson is not President, He is not impeached. One unknown is the seven Republican Senators who voted to acquit Johnson. OTL none of them were reelected. I don’t know what they do with their longer political careers, One of them is featured in Profiles in Courage. One result of this TL is Profiles in Courage is a shorter book.