Timeline (Union Resolved)

1861

 * John Bell of the Constitutional Union Party would be sworn in as the 16th President of the United States, Edward Everett of Massachusetts would also be sworn in as the 15th Vice President. Bell would call for "A Time of Healing" in his inaugural address.


 * Bell would begin to form his cabinet as former contendors to the Constitutional Union Party nomination William Graham and Samuel Houston would be given cabinet seats. Graham as Navy Secretary, Houston as War Secretary and Senator Anthony Kennedy of Maryland for the Interior position would all be the first choices for Bell's cabinet.


 * South Carolina would officially retract it's seccesion laws in place and Governor Francis W. Pickens would begrudgingly agree to this after meeting with President Bell.


 * Bell would soon face the slavery issue after getting into office as a debate over compromises would be occuring. Bell himself hadn't taken up a strong stance on slavery but had said he would make compromises to preserver the constitution and also to appease the whole entire nation.


 * The Jefferson Territory would be reorganized by President Bell signing into the Jefferson Territory Act of 1861 as law. Provisional Governor Robert Steele would call for all citizens to abide by US law. The Jefferson Territory(basically OTL Colorado Territory) would be cemented as a mineral rich area of the Rocky Mountains and soon many would talk about statehood.


 * The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 would be modified in the Slave Law of 1861 and would be more of a compromise to southerner and northerns. Some southerners would be angry at this but the Slave Law would pass through Congress and signed into law by President Bell.

1862

 * Debate in Congress begins as President Bell brings up an constitutional amendment that would be a slow abolition of slavery over a appointed period of time. Some Southerners would be angry as some said that it could work but needed to be more defined. The debate would last for about a year in Congress.


 * The House Elections of 1862 would bring in numerous Constitutional Union candidates in the south and a handful in the midwest and a few in more northern states. Democrats would also gain seats as Republicans would loose seats and enough to let a Constitutional Union/Democratic coalition take over the House and put in a new Speaker of the House.

1863

 * The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution is officially ratified, making a slow and gradual abolition of slavery over about two decades. With this, President Bell would have much support from the American people, though some southerners were angry at Bell, it now seemed that the slavery issue was finally being resolved.

1864

 * After long talks, both President Bell and Vice President Everett decide to run in the upcoming 1864 Presidential Election.


 * Kansas is officially admitted as the 34th State of the United States.


 * The Republican Party begins it's decline after it's major plank, the abolition of slavery, is nothing now that the 13th Amendment is in place. The Republicans nominate former 1860 VP candidate Hannibal Hamlin and Representative Schuyler Colfax as their VP candidate.


 * The Democrats would hold together and wouldn't mirror the 1860 Nomination as few candidates would run for the Democratic nomination and the drafting movement for former Treasury Secretary James Guthrie won out against other smaller candidates. Guthrie became one of the oldest nominated candidates at 72 years old.


 * The Election was a mediocre one as the Republicans would try and take back support in midwestern states but would fail ultimatly. The Democrats weren't a jovial bunch as much of the south went to vote for in a suprise, John Bell for President again and John Bell would win reelection as voter turnout was lower than other election years.


 * In House Elections, the Constitutional Union/Unionists would take even more seats and would gain the speaker of the house for the time being after the two year rule of Democrats in the House. Robert Mallory would be chosen as the new Speaker of the House.

1865

 * John Bell is sworn in for his second term of office, at 68 years old he would be one of the oldest Presidents to serve for a second term. In his second inaugural address, Bell would state the growth of the nation and state the hopeful future for America.


 * Shortly into Bell's second term of office, Vice President Edward Everett would die suddenly after a visit to Boston, Massachusetts. President Bell would say that "a gracious and knowledgable man has left the earthly realms today and will be missed". Bell and several cabinet members, along with members of Congress would attend the funeral of Edward Everett.