Harrison Recovers From Illness

Author says: what if the ninth President had not died after serving just one month of his term? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).

US President William Henry Harrison got over a small cold he had contracted on his inaugural day.

Although he had intended to show his stamina by remaining outdoors as much as possible, the bitter cold of the day had forced him to rethink that decision, otherwise the cold he caught might have been much worse.

Another of his decisions that might have deserved a rethink was the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo.

Welcomed at the time as a skillfully negotiated settlement that avoided unnecessary conflict with Mexico, in some quarters the Treaty sparked fierce criticism that the guarantee of Texas as an independent state would create an obstacle to westward expansion.

To the dismay of Harrison, the frustrated supporters of a coast-to-coast vision were soon proven correct. Because the discovery of Gold in California ensured that for decades to come Mexico would retain a strategic long-term interest in the south-western region. And as the Mexicans had intended, Texas would serve as a buffer state with the US.

Author says this article is an expanded version of an original post by Robbie Taylor also explored in Robert Cowley's compendium of What Ifs?. To view guest historian's comments on this post please visit the Today in Alternate History web site.

Imagine what would be, if history had occurred a bit differently. Who says it didn't, somewhere? These fictional news items explore that possibility. Possibilities such as America becoming a Marxist superpower, aliens influencing human history in the 18th century and Teddy Roosevelt winning his 3rd term as president abound in this interesting fictional blog.