Guest Post: Alligator for Thanksgiving

This post first appeared on Today in Alternate History with input from Allen W. McDonnell.

Given that the Conflict of 1812 was considered the second war of independence, it was entirely logical that General Andrew Jackson's glorious victory at New Orleans should be marked as a National Celebration Day paired with the Fourth of July in the American calendar.

Following the abdication of Napoleon, British Prime Minister Lord Liverpool wanted the Duke of Wellington to go to command in Canada with the assignment of winning the war. But the truth was that the Royal Navy no longer needed to stop American shipments to France or more sailors; all parties were exhausted and willing to negotiate peace.

Before New Orleans, some hawkish British elements wanted to occupy the Louisiana Purchase, and it was for this reason that Major General Sir Edward Pakenham launched his ill-fated attack. The calamitous British defeat at New Orleans arrived in only thirty minutes of the poorly executed assault. Like Yorktown before, the defeat did not have to mean the end of the war, but it did require a complete reset and on both occasions, the national will to continue was not there. This result dissuaded Lord Liverpool et. al from ripping up the Treaty of Ghent that had been signed but needed to be ratified by both governments.

Following the victory, Jackson was treated to fried alligator, a local dish, and to his surprise discovered that he really liked it. From then on, he made sure his cook prepared him alligator for celebratory meals. Jackson was celebrated as an iconic hero and was elected president on his second attempt in 1828. But tragically, he was assassinated by Robert B. Randolph in the first year of his second term of office. Given the causes of the War of 1812, there was a grim irony that Jackson had ordered Randolph's dismissal from the navy for embezzlement.

Out of this tragedy, his successor Martin van Buren would mark November 9th as a day of national celebration, moving Thanksgiving forward several weeks and making alligator the Thanksgiving dish. Jackson would also be included in the presidential faces on Mount Rushmore, but arguably, the Seminole and Cherokee had the most to celebrate. They won a famous legal victory at the Supreme Court level to avoid being moved which Jackson would have likely ignored in violation of his oath of office.

Author's Note:

In reality, we have adjusted the timings to re-emphasize the significance of the American victory with an earlier Battle of New Orleans. Randolph only hit Jackson with his hand, making him the first president to be subjected to physical assault. There would later be an attempt on Jackson's life in 1835.

Provine's Addendum:

President Van Buren was a masterful builder of national myth, continuing the legend of Andrew Jackson into his reelection in 1832 and again in 1836, becoming the first president to serve longer than the eight-year norm established by George Washington. He did not follow through on all of Jackson's ideas, such as his unwillingness to enforce the Indian Removal Acts in the face of the Supreme Court decision opposing US Federal jurisdiction over tribes in 1832 in fear of losing ground to Whig Henry Clay. Van Buren was blamed for later struggles with encroachment, especially as agriculture pushed into Seminole lands in Florida for quick cash on harvesting alligators. Later legal appeals would strengthen tribal authority against encroachment while maintaining federal authority. The question of supremacy in states' rights and federal rule would ultimately be decided in a civil war with a Union victory that maintained tribal rights. This would have long-lasting legal implications, such as the successful defense by the Great Sioux Reservation to defend the Black Hills from incursion by gold prospectors.