Capítulo 169: Biography of President Peters and the 1828 Elections
Information Sheet:
Eliyah Peters
7th President of the United States of America
(In office from February 10th, 1829 to February 10th, 1837)
[Political Affiliation: Republican]
United States Senator from Georgia
(In office from February 3rd, 1823 to June 11th, 1828)]
[Political Affiliation: Republican]
22nd Governor of Georgia
(In office from March 1st, 1818 to March 5th, 1822)
[Political Affiliation: Republican]
Personal Details:
Born: July 19th, 1790 (Bulloch County [renamed to Eliyah County], Georgia)
Died: January 2nd, 1838 (aged 48) (Savannah, Georgia)
Cause of Death: Suicide (by firearm)
Resting Place: Eliyah County, Georgia
Education: The Federal University of the South (graduated in 1810)
Political Party: Republican
Height: 184 centimeters
Spouse: Ezra Battle
Children: Abraham Peters, Natasha Peters, Eliyah Peters II
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The Tragedy of President Eliyah Peters: An Analysis of the Seventh President of the United States
By Barbara Lee. Published in 2011 (Eliyah, Georgia)
"... When Eliyah Peters, former governor and senator of Georgia, was elected as the Seventh President of the United States, there was an unbridled sense of optimism throughout the United States. Peters, the son of two former slaves, was seen as the shining example of America's progress as a nation built on equality and merit. Elected overwhelmingly by a wave of hopeful voters, the first African American president began his term in office with near-universal support from the population. Even the most conservative voters in the rural parts of Quebec were curious to see what the man had in store for the nation. President Peters was a likable president and his moderate policies, carefully balancing progressivism with conservatism, was met with great approval from across the political aisle. Unfortunately, his true test (and his greatest tragedy) began during the very beginning of his second term in office. That test was the Anglo-American War, and it shattered the carefree and "can-do" attitude the United States displayed during the first four decades of its existence. Especially as the young republic fought for its life against an unimaginable invasion of the American mainland, while President Peters held the nation together through sheer force of will...
Historians agree that the 1828 Presidential Elections was a strange one, in that it was the first time in American history that none of the four major political parties formed a coalition with one another. The Democratic Party, feeling that the Frontier Party was moving away from its interests by creating the League of American Nations, broke ranks with its former ally. The Frontier Party attempted to negotiate with the Union Party but was firmly rebuffed due to their unpredictable attitudes. As such, there were four candidates in the running for the presidency in 1828: Eliyah Peters of the Republican Party (after Henry Clay declined to run), John Quincy Adams of the Union Party, John Jacob Astor of the Frontier Party (a veteran senator from the state of Ohio), and John Williams Walker of the Democratic Party (the first governor of Alabama and a House of Representative member). The Liberal Party, the fifth "major" party in the United States (with nine seats in the House and two in the Senate) sided with the Union Party. However, all four of these parties held different policies and agendas, which made the 1828 presidential race a close one until the final few months...
Peters was the first African American presidential candidate for a major political party in the United States. His ability to bridge the gap between the parties as a rookie senator allowed him to build up a reputation as a reliable, and negotiable, leader. However, he remained steadfast in his core beliefs (a check on the growing powers and numbers of the federal government, a civil service agency to aid capable Americans receive proper careers and positions, a partial-governmental control of the growing railroad industries, helping the reconstruction of Jamaica and allowing any refugees from the island to live in the American mainland). It was due to his background, nature, and, ironically, his skin color (as an African American running for office, which led to him having thousands of enthusiastic supporters) that allowed him to gain a large following early on...
Adams maintained the policies he proclaimed during his 1820 presidential run, with a few modifications. Influenced by the Liberal Party (which, in turn, was heavily influenced by John Quincy's mother, Abigail), he confirmed his commitment to equal rights for men and women and pushed for rapid reconciliation with Britain to prevent a potential war. Learning from his mistakes during his previous campaign, Adams spent countless amount of hours speaking with voters and moving from town to town in both the east and the west. While this buoyed his public image significantly, it took a severe toll on his physical health...
Meanwhile, the candidates of the two other political parties found themselves fractured and fighting each other for votes. Despite their alliance under the Crockett Presidency (which saw a shift in Congress, as the Unionists and the Republicans were forced to work more closely with each other), the two parties splintered over the issues of foreign affairs and its policies of western settlement. The former was due to the League of American Nations (which the Democrats were heavily opposed to, as they believed it took too much effort and money away from domestic programs to be used abroad) and the collapse of Anglo-American relations. The latter was due to the discovery of gold and silver in California and Sierra in 1827. President Crockett was insistent on making sure that the Native American tribes received an array of benefits and restricted settlers to certain designated lands within the two territories (through Consent Executive Order #77, the Pacific Indians Protection Act). While the Frontier Party was mixed on Crockett's policies, his explanation for his actions allowed him to establish his own policies as the party's policies. He firmly believed that the Leauge of American Nations was necessary for the security and "soft expansion" of the United States across the Americas, especially with Britain looming in the background. Additionally, the League opened up a path for many more immigrants (especially from Latin America) to move into the United States to seek for better opportunities, thereby providing increasing settlement of the western territories (indeed, Sonora, Pecos, and Taho would benefit from immigrants coming from Mexico, Central America, and Colombia). As for the protection of Native Americans, it was explained as an effort to integrate Native Americans into the United States, while allowing them to have the finances to develop their own lands, thus giving the western territories an easier time of becoming developed as the east. All the while avoiding a potential war between settlers and local Native Americans over precious metals...
The Democratic Party believed that Crockett's policies were unnecessary interferences by the federal government and saw the "over-protection" of Native Americans in California and Sierra as an unwarranted act. Instead, they believed that the tribes on the Pacific Coast should've received the same deal as the other tribes out in the west. This was especially since the Democrats were conservative and desired less government interference in the "natural flow of things." While they were in favor of the protection of Native Americans (as it was political suicide not to support it), the Democratic Party was not in favor of excessive federal meddling and excuses to expand the federal government further. Nor were they interested in having America tangle itself into a foreign organization, which assured the other members that America would carry much of the economic and military burdens for the first several decades of the organization's existence. Therefore, instead of focusing on winning the election itself, the two parties quarreled and sought to snipe each other's voter base. This worked in Adams' and Peters' favor, as they were able to concentrate on each other while the Democrats and the Front quarreled...
Even so, it seemed very likely that the election would be decided by the House of Representatives due to a lack of alliances and coalitions up until the final two months before the election. However, disaster struck on September 19th of 1828, when John Quincy Adams unexpectedly passed away after contracting pneumonia during his campaign trail. The sudden death of a presidential candidate rocked the nation and it shocked every single political party. The other three candidates publicly offered sympathies for the Adams family and put aside their political squabbling for some time after his death. However, the unexpected death of John Quincy Adams caused the Union Party to scramble as they attempted to find a suitable replacement for him. The party settled on Nathaniel Bonapart, a retired, but popular, Congressman who was once a part of the Union Party. By that point, it was far too late and the party's unity fractured as some of the more moderate members of the Union Party drifted to Peters (as Nathaniel was considered far too liberal for them). Especially after Peters promised to work a few of Adams' policies into his own presidential policies as a way to honor the hardworking Unionist candidate's legacy...
After that, it was clear that with the Union Party reeling from its sudden crisis and the two other political parties in disarray, the Republican Party was going to seize the White House once again. After the votes were counted, Eliyah Peters had won 175 of the Electoral Votes out of 312 possible (Louisiana and Mississippi both achieved statehood in 1826 and had four Electoral Votes each, while Quebec was split into two states [Quebec and Montreal], which created two additional Electoral Votes due to Montreal's Senators). Bonapart, who barely had any time to deliver a speech to the public, receive a disappointing 62 Electoral Votes while the remaining Electoral Votes were split between the Democrats and the Front. While there was a chance for Peters to win the presidency even without Adams' untimely death, it was clear that he managed a solid victory because of it.
Despite the circumstances surrounding his entrance into the White House, Peters promised an era of unity (as the political parties were starting to show disunity) and "Good Feelings." He delivered a calm, but powerful speech to proclaim that he would work with all the parties to achieve an "America that is suitable for all" and to work tirelessly to prove his worth. Despite some misconceptions, Peters was not unpopular. He was a powerful orator, an excellent spokesman, and a caring individual. If anything, he was just as popular as Quincy Adams and attracted crowds due to his speeches (though, he managed to secure the votes of many African Americans and Caribbean Americans as he served an inspiration to them all). Yet, he believed he only managed to win the presidency by a stroke of misfortune and luck and sought to become a respected leader based on his own merits and policies.
His first term proved his worth. But his second term defined it. Unfortunately, his second term took a toll on him as the public's opinion made him increasingly pressed and guilty, which ultimately led to his suicide as he believed he had failed in his duty as the president..."
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