George Benckendorf

George Benckendorf
 		
3rd President of the United States 		
Term: March 4, 1801 - March 4, 1809 		
Vice President: William Scott / Gouverneur Morris / Henry Lee III 		
Preceded By: John Adams 		
Succeeded By: Amo Gus 		
8th Senior Officer of the Army 		
Term: December 14, 1799 - March 4, 1801 		
Preceded By: George Washington 		
Succeeded By: Theophile Lybaert 		
2nd & 4th President Pro Tempore 		
Term: April 19, 1790 - March 4, 1795 / November 16, 1796 - March 4, 1799		
Preceded By: Thomas Jefferson / Charles Benckendorf 		
Succeeded By: Charles Benckendorf / Theodore Foster 		
Senator from Pennsylvania 		
Term: April 1, 1789 - March 4, 1801 		
Preceded By: Office Established 		
Succeeded By: William Jones 		
4th President of Pennsylvania 		
Term: November 15, 1781 - November 3, 1784 		
Preceded By: Joseph Reed 		
Succeeded By: John Dickinson 		
Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly 		
Term: October, 1779 - November, 1781 		
Preceded By: George Bryan 		
Succeeded By: Thomas McKean 		
Member of the Pennsylvania Assembly 		
Term: October, 1777 - November, 1781 		
Delegate to the Continental Congress 		
Term: February, 1777 - October, 1779 		
Personal Details 		
Born: January 3, 1751 		
Death: N/A 		
State: Pennsylvania 		
Party: Constitutional Democratic 		
Spouse: Sarah Benckendorf 		
Children: Hiram / John / Patrick / Josephine 		
Family: Benckendorf 		
Alma Mater: College of Philadelphia (now University of Pennsylvania) 		
Military Service 		
Allegiance: United States 		
Branch/Service: Continental Army 		
Years of Service: 1776-1801 		
Rank: General 		
Battles/Wars:
American Revolutionary War:
*New York and New Jersey Campaign
*Battle of Wyoming
*Philadelphia Campaign
*Bird's Invasion of Kentucky
*Yorktown Campaign
French Revolutionary War:
*Battle of Boulou
2nd American Civil War: 
*7 Days Campaign
*Virginia Campaign
*Third Battle of Nashville
*Charleston Campaign		
George Benckendorf is the 3rd President of the United States, and before was a Senator of Pennsylvania from 1789 - 1801, serving as President Pro Tempore from April of 1790 to March of 1795 and November of 1796 to March of 1799. Distinguished in his military accomplishments such as repelling Bird's Invasion of Kentucky as a Brigadier General during the American Revolution, Benckendorf was elected as President of Pennsylvania in 1781, before that being a member of the State Assembly. In 1787 upon the convening of the Constitutional Convention, Benckendorf was chosen as one of Pennsylvania's delegates, alongside prominent names like Benjamin Franklin.
==Military Service==
===American Revolution ===
George Benckendorf joined the army at the onset of the American Revolution, serving as a Colonel under Marquis de Lafayette, playing a crucial role in the Battle of Barren Hill, buying time for Lafayette to organize his men and retreat. Later he would fight in the Battle of Monmouth, being under the command of Charles Lee in the vanguard, and having to retreat several times due to Lee's incompetence.
Benckendorf, while on leave, would soon fight in the Battle of Wyoming, taking command over the local militia. This battle was a decisive loss for Benckendorf, but he had managed to cause enough losses to force Brant out of the valley, holding onto it's strategic location. Soon after joining Henry Lee III in taking Paulus Hook, just to march back out to the frontier to fight off Cpt. Bird's Invasion of Kentucky, which he had managed to, with the help of local militia, drive back the opposing force out of Kentucky. 
Benckendorf's last engagement in the American Revolution was at the Battle of Bull's Ferry in 1780, where he and Anthony Wayne cut off and took out the local British holdout. Benckendorf would be present with George Washington in the Yorktown Campaign, but he saw little to no action during which. Benckendorf would be one of the Generals to enter New York the day the British left, and would then retire himself and his men back to his plantation in Butler County, Pennsylvania, remaining as a General, but generally seeing little action.
===Shays' Rebellion===
Benckendorf would be in the rearguard of Washington's force at Sheffield-Egremont Road during the last battle during Shays' Rebellion, seeing little action, but would help hull the injured to local makeshift hospitals.
==President of Pennsylvania (1781-1784)==
in 1781 with 66 votes, Benckendorf became the 4th President of Pennsylvania. Under Benckendorf's administration, though mostly honorary in powers, he would be able to sway the Legislature to pass laws and amendments expanding voting rights, ensuring political integrity, creation of a cabinet, and creation of the Bank of Pennsylvania.
Benckendorf was widely popular while in office, holding a very steady approval. His successor, John Dickinson, would be controversial, being seen as a carpetbagger being present in both Pennsylvania and Delaware politics simultaneously, with him only being able to hold 1 term before being kicked out in favor of Benjamin Franklin.
==Senator of Pennsylvania (1789-1801)==
Elected in 1788 with 38.8% of the vote with a party he had formed, the Constitutional Democratic Party, Benckendorf began his first term as Senator, submitting the first ever Legislation in the Senate, the Tariff of 1789. George Benckendorf would be elected President Pro Tempore in April of 1790 after Thomas Jefferson resigned the position to join the Cabinet. George Benckendorf would go onto serve as the PPT during several important legislative sessions, passing woman's rights, statehood for Tennessee, and Militia Acts, among other things. 
In 1795, preparing for a Presidential Run, George would resign from the President Pro Tempore position. His brother, Charles Benckendorf, would take up the position. 
After the failed presidential run, he continued his work in the Senate, and after the death of Charles Benckendorf in a duel, has taken the position of President Pro Tempore, serving for another 3 years until March of 1799. 
== Presidency (1801-)==
=== Election and First Term (1801-1805) ===
The Election of 1800 has been one of the most special, in terms that it was held during a mass secession of states and the beginning of the Second American Civil War. The early favourite, Thomas Jefferson, has been removed from the race as he was located in a state that had seceded and joined Dixieland. Because of this, the third party underdog George Benckendorf surged in the polls, especially after the rebellion of Democratic Party leader Linda Banks (making New Jersey join New England), and Benckendorf's successes in reclaiming DC and major cities in New Jersey as Commanding General. As a result, the 1800 election has been a landslide for Benckendorf, easily elevating him to the Presidency and re-establishing the Constitutional Democratic Party as the majority party in America for at least a decade. The Democratic Party, and later on People's Labour Party, have suffered: due to overall anti-war sentiment of the party, and ties with Linda Banks they were often branded as traitors and fratricide apologists, losing support nearly everywhere at least until the end of Reconstruction.
==== Domestic policy ====
The Civil War and participation in the French Revolutionary Wars have shown that the American economy and internal structure needed reformation to keep up with the time and be able to withstand threats both at home and abroad. For that reason, Benckendorf pursued reforms aimed at creating the foundations for a national economy, as well as a standing army. District of Columbia Organic Act created the governing system in Washington DC, and outlawed slavery in the district. The Reconstruction Act of 1801 helped solve the issue of post-war management of the states, and, later on, helped with dealing with post-war chaos in the redeemer states. 
In the economy, the Benckendorf administration followed a Hamiltonian policy of national banks and infrastructure, with a Benckendorfite Progressive twist, such as the introduction of cheap land grants, though due to financial difficulties neither of his term will see fulfillment of the Benckendorfite Progressive platform until the Gus Presidency. During his first term, tariffs have been raised to a 25% rate, the National Bank has been chartered, which provided the U.S. with a national currency, and the Coinage act, which would've tied the currency to various metals, was proposed, however it wasn't even put on the floor during his Presidency.
==== Civil War ====
The tide of war under President Benckendorf has turned: once what were the gossips of possible collapse of the United States turned into a victorious campaign for restoration of the Union. George himself has been personally leading his armies in the war, heading the Virginia campaign, including the major Battle of Richmond; he led the armies in Massachusetts, taking over the city of Boston and ending the war with New England. Later on, he led his armies in the Third Battle of Nashville (which essentially reclaimed Tennessee), and the Charleston campaign, effectively, after the failed Gus campaign in New England, ending the war in Dixieland as well, and the American Civil War entirely.
Due to a relative stalemate during the Battle of New York, the New Englanders pushed for peace with the United States, and for that reason, treaty of Concord was passed by the Congress only to be rejected and not enforced by Benckendorf who believed that the terms were unfavorable. Under threat of impeachment by John Quincy Adams, Benckendorf decided to negotiate the Treaty of Quebec, which, in exchange for reparations and settling of territorial disputes in favor of the British, has left New England without protection of the British Crown, causing mass instability and anarchy across the country, much higher than what happened in Dixieland after the Battle of Richmond, which led to the inevitable downfall.
Besides the re-unification after the Civil War, territory of the United States has doubled under Benckendorf thanks to the Louisiana purchase.
By 1804-1805, Benckendorf focused on the South once again and attempted to take over Charleston, South Carolina, where he was nearly captured after a defeat in the first battle, but reunited with Theophile Lybaert's army and won the Second Battle, making the downfall of Dixieland inevitable.
=== Second Term (1805-1809) ===
Victory in the Second American Civil War, the Louisiana Purchase and economic recovery have brought a massive wave of popularity to the Presidency of George Benckendorf. Being seen as savior of the Union, he managed to unite the people in the same way Washington did. His populist Unionism appealed to a lot of people, which also boosted his reputation. Despite the Reconstruction Amendments going through Congress at the time, the bipartisan spirit has remained, and Benckendorf won re-election in an absolute landslide.
The Second term of his, however, caused his figure to become controversial. As the Reconstruction amendments were passed, as well the Civil Rights Act of 1805, his figure became unpopular in the South, and small riots broke, which, however, weren't all that large and have been suppressed by the Reconstruction authorities. Most of the 4 years he spent committed to austerity and upholding of Reconstruction, which has already been slowly but steadily sabotaged by the People's Labour Party at the time. He left the office in March of 1809, giving the position to Amo Gus.
==Personal Life==
George Benckendorf was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 3, 1751; being one of two children, his brother, Charles Benckendorf, being born 6 years later in 1757. Little is known about his early life, with many records lost, their parents being Joseph Benckendorf and Julia Benckendorf. However, from his personal biography we could learn that at the age of 17 he was accepted in the College of Philadelphia, founded by the famous Benjamin Franklin. 
In 1773, at age 22, Benckendorf married his wife, Sarah Benckendorf. Upon return to his home in 1781, the Benckendorf Plantation, George and Sarah would conceive their first child, Hiram Benckendorf. Benckendorf would briefly leave his home again to reoccupy New York City, but he would return again in late 1783. By 1785 the Benckendorfs had their second son, John, followed their third son in mid 1787, Patrick. In early 1788, the Benckendorfs would have their first daughter, Josephine, and around this time Benckendorf would start garnering support for the upcoming Senate Race in Pennsylvania.
*Hiram Francis Benckendorf (Born: February 7, 1782)
* John George Benckendorf (Born: April 7, 1785)
* Patrick H. Benckendorf (Born: June 7, 1787)
* Josephine B. Benckendorf (Born: January 6, 1788)
Category:Benckendorf
Category:Founding Father
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Category:Constitutional Democrat