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This was originally going to be part of the Sixteen Second American Civil Wars , but I spun it off into its own thing. It was also written in early 2021, if it's not obvious from the way things played out. As with all the SACW scenarios, this is far from serious.

The Second American Revolution was not the civil war between the American right and left, as many predicted. Instead, it was a major uprising of regular Americans across the political spectrum against the political and financial elite that served as their common enemy. In spite of the deep resentment between the left and right, they all agreed that the establishment did not represent them. By 2021, they received proof that the establishment actively despised them. Major unrest in the United States began through the summer of 2020. Hit with the COVID-19 pandemic and a wave of police brutality incidents, riots erupted through the country from the left and right. This culminated in the storming of the United States Capitol, which saw supporters of then- President Donald Trump injuring several congressmen, while dozens of their own number were killed by the police. This event was followed by several riots across the country in protest of the inauguration of President Joe Biden, leading to more draconian crackdowns.

However, a surprising event unified the American people: the Second Great Depression. The Second Great Depression was triggered by the financial collapse of many major hedge funds, itself caused by the mass purchase of shorted stocks by individual investors organizing on the Internet. This event caused billions of dollars of losses for major investors, prompting a shutdown of all trading for weeks, the sale of shares without investors’ permission, and the high profile arrests of both rich investors and average people for “economic terrorism.” Eventually, the Federal Reserve purchased the held stocks and distributed them back to hedge funds for a fraction of their market value, and Congress authorized a bailout of hundreds of billions for major hedge funds. Many smaller business owners, already hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, were either bankrupted by participating directly in the stock market or by its aftereffects.

The Second Great Depression saw unemployment skyrocket to over 20% in the United States, with economic relief not forthcoming as Congress bickered endlessly over spending. Congress’ comparatively swift action in bailing out Wall Street was not lost on the American people, many of whom had nothing to lose and saw the political and financial system as completely abandoning them. Protests erupted all over the country. Fearing another event like the Capitol, police, National Guard and even military forces were deployed to break up major protests. This led to action by protestors, and even defections from the authorities. Fighting broke out around the country, leading President Biden to do something unprecedented: call a constitutional convention.

The constitutional convention was a failure. While progressive and right-populist reformers did participate, establishment politicians in both the Democratic and Republican parties prevented them from passing any constitution that was not a carbon copy of the existing document, with a few provisions in favor of the establishment. This stonewalling convinced the reformers to start their own constitutional convention, with the demand that the states accept their document and ignore the first convention. Although immediately proclaimed an illegal assembly by the United States government, the Second Convention enjoyed massive popular support. Attempts to prevent the Second Convention from meeting led to the convention meeting exclusively online.

Nevertheless, the members of the Second Convention were branded as domestic terrorists and some were arrested. In response, the Second Convention created its own military force to defend itself: the National Militia. Many members of the American military and police forces defected to the Militia, with many disgruntled citizens forming its ranks. The First Convention attempted to have a new constitution passed, but it could not get enough states to accept their proposal.

As the political situation deadlocked, the Second Great Depression continued to ravage the country, and many desperate people were forced into a state of starvation. Riots broke out in Washington D.C. and New York City, targeting government buildings and shops. Forces loyal to the federal government attempted to stop them, but were overwhelmed, and several police stations and even military bases were overtaken. Fearing that the rioters would come after them, and sensing an opportunity to get heard, the Second Convention backed the rioters and pledged the National Militia to support them in revolution. Revolutionary forces seized control of the Capitol and the White House, taking the members of the First Convention, the First Family, and Congress hostage. This was largely accepted throughout the country, although some areas remained loyal to the Federal government and uprisings against the revolutionaries occurred. The Second American Revolution had begun.

Now that the Second Convention was recognized, they had to come up with a new constitution. A rift appeared between the two revolutionary groups: the Populists and the Progressives. The Populists wanted a modified version of the old United States Constitution, but which retained the general structure of government. Most controversially, the Populist proposal demanded the removal of President Biden – and his arrest for his supposed crimes – and his replacement with former President Trump. The Progressives had an even more radical proposal: a total abolition of the United States of America and a restructuring of the American government along more “equitable” lines. This included the seizure of assets belonging to the upper and upper-middle classes; while on some levels, the Progressives saw eye to eye with the Populists on the matter, the Populists saw the Progressives as communists who wanted to target them as well. The Progressives saw the continued existence of former American politicians as a moral hazard, as their enemies may rally around them. In the meanwhile, the politicians were allowed to continue in their offices and were “advised” by revolutionaries as the Second Convention attempted to create a new constitution for the country.

The Progressives got the upper hand after Biden and many congressmen attempted to flee the country by disguising themselves as commoners and making their way to an airport. Revolutionary forces surrounded the politicians before their plane could take off, and they were all placed under arrest. However, other American elites managed to successfully escape to other countries, where they successfully gained an audience with the leaders of Canada, Mexico, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and the member states of the European Union. There, they petitioned for foreign intervention to crush the Second American Revolution. Fearing an attack, the Second Convention struck first with a disastrous invasion of Canada. This prompted a war between the revolutionaries on one side and Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union on the other. The National Militia proved ill-prepared to fight against these counterrevolutionaries, and so for the first time since the first American Civil War, Washington D.C. itself was threatened.

The panicking Second Convention decided that radical action needed to be taken. Fear of sellouts and traitors to the revolution among the Convention’s ranks, and fear of being the target of a purge, took hold. Taking advantage of the fear, the most radical Progressives pushed forward a radical new constitution abolishing the old United States; the Populists and moderate Progressives voted to pass this new constitution out of fear. The old United States of America was abolished, and replaced with the American Liberated Republic. The old states were abolished, replaced with a nationwide county system that all answered to a unitary government in Washington. Every politician from the old regime was stripped of office, including the arrested President Biden. The Progressives then drove out the Populists and any of their opponents from the Second Convention, becoming the governing body of America and renaming itself the Congress of the Republic. This act was followed up with the revolutionaries conducting purges of real and perceived enemies of the revolution, including many right-wingers who initially supported the revolution.

This radical act did not turn the military fortunes of the revolutionaries. Instead, the international community doubled down on their commitment to stopping the revolution. The international enemies of the revolution, calling itself the First Coalition, was joined by China, Russia, Canada and Mexico, and they promised to undo the revolution in its entirety and restore the old government of the United States. This pushed the Congress to up the ante by executing former government officials, thus making a restoration impossible and solidifying the commitment of the Congress to the revolution.

Unsurprisingly, the international community was horrified at the revolutionaries’ actions and doubled down their commitment to the war. Desperate, the Congress issued a conscription decree to get men to fight the invading powers. This backfired, as many in the rural areas of America despised the Progressives running the Congress, and conscription to fight on its behalf was unacceptable. Uprisings against the American Liberated Republic erupted, particularly in pro-Federal Utah and the anti-Progressive South, putting the revolution in an even more precarious position. Support for the Progressives, who did not have total control of the Congress, began to wane as the fortunes of the new Republic did. The Populists attempted to usurp power from the Progressives, but failed, with many of them arrested. The Progressives, with total control of the Congress, began a massive purge of American society, as they perceived it being full of enemies of the revolution. The Congress established a secret police network which monitored all communications, digital and analog, for potential enemies. These enemies were, in turn, publicly executed. The Terror had begun.

Presiding over the Terror was Alexa Aubrey, a left-wing lawyer who ironically defended criminals who faced the death penalty before the revolution. She was the leader of the Progressive caucus during the days of the Second Convention, and during the Terror effectively became dictator of the American Liberated Republic. Although a first among equals among the Progressive caucus at first, Aubrey gradually amassed personal power by having her rivals eliminated as enemies of the revolution. Aubrey became the most feared person in the American Liberated Republic, and under her watch, tens of thousands of people were executed for supposed crimes against the revolution. This not only included known political enemies – most of the Trump family and old Republican and Democratic politicians met their end during Aubrey’s Terror – but also personal enemies, those that criticized the regime, and those who were accused by others of criticizing the regime. Surviving members of the Progressive caucus grew tired of Aubrey, but all were too afraid to expel her. After she attempted to create a cult of personality and openly threatened Congress during a congressional session, Congress as a whole grew a spine and named Aubrey an enemy of the revolution. Aubrey became the final victim of the Terror she created.

After the death of Aubrey, the Populists took control of the Congress. Using their allied militias, they purged the Progressives, many of them meeting the same fate they meted out during the Terror. Revenge killings swept through America, leading to a body count almost as high as the Terror’s. The Populists shredded the Progressive constitution and replaced it with their own, reestablishing the United States of America, with some modifications; historically, this state would become known as the Second United States. Although Donald Trump did not survive the Terror, his son, Barron Trump, did survive and was given the presidency in his stead.

The Populists proved to be incompetent and corrupt governors. They drove the country into further debt by proving to be interested only in personal gain, and with one notable exception, the revolutionary American armies kept failing in its war against its foreign adversaries. The Populists quickly wore out their welcome, and the American people looked for an alternative. They did not find one in the old establishment, whose leaders were now hiding in foreign lands and enjoyed the support of foreign enemies of America. They did not wish to try a Progressive government again, as the Terror was fresh on their minds. And so, there was a perfect power vacuum for General Eric Rodriguez to fill.

General Rodriguez was the only successful general in the revolutionary American army, repeatedly defeating the Coalition armies in Mexico and transforming that country into a group of “sister republics” for America. These victories were widely lauded in American propaganda, as they lifted the spirits of the people and kept their faith in the regime. Although his attempted invasion of Russia– an attempt to divert Coalition interest to the Far East – failed, he still returned to America a hero.

Ideologically, Rodriguez was a radical in respects which helped him with the American people. He was an avowed man of the lower classes, who criticized crony capitalism and a political establishment married to the financial elites, and he believed that the government should provide basic securities for the people. On the other hand, he was also an avowed civic nationalist, who rejected his Puerto Rican heritage in favor of a pan-American cultural nationalism which he believed all Americans needed to abide by.

Rodriguez became even more popular when he helped put down a counter-revolutionary uprising in Washington D.C. Understanding Rodriguez’ popularity, a cabal of Populist politicians negotiated with him to overthrow the Populist Congress, installing themselves as de facto dictators. This arrangement did not last, and Rodriguez launched a coup on his own, proclaiming himself President of the Third American Republic. Rodriguez redrew American state borders to be equal in population, to break “unfairness” within the American electoral system. In supreme command of American forces, Rodriguez oversaw victory after victory against foreign adversaries. Such was Rodriguez’s popularity that, when he crowned himself emperor in 2036, it was welcomed by the American people.

Rodriguez stabilized the American Empire, rolling back many of the excesses of the Terror, but maintaining that he is a defender of the Revolution. The wars continue; in spite of Rodriguez’s numerous victories and attempts to make peace with the other world powers, all refuse to recognize the Revolution and Rodriguez’s imperial gains. While the American Empire has conquered all of North America, the wars to depose Rodriguez and reverse the Second American Revolution continue. The revolution has even spread to Europe, with the allied British Liberated Republic serving as a staging ground for Rodriguez’s most ambitious plan yet: a conquest of Europe.

Description
This was originally going to be part of the Sixteen Second American Civil Wars , but I spun it off into its own thing. It was also written in early 2021, if it's not obvious from the way things played out. As with all the SACW scenarios, this is far from serious.

The Second American Revolution was not the civil war between the American right and left, as many predicted. Instead, it was a major uprising of regular Americans across the political spectrum against the political and financial elite that served as their common enemy. In spite of the deep resentment between the left and right, they all agreed that the establishment did not represent them. By 2021, they received proof that the establishment actively despised them. Major unrest in the United States began through the summer of 2020. Hit with the COVID-19 pandemic and a wave of police brutality incidents, riots erupted through the country from the left and right. This culminated in the storming of the United States Capitol, which saw supporters of then- President Donald Trump injuring several congressmen, while dozens of their own number were killed by the police. This event was followed by several riots across the country in protest of the inauguration of President Joe Biden, leading to more draconian crackdowns.

However, a surprising event unified the American people: the Second Great Depression. The Second Great Depression was triggered by the financial collapse of many major hedge funds, itself caused by the mass purchase of shorted stocks by individual investors organizing on the Internet. This event caused billions of dollars of losses for major investors, prompting a shutdown of all trading for weeks, the sale of shares without investors’ permission, and the high profile arrests of both rich investors and average people for “economic terrorism.” Eventually, the Federal Reserve purchased the held stocks and distributed them back to hedge funds for a fraction of their market value, and Congress authorized a bailout of hundreds of billions for major hedge funds. Many smaller business owners, already hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, were either bankrupted by participating directly in the stock market or by its aftereffects.

The Second Great Depression saw unemployment skyrocket to over 20% in the United States, with economic relief not forthcoming as Congress bickered endlessly over spending. Congress’ comparatively swift action in bailing out Wall Street was not lost on the American people, many of whom had nothing to lose and saw the political and financial system as completely abandoning them. Protests erupted all over the country. Fearing another event like the Capitol, police, National Guard and even military forces were deployed to break up major protests. This led to action by protestors, and even defections from the authorities. Fighting broke out around the country, leading President Biden to do something unprecedented: call a constitutional convention.

The constitutional convention was a failure. While progressive and right-populist reformers did participate, establishment politicians in both the Democratic and Republican parties prevented them from passing any constitution that was not a carbon copy of the existing document, with a few provisions in favor of the establishment. This stonewalling convinced the reformers to start their own constitutional convention, with the demand that the states accept their document and ignore the first convention. Although immediately proclaimed an illegal assembly by the United States government, the Second Convention enjoyed massive popular support. Attempts to prevent the Second Convention from meeting led to the convention meeting exclusively online.

Nevertheless, the members of the Second Convention were branded as domestic terrorists and some were arrested. In response, the Second Convention created its own military force to defend itself: the National Militia. Many members of the American military and police forces defected to the Militia, with many disgruntled citizens forming its ranks. The First Convention attempted to have a new constitution passed, but it could not get enough states to accept their proposal.

As the political situation deadlocked, the Second Great Depression continued to ravage the country, and many desperate people were forced into a state of starvation. Riots broke out in Washington D.C. and New York City, targeting government buildings and shops. Forces loyal to the federal government attempted to stop them, but were overwhelmed, and several police stations and even military bases were overtaken. Fearing that the rioters would come after them, and sensing an opportunity to get heard, the Second Convention backed the rioters and pledged the National Militia to support them in revolution. Revolutionary forces seized control of the Capitol and the White House, taking the members of the First Convention, the First Family, and Congress hostage. This was largely accepted throughout the country, although some areas remained loyal to the Federal government and uprisings against the revolutionaries occurred. The Second American Revolution had begun.

Now that the Second Convention was recognized, they had to come up with a new constitution. A rift appeared between the two revolutionary groups: the Populists and the Progressives. The Populists wanted a modified version of the old United States Constitution, but which retained the general structure of government. Most controversially, the Populist proposal demanded the removal of President Biden – and his arrest for his supposed crimes – and his replacement with former President Trump. The Progressives had an even more radical proposal: a total abolition of the United States of America and a restructuring of the American government along more “equitable” lines. This included the seizure of assets belonging to the upper and upper-middle classes; while on some levels, the Progressives saw eye to eye with the Populists on the matter, the Populists saw the Progressives as communists who wanted to target them as well. The Progressives saw the continued existence of former American politicians as a moral hazard, as their enemies may rally around them. In the meanwhile, the politicians were allowed to continue in their offices and were “advised” by revolutionaries as the Second Convention attempted to create a new constitution for the country.

The Progressives got the upper hand after Biden and many congressmen attempted to flee the country by disguising themselves as commoners and making their way to an airport. Revolutionary forces surrounded the politicians before their plane could take off, and they were all placed under arrest. However, other American elites managed to successfully escape to other countries, where they successfully gained an audience with the leaders of Canada, Mexico, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and the member states of the European Union. There, they petitioned for foreign intervention to crush the Second American Revolution. Fearing an attack, the Second Convention struck first with a disastrous invasion of Canada. This prompted a war between the revolutionaries on one side and Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union on the other. The National Militia proved ill-prepared to fight against these counterrevolutionaries, and so for the first time since the first American Civil War, Washington D.C. itself was threatened.

The panicking Second Convention decided that radical action needed to be taken. Fear of sellouts and traitors to the revolution among the Convention’s ranks, and fear of being the target of a purge, took hold. Taking advantage of the fear, the most radical Progressives pushed forward a radical new constitution abolishing the old United States; the Populists and moderate Progressives voted to pass this new constitution out of fear. The old United States of America was abolished, and replaced with the American Liberated Republic. The old states were abolished, replaced with a nationwide county system that all answered to a unitary government in Washington. Every politician from the old regime was stripped of office, including the arrested President Biden. The Progressives then drove out the Populists and any of their opponents from the Second Convention, becoming the governing body of America and renaming itself the Congress of the Republic. This act was followed up with the revolutionaries conducting purges of real and perceived enemies of the revolution, including many right-wingers who initially supported the revolution.

This radical act did not turn the military fortunes of the revolutionaries. Instead, the international community doubled down on their commitment to stopping the revolution. The international enemies of the revolution, calling itself the First Coalition, was joined by China, Russia, Canada and Mexico, and they promised to undo the revolution in its entirety and restore the old government of the United States. This pushed the Congress to up the ante by executing former government officials, thus making a restoration impossible and solidifying the commitment of the Congress to the revolution.

Unsurprisingly, the international community was horrified at the revolutionaries’ actions and doubled down their commitment to the war. Desperate, the Congress issued a conscription decree to get men to fight the invading powers. This backfired, as many in the rural areas of America despised the Progressives running the Congress, and conscription to fight on its behalf was unacceptable. Uprisings against the American Liberated Republic erupted, particularly in pro-Federal Utah and the anti-Progressive South, putting the revolution in an even more precarious position. Support for the Progressives, who did not have total control of the Congress, began to wane as the fortunes of the new Republic did. The Populists attempted to usurp power from the Progressives, but failed, with many of them arrested. The Progressives, with total control of the Congress, began a massive purge of American society, as they perceived it being full of enemies of the revolution. The Congress established a secret police network which monitored all communications, digital and analog, for potential enemies. These enemies were, in turn, publicly executed. The Terror had begun.

Presiding over the Terror was Alexa Aubrey, a left-wing lawyer who ironically defended criminals who faced the death penalty before the revolution. She was the leader of the Progressive caucus during the days of the Second Convention, and during the Terror effectively became dictator of the American Liberated Republic. Although a first among equals among the Progressive caucus at first, Aubrey gradually amassed personal power by having her rivals eliminated as enemies of the revolution. Aubrey became the most feared person in the American Liberated Republic, and under her watch, tens of thousands of people were executed for supposed crimes against the revolution. This not only included known political enemies – most of the Trump family and old Republican and Democratic politicians met their end during Aubrey’s Terror – but also personal enemies, those that criticized the regime, and those who were accused by others of criticizing the regime. Surviving members of the Progressive caucus grew tired of Aubrey, but all were too afraid to expel her. After she attempted to create a cult of personality and openly threatened Congress during a congressional session, Congress as a whole grew a spine and named Aubrey an enemy of the revolution. Aubrey became the final victim of the Terror she created.

After the death of Aubrey, the Populists took control of the Congress. Using their allied militias, they purged the Progressives, many of them meeting the same fate they meted out during the Terror. Revenge killings swept through America, leading to a body count almost as high as the Terror’s. The Populists shredded the Progressive constitution and replaced it with their own, reestablishing the United States of America, with some modifications; historically, this state would become known as the Second United States. Although Donald Trump did not survive the Terror, his son, Barron Trump, did survive and was given the presidency in his stead.

The Populists proved to be incompetent and corrupt governors. They drove the country into further debt by proving to be interested only in personal gain, and with one notable exception, the revolutionary American armies kept failing in its war against its foreign adversaries. The Populists quickly wore out their welcome, and the American people looked for an alternative. They did not find one in the old establishment, whose leaders were now hiding in foreign lands and enjoyed the support of foreign enemies of America. They did not wish to try a Progressive government again, as the Terror was fresh on their minds. And so, there was a perfect power vacuum for General Eric Rodriguez to fill.

General Rodriguez was the only successful general in the revolutionary American army, repeatedly defeating the Coalition armies in Mexico and transforming that country into a group of “sister republics” for America. These victories were widely lauded in American propaganda, as they lifted the spirits of the people and kept their faith in the regime. Although his attempted invasion of Russia– an attempt to divert Coalition interest to the Far East – failed, he still returned to America a hero.

Ideologically, Rodriguez was a radical in respects which helped him with the American people. He was an avowed man of the lower classes, who criticized crony capitalism and a political establishment married to the financial elites, and he believed that the government should provide basic securities for the people. On the other hand, he was also an avowed civic nationalist, who rejected his Puerto Rican heritage in favor of a pan-American cultural nationalism which he believed all Americans needed to abide by.

Rodriguez became even more popular when he helped put down a counter-revolutionary uprising in Washington D.C. Understanding Rodriguez’ popularity, a cabal of Populist politicians negotiated with him to overthrow the Populist Congress, installing themselves as de facto dictators. This arrangement did not last, and Rodriguez launched a coup on his own, proclaiming himself President of the Third American Republic. Rodriguez redrew American state borders to be equal in population, to break “unfairness” within the American electoral system. In supreme command of American forces, Rodriguez oversaw victory after victory against foreign adversaries. Such was Rodriguez’s popularity that, when he crowned himself emperor in 2036, it was welcomed by the American people.

Rodriguez stabilized the American Empire, rolling back many of the excesses of the Terror, but maintaining that he is a defender of the Revolution. The wars continue; in spite of Rodriguez’s numerous victories and attempts to make peace with the other world powers, all refuse to recognize the Revolution and Rodriguez’s imperial gains. While the American Empire has conquered all of North America, the wars to depose Rodriguez and reverse the Second American Revolution continue. The revolution has even spread to Europe, with the allied British Liberated Republic serving as a staging ground for Rodriguez’s most ambitious plan yet: a conquest of Europe.