In prowling about the internet I see that some brave soul is again trying to organize a kingly political party for the United States. I direct those interested to the
Monarchist Party of America which hopes to establish a monarchy in the United States under an elevated American dynasty. Believe it or not, this is not the first time such a thing has been tried. There was once the Constantian Society, founded in 1970, which endeavored to inform Americans about the benefits of monarchy overseas and to encourage support for monarchies around the world. It did not survive the death of its founder unfortunately. I recall there used to be a Monarchist Society of America, organized by member of the Qajar dynasty, formerly of Persia, which operated along the same lines, not advocating a monarchy for America but advocating for monarchy overseas. It seems to have receded into web oblivion as well as I can find nothing on it after a quick search prior to writing this. Were I to venture a guess I would say it probably dissolved for lack of interest.
On that subject, in 1998 was founded the Royalist Party of America (the colorful “Purple shirts”) which advocated making the United States a kingdom. In its original incarnation the RPA worked out a plan for what constitutional amendments would have to be passed in order to establish a monarchy in the United States. They also advocated following a more traditional route for countries in need of a monarch but lacking one; inviting a foreign royal not in line for their own throne to take the job. A poll was held and the popular favorite was HRH Princess Madeleine of Sweden (who happens to be living in the U.S. at the moment…hmmm…maybe there’s more to this than meets the eye) to be invited to become the first Queen of the United States of America. However, within a few years the party went inactive due to lack of interest. It was later revived under new leadership, starting putting out a newsletter, sending out membership packages, printing pamphlets and distributing campaign buttons but, again, finally dissolved due to lack of interest. A few years later it was revived again under new leadership with a new website and an on-line newsletter but, again, in even less time dissolved due to lack of interest.
All of this is why, when I am asked, as I occasionally am, what advice I would give to someone looking to set up a royalist or monarchist political party in the United States my sad but sober answer is, “don’t waste your time”. I hate to say that because I don’t want to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm and before I adopted my strict policy of never becoming a member of anything I was caught up in it once myself when I was a young, enthusiastic royalist at university. However, despite the sometimes extensive memberships these groups have achieved (and I say extensive considering that this is the “Great Republic” we are talking about here) time and time again I have seen the same pattern play out. People join up, join up and join up and then lose interest and a handful of the party faithful are left trying to do everything until they finally give up out of sheer exhaustion and an unwillingness by anyone else to take over leadership. There is also the fact that, even though the monarchist presence in the United States is tiny, the few that do exist agree on almost nothing and based on experience I can say most are not going to compromise on anything, for any reason, ever.
For example, some monarchists who firmly support the monarchy of a foreign country or even every foreign country still would not support a monarchy in the United States. I can understand this since monarchy is all about tradition and monarchy is not and never has been a part of the traditions of the “United States of America”. There is a tradition and a heritage of monarchy in North America to be sure, but the political entity known as the “United States of America” has never had a monarch and never been a monarchy. Because of that, there is the additional problem of the lack of a pretender. Aside from the state of Hawaii there is no native born American citizen who has any bloodline right to a potential American throne. The area encompassing the U.S.A. has regions that were under the dominion of the King of Great Britain, the King of France, the King of Spain and the Tsar of Russia but no one monarch or royal house ever held legitimate claim to the whole of what is now the United States of America. The lack of a “legitimate” royal candidate will put many people off all by itself.
Then there are the options of importing a royal or raising an American citizen to monarchial status. Again, since the American people have no common ancestry or common religion, whichever royal is picked to be imported will not please everyone and the same could be said for any potential American candidate for the throne. Even if Americans came around to the idea of having a king, getting everyone to agree on an appropriate candidate would be all but impossible. One could resort to the democratic process but, as I read once, if the issue was to be a matter of popularity America better prepare itself for the reign of “Queen Oprah I”. Personally, I have always said that if America were to ever become a monarchy the only way I could see it happening would be in a way similar to ancient Rome. That is that things fall apart to such an extent that an authoritarian figure must step in to save the day and then slowly establishes a monarchial system while keeping the republican structure in tact so as to avoid inflaming the mob. “King” is still a four letter word in the United States and that mindset is certainly not going to change anytime soon.
None of this, however, should be taken as a swipe against any American monarchists. I wish them nothing but the best and if they buck the trend I will applaud. I speak only as someone who has been around the block in this neighborhood before and, as with anything, experience tends to make one a bit skeptical and jaded. If there are those who want to give this sort of thing a try, I will wish them the best of luck. Heck, sometimes on election day I still wear one of my Royalist Party buttons to the court house just to enjoy the confused looks on peoples faces.
I wouldn't look towards universities for help though, I've been called a communist at some. Hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI'm always called a Communist when I'm bashing the 1848 Revoulutions and align them with 1918-1919 in my country's history. xD Also when calling 1956 a Counter-Revolution. :)
ReplyDeleteNot that I wouldn't love to see a monarchy in the US, you're quite right in it being a total waste of time to advocate for such a thing. We're more likely to elect a Libertarian as president than become a monarchy, and that's saying something.
ReplyDeleteThe time to do it would have been the late 18th century, when the country was still new and somewhat unstable politically, and when monarchies were the predominant form of government worldwide. It was offered to Washington, he declined, and that was our one and only chance to pull it off.
Unless, as you say, some future calamity causes the existing system to wholly or partially collapse, allowing one individual leader to emerge and restore order, as happened in Rome and Napoleonic France.
The big risk with something like that (aside from the terrible unpleasantness that would have to precede it) is danger that the new monarch could wind up coming from the political class in power at the time, which would be less than ideal to say the least. The American media already likes to refer to political families like the Kennedys, Roosevelts, and Bushes as "dynasties", perish the thought of that ever coming to pass for real. Now, a military officer, or even the scion of an old money family might be more palatable.
All wishful thinking of course. The best thing for American monarchists is to do what we can to help support and shore up monarchies where they still exist or have a realistic chance of restoration, and just content ourselves with admiring them from afar. And try not to get too jealous of Canada's royal heritage, low corruption index and 29% top marginal tax rate.
I fully agree. It would be challenge enough to just get the USA back to the original constitutional republic that existed in the begining with voting limited to those actually inclined to care, an un-elected senate and more power for the states. The whole American mythology is built around "king=tyranny" and even the few who don't believe that can never seem to agree on very much else.
ReplyDeleteAs a monarchist, what seems the appropriate and more realistic thing to do in this country is to simply try to get rid of that prejudice against monarchy when dealing with other nations.
Well, we live in a changing world. I very much doubt the world is going to stay as it is now for the rest of the century, so maybe conditions in which a monarchy is more favourable to America may be closer than we think. Although, I agree, things would really have to fall apart first. What event would prompt such a calamity, I shudder to think...
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of some who have suggested that a 'resident monarchy' could be established in Australia or Canada or the other Commonwealth Realms. We're in a better position because we already have a royal family, and we could invite a Windsor to become our own King or Queen. I think Canada and New Zealand would more readily accept a resident monarch than Australia, but I am content with the current arrangements. If worst comes to worst, though, I'd be ready to support the campaign for a King in Australia.
If you read History ( I know you have MM) you will see that things we thing of as utterly impossible become reality. EG, no one thought same sex marriage would be a topic of discussion, even heated debate, in the 1960’s. Much less than it’d exist in several places. Abortion was never, ever considered moral and once upon a Time no one was thinking about legalising it but loony fingers like Margaret “I love Hitler” Sanger. In the past, it was also unthinkable, even in the American Colonies, that people would turn not only on their own Monarch, but Monarchism itself. Yet it happened fairly quickly when it did.
ReplyDeleteAlso, look at Religion. Christianity’s rapid decline was not predicted in 1910 was it? Then again, today we see it in rapid decline and think its just inevitable that it’ll die, but Historically the same conditions existed in the 18th Century and its made amazing comebacks via Revival, such as the two Great Awakenings.
I don’t think that the current push towards Democracy will last. I think that the current push for it has actually gotten a whole lot stronger in the last decade than it use to be even back in the 1990’s, and that his is a crescendo. Democracy will become cynically rejected by more people 50 years from now, or at least people will be more sceptical of its promises. Even mainstream books like Hoppe and Anne Coulter are questioning it. Hoppe outright rejects it!
So who knows?
As to America, I’ve heard the argument before that its never had a Monarchy, and that areas of the US use to belong to different powers, but I find this a weak argument.
ReplyDeleteDoes it matter if parts of America belonged to Spain, other parts France, and other parts Britain? From my vantage there is only one legitimate claimant to the Throne of America and that is the British Royal Family, and this is not because of my own affections of my ancestry and heritage. Its because if you consider the United States a single political entity, you have to look at its past. America started as 13 Colonised of Great Britain, and the original Continental Congress, as well as the subsequent Untied States Government that formed after the Revolution, were successors to the Crown Government. The entire Political Body grew directly out of, and descended from, the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The whole of America is thus really a successor Government to the original Colonial British Government.
This is even how American see it. I will prove it.
We are closing in on the 4th of July. This is the Annual Holiday commemorating he Great Revolution and how America was made Independent of Great Britain.
Its not a Holiday Celebrated by only the 13 Original States, its Celebrated by all 50 States. Texas may have been Spanish at the Time, but Texans see “Their” Founding Fathers fighting the British. So do Californians. So do people in Kansas. So do people in Alaska and Hawa’ii. They all consider the 4th of July their own Holiday, and all of them think of America’s Founders as “Our” Founding Fathers.
No one speaks of Alaska being Russian or Texas Spanish territory in that war. No one says that the war was about other people. Its “Our” war, its how “We” gained Independence form Britain.
The Mythlogy of the Revolution is a National Origins Saga that all Americans share, not just those in the Colonies themselves.
But, so is the Colonial era “Ours”.
Even the events like the Mayflower or Jamestown or early Colonial Life in general are thought of as “Our” past, even if “We’ are Latinos living in Colorado or Blacks descended from Caribbean pirates living in Nevada.
Plus, Americans have an American Culture, the Governments of all States save Louisiana are rooted in the same English Common Law, and all the state Governments have a Constitutional system that mirrors the Federal Government, and each has the same basic sense of Identity as “Americans” that everyone else does with a collectively shared cultural History that my or may not include your actual ancestry, but it still yours by virtue of being American.
They all share the same Governing Philosophy and Philosophy about Law and Culture too.
Not to mention what I said before, that the Federal Government is a successor to the original Crown Government.
To that end, America is really a British Colonial Nation that gained independence then expanded.
I don’t think the Spanish or French controlled Areas matter as much as that. Had America not Rebelled and broken off it still may have absorbed them anyway at some point, but would never be anything but British had it done so.
So, unless you are advocating for secession of those area’s, I’d say the Federal Government, and the States that descended form the Governing Philosophy of America’s Founding Fathers, are still descended from a very British Original Parent Country.
If America went Legitimist Monarchist, then only two options exist. The Windsor’s, so we can share a Monarch with Canada, or the House of Stuart, if we really want to remain distinct.
I am pleased with either Option.
But I don’t see anyone else really having a claim on the United States as an existing Political body.
As to how the United States could become a Republic, this is whimsical but, I’d start with a basic Amendment that says “A State may choose to be a Constitutional Monarchy”. I may flesh it out a bit but, I’d allow for a Constitutional Monarchy on the State Level first. While only Hawaii is likely to take this up ( And possibly not even them) it’s a start. It’d get rid of the ghastly restriction that states can only have a Republican form of Government. I never did like that clause.
ReplyDeleteWhen people become more use to Monarchy then it can be accepted on a Federal Level, and not just a State Level.
Otherwise it will be like Rome. I o believe History repeats itself and America is basically new Rome, so in the Future we will have a New Emperor, and a New Fall.
As to America, I’ve heard the argument before that its never had a Monarchy, and that areas of the US use to belong to different powers, but I find this a weak argument.
ReplyDeleteDoes it matter if parts of America belonged to Spain, other parts France, and other parts Britain? From my vantage there is only one legitimate claimant to the Throne of America and that is the British Royal Family, and this is not because of my own affections of my ancestry and heritage. Its because if you consider the United States a single political entity, you have to look at its past. America started as 13 Colonised of Great Britain, and the original Continental Congress, as well as the subsequent Untied States Government that formed after the Revolution, were successors to the Crown Government. The entire Political Body grew directly out of, and descended from, the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The whole of America is thus really a successor Government to the original Colonial British Government.
This is even how American see it. I will prove it.
We are closing in on the 4th of July. This is the Annual Holiday commemorating he Great Revolution and how America was made Independent of Great Britain.
Its not a Holiday Celebrated by only the 13 Original States, its Celebrated by all 50 States. Texas may have been Spanish at the Time, but Texans see “Their” Founding Fathers fighting the British. So do Californians. So do people in Kansas. So do people in Alaska and Hawa’ii. They all consider the 4th of July their own Holiday, and all of them think of America’s Founders as “Our” Founding Fathers.
No one speaks of Alaska being Russian or Texas Spanish territory in that war. No one says that the war was about other people. Its “Our” war, its how “We” gained Independence form Britain.
The Mythlogy of the Revolution is a National Origins Saga that all Americans share, not just those in the Colonies themselves.
But, so is the Colonial era “Ours”.
Even the events like the Mayflower or Jamestown or early Colonial Life in general are thought of as “Our” past, even if “We’ are Latinos living in Colorado or Blacks descended from Caribbean pirates living in Nevada.
Plus, Americans have an American Culture, the Governments of all States save Louisiana are rooted in the same English Common Law, and all the state Governments have a Constitutional system that mirrors the Federal Government, and each has the same basic sense of Identity as “Americans” that everyone else does with a collectively shared cultural History that my or may not include your actual ancestry, but it still yours by virtue of being American.
They all share the same Governing Philosophy and Philosophy about Law and Culture too.
Not to mention what I said before, that the Federal Government is a successor to the original Crown Government.
To that end, America is really a British Colonial Nation that gained independence then expanded.
I don’t think the Spanish or French controlled Areas matter as much as that. Had America not Rebelled and broken off it still may have absorbed them anyway at some point, but would never be anything but British had it done so.
So, unless you are advocating for secession of those area’s, I’d say the Federal Government, and the States that descended form the Governing Philosophy of America’s Founding Fathers, are still descended from a very British Original Parent Country.
If America went Legitimist Monarchist, then only two options exist. The Windsor’s, so we can share a Monarch with Canada, or the House of Stuart, if we really want to remain distinct.
I am pleased with either Option.
But I don’t see anyone else really having a claim on the United States as an existing Political body.
To an Australian monarchist any change from the current Constitution in which HM the Queen of Australia is also the Queen of the UK and Her other realms and territories is unacceptable. To reject the House of Windsor is treason in my books.
ReplyDeleteDavid I wasn't advocating changing from the current arrangements, nor will you ever hear me want to 'reject' the House of Windsor. I said 'if worst comes to worst...', meaning inviting a member of the Windsors to be our own monarch would be a last resort if a republic is the only other option, e.g. if the Crown of the UK is abolished (God forbid).
ReplyDeleteI have worked out a plan on how America could be ruled by a native Monarchy. First of all, America, sadly will never accept an old-world Royal as their leader. America as a whole must lose faith in the republic and political correctness and the media, and desire to return to values and unity. My suggestion is that when Monarchy comes to America, it will be first a warrior-king from among its own ranks, much like the Barbarian rulers who toppled Rome. Think an American Odoacer or Theodoric, or Clovis. Once this person is ruling, a system could be set up- Each County in America is presided over by a Count, each state a Baron, Each Region a Duke- Divided into seven or eight. Hawaii would be returned to its royal family, and Alaska would be a region on its own. The Council of Counts consult each Baron, the Barons form a council to consult the regional Dukes, and the Dukes advise the Crown.
ReplyDeleteEh, after last night's election results, I am going to try the Monarchist Party idea. I'm going to keep going with it as long as I can. I imagine it will end up as it always does here, but I guess I just don't care anymore about the Republican system. Why not tilt after windmills? It's better that being ground to powder by them.
ReplyDeleteSomething I think I should mention is that, many of the Founding Fathers where indeed Christians. I am a monarchist through and through and think that rebellion of any kind is wrong. Yet I believe many of the Founding Fathers of the United States believed, incorrectly perhaps, that it was their divine duty to throw of "tyranny". I would say that many, even the deists Jefferson and Franklin (who did both deny or "doubt" the deity of Christ, a heresy), did at least believe in God and respect the importance of the INSTITUTION of Christianity. Many of them belived in the bible's morals and the Church's institution, yet failed to grasp the whole personal concept. Some founding fathers, if anything can be said about what one say's or did, seemed to be devout Christians.
ReplyDeleteI believe that monarchist themselves degrade the founders a little to harshly, and teach that they where not religous (the very thing that our liberal enemies in washington desire us to believe.) Almost all of them where reverent to the Christian church institution, and that many likely had personal faith.