u/AccomplishedCoat300

A world I started building a while ago but never fully finished. It begins with an Aaron Burr presidency in 1796 and eventually spirals into a timeline where the Confederacy and the United Kingdom win the Civil War, only for the United States to launch the American Reconquest of the South and eventually retake the region.

The instability and political upheaval of this “Failed Century” reshape American politics. As the country struggles to recover, J.P. Morgan forms the Bismarckism style party, taking over the center-right from the Whigs. The party goes on to dominate the Gilded Age, overseeing an era of political consolidation, economic recovery, and explosive industrial growth.

Some screenshots from early government and political headlines during the outbreak, documenting the rapidly changing response to the crisis. As tensions escalated and police absenteeism worsened, reports of excessive force became increasingly common. Throughout late January and February, the government continued to downplay the severity of the disease, even as cases began appearing across the country at roughly the same time. The growing outbreak soon contributed to bank runs across the United States, followed by President Trump’s announcement of quarantine zones in mid-to-late March.

First, I just want to say thank you for all the great advice, feedback, and interest you’ve all shown. There were a lot of comments, so I’m still working my way through them!

Just a quick little update to the lore as I take in many of the suggestions you all made to help build out the world and story.

As a side note, I’ve also gotten a lot of questions about where to follow future updates. For now, please feel free to follow or watch my account. I’m going to try to refrain from making additional posts on r/worldbuilding unless there are any major additions to the lore or when I need help.

Post context: After months of inaction, mismanagement, and repeated failures to contain the disease, it is finally confirmed that person to person transmission is possible as cases begin appearing across the country. In response, President Trump appoints Ronny Jackson to oversee the newly established Beautiful Patriotic Zone program, which forces thousands of people in urban areas into heavily restricted quarantine zones in an attempt to slow the spread.

As tensions escalate, police raid a low-income housing complex to retrieve corpses that were supposed to have been turned over to the government. The operation quickly turns violent, with officers accused of using excessive force. The incident sparks widespread demonstrations and riots against the government, briefly making Atlanta the center of the political world as the nation's growing crisis reaches a new height.

I decided to design my own worst-case pandemic scenario, centered around a prion disease outbreak that begins in Texas in early 2028. Texas is the perfect starting point for the outbreak, with both a massive meat-packing industry and major disease research facilities located within the state. As the disease begins to spread, the United States attempts to maintain normal life and preserve American society, even as the situation slowly spirals out of control. This is only Part One of the world I've created, focusing on the beginning of the outbreak and the gradual collapse of society as the true nature of the disease becomes apparent.