Chapter 10: Chapter 9: The American Founders… Not Yet At Least

"South Carolina will never accept this... abomination of a proposal!" Representative Edward Rutledge yelled as he glared at Colonel Kim.

Colonel Kim, General Washington, and their men arrived in Philadelphia on July 2nd of 1775, 15 days after the Battle of Bunker Hill. When the two men arrived with their units, they were welcomed into the town as heroes, with inhabitants of the city looking at Colonel Kim with a mix of confusion and celebration. Shortly after their arrival, General Washington, Colonel Kim, and General Putnam were privately escorted into the Pennsylvania State House by the representatives of the Second Continental Congress. Their men made their way to the outskirts of the city to set up camp, as their stay was expected to take some time.

On the way to Philadelphia, General Washington became a close confidant and friend of Colonel Kim. The two men, despite their vastly different upbringings, found themselves agreeing with a number of subjects such as the issue of slavery and religion. They also shared an interest in theater, strangely enough. Apparently, General Washington enjoyed watching plays and performances, which led to Colonel Kim showing him some plays and movies from the future on his laptop. Colonel Kim showed him several plays such as Shakespeare and Les Miserables and movies like Patriot, The Crossing, and Glory. General Washington took a particular liking to these movies and regularly visited Colonel Kim's tent to discuss their future course of action and watch movies.

Both men agreed to work together in order to establish a better future for the United States and cooperate militarily, even if Colonel Kim was not offered an official commission. Additionally, General Washington reassured the colonel that he would not institute a ban on black soldiers as the other history and copy the British tactic: allowing blacks to fight for their freedom. As a show of goodwill, Colonel Kim administered the smallpox vaccine to Washington's men and his own men, warning the general about the importance of hygiene and how the Continental Army was devastated due to diseases in the other history.

Overall, the two established a good, working relationship. Unfortunately, a number of representatives in Congress were hostile to some of Colonel Kim's proposals.

The marine officer revealed his secret to Congress and with the support of General Washington and General Putnam, gained their confidence in his tale. After hearing the history of the United States and the heights it achieved in just two centuries, the pro-independence faction was galvanized and with the knowledge that a Declaration of Rebellion was to be announced soon, took the winds out of many of the pro-peace faction's sails. The representatives debated and discussed the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, but Colonel Kim interjected to reveal the changes he sought to make if the United States "reformed." Up until this point, things were seemingly fine until Colonel Kim raised the three key issues he desired to settle. The first two issues he raised were the issues of slavery and equal rights.

Needless to say, that raised an uproar from the North Carolina and South Carolina representatives to Congress.

Benjamin Franklin, who was one of the few representatives to remain calm and level-headed through Colonel Kim's explanation, replied in his stead, "Gentlemen, Colonel Kim has explained his intentions and has explained to us the reasoning for his proposal. If slavery is to bring civil war upon the "United States" and cause decades of suffering for both Negros and whites alike, then should we really continue to the institution? Additionally, as General Washington has stated, the colonel has access to technology and inventions that can assist with the development of the southern colonies to make up for their losses of slaves and it will allow the south to have greater representation, should the proposal of the United States go through. We must make a decision here gentlemen and together as a whole. We must be hanged together, or we must be hanged separately."

Colonel Kim had to fight down a smile as he recognized the quote immediately but scowled as he turned towards the man that was pointing at him, "This is not just about slavery, esteemed representative. This is about the United States and everything she stands for. All of you here will one day be revered by the future generations for declaring independence and founding a nation that was both revolutionary and ideal. But the stain of slavery and the false promises of equality to all will last for an eternity. Additionally, the issue of slavery, if not resolved now, will inevitably lead to conflict and as seen in the other history, civil war. We must settle this matter now, esteemed representatives, or else it will lead to a division that can not be fixed easily in the future."

"It is God's will..."

"If you are using the Almighty's name to justify your claims, Mr. Rutledge, do remember that Colonel Kim here was sent by the Creator himself to rewrite the past. The Almighty has showered Colonel Kim with gifts and supported his endeavors, and if Colonel Kim is advocating for the end of slavery and the beginning of equality, I believe that he is carrying out the Almighty's will." General Washington declared, answering in Colonel Kim's stead, "I have seen images of the future, and Colonel Kim is correct. The lives of millions are now at stake, gentlemen. Perhaps the entire world."

That brought silence to the entire room, not because General Washington spoke, but because General Washington was speaking highly of Colonel Kim and supporting his proposal. Representative Rutledge collapsed into his seat, looking outraged and embarrassed.

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"At the beginning of next year, Britain will promise slaves freedom if they take up arms against their masters and fight for Britain. Even if you refuse on an abolition clause, the British will do everything to turn slaves against the southern colonies and free them. It is estimated that nearly 15%-20% of all slaves in the southern colonies either fled into freedom or defected to the British. While I do not wish to threaten the esteemed representatives of North Carolina and South Carolina, they currently are at a crossroads. Either they will be remembered and celebrated as liberators and freedom fighters, while also receiving compensation for their losses and additional wealth from future technology. Or they refuse."

The colonel rose to full heights and walked in front of the representatives, "I am not demanding you to turn over all your slaves and free them into the wild, representatives. I am humbly asking you to free them, treat them as humans, and give them pay for their works. They can continue serving their owners, provided they get rights, fair treatment, and payment. It is a difficult choice, but your respective colonies will see much improvement in the long run. So I ask that you consider the request and debate amongst yourselves."

John Hancock, who was presiding over the Congress, tapped his gavel to gain the attention of the representatives, "May I also remind the representatives that if what Colonel Kim has told our Congress so far is true, then the king will declare the colonies open rebel within this month. If that is the case, then we must act unitedly and decisively. Additionally, the king is most likely aware of South Carolina's presence in this Congress. He will not treat that fact lightly."

The 10 representatives from North Carolina and South Carolina rose from their seats but were more subdued than before. North Carolina Representative William Hooper glanced at the other representatives and frowned, "I will discuss the matter with the members of the Committee of my state. As Colonel Kim requested, we will keep his situation a secret for the time being. But there will be demands if you want our colonies to join, gentlemen. And those demands will be long and contentious. If they are not met, then we may have many problems against the other colonies."

They existed as a group, bringing silence to the room. Colonel Kim rubbed the back of his neck in frustration and sighed, "I apologize for bringing disunity to the Congress, representatives. But I am firm on this issue and it is an issue I will not relent on."

"I'm afraid nothing can be done about that, Colonel Kim," Thomas Jefferson said as he stood up to speak to the remainders of Congress, "Even with the representatives of the Carolinas being discontent and leaving, we must remember that we have knowledge and power on our side. We now have a means to constantly finance this war, we have the means to invent technologies greater than anything the British have, and we have the potential to bring upon this world a fair and ideal republic. A republic that is not corrupted by slavery and selectivity, but of equality and liberty. I am still uncertain about the Constitution, as that is another matter to discuss entirely. But independence? I believe our time to make that declaration is drawing closer, and we will need to decide if we will repeat the tragedies of Colonel Kim's history, or rectify them."

Jefferson gave a reassuring smile to Colonel Kim and motioned to him, "This man is proof, living proof, that the United States will one day live up to its ideals. That in years beyond our time, the mistakes we were to make were changed and fixed, but at greater costs than we could have possibly imagined. His views and beliefs may be starkly different than ours, but they are a derivative of what we will develop in the future. Perhaps God himself was dismayed at our failures and mistakes and sent him back to our times to fix things, but regardless, we have been given an impossible opportunity. An opportunity we must seize without hesitation. I can not say I agree with everything Colonel Kim has to say, but I am willing to compromise and to listen in order to build a more prosperous future for ourselves and our future nation."

"My apologies Colonel Kim, please continue with your speech."

"Thank you, Pr...Mr. Jefferson," Colonel Kim said as he took back the spotlight, "The other issues are the Native American tribes, specifically the Six Nations, and Canada. I believe I have a proposal to help the Six Nations join our cause and turn them against the British."

Intrigued mutterings began to break out between the representatives as Hancock banged his gavel again to allow the colonel to continue, "We allow them possession of their current homeland, which unfortunately includes parts of New York and Pennsylvania, offer them representation in Congress and in the United States, allow them to seize Niagara, and give them weapons to fight for our cause."

And another round of debates and discussions began, though this time with considerably less hostility.

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