Alternate History Burr's Republic
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- 19th century
Skallagrim
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Burr never explicitly intended to go to Texas. As far as the (all second-hand, all hostile-to-Burr) contemporary sources depict his plan, his chief aim was to secure control of New Orleans, possibly with future expansion to the West, but primarily to gain control of the Mississippi and essentially carve a realm out of (part of) its watershed basin.
His exact plans, goals and even his underlying motivation for this supposed scheme are all shrouded in uncertainty, because Burr took great care to write down as little as possible-- and he habitually destroyed all records once they'd served their purpose. The extent of the uncertainty is so great that we don't know whether Burr's scheme was ever even real, or whether that narrative is more or less cobbled together from various nebulous ideas he had (but never really acted on) at various stages.
Basically: Burr's vaguely defined ideas may not actually have been part of some "grand plan" at all. The notion of a vast conpiracy may have been mostly invented by his enemies. This is not to say that he didn't have certain notions, nor should we deny that he clandestinely negotiated with the Spanish authorities. But in practice, all he demonstrably did was lease a few thousand acres in what is now Louisiana, and agitate for frontiersmen to settle in such Western regions.
Let's assume Burr really intends to set up his own country, out West. What's the actual story about this? The received version of events is as follows:
-- In 1804, while still Jefferson's VP, Burr met clandestinely with Anthony Merry, the British Minister to the United States. Burr suggested that Britain might gain influence in the South-West (and indeed over everything West of the Appalachians) if the British government were to provide him (Burr) with the equivalent of half million dollars; make available two or three warships for the naval support of his expedition; and provide further naval support in the Gulf of Mexico to prevent a US blockade attempt (in the event such a thing were to materialise, which Burr actually sought to avoid).
-- To Merry, Burr stated that the inhabitants of Louisiana and of the Trans-Appalachian states and territories were considerably dissatisfied with the general government of the USA; primarily because the early USA was economically shaky, and upon implemting its Constitution, the federal government has levied taxes that many in the West considered unduly high. (Most particularly: they were far higher than any tax Britain had ever levied, and those West of the Appalachians felt that Washington DC did as little -- or less -- of use than King George had ever done.) Burr presumably over-stated the case a bit, bit these sentiment were very real at the time.
-- To Burr, the support of a foreign power was a key ingredient to the success of the plan. As such, he subsequently remained in talks with Merry.
-- Jefferson was re-elected in 1804, but Burr was not nominated by the Democratic-Republicans to be Jefferson's running mate again, and his term as VP ended in March of 1805. At this point, Burr had leased (from the Spanish government) some 40.000 acres of land, known as the Bastrop Tract, along the Ouachita River in present-day Louisiana. Burr conceived plans to move to the region, supposedly just to take possession of the land.
-- Starting in Pittsburgh and then proceeding to Beaver (Pennsylvania) and Wheeling (Virginia) and onward down the Ohio River, he drummed up support for his planned settlement, whose purpose and status was unclear.
-- In the spring, Burr met with the wealthy Harman Blennerhassett, who proved valuable in helping Burr further his plan. He provided friendship, support, and most importantly, access to Blennerhassett Island on the Ohio River, about 3km below what is now Parkersburg (West Virginia).
-- Another key contact was General James Wilkinson, Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army at New Orleans, and Governor of the Louisiana Territory.
-- In November 1805, Minister Merry still hadn't given Burr a definitive answer, but did provide him with 1500 dollars. We must consider in this context that until Trafalgar (21 October 1805), the idea of sending ships to America to aid Burr's scheme (even if advantageous!) was simply not a practical possibility for Britain. Thereafter, however, perspectives might yet change, and this is the point where Merry provided Burr with at least some money.
-- However, in January 1806, Pitt the Younger died, and the subsequent British government was uninterested in supporting Burr's scheme in any capacity.
-- Blennerhassett, conversely, ffered to provide Burr with substantial financial support. He offered Blennerhassett Island as a staging base, as a a storage space for supplies, and as a location for the training and outfitting of men who were to serve as part of Burr's expedition.
-- In New Orleans, Burr met with Mexican associates, a group of criollos whose objective was to conquer/liberate all Mexico (still part of New Spain at the time). Burr was also able to gain the support of the Catholic bishop of New Orleans for an expedition into Mexico. Reports of Burr's plans first appeared in newspaper reports in August 1805, which suggested that Burr intended to raise a western army and "to form a separate government". (But a government of what territory?)
-- While Burr told the criollos that he was aligned with their plan to lberate Mexico from Spanish rules, he also conspired with the Spanish diplomat Carlos Martínez de Irujo y Tacón. To him, Burr suggested that his plan was to hew off those parts of the USA to the West of the Appalachians. But furthermore, just as he had entertained the notion of "liberating Mexico" to the criollos, he implied a plan to eventually march upon Washington DC when talking to the Spanish. Irujo then provided Burr with a few thousand dollars.
-- Burr then set about to travel across the Trans-Appalachian region, to recruit future volunteers for an expedition down the Mississippi River. The operation's headquarters was established on the Cumberland River. To many Westerners, Burr told stories of impending war with Spain, during which many a fortune would be made in the border-lands. Many, including a young Andrew Jackson, stood ready to help Burr in the event of a war between the USA and Spain. In this case, Burre presented his cause more as a private militia that would fight alongside, and on behalf of, the USA.
-- But, supposedly, with his close confederates, Burr had crafted a quite different plan. On the 1st of August, 1806, Burr himsellf would travel West with his daughter, never to return. His son-in-law would follow in October, with a force of sympathisers from the East. On the 1st of November, the conspirators would all gather their disprate forces. Wilkinson was to secure the loyalty of many military men. Most of the Navy of the USA (furious at having been veritably gutted by Jefferson) would be secured for Burr's expedition, and would abscond for the Gulf of Mexico at the agreed-upon time. This would give Burr a naval power, while robbing the USA of same. On the 15th of November, with between 500 and 1000 men, in light boats, the expeditionary force would head down the MIssissippi. Depots with rations for six months would be placed at key locations in advance. (Notably, Burr ensured with his conspirators that their new country would honour freedom of religion, explicitly including equal rights for Catholics, so as to secure the loyalty of former Spanish subjects.)
-- By June 1806, however, the Governor of Ohio grew suspicious of the activity at Blennerhassett Island, and ordered the state militia to raid the island and seize all supplies. No war materiel was found.
-- Blennerhassett himself escaped with one boat, and he met Burr at the headquarters. Unable to gather their prospective forces, they headed down the Ohio to the Mississippi River and New Orleans with a small force of about eighty men carrying modest arms meant for hunting.
-- Wilkinson had vowed to supply troops at New Orleans, but he concluded that the conspiracy was bound to fail, and rather than providing troops, Wilkinson revealed Burr's plan to President Jefferson. The rest is history. (Burr thereafter always maintained that his aim had only ever been to settle his land with a large group of well-armed yeoman farmers, so that if war broke out, they could fight on behalf of the USA, and win land and fortunes in the disputed border-lands.)
Note that we can't even tell whether most of these events ever really happened; or in any case, whether they happened as transcribed here. But if we assume that this all happened as outlined here, then Burr's (supposed) conspiracy takes shape. His focus was control of the Mississippi, and ideally, he sought to take land (as much as possible, in fact) from both the USA and Spain. From what we actually see, though, the supposd conspiracy never stood a chance. In fact, I think Burr probably told various parties what they wanted to hear, and at minumum wanted to get men to settle his land... probably hoping for some future fillibuster. He'd done some work to prepare various options, and depending on what he future brought, he'd potentially seek to capitalise on any one of these "options".
A well-crafted conspiracy, however? Not so much.
But let's assume, again, that it's real. The best POD for making it succeed is probably the British angle. Suppose Pitt the Younger retains better health and stays both alive and in power. Or suppose that an analogue to Trafalgar, by some sequence of events, occurs earlier. In both cases, Britain is in a considerably more comfortable naval situation. Would that be enough to make them actually back Burr's plan? Almost certainly not. But Francophile Jefferson is President at the time, so suppose that some diplomatic fuck-up goes South, and the USA ends up in hot water with Britain.
This gives Britain incentive to back Burr's scheme, on the basis that it both weakens and distracts the USA. Furthermore, a war scare would make it even more acutely obvious (and alarming, to many) that Jefferson had gutted the US Navy. And that he had no intention of reversing course on that issue. This might actually create very real sympathy for a "Burr conspiracy" within the naval cadre.
So Burr gets his big bag of money, gets his three warships, and gets further British naval support in the Gulf of Mexico. Using the money, he has the supply depots put in place, and is able to provide actual outfitting for his forces. Furthermore, he can actually offer his prospective "expeditionaries" financial incentives, getting far more people on board. (Not to mention some bribes in key places.) If the Ohio militia still makes trouble, Burr's men make short work of them. Within sight of a triumph, Wilkinson -- whose only interest is self-interest -- doesn't betray Burr to the US government.
The expedition launches, much as planned in OTL. Burr takes at least a thousand men South along the Mississippi, while a substantial force remains at Blennerhassett Island. Many more join as they expeditionary force heads further South. Some 7000 men arrive at Baton Rouge, and seize control there. 3000, led by Burr, continue to New Orleans. There, they meet up with the criollo forces whose support Burr had secured, as well as -- more crucially -- a force of some 5000 military men led by Wilkinson, and three fully crewed warships.
With a total of perhaps some 12.500 men on the ground, Burr's cabal of conspirators can effectively gain and keep control of further key points along the Mississippi and in the environs. With a populist message tailored to cater to the interests of the Westerners, Burr can plausibly secure the loyalty of significant segments of the populace.
(The great divide of the Appalachian Mountains was still very pronounced during this period, and the mindset of many was shaped by the lived experience of the time. Very few believed that one country could possibly come to dominate all or even most of North America. Jefferson fully expected a "Republi of the Pacific" to one day arise, founded by American settlers, but politically independent. John Jay was acutely afraid that those moving Westward would not consider themselves American; he expected that they would soon consider themselves foreign to the union situated chiefly along the Eastern sea-board at that time. To some degree, this was true.)
At this point, six frigates and four schooners -- formerly of the US Navy, now captured by conspirator-officers and sympathetic crews -- arrive off New Orleans, accompanied by several privateer vessels that also seek to join Burr's expedition. Together with the three British ships that are temporarily under his control, and the aid of more Royal Navy ships in the area, Burr now has enough naval power to safeguard (and control) the harbours of his new realm.
By early 1807, Burr has the core of his new country (the Mississippi) firmly under his control. The British support for his endeauvour had led Jefferson to declare war on Britain, leading to the War of 1807. This point in time is technically more favourable to the USA, but having been deprived of several warships and many miltary men, the young Republic is unable to capitalise upon this potential advantage. In any case, an ill-conceived attempt to seize Canada goes about as poorly as in OTL, and this kills all feasible chances of waging a successful war on Burr's secessionist realm.
Indeed, later in 1807, the Trans-Appalachian regions (although in reality still in a chaotic situation with characteristics of a civil war) formally secede, as their (often newly installed, and in some cases forcibly installed) pro-Burr administrations declare that they are joining the new, Western union of states. Burr additionally claims all of Louisiana, which he furthermore interprets as covering all lands extending up to the Rio Grande. To the East, he extends his claims to the Apalachicola/Chattahoochee river.
We can ignore the details for the next stage, and just take it as a given that with British support, Burr manages to consolidate his new country within its claimed borders. By 1815 at the latest, both the USA and Spain are forced to concede their losses. The great Western "empire" is a reality. Not that Burr actually styles himself Emperor. That was never his intent by any account. Moreover, Britain wouldn't want anything reminding them of Napoleon's antics.
Instead, the new country is much like the USA, probably closely copying its Constitution. It'll be a union of states, with low taxes to cater to the sensibilities of the Westerners. There will be more focus on a "well-trained militia", and probably a small standing army. The navy will certainly be kept in place, and probably expanded. The Mississippi will be patrolled by small ships as well, to enure safe navigation. (This will be crucial, since this river is the main artery of Burr's new union.) Freedom of religion (notably equality for Catholics) will be big. The executive will be more powerful. Burr might call himself "Consul" or something, and he'll be in charge for the forseeable future-- if not for life. But he won't
Burr was critical of slavery, and would almost certainly abolish it throughout this new union. He was also a proponent of female suffrage, and his union might well be the first state where all adults, regardless of sex, would have a vote in federal elections. Possibly regardless of race, too, because Burr's vast country will be rather short on citizens... Certainly regardless of wealth, in any case: Burr was a vocal opponent of property qualifications.
In the USA, Burr had been a Democratic-Republican, but far more moderate than Jefferson. He had various Federalist allies, too. In many ways, he represented a "middle way". He set up his own bank to screw with Hamilton and his cronies back in New York, and I'm pretty sure he'd set up a national bank for his new country, too. He'd rely on British investment to a great extent. (In return, Britain would profit from free access to the Mississippi for economic purposes. With the USA confined East of the Appalachians, British North America border on Burr's country in the North, and a profitable trade axis could emerge there.)
....The long story short is that if this plan succeeds, the power of the USA is broken. It is reduced to a regional union of Eastern states. The great basin of the MIssissippi and its tributaries instead becomes the heartland of another union. This new country is firmly aligned with Britain; we may expect that the truncated USA is instead severely Anglophobic.
How these countries develop politically is impossible to predict. Burr's country (whatever it ends up being called) covers a region that in OTL doesn't lend itself to the most dense population. This may be different in an ATL, but maybe not to so great an extent that his country will have loads of men to spare on adventurism further West. Which implies that it may, possibly, never extend to the Pacific.
Burr himself would have a completely different legacy. In the USA, he'd surely still be a figure srrounded by ngative connotations: an even worse Benedict Arnold! (Indeed, Burr was one of Arnold's closest lieutenants, so that connection will surely be made.) But in his own country, he'll be like a George Washington-- a towering, half-mythical figure.
He'd make that work, even during his own lifetime. He may have been a controversial man, who made his fair share of enemies, but most who knew him remarked upon his excellent manners and friendly character. Moreover, he was a truly great public speaker: his last speech in the US Senate, in OTL, brought most of the audience to tears.
He was a man larger than life, and if he'd successfully carried out this half-apocryphal, more-than-half mad plan... he'd have ended up in charge of a country big enough for his personality.
His exact plans, goals and even his underlying motivation for this supposed scheme are all shrouded in uncertainty, because Burr took great care to write down as little as possible-- and he habitually destroyed all records once they'd served their purpose. The extent of the uncertainty is so great that we don't know whether Burr's scheme was ever even real, or whether that narrative is more or less cobbled together from various nebulous ideas he had (but never really acted on) at various stages.
Basically: Burr's vaguely defined ideas may not actually have been part of some "grand plan" at all. The notion of a vast conpiracy may have been mostly invented by his enemies. This is not to say that he didn't have certain notions, nor should we deny that he clandestinely negotiated with the Spanish authorities. But in practice, all he demonstrably did was lease a few thousand acres in what is now Louisiana, and agitate for frontiersmen to settle in such Western regions.
Let's assume Burr really intends to set up his own country, out West. What's the actual story about this? The received version of events is as follows:
-- In 1804, while still Jefferson's VP, Burr met clandestinely with Anthony Merry, the British Minister to the United States. Burr suggested that Britain might gain influence in the South-West (and indeed over everything West of the Appalachians) if the British government were to provide him (Burr) with the equivalent of half million dollars; make available two or three warships for the naval support of his expedition; and provide further naval support in the Gulf of Mexico to prevent a US blockade attempt (in the event such a thing were to materialise, which Burr actually sought to avoid).
-- To Merry, Burr stated that the inhabitants of Louisiana and of the Trans-Appalachian states and territories were considerably dissatisfied with the general government of the USA; primarily because the early USA was economically shaky, and upon implemting its Constitution, the federal government has levied taxes that many in the West considered unduly high. (Most particularly: they were far higher than any tax Britain had ever levied, and those West of the Appalachians felt that Washington DC did as little -- or less -- of use than King George had ever done.) Burr presumably over-stated the case a bit, bit these sentiment were very real at the time.
-- To Burr, the support of a foreign power was a key ingredient to the success of the plan. As such, he subsequently remained in talks with Merry.
-- Jefferson was re-elected in 1804, but Burr was not nominated by the Democratic-Republicans to be Jefferson's running mate again, and his term as VP ended in March of 1805. At this point, Burr had leased (from the Spanish government) some 40.000 acres of land, known as the Bastrop Tract, along the Ouachita River in present-day Louisiana. Burr conceived plans to move to the region, supposedly just to take possession of the land.
-- Starting in Pittsburgh and then proceeding to Beaver (Pennsylvania) and Wheeling (Virginia) and onward down the Ohio River, he drummed up support for his planned settlement, whose purpose and status was unclear.
-- In the spring, Burr met with the wealthy Harman Blennerhassett, who proved valuable in helping Burr further his plan. He provided friendship, support, and most importantly, access to Blennerhassett Island on the Ohio River, about 3km below what is now Parkersburg (West Virginia).
-- Another key contact was General James Wilkinson, Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army at New Orleans, and Governor of the Louisiana Territory.
-- In November 1805, Minister Merry still hadn't given Burr a definitive answer, but did provide him with 1500 dollars. We must consider in this context that until Trafalgar (21 October 1805), the idea of sending ships to America to aid Burr's scheme (even if advantageous!) was simply not a practical possibility for Britain. Thereafter, however, perspectives might yet change, and this is the point where Merry provided Burr with at least some money.
-- However, in January 1806, Pitt the Younger died, and the subsequent British government was uninterested in supporting Burr's scheme in any capacity.
-- Blennerhassett, conversely, ffered to provide Burr with substantial financial support. He offered Blennerhassett Island as a staging base, as a a storage space for supplies, and as a location for the training and outfitting of men who were to serve as part of Burr's expedition.
-- In New Orleans, Burr met with Mexican associates, a group of criollos whose objective was to conquer/liberate all Mexico (still part of New Spain at the time). Burr was also able to gain the support of the Catholic bishop of New Orleans for an expedition into Mexico. Reports of Burr's plans first appeared in newspaper reports in August 1805, which suggested that Burr intended to raise a western army and "to form a separate government". (But a government of what territory?)
-- While Burr told the criollos that he was aligned with their plan to lberate Mexico from Spanish rules, he also conspired with the Spanish diplomat Carlos Martínez de Irujo y Tacón. To him, Burr suggested that his plan was to hew off those parts of the USA to the West of the Appalachians. But furthermore, just as he had entertained the notion of "liberating Mexico" to the criollos, he implied a plan to eventually march upon Washington DC when talking to the Spanish. Irujo then provided Burr with a few thousand dollars.
-- Burr then set about to travel across the Trans-Appalachian region, to recruit future volunteers for an expedition down the Mississippi River. The operation's headquarters was established on the Cumberland River. To many Westerners, Burr told stories of impending war with Spain, during which many a fortune would be made in the border-lands. Many, including a young Andrew Jackson, stood ready to help Burr in the event of a war between the USA and Spain. In this case, Burre presented his cause more as a private militia that would fight alongside, and on behalf of, the USA.
-- But, supposedly, with his close confederates, Burr had crafted a quite different plan. On the 1st of August, 1806, Burr himsellf would travel West with his daughter, never to return. His son-in-law would follow in October, with a force of sympathisers from the East. On the 1st of November, the conspirators would all gather their disprate forces. Wilkinson was to secure the loyalty of many military men. Most of the Navy of the USA (furious at having been veritably gutted by Jefferson) would be secured for Burr's expedition, and would abscond for the Gulf of Mexico at the agreed-upon time. This would give Burr a naval power, while robbing the USA of same. On the 15th of November, with between 500 and 1000 men, in light boats, the expeditionary force would head down the MIssissippi. Depots with rations for six months would be placed at key locations in advance. (Notably, Burr ensured with his conspirators that their new country would honour freedom of religion, explicitly including equal rights for Catholics, so as to secure the loyalty of former Spanish subjects.)
-- By June 1806, however, the Governor of Ohio grew suspicious of the activity at Blennerhassett Island, and ordered the state militia to raid the island and seize all supplies. No war materiel was found.
-- Blennerhassett himself escaped with one boat, and he met Burr at the headquarters. Unable to gather their prospective forces, they headed down the Ohio to the Mississippi River and New Orleans with a small force of about eighty men carrying modest arms meant for hunting.
-- Wilkinson had vowed to supply troops at New Orleans, but he concluded that the conspiracy was bound to fail, and rather than providing troops, Wilkinson revealed Burr's plan to President Jefferson. The rest is history. (Burr thereafter always maintained that his aim had only ever been to settle his land with a large group of well-armed yeoman farmers, so that if war broke out, they could fight on behalf of the USA, and win land and fortunes in the disputed border-lands.)
Note that we can't even tell whether most of these events ever really happened; or in any case, whether they happened as transcribed here. But if we assume that this all happened as outlined here, then Burr's (supposed) conspiracy takes shape. His focus was control of the Mississippi, and ideally, he sought to take land (as much as possible, in fact) from both the USA and Spain. From what we actually see, though, the supposd conspiracy never stood a chance. In fact, I think Burr probably told various parties what they wanted to hear, and at minumum wanted to get men to settle his land... probably hoping for some future fillibuster. He'd done some work to prepare various options, and depending on what he future brought, he'd potentially seek to capitalise on any one of these "options".
A well-crafted conspiracy, however? Not so much.
But let's assume, again, that it's real. The best POD for making it succeed is probably the British angle. Suppose Pitt the Younger retains better health and stays both alive and in power. Or suppose that an analogue to Trafalgar, by some sequence of events, occurs earlier. In both cases, Britain is in a considerably more comfortable naval situation. Would that be enough to make them actually back Burr's plan? Almost certainly not. But Francophile Jefferson is President at the time, so suppose that some diplomatic fuck-up goes South, and the USA ends up in hot water with Britain.
This gives Britain incentive to back Burr's scheme, on the basis that it both weakens and distracts the USA. Furthermore, a war scare would make it even more acutely obvious (and alarming, to many) that Jefferson had gutted the US Navy. And that he had no intention of reversing course on that issue. This might actually create very real sympathy for a "Burr conspiracy" within the naval cadre.
So Burr gets his big bag of money, gets his three warships, and gets further British naval support in the Gulf of Mexico. Using the money, he has the supply depots put in place, and is able to provide actual outfitting for his forces. Furthermore, he can actually offer his prospective "expeditionaries" financial incentives, getting far more people on board. (Not to mention some bribes in key places.) If the Ohio militia still makes trouble, Burr's men make short work of them. Within sight of a triumph, Wilkinson -- whose only interest is self-interest -- doesn't betray Burr to the US government.
The expedition launches, much as planned in OTL. Burr takes at least a thousand men South along the Mississippi, while a substantial force remains at Blennerhassett Island. Many more join as they expeditionary force heads further South. Some 7000 men arrive at Baton Rouge, and seize control there. 3000, led by Burr, continue to New Orleans. There, they meet up with the criollo forces whose support Burr had secured, as well as -- more crucially -- a force of some 5000 military men led by Wilkinson, and three fully crewed warships.
With a total of perhaps some 12.500 men on the ground, Burr's cabal of conspirators can effectively gain and keep control of further key points along the Mississippi and in the environs. With a populist message tailored to cater to the interests of the Westerners, Burr can plausibly secure the loyalty of significant segments of the populace.
(The great divide of the Appalachian Mountains was still very pronounced during this period, and the mindset of many was shaped by the lived experience of the time. Very few believed that one country could possibly come to dominate all or even most of North America. Jefferson fully expected a "Republi of the Pacific" to one day arise, founded by American settlers, but politically independent. John Jay was acutely afraid that those moving Westward would not consider themselves American; he expected that they would soon consider themselves foreign to the union situated chiefly along the Eastern sea-board at that time. To some degree, this was true.)
At this point, six frigates and four schooners -- formerly of the US Navy, now captured by conspirator-officers and sympathetic crews -- arrive off New Orleans, accompanied by several privateer vessels that also seek to join Burr's expedition. Together with the three British ships that are temporarily under his control, and the aid of more Royal Navy ships in the area, Burr now has enough naval power to safeguard (and control) the harbours of his new realm.
By early 1807, Burr has the core of his new country (the Mississippi) firmly under his control. The British support for his endeauvour had led Jefferson to declare war on Britain, leading to the War of 1807. This point in time is technically more favourable to the USA, but having been deprived of several warships and many miltary men, the young Republic is unable to capitalise upon this potential advantage. In any case, an ill-conceived attempt to seize Canada goes about as poorly as in OTL, and this kills all feasible chances of waging a successful war on Burr's secessionist realm.
Indeed, later in 1807, the Trans-Appalachian regions (although in reality still in a chaotic situation with characteristics of a civil war) formally secede, as their (often newly installed, and in some cases forcibly installed) pro-Burr administrations declare that they are joining the new, Western union of states. Burr additionally claims all of Louisiana, which he furthermore interprets as covering all lands extending up to the Rio Grande. To the East, he extends his claims to the Apalachicola/Chattahoochee river.
We can ignore the details for the next stage, and just take it as a given that with British support, Burr manages to consolidate his new country within its claimed borders. By 1815 at the latest, both the USA and Spain are forced to concede their losses. The great Western "empire" is a reality. Not that Burr actually styles himself Emperor. That was never his intent by any account. Moreover, Britain wouldn't want anything reminding them of Napoleon's antics.
Instead, the new country is much like the USA, probably closely copying its Constitution. It'll be a union of states, with low taxes to cater to the sensibilities of the Westerners. There will be more focus on a "well-trained militia", and probably a small standing army. The navy will certainly be kept in place, and probably expanded. The Mississippi will be patrolled by small ships as well, to enure safe navigation. (This will be crucial, since this river is the main artery of Burr's new union.) Freedom of religion (notably equality for Catholics) will be big. The executive will be more powerful. Burr might call himself "Consul" or something, and he'll be in charge for the forseeable future-- if not for life. But he won't
Burr was critical of slavery, and would almost certainly abolish it throughout this new union. He was also a proponent of female suffrage, and his union might well be the first state where all adults, regardless of sex, would have a vote in federal elections. Possibly regardless of race, too, because Burr's vast country will be rather short on citizens... Certainly regardless of wealth, in any case: Burr was a vocal opponent of property qualifications.
In the USA, Burr had been a Democratic-Republican, but far more moderate than Jefferson. He had various Federalist allies, too. In many ways, he represented a "middle way". He set up his own bank to screw with Hamilton and his cronies back in New York, and I'm pretty sure he'd set up a national bank for his new country, too. He'd rely on British investment to a great extent. (In return, Britain would profit from free access to the Mississippi for economic purposes. With the USA confined East of the Appalachians, British North America border on Burr's country in the North, and a profitable trade axis could emerge there.)
....The long story short is that if this plan succeeds, the power of the USA is broken. It is reduced to a regional union of Eastern states. The great basin of the MIssissippi and its tributaries instead becomes the heartland of another union. This new country is firmly aligned with Britain; we may expect that the truncated USA is instead severely Anglophobic.
How these countries develop politically is impossible to predict. Burr's country (whatever it ends up being called) covers a region that in OTL doesn't lend itself to the most dense population. This may be different in an ATL, but maybe not to so great an extent that his country will have loads of men to spare on adventurism further West. Which implies that it may, possibly, never extend to the Pacific.
Burr himself would have a completely different legacy. In the USA, he'd surely still be a figure srrounded by ngative connotations: an even worse Benedict Arnold! (Indeed, Burr was one of Arnold's closest lieutenants, so that connection will surely be made.) But in his own country, he'll be like a George Washington-- a towering, half-mythical figure.
He'd make that work, even during his own lifetime. He may have been a controversial man, who made his fair share of enemies, but most who knew him remarked upon his excellent manners and friendly character. Moreover, he was a truly great public speaker: his last speech in the US Senate, in OTL, brought most of the audience to tears.
He was a man larger than life, and if he'd successfully carried out this half-apocryphal, more-than-half mad plan... he'd have ended up in charge of a country big enough for his personality.