The Commonwealth of North America (It's finally here!)

[IchBinDieKaiser]

After months of research and preperation it is almost ready. I'll be posting the first update of the timeline within the next couple days, perhaps later tonight. This is the newest incarnation of my timeline idea of America losing the revolution and then having a second revolution about a generation and a half later.

This timeline will be written, to the best of my ability, in a style similar to Thande's Look to the West, which was one of the major inspirations for this timeline.

This I plan to be my most indepth timeline to date. Comments are welcome and fair criticism will be accepted.

Unlike my other timelines which tend to be sporadic in their updates (sometimes multiple in a single day and then over a week without one) this timeline's updates will be more under control. I plan on updating this timeline no more than once a week, and no less then once every two weeks.

I thank all of you who have been waiting patiently for this project. So without further ado, The Commonwealth of North America.

[SpazzReflex]

It's arrived, finally!
No pressure, but this had best be worth the money for popcorn.

[IchBinDieKaiser]

Chapter One: A Deceitfully Positive Victory
From “The First Revolution: A History of the Commonwealth” by Dr. Evan William Foulke, Philadelphia Press, 1972

It was a chilling dark night on the thirty-first of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy five. While most people in the world adhering to the Gregorian calendar were in the warmth of their homes with friends and loved ones, celebrating the end of one year and the birth of another, around a city in Upper North America [1] events were about to unfold that would set into motion a sudden shift in the direction of world history. Though few at the time would see the significance of their deeds, they would sow the seeds of their own destruction and rebirth.

The Seven Years War left Britain in dire economic straits after having to defend its holdings and allies in continental Europe along with defending its colonies in the new world. In hopes of procuring revenue Great Britain began imposing more direct rule on its colonies in the Americas, as much as one could expect in the eighteenth century. However these acts of Parliament were interpreted by the English colonists in the Americas as an intrusion upon their right to self governance. It was not so much taxation that brought them to rebellion against the Crown and Parliament as much as an intrusion on their political autonomy that geography had granted them. It was like a boy that was abandoned by his father in youth, and years later returns and expects the child, a young adult, to obey the man who abandoned him. These political actions along with preachers in the Black Robe Regiment would stir the colonists into revolution against what was seen as the natural order in the rest of the world. As the rebellion became more organized, driving out the royal governors from their posts in the colonies along the Atlantic coast, they began to take military actions against the occupying British forces in hopes of gaining the attention of the King and Parliament so they can air their grievances.

The newly organized government of the rebelling colonies, the Continental Congress, formed a body of professional soldiers which would be dubbed the Continental Army. A Virginia planter by the name of George Washington would be appointed the leader of the main branch of this military body. He would campaign primarily within the middle colonies. However it would take more then just one commander and one theater to win a war against what was the greatest power on earth.

In the north an Irish-born Seven Years War veteran Richard Montgomery was given the rank of Brigadier General and given command of an expeditionary force after a General Philip Schuyler fell ill in order to invade Canada in hopes of persuading the French inhabitants to join the rebellion as the fourteenth colony. In 1774 and 1775 the Continental Congress had invited the French Canadians to attend, but with no response.

Richard Montgomery would lead the expeditionary force from Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point up Lake Champlain and successfully besieging Fort St. Jean and capturing Montreal on November 13th. During the Siege of Montreal provincial governor of Quebec, General Guy Carlton, was captured [2] trying to flee.

At this time a merchant from Connecticut named Benedict Arnold, given the rank of colonel led an arduous trek from Massachusetts through the northern wilderness. He was leading a expedition of volunteers from Boston along with riflemen from Pennsylvania and Virginia commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Morgan. They braved the wilderness of upper Massachusetts crossing the mountains and the St. Lawrence river into the Province of Quebec in November. His exploits were hailed by the Continental Congress, earning Benedict Arnold the title of the American Hannibal.

In early December Montgomery and Arnold met at Pointe-aux-Trembles. Arnold had lost nearly half of his men during the journey from Boston from death and desertion. They were low on supplies, especially food and winter clothing. Montgomery was able to provide clothing to Arnold’s men from his capture of Montreal. Reinforcements were also sent from Montreal to augment their force. While in Canada a Frenchmen living near Trois-Rivières by the name of Christophe Pélissier met with Montgomery. He was a supporter of the American cause who operated the St. Maurice Ironworks. The two discussed holding a convention for the province of Quebec to send representatives to the congress, but Pelissier said they should wait until Quebec City was in American hands before doing so. The two agreed and Pelissier offered his Ironworks facility as a house for the convention. He would also offer munitions to the Americans for the attack on Quebec City.

Meanwhile in Quebec City Lieutenant Governor Hector Theophilus de Cramahé tried to assemble amicable defenses, but to no avail. Carlton had been captured by Montgomery during the Siege of Montreal, and all of his forces there had been captured as well. He sent word in all directions for reinforcements, but none arrived [3]. The St. Lawrence river had frozen up and reinforcements could not be sent from New York or any other British strongholds in the Atlantic colonies. The best he was able to do was assemble a militia of a couple hundred whom he described as “not to much to be depended on.”

As the end of the year grew closer and closer Montgomery was waiting for the right moment to launch an attack on the City of Quebec, preferably during a snowstorm in order to provide cover for the attack. On December 27th he called off an attack when a snowstorm stopped, but he could not wait much longer. Most of the men under his command were volunteers who’s enlistments ran up on January 1st. He needed to make an attack as soon as possible.

It would be on New Years Eve, 1775. A storm had blown in on December 30th, and Montgomery ordered his men into position for the attack. He sent two of his commanders, Brown and Livingston, to the Cape Diamond Bastion and St. John’s Gate respectively. Between 4 and 5 am when Brown reached his assigned target, he fired flares to signal the attack and his and Livingston’s men fired on their respective targets. Seeing the flares, Montgomery and Arnold set off for the lower town.

Montgomery lead his men down a steep snow-heaped path towards the outer defense. He made it to the outside palisade where an advance team of carpenters cut through them. Montgomery and 50 other men charged down a street toward a blockhouse being occupied by 10 militia men armed with muskets. They opened fired on Montgomery and his men. One shot just missed Montgomery, but hit a lieutenant next to him, killing him instantly [4]. The militia members where over run by Montgomery’s charge, and his men managed to take the blockhouse.

On the other side of the town Benedict Arnold led his body of men toward the barricades of the Sault-au-Matelot. They passed through the gates undetected. There were few defenders in the city, mostly militia men recruited within the last month. The few that didn’t flee at the sight of the Americans put up little resistant, surrendering to Arnold and his men. They managed to capture the Barricade with only a few casualties caused by the few professional soldiers Guy Carlton had left in the city before going to Montreal earlier in the fall. With the capture of the outlying areas, the attack on Quebec City itself was swift. They were outnumbered, and the few they had were mostly militia augmented by a few veterans who mostly served as officers. By morning of January 1st Quebec City was under American control.

The enlistments of the men who performed the attack were up, and Montgomery pleaded with them to stay. Out of the 1000 men remaining only 400 would stay, the others would make the journey back to their homes. News of the capture of Quebec City spread like wildfire across the colonies. They cheered Montgomery as a national hero. There were some who were looking to replace George Washington with Richard Montgomery, but he refused any such offer. In particular Montgomery was focused on getting the French Canadians on their side.

On January 27th a convention would be held at the St. Maurice Ironworks were representatives from different towns and villages met to discuss how Quebec would participate in the revolution. However the turnout was not great. Only 12 Frenchmen, including Christophe Pélissier himself who served as the speaker of the convention. Despite the small turnout, they decided that Quebec would join the 13 other colonies in their rebellion against the British. In reality there was not much support for the rebellion in Quebec. The average Frenchman in Canada did not see a difference between the Americans and the British because they saw them all as English. This would not stop the 12 men at the convention from forming their own government and relocating to Quebec City. The twelve of them would serve as a Security Council, sending 2 of them to the Continental Congress as their representatives. They would have a voice in the revolution, but not the support of their own people.


　
[1] A term ITTL that refers to any part of North America north of the St. Lawrence river or the Great Lakes.

[2] This is the PoD for this timeline. IOTL Guy Carlton managed to escape from Montreal and reach Quebec City where he managed to marshal a bigger defense. Without him the defense of Quebec City is not as strong.

[3] IOTL some reinforcements did trickle in. Nothing in large numbers but some trained veterans had made it. ITTL however these reinforcements are captured on their way, or don’t survive the journey.

[4] This Lieutenant Colonel is Aaron Burr.

[Darth_Kiryan]

Thande seems to be the model inspiration that everyone wants to follow.

But good show, dear sir, good show. Like to see how this TL progresses.

[Nicksplace27]

Ah a Quebec TL, this should be interesting. Good luck good sir.

[Lycaon pictus]

Footnote [4] seems to be missing. Other than that, no complaints.

[IchBinDieKaiser]

Originally Posted by WienerBlut

It's arrived, finally!
No pressure, but this had best be worth the money for popcorn.

I hope it doesn't dissapoint.

Originally Posted by Adûnakhôr

Thande seems to be the model inspiration that everyone wants to follow.

But good show, dear sir, good show. Like to see how this TL progresses.

Indeed he is. I hope it goes well.

Originally Posted by Nicksplace27

Ah a Quebec TL, this should be interesting. Good luck good sir.

It's not actually a Quebec timeline, it just happens to feature Quebec prominently at the beggining.

Originally Posted by Lycaon pictus

Footnote [4] seems to be missing. Other than that, no complaints.

You are absolutely right. I better fix that.

[thekingsguard]

A good start, i'll be following this!

[Some Bloke]

SO this provides some context to the American Commonwealth RP then?

[SavoyTruffle]

POD: Carleton captured, with a crucial butterfly being Burr dying instead of Montgomery?

Intriguing.

[IchBinDieKaiser]

Originally Posted by thekingsguard

A good start, i'll be following this!

Thanks. I hope you enjoy.

Originally Posted by Some Bloke

SO this provides some context to the American Commonwealth RP then?

RP? I'm not quite following you.

Originally Posted by SavoyTruffle

POD: Carleton captured, with a crucial butterfly being Burr dying instead of Montgomery?

Intriguing.

Yes. The few timelines I have seen that involve the Americans losing the Revolution always have to do with losing an important battle. This time I decided to have them lose by winning an unimportant or unneccessary battle.

[Turquoise Blue]

You took a long time for this, I hope you make it a brilliant one!

[CaliBoy1990]

Originally Posted by IchBinDieKaiser

After months of research and preperation it is almost ready. I'll be posting the first update of the timeline within the next couple days, perhaps later tonight. This is the newest incarnation of my timeline idea of America losing the revolution and then having a second revolution about a generation and a half later.

This timeline will be written, to the best of my ability, in a style similar to Thande's Look to the West, which was one of the major inspirations for this timeline.

This I plan to be my most indepth timeline to date. Comments are welcome and fair criticism will be accepted.

Unlike my other timelines which tend to be sporadic in their updates (sometimes multiple in a single day and then over a week without one) this timeline's updates will be more under control. I plan on updating this timeline no more than once a week, and no less then once every two weeks.

I thank all of you who have been waiting patiently for this project. So without further ado, The Commonwealth of North America.

Just looked at your first post and I'm pretty impressed so far. Is there going to be a United States of Mexico one of these days as well?

[lord caedus]

Good start so far.

Originally Posted by IchBinDieKaiser

RP? I'm not quite following you.

He's referring to the RP in my signature.

[titulus regius]

Originally Posted by CaliBoy1990

Is there going to be a United States of Mexico one of these days as well?

As opposed to the current* United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) of OTL?

* I seem to recall talk, a year or so ago, of changing the official title to simply 'Mexico', but havem't seen anything since.

[Some Bloke]

yep, that's the one

[IchBinDieKaiser]

Originally Posted by DrTron

You took a long time for this, I hope you make it a brilliant one!

I hope not to dissapoint.

Originally Posted by CaliBoy1990

Just looked at your first post and I'm pretty impressed so far. Is there going to be a United States of Mexico one of these days as well?

Originally Posted by titulus regius

As opposed to the current* United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) of OTL?

* I seem to recall talk, a year or so ago, of changing the official title to simply 'Mexico', but havem't seen anything since.

It's a thought, but at the moment I'm leaning towards no, at least that's what it will be if the timeline stays in the direction I'm planning.

Originally Posted by lord caedus

Good start so far.



He's referring to the RP in my signature.

Originally Posted by Some Bloke

yep, that's the one

Oh, yes.

[IchBinDieKaiser]

Here's a map of all the British Colonies in the Americas. The lighter colored ones are the colonies participating in the rebellion.

[EnglishCanuck]

Looks good

[Turquoise Blue]

Bah, not again!