I've decided to collect the maps, images, and text on the ASB in one place. I'll be using this thread to develop and discuss the confederation. I'm putting it here in stead of in pre-1900 because (1) this is where I've posted all the info so far, adn (2) it's got way too many convergencies for the "real" AH forum.
So what is this thing?
The Affiliated States of Boreoamerica is a confederation of former colonies, former chiefdoms or "civilized tribes," and several novel political creations that unite White, Indian, and mixed settlements. There are 44 of these states (for now).
The idea came from reading Richard White's The Middle Ground, which describes the political and social constructs that Whites and Indians used to govern their joint affairs in the Great Lakes and the Ohio country during the 17th and 18th centuries. The basic idea here is extending the Middle Ground in time (to the present) and space (spreaing over much of the continent). Making a world like this required not just fewer British colonists, but a broad change in their basic outlook, so I knew I couldn't simply use a single PoD. Since I know the project won't ever be "hard" AH, I gave it a name to show that some aspects aren't going to be 100% plausible. I also included some obvious convergence, like Vermont.
Where did the confederation come from?
It arose gradually from the colonial alliance structure. The Indians in the modern states of Illinois, Huronia, and the Upper Country were already tied to New France as the Children of Onontio, while Iroquoia and New Netherland had the Covenant Chain that stretched down through modern Delaware and Allegheny. The system of alliances gradually gave rise to some shared institutions for mediating disputes and settling land claims. At some point, these shared institutions came to be regarded as different bodies of a single confederation. It's vaguely like the European Insitutions in OTL.
This means that the states of the ASB mostly did not "join the confederation" all at once, but were gradually absorbed into it through an increasingly complex network of treaties.
So how does it work?
I don't know yet. There may still be European monarchs hanging around, but maybe not. I've played with incorporating a more destructive English Civil War into the back story, which could help explain why so few British settlers. That could open the door to fun Jacobites-in-exile storylines. But I don't know yet.
Why isn't X part of the ASB?
I've only put a small amount of thought into the world outside the ASB, but as I do I think that realistically I'll need to add some areas to it. I imagine four additional states at least: Ozark, Dakota, the Red River, and Haiti; possibly also Lakota further to the west.
General map
So what is this thing?
The Affiliated States of Boreoamerica is a confederation of former colonies, former chiefdoms or "civilized tribes," and several novel political creations that unite White, Indian, and mixed settlements. There are 44 of these states (for now).
The idea came from reading Richard White's The Middle Ground, which describes the political and social constructs that Whites and Indians used to govern their joint affairs in the Great Lakes and the Ohio country during the 17th and 18th centuries. The basic idea here is extending the Middle Ground in time (to the present) and space (spreaing over much of the continent). Making a world like this required not just fewer British colonists, but a broad change in their basic outlook, so I knew I couldn't simply use a single PoD. Since I know the project won't ever be "hard" AH, I gave it a name to show that some aspects aren't going to be 100% plausible. I also included some obvious convergence, like Vermont.
Where did the confederation come from?
It arose gradually from the colonial alliance structure. The Indians in the modern states of Illinois, Huronia, and the Upper Country were already tied to New France as the Children of Onontio, while Iroquoia and New Netherland had the Covenant Chain that stretched down through modern Delaware and Allegheny. The system of alliances gradually gave rise to some shared institutions for mediating disputes and settling land claims. At some point, these shared institutions came to be regarded as different bodies of a single confederation. It's vaguely like the European Insitutions in OTL.
This means that the states of the ASB mostly did not "join the confederation" all at once, but were gradually absorbed into it through an increasingly complex network of treaties.
So how does it work?
I don't know yet. There may still be European monarchs hanging around, but maybe not. I've played with incorporating a more destructive English Civil War into the back story, which could help explain why so few British settlers. That could open the door to fun Jacobites-in-exile storylines. But I don't know yet.
Why isn't X part of the ASB?
I've only put a small amount of thought into the world outside the ASB, but as I do I think that realistically I'll need to add some areas to it. I imagine four additional states at least: Ozark, Dakota, the Red River, and Haiti; possibly also Lakota further to the west.
General map
Last edited: