A More Imperfect Union: A History of these United States

What’s the immigration like to the former United States? Has Ohio seen an increase from abroad or is it almost nonexistent?
Yes, Ohio has immigration from Europe, which largely come via Canada and settle around the Great Lakes. However because the liberal Revolutions in Europe were successful at (first) there has been less immigration.

However with the way the "liberal" European states have been drifting toward authoritarianism there is going to be another immigration bump again. I would have to develop the details more, but thanks for asking. I've been meaning to develop it with a map of some kind.
 
was there an Erie Canal? Or any National Roads to the upper Ohio? How'd Ohio get so strong?
Yes there was an Erie Canal (or its equivalent anyways), built by the Republic to solidify its hold over the state Hudson. As you can see in the American industry map Ohio and the Republic had a bit of an economic rivalry when they carved up the Confederation into spheres of influence. It was really less about trade over all, since the Republic was largely coastal, but to tie the state of Hudson to the Republic.

There were some roads to upper Ohio, opening the regions to settlement; just not railroads.

For Ohio's power as I previously mentioned, it is contiguous and not split unlike the Confederation and Republic. Those two states have to deal with the fact that their are divided into very different regions with vastly different interests, and they have to form a government that has to balance their issues. Ohio had basically none of these problems and with a strong central government it could direct development that would mutually benefit more people, instead of appeasing entirely different interests. In addition the Confederation and Republic place tariff and duties on everything that tries to cross thier borders which basically hampers everyone's industry, which hurts the most in the heavily divided north. Finally Ohio encourages immigration, like a lot mostly from the other American states, but it is open to immigration from overseas as well.

So basically 1) Ohio is in one piece 2) the Confederation and Republic kneecapping each other with tariffs and duties which incentivizes industries to move to Ohio 3) lots and lost of immigration.
 
I'm interested to see how this will drastically change future American military doctrine. An early understanding and concept of urban warfare and low-key total mobilization is something wholly unique this early on for the American gestalt. Plus with a future cold war brewing, it would set the stage for a much earlier take on the military-industrial complex forming in North America.
 
I'm interested to see how this will drastically change future American military doctrine. An early understanding and concept of urban warfare and low-key total mobilization is something wholly unique this early on for the American gestalt. Plus with a future cold war brewing, it would set the stage for a much earlier take on the military-industrial complex forming in North America.
Supported by horrible industrial practices to boot.
 
I'm interested to see how this will drastically change future American military doctrine. An early understanding and concept of urban warfare and low-key total mobilization is something wholly unique this early on for the American gestalt. Plus with a future cold war brewing, it would set the stage for a much earlier take on the military-industrial complex forming in North America.
Well certainly military doctrine will changed based upon the knowledge gained from so much urban warfare. However whether total mobilization and by extension militia based warfare is an effective way to fight is up for debate.

Nevertheless something on the scale of the military industrial complex wouldn't really occur. Instead the manufacturers would be focusing on improving the quality of weapons that they produce and increasing the ease of using the weapons.
 
Yeah the South basically has a lock on the region west of the Mississippi. The most that happened there was riots between abolitionists and pro-slavers, with the former losing out. And yes the North is basically shut out of the west now, which is the main cause for the Cold War.
Obviously the Texan and southwestern American settlements have fallen under Southern control after the Civil War, but do the Ohioans control any territory west past the conjunction of the Ohio and Mississipi or north of St. Louis? It seems like it'd be far easier for them to establish control in the region that comprises Iowa and Minnesota compared to a government based in Georgia.

Also, will we be seeing any American-style expansionism in the South, now that it's got a congruent geographically and has an accord with the North?
 
Obviously the Texan and southwestern American settlements have fallen under Southern control after the Civil War, but do the Ohioans control any territory west past the conjunction of the Ohio and Mississipi or north of St. Louis? It seems like it'd be far easier for them to establish control in the region that comprises Iowa and Minnesota compared to a government based in Georgia.

Also, will we be seeing any American-style expansionism in the South, now that it's got a congruent geographically and has an accord with the North?
Well Ohio does directly control land directly on the west bank of the Mississippi north of St. Louis. However the farther west you go from the Mississippi River, the less control they have over the land. It is really worth mentioning that while yes Ohio could expand west, the land is not uninhabited. With Ohio distracted by the Civil War and a Revolution in Canada, the government has not been supporting the westward expansion with troops. But now that may change.

And yes the South already is. You could see it on the "Know Nothing Expansionism" map with them moving into Texas and Northern Mexico. North Mexico is already home to a lot of settlers who basically displaced the Criollos which were previously at the top of the social pyramid, with themselves. Anglo-Americans are still the minority but they have the power and backing of a state and more Americans are arriving everyday. Neverthless the Comanche and other tribes would be a bit of a problem to further expansion.
 
Other than believing different constitutions, what were the cultural differences between Confederation and Republic? I feel like it'd be hard for these identities to develop being spread out over different regions and being geographically discontinuous.
 
Other than believing different constitutions, what were the cultural differences between Confederation and Republic? I feel like it'd be hard for these identities to develop being spread out over different regions and being geographically discontinuous.
Well the thing is the whole constitution more or less points toward the foundations of the cultural differences. The Great Disunion, while not causing much death and destruction, basically 1) made George Washington into an infallible martyr for both states and 2) shook the foundations of the country (countries?) because the divisions would be the cause of all other differences cultural or otherwise. As mentioned Washington became an untouchable Moses-like figure for both the Confederation and the Republic but those two states ended up having their own major figures. The Hamilton and other Federalists, would have their words, actions, and writings (like the Federalist Papers) extensively studied and used to govern the Republic. Hamilton's birthday, the signing of this Constitution, the Great Disunion (the Republic's side of it anyways) would all become important dates and the foundations for future holidays. Obviously the Confederation would have its own famous figures, writings (aka the Anti-Federalist Papers), important calendar dates, etc. Over time these different cultural foundations would grow and evolve somewhat independently and diverge from each other. So really to answer your question its basically a large part of their culture, from the ideas how government should work to basic holiday traditions.

About the second part that is very true. As the years passed from the First Civil War, the differences between north and south grew. You could see that with the politics of the Trenton Republic which basically evolved into political parties based on north-south factionalism instead of being united on Federalist principles. With the Confederation it was different as the old state identities arose as the member states of the Confederation as the principles of Confederalism became less relevant. So basically in the beginning both states maintained unity and a common identity over Federalism and Confederalism, but over the decades these principles became less prominent/relevant and would end up being sidelined by regionalist or state level concerns.
 
Eastern Nortamerica, 1870
4nLNiLN.png
 
Last edited:
Nice map, as usual!

What's the capital of Ohio?

I'm also wondering about how Maine managed to get the modern border considering this US would have a worse bargaining position with Britain. You might want to give it the British claim border.
 
That map.

It's so beautiful.
Thank you! I tried doing a different style after repeating the same one over and over again the past couple of posts.

Nice map, as usual!

What's the capital of Ohio?

I'm also wondering about how Maine managed to get the modern border considering this US would have a worse bargaining position with Britain. You might want to give it the British claim border.
Thank you!

Its Harrisonburg, OTL Columbia. I've decided to made a little edit, so the national capitols are easy to tell.

Maine's border with the UK is a good point though. I would have to retcon it at some point but its worth mentioning at this point the British are very very weak, as evidenced by the two countries in Canada. So the Americans may end up winning the land after all.

I have to say, that map is hands down one of the best pits of allohistorical graphics I've ever seen.
Thank you again! Its great to see your continuing interest in my work :)
 
from the Map thread:
Why is Québecois Gaspésie included in the Maritimes ?
Thank you for noticing! I've shown it before in my previous maps, but Canada held the last remannts of the British Empire after a revolution in Great Britain. It was home to aristocrats and the upper class that fled the British Revolution, which made the original Canadian settlers and the Quebecers very angry. During the Second Civil War, a revolution broke out and overthrew the old colonial authority (with help from Ohio). The Maritimes has Québecois Gaspésie because its where the battle lines are drawn at the moment, although Ohio negotiated a ceasefire at the moment. Obviously this isn't particularly stable, but Ohio wanted peace so it can trade through the new republican Canada.
 
Thank you for noticing! I've shown it before in my previous maps, but Canada held the last remannts of the British Empire after a revolution in Great Britain. It was home to aristocrats and the upper class that fled the British Revolution, which made the original Canadian settlers and the Quebecers very angry. During the Second Civil War, a revolution broke out and overthrew the old colonial authority (with help from Ohio). The Maritimes has Québecois Gaspésie because its where the battle lines are drawn at the moment, although Ohio negotiated a ceasefire at the moment. Obviously this isn't particularly stable, but Ohio wanted peace so it can trade through the new republican Canada.

So the Maritimes will be the monarchist remnant?

Wouldn't mind hearing more about revolutions in general, that's my kind of stuff.
 
So the Maritimes will be the monarchist remnant?

Wouldn't mind hearing more about revolutions in general, that's my kind of stuff.
A monarchist remnant without a monarch, because the original one abdicated during the Revolution. Its mostly the aristocrats and parts of the military (mostly the Navy) that managed to flee across the Atlantic.

Oh thats cool! I have plenty of revolutions in this TL, but since this is an America-centric TL, I haven't covered the many many Revolutions in Europe yet.

A Republican Canada, closely aligned with Ohio, the seeming main American power. That feels promising for later developments.
Yep! Ohio is the premier American power in the north, but rumblings of a united South poses problems for them.
 
Thank you! I tried doing a different style after repeating the same one over and over again the past couple of posts.


Thank you!

Its Harrisonburg, OTL Columbia. I've decided to made a little edit, so the national capitols are easy to tell.

Maine's border with the UK is a good point though. I would have to retcon it at some point but its worth mentioning at this point the British are very very weak, as evidenced by the two countries in Canada. So the Americans may end up winning the land after all.


Thank you again! Its great to see your continuing interest in my work :)

Just a question about the Capitol of East Florida. In OTL, Tallahassee was only chosen because it was in the center (width wise) of the state. With East Florida not having a panhandle, I see no reason why the Capitol would be switched from St. Augustine, the previous capitol.
 
Top