very good timeline, i suspect that when WWI and WWII happend, The US will enter Boath Wars much sooner,due to it´s close relation with the DSA. i´m subscribing.
I could see many subjects of the Queen/Monarch being slightly hazy as to what the status of the Queen is, in relation to their country. Most people do not need to worry about the difference between Head of Government (PM), the Head of State (the Queen) and the Governor General.
I think in NZ's case the Governor General deems himself to be the Personal Representative of the Head of State. Interestingly, in New Zealand's case the Queen has been known since 1974 (Royal Titles Act 1974) as the Queen of New Zealand and since 1986 (Constitution Act 1986) has been deemed to be a separate legal entity in relation to her NZ duties, to her position in say the UK or Canada.
I think in NZ's case the Governor General deems himself to be the Personal Representative of the Head of State. Interestingly, in New Zealand's case the Queen has been known since 1974 (Royal Titles Act 1974) as the Queen of New Zealand and since 1986 (Constitution Act 1986) has been deemed to be a separate legal entity in relation to her NZ duties, to her position in say the UK or Canada.
Point of order: the POD was back in the 18th century. That means that it's highly unlikely that the monarchy will decline in the same way that it did OTL. Yes, it may end up as a figurehead, and it will probably still lose power rather than gain it, but there is still plenty of chance for the monarchy to set in stone its position as having considerably more power than it does in this age and day. Everyone assuming that the monarchs are destined to decline and just be there to sign on the dotted line in the future are acting presumptively to say the least.
Falastur
I think it's pretty certain that a decline in monarchical power will occur and a fairly substantial one unless something goes badly wrong. Also if you did get some autocratic system in Britain that would likely lead to deep unrest there and in the colonies.
We are almost certainly not seeing the end of powerful monarchy but it will take really bad times and the serious discrediting of democracy for the pendulum to start swinging back. Possibly in a century or three and which countries that occurs in is anyone's guess. [Could argue for something like this occurring in N Korea but don't think anyone expects that to last long, at least with that dynasty].
Steve
Astronomo2010
I think that is assuming quite a lot, that such wars will occur in about the same time as OTL. Also that relations between the US and the UK/DSA will be good at that time. Could be, could be a lot worse. Who knows where things will take nations.
Steve
Steve. I'm not advocating autocracy here - my point is that too many users on this forum see monarchy as a black-and-white "either they are a dictator or a powerless figurehead" choice, where actually it is a series of sliding scales. The King doesn't have to have either all the political power or none, he doesn't have to have full economic control or none, he doesn't have to either rule with an iron fist or step back from the civil side of things entirely. The monarchy could, for instance, retain use of the right to veto contentious General Election results or unpopular Prime Ministers, which they formerly did and which they technically still have the ability to do yet now are incapable of asserting except in the most extreme positions - the monarchy would be lynched if it tried it today OTL. Also, the King could keep the right to issue Royal Decrees in certain legal areas, which some European monarchies still have the right to do IRL. They could keep the right to elect High Court judges instead of waiving that right for Parliament. There are many other things I could mention here. None of these things would imply an autocratic government, and all are compatible with a strong Parliament, and yet all would produce a visible monarchy whom Canadians (read: Southrons) would be unable to forget about unless they quite deliberately had their heads forced into the sand. It's these kind of things that the monarchy could feasibly keep the power to do ITTL.
I won't deny that it could go the other way, too, of course. The monarchy could feasibly be abolished. I was just trying to make a statement here that it's not a case of having a sentence in this story which reads "and then by the year 19xx the monarchy was inevitably so weak that it became a figurehead" because that ain't the way things work.
Glen
Moderator
Thank you for your patronage and comments. Time will tell as to how the wars of this timeline develop, and whether that will make the USA more or less reticent to enter conflict ITTL.
The best tea is the freshest, this is what drove the Clipper Races to get the first shipment of the new harvest home, to capture the highest price.
In the 1850's the British tea companies bought worn out land [cheap] in the Carolinian and imported Ceylonese Workers to establish Tea Plantations.
These went under during the ACW, and over time, the workers blended into the other Black Groups.
ITTL I see the same factors [distance, speed, growing seasons, etc] working to cause the same drive to establish Tea Plantations in the DSA.
[?wonder what Chicory flavored Tea is like?]
?I also wonder if there may not be a attempt or two to establish Coffee or Cocoa Plantations in the mountains of Hispaniola/Porto Rico?
Glen
Moderator
I can see them being hazy on the division of labor, as it were.
That is interesting. Too early yet to see where this will be going ITTL....
Glen
Moderator
I think you both make reasonable points. Things will be different - how so remains to be seen.
Glen
Moderator
Yep.
Well, they certainly could have something like this. I'm not even sure that such a situation IOTL would result in regicide.
Yep. Seems reasonable as a possibility.
Or have a system something like the US, where the Crown nominates but Parliament must approve.
Agreed in theory - of course, what happens ITTL is another matter...
Agreed here as well...time will tell.
Falastur
OK, thanks for clarifying what you meant.
Steve
Indeed.
Glen
Moderator
Good point - which reminds me I owe this timeline a retrospective post about the Clipper Race of TTL.
.
Where is the best places in the DSA to grow tea?
Agreed - but chicory tea<shudder>?
Cocoa yes, and Coffee for the US market is certainly likely.
With Tea Plantations so close by, perhaps Tea drinking becomes more common in the USA.
Well while I agree that you'll probably have a very similar mythos due to shared cultural influences, its very possible to have different "western" models - look at the cultural differences between the US cowboy and the Llaneros, Gauchos and Stockmen.
The fact that Mexico appears to be having a much stronger rule of law will do considerable things to the wildness of the frontier. Plus the earlier railroad developments will very much change things as well - the national governments will be able exert a stronger control before the cowboys would have taken off (since the movement of people to the frontier would work of population growth and economics). How the DSA ends up treating its western indians is very much going to be interesting if Indiana swings its influence in their favour.
Mapping was delayed by various things.
That's like saying Wine Drinking became so common in the UK with France so nearby...
The UK is the 9th biggest per capita wine drinker in the world
.That's like saying Wine Drinking became so common in the UK with France so nearby...
I never said for it to be the dominant drink... just more so than OTL