18th C:Quebec revolts

Im surprised this doesnt come up more often, and simply lack the historical knowledge to know the reasons that this didnt happen OTL.

It goes like this: During the revolt of the 13 colonies, Quebec decides to make a break for it and splits off from the rest of British North America. Now, im not looking to make this a USA wank, but it seems to be that the Brits would be in some trouble.

Would France still enter on the colonies side? Perhaps they would aid Quebec? Try to bring Quebec back into the French fold? Maybe France would want to stay out of the mess altogether, fearing revolt of its other colonies.
 
But why would Quebec join the Americans, when the troops sent to liberate it had to be reminded that burning the Pope in effigy was not in the national best interest?
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
The British had granted Quebec a great degree of autonomy, particularly in the religious sphere. They had a pretty good deal, all things considered. Why trade this for an uncertain future with the colonists, against whom they had been fighting for over a century?
 

Thande

Donor
But why would Quebec join the Americans, when the troops sent to liberate it had to be reminded that burning the Pope in effigy was not in the national best interest?

The point that all TLs of this sort seem to miss.

I suppose Quebec might rebel against Britain separately, especially after France enters into the war, but the Quebecois would grudgingly side with the British against the American rebels. After all, one of the things that so annoyed the colonists was the fact that the British government set out a large part of the Midwest as part of Quebec and forbade anglo settlement there.
 
I don't see France intervening on the side of the Quebecois, not unless they were lokking for an excuse to attack Britain anyways. The territory just wan't that valuable to them to fiht over. Martinique, Guadeloupe maybe, since they were the source of so much sugar revenue, but some marginal farmland along the banks of the St. Laurent? Not likely. And that's not too mention the logistical problems of supplying an unorganized rebellion onthe other side of an ocean where the approaces are in the enemy's hands (Gulf of St. Lawrence).

Without French support the locals would have no chance against the British garrisons in Quebec City, Montreal, not to mention those in Halifax Kingston, etc. that could be brought in. Civil disobedience at worst, but not outright loss of sovereignty from the British.
 
It wouldn't be hard really, have the British side with the American settlers and no more Quebec Act, it was a serious bone with the British Americans, which fulled the bucket for the revolution to boil over. Some saw it as a disgrace to the faith at the time, if only they knew it would lead to they're independence.

A few years of difficult rule, and attempts to set them to the British system, with encroaching Anglo settlement. There'd be religious tensions too, as every Anglophile would be Anglican. Even the French settling would be Protestant, the... shoot the name escapes me at the moment, I'll edit when I remember. It was a deal between the French and the English to trade each others religious counterparts. As in English Catholics for French Protestants, and use them for settlers. That's why theres a lot of Leblancs in New England, and such. But those would be the Horse kicking the lantern, in unison.

You might not see a USA, not at least how you might think. Le Québec Libre, would drive the Americans closer to Britain mainly for support. The American colonies, heavily out populated the Canadas. They just need the Fleets the RN had. Shoot this might lead to an American focused British Empire.

This one caught my eye right away, and you're right there's not enough Quebec on here. Serious Quebec, not the yes/no vote, guns a blazen stuff. If Quebec had the chance to make it alone, it would have been either just before the Plains of Abraham, make a claim as the British were dismantling the French, New World Empire. Siding with the Brits offering to take their Catholics, and opening its ports and trade centres, approach.

Or in the 60's with the quiet revolution up to the 80's but not after the crash, as it accounted for 1/3 of Canada's economy, and then Alberta awoke. Anytimes in between, is dicey at best, they were stuck in an outdated agrarian economy, until after ww2 or having to work with the rest of Canada, in war or hard times. Plus, Laurier, that guy had something about him that made it work baby. Until he started that prattle about reciprocity and free trade with the USA.

Pardon the rant. I don't post much, you can see why. I like the idea though, ride it... just don't let the Maritimes become states please? I'd be down with a semi independent duchy of Nova Scotia, with ties to the crown. Even a more versed, version of government that came about in 1848. Just don't let them become part of the US, they never wanted to, they only wanted to trade with them... ha... haha. Good Luck with this!
 
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HueyLong

Banned
That is actually a really cool idea, Reddog.

Revolutionary Quebec forces America to hold on to the Mother Country's tit.
 
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