A Jacobin United States?

[Captrexone]

Is it at all realistic or plausible for the American War of Independence to radicalise itself into a manner like that of the First French Republic?

Would Thomas Paine ever be able to gain enough traction himself to directly challenge Congress? Are there others like him who would likely side with him?

I ask this as I'm looking into writing a TL of a radical United States.

Any ideas to help further this concept would be great.

 

[Marc]

Is it at all realistic or plausible for the American War of Independence to radicalise itself into a manner like that of the First French Republic?

Would Thomas Paine ever be able to gain enough traction himself to directly challenge Congress? Are there others like him who would likely side with him?

I ask this as I'm looking into writing a TL of a radical United States.

Any ideas to help further this concept would be great.

The most likely radicalism would be from a arch-conservative perspective, at least in the first few decades.

 

[Captrexone]

What would such an arch-conservative takeover look like and who would be pushing for such a state of affairs?

Do you think it'd be possible for a Jacobin-esque force to hijack unrest against such a regime? Or would there even be unrest? What would an arch-conservative early US even look like?

 

[Red_Galiray]

I've been thinking about a radical French-style American Revolution for quite some time. I think something has to go awry in Boston for it to happen, such as a real bloody Massacre and subsequent unjust acquittal, resulting in the Patriots turning violent. When Britain retailates, the colonies are much less united, and the Bostonians more radical. They demand immediate application of the embargo, even though that would affect Virginia and other Southern colonies which would not be able to sell their crops. They insist on their demands and this causes a break within the Continental Congress. When war eventually comes, conservatives are stronger and the colonies are disunited and untrustful of each other - the South only helps because they are afraid the British will unleash the slaves on their necks. Things go bad in the North, and Boston radicals demand independence and the arming of slaves in the Patriot cause. This is enough for the Virginians, who try to seek peace with Britain. Then things go downhill quickly, as a civil war starts within the Colonies, and Congress' authority disappears, leaving the Army as the strongest body around. This ultimately can result in purges, civil wars, dictatorships...

 

[Marc]

What would such an arch-conservative takeover look like and who would be pushing for such a state of affairs?

Do you think it'd be possible for a Jacobin-esque force to hijack unrest against such a regime? Or would there even be unrest? What would an arch-conservative early US even look like?

Think the southern planter class working with other colonial elites such as the Dutch Patroons that ran upper New York, the great merchant families of New England and the Mid-Atlantic - did you know that only 40 merchants controlled half of Philadelphia's trade? - and so on.
The ruling elite. They could have, with sufficient provocation, swept away any pretense of democracy and gone to a purely oligarchical government; in the very early post-independence days.

 

[Byzantion]

Is it at all realistic or plausible for the American War of Independence to radicalise itself into a manner like that of the First French Republic?

Would Thomas Paine ever be able to gain enough traction himself to directly challenge Congress? Are there others like him who would likely side with him?

I ask this as I'm looking into writing a TL of a radical United States.

Any ideas to help further this concept would be great.

Maybe a Jacobin Club in the US that establish itself as a Party in the course of the decades ?

 

[Evan]

"Shall I continue in allegiance to God and a religious President; or impiously declare for Jefferson--and no God!"
-- The Gazette of the United States, a vehemently Federalist newspaper, 10 September 1800

In other words, the Federalists already iOTL thought the Republicans were Jacobins. And, a few of them - as you can see from the welcome given to Citizen Genet - were ready to favor Jacobinism abroad and sign up as privateers in its service. I'm not sure offhand how to expand that, but I think it's possible.