Aftermath of an American Capture of Quebec in 1775

I agree completely Quebec could have sent a lot more settlers west (instead of foolishly settling the Saguenay, neighbouring bits of New England, etc.), but I still don't think they'd be able to eak out a majority in any 'prime' bit of territory. At best Manitoba and/or Saskatchewan might be majority francophone, and I think that's far more likely in a close-to-our-timeline Canadian federal context.
 
One wonder what will happens to the Métis peoples (unless they are butterflied away?)...

I am not sure Washington would be any nicer than London...
 
I agree completely Quebec could have sent a lot more settlers west (instead of foolishly settling the Saguenay, neighbouring bits of New England, etc.), but I still don't think they'd be able to eak out a majority in any 'prime' bit of territory.

This may depend on what you consider 'prime'. But note that Ontario / Lower Canada will not receive an infusion of Loyalist settlers in this TL -- it'll be wide open. That's fertile land -- cold, but fertile -- with good water connections. In a TL where francophone Canada is part of the young United States, I'd expect this region to quickly fill up with settlers from Quebec; OTL, even with the various other restrictions on Quebecois expansion, the British had to work a bit to keep them out. So that's one.

Manitoba, the Metis are already there by the 1790s. If there are four French-speaking Senators in Washington who are broadly sympathetic to the Metis, then I don't think the USG is going to be nearly as high-handed as the British. *Manitoba could easily end up a mix of Franco, Anglo, and Metis.

Note that "francophone / anglophone" wouldn't be a simple binary thing. You could have states like mid-19th century Louisiana, where French was a very important second language but English was dominant. Or vice versa.


Doug M.
 
Also, Acadiens if the future Maritimes are in the deal...

And on a bad side, amerindians nations like Mohawks loose even more importance if the british empire is vanquished...
 
Southwestern Ontario is probably the most prime agricultural land in North America with the best pre-railroad transportation, but it'll be grabbed by anglo Americans loyalists or no
 
A more thinly spread Francophone population means much more likely bilingualism, potentially eventually giving way to outright Anglocisation, maybe even in Quebec proper.
 
...the Quebecois are closer, and have a direct water route.

I could see New Englanders making a race for the southwestern penninsula, west of OTL Toronto. But what's now Eastern Ontario -- the bit south and east of Ottowa? Even today, OTL, it's about 25% francophone.

OTL the Quebecois were kept penned up in Quebec by a peculiar set of circumstances. Absent that, they'd move west like everyone else.


Doug M.
 
Once the British retake Quebec and defeat the American forces they will move south along the lakes and other bodies of water towards Albany except that much of the American force which would have challenged them is gone, along with an even higher percentage of the artillery and many key officers.

In particular if Benedict Arnold is not around for the Battle of Saratoga OR certain naval activity the previous year then the Americans are likely to be cut in half along the Hudson...which means no French alliance and probable defeat.:(
 
I just found this thread, and it's as recent as September, so I'm going to play the not-quite-necromancy card.

At about the same time this thread was going on, I had one about a balkanized *USA being caused by an early colonial victory. I was wondering just now if a victory at the Battle of Quebec might be a way to bring that about. Canada really would be the black sheep of the rebellious colonies, making unity less likely, and a major victory in a Francophone region could accelerate the entry of France into the war. Thoughts?

One wonder what will happens to the Métis peoples (unless they are butterflied away?)...

I am not sure Washington would be any nicer than London...

The Metis are originally descended from rogue fur traders who went beyond the legally sanctioned limits of the French crown and the Indian women who married them, so they already exist and are going to continue to unless assimilated or wiped out. They became concentrated in the Red River valley IIRC? So we could see a state or Canadien province called Metisia or somesuch, proud of its unique heritage.

Also, Acadiens if the future Maritimes are in the deal...

And on a bad side, amerindians nations like Mohawks loose even more importance if the british empire is vanquished...

The Iroquois were enemies with most of their Indian neighbors. If anything, the French-Canadian tradition will bring better relations with the Natives because there is a stronger tradition of diplomacy there. Full disclosure: I've been reading a lot about the colonial period lately, but not past 1750 or so, so I don't know much about what changes after the Seven Years War and the OTL revolution. Perhaps Canada is more diplomatic with Indians, perhaps just as settlerific as the other colonies, perhaps somewhere between the two.

Once the British retake Quebec and defeat the American forces they will move south along the lakes and other bodies of water towards Albany except that much of the American force which would have challenged them is gone, along with an even higher percentage of the artillery and many key officers.

In particular if Benedict Arnold is not around for the Battle of Saratoga OR certain naval activity the previous year then the Americans are likely to be cut in half along the Hudson...which means no French alliance and probable defeat.:(

So you would say this is bad for the revolutionaries? Could the French alliance be provoked by the taking of Quebec itself?

In any case, another hero, IOTL obscure or unknown, could rise to Benedict Arnold's prominence and make similar masterstrokes, since he is up in Canada. In any case, the British need to expend time and manpower taking back the city. There's also the small chance of one of those heroic miracles where Benedict Arnold brilliantly holds the city against all odds etc etc etc.
 
If anybody could convince the quebecois to join the revolution, its This Guy.

In fact, they sent him to quebec to do just that. According to wikipedia,
In early 1776, while not yet a member, the Congress sent him on a three-man diplomatic mission to Canada, in order to seek assistance for the confrontation with Britain. Carroll was an excellent choice for such a mission, being fluent in French and a Roman Catholic, and therefore well suited to negotiations with the French speaking colonists of Quebec.[12]
 
One wonder what will happens to the Métis peoples (unless they are butterflied away?)...

I am not sure Washington would be any nicer than London...

Well, given that Washington had high regard for the Natives in OTL, one presumes, the same could be carried over to the Metis here.
 

Warsie

Banned
Just curious: what emphasis is placed on the more embarrassing "intolerable acts" (e.g. the toleration of Quebec culture, restrictions of Indian appropriation) in American classrooms?

Very little. they didn't mention the 'incitement of negro slaves' and 'Indian risings' much nor have I heard of Quebec being used.
Well, given that Washington had high regard for the Natives in OTL, one presumes, the same could be carried over to the Metis here.

He meant the us government, not washington the person
 
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