The odd thing for me about the US War for Independence is that what the founding fathers were asking for was better than anywhere in Europe. George Washington even before the revolution had more political power than just about anyone in the UK not in the nobility and Benjamin Franklin probably had more power than anyone in the Western world who was neither born into the Nobility nor high ranking in a Church.
The *oppression* of the Stamp Tax while oppressive to the Colonists, was still better than the situation for pretty much *anyone* in Europe.
With a POD after 1720, Is there any way that we can remove this fact *either* by having a significant European State (San Marino is too small, Denmark or Genoa is fine) that is more liberal than OTL so that it is more liberal than the colonies, *OR* is there any way that we can bring down the level of liberty in the 13 colonies that became the US to the point that the liberties that they demand are still lower than one of the OTL European States?
Specifically, I'm wondering whether either the French or the Spanish winning a war with the UK and taking over those colonies would do it, or would either of those two states attempting to change the liberties of those colonies automatically spark revolt.
The *oppression* of the Stamp Tax while oppressive to the Colonists, was still better than the situation for pretty much *anyone* in Europe.
With a POD after 1720, Is there any way that we can remove this fact *either* by having a significant European State (San Marino is too small, Denmark or Genoa is fine) that is more liberal than OTL so that it is more liberal than the colonies, *OR* is there any way that we can bring down the level of liberty in the 13 colonies that became the US to the point that the liberties that they demand are still lower than one of the OTL European States?
Specifically, I'm wondering whether either the French or the Spanish winning a war with the UK and taking over those colonies would do it, or would either of those two states attempting to change the liberties of those colonies automatically spark revolt.