AHC: Get the British Isles to join the United States

Obviously a pretty huge challenge, but would be interested to see if anyone can come up with something vaguely plausible. It can be as many/few states as you want, and the earlier the better. I assumed the POD would need to be pre-1900 but it doesn't have to be (I didn't want to double post).
 
I think you'd have to screw up Britain pretty bad to make this happen. Maybe a semi-successful Napoleonic invasion that leads to executions, large-scale immigration to the US/Canada by the wealthy, and years of partisan warfare? You'd probably also need the US to get in some kind of war with Napoleon at the same time so the two countries are allies.

Having Canada be part of the US from early on is probably a necessary precondition.

Other possibilities: successful sealion (I know, I know.)

A succesful Nazi Germany, such that the Anglo powers face a hostile entire European continent for a long period of time. Over time, the two countries will interdigitate to such an extent that they will de facto become the same country and may eventually decide to join de jure.

Or ditto, except this time its the Soviet Union that rolls to the Atlantic.
 
A succesful Nazi Germany, such that the Anglo powers face a hostile entire European continent for a long period of time. Over time, the two countries will interdigitate to such an extent that they will de facto become the same country and may eventually decide to join de jure.

Or ditto, except this time its the Soviet Union that rolls to the Atlantic.

I think someone once did an outline of that, only it was an alt-Worldwar TL.
 
How about Communist revolutions in both nations which then link up to form an International Worker's Paradise?

If this route is viable, why communist ones? What about a British revolution within ~30 years of the American one and a British constitution written along the same ideals? Could that could lead to "brotherhood" and eventual union if they saw themselves as islands of liberty against an Ancien Regime Europe?

Just a thought.
 
There is no plausible way this could ever happen. But in the world of implausibility, here's a TL.

1925 - FDR dies of long terminal complications of polio.

1929 - Great Depression has worse effect on US.
1932 - Electoral politics crazy. Republicans run Hoover, Democrats split into populist far right and far left movements. Rightists win election, US slides quickly into a populist form of fascism with social welfare, nativist/racist policies, and military build up as another way of putting people to work. During national emergency, election of 1936 is postponed, US becomes authoritarian but not a true fascist dictatorship - retains trappings of being democracy (think Putin's Russia), aggressive and imperialist in Latin America, but isolationist in Europe and Asia.

1939 - WW2 breaks out as in OTL. USA is strictly neutral, no aid or government favoritism. US is not favoably disposed to German Nazis because they are seen as "too" extreme and a potential risk down the line.

1940-41 - German campaigns victorious as in OTL. Without US lendlease and tactit US assistance, War in Atlantic goes worse for Britain. BoB also goes worse and British start to run out of raw materials for industries quicker. Churchill Government, in desperation, approaches US with offer of a transtlantic Anglo-American federation to preserve Britain from complete collapse. US Congress, dominated by National Democrats, force thru a number of Constutional Amendments and in late 1941 enough States ratify.

By Treaty of Halifax, signed on the Deck of HMS Prince of Wales, the Anlgo-American Commonwealth is established with the following provisions:

(1) The USA, Britain, and the British Empire establish a confederation in which Great Britain is allowed to retain its monarchy and internal governmental structure, but all British colonies and Dominions must revoke relationships to Britain through the crown; the US President becomes Head of State for the entire Commonwealth, except for Britain, which is permitted to retain King George VI as head of state until his death, at which time the Britain must undertake a plebecite every 4 years regarding abolition of the monarchy; the CoE must be disestablished. All Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and Britons become US citizens, all US citizens become also British citizens. The status of the "non-white" inhabitants of other British colonies is let for later to determine. In the interim, they are treated as joint US/British mandates.

1941 (there is no Japanese attack on the US in this TL because the US reached accomodation with Japan in the Chinese Partition of November 21, 1941)

1943 War breaks out between Germany and the US. Britain becomes major staging area of bombing campaign and eventuaul invasion of Europe. US troops and civilians stationed in Britain with joint US/British citizenship. US wins war in 1946 after atomic weapons introduced. Many US service people and others stay in Britain, and others move in.

1946-1988 Britian becomes thoroughly Americanized with large American-born voting population. In plebicite of 1979, monarchy is abolished and the US president becomes the formal Head of State for all citizens of the Anglo0American Confederation (which by now has divested itself of most former British colonies)

1988 American emmigration, coupled with declining native-British birth rate gives US-born residents voting majorities in Parliament.

1990 Act of Parlimentary Dissolution formally eliminates the residual British governmental structure, Great Britain is broken up into 4 States (Ulster, Wales, Scotland, and England) with US-style bicameral legislatures and admitted to the United States. Shortly thereafter British Columbia ("now Pacific Columbia"), Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon, and Ontario join US as States. Quebec, Labrador, and Newfoundland become independent commonwealths. Australia and New Zealand become completely independent republics.
 
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This is one of the hardest things imaginable to orchestrate anything close to realistically. I agree with what was said pertaining to Canada almost necessarily being on board from the getgo, or from 1815 at the latest. However, despite being ASB, it's worth a try.

Treaty of Paris (1783) Peace is a chieved between Great Britain and the United States, the latter of which holds all of British North America as a result of some unspecified difference(s) resultant from the war or the years immediately preceding it.

Far too large too be governed effectively under the Articles of Confederation, a constitutional convention is held (1787) in Philadelphia. Quebec (with the borders of OTL Upper and Lower Canada) is the last of the founding states to ratify (1788) the Constitution.

Eli Whiney (1793) dies when the boat he's on going to South Carolina unexpectedly capsizes.

President Adams purchases Louisiana from France (1803). Due to a slightly different set of ordinances passed previously, slavery has been prohibited West of the Proclamation Line. This prohibition extends to the new lands. The Lewis and Clark expedition, appointed at the recommendation of Vice President Jefferson, results in outposts being established by the United States along the aptly named Columbia River.

Bowing to Anglophile sympathies throughout the North, the United States remains at peace with Great Britain (1812) as the wars in Europe continue. However, West Florida is still claimed by the U.S. from 1810.

Adams-Onis Treaty (1819) recognizes U.S. control over East Florida, Alta California, New Mexico, and all Spanish claimed lands north of the Rio Grande in return for a large sum of money the Spanish use to pay down their war debts. THe United States spends the 1820's undertaking a massive nava expansion campaign.

South Carolina becomes the last state (1825) to begin manumission of its slaves through a process to be completed by 1865. Lower class southern whites begain the migration west.

Due to butterflies, OTL Mississippi and Alabama go largely unsettled by 1830, except along the gulf coast. Instead, these areas become the basis of an Indian-dominated state which adopts the name "Oklahoma", meaning roughly, "Red Man" in one of its local languages, Choctaw. A skmilar state or two will be established elsewhere in the country in subsequent decades.

Similarly, butterflies impact chartism, which takes a more radical and Republican turn in the 1850's. Similar problems befall Ireland in the same timeframe where the locals have heard much of the successes emigrants are having in America.

The Crimean War breaks out in 1853, and relations between Russia and the United States are such that the latter takes over policing duties from the former in Russian America. Due to butterflies, the Sepoy mutiny starts earlier, but well after Britain has committed itself to the war against Russia. The war lasts longer than in our timeline, and is impeded by ongoing domestic turmoil in the U.K.

Treaty of Washington (1857) The Crimean War ends in a draw, and Russia sells its North American interests to the United States, which also acquires the Hudson's Bay Company lands in a separate acquisition.

The Sepoy Mutiny escalates to full scale war between the British and various local rulers with covert backing from France. This escalation leads the Boers to take advantage of the situation, and the chartists take to the streets.

The war lasts a decade, and 1868 is remembered as the the year of the revolution. The "Sons of Liberty, Great Britain Chapter" march into Buckingham Palace intending to arrest the monarch who has since fled to Sydney. Instead, the militia has its supporters form a government at the Palace of Westminster where a constitution for the "ommonwealth of Great Britain" is written and accession to the United States is sought. Around the same time, similar events unfold in Ireland.

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On a separate note, the creator of this thread perhaps needs a reminder of why Harry Harrison is so disliked on this board.
 
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