AHC get the US involved in the Napoleonic Wars in a more significant manner

It can be argued the War of 1812 was a subset of the Napoleonic wars however how could the US involvement in the overall Napoleonic conflicts have been more profound and impactful than iotl?
 
Have the US build a larger navy to be able to weaken the British blockades or get involved in affairs overseas [especially Europe and the world's open oceans]. Maybe have them join the British side if possible.
 

raharris1973

Gone Fishin'
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AHC- By 1815 an American Expeditionary Force, under an American general, is present in the campaigns to defeat France, in alliance with the final coalitions
 
one that has come up on here before is Napoleon deciding not to sell the LA territory to the USA... when Napoleon is on the ropes, the US is likely to invade to get New Orleans... of course, if Napoleon doesn't sell, he doesn't have that US payment... what happens without that?
 
To Our Oldest Friend, do you require aid?

That was easy. France was at least in name a Sister Republic, a fellow Revolutionary People, and this is only a few short years after our own revolutionary war we sort of hated Britain's face still. Joining a coalition of reactionary monarchies to beat down on a Republic? No.
 
The US would not be that stupid- they know they could offer no direct help to France, and would get their butts stomped by British Navy before they became a threat.
 

longsword14

Banned
USA had sympathy for the Revolution, more initially than later, but they could hardly do anything.
They were miffed by confiscation of vessels. France was far away and did not meddle in N America but Britiain's sole control over water meant that they could do whatever they wanted, which was an even greater irritant to the US.
It took some time to boil over but 1812 had some base originating from all this.
 
To Our Oldest Friend, do you require aid?

That was easy. France was at least in name a Sister Republic, a fellow Revolutionary People, and this is only a few short years after our own revolutionary war we sort of hated Britain's face still. Joining a coalition of reactionary monarchies to beat down on a Republic? No.
I agree with your sentiment...but in fact the USA was split into partisan factions. That the nominally Republican revolutionary France then turned into an open military dictatorship did not help the US-Jacobin case either.

Hating Britain's face was a sincere and deep passion for some, such as Andrew Jackson. It was 4th of July rhetoric for others, and not much the case at all for still others.

Nations are never all one person, all of one mind. Some issues can unify them strongly but the Napoleonic Wars were not such. Factions supported both sides, while still others prudently favored just sitting the whole thing out and profiting as best we could as neutrals. In view of the deadlock between the Anglophiles and Francophiles, this was policy, leaning one way or the other as circumstances permitted or forced.

The Federalists might indeed have wanted in on the kill of Napoleon. There is no way they'd get agreement to a Coalition expeditionary force because of Democrat-Republican opposition of course! But some, not just random crazy individuals but entire sectors, did desire it. I'd say on the whole sentiment was more forthrightly Francophile than Anglophile, but the Anglophiles, equivocate though they might, also included particularly influential people.

If France had somehow stayed a Republic in a meaningful sense, perhaps US sentiment would have tipped more strongly in their favor. But still, we were in a bad position to be much help to them anyway. And France as a dominating, hegemonic power that would better reward a transAtlantic ally, was pretty much a function of the Revolution dying and turning to imperial despotism.

The only way to combine a strong France with a still-democratic one would be if the Jacobin example led to mass revolution all over Europe and France presided over a confederation of revolutionary democracies as elder sibling and leading protector. In such a scenario, perhaps the USA would be lured in--but against the kicking and screaming of Federalists all up and down the coast.
 
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