AHC: Screw USA

From a POD between 1812 to 1836, screw the USA so badly that the USA loses the mexican american war and does not become a great power. NO loss of the Louisiana territory is allowed.
 
Have the war of 1812 be a much more decisive British victory. From there you pretty much have a blank cheque as to what you want to do to the US.
 
Tecumseh wins the Battle of the Thames, turning the tide in the War of 1812 to a decisive British victory with Tecumseh's federation established as a new British client state in the Old Northwest, Mississippi, and Alabama effectively halting all westward expansion and the New England Confederation breaking loose (this part may be the least plausible). From there the Cherokee decide to take a more militant approach and with Shawnee/British support successfully take portions of Georgia away from the United States.
 
Have the war of 1812 be a much more decisive British victory. From there you pretty much have a blank cheque as to what you want to do to the US.

Didn't the British want to wrap up the war because of Napoleon? A more decisive victory would probably mean longer and more intensive engagement outside of Europe.

I think it would be easier to devise something along the North - South divide. IMHO that offers the best potential for Ameri-Screw. I.e. The Amistad trial turns ugly and triggers an early secession?
 
Didn't the British want to wrap up the war because of Napoleon? A more decisive victory would probably mean longer and more intensive engagement outside of Europe.

I think it would be easier to devise something along the North - South divide. IMHO that offers the best potential for Ameri-Screw. I.e. The Amistad trial turns ugly and triggers an early secession?

The British had already defeated Napoleon. But they didn't want the war and knew there wasn't a whole lot they could realistically gain from it. If they did win a resounding victory, though, they would at least have demanded Michigan and sole control of the Great Lakes. That alone would likely cause revanchism and desire for revenge among Americans, though.

But more importantly, a bad loss in the War of 1812 might sow disillusionment with the federal government or the country itself. The "New England Secedes" possibility is way overblown, but the loss could still sow more regional division. Also, if trade with Britain is routinely cut off due to bad relations, the US economy will be worse off, especially in the South.

You could take that where you want.
 
But more importantly, a bad loss in the War of 1812 might sow disillusionment with the federal government or the country itself. The "New England Secedes" possibility is way overblown, but the loss could still sow more regional division. Also, if trade with Britain is routinely cut off due to bad relations, the US economy will be worse off, especially in the South.

You could take that where you want.

Actually it would be a lot worse off in the north. Remember how much damage Jefferson's 1807 embargo did to the New England economy? If the US continues to cut off trade with the British after the war, I could see New England seceding.
 
Didn't the British want to wrap up the war because of Napoleon? A more decisive victory would probably mean longer and more intensive engagement outside of Europe.

The trouble with the 1812 war is that it could so easily have been a decisive win for eitherside with a bit more luck for one side and a bit less for the other. This is why is this the AHistorian's dream!

Without too many tweeks we could see the Brits linking British Canada to New Orleans via the Missisippi and having control of not only the Great Lakes but New England.

On the other hand given very few tweeks we could see the Americans humiliating the British Army and Navy and having much more of modern day Canada than in OTL (although I don't think the Canadians would have allowed the Yanks to walk all over them).

Another possibility for USA being screwed would have been California going to the Brits instead of the US. If this was the case I can see Canada extending down the West coast of the American continant. With no western ports whats the point of Alaska and Hawaii?
 
Top