During the American Revolution, a huge chunk of Great Britain's most populous and wealthiest colonies in North America broke away to form the US. Left behind were the scraps in the Caribbean and the frozen landscape of Canada, most of which were under British influence for centuries after into the modern era. Now, as far as this goes for a red-blooded, meat-eatin', Stars and Stripes-wearin' Yankee cowpoke like me, this is not enough. The challenge here is, with a POD on or between July 3, 1754 (considered the opening shots of the Seven Years' War) to September 3, 1783 (the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the American War for Independence), have all of British North America, from the Arctic to the Caribbean, revolt against British rule and form the USA, or at least be handed over at the peace conference.
AHC: The United States of Formerly British America
- Thread starter HeX
- Start date
Most likely PoD is that every colony sends delegates to 1776 conference for the Declaration of Independence. However, I'm not sure exactly how that happens. I can see a British taxation scheme that not only angers Americans but also Canadians and Caribbeans. A longer, bloodier, 7 years' war that bankrupts Britain--even though it beats France--causes it to suck up all it could from the Colonies to pay its debts. That could cause everyone to send delegates to the 1776 conference for the Declaration of Independence. I believe that with everyone rebelling, and Britain already having so many fiscal problems that it can barely pay its troops for another long and expensive war, the Colonies in N.A. are able to break off from British rule.
Forming the USA comes afterwards, and deserves its own unit.
I'd write a chapter if I could but I think this is your thread and you did not take well to it the first time I tried it.
Forming the USA comes afterwards, and deserves its own unit.
I'd write a chapter if I could but I think this is your thread and you did not take well to it the first time I tried it.
I... look, what I had problems with was you writing chapters for my personal timeline that I'm working on. This is an Alternate History Challenge, which is extended to the AH.com community as a whole. It's a free-for-all here, just don't drown everyone else out.
(Also, you don't have to keep apologizing over and over like you've been doing--I really don't mind that much.)
The difficulty is the former New France. A large part of OTL rebellion against the UK parliament was its leniency/protection of the Canadiens.
Former New France... why is that one particularly difficult? Unique culture?
Proclamation of 1763 angered most colonists since it prevented them from further westward expansion due to "Native American concerns". This is an alternate timeline, so I could say that the Quebec act doesn't pass in it, which aggravates Former New France. The taxation rates are even higher, affecting all the colonies now. Everyone had something to complain about.
Wait. How much of a role was protection of Canada in OTL American Revolution? I thought most of it was due to quartering of British Soldiers, Taxation Without Representation, and the Dumped Tea.
Anyhow, I'll be making an alternate timeline with this.
Chapter 1
The year is 1773. Paul Revere and John Adams were talking about the mishaps in the colonies at this time. They were furious at how the British taxed them--often heavily--but did not offer them representation in Parliament. All the colonies did not like the heavy taxation without representation--many compared it to tyranny. The Proclamation of 1763 discouraged western settlement due to "Native American concerns", but everyone who wanted more western lands for agriculture or settlement was angered by this, thinking the British were harder on them than on the Native Americans.
Adams asked, "So we are getting support from the colonies on the eastern seaboard. How about the ones in Canada and the ones in the Caribbean? I want to see if everyone is agreeing with us about the way the British Crown is abusing us. It has sent soldiers here even in peacetime. It has forced us to quarter them. It has raised taxes on us without our consent. It has prevented the thriving of its colonials."
Revere responded, "There are some representatives from Canada and one from the Caribbean arriving to see the other representatives on what to do next. Beyond that, I'm not certain."
Wait. How much of a role was protection of Canada in OTL American Revolution? I thought most of it was due to quartering of British Soldiers, Taxation Without Representation, and the Dumped Tea.
Anyhow, I'll be making an alternate timeline with this.
Chapter 1
The year is 1773. Paul Revere and John Adams were talking about the mishaps in the colonies at this time. They were furious at how the British taxed them--often heavily--but did not offer them representation in Parliament. All the colonies did not like the heavy taxation without representation--many compared it to tyranny. The Proclamation of 1763 discouraged western settlement due to "Native American concerns", but everyone who wanted more western lands for agriculture or settlement was angered by this, thinking the British were harder on them than on the Native Americans.
Adams asked, "So we are getting support from the colonies on the eastern seaboard. How about the ones in Canada and the ones in the Caribbean? I want to see if everyone is agreeing with us about the way the British Crown is abusing us. It has sent soldiers here even in peacetime. It has forced us to quarter them. It has raised taxes on us without our consent. It has prevented the thriving of its colonials."
Revere responded, "There are some representatives from Canada and one from the Caribbean arriving to see the other representatives on what to do next. Beyond that, I'm not certain."
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The tax disputes that led to the American crisis also hit other colonies hard, the Caribbean colonies (more dependent on trade) particularly so. Yet those other colonies did not rebel because they benefited too much from the status quo and had too much to lose. A few provocative events like the Boston Massacre and Tea Party, the cycle of provocations that then followed, and then the inflammatory Common Sense by Thomas Paine caused much of the Patriot sentiment in the American colonies--Slate.
Perhaps the more important figures in the other colonies (Caribbean and Canada) in this hypothetical timeline would have needed to have more to lose and benefit less from the status quo. I will write more about it since I need to eat lunch
Perhaps the more important figures in the other colonies (Caribbean and Canada) in this hypothetical timeline would have needed to have more to lose and benefit less from the status quo. I will write more about it since I need to eat lunch
If you were willing to extend the timeline there is the option of forming a North American Dominion sometime post 1800 - that could be done peacefully and gradually transition into an independent country.
That's true, but that's also too easy. Having all of BNA join the American Revolution? Now that's hard to do.
I'm on it, I'll be doing it more. When do you want the timeline to end? I'm thinking of merging this with my "Britain in Flames" one since losing all the North American colonies so early could definitely lead to a collapse of faith in government. I will do a bit now
The Pan-American War of Independence had begun. Delegates from every single British Colony had arrived in Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence. One of the fiercest debates included the slavery issue, which seemed counter to "We hold these rights to be self-evident that all men are created equal". The Southern colonies and especially the Caribbean threatened to walk out if antislavery clauses were added. Many of the northern delegates, particularly those from colonies with no or hardly any slaves, considered taking out the antislavery clauses as a betrayal of the Revolution, but they received the message that slavery would be discussed after they had beaten the British Empire. Talks about defending themselves from the British Regulars, naval law, and what shape the new country would take continued. To get Canada on board, the delegates promised that they would respect the rights of the local culture; the freedom of religion clause appealed to them since in this timeline, the British ultimately failed to protect the rights of the remaining Canadians of French origin. Besides the Regulars, the main opposition to the newly formed "Patriots" was the Planter Elite in the Carolinas, Georgia, and the Caribbean. What was not discussed in the Convention, but communicated down to the Continental Army, was that captured plantations from loyalists would be dispersed to the yeomen farmers and divided evenly.
Soon after, the British Navy set out a massive invasion force, which the Continental Army met. The fighting had begun.
New France and the Caribbean are the hardest parts to this.
New France because they actually preferred the governance of the British, which was substantially better and more democratic than governance under France, so they were not complacent about what they were risking. There was also vast amounts of anti-Catholic prejudice in the English colonies, particularly in neighboring New England, so they felt they could not trust the Anglo-Americans. Why would they give up liberal rule from a country they knew had a track record of protecting their rights to throw in their luck with another country on faith?
The Caribbean is even harder. These are small islands entirely dependent on supplies from the outside, and with small white elites dealing with large slave populations. If they are blockaded they are screwed, and the rebels are never going to have a navy that can compete with the Royal Navy.
New France because they actually preferred the governance of the British, which was substantially better and more democratic than governance under France, so they were not complacent about what they were risking. There was also vast amounts of anti-Catholic prejudice in the English colonies, particularly in neighboring New England, so they felt they could not trust the Anglo-Americans. Why would they give up liberal rule from a country they knew had a track record of protecting their rights to throw in their luck with another country on faith?
The Caribbean is even harder. These are small islands entirely dependent on supplies from the outside, and with small white elites dealing with large slave populations. If they are blockaded they are screwed, and the rebels are never going to have a navy that can compete with the Royal Navy.
Deleted member 109224
West Florida, East Florida, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and St John's Island were all invited to join the Second Continental Congress but said no. Georgia was the only colony to not be at the first continental congress but accept an invitation to attend the second.
All of the mainland colonies (including St John's Island) could be conquered. Bahamas and Bermuda were occupied by Colonial Privateers at points.
The issue is the Caribbean Colonies. Tiny islands surrounded by water far from the main rebel colonies and the British can just blockade them.
Jamaica formed a committee of correspondence at one point, but they never took the plunge.
All of the mainland colonies (including St John's Island) could be conquered. Bahamas and Bermuda were occupied by Colonial Privateers at points.
The issue is the Caribbean Colonies. Tiny islands surrounded by water far from the main rebel colonies and the British can just blockade them.
Jamaica formed a committee of correspondence at one point, but they never took the plunge.
How about this: the British blockade the Caribbean colonies which, due to (unspecified) butterflies, have a minor but vocal contingent of rebels on them. (A Caribbean form of the Sons of Liberty, perhaps led by an Alexander Hamilton who never left the region?) This blockade enrages the locals, pushing them to the patriot side and things escalate from there. Hopelessly overwhelmed for the Revolution's duration, the islands are officially handed over to the new US at the Treaty of Paris.
Great Idea, HeX.
And I have this one for Canada
The British fail to pass the Quebec Act of 1774, which, angers the Canadians. Canadian "Patriots" start occurring complaining about taxation without representation and the "New French" are also angry at the British for failing to protect their culture and freedom of religion. The PoD is probably the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War; it goes on for longer, wrecks Canada (who blames the British for letting the French destroy a whole bunch of it, see WMIT for an example of ally-blaming), bankrupts the British Crown so it decides to heavily tax all its colonies to get the money.
The other colonists claim that they will treat the Canadians better than the British could, especially in terms of freedom of religion and protecting its culture. So the Canadians join what becomes the new US.
I know in the 1760s the Governor of Jamaica was removed after losing the argument where he defended that the locals in Jamaica should pay for harboring troops, if you have where the Governor wins that argument and local Jamaicans are still taxed harboring troops and attempts by the Jamaican assembly to end importing slaves into the colony still get stymied by the British government could likely make them more open in their sympathy to the 13 colonies and getting Jamaicas support could prove influential on the rest of the Caribbean.
I am going to make a timeline
1763-1775.
Seven Years War ends. Canada is largely destroyed by this conflict. It also almost bankrupts the British Crown, which overtaxes the colonies in a desperate attempt to pay its debts. The colonists get enraged over this and many of them start tax protests and attempt boycotts of British goods. The Governor of Jamaica attempts to explain why Jamaicans should pay for harboring British soldiers, much to the disgust of the colonists in Jamaica. Hamilton writes treatises on the tyranny of British rule in not just the Caribbean colonies, but all the other North American ones as well. The Caribbean colonies largely follow the lead of Jamaica due to similar cultures and economies. The Quebec Act fails to pass in Canada, causing resentment for the British to further rise due to fear that the British were not protecting their culture adequately. Increasingly, promises of freedom of religion cause many of the residents of the Quebec to have sympathy with the other colonists. In addition, the Canadian Colonies and their people were already furious that their overlord (Britain) could not prevent the French from destroying large amounts of their land. A "stabbed in the back" myth arises in Canada, where people blame the British for foot-dragging and using them as their front line. The American colonies (original 13) say to the Canadians that they could join and make something bigger and help fight against their British overlords. As more of the "taxation without representation is tyranny" protests engage, more anger about the settlement laws to avoid angering the Native Americans emerges, and most of all, protests about harboring the British troops who were considered terrible and incompetent, the sentiment rises to a fever pitch. The British attempt to crack down on this growing rebellion, and the first battles of the North American Revolution are fought.
1776-1783.
Declaration of Independence and its convention. Representatives from all the colonies join. The Declaration of Independence is written, and the anti-slavery clauses were taken out due to the need to keep the Caribbean, Georgia, and the Carolinas on board. The slavery issue would be solved later, though a ban on the importation of slaves receives broad support among most of the colonies. The British retake the Caribbean relatively easily, but it diverts troops from the other areas of the war. The British Army is stretched thin between the newly-formed American states (in OTL's USA and Canada) and after much frustration where it is unable to capture or kill the leadership of the rebellion, faces very low war support at home. The American soldiers in the Continental Army modernized by Von Steuben use new tactics and hold their own against the British Army. George Washington, among many others, becomes a hero in the War for Independence. France joins in to make Britain look incompetent and weaken it, helping the Americans. The French Navy arrives, which forces the British troops in the Caribbean to scramble to deal with the new threat. The British are forced out of the Caribbean as a result. The British soldiers in Canada also The American Revolution ends at the Treaty of Paris where the United States is formed and recognized. British soldiers are forced to pull out of North America, including the Caribbean. There is widespread fury in Great Britain at the King and Parliament about their ineptitude at losing the colonies. This causes a collapse in government and movement of power away from the King. Many of the old Members of Parliament lose their seats. The Dream of a Colonial America died, so Great Britain attempts to shift its focus on India and China. In the newly-formed United States of America, work begins on forming a republic and repairing the damage incurred in the War for Independence.
1786-1800
The Articles of Confederation are a failure. Work begins on the USA Constitution and once again, members of all the states (all colonies became states at the Treaty of Paris) decide to join. The Constitution is completed as OTL and it is ratified with all but some of the Caribbean colonies ratifying it. 1-13 same OTL. 14. West Florida. 15. East Florida. 16. Nova Scotia. 17. Quebec. 18. St. John's Island. 19. Jamaica.
After seeing the results of the Constitution, the other Caribbean colonies sign on two years later. George Washington is elected as the first president as per OTL, and serves two terms only. Thomas Jefferson starts building an apparatus to which to run for President. Adulation of George Washington due to his personal charisma, political skills, humility, and mental fortitude was very common. The westward expansion continues, with some attempted purchases of land from Spain in modern Florida. Discussions over this purchase would not be finished until the late 1810s. In 1796, Thomas Jefferson defeats John Adams in a very close election. The expansion of civil rights begins as Jefferson attempts to get the nation to live up to its founding promises. The translatlantic slave trade is abolished during this time, as its support had dwindled even in slaveholding states. Slavery becomes restricted to Virginia on down. Westward expansion also continues, as the settlement of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio and their conversion into new states. Settlement of Western Canada also starts, but due to the lower population of the states there (OTL's Canada), it takes far longer. Over in Europe, the French Revolution rages. The Americans attempt to support the Revolutionaries, but withdraw some of their support when they start seeing just how bloody the Revolutionaries want to go. The relationship between France and the United States of America worsened as American ships started sinking and their crews taken hostage. France and Britain were blamed for this. As the U.S. refused to acquiesce to French demands in the XYZ Affair (the French diplomats did not use their real names, instead using X, Y, and Z), the Quasi-War eventually happens. Both sides are unwilling to formally declare war on each other since the United States of America was still tired of war ever since having its independence recognized, and the French being rather busy in Europe due to the wars against other European powers, most of which tried to prevent the French Revolution from spreading, and also to avenge the beheaded Louis XVI. Deals with the Native Americans are made, but they are suspicious due to the rising tide of western expansion. This Quasi-War leads to the creation of the U.S. Navy and the settlement of claims that veterans of the North American Revolution had. The Whiskey Rebellion fails horribly. Work on building a functioning economy continues. The initial rush of Patriotic fervor causes the renaming of several towns and cities that were named after Kings or other British figures to be renamed to Independence figures. Bringing democracy to (at this point, white men) was popularized and there is even some antislavery talk where the spread of slavery was successfully halted due to the outsized role and charisma of Thomas Jefferson.
1800s: I will be combining this with my "The Insanity of a Perfect Union" timeline where Britain goes down in flames sooner. Stay tuned for more!
1763-1775.
Seven Years War ends. Canada is largely destroyed by this conflict. It also almost bankrupts the British Crown, which overtaxes the colonies in a desperate attempt to pay its debts. The colonists get enraged over this and many of them start tax protests and attempt boycotts of British goods. The Governor of Jamaica attempts to explain why Jamaicans should pay for harboring British soldiers, much to the disgust of the colonists in Jamaica. Hamilton writes treatises on the tyranny of British rule in not just the Caribbean colonies, but all the other North American ones as well. The Caribbean colonies largely follow the lead of Jamaica due to similar cultures and economies. The Quebec Act fails to pass in Canada, causing resentment for the British to further rise due to fear that the British were not protecting their culture adequately. Increasingly, promises of freedom of religion cause many of the residents of the Quebec to have sympathy with the other colonists. In addition, the Canadian Colonies and their people were already furious that their overlord (Britain) could not prevent the French from destroying large amounts of their land. A "stabbed in the back" myth arises in Canada, where people blame the British for foot-dragging and using them as their front line. The American colonies (original 13) say to the Canadians that they could join and make something bigger and help fight against their British overlords. As more of the "taxation without representation is tyranny" protests engage, more anger about the settlement laws to avoid angering the Native Americans emerges, and most of all, protests about harboring the British troops who were considered terrible and incompetent, the sentiment rises to a fever pitch. The British attempt to crack down on this growing rebellion, and the first battles of the North American Revolution are fought.
1776-1783.
Declaration of Independence and its convention. Representatives from all the colonies join. The Declaration of Independence is written, and the anti-slavery clauses were taken out due to the need to keep the Caribbean, Georgia, and the Carolinas on board. The slavery issue would be solved later, though a ban on the importation of slaves receives broad support among most of the colonies. The British retake the Caribbean relatively easily, but it diverts troops from the other areas of the war. The British Army is stretched thin between the newly-formed American states (in OTL's USA and Canada) and after much frustration where it is unable to capture or kill the leadership of the rebellion, faces very low war support at home. The American soldiers in the Continental Army modernized by Von Steuben use new tactics and hold their own against the British Army. George Washington, among many others, becomes a hero in the War for Independence. France joins in to make Britain look incompetent and weaken it, helping the Americans. The French Navy arrives, which forces the British troops in the Caribbean to scramble to deal with the new threat. The British are forced out of the Caribbean as a result. The British soldiers in Canada also The American Revolution ends at the Treaty of Paris where the United States is formed and recognized. British soldiers are forced to pull out of North America, including the Caribbean. There is widespread fury in Great Britain at the King and Parliament about their ineptitude at losing the colonies. This causes a collapse in government and movement of power away from the King. Many of the old Members of Parliament lose their seats. The Dream of a Colonial America died, so Great Britain attempts to shift its focus on India and China. In the newly-formed United States of America, work begins on forming a republic and repairing the damage incurred in the War for Independence.
1786-1800
The Articles of Confederation are a failure. Work begins on the USA Constitution and once again, members of all the states (all colonies became states at the Treaty of Paris) decide to join. The Constitution is completed as OTL and it is ratified with all but some of the Caribbean colonies ratifying it. 1-13 same OTL. 14. West Florida. 15. East Florida. 16. Nova Scotia. 17. Quebec. 18. St. John's Island. 19. Jamaica.
After seeing the results of the Constitution, the other Caribbean colonies sign on two years later. George Washington is elected as the first president as per OTL, and serves two terms only. Thomas Jefferson starts building an apparatus to which to run for President. Adulation of George Washington due to his personal charisma, political skills, humility, and mental fortitude was very common. The westward expansion continues, with some attempted purchases of land from Spain in modern Florida. Discussions over this purchase would not be finished until the late 1810s. In 1796, Thomas Jefferson defeats John Adams in a very close election. The expansion of civil rights begins as Jefferson attempts to get the nation to live up to its founding promises. The translatlantic slave trade is abolished during this time, as its support had dwindled even in slaveholding states. Slavery becomes restricted to Virginia on down. Westward expansion also continues, as the settlement of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio and their conversion into new states. Settlement of Western Canada also starts, but due to the lower population of the states there (OTL's Canada), it takes far longer. Over in Europe, the French Revolution rages. The Americans attempt to support the Revolutionaries, but withdraw some of their support when they start seeing just how bloody the Revolutionaries want to go. The relationship between France and the United States of America worsened as American ships started sinking and their crews taken hostage. France and Britain were blamed for this. As the U.S. refused to acquiesce to French demands in the XYZ Affair (the French diplomats did not use their real names, instead using X, Y, and Z), the Quasi-War eventually happens. Both sides are unwilling to formally declare war on each other since the United States of America was still tired of war ever since having its independence recognized, and the French being rather busy in Europe due to the wars against other European powers, most of which tried to prevent the French Revolution from spreading, and also to avenge the beheaded Louis XVI. Deals with the Native Americans are made, but they are suspicious due to the rising tide of western expansion. This Quasi-War leads to the creation of the U.S. Navy and the settlement of claims that veterans of the North American Revolution had. The Whiskey Rebellion fails horribly. Work on building a functioning economy continues. The initial rush of Patriotic fervor causes the renaming of several towns and cities that were named after Kings or other British figures to be renamed to Independence figures. Bringing democracy to (at this point, white men) was popularized and there is even some antislavery talk where the spread of slavery was successfully halted due to the outsized role and charisma of Thomas Jefferson.
1800s: I will be combining this with my "The Insanity of a Perfect Union" timeline where Britain goes down in flames sooner. Stay tuned for more!
After the successful formation of the United States of America, I will be shifting gears to the collapsing Britain. Will be writing more, and hope you still have interest in this timeline.