AHC: Three-way American Revolution

No, not that way. :p

Your challenge is to have the American Revolution being fought between three major factions, with one being the British Empire, and the other two any colonial group.

They must be fighting each other, too, over the course of the war.

So, any takers?
 

Saphroneth

Banned
Perhaps:

The Slavery issue is a dealbreaker.
The southern section of the Thirteen Colonies still rises, but they attempt to secure the Chesapeake to cover their northern flank from British landings.
The northern section considers this an attack.



Alternatively:
The Quebequois consider this a good time to get their liberté from all the protestant anglos about, resisting both British troops and the invasion of Quebec in the 1770s.
 
Would it happen though?

One of the major background factors to the Revolution was that after the fall of French Canada there were no other significant opposing threats on the Eastern seaboard of North America. This gave the Thirteen Colonies both the relative security to start up on their own as well as the psychological setup for an us vs them attitude to the British.

Given a significant enough level of factionalism in the Thirteen Colonies to provide the impetus for a whole other political/military force, I doubt you'd see the revolution occurring. Rather you'd see both factions jockeying for political power with the colonial govt.
 
Yes, three-way conflicts are rare (and are most commonly civil wars like the current Syrian mess, with different people struggling for power). People are generally smart enough to realize that if one side is strongest, the two opponents squabbling among themselves is just going to hand the first side the victory. You might have some low-level clashes, but a full-on three-way isn't really likely, because everyone knows that it would give the British the win.
 
Yes, three-way conflicts are rare (and are most commonly civil wars like the current Syrian mess, with different people struggling for power). People are generally smart enough to realize that if one side is strongest, the two opponents squabbling among themselves is just going to hand the first side the victory. You might have some low-level clashes, but a full-on three-way isn't really likely, because everyone knows that it would give the British the win.

As well as the "These British are assholes but at least they're not the goddamn [insert rival faction here]" factor.
 
Would they? This is well before abolitionism becomes a force in British politics. One master is no different from another.
 
Would they? This is well before abolitionism becomes a force in British politics. One master is no different from another.

Britain offered slaves freedom in return for fighting the Americans, so yes.

I think a different treatment of the French Canadians leading to a French Canadian uprising is the best way to do this. The reason an independent Southern rebellion wouldn't work is because how dependent the Northerners were on the strength and money on the Southern colonies.
 
Would they? This is well before abolitionism becomes a force in British politics. One master is no different from another.

They would. The British did utilise this IOTL.

I'm not convinced that a French Canadian uprising would work primarily because the American revolutionaries aren't going to be any more sympathetic to them than the British were. Remember, many of the revolutionary officers cut their teeth subjugating French Canada. Establishing your independence is one thing- enabling the establishment of a rival culturally alien power on the Eastern seaboard of North America is another altogether.
 
Dunmore's War goes escalates and a Tecumseh like figure unites all the Native Tribes from the Iroquois to the Cherokee into a massive confederation that's against both Britain and the Americans by the time the Revolution starts.
 

TFSmith121

Banned
Where do they get their firearms and powder and lead from?

Dunmore's War goes escalates and a Tecumseh like figure unites all the Native Tribes from the Iroquois to the Cherokee into a massive confederation that's against both Britain and the Americans by the time the Revolution starts.

Where do they get their firearms and powder and lead from?

Best,
 

TFSmith121

Banned
So they are Spanish proxies fighting the British and the

Did I not just suggest Spain?

So they are Spanish proxies fighting the British and the Americans in a decade where the Spanish saw a strategic advantage in alligning with the Americans (and the French and the Dutch) against the British?

Best,
 
So they are Spanish proxies fighting the British and the Americans in a decade where the Spanish saw a strategic advantage in alligning with the Americans (and the French and the Dutch) against the British?

Best,

Yes, because despite all that they are the best option at fulfilling the premise of this challenge. Many in Spain felt that the Americans would share the same aggression in trying to capture Spanish territories at that time. So they have reasons for being against both.
 

TFSmith121

Banned
Okay ... not sure that's the best strategy, King Carlos III

Yes, because despite all that they are the best option at fulfilling the premise of this challenge. Many in Spain felt that the Americans would share the same aggression in trying to capture Spanish territories at that time. So they have reasons for being against both.

Okay ... not sure that's the best strategy for Spain. As it was, by 1783, Spanish support of the American revolution got them Florida (east and west) which had been British territory since 1763, and they held on to Florida four (roughly) four decades. They also got Minorca back.

Best,
 
Dunmore's War goes escalates and a Tecumseh like figure unites all the Native Tribes from the Iroquois to the Cherokee into a massive confederation that's against both Britain and the Americans by the time the Revolution starts.

Again, given a credibly threatening enemy, the Revolution likely doesn't happen.

Remember- the tensions that led to the Revolution were the product of a society that felt psychologically secure given that the last major alien threat (French Canada) had been removed two decades before. If there's another threat (organised Native Confederation), you're going to see the colonial elites working with the government to counter it rather than working to make themselves the government.
 
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