America - Albion's Orphan - A history of the conquest of Britain - 1760

[Alt History Buff]

1797

Britain

The division of the island of Britain into seven different polities would have the obvious results. Border regions would prove battlezones as rival claims sought to tax or impress or enforce order upon the peasants. Raids were common, mainly by gangs rather than organized military campaigns.

Only the threat of French invasion...or even interference like blockades or supplying other factions...kept the peace. Many of the new Kings or Dukes of Britain would look upon the French involvement on the Continent and doubt that direct dispatch of soldiers was unlikely.

But there was always the threat. That was enough to keep "official" peace. However, the economy continued to descend into chaos. For the first time in decades, there was a reverse flow of people from the cities to the countryside as whole families would take up the plough in hopes of finding sustenance.

Others would flee across the Atlantic. However, only so many had the means and there was a limit as to the demand for indentures. Most of the contract buyers were along the pestilential southern regions like South Carolina, Florida and the like.

But hunger was a strong motivator and for the next several years, the British population stagnated as those whom could flee...did...at nearly 100,000 souls per year. Most would emigrate to America but others would find sanctuary in the Dutch Republic, the Maratha Empire (usually in BEIC-controlled regions) and even France (of all places).

Northern Holy Roman Empire

While the "Northern League" was nominally (officially) a customs union and trade zone consisting of a large number of Protestant nations becoming increasingly fearful of French and/or Austrian hegemony in Europe, it had more than its own share of military connotations as anyone with sense on the Continent could plainly see. Denmark, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg, Brunswick, Orange, Hesse and others knew that defeating one of the great Catholic powers would be difficult. Fighting both may be tantamount to suicide.

With the Dutch Republic in decline (though nominally part of the Northern League) and Britain a memory, the Protestant states felt very insecure despite the reduced emphasis on religion in Europe (politics now greatly exceeded faith in priorities in most courts).

Attempts to entice Sweden, Baden and Wurttemberg to join were rebuffed for various reasons. The Swedish Diet was feuding with the King while the latter two states were partaking in the dismemberment of the Swiss Cantons.

In a surprising turn, interest was actually received from an unexpected quarter. The Elector of Saxony was a Catholic whom ruled a Protestant people. Normally, this would be a significant problem (if European history was any indicator). However, this worked as the Elector was also King of Poland. This brought a great deal of benefits to Saxony as a Catholic dynasty would intermarry repeatedly with the House of Habsburg, thus keeping Saxony's borders safe from the most likely aggressor as well as gaining defense as in the previous war when the old Prussia invaded.

What was more, despite the Elector's Catholicism, the Protestants were left firmly in charge and Catholics actually left as second-class citizens in the House of Wettin's ancestral domain. While odd to outsiders, it was an arrangement that worked and satisfied all.

However, by the late 1790's, the leaders and common people of the electorate were identifying more and more with the Protestant-dominated Northern League and a segment of the population would press for membership. This was obviously utterly unacceptable to the Elector-King, much less the Habsburg Emperor.

While no immediate action was taken, the public mood became obviously pro-Northern League in what would later be termed the first hint of German nationalism.

Serbia

By 1797, the worst of the Serbian rebellion had been put down. Despite many Habsburg concessions and reforms intended to gain the popularity of the common people (removing the old vestiges of feudalism, abolition of slavery, religious freedom, lowered taxes, etc), peace proved elusive.

As Serbia actually provided very little to the Habsburg Empire beyond trouble, a few quiet voices wondered if Serbia was worth the effort.

 

[Istariol]

1797
Northern Holy Roman Empire
The Swedish Diet was feuding with the King while the latter two states were partaking in the dismemberment of the Swedish Cantons.

I think you mean Swiss and not Swedish Cantons.
Sweden -> swedish -> up north
Switzerland -> swiss -> down in the south

 

[Jürgen]

A few thoughts about the Northern League, Denmark are the strongest power in it, through it’s still only first among equals with only 1/3-2/5 of the population. My guess is that Denmark-Hanover have around 4 million inhabitants and the Northern League 10 million without Netherlands and 12 million with Netherlands. Each state will have a army, but the Danish army will be the biggest ones with likely around 150.000 soldiers(my guess based on the TTL Danish population size and OTL army), but of those 25-30.000 will be tied up in Norway. Beside that Denmark had in OTL a marine force of 10.000 men, here that will likely be doubled or tripled to 20-30.000 men. The quality of the Danish army will likely have improved with nobles from the rest of league seeking service in Denmark, which mean Prussian veterans will likely fill the Danish army and the failures of the war will have forced reforms through.
The armed forces will be split between several group.

Marine force: Mostly Scandinavians, officer often come from a non-noble background, command language Danish. Very skilled sailors (as they are recruited among Scandinavian seaside communities).
Norwegian forces: Small standing force, large militia, officers Danish-Norwegian nobles, well disciplined, high morale, but for political reasons can’t be used much outside Norway. Command language Danish.
The Royal Regiment: Elite Force recruited among Danes and to lesser extent Norwegians, pretty much the royal life guard, officer Danish nobles. Command language Danish.
The standing army: Pretty average force, recruited mostly among foreigners, officer a mix of Danish, German and the occasional French nobles. Command language German.
Conscript army and peasant militia: conscripted among Danish and German subject of the crown, officer a mix of Danish and German nobles, quality likely improving, morale depend on quality of officers with the militias having the worse officers. Makes up the bulk of the armed forces. Command language German.

General thoughts about the Northern League, the removal of custom barriers will result in a economic boom, the collapse of UK will result in industry being developed in the Northern League and we will see a growing economy, which will likely result in a population boom.

Beside that Netherlands with the loss of most of their colonies will likely invest more into the Cape Province sending population there. While on the Cold Coast both Denmark and Netherlands with the loss of their Caribbean colonies try to set up plantations up there likely with mixed success. Of course the crops won’t be sugar, but cocoa and other crops with high value and low mortality rate (as the local slaves have greater ability to flee if mistreated or worked to death than in America). The Dutch will likely also try to transplant some spice and tea production to Africa.

 

[Alt History Buff]

I think you mean Swiss and not Swedish Cantons.
Sweden -> swedish -> up north
Switzerland -> swiss -> down in the south

Thanks, I meant to say Swiss Cantons. Corrected.

 

[Alt History Buff]

1797

Swabia

While the Margrave of Baden and Duke of Wurttemberg had conspired to invade the northern Swiss Cantons, they did not stop there. Within the Swabian Circle's borders, another power had once existed: the scattered western possessions of the Habsburg family which were often referred to as "Further Austria". These territories had been exchanged with the House of Wittelsbach-Palatinate when Empress Maria Theresa had effectively stolen Bavaria from the rightful Wittelsbach heirs. Only these petty possessions and the inheritance of the Hohenzollern possessions in the Rhineland region (left to Frederick II's younger brothers and nephew) should those new dynasties die out would be poor compensation for Bavaria. However, the House of Wittelsbach would see several Electors (they retained the title of Elector of the Palatinate) die without heirs and family lands consolidated in northwest (the Rhine) and northeast (Swabia) Germany.

However, these scattered possessions would prove problematic to govern as each insisted on its own set of governors and the Wittelsbachs would be unable to unify their realms politically any more than they could geographically

There was another problem. Many of these domains were Protestant whom did not desire governance under the Catholic ruler. The old maxim was that the nation followed its monarch's faith. Or, perhaps, the opposite. (situations like the Catholic Wettin Dynasty in Saxony were aberrations).

But the hodge-podge collection of over a dozen petty counties, principalities, etc possessed both Catholic and Protestant members. Some would agitate for rebellion. As it would turn out, the desires of the locals would not matter much as the Margrave and Duke would march their own forces through these Swabian Wittelsbach regions en route to the Swiss Confederacy. However, some of the forces would not leave. Only belatedly did the Elector Palatine realize that his southern domains had been occupied.

As many of these regions had spent centuries under Habsburg rule, they remained largely Catholic. They were not happy with their Protestant conquerors.

Within weeks, the Elector-Palatine would demand that the Emperor "DO SOMETHING" to prove he still bore any authority in the Holy Roman Empire.

The question remained...DID the Emperor have any authority in the Holy Roman Empire?

The Elector also appealed to the King of France, whom was defacto allied with the Swabian nobles in dissecting the Swiss Confederacy. However, the Palatinate Wittelsbachs had long been clients and allies of France and it was expected on the part of the Elector that the French would support their claims.

Map of the Swabian Wittelbach possessions.




County of Mark

Elsewhere in the Holy Roman Empire, the County of Mark, ruled by a junior branch of the House of Hohenzollern, would see a tragedy take place. The reigning count would contract typhoid from tainted water brought from the wells of his new palace. Over two hundred people would succumb over 1796 and 1797...including his only two living sons.

BY 1797, the County of Mark was without a ruler. Per previous agreements, should this line die out, the County would go to the House of Wittelsbach. However, the County would immediately commence a revolt and declared that they would not accept a Catholic Count nor did they with to be part of the haphazard Wittelsbach possessions.

 

[Alt History Buff]

1797

County of Mark

Fearing falling under the rule of a Catholic monarch, the commoners of the County of Mark would rise in rebellion against the presumed inheritor: the Elector Palatinate.

They would pray for aid, a prayer quickly answered as William of the "Duchy" of Orange (not really a unified Duchy but a series of smaller regions under his reign) would invade Mark to "protect his co-religionists". William of Orange had been expelled long before by the Dutch (though he still styled himself Stadtholder) and was given several Rhenish territories in exchange by a settlement mediated by France. While Cleves and his other territories were not as wealthy as the Dutch Republic, at least William actually RULED them.

William had long desired to conquer the Republic though his forces would no doubt be inadequate. What was more, he knew that he required permission of the local power, France, which appeared content to let the Dutch Republic descend into a client state which was defenseless against French military might. The Ministers of Louis XV and Louis XVI would determined that it was far better to trade with the Dutch...and occasionally intimidate them...rather than conquer as any invasion would be sorely contested and not be worth the effort and money (similar reasons were given for a French withdrawal from Britain). As it was, the Dutch Republic was barely more unified than the fragmented Britain and was of absolutely no threat to the Kingdom of France.

Frustrated in the hindrance of his ambitions, William would see to expand into Mark, a nearly predominately Protestant land attempting to liberate itself from a prospective Catholic ruler. While his own forces were less than intimidating by Continental standards, William was quite certain he could defeat any Palatinate challenge.

He also dreamed of gaining enough of the Rhenish country under his command to retake the Republic...though he kept that to himself.

Neuchatel

Under the reign of his father, the little Principality within the Swiss Confederacy had quietly prospered. Johann von Fries was a wealthy banker to the Habsburgs throughout their lands and of Swiss origin, thus he had been granted the Principality. Johann had died in 1785, leaving Neuchatel to his son Moritz. Unfortunately, the son lacked the father's financial sense and the vast fortune which he'd been left had swiftly evaporated. Prince Moritz had been forced to declare bankruptcy the year before the French invaded the Western Swiss Confederacy and claimed the French-speaking (but primarily Protestant) Neuchatel for Louis XVI along with almost a third of the Confederacy territory.

Being out of favor in Austria, Moritz would bow to the inevitable and agree to "sell" his rights to the King of France in exchange for payment of his debts. By 1797, most of the Von Fries property within the Habsburg lands had already been seized by creditors anyway and Von Fries found few sympathizers as a man whom had wasted his family legacy in ten frivolous years.

Eventually, the "Prince" would make his way to Paris where he spent what little of the compensation he'd received from Louis XVI that didn't go immediately to creditors. Soon, new creditors would pound upon his door. Fearing for his vast art collection (initiated by his father, expanded by his brother), Moritz would take his collection of Rafaels, Van Dykes and Rembrandts abroad to America to protect them from his creditors.

By 1780, he'd found new creditors to support his lavish lifestyle in America. To pay them off, the "Prince" would be forced to sell his beautiful collection to King Frederick of British North America. He would die in 1826 in impoverished obscurity.

 

[Alt History Buff]

A few thoughts about the Northern League, Denmark are the strongest power in it, through it’s still only first among equals with only 1/3-2/5 of the population. My guess is that Denmark-Hanover have around 4 million inhabitants and the Northern League 10 million without Netherlands and 12 million with Netherlands. Each state will have a army, but the Danish army will be the biggest ones with likely around 150.000 soldiers(my guess based on the TTL Danish population size and OTL army), but of those 25-30.000 will be tied up in Norway. Beside that Denmark had in OTL a marine force of 10.000 men, here that will likely be doubled or tripled to 20-30.000 men. The quality of the Danish army will likely have improved with nobles from the rest of league seeking service in Denmark, which mean Prussian veterans will likely fill the Danish army and the failures of the war will have forced reforms through.
The armed forces will be split between several group.

Marine force: Mostly Scandinavians, officer often come from a non-noble background, command language Danish. Very skilled sailors (as they are recruited among Scandinavian seaside communities).
Norwegian forces: Small standing force, large militia, officers Danish-Norwegian nobles, well disciplined, high morale, but for political reasons can’t be used much outside Norway. Command language Danish.
The Royal Regiment: Elite Force recruited among Danes and to lesser extent Norwegians, pretty much the royal life guard, officer Danish nobles. Command language Danish.
The standing army: Pretty average force, recruited mostly among foreigners, officer a mix of Danish, German and the occasional French nobles. Command language German.
Conscript army and peasant militia: conscripted among Danish and German subject of the crown, officer a mix of Danish and German nobles, quality likely improving, morale depend on quality of officers with the militias having the worse officers. Makes up the bulk of the armed forces. Command language German.

General thoughts about the Northern League, the removal of custom barriers will result in a economic boom, the collapse of UK will result in industry being developed in the Northern League and we will see a growing economy, which will likely result in a population boom.

Beside that Netherlands with the loss of most of their colonies will likely invest more into the Cape Province sending population there. While on the Cold Coast both Denmark and Netherlands with the loss of their Caribbean colonies try to set up plantations up there likely with mixed success. Of course the crops won’t be sugar, but cocoa and other crops with high value and low mortality rate (as the local slaves have greater ability to flee if mistreated or worked to death than in America). The Dutch will likely also try to transplant some spice and tea production to Africa.

Interesting thoughts, thank you.

Regarding Denmark's Army, I think 150,000 is on the high side. In 1763, when the Russians were invading, the Danes could barely put 30,000 into the field. Granted, three decades of peace and annexation of Hanover would bring this to perhaps closer to 75,000 soldiers in times of war (including Norway) by 1800. Peacetime would probably be lower. I agree that Brandenburg would probably provide professional soldiers acting as mercenaries for Denmark.

Certainly, there is room for a custom union to spur industrialization.

 

[Alt History Buff]

1797

Manhattan

The case of O'Callihan versus Rhode Island had finally reached the Supreme Court. While America remained a very Protestant country, it was frequently proclaimed to be a land of religious tolerance. However, several of the northeastern Dominions like Rhode Island and Massachusetts continued to have anti-Catholic legislation on the books. In 1797, Rhode Island maintained a Dominion Constitution which banned Catholics from residing in their Dominion. This was challenged by an Irish Catholic Irish immigrant Kevin O'Callihan whom had been arrested after taking a lodging in Providence for a week. He refused to be rousted thus was imprisoned.

Like many Dominions bearing such laws, they were only sporadically enforced. However, occasionally a particularly rigid or intolerant magistrate would be pressed to act on an individual and O'Callihan was the wrong man to cross. Though freed after a few days without charge, O'Callihan promptly sued the Dominion of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations with aid of his lawyer, Eli Whitney.

Eventually, this reached the Supreme Court and the judgement swiftly returned in favor of O'Callihan. All such religious-based discrimination on Dominion books were deemed subordinate to national law...and therefore declared null and void.

While Catholics were not always welcomed in America, the worst of the legal discrimination was overturned and the trickle of Catholic immigration would continue, mostly from Germany or Ireland though with a surprising number of French. Still, this was not considered a "threat" to Protestant supremacy in America. Less than 10% of the immigrants were Catholic most years and probably closer to 3% in the years of turmoil in Britain which pushed huge numbers of British across the ocean. Still, some feared this "toehold".

Perhaps more ominously, the leaders of Parliament, John Adams and John Jay, would see this as a precedent, not for religion...but other laws. By 1797, over half the Dominions in the Kingdom of British North America had abolished slavery or passed laws limiting it or eventually phasing it out. Though he was quite certain the nation was not ready for full emancipation, Adams intended to start the debate now. Franklin had allowed this to fester, as had other First Lords of the Treasury. Adams would not.

The First Lord ordered his ally John Jay to rally Parliament towards a "debate" on the issue of slavery. Only a handful of Dominions still possessed significant numbers of slaves: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Even in these Dominions, the % of the population represented by slaves had declined significantly.

Jay would lead Parliament in a discussion regarding the drawbacks of slavery and indenture, making a non-binding proposal for Parliament to set a plan to extinguish the practice in "a reasonable amount of time". This, of course, ignited a firestorm of controversy and the "non-binding proposal" would dominate American political discourse for the next year. For his part, Adams didn't particularly care. As far as he was concerned, the day that the expansion of slavery to the western territories (some now Dominions in their own right) was banned by the King in Parliament, the institution was doomed. As he expected, the northern dominions would see their own "share" of the slave market collapse as it became increasingly easy to find cheap immigrant labor (or indentures) and as political and social factors would increase pressure to eliminate the institution.

By 1797, the quantity of slaves in America had stagnated due to lack in importation, high levels of voluntary liberation in most Dominions and the concentration of every higher numbers of slaves in the region where they were most in demand, South Carolina, which happened to have the highest mortality rate among slaves (and whites).

At independence, the bonded portion of the American population approached 20% and the "four slave Dominions" carried nearly 44% of the national population. On a generation later, this had dropped closer to 24% (and only 19% would be "free", therefore counting on the federal census). The "Slave Dominions" could not so easily block legislation as they could before.

Oddly, the factions were not strictly "southeast versus free dominions". There were many members of the southeastern gentry whom had come to advocate various levels of anti-slavery position (or at least anti-expansion). Most notable among these were the Virginians General Washington, George Mason, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Calhoun (just returned from Scotland), Maryland-based transplanted Englishmen Thomas Paine and William Wilburforce, South Carolinian John Laurens and others, particularly among the Methodists and Quakers. Former indentured servants in particular would agitate for an end of slavery (though part of this was due to slaves competing in the labor market with free labor).

Poorer free whites, particularly in the highland and mountain areas to the west (like Calhoun) which bore few slaves, would see the old eastern Anglican aristocracy as the enemy and sought to weaken them by weakening slavery. In 1798, Calhoun would be elected to Congress from his western Virginia district as would Thomas Jefferson, elected in another Western district in which he owned land despite spending most of the year at Monticello in the east (there were few laws about residency requirements to serve in a district).

Conversely, there were some in northern Dominions whom profited by the institution. The growing cotton production would feed northern textile miles. There was also the fear among northerners that any liberation would simply result in freed slaves moving north.

Of course, there was a political element. Some northern politicians would see the apparent unity of a "southeastern bloc" and believe that they could use this for their own advantage in Parliament. Gaining the loyalty of 19% of Congress would be a good stepping stone towards overthrowing Adams and placing another in the Treasury office.

The issue threatened to fester for decades...thus Adams, never one to let the grass grow under his feet, opted to thrust it onto the public stage.

 

[Colonel flagg]

What the American military as of last update?

 

[Alt History Buff]

What the American military as of last update?

Still fairly weak by European standards though no doubt stronger than OTL.

The US population is marginally larger than OTL due to annexation of Canada and higher than OTL European immigration (English Civil War, expulsion of Anglicans from Ireland) outpacing African slave trade lost in this TL.

This higher population would have a net positive effect on taxation (if higher taxes is positive) as would the greater centralization in this TL.

However, reduction of slavery would also reduce the primary OTL American exports produced in the south: tobacco and later cotton, which would harm the economy.

The US in this TL would be more middle class and probably more conservative (having a King will do that).

 

[Alt History Buff]

1798

Madrid

King Carlos IV of Spain was but a shadow of his famous father, Carlos III. Weak-willed, he was dominated by his wife, Maria Louisa of Parma. If she was having sex with that courtier, Manuel de Godoy...well...did it really matter?

By 1798, the Empire continued along its wayward path, often with little to no central authority guiding it. Brazil and the Rio Plata were benefiting from high quantities of Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and French migration (the Portuguese influence diminishing by the year). The silver shipments now arrived with regularity from the Americas.

However, not all was well. In summer of 1798, word arrived that the port of Manila had been attacked and conquered by the Chinese of all people. Few people in the court of Madrid knew what to do. An outcry for revenge erupted from the people and the King bid Minister Aranda and the Admiralty to do something about.

Carlos IV would doomed to be disappointed as the Spanish Navy had degenerated to a shocking degree since the last war due to budget limitations and outright apathy. There were more Admirals than ships in 1798. When the incompetent Minister of Marine attempted to find out what ships were ready to sail, it was quickly discerned that only a small number were seaworthy. It had taken most of the functional Spanish Navy (and some help from Naples, Rome, America and Denmark) to suppress the Barbary States in the previous years. Most of those Spanish vessels returned to port...and promptly rotted at anchor without crews or even minimal maintenance. An English professional sailor dispatched to Cadiz to investigate the readiness of the Spanish fleet would promptly report that he'd rather sail for Asia in an Irish fishing boat than these wrecks.

The Minister of Finance would find the treasury largely depleted as well.

Perhaps worse, even if ships, crews and money were available, no one was certain how such a fleet would be supplied for the long voyage to the east. Only a handful of Spanish/Italian traders plied the Indian or Pacific Oceans and Spain did not possess any actual territory between Brazil and the Philippines. Where could the fleet dock for repair or provisions? Where would it get surplus powder, shot and shell?

It became readily apparent that the Spanish navy lacked the personnel (both officers and crew), ships, money, bases and general logistical expertise to even attempt an expedition to relieve Manila. It was now nearly a year and a half since the fall of the distant city and the Spanish government seemed to have no idea what to do. Even if a fleet were to raise anchor tomorrow, it would taken nearly a year to arrive in the Orient. What kind of shape would they be in?

It would be much easier for other nations like France to react as the French East India Company had many resources locally. Even the British East India Company (or the Dutch) would have a better chance to retaliate against the Mandarin.

Manuel de Godoy, the courtier, would make a radical suggestion. If the Spanish Navy weren't up to the task, were there not local forces available to repel the Chinese?

Ones that may be hired or subsidized to fight this war for them?

De Godoy would be congratulated by Aranda whom pronounced that de Godoy would be leading the expedition to the Orient himself to negotiate with the assorted local European companies (the King of France was consulted, of course, but the BEIC and DEIC were largely independent). Sending her lover to Asia was not what the Queen had in mind and Maria Luisa nearly managed to get the expedition halted. However, Aranda outmaneuvered the Queen by effectively bribing de Godoy to go with a large quantity of silver and a pension for his family (as well as commissions for his brothers) with promises of more should he succeed in his task. De Godoy's family was of noble descent but utterly impoverished by the late 18th century.

He could not turn this down. With one fell swoop, Aranda had managed to eliminate his potential rival for power.

 

[Alt History Buff]

1798

Kingdom of British North America

By 1798, the continued rise in American population spurred by a massive birth rate (compared to the rest of the world) and an immigration rate that ranged from 25,000 to 125,000 (during the most turbulent times on the isle of Britain) would see 6,000,000 souls under the reign of King Frederick I. Many would continue to migrate westward towards the frontier.

The American Colonization Society had spent years paying enormous costs to transport a few thousands freedmen (mainly Virginia and Maryland) across the Atlantic to a colony set up by the French for their own freed slaves on the old slave trading island of Goree (off the Gambia River) and adjacent mainland regions. King Louis XVI apparently was taken aback by the request but saw no reason to deny it especially given the problems his Minister of Marine (whom controlled "colonial" possessions) had in keeping a stable population in the remote and pestilential region. Indeed, the African outpost was so terribly harsh that only a minority of French West Indian freedmen opted to take advantage of free transport and land in the area. Hostile tribes didn't help. Many local Kings were still outraged that the French had banned slavery and thus eliminated demand for slaves, the primary export of West Africa to the world. Eventually, the French would commence deporting black (and occasionally white or Roma) criminals, vagrants and troublemakers from the West Indies TO Africa when they were simply deemed incapable of contributing at all to the labor-starved West Indian islands.

With so little interest among freed American slaves in returning to Africa, the American colonization society would solicit support from King Frederick for a colony to the West where border conflicts with the Spanish colonials were becoming more common as Americans crossed the Mississippi in droves. Having a loyal free black population in the west may help protect the nation against both Spanish and hostile native Indians in the region the Spanish called "Tejas".

King Frederick had already been struggling to come up with an official name ( an AMERICAN name) for the disputed territory where the Scots were make up the majority or at least plurality. Spying an old map, the King noted that the northern "Atlantic" or "Great Western Ocean" had long been known in northern Europe as the "Caledonian Sea" while the southern Atlantic had frequently been known as the Aethiopian Sea (though why the King had no idea as Ethiopia/Abyssinia were on the other side of the African continent). Seeing a way to flatter the rather large Scottish population of his realms he opted to split these lands into two regions: Caledonia and Aethiopia.

In truth, Scots already inhabited both north and south of this region and the freedmen would do the same. Any initial plans for these areas to act as "reservations" akin to the Indian treaty lands (which made up a large portion of the Territory of Indiana) would quickly be forgotten and Americans of all stripes would migrate to the region as well as German, French, Irish, Spanish and Indian from other parts of the Continent.

In the meantime, Territories like Ohio, Tennessee, Hanover and West Florida would approach the minimum requirements of population to demand Dominion status under the Kingdom. Their approval in Parliament seemed assured until a series of Southeastern "slave" Dominion Parliamentarians reinvented an old British Parliamentary procedure called "filibustering". Seeing themselves increasingly in the minority, the Parliamentarians began disrupting Parliamentary proceedings even when the topics had nothing to do with slavery. Demands to reinstitute the African slave trade and expand the franchise to the west were made despite the dead certainly that such solicitations were utterly futile in the national and, yes, GLOBAL climate.

These actions would fail to make any inroads and only served to alienate the faction from other Americans whom had been neutral or utterly indifferent to the practice of slavery. Many of the new "Southwestern" Dominions would have been amenable to slavery as the lands of West Florida, Hanover and others were actually quite suitable to plantation agriculture. However, the news of "Slave" Dominions trying to hold up their Dominion-hood would prove to be a long-lasting wedge between the western Dominions and the southeasterners.

The unrest came to a violent head in 1798 when Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, in his first term as a Parliamentarian, would inquire if his new friend Aaron Burr would speak in Parliament on his behalf. Burr was a freshman Parliamentarian himself, having served as governor of New Jersey for several terms before election to Parliament. Rumor had it that the ambitious Burr had his eye upon the top office someday. While allied to Adams on most issues, Burr was very much his own man.

Jefferson desired to give a speech advocating the expansion of the Colonization Society into a nationally funded program. Currently, slaves were often purchased by the Society, freed, and moved on. Jefferson hoped for a gradual process of the nation purchasing slave freedom and moving them on to some other area, preferably Africa, as he doubted black and white men could coexist indefinitely. Unfortunately, Jefferson found public speaking abhorrent and inquired if yet another young Parliamentarian, Alexander Hamilton, to find another speaker.

Hamilton had been an aide to previous governments, assuming ever higher positions, including deputy Secretary of the Treasury. Unfortunately, his rising star had crashed upon the public admission of infidelity after a lover tried to blackmail him by utilizing imprudent letters the man had once written. Humiliated, the man had resigned his office but remained quietly aiding Adams and Jay to control Parliament. Jefferson sympathized as it was recently disclosed publicly by a rival that he had fathered several children by his mistress (and slave) Sally Hemmings. This was quite common throughout the southern planter elites but seldom discussed publicly. Jefferson vowed retaliation someday but knew, for now, he must represented his western Virginian district as best he could.

Burr would agree to give the speech but fell ill at the last minute. Jefferson's ally Patrick Calhoun would step in but opted against the moderate language written by Jefferson and instead launched an hour-long tirade against the "Planter" class whom enslaved whites with no less alacrity than blacks. He also expressly called out several of the "Eastern Anglican Elites" of Virginia for their hypocrisy and general loathsomeness. By the time he was done, Calhoun probably didn't even remember what he had said and smugly walked away from the podium.

In the halls of Parliament, Calhoun was immediately assaulted by one of the men he'd insulted as a "high-pitched puppy", the twenty-six year old John Randolph of Virginia. Calhoun was beaten bloody by Randolph's cane and did not regain consciousness until the next day. Several Parliamentarians attempted to intervene but Nathanial Macon of North Carolina, a friend and ally of Randolph, would brandish a pistol against any whom sought to end the skirmish.

Both Randolph and Macon would be summarily expelled from Parliament (though reelected the following election) and personally summoned before the King and castigated for their conduct. As such, the pair would opt to "boycott" Parliament as it no longer represented their Dominions. Between the loss of these "reliable" votes in Congress and the hardening of attitudes against the Southeastern Dominions in the aftermath, the "Slave Power" would taken an immediate hit in public opinion thus driving a further wedge down the center of the nation.

The filibuster attempted by southeastern Parliamentarians to halt the acceptance of Ohio, Tennessee, West Florida and Hanover as full Dominions would fail. Many Parliamentarians whom would normally be indifferent or even opposed to this national expansion west into new Dominions would formally throw their own support to the floor of Parliament in reaction to the shocking assault.

Emboldened, Anti-Slavery factions, normally dismissed as "radicals", would form an "Underground Trail" where slaves were aided in escaping to free territories. Indeed, many of the plantations owned by prominent pro-slavery Parliamentarians were targeted by this new movement as their slaves were encouraged to flee. Similarly, the migratory free workers (both black and white) and local poor whites whom often supplied much labor at harvest time on the plantations were encouraged to boycott any plantations whose owners supported the institution. This would have a secondary political effect of empowering poor free whites and raising wages for short term white labor. Political organizers would use this new organization to demand greater franchise for poor whites (only about 15% of adult white males in Virginia possessed the vote).

The largely Anglican planter elite would be livid at this treatment and form local associations to maintain their way of life.

 

[Alt History Buff]

Map of North America - 1798

 

[Alt History Buff]

List of North American Dominions:

Quebec
Montreal
Nova Scotia
Charlottia (New Brunswick, former Acadia west of the Isthmus of Chignecto)
Newfoundland
Vermont (including the contested Hampshire Grants and the western portion of the former district of Maine under the colony of Massachusetts)
Sagadahock (formerly the eastern portion of the district of Maine under the colony of Massachusetts)
Massachusetts
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
Mississauga
Maumee
Shawnee
Westsylvania
Watauga
Tennessee
Hanover


List of named North American Territories:

Hudson
Michigan
Arkansas
Caledonia
Aethiopia
Miami
Chicago
East Florida
Indiana

 

[generalurist]

Slavery dies a slow death in TTL it seems. Better than OTL I guess.

 

[Kaiko]

Slavery dies a slow death in TTL it seems. Better than OTL I guess.

And with the plantation elites burning Bridges with just about everyone, driving even the poor whites in the Southeast against them, their power and influence will fade away as well which will be good for race relations in the long run.

 

[Deleted member 67076]

That thicc Russian North America is so aesthetically pleasing.

 

[Alt History Buff]

Slavery dies a slow death in TTL it seems. Better than OTL I guess.

I think the death knell of slavery in British North America was no 3/5th Compromise, which reduced the power of the southern Dominions, and the move to ban slavery in the western territories. Once those moves were made, slavery's suffocation was certain.

 

[Alt History Buff]

And with the plantation elites burning Bridges with just about everyone, driving even the poor whites in the Southeast against them, their power and influence will fade away as well which will be good for race relations in the long run.

No doubt.

 

[Alt History Buff]

That thicc Russian North America is so aesthetically pleasing.

With modest Russian migration for the past few decades, I would that that Russia would be able to maintain a string of cities along the coast.

The interior is still open to anyone claiming it.