America - Albion's Orphan - A history of the conquest of Britain - 1760
- Thread starter Alt History Buff
- Start date
Waiting for TTL Metternich to say "Great Britain is a mere geographical expression". Regarding Ireland, given her advantage over her neighbors, will we see the rise of an (informal) "Celtic League" under Stuart leadership? I know that now the splinter English states are nothing close to a threat to Wales, Scotland and Cornwall/Devon, but economical factors coupled with "celtic brotherhood" (given that Wales is undergoing a linguistic and cultural "rewelshification") may well lead to a close cooperation of these four states.
I would agree that there would be cultural and economic ties but I suspect that the question of religion would ban any true political ties unless the "Celtic" British nations feared some ascendant English Kingdom. But France may be the true protector of the mini-British states rather than Ireland.
Chapter 148: Old Guard
1799
Manhattan
General Washington had returned from Virginia for the birth of yet another British North American heir. Though survival of any child in the 18th century was hardly a guarantee, it was still accepted that anyone who was anyone would be present. Her Majesty had provided several heirs already as had the King's two sisters. The Royal line of America seemed quite secure but one could never have too many spares it seemed.
As it happened, the child did survive and yet another princess entered the succession. Washington attended court the following week. Reportedly, court in the old Britain was a splendid affair. A status symbol, attendance guaranteed that one could look one's peers in the eyes. What the Virginian could not comprehend was the court in Britain had been two or three times a week, a throwback to when having the ear of the King was everything for one's career or fortune. In America, King Frederick had dropped his late father's once per week court down to once per month. Unlike previous Hanoverian monarchs, there were not hundreds of patronage positions to hand out in the government, military and church, thus buying votes in Parliament for the King's chosen ministers.
At is was, Frederick didn't care much for pomp and circumstance and only held what he termed a "garden party" about eight times a year (once per month but taking three months off in the summer for a "family outing" and December off for Christmas). Thus he kept Royal events to a minimum (they always cost the Court, not the nation, so why should he spend HIS money?).
As it happened, the Garden Party after the delivery of the Princess was a festive occasion and rarely did the old soldier see the King so animated and happy. He preferred his daughters anyway and doted upon them. Though they certainly had tutors and governors aplenty, the Royal Couple did not simply hand off their children's upraising to others. It was a position Washington appreciated. He recalled his own problems raising his two stepchildren (including his beloved late Patsy). As it happened, his stepson Jackie had actually managed to finagle a position in government and served as an Ambassador to Northumbria. Washington hadn't done anything to directly support Jackie's career. More likely, his friendship with Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens did far more. Still, Washington didn't begrudge Jackie's belated ambition.
During the celebration of the Royal Princess's birth, Washington met up with old friends and attended a Boxing match. The black freedman Bill Richmond, now in his thirties, would fight an Irish Catholic brought over from Europe. Black men fighting white men was not particularly popular even in the northern Dominions. It was unthinkable that such a thing would happen in Virginia. Washington was starting to wonder if Jefferson, with his "Separate but Equal" manifesto which resulted in the removal of Negroes from the southern Dominions and recolonized elsewhere unencumbered from whites, may actually have something. While Washington thought highly of many of his former slaves, he did not see them ever being equal in Virginia society and begrudgingly accepted that thus a mass movement may be in the best interests of all involved. Ironically, the ones destined to lose the most were the old planter class...like Washington...whom would lose much of its labor force.
As it was, the Negro tore apart the Irishman only to be challenged immediately by a man in the crowd. This fellow was dispatched as well. By the end of the night, the hostile crowd was actively cheering for Richmond including Washington.
The old Virginian would return to his lodgings at his old friend William Franklin's abode in which he'd been staying for weeks. Naturally, Martha kept up a correspondence over his months-long trip to the capital. His diligent wife would detail the fall harvest's bounty and how difficult it had been to retain workers. The Washingtons had given up their own slaves many years ago and switched to indentures and paid free labor (both white and black). They paid good wages for a handful of long-term workers on their property whom they trusted with grain harvest, brandy-distilling and milling. Unlike many Virginian planting families, the Washingtons had not fallen into debt, instead opting to change with the times.
If only Jackie had listened, Washington bemoaned, when he'd bought that damned Maryland plantation all those years ago. For an egregious prices, Jackie and his young bride had mortgaged their souls. When the tobacco crops failed, they'd been forced to sell the slaves inherited by Jackie's late father and those included in his wife's dowry. Though they saved the land (only to be forced to lease most of it to neighbors), the income expected only paid the mortgage. Jackie had been forced to take up an occupation, something his stepfather had feared since he'd married the lazy boy's mother.
As it happened, Jackie appeared to be doing fine in Northumberland. George and Martha aided the young couple by taking in the younger children over the past few years (and it was a large brood of Custis' which reached thirteen by the time the couple finally stopped breeding). The youngest were approaching their teens and running Martha ragged. This was another reason why Washington was happy to spend a month or so in Manhattan.
The General was of sufficient rank to also receive an invitation to visit the King and Queen at their new summer home along the Hudson River. The Royal Family was also known to visit the Hamptons in Eastern Long Island and Martha's Vineyard.
Finally, Washington realized he must go home to his beloved but hellish grandchildren.
The Royal Family Enjoying a Summer day along the Hudson.
Manhattan
General Washington had returned from Virginia for the birth of yet another British North American heir. Though survival of any child in the 18th century was hardly a guarantee, it was still accepted that anyone who was anyone would be present. Her Majesty had provided several heirs already as had the King's two sisters. The Royal line of America seemed quite secure but one could never have too many spares it seemed.
As it happened, the child did survive and yet another princess entered the succession. Washington attended court the following week. Reportedly, court in the old Britain was a splendid affair. A status symbol, attendance guaranteed that one could look one's peers in the eyes. What the Virginian could not comprehend was the court in Britain had been two or three times a week, a throwback to when having the ear of the King was everything for one's career or fortune. In America, King Frederick had dropped his late father's once per week court down to once per month. Unlike previous Hanoverian monarchs, there were not hundreds of patronage positions to hand out in the government, military and church, thus buying votes in Parliament for the King's chosen ministers.
At is was, Frederick didn't care much for pomp and circumstance and only held what he termed a "garden party" about eight times a year (once per month but taking three months off in the summer for a "family outing" and December off for Christmas). Thus he kept Royal events to a minimum (they always cost the Court, not the nation, so why should he spend HIS money?).
As it happened, the Garden Party after the delivery of the Princess was a festive occasion and rarely did the old soldier see the King so animated and happy. He preferred his daughters anyway and doted upon them. Though they certainly had tutors and governors aplenty, the Royal Couple did not simply hand off their children's upraising to others. It was a position Washington appreciated. He recalled his own problems raising his two stepchildren (including his beloved late Patsy). As it happened, his stepson Jackie had actually managed to finagle a position in government and served as an Ambassador to Northumbria. Washington hadn't done anything to directly support Jackie's career. More likely, his friendship with Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens did far more. Still, Washington didn't begrudge Jackie's belated ambition.
During the celebration of the Royal Princess's birth, Washington met up with old friends and attended a Boxing match. The black freedman Bill Richmond, now in his thirties, would fight an Irish Catholic brought over from Europe. Black men fighting white men was not particularly popular even in the northern Dominions. It was unthinkable that such a thing would happen in Virginia. Washington was starting to wonder if Jefferson, with his "Separate but Equal" manifesto which resulted in the removal of Negroes from the southern Dominions and recolonized elsewhere unencumbered from whites, may actually have something. While Washington thought highly of many of his former slaves, he did not see them ever being equal in Virginia society and begrudgingly accepted that thus a mass movement may be in the best interests of all involved. Ironically, the ones destined to lose the most were the old planter class...like Washington...whom would lose much of its labor force.
As it was, the Negro tore apart the Irishman only to be challenged immediately by a man in the crowd. This fellow was dispatched as well. By the end of the night, the hostile crowd was actively cheering for Richmond including Washington.
The old Virginian would return to his lodgings at his old friend William Franklin's abode in which he'd been staying for weeks. Naturally, Martha kept up a correspondence over his months-long trip to the capital. His diligent wife would detail the fall harvest's bounty and how difficult it had been to retain workers. The Washingtons had given up their own slaves many years ago and switched to indentures and paid free labor (both white and black). They paid good wages for a handful of long-term workers on their property whom they trusted with grain harvest, brandy-distilling and milling. Unlike many Virginian planting families, the Washingtons had not fallen into debt, instead opting to change with the times.
If only Jackie had listened, Washington bemoaned, when he'd bought that damned Maryland plantation all those years ago. For an egregious prices, Jackie and his young bride had mortgaged their souls. When the tobacco crops failed, they'd been forced to sell the slaves inherited by Jackie's late father and those included in his wife's dowry. Though they saved the land (only to be forced to lease most of it to neighbors), the income expected only paid the mortgage. Jackie had been forced to take up an occupation, something his stepfather had feared since he'd married the lazy boy's mother.
As it happened, Jackie appeared to be doing fine in Northumberland. George and Martha aided the young couple by taking in the younger children over the past few years (and it was a large brood of Custis' which reached thirteen by the time the couple finally stopped breeding). The youngest were approaching their teens and running Martha ragged. This was another reason why Washington was happy to spend a month or so in Manhattan.
The General was of sufficient rank to also receive an invitation to visit the King and Queen at their new summer home along the Hudson River. The Royal Family was also known to visit the Hamptons in Eastern Long Island and Martha's Vineyard.
Finally, Washington realized he must go home to his beloved but hellish grandchildren.
The Royal Family Enjoying a Summer day along the Hudson.
I thought that General Bonaparte of Italy may say something akin to "The Austrian Empire is a mere geopolitical expression" to Metternich as he marches into Vienna.
Chapter 149: Antiquity
1799
Munich
After over a year of posturing, the Treaty of Munich was signed by the warring parties. The French and Italian-speaking portions of the Swiss Confederacy were divided along ethnolinguistic lines rather than religious. France gained much of the western Swiss Cantons and their subordinate regions while Italy gained several southern Italian-speaking regions. Several of the northeastern regions fell to the Swabians (Baden and Wurttemberg). This left a truncated Swiss Confederacy which was even less of a threat than before.
In one of the more surprising developments, a new state was carved out of the southwest, Raetia, in which a large number of the locals spoke varying dialects of Romansh. Oddly, this was championed by both Italy, Swabia and Austria as it would divide even the now nominal power of the Swiss Confederacy. Over the course of several decades, purges of German or Italian speakers (deemed "dangerous") would occur in the isolated Raetian valleys. Soon, Raetia would have the reputation of being among the most backward and undeveloped regions in Europe, something that indirectly aided the peaceful unification of the assorted Romansh dialects over the next hundred years. Eventually, all dialects would become at least mutually intelligible as schools begun to teach the "official" language. As there were many cultural and religious differences between these peoples (dialect often being a marker of faith), the path would not be easy or quick but would nevertheless proceed.
Raetia would quietly be forgotten by the rest of Europe which would face far more important issues than arguments over dialects in remote mountain valleys in some impoverished corner of the Alps.
Emperor Joseph II would find the Treaty a humiliation. Beyond the dismemberment of a state on the Empire's borders (partially by his nominal Swabian subjects). The Emperor was also in no position to command the House of Orange and House of Wittelsbach-Palatinate to cease their feud, not with France backing them.
Bankrupt from the recent rebellion, it was unthinkable for Francis to dispatch armies across the Empire to the Rhineland. Indeed, it may even spur the Northern League to oppose him. An alliance of France, Northern Italy, Swabia and the Northern League would be...suicidal...in Austria's current condition.
Thus, beyond the acceptance of French, Italian and Swabian gains in the Alps, the Margrave of Baden and Duke of Wurttemberg gained title to the Swabian realms of the House of Wittelsbach (once known as "Further Austria"). The House of Orange was granted control over Cleves, making Prince William one of the larger of the modest Rhine powers. This didn't exactly make the Dutch Republic happy, given that they had expelled William from their own lands. However, the ministers of the King of France were inclined to believe an alliance with the Northern League (sometimes called Northern Federation, Northern Confederation or even Protestant League) would be more fruitful. If this set the Dutch against the Northern League...well...didn't that benefit France as well?
In the end, France no longer feared the Dutch, not by a long shot. Indeed, France feared very little. No power seemed capable of threatening Louis XVI's realm.
Spain was decaying...again. The Spanish Army in Europe reportedly numbered less than 20,000 with another 20,000 in Naples and Sicily. These were not exactly the crack troops of Europe either and no doubt Carlos IV thought (if the fool THOUGHT ANYTHING, which was under debate) that the Kingdom of Italy was more of a danger to his Italian possessions and repeated unrest in the vast Spanish colonies to be a close second.
Austria was bankrupt again and probably wouldn't be a threat for another generation. Austria also had the little problem of Russia on its eastern border and a reforming Poland to the north. Perhaps more crucially, the mismatched conglomeration of ethnicities under the Habsburg crown was more likely to cause ongoing internal strife for the Emperor. Very little threat there.
And the French had yet to consider the loosely affiliated (and often feuding) states of the Northern League to truly be unified in anything but preventing an invasion by Austria. Maybe not even that.
With Britain shattered, no conceivable threat may be considered there.
Thus Louis XVI and his ministers were happy to let the tide of history quietly roll on.
Mesopotamia
With a quiet swish of a pen, the Russian Empire recognized the new King of Mesopotamia. Long contested between the Ottoman and Persia, the ancient land of Mesopotamia now sat south of the new Kingdom of the Kurds, a Russian client. Predominantly Arab in ethnicity and a mix of Shia and Sunni, some Russian diplomats and Generals (and many locals) doubted that the Kingdom could last long.
However, they were aided by the fact that Persia had fallen apart, much as the Ottoman had done many years before. The latter had managed to reform under a single sultan after generations of civil war and infighting but Ottoman authority no longer projected beyond the Anatolian Peninsula.
Russia was, quite literally, the kingmaker as it backed the most pliable tribal leader and placed him upon the throne in Baghdad. Over a thousands years of Persian, Turkic-Mongol and Ottoman rule ended with the crowning of an native Arab King. To the west, the Russians would make a treaty of non-aggression with the King of Syria, whom feared the Ottoman far more than Russia or her puppet states.
In return for treating the Christian and Jewish minorities of the Levant with respect, Syria also received protection by the Royal Navy against the Ottoman and Egyptian navies (such as they were). It was an accommodation which worked for all.
In the meantime, the Russian march eastwards through Siberia proceeded apace.
Munich
After over a year of posturing, the Treaty of Munich was signed by the warring parties. The French and Italian-speaking portions of the Swiss Confederacy were divided along ethnolinguistic lines rather than religious. France gained much of the western Swiss Cantons and their subordinate regions while Italy gained several southern Italian-speaking regions. Several of the northeastern regions fell to the Swabians (Baden and Wurttemberg). This left a truncated Swiss Confederacy which was even less of a threat than before.
In one of the more surprising developments, a new state was carved out of the southwest, Raetia, in which a large number of the locals spoke varying dialects of Romansh. Oddly, this was championed by both Italy, Swabia and Austria as it would divide even the now nominal power of the Swiss Confederacy. Over the course of several decades, purges of German or Italian speakers (deemed "dangerous") would occur in the isolated Raetian valleys. Soon, Raetia would have the reputation of being among the most backward and undeveloped regions in Europe, something that indirectly aided the peaceful unification of the assorted Romansh dialects over the next hundred years. Eventually, all dialects would become at least mutually intelligible as schools begun to teach the "official" language. As there were many cultural and religious differences between these peoples (dialect often being a marker of faith), the path would not be easy or quick but would nevertheless proceed.
Raetia would quietly be forgotten by the rest of Europe which would face far more important issues than arguments over dialects in remote mountain valleys in some impoverished corner of the Alps.
Emperor Joseph II would find the Treaty a humiliation. Beyond the dismemberment of a state on the Empire's borders (partially by his nominal Swabian subjects). The Emperor was also in no position to command the House of Orange and House of Wittelsbach-Palatinate to cease their feud, not with France backing them.
Bankrupt from the recent rebellion, it was unthinkable for Francis to dispatch armies across the Empire to the Rhineland. Indeed, it may even spur the Northern League to oppose him. An alliance of France, Northern Italy, Swabia and the Northern League would be...suicidal...in Austria's current condition.
Thus, beyond the acceptance of French, Italian and Swabian gains in the Alps, the Margrave of Baden and Duke of Wurttemberg gained title to the Swabian realms of the House of Wittelsbach (once known as "Further Austria"). The House of Orange was granted control over Cleves, making Prince William one of the larger of the modest Rhine powers. This didn't exactly make the Dutch Republic happy, given that they had expelled William from their own lands. However, the ministers of the King of France were inclined to believe an alliance with the Northern League (sometimes called Northern Federation, Northern Confederation or even Protestant League) would be more fruitful. If this set the Dutch against the Northern League...well...didn't that benefit France as well?
In the end, France no longer feared the Dutch, not by a long shot. Indeed, France feared very little. No power seemed capable of threatening Louis XVI's realm.
Spain was decaying...again. The Spanish Army in Europe reportedly numbered less than 20,000 with another 20,000 in Naples and Sicily. These were not exactly the crack troops of Europe either and no doubt Carlos IV thought (if the fool THOUGHT ANYTHING, which was under debate) that the Kingdom of Italy was more of a danger to his Italian possessions and repeated unrest in the vast Spanish colonies to be a close second.
Austria was bankrupt again and probably wouldn't be a threat for another generation. Austria also had the little problem of Russia on its eastern border and a reforming Poland to the north. Perhaps more crucially, the mismatched conglomeration of ethnicities under the Habsburg crown was more likely to cause ongoing internal strife for the Emperor. Very little threat there.
And the French had yet to consider the loosely affiliated (and often feuding) states of the Northern League to truly be unified in anything but preventing an invasion by Austria. Maybe not even that.
With Britain shattered, no conceivable threat may be considered there.
Thus Louis XVI and his ministers were happy to let the tide of history quietly roll on.
Mesopotamia
With a quiet swish of a pen, the Russian Empire recognized the new King of Mesopotamia. Long contested between the Ottoman and Persia, the ancient land of Mesopotamia now sat south of the new Kingdom of the Kurds, a Russian client. Predominantly Arab in ethnicity and a mix of Shia and Sunni, some Russian diplomats and Generals (and many locals) doubted that the Kingdom could last long.
However, they were aided by the fact that Persia had fallen apart, much as the Ottoman had done many years before. The latter had managed to reform under a single sultan after generations of civil war and infighting but Ottoman authority no longer projected beyond the Anatolian Peninsula.
Russia was, quite literally, the kingmaker as it backed the most pliable tribal leader and placed him upon the throne in Baghdad. Over a thousands years of Persian, Turkic-Mongol and Ottoman rule ended with the crowning of an native Arab King. To the west, the Russians would make a treaty of non-aggression with the King of Syria, whom feared the Ottoman far more than Russia or her puppet states.
In return for treating the Christian and Jewish minorities of the Levant with respect, Syria also received protection by the Royal Navy against the Ottoman and Egyptian navies (such as they were). It was an accommodation which worked for all.
In the meantime, the Russian march eastwards through Siberia proceeded apace.
Ireland's advantages are that it is more populous than any of the splinter states and (for now) diplomatically more closely aligned to France. It is much poorer in mineral resources than Wales or Scotland or any of the English states except perhaps whoever controls SE England and Anglia (who won't be near neighbours). A modern analogy would be expecting Yemen to dominate any League on the Arabian peninsula. They won't because they haven't any oil.
Scotland and Wales, Northern England and the Midlands each have much more coal and iron than Ireland and, with lower population levels and more emigration won't want as much Irish agricultural produce. Devon and Cornwall doesn't have coal or iron in appreciable quantities but does have massive copper and tin reserves. If a "Celtic league" ever arises, Ireland will be the poorest, if most populous, member and is likely to be mainly important to the others as a source of mercenary regiments.
Well... if Ireland has the biggest population, best military, and also least natural resources... and wants more resources... then its answer is obvious.
I see that Lancashire is part of the Kingdom of Northumbria, and has decent coal deposits. And is quite isolated from the rest of Northumbria (being on the other side of the Pennines). Perfect place for the Irish to try to get control of... that's something that I'm sure France would approve of Ireland doing...
Chapter 150: Victims of Politics
1799
London
Over the past century, London's West End had been home to a small but visible number of "London Poor", a euphemism for black men and women (predominantly men) whom had ended up in Britain by various means including serving as domestic servants, freed slaves brought from the colonies and, of course, as sailors. The latter had always been in demand and the old Royal Navy had happily accepted any competent seamen to fill out the ranks and did not exclude men of color. Others served in the merchant fleet. When troubled times came, many of these sailors would find themselves underemployed and migrate to the West End slums.
Many men of Asiatic extraction, including Lascars (South Indian sailors, usually Muslim) and Topasses (Indian/Portuguese Catholics commonly serving as sailors) were often classified as "London Poor" though many of these men whom had washed up on British shores had departed for home over the past decades and no longer made up much of a demographic.
After years of unrest (sedition according to King William IV of England), the economy of what remained of William's Kingdom was in tatters. The Royal Navy was down to a handful of small ships and one aging 2nd Rate Cruiser (mainly for propaganda purposes). With raw materials from the rest of the island hard to come by, the merchant sector was damaged as well.
Increasing poverty, collapsing industry (often lost to Mercia, Wales, Scotland or Northumberland) lack of trade would put tens of thousands out of work. Englishmen would migrate across the vague national lines in search of work. Those that could would cross the ocean, later paying for relatives to follow.
Angry men would look for scapegoats that would include Catholics, Jews and the London Poor. The former found homes elsewhere. The Catholics went to France, Ireland, the Spanish Empire, Northumberland (which was more tolerant of Catholics than most of the British Kingdoms) or even the predominantly British North America. The Jews would scatter as well, often to the Dutch Republic, America or the Holy Roman Empire.
The London Poor had fewer options. Eventually, mobs would form. In the past, these mobs would express their anger against the King. However, the secret police and severe reprisals would put a stop to the worst of this disorder. Eventually, the mobs learned that the King was willing to let them burn off some excess energy by picking on weak segments of society.
The King, seeing that enough was enough after one of his London Residences burned in the aftermath of a riot (presumably by accident), ordered the London Poor to be rounded up and dispatched to the French colony of ex-slaves in Africa. Over 1800 of London's perhaps 2000 black and mulatto populations were enticed to migrate or forcibly put on ships bound for Africa.
In the colony of Senegambia, these men were dropped of into the French colony which surprisingly thrived despite the ban on the slave trade. New crops were being grown in Africa and the port was used for modest trade in gold, ivory, etc. In the port towns, the London Poor would quickly merge with the thousands of Africans returned from the French West Indies, the Spanish Empire, the Kingdom of British North America, etc and form a new dominant society which controlled the inland tribes. Within a generation and a half, the assorted "Americans" would speak a French Patois unique in the world, an unexpected development.
Dejima
The island of Dejima had been the Nipponese portal to the world for decades. A man-made island reserved for Dutch traders, this was the only place in Nippon where foreigners were allowed to live. But it had proven a lucrative post for the Dutch East India Company and remained quietly profitable for the sensible Dutch.
However, the Chinese Imperial Navy would arrive off the coast of Dejima and order all "foreign devils" away from Nippon. The Dutch protested to the Nipponese governor whom rowed out to the Chinese flagship to command the Chinese to withdraw. The governor was beheaded immediately and his corpse thrown overboard.
Lacking any kind of defenses, the handful of Dutch merchants residing on the island could not withstand an attack. Indeed, at any given time, there were more Nipponese on Dejima than Dutch (guards, interpreters, craftsmen, etc) and all answered to local authorities, not the Dutch whom were treated almost like a plague. The Nipponese guards would confiscate Dutch sails until they were given permission to sail away.
After begging the Nipponese to allow them temporarily on the mainland (rejected), the 50 or so Dutch would board a pair of small vessels purchased from locals and sail out to sea. Unfortunately, most the Dutch on the ships were merchants, not sailors. One of the "Captains" had arrived in Dejima as a 13 year old cabin boy and had never set out to sea again. Still, he was more experienced than many of the Dutch. By 1799, only two trading vessels were allowed by the Nipponese Emperor on Dejima each year. Neither was present at the time.
That left the Dutch merchants to hastily pack up their most valuable possessions in the time allowed by the Chinese. At sea, the merchants hire a handful of local Nipponese sailors they came up in hopes of reaching a friendly port like French Borneo or British Sumatra. Unfortunately, they ran into a squall and the inexperienced crews would fail to handle the ships properly and both little vessels would sink below the waves. A half dozen Dutch and Nipponese survivors would make their way to Borneo in a longboat a week later to tell the tale.
London
Over the past century, London's West End had been home to a small but visible number of "London Poor", a euphemism for black men and women (predominantly men) whom had ended up in Britain by various means including serving as domestic servants, freed slaves brought from the colonies and, of course, as sailors. The latter had always been in demand and the old Royal Navy had happily accepted any competent seamen to fill out the ranks and did not exclude men of color. Others served in the merchant fleet. When troubled times came, many of these sailors would find themselves underemployed and migrate to the West End slums.
Many men of Asiatic extraction, including Lascars (South Indian sailors, usually Muslim) and Topasses (Indian/Portuguese Catholics commonly serving as sailors) were often classified as "London Poor" though many of these men whom had washed up on British shores had departed for home over the past decades and no longer made up much of a demographic.
After years of unrest (sedition according to King William IV of England), the economy of what remained of William's Kingdom was in tatters. The Royal Navy was down to a handful of small ships and one aging 2nd Rate Cruiser (mainly for propaganda purposes). With raw materials from the rest of the island hard to come by, the merchant sector was damaged as well.
Increasing poverty, collapsing industry (often lost to Mercia, Wales, Scotland or Northumberland) lack of trade would put tens of thousands out of work. Englishmen would migrate across the vague national lines in search of work. Those that could would cross the ocean, later paying for relatives to follow.
Angry men would look for scapegoats that would include Catholics, Jews and the London Poor. The former found homes elsewhere. The Catholics went to France, Ireland, the Spanish Empire, Northumberland (which was more tolerant of Catholics than most of the British Kingdoms) or even the predominantly British North America. The Jews would scatter as well, often to the Dutch Republic, America or the Holy Roman Empire.
The London Poor had fewer options. Eventually, mobs would form. In the past, these mobs would express their anger against the King. However, the secret police and severe reprisals would put a stop to the worst of this disorder. Eventually, the mobs learned that the King was willing to let them burn off some excess energy by picking on weak segments of society.
The King, seeing that enough was enough after one of his London Residences burned in the aftermath of a riot (presumably by accident), ordered the London Poor to be rounded up and dispatched to the French colony of ex-slaves in Africa. Over 1800 of London's perhaps 2000 black and mulatto populations were enticed to migrate or forcibly put on ships bound for Africa.
In the colony of Senegambia, these men were dropped of into the French colony which surprisingly thrived despite the ban on the slave trade. New crops were being grown in Africa and the port was used for modest trade in gold, ivory, etc. In the port towns, the London Poor would quickly merge with the thousands of Africans returned from the French West Indies, the Spanish Empire, the Kingdom of British North America, etc and form a new dominant society which controlled the inland tribes. Within a generation and a half, the assorted "Americans" would speak a French Patois unique in the world, an unexpected development.
Dejima
The island of Dejima had been the Nipponese portal to the world for decades. A man-made island reserved for Dutch traders, this was the only place in Nippon where foreigners were allowed to live. But it had proven a lucrative post for the Dutch East India Company and remained quietly profitable for the sensible Dutch.
However, the Chinese Imperial Navy would arrive off the coast of Dejima and order all "foreign devils" away from Nippon. The Dutch protested to the Nipponese governor whom rowed out to the Chinese flagship to command the Chinese to withdraw. The governor was beheaded immediately and his corpse thrown overboard.
Lacking any kind of defenses, the handful of Dutch merchants residing on the island could not withstand an attack. Indeed, at any given time, there were more Nipponese on Dejima than Dutch (guards, interpreters, craftsmen, etc) and all answered to local authorities, not the Dutch whom were treated almost like a plague. The Nipponese guards would confiscate Dutch sails until they were given permission to sail away.
After begging the Nipponese to allow them temporarily on the mainland (rejected), the 50 or so Dutch would board a pair of small vessels purchased from locals and sail out to sea. Unfortunately, most the Dutch on the ships were merchants, not sailors. One of the "Captains" had arrived in Dejima as a 13 year old cabin boy and had never set out to sea again. Still, he was more experienced than many of the Dutch. By 1799, only two trading vessels were allowed by the Nipponese Emperor on Dejima each year. Neither was present at the time.
That left the Dutch merchants to hastily pack up their most valuable possessions in the time allowed by the Chinese. At sea, the merchants hire a handful of local Nipponese sailors they came up in hopes of reaching a friendly port like French Borneo or British Sumatra. Unfortunately, they ran into a squall and the inexperienced crews would fail to handle the ships properly and both little vessels would sink below the waves. A half dozen Dutch and Nipponese survivors would make their way to Borneo in a longboat a week later to tell the tale.
Well firstly they might not in that the Stuart line have ancestral claims to Scotland, England and Wales. It is to France's geopolitical advantage for the British isles not to reunite and whether on the basis of a United Kingdom ruled from London or one ruled from Dublin is irrelevant. Dublin as capital of a United British isles would even be strategically worse as Dublin is further from France than London (and hence less vulnerable to attack). The HRE might rather like a reunited British isles under a Catholic dynasty as a potential counterweight to France but are broke at present. Secondly, Northumbria is unlikely to simply sit there and let Ireland seize it and has plenty more coal and iron and lead mines too outside Lancashire. They could afford to go on paying for quite substantial armies for three to five years whereas Ireland could probably only do this for one to two. And Lancashire would only be of potential economic value after the war was over. Thirdly, Scotland and Wales would also find an Irish seizure of Lancashire geopolitically threatening and would be likely to either side with Northumbria or remain neutral but provide covert assistance like loans and arms sales.
Chapter 151: Global Patterns
1799
New Spain
Over the past two decades, Carlos III and IV of Spain (or rather their ministers) had greatly loosened the economic restrictions concerning trade with the New World. Initially put in place so no foreign country could grasp the silver or gold supply, these old laws had constricted virtually any other production of other goods despite evidence from the old Dutch, Portuguese, British and French Empires that the New World could be exploited in far greater depth. Instead, the Spanish Empire for two centuries consisted of little more than a handful of precious metal producing regions intensely governed (Peru and Mexico), a few strategic waystations heavily protected mainly for logistical, supply and naval security (Cuba, Rio Plata, Panama), and...not much more after that.
While the other colonial nations of Europe had proven that a healthy and profitable resource economy could be built upon sugar, coffee, tea, spices, hides, timber, fish, rice, grain and other renewable crops, Spain's vast but moribund Empire remained stubbornly focused upon mining. Attempts to open up the economy were made periodically but rarely lasted or made much impact until the 1770's when Spain conquered Brazil. In order to maintain control, a large number of concessions were made to the local population. Naturally, the rest of New Spain would demand the same favors.
As much a concession to the Empire's weakness as its strength, the old mercantile system was revamped, withdrawing restrictions upon where colonial goods may be sold (formerly almost always through Cadiz). This would lead to a boom in trade between New Spain and the rest of Europe. Fears that this new competition for manufactured goods would prove overblown... partially because Spain actually manufactured very little in the first place. Over the centuries, much if not most of the goods sought by the colonies would be produced in other European nations and shipped through middlemen in Cadiz. This, of course, wasted a great deal of money on unnecessary transport and middleman fees which only cost the colonials and increased grumbling. This also resulted in a chronic shortage of hard currency in the colonial economy (which duplicated most colonial systems).
In the reformed system, the colonies were allowed to ship non-precious metals (which the King kept a firm grip upon) to foreign nations through a series of approved (and secure) ports like Cartagena, Acapulco, Veracruz, Havana, Buenos Aires, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and a few others. Local officials took "export taxes" on the goods before the ships (usually foreign) were allowed to depart Spanish waters. This vastly increased exports and kept a much larger quantity of currency in the colonies. Intra-colonial trade was also expanded.
Greater wealth than previously known would draw large numbers of Spanish, Bourbon Italians from Naples and Sicily, and peoples from Catholic nations like Ireland, Portugal, France, Austria, the Papal States, Northern Italy, etc to migrate to the Spanish colonies bringing new skills, investment and other boons to the New World.
By 1800, many regions of the Spanish colonies were proving to be wealthier than the average Kingdoms within the Spanish-Bourbon umbrella. Indeed, by 1800, there were almost as many subjects of King Carlos IV in the New World as Europe itself.
Moscow
Czar Paul had welcomed what would turn out to be his final child in Prince Michael the previous year. His wife now forty years old, no further children were expected. While the birth of Prince Michael was greeted with great joy, in truth, there was a greater joy for Paul in 1799. His bitch mother, Catherine, had reportedly died in her Siberian convent. He never forgave her for attempting to seize his throne and took great pleasure in destroying her personal papers. In truth, Paul was uncertain of his paternity but only God could prove that one way or another. The throne was his. Still, the Czar could not help but expel a breath of relief at his mother's death. Even after so many years, Paul could not shake the fear of the woman instilled in childhood. Fortunately, none of his children hated him to the extent Paul had hated Catherine (he assumed).
But Russia continued to expand eastwards and her influence projected south into the Kingdom of the Kurds and the Kingdom of Mesopotamia. In truth, Russia cared little about these regions but felt these two states would form a usable buffer against the Persians and Ottomans.
In the meantime, large-scale Russian migration to Siberia continued, often putting them in directly conflict with the Turkic Muslims of Central Asia. Cossack Hosts would lead the defense of these regions just as it had against the Polish Commonwealth, the Ottoman, Persia and so many others.
The Durrani Empire
Since the death of Nadar Shah in 1749, the eastern portion of the old Persian Empire had been formed by the Durrani family into the Durrani Empire. Within a few years, the Empire would continue the age-old practice of raids into the Punjab and Kashmir. It had been these Persian-Turkic invaders whom had founded the now-defunct Mughal Empire.
However, even the divided Maratha Empire was in better shape than the old Hindu hegemony had been when the Mughals arrived. For starters, the upstart Sikhs of the Northwest frontier, though less than popular in Pune, would serve quite well as border guardians against the Afghans. They would slow the Afghan invasion enough for Maratha reinforcements to arrive. Augmented by western-provided weapons and those from new foundries and gunworks the length of the subcontinent, the time had long since passed when skilled horsemen from the northwest could menace an industrialized society.
With over 80,000 soldiers from central India, the Sikh Generals were able to butcher the invaders. Feeling little compunction to be generous, the Peshwa ordered his generals to push out any remnants of Afghan influence from the Punjab. Often this was interpreted as massacring any Muslims in the vicinity regardless of ethnicity. It would later be estimated that over 2,000,000 Punjabi and Kashmiri Muslims would be killed directly or indirectly by the Imperial Army. Similarly, over a million more would be forced back into the mountains per Imperial edict.
Over the past half century, the ascendant Marathas, despite their divisions, had generally been tolerant of Muslims throughout the subcontinent. An invasion by Persian-Afghan-Turkic Muslims would renew the age-old fear of Muslim domination. The death of the Peshwa in 1800 would see his virulently Hindu-supremacist nephew to gain the throne. Only twenty-five years of age, the new Peshwa would have two major agenda items:
1. Restore central authority over the princes.
2. Put an end to the Muslim presence on the subcontinent.
Within months, the Peshwa would recall his ships from the South China Sea (giving the assorted East India Companies a sigh of relief), and focus his efforts internally.
In truth, the Peshwa didn't like the Sikhs any more than he did the Muslims but was willing to put that matter off to another day. The Peshwa would order over a million Hindu settlers into Kashmir and the Punjab to replace those lost in the Durrani War. Vast amounts of land were open and the Sikh and Hindu local rulers needed new subjects.
New Spain
Over the past two decades, Carlos III and IV of Spain (or rather their ministers) had greatly loosened the economic restrictions concerning trade with the New World. Initially put in place so no foreign country could grasp the silver or gold supply, these old laws had constricted virtually any other production of other goods despite evidence from the old Dutch, Portuguese, British and French Empires that the New World could be exploited in far greater depth. Instead, the Spanish Empire for two centuries consisted of little more than a handful of precious metal producing regions intensely governed (Peru and Mexico), a few strategic waystations heavily protected mainly for logistical, supply and naval security (Cuba, Rio Plata, Panama), and...not much more after that.
While the other colonial nations of Europe had proven that a healthy and profitable resource economy could be built upon sugar, coffee, tea, spices, hides, timber, fish, rice, grain and other renewable crops, Spain's vast but moribund Empire remained stubbornly focused upon mining. Attempts to open up the economy were made periodically but rarely lasted or made much impact until the 1770's when Spain conquered Brazil. In order to maintain control, a large number of concessions were made to the local population. Naturally, the rest of New Spain would demand the same favors.
As much a concession to the Empire's weakness as its strength, the old mercantile system was revamped, withdrawing restrictions upon where colonial goods may be sold (formerly almost always through Cadiz). This would lead to a boom in trade between New Spain and the rest of Europe. Fears that this new competition for manufactured goods would prove overblown... partially because Spain actually manufactured very little in the first place. Over the centuries, much if not most of the goods sought by the colonies would be produced in other European nations and shipped through middlemen in Cadiz. This, of course, wasted a great deal of money on unnecessary transport and middleman fees which only cost the colonials and increased grumbling. This also resulted in a chronic shortage of hard currency in the colonial economy (which duplicated most colonial systems).
In the reformed system, the colonies were allowed to ship non-precious metals (which the King kept a firm grip upon) to foreign nations through a series of approved (and secure) ports like Cartagena, Acapulco, Veracruz, Havana, Buenos Aires, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and a few others. Local officials took "export taxes" on the goods before the ships (usually foreign) were allowed to depart Spanish waters. This vastly increased exports and kept a much larger quantity of currency in the colonies. Intra-colonial trade was also expanded.
Greater wealth than previously known would draw large numbers of Spanish, Bourbon Italians from Naples and Sicily, and peoples from Catholic nations like Ireland, Portugal, France, Austria, the Papal States, Northern Italy, etc to migrate to the Spanish colonies bringing new skills, investment and other boons to the New World.
By 1800, many regions of the Spanish colonies were proving to be wealthier than the average Kingdoms within the Spanish-Bourbon umbrella. Indeed, by 1800, there were almost as many subjects of King Carlos IV in the New World as Europe itself.
Moscow
Czar Paul had welcomed what would turn out to be his final child in Prince Michael the previous year. His wife now forty years old, no further children were expected. While the birth of Prince Michael was greeted with great joy, in truth, there was a greater joy for Paul in 1799. His bitch mother, Catherine, had reportedly died in her Siberian convent. He never forgave her for attempting to seize his throne and took great pleasure in destroying her personal papers. In truth, Paul was uncertain of his paternity but only God could prove that one way or another. The throne was his. Still, the Czar could not help but expel a breath of relief at his mother's death. Even after so many years, Paul could not shake the fear of the woman instilled in childhood. Fortunately, none of his children hated him to the extent Paul had hated Catherine (he assumed).
But Russia continued to expand eastwards and her influence projected south into the Kingdom of the Kurds and the Kingdom of Mesopotamia. In truth, Russia cared little about these regions but felt these two states would form a usable buffer against the Persians and Ottomans.
In the meantime, large-scale Russian migration to Siberia continued, often putting them in directly conflict with the Turkic Muslims of Central Asia. Cossack Hosts would lead the defense of these regions just as it had against the Polish Commonwealth, the Ottoman, Persia and so many others.
The Durrani Empire
Since the death of Nadar Shah in 1749, the eastern portion of the old Persian Empire had been formed by the Durrani family into the Durrani Empire. Within a few years, the Empire would continue the age-old practice of raids into the Punjab and Kashmir. It had been these Persian-Turkic invaders whom had founded the now-defunct Mughal Empire.
However, even the divided Maratha Empire was in better shape than the old Hindu hegemony had been when the Mughals arrived. For starters, the upstart Sikhs of the Northwest frontier, though less than popular in Pune, would serve quite well as border guardians against the Afghans. They would slow the Afghan invasion enough for Maratha reinforcements to arrive. Augmented by western-provided weapons and those from new foundries and gunworks the length of the subcontinent, the time had long since passed when skilled horsemen from the northwest could menace an industrialized society.
With over 80,000 soldiers from central India, the Sikh Generals were able to butcher the invaders. Feeling little compunction to be generous, the Peshwa ordered his generals to push out any remnants of Afghan influence from the Punjab. Often this was interpreted as massacring any Muslims in the vicinity regardless of ethnicity. It would later be estimated that over 2,000,000 Punjabi and Kashmiri Muslims would be killed directly or indirectly by the Imperial Army. Similarly, over a million more would be forced back into the mountains per Imperial edict.
Over the past half century, the ascendant Marathas, despite their divisions, had generally been tolerant of Muslims throughout the subcontinent. An invasion by Persian-Afghan-Turkic Muslims would renew the age-old fear of Muslim domination. The death of the Peshwa in 1800 would see his virulently Hindu-supremacist nephew to gain the throne. Only twenty-five years of age, the new Peshwa would have two major agenda items:
1. Restore central authority over the princes.
2. Put an end to the Muslim presence on the subcontinent.
Within months, the Peshwa would recall his ships from the South China Sea (giving the assorted East India Companies a sigh of relief), and focus his efforts internally.
In truth, the Peshwa didn't like the Sikhs any more than he did the Muslims but was willing to put that matter off to another day. The Peshwa would order over a million Hindu settlers into Kashmir and the Punjab to replace those lost in the Durrani War. Vast amounts of land were open and the Sikh and Hindu local rulers needed new subjects.
Map of Asia - 1800
Here is a (very) rough map of Asia - 1800, until I can put together a better one.
Chapter 152: Internal Strife
1800
Virginia
While it had taken John Adams several years to focus his faction's efforts upon the issue, he at last managed to bring a discussion of gradual emancipation before Parliament. By 1800, America had expanded nearly to 7,000,000 souls including the an estimated 750,000 Negroes. Of the latter were 380,000 slaves. In the past several years, most of the remaining northern Dominions would abolish slavery or take steps to phase it out. The four major "slave" dominions - Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina - were getting increasingly marginalized.
Over 95% of the remaining slaves in America resided in these Dominions: 105,000 in Virginia, 76,000 in Maryland, 54,000 in North Carolina and 125,000 in South Carolina. The latter in particular had seen enormous growth in slaves as the labor-intensive rice, indigo and lately cotton plantations were particularly notorious for pestilential conditions and the European indentures and free labor frequently refused to work in the Dominion. The once-bountiful tobacco farms of Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina had long been in decline due to land exhaustion, the rise of grain and sugar beets as alternative crops in these regions and the mass influx of indentured labor would reduce the demand for slaves to the extent that black faces working in the fields would become rarer and rarer. Indeed, many Virginians of prominent station had liberated their slaves in recent years (Washington, Mason and others), thus setting off a trend among certain gentry.
Of course, that also meant that other segments of the gentry, keen to maintain the old social order, would remained entrenched in the past by maintain traditions like tobacco farming via large numbers of slaves. Ironically, this would hasten the economic demise of many of these leading families of Virginia as they followed the well-worn but now failing business models. Often, they would go into great debt to acquire slaves only to see the tobacco crops fail and creditors promptly seized land, slaves and anything else which could be grasped.
Among the families whom had seen their fortunes collapse were those of Harry Lee, William Byrd III (whom shot himself in 1795 after seeing most of his properties seized by the court), Benjamin Ogle of Maryland and Wade Hampton of South Carolina. Men such as Nathanial Macon of North Carolina, Henry Laurens of South Carolina and Benjamin Harrison V of Virginia would nevertheless defend the institution of slavery and forge a confederacy of pro-slavery leaders in these Dominions and in Congress.
After the brutal beating of Patrick Calhoun in 1798, his son Samuel returned from Scotland (having graduated from Edinburgh) in 1799, followed by Ambassador Andrew Jackson in 1800. Both would be shocked to see the extend of Patrick's injuries and feel a deep and abiding rage for those whom instilled the misshapen patchwork of scars now crossing the patriarch's face. Patrick Calhoun had been a second father to Jackson and even offered loans to Jackson's two elder brothers in western Virginia.
His anger would be doubled when he visited Monticello, the home of Patrick Calhoun's elegant ally, Thomas Jefferson. A group of "night-riders" would visit Monticello and torch the beautiful mansion in retaliation for Jefferson's support of Adams' initiative to phase out slavery. Several members of Jefferson's household would be killed, including his daughter and a handsome mulatto woman whom Jackson presumed was Jefferson's mistress.
The distraught Jefferson would clutch at his daughter Lucy's body (the third of three children to survive to adulthood) shaking for hours. Jackson immediately grasped one of Jefferson's horses as well as a saber took off after the riders and managed to almost catch up with two before his own mount went lame. Cursing, he returned to Monticello at dawn to find the house in cinders. The household would be sobbing in the courtyard bemoaning the loss of the girls and the planter himself. Shattered by his daughter's death, Jefferson committed suicide by shooting himself in the head with his pistol.
Jackson took this to heart and swore revenge upon one of the men whom had taken him into his home as a friend.
After finding no support to even find the perpetrators of the attack, Jackson would return to western Virginia where Patrick Calhoun had returned for Christmas. The news was shocking to the older man and shock swiftly turned to fury. Calhoun summoned his allies and promptly managed to gather enough support among the western Virginians to nominate Jackson as Jefferson's replacement in the 1800 election.
In the meantime, news of the incident would bring the issue of slavery into stark relief. Many Americans whom were largely ambivalent to the institution would suddenly pay attention to it in far greater detail than before. Politicians whom had often flirted with the "Slave" Dominion Parliamentarians in hopes of forwarding their own goals would suddenly opt to pursue other paths. At a critical moment, the pro-slavery Parliamentarians were persona non-grata.
John Adams would not miss his cue. With sudden support among the "Jeffersonians", the First Lord of the Treasury would take the shocking step of publicly supporting a law abolishing slavery throughout British America within 20 years. It was a daring move but Adams knew that public support would never be higher (or anger against the "Slave Power").
But there was another reason for Adams to be concerned. The gradual collapse of the tobacco industry would lead many to believe that slavery would eventually die out. However, new machines from Europe, often perfected by Americans, had led to potential new industry in America: large-scale cotton production courtesy of the cotton gin which separated out seeds at rates vastly higher than in the past. This had the potential of reinvigorating a dying institution and Adams would not have that. He was going to put this before the People, Parliament and King Frederick even if the attempt cost him his Ministry.
Aethiopia Territory - Western British America (contested)
General James Wilkinson had been assigned to the governorship of the border territory of Aethiopia which was contested by Spain as part of their own Tejas territory. Wilkinson could read a map and see that such disputes were likely to increase as Americans spread further and further west across the Great Plains. Spain had done little in the past century to populate the region north of the little, remote and isolated towns of San Antonio de Bexar, Santa Fe or San Diego.
Wilkinson would receive multiple complaints from local Spanish officials about American incursions, which he ignored. Later, he would be offered gold for certain information...which he did not ignore. Always on the lookout for opportunities, Wilkinson would agree to provide the Spanish with any information they wanted.
In the meantime, he would in 1800 agree to a large grant of land to a group of settlers just north of San Antonio de Bexar. It would be named after the founder, Moses Austin. Naturally, the Spanish were livid to find an American colony being set up less than 100 miles from their northernmost settlement.
As it was, the Spanish would be even more incensed when they received a new map of America in which new territories were carved out in the empty lands of the Great Plains (the Indians didn't count as residents).
As the King enjoyed reading Roman history, he would dispense with the normal political infighting over territorial designations in Parliament and name them after ancient Roman provinces.
Virginia
While it had taken John Adams several years to focus his faction's efforts upon the issue, he at last managed to bring a discussion of gradual emancipation before Parliament. By 1800, America had expanded nearly to 7,000,000 souls including the an estimated 750,000 Negroes. Of the latter were 380,000 slaves. In the past several years, most of the remaining northern Dominions would abolish slavery or take steps to phase it out. The four major "slave" dominions - Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina - were getting increasingly marginalized.
Over 95% of the remaining slaves in America resided in these Dominions: 105,000 in Virginia, 76,000 in Maryland, 54,000 in North Carolina and 125,000 in South Carolina. The latter in particular had seen enormous growth in slaves as the labor-intensive rice, indigo and lately cotton plantations were particularly notorious for pestilential conditions and the European indentures and free labor frequently refused to work in the Dominion. The once-bountiful tobacco farms of Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina had long been in decline due to land exhaustion, the rise of grain and sugar beets as alternative crops in these regions and the mass influx of indentured labor would reduce the demand for slaves to the extent that black faces working in the fields would become rarer and rarer. Indeed, many Virginians of prominent station had liberated their slaves in recent years (Washington, Mason and others), thus setting off a trend among certain gentry.
Of course, that also meant that other segments of the gentry, keen to maintain the old social order, would remained entrenched in the past by maintain traditions like tobacco farming via large numbers of slaves. Ironically, this would hasten the economic demise of many of these leading families of Virginia as they followed the well-worn but now failing business models. Often, they would go into great debt to acquire slaves only to see the tobacco crops fail and creditors promptly seized land, slaves and anything else which could be grasped.
Among the families whom had seen their fortunes collapse were those of Harry Lee, William Byrd III (whom shot himself in 1795 after seeing most of his properties seized by the court), Benjamin Ogle of Maryland and Wade Hampton of South Carolina. Men such as Nathanial Macon of North Carolina, Henry Laurens of South Carolina and Benjamin Harrison V of Virginia would nevertheless defend the institution of slavery and forge a confederacy of pro-slavery leaders in these Dominions and in Congress.
After the brutal beating of Patrick Calhoun in 1798, his son Samuel returned from Scotland (having graduated from Edinburgh) in 1799, followed by Ambassador Andrew Jackson in 1800. Both would be shocked to see the extend of Patrick's injuries and feel a deep and abiding rage for those whom instilled the misshapen patchwork of scars now crossing the patriarch's face. Patrick Calhoun had been a second father to Jackson and even offered loans to Jackson's two elder brothers in western Virginia.
His anger would be doubled when he visited Monticello, the home of Patrick Calhoun's elegant ally, Thomas Jefferson. A group of "night-riders" would visit Monticello and torch the beautiful mansion in retaliation for Jefferson's support of Adams' initiative to phase out slavery. Several members of Jefferson's household would be killed, including his daughter and a handsome mulatto woman whom Jackson presumed was Jefferson's mistress.
The distraught Jefferson would clutch at his daughter Lucy's body (the third of three children to survive to adulthood) shaking for hours. Jackson immediately grasped one of Jefferson's horses as well as a saber took off after the riders and managed to almost catch up with two before his own mount went lame. Cursing, he returned to Monticello at dawn to find the house in cinders. The household would be sobbing in the courtyard bemoaning the loss of the girls and the planter himself. Shattered by his daughter's death, Jefferson committed suicide by shooting himself in the head with his pistol.
Jackson took this to heart and swore revenge upon one of the men whom had taken him into his home as a friend.
After finding no support to even find the perpetrators of the attack, Jackson would return to western Virginia where Patrick Calhoun had returned for Christmas. The news was shocking to the older man and shock swiftly turned to fury. Calhoun summoned his allies and promptly managed to gather enough support among the western Virginians to nominate Jackson as Jefferson's replacement in the 1800 election.
In the meantime, news of the incident would bring the issue of slavery into stark relief. Many Americans whom were largely ambivalent to the institution would suddenly pay attention to it in far greater detail than before. Politicians whom had often flirted with the "Slave" Dominion Parliamentarians in hopes of forwarding their own goals would suddenly opt to pursue other paths. At a critical moment, the pro-slavery Parliamentarians were persona non-grata.
John Adams would not miss his cue. With sudden support among the "Jeffersonians", the First Lord of the Treasury would take the shocking step of publicly supporting a law abolishing slavery throughout British America within 20 years. It was a daring move but Adams knew that public support would never be higher (or anger against the "Slave Power").
But there was another reason for Adams to be concerned. The gradual collapse of the tobacco industry would lead many to believe that slavery would eventually die out. However, new machines from Europe, often perfected by Americans, had led to potential new industry in America: large-scale cotton production courtesy of the cotton gin which separated out seeds at rates vastly higher than in the past. This had the potential of reinvigorating a dying institution and Adams would not have that. He was going to put this before the People, Parliament and King Frederick even if the attempt cost him his Ministry.
Aethiopia Territory - Western British America (contested)
General James Wilkinson had been assigned to the governorship of the border territory of Aethiopia which was contested by Spain as part of their own Tejas territory. Wilkinson could read a map and see that such disputes were likely to increase as Americans spread further and further west across the Great Plains. Spain had done little in the past century to populate the region north of the little, remote and isolated towns of San Antonio de Bexar, Santa Fe or San Diego.
Wilkinson would receive multiple complaints from local Spanish officials about American incursions, which he ignored. Later, he would be offered gold for certain information...which he did not ignore. Always on the lookout for opportunities, Wilkinson would agree to provide the Spanish with any information they wanted.
In the meantime, he would in 1800 agree to a large grant of land to a group of settlers just north of San Antonio de Bexar. It would be named after the founder, Moses Austin. Naturally, the Spanish were livid to find an American colony being set up less than 100 miles from their northernmost settlement.
As it was, the Spanish would be even more incensed when they received a new map of America in which new territories were carved out in the empty lands of the Great Plains (the Indians didn't count as residents).
As the King enjoyed reading Roman history, he would dispense with the normal political infighting over territorial designations in Parliament and name them after ancient Roman provinces.
You have the "New" states in New England, the states named after people (Georgia, the Carolinas), the ones that are vaguely native american now directly copying the names of Roman Provinces.
So is the Roman stuff going to be a recurring naming scheme until the KBNA reaches the Pacific or will it change again?
So is the Roman stuff going to be a recurring naming scheme until the KBNA reaches the Pacific or will it change again?
The best the Spanish could do right now is to take that map and sign a border treaty agreement with both the American King and Parliament to enshrine those borders and agree that any American that crosses that border is liable to be deported without any compensation.
Otherwise they risk a future war and lose everything north of OTL Mexico.
Otherwise they risk a future war and lose everything north of OTL Mexico.
Chapter 153: More Internal Strife
1800
Western Virginia and Carolina
Over the course of the past several decades, the westward expansion of settlers into the inland mountain regions of the unorganized territories (most now Dominions) had created internal divisions within the "Slave Dominions". The mountainous regions would bear little opportunity for mass chattel slavery and attracted large numbers of poor migrants (the Scots most notably but really of all immigrant groups). However, the eastern landholders (typically Anglicans, further highlighting the division between east and west) would dominate the House of Burgesses of Virginia as well as the regional Assemblies of North and South Carolina. These eastern interests would work hard to prevent the expansion of the franchise to larger numbers of voters while Dominion taxes would disproportionately benefit the east. Few roads, schools and other benefits were extended to the west.
This is a problem that dated back to colonial days and new groups of "Regulators" would rise up to patrol the west due to lack of local marshals, judges, etc often in defiance of Assembly demands.
The immense costs and damages of recent slave and indenture rebellions (blamed naturally on the eastern landowners) would raise tensions further and the brutal beating of Patrick Calhoun would raise emotions to such a state that the western counties of these Dominions would be in virtual rebellion by 1800. Demands for western militiamen to aid in patrols for runaway slaves were rejected. Indeed, the westerners would often AID runaway slaves to reach the "Free" Dominions and Territories of the west.
Worse, when a slave rebellion cropped up in eastern South Carolina and North Carolina in 1800, the plea of armed men (usually unpaid western men were expected to serve in the ranks) from the west was ignored and regulators merely patrolled the western counties. The Dominion Governors (all eastern men) would beg the King for aid but this would take so long that the slave insurrection would leave an entire harvest lost to many plantation owners, enormous swathes of destruction, numerous bankruptcies among the gentry and an estimated 25,000 slaves escaped or dead. This represented 5% of the TOTAL slave population in 1800 lost without any compensation. Even more telling, the 5% that departed tended to be the healthiest, youngest and strongest workers, which had a disproportionate effect upon plantation losses.
When a national recession hit in 1800, many common citizens would blame the slaveholders for disrupting the nation. This position was forwarded when the English radical (now in his second stay in America) would write his anti-slavery manifesto "Common Sense" in which he described in excruciating detail the horrors of slavery from the position of the slave. This would neatly refute any of the "pro-slavery" arguments which positioned the slave as "happy" in his position.
By 1800, the number of free black men nearly approached those in bondage and there was ample evidence to show that slaves were NOT indeed "happy" in bondage.
Unfortunately, a pro-slavery activist would insult the Englishman in the streets, intentionally provoking a duel. Paine would be killed in the ensuing duel and promptly be lionized as a martyr to a "Slave Power" assassination conspiracy. The "Legal Murder" would only increase sales of the book and any pro-slavery response in literature would be ignored or burned in the streets.
Adams, though taking his own share of blame for the recession, would skillfully place the issue of slavery into public view and decided to weaken the opposition by splitting it. He took a proposal to King Frederick to break off the Western Counties of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina (mainly the hill and mountain regions) to form their own united Dominion. He spoke before Parliament of the failure for the Dominions to provide basic services for the western counties as justification.
As the western counties had barely been consulted, they were taken a bit aback by Adams' plot but went along quickly enough. They were tired of the age-old conflict between east and west and were happy to secede. The Dominion response was mixed as many Virginians and Carolinians of the east were happy to see the backwoods troublemakers go. A few Parliamentarians would object but Adams had little trouble getting either Parliament or the King to agree to the solution. He even managed to include one condition: that slavery be abolished within 10 years in the new Dominion. As there were few slaves in the western counties anyway, this was not considered a hindrance.
In one fell swoop, Adams had removed nearly 20% of the population from the "Slave Dominions", thus reducing their theoretical power in Parliament (though many of the western Parliamentarians had been against the institution already by virtue of their opposition to all things eastern).
What was not under debate was that Adams had skillfully deflected some of the blame for the recession from himself to the southern dominions and weakened the Dominions which had most opposed his policies.
Western Virginia and Carolina
Over the course of the past several decades, the westward expansion of settlers into the inland mountain regions of the unorganized territories (most now Dominions) had created internal divisions within the "Slave Dominions". The mountainous regions would bear little opportunity for mass chattel slavery and attracted large numbers of poor migrants (the Scots most notably but really of all immigrant groups). However, the eastern landholders (typically Anglicans, further highlighting the division between east and west) would dominate the House of Burgesses of Virginia as well as the regional Assemblies of North and South Carolina. These eastern interests would work hard to prevent the expansion of the franchise to larger numbers of voters while Dominion taxes would disproportionately benefit the east. Few roads, schools and other benefits were extended to the west.
This is a problem that dated back to colonial days and new groups of "Regulators" would rise up to patrol the west due to lack of local marshals, judges, etc often in defiance of Assembly demands.
The immense costs and damages of recent slave and indenture rebellions (blamed naturally on the eastern landowners) would raise tensions further and the brutal beating of Patrick Calhoun would raise emotions to such a state that the western counties of these Dominions would be in virtual rebellion by 1800. Demands for western militiamen to aid in patrols for runaway slaves were rejected. Indeed, the westerners would often AID runaway slaves to reach the "Free" Dominions and Territories of the west.
Worse, when a slave rebellion cropped up in eastern South Carolina and North Carolina in 1800, the plea of armed men (usually unpaid western men were expected to serve in the ranks) from the west was ignored and regulators merely patrolled the western counties. The Dominion Governors (all eastern men) would beg the King for aid but this would take so long that the slave insurrection would leave an entire harvest lost to many plantation owners, enormous swathes of destruction, numerous bankruptcies among the gentry and an estimated 25,000 slaves escaped or dead. This represented 5% of the TOTAL slave population in 1800 lost without any compensation. Even more telling, the 5% that departed tended to be the healthiest, youngest and strongest workers, which had a disproportionate effect upon plantation losses.
When a national recession hit in 1800, many common citizens would blame the slaveholders for disrupting the nation. This position was forwarded when the English radical (now in his second stay in America) would write his anti-slavery manifesto "Common Sense" in which he described in excruciating detail the horrors of slavery from the position of the slave. This would neatly refute any of the "pro-slavery" arguments which positioned the slave as "happy" in his position.
By 1800, the number of free black men nearly approached those in bondage and there was ample evidence to show that slaves were NOT indeed "happy" in bondage.
Unfortunately, a pro-slavery activist would insult the Englishman in the streets, intentionally provoking a duel. Paine would be killed in the ensuing duel and promptly be lionized as a martyr to a "Slave Power" assassination conspiracy. The "Legal Murder" would only increase sales of the book and any pro-slavery response in literature would be ignored or burned in the streets.
Adams, though taking his own share of blame for the recession, would skillfully place the issue of slavery into public view and decided to weaken the opposition by splitting it. He took a proposal to King Frederick to break off the Western Counties of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina (mainly the hill and mountain regions) to form their own united Dominion. He spoke before Parliament of the failure for the Dominions to provide basic services for the western counties as justification.
As the western counties had barely been consulted, they were taken a bit aback by Adams' plot but went along quickly enough. They were tired of the age-old conflict between east and west and were happy to secede. The Dominion response was mixed as many Virginians and Carolinians of the east were happy to see the backwoods troublemakers go. A few Parliamentarians would object but Adams had little trouble getting either Parliament or the King to agree to the solution. He even managed to include one condition: that slavery be abolished within 10 years in the new Dominion. As there were few slaves in the western counties anyway, this was not considered a hindrance.
In one fell swoop, Adams had removed nearly 20% of the population from the "Slave Dominions", thus reducing their theoretical power in Parliament (though many of the western Parliamentarians had been against the institution already by virtue of their opposition to all things eastern).
What was not under debate was that Adams had skillfully deflected some of the blame for the recession from himself to the southern dominions and weakened the Dominions which had most opposed his policies.
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hey @Alt History Buff , is it alright if I make a worlda of North america (and fix some of the borders) for you?