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

So we have Anahuac who has a bunch of gold with no where to spend it and a restless New Spain whose inching closer to rebellion. If anything the Anahuac government could use some of it as a bribe or as a "political gift" to New Spain to help rebels in exchange for Atlantic trade, either that or they now have a trading partner that they can use the gold on.

Though this is showing my limited knowledge of the historical value of gold at the time and the gold exchange for an American Pound Sterling.

Are there warhawks in Anahuac with ambitions of annexing parts of New Spain? New Spain has the population centers and the arable land of OTL!Mexico, along with an Atlantic coastline.
 
Somehow, the Rocky Mountains are becoming something akin to the Berlin Wall in the 19th century
Replying after the author's own response to this but before reading the next canon post:

I don't see much of an analogy at all.

1) One might stretch a point to say absolutist Tsarist Russia and parliamentary-empirically-liberal KNA are ideological foes, but this has no real traction. OTL between 1776 and 1917, Tsarist Russia was a diplomatic friend of the even more radically liberal-democratic, even revolutionary, USA. Acerbic criticism was not entirely lacking, but by and large the two empires (naming the USA as such in geographic sweep at any rate) had essentially no conflicts of interest in any concrete sense--perhaps if they had not been persuaded to give up the whole Fort Ross thing before the USA took California, there might have been some strain. But in most of the 19th century, Russia and Britain saw each other as basically enemies, barring the need for alliance in the anti-Napoleonic coalitions, and the USA had an Anglophobic streak (which is far from saying the nation as a whole was deeply antagonistic to Britain, but diplomatically speaking we would not form close alliances with Britain). This was good enough for good relations between St Petersburg and Washington. In this ATL, we have of course a much larger and actual rather than potential territorial conflict of interest, but the author is correct to note how tenuous the Kingdom's reach is into the far west at this early date.

2) If Russia were Roman Catholic there might be more of a problem, but while the Eastern Orthodox branch of Christendom (technically, even, Catholic) is pretty different from any of the flavors of Anglicanism, High Church or Low Church, there has always been, at least since the English Reformation, a weird affinity I notice between the Anglicans and Russian Orthodox. This has been something I observe in rather tenuous and symbolic forms rather than any deep meshing; in fact with substantial Orthodox and Anglican congregations in one community I believe the lines will emerge between them that sheer distance and a romantic patina never drew in OTL Britain--despite the political animosity!

There won't be a serious sectarian problem with Russian Orthodox individuals forming communities under the British crown, unless either religious fanatics seek to manufacture one, or perhaps theTsars get over-aggressive and try to turn the Orthodox hierarchy on the "Jonathan" side of the border into some sort of overt or covert branch of Tsarist authority.

3) The character of the persons filtrating eastward strongly works against the Tsar thinking he can use them in such fashions, on any pretext, sacred or secular. Unless the "Jonathans" on the spot or in Manhattan react with quite a lot of xenophobia or bigotry, alienating these new voluntary subjects of the King, they ought to fit right in in the more liberal and propertarian KNA order. If any inherent trouble comes from them, they are hardly to be feared as some marching horde of Eastern despotism--the bigger risk is they are rather unruly types veering toward outlawism. But I imagine a great many of them will compromise with taxation they think is more reasonable and comply with a state that protects their right to enjoy the wealth they dug up with their own hands. As they learn English, they have the stuff of becoming excellent subjects; their children ought to be as patriotic as any Eastern "Anglo-Saxon" Jonathan.

4) so you refer rather I guess to the Russian attempts to keep their people in as being similar to people sneaking across the Iron Curtain borders to the west in the Cold War periods. But as others note, it is not the Tsarist colonial authorities' best interest to press this point too far; it is one thing to maintain a general "Russians for Russians!" mentality in drawing on the Russian settlers to keep out greedy Jonathans from piecemeal or wholesale expropriation--but what military force they have is based mainly on this grassroots militia, not on any great armies maintained on a European scale. The Tsarist pickets, such as they are, are as interested in keeping Jonathans out as keeping Ivans in! Anyway if the will existed to try to seal up the borders and catch every footloose miner with a stake in off the books gold sewn up in their vest, good luck trying!

Not quite as impossible as merely measuring the OTL length of the region's US state borders might suggest, though, come to think of it. The Sierra Nevada mountains are quite a barrier actually; the one good pass into the Russian northern California holdings is the Donner Pass route. Do Russian claims, and actual border forts set up, reach as far as Lake Tahoe? If they do, the Russians are sort of poised to seize major parts of OTL northern Nevada, including such silver mining sites as Virginia City (again OTL, I have no idea what that town might be named here). But even if they claim the whole shoreline of Lake Tahoe, but agree with the KNA on a hard border leaving the Kingdom OTL Washoe County and points east, they do have anyway the potential to get a good grip on all the good routes out of their zone into Manhattan's claims. I believe other routes through the Sierras are possible, but not very good. To be sure, gold travels well, if the routes are not beset with bandits.

I actually think that most Russian subjects absconding eastward wouldn't get out totally unobserved by Tsarist authorities. What could be happening instead is bribery; the soldiers and even officers commanding them probably are not highly paid, and as the author notes, inflation runs wild in Tsarist California, so pay that might be respectable in Russia might be practically working for free in California at this date. If the people seeking to settle under KNA rather than Tsarist protection want to get out, perhaps they should slip some of their gold to these officials who then pocket it--and provide actually useful protection for travelers who paid this cumshaw going up the Donner Pass to the acknowledged border. This thus amounts to an alternative tax funding the Tsarist forces on the eastern border. The higher authorities might be blissfully ignorant, might suspect but realize trying to prove it is happening would be a recipe for serious trouble that would not end well, or might develop a sort of de facto shakedown--purporting to be investigations of irregularities, discovery of minor violations paid for with fines supplement getting the officers and soldiers to disclose some of their bribe income claiming they mined it themselves, and paying the full tax on the declared amount.

5) in the long run, since the threat of KNA buildup of serious force projection westward seems liable to be slow enough that evolving Russian settlement and development would outpace it (at least until the Jonathans build a transcontinental RR or two, which must be decades off at this point), assuming the agreed on borders of Russian power (pretty much the ridgeline of the Sierras I believe, the Russians controlling the whole Central Valley but not south over the Tehachapi Mountains) stabilize, the big wild card for the Tsars seems to me likely to be Russian American independence movements--but that is something they can't contemplate at this early stage. I think the Tsarist authorities will find that Russian colonists will tend to evolve an individualistic, proto-democratic and liberal leaning variant of Russian society. A day may come when, after considerably more development of the region (San Francisco bay on north--I figure the Russians are settling the Columbia/Williamette river systems and Puget Sound including OTL Vancouver Island), second, third or fourth generation Russian-Americans might decide to toss their allegiance to St. Petersburg aside, declaring a republic or electing their own Tsar. Possibly Romanov authorities can foresee this and take steps to secure the loyalty of sufficiently strong Russo-American interests, or (perhaps much enriched versus OTL by American possessions) project enough loyal enough reglar Army and navy power to deter any such thoughts. Maybe if these measures are only partially effective, the Russo-Americans might turn to KNA as protector and cut a deal of autonomy for this protection,

I think the way to bet though is that the Russians shall hang onto whatever they currently claim anyway.
 
So we have Anahuac who has a bunch of gold with no where to spend it and a restless New Spain whose inching closer to rebellion. If anything the Anahuac government could use some of it as a bribe or as a "political gift" to New Spain to help rebels in exchange for Atlantic trade, either that or they now have a trading partner that they can use the gold on.

Though this is showing my limited knowledge of the historical value of gold at the time and the gold exchange for an American Pound Sterling.

Are there warhawks in Anahuac with ambitions of annexing parts of New Spain? New Spain has the population centers and the arable land of OTL!Mexico, along with an Atlantic coastline.

I don't think that Anahuac has the population, governmental stability or resources to launch a war of aggression upon anyone. I imagine Anahuac being run by a number of local Alcaldes under a weak Parliament and Central government with the young and largely powerless King in nominal command.
 
Chapter 262:
1834

Maumee


The reunion of recently retired Lieutenant Lincoln with his father had not gone well. Rather than welcoming home his son to Maumee, Thomas was apparently unable to do anything more than complain that his son had "robbed" him of several years of labor by staying in the army without his permission and later attending West Point...again without permission.

Thomas Lincoln had intended to keep his son under obligation, as was the custom until he turned twenty or twenty-one in order to best exploit his labor. Thomas had willingly taken the then-teenaged Abraham's enlistment bonus all those years ago when the nation needed soldiers in Chicago and Marquette but assumed he would return soon enough to work the elder's land. Instead, Abraham "robbed" his father by continuing to serve his country. Thomas flatly stated that Abraham's half-brother would inherit the farm.

By this time, Abe was so livid that he had to contain himself from striking his father. Only the intervention of his stepmother Sarah, his sister Sarah and his wife Sarah kept father and son from blows.

Without spending a single night in his father's home, Abe and Sarah (the wife, not the stepmother or sister) left Thomas' farm for the last time. He would never speak to his father again despite the three Sarahs' admonishments.

Within a few days, the cash-strapped Lincoln put up a shingle in Springfield as a lawyer. As fortune would have it, none of the three lawyers called to the Bar in the town from previous years were actively practicing. One had left the town permanently, one had departed for the summer on a long tour of the east and the third died only weeks prior to Lincoln's return.

This allowed several cases to be funneled to Abraham, an unusual event for a lawyer whom passed the Bar in the wilds of Dobunni and Baetica. Normally, Lincoln, whom had spent years studying law in the evenings after completing his duties, would act as a sort of apprentice to a more experienced attorney. But, within weeks, he was placed before local courts advocating for his clients. Most were petty grievances, the fees barely covering the family bills. When clients were sparse, Lincoln actually hired out to do so woodcutting (an act which reminded him why he wanted to be an attorney). But the rent was paid and the couple did not go hungry.

By the fall, Lincoln lucked into a pair of high-profile cases:

1. A major property dispute between large landholders outside of town. Lincoln spent weeks in court and managed, out of court, to arrange a reasonable compromise between the two local leading men, a move which would endear him to both. This would eventually bode well for his political career in a few years.

2. The Maumee tribe filed a claim against the Crown for benefits promised by treaty when the reservation system was set up. It was promised only "right of way" transit was legal within their lands. However, there remained wildcat miners and other trespassers. Local officials were doing nothing. In 1835, Lincoln would travel to Manhattan to file a formal grievances with the Court of Indian Affairs and take the nation to Court.

Though it took over a year for the case to be settled, the tribe's rights were upheld. Rather cunningly, the tribe did not really want Americans to be banned from their lands....they just wanted to profit by it. Therefore, the Indian Tribes would have the power to grant "licenses" to any man wishing to mine their territory (or hunt). Initially, these would be licenses for gold mining but, in the long term, coal was discovered in abundance and this would make the tribe an enormous profit in later decades as owners of the mines (usually with white or black laborers as the Indians didn't care for the harsh work). Any man without a license to prospect was liable to be arrested by the developing Indian "Marshalls" system.

Similarly, the tribe was able to profit from toll roads being built at tribal expense through their territories. While the national government had long retained the right of way via arteries like the small rivers flowing through the land, Lincoln pointed out several key locations from which the tribe may profit from this, including the construction of several little harbor facilities along the rivers to sell whatever was desired (at a modest markup, of course).

Lincoln also pointed out that the national government had made certain promises of "supplies" in perpetuity in gratitude for Maumee assistance in past Indian wars (including the one with the Illini to the north in which Lincoln himself participated). However, no payments had been received and Lincoln took the opportunity to bring this to court as well. Though it would take several years, the case would be settled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for a one-time, lump sum.

The attorney was proud to have helped the people whom he had come to respect so much. Many summers during is boyhood, his father had "leased" Abraham's labor to the Maumee tribesmen to work their lands (usually in exchange for food or furs). Abraham found his Indian "employers" far more pleasant than his father then and now.

By 1836, Abraham had been paid well for his services and held a growing reputation in the area. He was able to build a huge 1200 square foot home outside of Springfield upon several hundred acres of largely cleared land, mostly orchards and open fields he leased to local farmers.

With his sister Sarah and her husband nearby (Lincoln did not care for his brother-in-law but dearly loved his sister and her son George), Lincoln and Sarah (the wife, not the sister) would welcome six of their own children over the next ten years, all boys (unsurprisingly none were named Thomas).

In 1840, Lincoln was financially stable enough to run for the Maumee House of Burgesses and won a seat by a wide margin.
 
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Even for comical effect that us way too many Sarah's.

Also, Abraham Lincoln, son of Sarah, brorher if Sarah and wife if Sarah? I assume also soon to be father of Sarah.

Naming wise the religious overtone is amazing.
 
Even for comical effect that us way too many Sarah's.

Also, Abraham Lincoln, son of Sarah, brorher if Sarah and wife if Sarah? I assume also soon to be father of Sarah.

Naming wise the religious overtone is amazing.

Yeah, I didn't think of this when I had Abe marry Jeff Davis' OTL first wife. For the heck of it, I had Abe's sister Sarah survive childbirth (OTL she died as did George, her still-born child).

I think I'm going to have Abe as having six sons, no daughters.

Thanks for reading.
 
Chapter 263:
1835

Manhattan


King Frederick I of British North America would be taking an afternoon ride one mild summer day when he clutched his chest in agony. Only the assistance of his retainer prevented the King from falling from his steed altogether. The King managed to make it back to the Palace.

His doctor would verify that he'd had a heart attack.

London

On the exact same day, William V of Wessex would notice an abnormal growth upon his abdomen. His son had reached maturity and sired his own children. The King would send for the best surgeons and doctors of London. Unsurprisingly, the doctors announced a tumor, uncertain yet if it was benign or cancerous.

The King would be happy to see his son taking more responsibility as he did not know how much longer he had to live.

Britain would have the good fortune to see the benefits of the Britannic Trade Confederation. London's ideal location for a port/trading entrepot with Europe would prove vital to returning the island to solvency.

Puebla, New Spain


By the summer of 1835, Governor Zumalacorregui had managed to alienate most of the gentry of New Spain to such an extent that most resigned their military commissions. On the surface, this may have been a good thing as Zumalacorregui held a low opinion of the colonial gentry. However, the departure of the nobles from the militia prompted the commoners to evade service in droves.

With only a limited number of Spanish regulars (and let's face it, the Spanish regulars were hardly the elite of Europe), Zumalacorregui would be forced to rely on locals for both money and manpower for his proposed invasion of Anahuac. This threatened to stymy his plans. Zumalacorregui ordered the arrest of any man who did not show up for militia maneuvers after Sunday Church.

By the fall of 1835, the general population of New Spain was nearly up in arms and Zumalacorregui had more to worry about than any proposed offensive.

Guadalajara, Anahuac


The government of Anahuac was felled not due to the lack of money...but a sudden surplus of it. Already unhappy to have sold a portion of their nation (a portion remote and unlikely to ever been seen by the common man), the commoners had at least expected the funds to improve their lives. However, imported goods remained impossible to obtain while the cost of those few goods actually available, like grain, suddenly saw a burst of inflation due to the increase in liquidity of capital.

Food riots commenced in the capital as the king and his Congress were forced to flee the city. Calling out the militia seemed a poor idea as the militia were seen at the fore of the mobs.
 
Map of North America - 1835
Albion's Orphan - North America - 1835.png
 
Population of British North American Dominions and Territories from 1830 census - After Royal Edict Reorganizing Territories
Quebec - 315,000
Montreal - 205,000
Nova Scotia - 105,000
Charlottia (New Brunswick, former Acadia west of the Isthmus of Chignecto) - 75,000
Newfoundland - 48,000
Vermont (including the contested Hampshire Grants and the western portion of the former district of Maine under the colony of Massachusetts) - 510,000
Sagadahock (formerly the eastern portion of the district of Maine under the colony of Massachusetts) - 110,000
Massachusetts - 520,000
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations - 210,000
Connecticut - 258,000
New York - 910,000
Long Island -270,000
Manhattan - 155,000
New Jersey 260,000
Pennsylvania - 1,000,000
Delaware - 252,000
Maryland - 465,000
Virginia - 710,000
Kanawha (West Virginia) - 250,000
North Carolina 385,000
Catabwa (West North Carolina) - 156,000
South Carolina - 300,000
Wateree (West South Carolina) - 105,000
Georgia - 257,000
West Florida (South Alabama, South Mississippi and Florida Panhandle) - 155,000
Mississauga (Peninsular Ontario) - 112,000
Maumee (Western Kentucky) 255,000
Shawnee (Eastern Kentucky) - 205,000
Westsylvania (Western Pennsylvania) - 208,000
Watauga (Eastern Tennessee) - 255,000
Tennessee (Western Tennessee) - 200,000
Hanover (Louisiana) - 250,000
Caledonia (Parts of Northern Texas and Oklahoma) - 200,000
Aethiopia (Southern Texas and parts of northeast Mexico) - 300,000
Arkansas - 150,000
Miami (OTL Indiana) - 200,000
Ohio (Most of OTL Ohio) - 400,00
Michigan (Lower Peninsula) - 100,000
East Florida and the Bahama Islands (Florida minus Panhandle) - 100,000
Indiana (northern Mississippi and Alabama) - 200,000
Chicago (Illinois) - 50,000

Assorted British North American Territories (not yet Dominions) - 175,000
Hudson (Northern Ontario)
Labrador (Eastern Quebec Peninsula)
Laurentia (Northwestern Quebec)

Denedeh
Inuit

Marquette (Wisconsin)
Cappadocia
Belgica
Thracia
Lusitania
Aquitania
Hiberia
Mauretania
Cilicia
Pannonia
Noricum
Moesia
Galatea

Iceni
Dobunni
Baetica
North Zealand
South Zealand
 
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Hey 2 questions:
1. Will Russian America have a population boom that will let it have a decent population (5-20 million) by 1900?
2. Would you be able to tell us some of the populations of European countries? I'm particularly interested in Denmark's population if you don't mind. Also, how many people does California have?
 
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Chapter 264:
1835

Manhattan


King Frederick I of British North America slowly recovered from his heart attack. Over the course of several weeks, Frederick even managed to ride a few times in his carriage to reassure the public of his good health.

Once he returned to work, he agreed to separate the northern Territories into more geographically reasonable sizes. However, he thought this was silly as he could not imagine these Artic tundra regions would possess the population to graduate into Dominions. Similarly, some of the Western territories would be split and new Territories of Noricum, Galatea and Moesia were created.

But the King didn't care much about that. He knew he was in poor health and was already preparing his heir for the throne.

He would not be the only one.

Puebla, New Spain

Governor Zumalacorregui was utterly livid. Nearly a hundred of the colonial gentry had written a letter to the King asking for his removal, detailing his "offenses". As the King's Ministers had demanded that Zumalacorregui make these changes, he hardly viewed himself as having acted in poor faith to the King's Will.

Rumors of a boycott of Spanish goods (not that Spain typically produced much) abounded and the militia was ordered to stand down as it looked increasingly likely that it would take the lead on any disorders.

Zumalacorregui would beg the King for a few more regular regiments to restore order. This unrest was preventing his dreams of invading Anahuac, itself under political turmoil.

Moscow

The State Funeral of Alexander I of Russia would take place in 1835. The Czar had been ill for years and his son long-since assuming more and more day-to-day authority.

Alexander II of Russia would see the expansion east further and further south as a drain on Royal Coffers and finally ordered a halt to the expansion into Turkic territory. Most of what Russia actually wanted, it already possessed. The Turkic peoples had largely been pushed from the Steppe into the mountains of Persia and Central Asia.

Let them remain there. The Russian migration into this ancient nomadic lands continued apace though as Serfs were lured by promises of better conditions into Siberia and the Steppe (and Russian North America).

Alexander II, like his father, was hardly a reformer but incremental changes in the relief of serfs could be seen almost on a yearly basis. Old freedoms were reestablished including greater migration rights and freedom to own land. Many of the eastern lands produced cash crops like cotton, hemp and others, which greatly benefited Russia's economy.

The legal system was softened under Alexander I and this would also continue under Alexander II.

Paris

It was a poor year for Royals in Europe as Louis XVII also expired after a brief illness. His son Louis XVIII would prove far more dynamic than any French King in over a century. Unlike his father and grandfather, Louis had a vested interest in government and reforms. While Louis XVI and Louis XVII reformed when necessary, the new King sought to actively promote the idea.

While there had been many changes in the legal, economic, political and demographic landscapes, Paris would soon be the forefront of a new wave of modernizing monarchs in Europe.

Northern Europe

The Northern Confederation, the loose economic and political affiliation of northern European states (mostly Protestant) had slowly devolved into a Customs Union as the decades past. Once fearing a French, Italian, Austria or even Polish invasion upon Protestant Europe, these fears had slowly ebbed away over the years as the peace was maintained.

Instead, the economic union expanded as much of Britain and even Ireland would expand trade relations with mainland Europe.

Nippon

After over a decade in Nippon, the Chinese Army had devolved from a disciplined force of professionals to a harried and irate collection of peace-keepers. The continuous Nipponese resistance had led to a complete failure to collect taxes even as costs spiraled. After years of losses, the Chinese army would withdraw from Honshu and later the southern islands as well.

China was withdrawing into itself, seeing no benefit expanding further abroad given that there were no natural rivals to the Middle Kingdom.
 
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Hey 2 questions:
1. Will Russian America have a population boom that will let it have a decent population (5-20 million) by 1900?

I think this may be a bit much. The 1830's and 1840's would certainly see a boom but I suspect this would be shortlived. By 1900, I would still expect less than 5,000,000 citizens.


2. Would you be able to tell us some of the populations of European countries? I'm particularly interested in Denmark's population if you don't mind. Also, how many people does California have?

I don't think that Denmark's population would change much from OTL other than adding Hanover as I've done in this TL. Both OTL and this POD Denmark had relative peace.
 
As Abraham Lincoln would say, que Sarah, Sarah. :) (oh come on, at least some of you thought it. :)

Seriously, is there one city that is by far the most powerful economically in the world the way London was in our timeline? Obviously it sounds like London is still kind of important but certainly not to the extent of our timeline. And yet, while Paris is doing well I don't know if it is to the level that London was, since Louis XVI and XVII had not modern ice near as much.
 
I think that because London’s banks aren’t so powerful that the banks of Amsterdam and other places in the Netherlands haven’t Been driven out of business so they’re more prominent.
 
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