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Hello, I have an idea I want to run by you guys, I need some help developing some of this and it has been in the back of my mind for a while.

Point of Divergence is shortly after the French and Indian/Seven years war when the UK finds itself with a massive North American empire and a huge debt. My idea revolves around people in Parliament accepting a modification of Franklin's Albany plan but adding an upper house of appointees from London to keep the colonials under supervision.

The American Council would have management over the North American holdings from Florida through the colonies that would become Canada. It would have the ability to negotiate with the Indians and would be required to levee taxes to pay down the debts accrued through the war and to pay for the soldiers stationed in the colonies (the soldiers would stay under London's control and the Council would only be allowed to call up local colonial militias in defense and support of the empire.)

The colonies and the parliament argue back and forth but by 1768 the choice is have the American Council tax them or the Parliament and most leading colonials accept the Council with some promises of colonial autonomy in internal issues. The taxes go up and the grumbling is reduced as the local land owners and business owners, the Washington's, Adams' and the rest are taking turns sitting in the Council which is established in Philadelphia.

Because the colonists feel represented, they pay higher taxes, they have a local focus of politics which also has the power to expand westward into the newly acquired British holdings. the Proclamation of 1763 is quietly rescinded with promises of higher tax revenue from land taxes heading to London via Philadelphia and London lets the colonial militia's do what they need to do to keep the Indians from causing too much trouble.

Where I am unsure as to how the path unfolds is the french revolution. (Much of my historical work has been US history) The economic climate in France was a wreck before Louis XVI funded the revolution and they had many people who supported social and political reform because it was the home of the Enlightenment but what I need help with is the trigger mechanism for revolution and/or reform in France. I suspect it still will happen because I recall there was a famine that lead the San Culottes and the poorer class to riot. One thing lead to another and Louis called the Estates General which evolved into the National Assembly.

What I am thinking is the French Revolution still happens roughly on the same time scale, Napoleon rises up roughly the same time, Moves into Spain roughly the same time, seizes Louisiana, but this time with the Colonies supporting the Empire, the British have that many more men, ships, and financial resources to call upon.

I envision the American Council moving through Louisianan to link up with British claims on the Pacific coast around what would become British Columbia. Also islands in the Caribbean are seized to give the UK that much more control over the sugar market.

This just means that Napoleon is defeated that much quicker, but now another problem. The congress of Vienna that redrew the map of Europe. Would they demand Louisiana be returned to France? Or would the UK keep Louisiana and be forced to return Haiti and the other Caribbean islands only?

Also happening at this time is the UK is abolishing slavery. 1807 they do away with the slave trade, but I am assuming the cotton Gin will still be improved and cotton will spread slavery in the South. This source of cotton will be vital to British industrial/commercial interests as well as New England shipping. However, the UK has India for cotton too. I would imagine that the EIC may have more power in London that the American Council. I would propose that London outlaws slavery, but with an allowance that the American Council could phase it out over a generation. Several Southern Colonies including South Carolina arm up, but remember that the American Council includes what would become Canada and these few southerners are outvoted and outarmed, they back off with a promise of Black removal west of Louisiana. So between 1815 and 1845 emancipation happens and the southern economy shifts to a day labor base. Prices go up, but the south slowly is forced to industrialize.

Which brings me to a major conflict in the 1820s and 1830s. England is highly industrializing and still sees America as a source of raw materials, however the population is growing and the burgeoning rail and canal network requires local supplies. Years of lobbying by Alexander Hamilton (who doesn't get shot by bur and dies in 1816 as the head of an industrial firm's New York branch where he made some political fame by lobbying for American banking rights) and his supporters have wrung concessions out of the mercantilist London Parliament that allows UK firms to open subsidiaries under the American Council but these are double regulated by both Parliaments. More and more Americans of the industrial management class are lobbying for more local power independently regulate. London Merchants are still trying to keep the greater part of control in London, but the rise of the telegraph and development of steamers have opened the idea that London could maintain control over North American business. the 1841 American Industrial Act passes Parliament and allows the American Council its own domestic businesses and Industrial firms so long as the American Council stays within limits set by London. As a result, New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, Toronto, and Boston see a growth in Industrialization.

During this same period, white settlement across the lands east of the Mississippi picks up. the American Council tries and fails to work with the Native Americans many times. Mostly the Council is dominated by those who seek patronage from unlanded whites who seek to become landed whites. Many small wars are fought, Andrew Jackson and William Henry Harrison make names for themselves as Indian fighters. The Cherokee war of 1829-1832 results in the Trail of Tears were the defeated Cherokee are forced west into The Black lands (where many former slaves were forced to settle when they turned down the opportunity to return to Africa, a place most had never seen.) The American Council also organized many new Colonies to control the land being populated, the Ohio Colony, the Mississippi Colony, the Louisiana Colony, the Illinois Colony, and the Missouri Colony are all established by 1845.

As mentioned before the Black former slaves were kicked out, often violently, from the south. They were force marched west of the Mississippi and lucky to be given adequate food. Some men and women who would have in OTL become Abolitionists, such as John Brown and Beecher raised money to aid the Blacks in the unfamiliar habitats, in what might be called an act of genocide, nearly half died. But because of hard work, some outside help, and the leadership of Nat Turner, by 1855 there was a thriving community of almost half a million Black people surviving in southern Kansas with another half million scattered in smaller towns on both sides of the Mississippi river further north and South. Louisiana also has a large population of Blacks, many dating back to French and Spanish days. However their communities are excluded from seats in the American Council and are fully ignored by the London Parliament. They remember the forced marches and they are secretly collecting arms, just in case. On the bright side they are not taxed and are basically a Maroon community in North America.

But something else has happened. When Napoleon marched into Spain, Mexico revolted. By 1821 Mexico had secured independence but looked north and saw the UK everywhere and they were expanding. In an attempt to keep their norther boarder secure, the government attempted to entice good catholic, Spanish speaking settlers large tracts of land. They found very few people willing to move north. Then in 1850 A rancher in Alta California rode into Monteray and bought many things with nugget gold, including liquor at the cantena. after getting drunk, he told everyone about the gold in the river that ran through his ranch. By 1851 the world had gold fever. The first to arrive were the Sonoran miners, followed closely by British-American Fur trappers, agents of the Hudson Bay Company, and adeventures who braved the Sierra-Nevadas. Then by June ship loads of Chinese were arriving. "The World Rushed in". Mexico city, and Monterrey were unable to control the situation. The largest single group were British-Americans and Mexico City was in a panic out of fear of losing to the gold to this powerful neighbor. As a desperate move they approached Martin Delaney, Nat Turner's Successor in the Black communities for a chance to turn the tide. They would grant the Black people access to land in Texas and new Mexico in exchange for support against the British. Delaney didn't accept the offer, not being foolish enough to bring the hammer down, but word leaked to Philadelphia and outcry went up. London agreed to punish Mexico with a punitive expedition.

The Anglo-Mexican war lasted from 1853-1856 and caused California and parts east to fall into British hands. The British only seized Texas, north of the Colorado River, but much of what would become Arizona and New Mexico and California down to Baja. The London Parliament created Royal Navy instilations in Monterrey and Yureba Buena and the American Council incorporated the colonies of New Mexico and California.

The American Colonies stretched from sea to shining sea, and American Industrialists along with London bankers wanted California's gold to go east to Philadelphia and London. In 1858 the Rail Corporation of America was incorporated to build a rail road from King George City (think St Louis with the French removed) to the capital of the California colony in Stockton (Monterrey renamed for Admiral Stockton of her majesties navy.) By 1866 It had been completed, the Sierras took some time but nitroglycerine made it work.

This Rail Road construction created a major issue when it went right through the Black communities on its way west. First off the labor force was mostly white and unaccustomed to many black people, the Irish were bad enough in the thinking of the british and german rooted white people. The people of the black community were also unaccustomed to seeing white people and also accustomed to being left alone. This all changed with the American council took control over the area and created the colony of Nebraska. The new colonial government revoked many land holdings from the black people and the Rail Road company destroyed many houses and farms. The blatant disrespect devolved by 1862 into full scale fighting. For the next ten years Guerrilla fighting by dispossessed black men and women caused horrible trouble for the Nebraska colony government. This fighting was mirriored by many Native Americans who also saw the problems with white men coming across their land. The west was being used for cattle ranching and home standing.

Tired of all the fighting Eastern power brokers in Philadelphia convinced the rest of the Council to engage in peace talks. in 1872 the Peace of the West was signed granting huge tracts of land to the Indians and Blacks and Hispanics who had all fought against British-American encroachment. Lands in Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Dakotas, and Alberta are all "reserved" for blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans. The result was yet another forced march and displacement the Cherokee call this the "Second trail of Tears".

As Industrialization reaches a height in the Americas, the world watches Germany Unite in the Franco Prussian war. Japan comes out of its Shell with a vengeance and begins to industrialize. The Western Middle class develops. The Americas are less industrialized than Britain is only because it has so much more land. The British merchants control much of American industry, but Americans have voices and American born men from time to time reach high points in London merchant circles.

The Scramble for Africa goes much as expected but by 1890 there is a twist. The Reserved lands aren't full of backward savages, but in the 20 years of again being left alone they too have industrialized. Social Darwinists are shocked and appalled at this, but black africans, with support from black americans in the reserved land really begin to push for autonomy within the British empire, especially those Africans who were placed in positions of power in these cobbled together colonies. Will London listen?



So, any ideas, comments? Frankly, I only had thought out to the Lousiana conquest, but i just kept writing when I started this. Everything after 1815 was right off the top of my head. So if its rough, that's why.
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