British Cuba and Puerto Rico - what are the effects?

The American Revolution might not go very well at all.

First of all those two colonies were very wealthy so the british might not need to tax the americans at all. The sugar produced in both colonies was huge.

In that case is there even an ARW to begin with?

Without the Stamp Act and similar tax hikes (assuming Cuban sugar profits make up for the FIW debts) much of the casus beli for the common Yank is gone. Without the taxes you have no wanton acts of property damage requiring the garrisoning of redcoats. You still have the indebted landed gentry looking for a cheap way out of debt and you may still have a push for more regional autonomy. But other than a handful of Liberal fanatics the people at large don't have much reason to resort to arms.

Might we see a compromise over local autonomy issues? And might the gentry prefer to push for development of local luxury goods to break the "catalog luxuries" monopoly?
 
I also wonder about the effects on maritime trade. Cuba would be booming, and the Americans would get access to that market, no?
 
Might we see a compromise over local autonomy issues? And might the gentry prefer to push for development of local luxury goods to break the "catalog luxuries" monopoly?

You mean explicit autonomy recognized by Parliament, not a vague autonomy of benign neglect, right?

If the colonies or regional confederations thereof were willing to support the military expense, might London be willing to support settlement west of the Appalachians?

I also wonder about the effects on maritime trade. Cuba would be booming, and the Americans would get access to that market, no?

Much more helpful to the economies of the northern and middle colonies than the south, Cuba might even undercut Southern income on various cash crops, like tobacco.

I suppose the ability to migrate/settle in Cuba might take the edge off that competition, but the Southern colonies would still have to adapt to expanding Cuban trade. If western settlement is opened, that could be another outlet.
 
Cuba and Puerto Rico either have the same situation as Quebec and remain more or less Spanish-speaking but recognizing the British monarch as the head of state while remaining more or less autonomous within the Empire or become completely Anglicized.


 
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