British Hispaniola

[0100010]

Lets say that in an alternate Seen Years war, Britiain ends up in possession of Hispaniola (yes both sides, Haiti and Santo Domingo)

Would they merge them into one province and appoint one governor or keep them separate and appoint two?

Do you think they manage to govern it successfully, or be wanting to get rid of it ASAP due to internal problems?

How do you think they will address demographic issues and other problems? What solutions do you think they will need come up with in order to govern it successfully?

Of course "successfully" might be a loaded term, and what is successful by British definition might not be desired by various faction on the island.

Do you think they would be able to convince settlers of various types to go there to put an English presence into the place? (If not farmers, which may not be so viable, given existing plantation allotments, then trades-persons, or even convicts?)

Would they attempt to emigrate/deport slaves or other former French and Spanish citizens to other places to change the demographic make up?

Do you think the Hatians or Dominicans will (or will still) revolt, and if they do, do you think they will be successful? (Assuming Britain still controls the island up to around 1800)

 

[Roberto]

Hmm, I'm trying to think of a possible outcome of the Seven Years War that would gain Britain two of the most profitable colonies its rivals had.

 

[Escape Zeppelin]

Assuming they do take control somehow (I agree with Roberto that it's unlikely), the British would have flooded the island with their own colonists asap. The island has lots of good land perfect for sugar, coffee, and tobacco so there's going to be no lack of English settlers. You're also going to get many Spanish and French settlers leaving. By 1800 I think English speakers would have been the majority and since the British were moving toward ending slavery I think a major revolt is unlikely.

I suspect that the island would be governed as two pieces until they felt comfortable in the English majority and then possible combined them possibly as late as the late 1800s.

 

[Deleted member 67076]

Assuming they do take control somehow (I agree with Roberto that it's unlikely), the British would have flooded the island with their own colonists asap. The island has lots of good land perfect for sugar, coffee, and tobacco so there's going to be no lack of English settlers. You're also going to get many Spanish and French settlers leaving. By 1800 I think English speakers would have been the majority and since the British were moving toward ending slavery I think a major revolt is unlikely.

I suspect that the island would be governed as two pieces until they felt comfortable in the English majority and then possible combined them possibly as late as the late 1800s.

I really doubt this. Haiti c. 1790 had 1.1 million people, and the Dominican side of the island had over 100,000 colonists. (Thats around 1/5 of the population of the US in 1800) Those aren't small figures you can just displace in 2-3 decades.

Spanish and Creole will stick around for a long, long time.

 

[Cuāuhtemōc]

Assuming they do take control somehow (I agree with Roberto that it's unlikely), the British would have flooded the island with their own colonists asap. The island has lots of good land perfect for sugar, coffee, and tobacco so there's going to be no lack of English settlers. You're also going to get many Spanish and French settlers leaving. By 1800 I think English speakers would have been the majority and since the British were moving toward ending slavery I think a major revolt is unlikely.

I suspect that the island would be governed as two pieces until they felt comfortable in the English majority and then possible combined them possibly as late as the late 1800s.

Because the former British Caribbean is a bastion of whiteness. The population of a British Hispaniola would be predominately black, followed by mixed race creoles (split between Francophones, Anglophones and Hispanophone) and a smaller white minority made up of Brits, Spanish descendants and French colons.

 

[Escape Zeppelin]

I really doubt this. Haiti c. 1790 had 1.1 million people, and the Dominican side of the island had over 100,000 colonists. (Thats around 1/5 of the population of the US in 1800) Those aren't small figures you can just displace in 2-3 decades.

Spanish and Creole will stick around for a long, long time.

Fair point. Perhaps just a majority of English speakers among the landed classes then.

 

[Deleted member 67076]

Fair point. Perhaps just a majority of English speakers among the landed classes then.

Hmm.... The more successful colonists would probably marry into and try to either join or displace the former elite class.

As for the less successful and middle class ones, I've little idea.

 

[Sevarics]

I really doubt this. Haiti c. 1790 had 1.1 million people, and the Dominican side of the island had over 100,000 colonists. (Thats around 1/5 of the population of the US in 1800) Those aren't small figures you can just displace in 2-3 decades.

Weren't most of these slaves though, at least in Haiti's case?

 

[Deleted member 67076]

Weren't most of these slaves though, at least in Haiti's case?

In Haiti, yes.