British Louisiana and the ARW

When war broke out with Spain, plans were made in Great Britain for an amphibious attack on Havana. The expedition was under the command of George Keppel, Third Earl of Albemarle, with Vice-Admiral Sir George Pocock as naval commander. This plan also called for Amherst to embark 4,000 men from America to join Keppel and to assemble another force of 8,000 men for an attack on Louisiana.

During the month of February, British troops embarked, they consisted of:

* 22nd Regiment of Foot
* 34th Regiment of Foot
* 56th Regiment of Foot
* 72nd Richmond's Regiment of Foot

On March 5, the British expedition sailed from Spithead, England, with 7 ships of the line and 4,365 men aboard 64 transports.

On April 20, the expedition arrived at Barbados.

On April 25, the expedition reached Fort Royal on the recently conquered island of Martinique where it picked up the remainder of Major-General Robert Monckton still numbering 8,461 men. Rear Admiral George Rodney's squadron, amounting to 8 ships of the line also joined the expedition bringing the total number of ships of the line to 15.

On May 23, the expedition, now off the northwest corner of Saint-Domingue (Haiti), was further reinforced by Sir James Douglas' squadron from Port Royal, Jamaica. The force under Albemarle now amounted to 21 ships of the line, 24 lesser warships, and 168 other vessels, carrying some 14,000 seamen and marines and 12,826 regulars.
On July 27, the reinforcements from North America led by Colonel Burton finally arrived. During their journey, they had been attacked by the French who captured some 500 men. These reinforcements consisted of:

* 46th Thomas Murray's Regiment of Foot
* 58th Anstruther's Regiment of Foot
* American provincials(3,000 men)
* Gorham's rangers
Note that there are 1000 less Americans than the Plan originally Called for.
Due to this difficulty raising Men the Attack on Louisiana was call off.

But WI the British had attacked Louisiana first.

With 12.000 regulars the new little town of New Orleans, Falls Quickly and the force heads east to capture the Spanish Fortifications in the Mobile Bay,
With Louisiana & Spanish West Florida the British would control the entire Gulf North Coast.

The American Reinforcements would be left To hold the Gulf while the British head south to attack Cuba.

With Control of the Mississippi in their grasp, Britain would ignore the Secret treaty between France and Spain and claim Louisiana in the1763 "Peace of Paris"

Due to It's starting Later the attack on Cuba failed, but Britain Traded the Philippines for Florida.
[capital had just been moved after Hurricanes destroyed the capital at bilioxi in the 1750's]

Assume that American/British relations go as OTL and the ARW still starts in 1775.

?How does the British Control of the Mississippi affect the Proclamation of 1763.
I see NO. being a American Boom Town.
?How Does this Affect the ARW?
 
I don't know if the Brits holding NO will affect the ARW, but it would certainly affect the growth of the US afterwards... basically, if Britain has LA and NO, then the US isn't going to get them...
 
I don't know if the Brits holding NO will affect the ARW, but it would certainly affect the growth of the US afterwards... basically, if Britain has LA and NO, then the US isn't going to get them...
But most of the the Settlers in Louisiana in the 10 years pre ARW would have been Americans.
This means that NO would not be Halifax, but would start the War very Pro American, and may even have delegates in Philadelphia.

The American s would put as much effort into taking NO, as they did OTl in taking Quebec.
 
But most of the the Settlers in Louisiana in the 10 years pre ARW would have been Americans.
This means that NO would not be Halifax, but would start the War very Pro American, and may even have delegates in Philadelphia.

The American s would put as much effort into taking NO, as they did OTl in taking Quebec.


Are you sure Halfifax isn't the bteter analogy? In the 1770s New Orleans is still fairly isolated, with transappalachian settlement much less than it would be in the 1800s.
 
If Spain and France join the war on the American's side I think it is highly likely that one of them captures NO. Now this sets up some interesting conflicts between the new born US and it's 2 main war time allies in the treaty talks.
 
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I think it's likely that the ARW is avoided or more likely delayed.

I could see Louisiana territory as a last refuge for the Amerindian tribes east of the Mississippi.
 
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