Excerpts About the American North

Yep, with all the Ameriwank topics, I had to toss in my own. :D

However, I wanted to do something different. How could I get a bigger America, but keep it SOMEHOW still looking like the USA of today in culture (after all, there are obvious differences with Canada and America in politics and some culture-even amongst Anglo-Canadians)? How could I make a viable conquest of Canada? How could I get some other British places geographically close to the USA American as well? How could I make it even somewhat....realistic? I've begun to tire of the really uber-America wanks, and I'm a damn fierce patriot myself.

And so, this timeline. Or rather, somewhat of a timeline. It's going to be choppy in the actual chronology and it's going to follow my personal vision of an Ameriwank, so please excuse anything that could seem even a bit pathetic.

And so, my first entry. I'm currently busy with my life, so updates may be a bit sporadic, but I'll try my best to make it complete. I've also totally ripped off the prose style of Look to the West and A New Portugal, so thanks to Thande and Gozangas (yes, I know I spelled it wrong) for the format.
 
From “The Northern Campaigns of the American Revolution” by Daniel Jones:

…. And so Washington, in accordance with Congresses’ assurances to one Jonathan Eddy up north in Nova Scotia, agreed to send aid that year. [1] Benedict Arnold, who had meant to march north with a force to Canada for both the republic’s-and his own-glory, was told by Washington to head north to Halifax and support the local militia there. Arnold, eager to seek fame, demurred to the commander's wishes and began his march on September 25th with 1,100 men. [2]

The plan was to cover the ground to the city in twenty days, [3] but the relatively easy country meant that the march was completed on October 6th. After resting for four days, Arnold immediately attacked the citadel and lost one hundred men, a second assault lost fifty. Thus rebuffed, Arnold settled down for a siege.

The timing of the siege was of pure luck. Halifax was lightly garrisoned and while it had the advantage of being supplied by the sea there were no real Royal Navy ships at the time with which to defend the port with. [4] As such, while Arnold had no cannon, neither did the Halifax garrison (at least, any decent ones). Furthermore, Eddy had used the fact that Arnold’s force had come in such decent condition as a rallying point for more Nova Scotia militia; the rebel army had now swelled to 1,300. Finally, on October 30th Arnold began a third assault; the small British defenses were overwhelmed (even with some heroic fighting from their side), and Halifax fell to American hands. It was another early high point beyond Breed’s Hill by Boston-the patriots seemed organized, eager to fight, and able to pull rabbits out of the hat with seemingly no real skill in fighting (at least to European eyes). Strategists across Europe took note.

Charlottetown in New Ireland [5] had been raided by American privateers in November 17th [6] and surrendered shortly after a detachment by Colonel Roger Enos [7] sent by Arnold had beaten a small British garrison of two hundred men at Fort Cumberland-the former Fort Beausejour-convinced the New Irelanders that another raid would mean even more loss and it was better to surrender now than suffer again later. With Cumberland’s capture the eventual state of Sunbury [8] fell to the Americans and with it and Charlottetown the entire Maritimes. Eddy quickly organized a patriot government for Nova Scotia and settled down in Halifax as governor. Hailed as a hero, the effective rebuff of credit to Arnold at the time would have serious consequences…

This was not the only campaigning up north: Montgomery and Wooster had captured St. John-of-Richelieu and Montreal by November 13th. Arnold, again recruiting from local militia (much easier to do, with the pro-independence group now in control of things) built his army back up to 1,500 men with several cannon still surviving from the Third Assault and headed west to join Montgomery for a confrontation at Quebec….

******

[1] Washington had told Eddy not to expect any aid from him; I’ve read on this board he would later claim not helping the Nova Scotians was one of his biggest regrets. As Nova Scotia actually had quite the large pro-independence group at the time, Washington ITTL decides to support the revolution even further and sends Arnold up to Halifax rather than Quebec.

[2] The date Arnold left is still the same, but he had traveled to Quebec IOTL. The number of men is also the same.

[3] The date expected to reach Quebec IOTL. Again, I’ve heard it’d be an easier march through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia than to Quebec, and further, Arnold has an easier time moving his supplies by sea than upriver-as such, he does not lose nearly as many men as OTL.

[4] It was not until very early in 1776 when a British force moved into the Bay of Fundy with regulars did Nova Scotia get beefed up with British defenses and basically then lost to the Americans. This still happens by OTL, but as the rebels have become the team to beat in the area, the surrounding countryside remains American even as Halifax falls to British hands once more (similar to New York and Philadelphia).

[5] ITTL the American name for Prince Edward Island. It was actually a rejected name IOTL but taken back up by Americans due to similarity between the previous name-St. John-and St. John’s of Newfoundland (which caused the name switch to P.E.I. in IOTL as well).

[6] As happened IOTL.

[7] Who does not leave Arnold in disgust as IOTL.

[8] ITTL American name for the state of New Brunswick and the one-time name of all land in Nova Scotia west of the peninsula-‘Sunbury County’.
 
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On reading your first post I was going to suggest simply ending up annexing the NW Company's territories as an idea

But I like the way you're going in the Maritimes

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
Very nice state, Umbric! Excellent attention to detail, I must say.

Thoughts:

1) Is Montgomery's expedition to Montreal going per OTL? Without Arnold's expedition to Quebec City, is Montgomery successfull at hold Montreal? If so, is Burgoyne's Saratoga campaign affected? If the Americans can hold Montreal, they might be able to claim Upper Canada, though they'd also need to defeat the British in the Northwest, particularly at Detroit.

2) With differing states, there's potential for changes in the Articles of Confederation, the Northwest Ordinance (and proposed SW Ordinance), and the Constitution.

3) Depending on what the Americans take in the ARW, where will the Loyalists go?
 
Heh, thanks. :)

I'll re-ititerate that while butterflies will exist in this world, the point is to still make a USA that you and I would clearly recognize as ours-just, uh, with more territory. :eek: But the point is that I want to see how realistic the classic American luck will hold when combining it with an Americawank.

******

1. Montreal has been conquered and held as per OTL-Arnold's expedition to Quebec was a seperate objective that Montgomery eventually moved to join up with. Montreal is held by patriot hands since fall of 1775, which DOES bring an important nucleus in the formation of Laurentia.

2. Indeed. Most of the consequences actually won't happen until after the governmental documents are signed, however, and they're mostly similar to OTL at the moment.

3. To be answered eventually! It's always been an intrest of mine to see what happens with them.
 
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From “The Northern Campaigns of the American Revolution” by Daniel Jones:

It was late March-actually March 28th-that Arnold began the move to Quebec, with 1,500 troops. The harsh weather meant that almost a hundred-fifty men died [1] but upon arrival several weeks later Arnold was reinforced by Wooster almost immediately upon arrival at April 16th and Montgomery’s arrival with three hundred a mere four days later. [2] The assault force now numbered 2,400 men.

Quebec, it need not be said, was a fortress city and the bane of New Englanders for well over a century. Wolfe had managed to get Montcalm to move out of the city, governor Sir Guy Carleton, with a hundred regulars and several hundred militia, had no intention of risking such a position. He knew he was greatly outnumbered and even the few artillery pieces the Americans had made his position that much more tenuous. It turned out to be a quick siege: Arnold, emboldened by numbers and his victory at Halifax, ordered a dawn attack the day of the 23rd. He and Montgomery were to split their forces and join up to attack the city together. This was costly: a mere thirty Canadian [3] militia successfully shot down Montgomery and threw that army into disarray. Montgomery’s next two highest officers were sniped as well and the next commander ordered a retreat.

Arnold was moving up and unaware of his comrade’s death and the troops’ withdraw. It did not matter: his own army consisted of 1,200 regulars [4] and despite a bloody battle-over half the forces lost-managed to take the city with the greater numbers and cannon pounding the city, and all British regulars and much of the Canadian militia killed or taken prisoner. Word eventually got to the Continentals under the late Montgomery and they straggled into the city and begun garrison work. Arnold’s troops numbered three-fourths of his former strength.

The Americans now held Quebec. But what would happen? They were an alien people to the Quebeckers [5], only slightly worse than the British who had at least guaranteed their language and religion. Would the Americans do the same? Would the occupation be harsh? Would the British attack in greater droves? It is difficult and probably unpleasant to think of what would happen had it not been for one Clement Gosselin, who had fought with the troops as a local, eager believer in liberty and republicanism [6], zealous to see his people part of something…greater. He made a speech on May the 1st, and echoed Philip Schuyler’s statements after the battle of St. John:

“We are all part of this great continent as one people, I believe. We should all work to overthrow the yoke of monarchy-of monarchy not even our own-and to lift ourselves up to the ideals of freedom and the grand destiny of our people, all our people. My fellow men shall always respect your rights, your property your way of life, as they do their own… as we are all under the name of the North American!”

It was a clever speech, linking the Quebeckers with the Yankees to the south under the umbrella concepts of freedom and overthrowing the British overlords, and swayed much of the local population that did not take up arms for the American cause to at least neutrality. Indeed, the occupying troops of Montreal and Quebec proved surprisingly lenient, few cases of cruelty being reported, and did much to reconcile the Canadians to their brothers. Of course, modern looks into the past must note that the Canadians, being more used to direct rule, led to the irony that most dissenters to the now-American government were silenced rather easily without much local comment.

Some credit the speech’s resulting surge of patriotism amongst the Quebeckers and Laurentians [7] as helping repel a large British naval attack on May 6th [8]. 4,000 regulars attacked the city but were repulsed thanks to a somewhat-rested army and successful manning of the Quebec fortifications; the surviving redcoats sailing back to Halifax. A second attempt to take the city was the classic attempt by Burgoyne to move up the Hudson from New York to Montreal and link with a new naval siege of the city, one need not go over how Arnold and Morgan repelled the invasion at Saratoga and caused France to enter the war in 1778. [9]

Montgomery’s death became a legend amongst Americans, and it is probably this second chance at being cheated of glory that caused Arnold to attempt betray West Point to the British and forever earn him the fame he so coveted, if not in the way he intended.

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[1] IOTL Arnold lost six hundred men on his way to Quebec via New York. Being closer to the action, properly waiting for the spring, and better supplied from the Nova Scotians ensure his army is much more intact.

[2] Per OTL.

[3] Despite being in spring, the general plan of attack, Montgomery’s death, and even the number of militia remain the same.

[4] 1,200 regulars was the entire army that both Montgomery and Arnold shared. As it’s roughly doubled here, this is but the number of men Arnold alone has and the Haligonian cannon ensures the bloody street fighting that happens both IOTL and ITTL is successful.

[5] Of course this term exists IOTL, but being part of the English-speaking USA means that the term French version of the word, Quebecois, is nonexistent.

[6] As per IOTL. Naturally, being a Canadian in the American army that’s actually successful changes his role somewhat.

[7] The author has anachronistically divided the Canadians into the modern two states along the St. Lawrence in their timeline. Canadian ITTL retains the somewhat ethno-centric meaning it had until the formation of Upper and Lower Canada-of the Francophone-Catholic population along the St. Lawrence River (much like how the term Cajuns refer to Francophones in the New Orleans area).

[8] IOTL, these regulars forced the Americans to finally withdraw from their terribly ineffective siege of Quebec.

[9] A simple reversal of Burgoyne’s plan from OTL, and somewhat desperate, since IOTL it’s proven a move from New York to Quebec in those days would be difficult no matter what. As obvious, it's a new plan to cut the colonies in two and regain valuable naval bases, linking up the newly recaptured St. Lawrence with Halifax and allowing the British to begin moving down south to squeeze the southern colonies and New England colonies against one another.
 
Well I've seen some issues that need addressing.

1. Arnold's move towards Quebec on March 28th is to late a start IMO. As a British relief force(the first embarkation)was already heading up the St. Lawrence to relieve Quebec.

2. Say that the Americans take and hold Quebec that butterflys Saratoga away right there. If the Brititsh had been repulsed at Quebec that would have nullified the Champlain-Hudson Valley strategy.

3. Your requirment to have a recognizable America means that Canada can be combined with America no earlier than the 1990's(Quebec secedes from Canada)

4. Adding Nova Scotia in late 1775 means there are 14 states rather than 13 and 15 when you include Quebec.
 
Well I've seen some issues that need addressing.

1. Arnold's move towards Quebec on March 28th is to late a start IMO. As a British relief force(the first embarkation)was already heading up the St. Lawrence to relieve Quebec.

2. Say that the Americans take and hold Quebec that butterflys Saratoga away right there. If the Brititsh had been repulsed at Quebec that would have nullified the Champlain-Hudson Valley strategy.

3. Your requirment to have a recognizable America means that Canada can be combined with America no earlier than the 1990's(Quebec secedes from Canada)

4. Adding Nova Scotia in late 1775 means there are 14 states rather than 13 and 15 when you include Quebec.

1. I tried to start with a general spring march, like all good armies of the time did. If it can be done earlier, I'd like to do it-in this world Arnold's original objective of Canada's conquest is still very much on his mind.

2. I actually thought of this as well. My general policy was that as the British have taken New York by OTL, and hold Halifax and Philadelphia, they might as well move and take more major cities in an attempt to weary the Americans with the loss of their large population centers as they tried to in reality. Naturally, this wouldn't work anyways as we learned in the real world...but here it isn't quite pushed into strategists' minds yet.

I'm well aware in an attempt for realism that perhaps France enters earlier in the war alongside the butterflying of Saratoga. Perhaps the general mood and battles of the war roughly shift a year ahead?

3. Quebec will be addressed in regards to American culture.

4. As I am aware.
 
This is starting off as a very well thought out Ameriwank. I really like Clemet Gosselins speach, a thoughtful touch that hopefully spells good things for North America
 
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