First draft: United and Divided North America

The CANADA ACT of 1774

Guy Carleton, the newly appointed governor of Quebec, eventually proved to be as mean-spirited as his former commanding officer (General Wolfe) had feared; the resulting Canada Act did nothing to relieve the tensions of French catholic citizens in Quebec, who were denied any role in colonial government unless they took an ironclad oath of loyalty to Britain as well as the current Governor. French citizens were especially upset at the clause which stated that even a sworn loyalist could be dismissed from any position in colonial government at any time by the Governor, for any reason.

Furthermore, British attempts to drive a wedge between Quebec and the other colonies failed spectacularly, and the settlement of British political prisoners and dissidents in a new settlement named Wolfesylvania (a mildly-guarded "penal colony" on the north shore of Lake Ontario) inflamed tensions all around.

Britain also stepped in a hornet's nest when it tried to reserve most of the Ohio River valley as a protectorate for native tribes, in an attempt to placate their own guilt for misusing them during the earlier war against New France. The Act specified that this new protectorate was explicitly off-limits to settlement by other colonists. Naturally, the colonists were furious.
 
States in Profile: Hudson

Year of Admission: 1788 (the 15th state)
State Capital: Saratoga Springs
State Motto: "Inter montes pulchra" ("Among beautiful mountains")
State Flower: Hobblebush
Nickname: The Adirondack State, The Crossroads State
Largest city: Plattsburgh (as of 1870 census)
Demonym: Hudsonian
Abbreviation: HD

Admitted to the union in 1788, the newly created state of Hudson included most of the northern region of the Colony of New York as well as part of the original colony of Quebec. This new state split from New York in 1785 over a disagreement about the nature of its state legislature as well its state constitution. Although the split was fairly amicable when compared with the uproar caused by Quebec's decision to leave the Confederation, significant differences remained. Dissidents eventually moved to the relatively new city of Saratoga Springs in 1784 to found their own government, based on a unicameral legistature.

Several mild border disputes, consisting mostly of bitter verbal arguments between partisans, prompted New York to petition the fledgling Congress of the Confederation in 1784 for some assistance in resolving the issue. Although the northern government never claimed to be the "legitimate" government of New York State, their delegates were initially given an audience with the Congress on a level equal with other State delegates. Thomas Mifflin, president of the Congress at the time, was especially moved by the oral arguments presented by one Zephaniah Platt, a prominent separatist lawyer and interim governor of the northern government.

After much debate and negotiations, the Albany government (headed by George Clinton) and the separatist government agreed to a series of terms and concessions. Both delegations agreed that the state should be split in half, with the southern half keeping the name of New York. This worked well for Platt, since he never wanted to usurp that name or diminish New York's status by dragging them into a fight over nothing more than a name. As for the name of the state to the north, several choices were discussed. After several days of discussion, the names of "Adirondack" and "Mohawk" were removed from consideration, leaving only "Hudson" and "Laurentia" as the choices. Both delegations agreed to put the matter up to a vote in the Congress of Confederation, who eventually chose "Hudson" as the new name of the state.

Hudson is bordered on the north by the state of Ottawa (sharing the Saint Lawrence River) and the Republic of Quebec. It shares an eastern border with the states of Vermont and Franklin, bounded mostly by the Richelieu River up to 45.3 degrees north latitude; the border then turns northwest at a 45 degree angle until it reaches the southern half of the Saint Lawrence river, as it surrounds the island of Montreal. The state's western border is in the middle of Lake Ontario.

Hudson enjoys considerable trade from nearby states as well as the Republic of Quebec. Its economy is mainly driven by the timber industry, as well as mining and some farming. Major cities include the capital (Saratoga Springs) as well as Schenectady, Queensbury, Plattsburgh, Watertown, Massena, Chateauguay, Beauharnois and Salabery-de-Valleyfield. Hudson enjoys a good economic boost from tourism, especially from residents of southern states during the summer months who travel to the Adirondack mountains to enjoy the mild climate. Lake Champlain on the border with Vermont and Franklin is also a popular tourist destination, and is regarded as a prime fishing locale.

Hudson continues its special status as one of only three states in the Union who still have a unicameral state legislature. Residents are proud of their special status and have opted to keep this status, despite several ballot measures aimed at "modernizing" the legislature to be bicameral like the vast majority of other states. Hudson is generally considered part of the "Mainline" region due to its cultural similarities with New York and Pennsylvania, despite its sizable Francophone population and its proximity to Quebec as well as the other states in the "Nouvelle-France" region. Its placement along the Saint Lawrence river makes it a cultural crossroads as well as a burgeoning center of trade.
 
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Hey! Cool. :D I really like the way things are shaping up, and things look to be changing a lot with the enlarged Texas Republic as a buffer between the USA and Mexico.
 
Hey! Cool. :D I really like the way things are shaping up, and things look to be changing a lot with the enlarged Texas Republic as a buffer between the USA and Mexico.

Thanks! I may need some help writing a different Texas into the timeline. I admit my grasp of their early history isn't that great, and reading Wikipedia is getting a bit old.

Aside from writing more narrative, I plan to write more of the "vignette" pieces (such as the "States in Profile"). It's one of the features I have enjoyed about other timelines (such as "Dominion of Southern America") and I feel that it helps to flesh out the story beyond mere maps and narrative.

If you readers like this idea (and have suggestions for what to feature next) I'd like to get some feedback. What should I fill in? :)
 
Well obvs I would like more stuff written about the Oregon (OTL southern British Columbia) area :D

OK, ask and you shall receive. Here's a detailed map of the west (circa 1883) followed by some of the other regional information that I've written so far.

I plan to write more post-war details to explain the other territories and states.

western_oregon_region_closeup.png
 
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A Brief History of Oregon and New Columbia (1804 - 1834)

America's history in the Pacific Coast starts with the Treaty of Franklin in 1804, which was signed between United States, Quebec and Britain. In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars (1798-1803) in which Britain attempted to defeat Napoleon (while holding Brittany/Breton for a time) it became clear that Britain was no longer interested in (or capable of) holding most of its mainland North American possessions. Britain responded favorably to American and Quebecois offers to purchase the remnants of its Rupert's Land holdings and their respective assets (including the chartered Hudson's Bay Company) in order to continue funding Britain's war against Napoleonic France.

Quebec gained the rest of the rest of its northern neighboring land, including the Ungava Peninsula and most of the Labrador region, except for a small portion to the immediate east of the Natashquan River. This land remained under firm British control as its quasi-penal colony for dissenting Newfoundlanders. Quebec allowed Britain to retain fishing rights off the Labrador coast, Ungava Bay and throughout the adjoining coastline and fjords in the Hudson Bay and James Bay (for whatever good that did Britain - historians generally agree that they didn't really need the fish.) Britain retained the entirety of Newfoundland, and had no inclinations to let that go. (The matter never even came up at the negotiating table.)

For its part, the United States gained the entire ownership, operations and assets of the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company; being that these were the entire reason for Britain's continued claims over the remainder of Rupert's Land and indeed most of the Columbia District (i.e. Oregon Country) these lands were also sold to the United States along with the purchase of the two aforementioned companies. A profit-sharing arrangement was hammered out, with both nations splitting the profits equally, and sending independent auditors to all company offices to ensure the fair implementation of this arrangement. After all, Britain still wanted at least some money from the fur-trapping trade, even if it couldn't devote attention to its upkeep. Britain also maintained a small fort at York Factory for joint protection of that settlement, if only to ensure the safety of the company administrative offices. The United States agreed to these terms willingly, knowing that 50% of the profits was a whole lot better than nothing.

However, the southern region of the Columbia District south of the eponymous river (OTL state of Oregon) and the land to the west of Puget Sound and its surrounding network of rivers and bays was not sold to the United States, but rather to Spain, who had been making claims on this land for quite some time but had not adequately backed these up with any sort of outposts or even a thorough explanation. The eventual border was extended through the Spokane River, then to Lake Coeur d'Alene to 47.5 degrees north latitude, then across to the existing border with Spanish Louisiana, also at 47.5 degrees based on a separate treaty with Spain in 1806. (This granted the United States a thin strip of existing OTL northern states of Idaho, Montana and North Dakota, as well as all the rest of OTL modern mainland Canada to the west of TTL Quebec.)

To divide the land north of the Columbia River, a border was set at the location of OTL Olympia, Washington; land to the west of a line drawn south from this point to the Columbia River (approx OTL Longview, Washington) became Spanish, while lands to the east of this line (and indeed the eastern land adjoining the Puget Sound) became American. The Spanish sale was agreed upon in a separate Treaty of Cadiz.

The early sale of these companies and their lands (as compared with IOTL) meant that Britain had not yet attempted to build numerous forts, nor attempt to over-hunt regions in an attempt to unfairly compete against American fur trapping companies; the latter were effectively discouraged from forming, since the United States government did not wish to allow significant competition and the potential draining of the profits flowing into its treasury. The lack of competition meant that the Pacific Northwest regions were rather less explored and even less well understood, at least from the perspective of Britain and America; Spanish exploration, however, continued at a modest pace subsequent to this sale. Historians have often argued that Britain made a strategic error in selling this territory before fully understanding its worth and full potential.

However, the British resolutely refused to allow the United States any claim over the large island near the mouth of the Puget Sound, citing an agreement of joint discovery with Spain as its motivation for keeping at least a nominal level of ownership over the island. In fact Britain had signed an agreement with Spain (in exchange for some level of military assistance in the Napoleonic Wars) which granted Spain effective control over what became known as Isla de Quadra (Quadra's Island), named after the Spanish Peruvian captain (Bodega y Quadra) who had discovered the island slightly before Captain James Cook.

Despite these limitations, America generally regarded this purchase as somewhat of a strategic victory over Britain, as it effectively removed a potential attack vector (as perceived by Americans) by Britain via the Great Lakes and indeed the Hudson Bay. Only Newfoundland remained as a possible staging point for military acts against the United States, even though Britain was largely too distracted in France and Scotland to do anything about it. Consequently, naval harrassment of American (and Quebecois) vessels was practically gone by 1800. This led to a slight warming of diplomatic relations between Britain and her former colonies, and in ideal circumstances might have led to better relations; however, these were far from ideal circumstances, and most Americans felt better off with this benign neglect than other possible interactions with Britain. Meanwhile, commerce with Britain continued at a modest pace, centering on the New England states who profited most due to proximity.

However, the immediate use of these newly-acquired northern lands (while expanding American lands by sizable amount) was limited, since the Louisiana Territory was still firmly claimed by Spain, and no sale appeared to be forthcoming: America had used up a fair amount of money to pay for its other acquisitions, and in any case, Spain was not motivated to sell the land, believing it to be of value for possible further northern expansion of New Spain. While the new territories were still contiguous with American territories around the Great Lakes, the colder winters made for a less hospitable crossing to the Pacific coast, so the initial American expedition to reach the far west was delayed until 1809. This allowed Spain slightly more time to explore and settle its new territories, especially west of the Rocky Mountains.

As compared with OTL, the following factors led to a different pattern of state growth: the national acceptance of smaller (and more easily defensible) state claims, slightly higher immigration rates from Europe, the lack of an equivalent War of 1812 with Britain, and an increased desire to make the most out of existing land near the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers as well as the Great Lakes. A number of new, smaller states sprang up from a vast, riverine patchwork of territories.

While slower at first than OTL, settlement in the Oregon Country proceeded at a modest pace, though only the hardiest settlers managed to survive the journey and remain there to maintain a permanent presence in the early years. Somewhat spurred by continued Spanish presence in the region, Congress authorized tracts of land to be given away to pioneers heading west; eventually a small cash bonus was also paid out, to continue to bolster the ranks. The territory flourished despite some initial setbacks, and the pioneer mentality created a new kind of consciousness in the new and growing state. Oregon residents maintained a civic identity mixed from a rugged recipe of pride in their hardiness and persistence, stewed with an anti-Spanish settlement, sprinkled in with a dash of being the western vanguard of a great nation who were holding off the perceived Spanish hordes.

Most fur trappers in the companies remained somewhat put off this mentality, which discouraged them from settling in the region and made for some interesting stories told in alehouses back "home" in York Factory or nearby settlements. For their part, Oregon residents were quick to welcome other Americans (or even Quebecois) who moved there and made an honest effort to stay, despite their background, original language or religion. The sense of being the first and most important western frontier managed to blur many of the lines that could have otherwise divided the populace; seeing the Spanish as a common threat, they agreed to hang together rather than hang separately. This mentality would pervade the region well into statehood, and even long after New Spain (and its successor states) abandoned its claims on Quadra Island and the land to the south of the Columbia; its profound effects on the populace would persist for another century.

By 1834, the territory had met the qualifications for statehood, so the new state of Oregon was admitted to the union. Oregon was bordered on the west by the Spanish-claimed Olympic Peninsula and by Puget Sound; to the south by the sprawling Columbia River; to the east by the Okanagan River; and to the north by the Frasier River, the South Thompson River, and then 51 degrees north latitude. The state was nearly halved from its initial proposed size by carving off the northeastern region (east of the Okanagan River) into the territory (of the same name), which would later be settled more fully and develop into another state.

Oregon's capital city was Oregon City (OTL Seattle), founded between Puget Sound and Lake Adams (OTL Lake Washington). Other major settlements which quickly became bustling cities were Salem (OTL Bellevue), Norfolk (OTL Tacoma), New Boston (OTL Olympia), Portland (OTL Everett), Quincy (OTL Bellingham) and Langley (OTL Surrey BC). Fort Vancouver, formerly owned by the British, was rebuilt several times and eventually became a fairly major military outpost to guard against perceived Spanish incursions into the state. Spanish forts on the south side of the Columbia effectively discouraged American ships from travelling into the Willamette River system, but neither side did much to antagonize each other, knowing full well that they had to pass by each other's land in order to fully conduct their trade. However, relationships were strained at best.
 
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Nice! Thanks :)

I take it the SATRs are special territories co-governed with Indians or Indian self-governing areas?
 
A few more interesting facts that I want to mention. Refer to the 1883 map (post #79).

The states of Minnesota and Winnipeg will be predominantly Germanophone, due to a massive influx of German immigrants from the 1840s onwards.

As the name suggests, the state of New Geatland will be predominantly populated by immigrants from Sweden, followed by Germans and Norwegians. As in OTL, the regional dialect will have a distinctive Swedish accent, known for its lilting and musical quality. "Ya, sure" becomes a common statement, also spoken jokingly and good-naturedly by residents of nearby Monroe Territory.

Amish Erie. Eerily similar to OTL, except that ITTL the Amish are a bit less reclusive, and even start gradually working their way into state government - without compromising their core values, of course - in an attempt to guide the state's government into an amicable arrangement with the Amish way of life.

Another parallel: ITTL, Michigan is split in two pieces. They are called the "Mainland" and the "Upper Peninsula" by locals.

Proof that even the butterflies can't reach too far: the Lincoln Territory is named after a famous and well-respected lawyer and Supreme Court chief justice, Hezekiah Lincoln. Born in Kentucky in 1803, this lawyer had a brief stint in politics when he served a single two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives, but later declined to run for office again after witnessing the "most barbarous assembly of educated men in this land". He returned to the law profession, and eventually got the position of a justice on the Appeals Court for the circuit covering the Great Lakes and Old Northwest region. His service and fair-minded approach eventually resulted in an appointment to the Supreme Court in 1863, in which he served until his untimely death in 1871, caused by widespread cancer in the endocrine system. Lincoln's judicial opinions became regarded as the single most cohesive and well-reasoned summary of the principal tenets of the American system, and set precedents which would be followed well into the 20th century. He is regarded as one of the most influential Supreme Court justices who presided over a period of rapid growth and settlement of new territory.

The states of Platte, Kansas and Niobraska (currently shown as a territory) will eventually become known as the "Breadbasket" region due to the grain farming which became prevalent.

The states of Sonoma and Umpqua are predominantly Hispanophone states.
 
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Thanks! I may need some help writing a different Texas into the timeline. I admit my grasp of their early history isn't that great, and reading Wikipedia is getting a bit old.

Aside from writing more narrative, I plan to write more of the "vignette" pieces (such as the "States in Profile"). It's one of the features I have enjoyed about other timelines (such as "Dominion of Southern America") and I feel that it helps to flesh out the story beyond mere maps and narrative.

If you readers like this idea (and have suggestions for what to feature next) I'd like to get some feedback. What should I fill in? :)

I think your Hudson vignette was excellent, particularly the rigorous description of the border. Very solid.

How about making the Great Lakes navigable to the coast? How does that go ITTL?
 
I think your Hudson vignette was excellent, particularly the rigorous description of the border. Very solid.

How about making the Great Lakes navigable to the coast? How does that go ITTL?

Sounds like canals might be a bigger focus for the USA here, especially as regional entities are defined much more by natural features of the North American continent.
 
Sounds like canals might be a bigger focus for the USA here, especially as regional entities are defined much more by natural features of the North American continent.

Good suggestions.

What if ITTL the engineer and inventor Christopher Colles managed to get one of his early canal proposals built by the fledgling United States? What if the first canal was actually the Ontario Canal? I've been reading about him, and it seems to me that a minor butterfly or change of fate would have propelled him into prominence and acclaim, rather than relative obscurity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Colles
 
Good suggestions.

What if ITTL the engineer and inventor Christopher Colles managed to get one of his early canal proposals built by the fledgling United States? What if the first canal was actually the Ontario Canal? I've been reading about him, and it seems to me that a minor butterfly or change of fate would have propelled him into prominence and acclaim, rather than relative obscurity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Colles

Looks like it'd be a piece of cake, too.

Also?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Mississippi_watershed_map_1.jpg

Look how close two of the Great Lakes get to the Mississippi or tributaries thereof. Canals there would be doable.
 
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