French North America

The French lost almost all of their holdings in the western Hemisphere because of the French and Indian War. Could the French have done anything to change this? How could the French win the war? And how would this have effected the history of the United States? Would France have gained any extra land in this conflict, or would they just retain what they had?
 
The French lost almost all of their holdings in the western Hemisphere because of the French and Indian War. Could the French have done anything to change this? How could the French win the war? And how would this have effected the history of the United States? Would France have gained any extra land in this conflict, or would they just retain what they had?

Keep Montcalm alive and avoid his feud with the Gov-Gen of Quebec, the Marquis of Vaudreuil. The British IIRC considered their victory in Quebec part of the Annus Mirabilis, so certainly a loss isn't out of the question. Additionally, the British could chose to hold Guadaloupe and Martinique rather than Canada.

Either way, keeping Quebec French changes a ton of things about the American Revolution. If Abercrombie's campaign fails and the French keep Quebec by default than the Americans may respond by pressing for some for of colonial union under the British Crown in order to be better organized against the French. From a strategic perspective, the Americans had no need to cleave to Britain for protection once France had been removed from the continent, thus making the Revolution palatable. Obviously, things aren't going to be that simple, since the colonists will still have greivances. Indeed, if Britian chooses to give up Canada and take the Carribbean islands it will be seen as a huge slight to the colonists.

Keep the French in North America and the USA as we know it probably won't exist.
 
The French lost almost all of their holdings in the western Hemisphere because of the French and Indian War. Could the French have done anything to change this?
In 1745 During King George's War - the French burnt out most of the Settlers in Western Pennsylvania & New York,
Rot the next several years the cities of Philadelphia and New York were full of Refugees. However by 1749 and the end of the war, All of these returned home with Thousand of New settlers.
By 1757 and the French Indian War, there were to many Settlers in the area to allow the same tactic.

During the 1700's while Emigrants were arriving in British America by the Boatload, France was busy imposing Restrictions on Immigration to French America..
France never developed the population Base need to hold North America.

Even if France had keep Quebec in the 1760's, She would have lost Quebec in the 1770~80's war.
 
*Edit of Fontainebleau exiles all french protestant to Nouvelle France and gurentees freedom of religion there.

by 1700, there are 2,000,000 inhabitant in new France. Demographic builds up from there
 
The main reason France lost it's territory in Canada was that there were too few inhabitants. France did not encourage colonization; they were focused on the fur trade, mainly, so never really wanted lots of colonists over.
The gov't policies have to change first. Maybe, forcibly relocating groups, or just making it easier for people to immigrate.
 
In 1745 During King George's War - the French burnt out most of the Settlers in Western Pennsylvania & New York,
Rot the next several years the cities of Philadelphia and New York were full of Refugees. However by 1749 and the end of the war, All of these returned home with Thousand of New settlers.
By 1757 and the French Indian War, there were to many Settlers in the area to allow the same tactic.

During the 1700's while Emigrants were arriving in British America by the Boatload, France was busy imposing Restrictions on Immigration to French America..
France never developed the population Base need to hold North America.

Even if France had keep Quebec in the 1760's, She would have lost Quebec in the 1770~80's war.

There is no 1770/80's war between France and Britain except as a participant as ally to the American revolutionaries...as said previously, this probably will not occur, and probably no run down in the French treasury as a result as prelude to French revolution.

So as stated, There is not likely to be the same dynamic as OTL though colonial rivalry would still exist...This would largely centre on the Caribbean for the most part and New England/Upstate New York and the Hudson Bay Basin on the continent. Assuming of course that Louisiana had still been given to the Spanish Bourbon's for safe keeping of course.

As to population... English settlement would still exceed that of the French...but in the latter years...the French court had actually started encouraging more settlement. If they had retained New France.. the prohibitions on westward settlement would probably have had to be lifted to allow them to project their influence effectively into the Upper lakes. Settlement probably would have continued to be encouraged. probably in frontier settlements at key location in the upper country.
Ft. Frontenac, Rouille and Detroit for sure. Whether the Ohio could be retained is debatable its too far from the St. Lawrence access routes. Michigan peninsula perhaps the Illinois country probably should go with Louisiana to Spain in this case, for safe keeping.
 
*Edit of Fontainebleau exiles all french protestant to Nouvelle France and gurentees freedom of religion there.

by 1700, there are 2,000,000 inhabitant in new France. Demographic builds up from there

exile is still exile, and England, the low countries and Prussia are still closer and more developed/civilized shall we say so they will still have their appeal to the Huguenots. However if the bulk of those that went to the Br. American colonies went to New France instead, well it wouldn't be 2 million but it would be substantially more and the court would encourage Catholic emigration just so that the place doesn't become a totally Huguenot colony that might choose to sever its ties to France at some point if they took a strong dislike to Royal policies. Needless to say, Br. America in places like New York for instance would have substantially less population. Probably significantly balancing the population balance in the Nth American colonies. Might still loose the Ohio valley after a protracted struggle but they can probably retain Acadia in this case, New France and project influence more forcefully into the Upper lakes to compete effectively with British interests on Hudson's Bay.
and Louisiana west of the Mississippi or perhaps the Tombigbee, lower Kentucky and Upper Mississippi line. At least to the Michigan peninsula and the Assenissippi
 
The French lost almost all of their holdings in the western Hemisphere because of the French and Indian War. Could the French have done anything to change this? How could the French win the war? And how would this have effected the history of the United States? Would France have gained any extra land in this conflict, or would they just retain what they had?

One thing that would help would be a different French attitude to colonization, IIRC they didn't have much of a plan to do that on the English or Spanish or Portugese model. If France views its American provinces as more than a mere mercantile opportunity, that would immensely help fighting in North America when the *French and Indian War comes along. Another thing that might help would be for the French to not have antagonized the Haudenosaunee. That was a boo-boo of Biblical proportions.
 
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