Final fate of "British Columbia" by the end

  • 1. Eventual independence

    Votes: 18 51.4%
  • 2. Eventual merging with the US

    Votes: 17 48.6%
  • 3. Something else (post in thread for more details)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    35
  • Poll closed .
Lincoln was a pragmatist; he won't quite be Teddy Roosevelt, but I can see him being a believer in more rights for workers and protecting the underprivileged; especially if TTL he witnesses some really bad stuff happening akin to later when "The Jungle" is written about the horrors of the meat packing industry. A good comparison might be Eisenhower, who warned of the military-industrial complex and did such things as send troops to protect the children in LIttle Rock in '57 and enforce the law.

So, if Lincoln sees some things that shape his character, just as he saw how bad slavery was in OTL, it'll help.

Given he was an attorney in Springfield, there is a fair chance TTL he winds up representing some former slaves, especially soon after the Jubilee year. Perhaps he defends one falsely accused of something byh one of these mobs, and wins the case, but must deal with the local citizenry's reaction. There may also be industry that didn't exist TTL in his part of Illinois - Withe Commodore Vanderbilt having shipping disrupted by the war in British Columbia, perhaps he began to develop shipping to St. Louis and there was some business in Cairo, which isn't hugely far from Springfield. Or something else like that which sees Lincoln going in a direction which the other parties aren't in providing for some modest oversight of thigns.
 
Lincoln was a pragmatist; he won't quite be Teddy Roosevelt, but I can see him being a believer in more rights for workers and protecting the underprivileged; especially if TTL he witnesses some really bad stuff happening akin to later when "The Jungle" is written about the horrors of the meat packing industry. A good comparison might be Eisenhower, who warned of the military-industrial complex and did such things as send troops to protect the children in LIttle Rock in '57 and enforce the law.

So, if Lincoln sees some things that shape his character, just as he saw how bad slavery was in OTL, it'll help.

Given he was an attorney in Springfield, there is a fair chance TTL he winds up representing some former slaves, especially soon after the Jubilee year. Perhaps he defends one falsely accused of something byh one of these mobs, and wins the case, but must deal with the local citizenry's reaction. There may also be industry that didn't exist TTL in his part of Illinois - Withe Commodore Vanderbilt having shipping disrupted by the war in British Columbia, perhaps he began to develop shipping to St. Louis and there was some business in Cairo, which isn't hugely far from Springfield. Or something else like that which sees Lincoln going in a direction which the other parties aren't in providing for some modest oversight of thigns.
Those are great ideas. I'll make sure to incorporate them in the next chapter.
 
Note: "The Urban Horror" is the TTL equivalent to "The Jungle". Lincoln did see something awful that he would want to fix.
How did Liberia affect Scramble for Africa again?
 
Note: "The Urban Horror" is the TTL equivalent to "The Jungle". Lincoln did see something awful that he would want to fix.
How did Liberia affect Scramble for Africa again?
It mainly strengthened american influence in africa, as well as being a good jumping point for (west) african invasions
 
The Revanchists in the South
Alexander Stevens was a man in “British Columbia” who thought very poorly of the United States of America. He became more extreme over time as the cultures of both areas diverged significantly, and he was brash and never backed down from a fight. He peddled an idea called “Normanism”. It was a racial theory that espoused the superiority of British Columbians as second only to their British overlords. This theory was originally published in 1857, and by 1860, became relatively widespread in “British Columbia”. Many of the whites in “British Columbia” wanted someone to sneer at, or to scapegoat when something went wrong. The Yankees seemed like an obvious target due to the shared enmity since 1776. Besides a hatred of Americans and an emphasis on “whiteness”, especially concerning “British Columbians”, the belief of “Normanism”, which often manifested in the book “A New Dominion” by Alexander Stevens, stressed rearmament, and also territorial expansion. In particular, the “Normanists” wanted territory gains in the Caribbean and in Mexico. The origins of this territorial desire started from the early days of “British Columbia”, where it was originally managed similarly to the British holdings in the Caribbean. A desire for purchasing Cuba from Spain was floated in “A New Dominion”. Cuba seemed compatible with cash crop agriculture, for instance. “A New Dominion” also supported the British Empire’s expansion in other areas besides the Caribbean—it wanted “British Columbians” to sign up to glorify their Empire by signing up in various “Colonial Corps” (auxiliaries supporting British soldiers) and helping to expand and protect the British holdings in Egypt, South Africa, and Australia. Due to his efforts in bringing many young men into the "Colonial Corps" and helping British expansion in Australia, South Africa, and Egypt, the British government tolerated him--at least until he started to become a bigger problem than benefit.



The American was considered “Roundhead”—a distortion of the English Civil War. Other groups that were discriminated against in “Normanism” included Africans, Native Americans, and Asians. This fact-distorting theory claimed that the settlers of the Carolinas and Georgia (and the rest of the lower South) largely consisted of an “aristocratic stock”. The forerunners of this “Normanism” could be seen in the copying of architecture from Great Britain by the planter class prior to the failed rebellion in the late 1830s. While most examples ended up being burned down, a few examples of classic architecture remained in governor’s mansions, colonial courts, and a military college. “Normanism” gained popularity as the book "A New Dominion" became a bestseller in "British Columbia". This inspired new groups called the "Graycoats" (a hate group), and offered refuge for the "Storm Riders" hate group based in the United States of America. They appeared in “British Columbia” around the late 1850s and the 1860s; they often wore homespun "butternut" clothes. They were accused of raids and other crimes--in particular, attacking US Citizens that were in "British Columbia" for various reasons. This earned them the ire of the US government, and would lead to a flashpoint. Among the early members of this version of the “Graycoats” was Nathan Bedford Forrest—a man with an almost boundless hatred for Yankees and blacks. Another reason why the belief of “Normanism” spread in “British Columbia” was the poverty of many people in the area coupled with a still-weak education system. The primarily rural nature of “British Columbia” combined with a lack of higher education outside of the cities meant that many people may have believed Stevens more readily. However, he was not without supporters in urban areas. Even some burgesses believed what he said (at least in private). Other people like Robert Toombs and John Bell Hood also joined the "Normanists"; in fact, sometimes they were seen as a secret society of sorts.


1860 was a critical year for the United States of America. Abraham Lincoln had become President, beating Stephen Douglass in the Election of 1860 (more about parties will come later). He had known about the horrors of the "Storm Riders" and other assorted hate groups and how they had caused many problems for Americans--this needed to end. Lincoln attempted to make his mark on history by helping the American people realize their ideals of equality set forth in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. One of the first steps he could take was by authorizing a mass roundup of the surviving "Storm Riders" in the "Storm Rider Act" that passed Congress in early 1861. He was willing to meet the metaphorical bull by its horns, and would take action early to prove his devotion to American ideas. Those "Storm Riders" that avoided arrest ended up fleeing into "British Columbia" where Lincoln demanded their extradition due to various crimes (especially a wave of lynching of African Americans) in the United States of America. He also wanted the "Graycoats" to stop harassing US citizens in "British Columbia".
1591627882548.png

A "butternut uniform" belonging to a "Graycoat" or at least the restoration of one.

The authorities there were originally disinclined to accept Lincoln's demands, and their overlords back in Great Britain did not take Lincoln seriously at first. As a result, Lincoln talked with members of Congress on what to do next. They recommended applying economic pressure on "British Columbia" (who often sold various cash crops northwards) until the "Storm Riders" were apprehended and sent back to the United States of America. Lincoln correctly saw that the British government had little desire for conflict with the United States of America despite what their lackeys and lapdogs in "British Columbia" often talked about. The "Storm Riders" and other assorted hate groups (many inspired by "Normanists" in "British Columbia" ended up losing their refuge in "British Columbia". This happened partly because Britain did not want US economic pressure and also because the "Storm Riders" were a terrorist organization and turning a blind eye to them looked bad. The crisis was averted... at least for now.

(Note that this would not be the last time that hate groups from the South would cause a problem in the United States of America, although certainly one of the most severe.)
 
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I cannot meet my deadline for new content. I'm sorry. There will be some on Tuesday, I think... sometime soon. Sorry for the delay.
And I have to thank Murica1776 for the concept of Normanism in the Expanded Universe WMIT Thread... (I will differentiate and add more content later).
 
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  1. Are the reformers in China going for a republic or would they be willing to go for a constitutional monarchy?
  2. I have some vague ideas about reforms in Austria but I think they'd be done later in the timeline if at all.
Tell me about your ideas in Austria. I completely skipped over European history for some reason since this is mostly American-centric. (And some "British Columbia" pieces too.). The Revanchists part will tie into Abraham Lincoln unit.
China: Pan-China War... I think they will try for a constitutional monarchy first, but will get no traction among the ruling dynasty. So they decide to toss out the dynasty in frustration later.
 
Tell me about your ideas in Austria. I completely skipped over European history for some reason since this is mostly American-centric. (And some "British Columbia" pieces too.). The Revanchists part will tie into Abraham Lincoln unit.
China: Pan-China War... I think they will try for a constitutional monarchy first, but will get no traction among the ruling dynasty. So they decide to toss out the dynasty in frustration later.

I remember a thread somewhere in here where "Austria" became a name for the country as a whole and not just the German parts. I just like the idea of Austria reforming to stick together into the 20th Century.

Given the centuries-long tradition of the Mandate of Heaven, they could always replace the dynasty with one more receptive to reform instead of throwing out the monarchy altogether. And it doesn't need to be founded by a nobleman since the founder of the Ming Dynasty was born a peasant.
 
I remember a thread somewhere in here where "Austria" became a name for the country as a whole and not just the German parts. I just like the idea of Austria reforming to stick together into the 20th Century.

Given the centuries-long tradition of the Mandate of Heaven, they could always replace the dynasty with one more receptive to reform instead of throwing out the monarchy altogether. And it doesn't need to be founded by a nobleman since the founder of the Ming Dynasty was born a peasant.

Actually, the "New dynasty with more democratic reforms" leading to a Constitutional Monarchy sounds like a good idea tbh for China.
My original idea for Austria was its collapse, and a republic forming among its ashes. All the other parts of the Empire besides the German parts leaving early. But more representation of the other sections could lead to its prolonged survival. Thank you.
 
Actually, the "New dynasty with more democratic reforms" leading to a Constitutional Monarchy sounds like a good idea tbh for China.
My original idea for Austria was its collapse, and a republic forming among its ashes. All the other parts of the Empire besides the German parts leaving early. But more representation of the other sections could lead to its prolonged survival. Thank you.
  • It just seems like the best idea to have China put their best forward going into the 20th Century.
  • I've got the idea of Sun Yat-Sen, an important figure in early 20th Century China, being one of the Prime Ministers/Presidents under the new dynasty.
  • I haven't seen that scenario in many timelines regarding Austria. It also makes me wonder how living in a democratic and stable Austria would change a certain failed painter's life. Or at least the life of his TTL half-brother. Let's call him "Alois Hiedler, Jr".
 
  • It just seems like the best idea to have China put their best forward going into the 20th Century.
  • I've got the idea of Sun Yat-Sen, an important figure in early 20th Century China, being one of the Prime Ministers/Presidents under the new dynasty.
  • I haven't seen that scenario in many timelines regarding Austria. It also makes me wonder how living in a democratic and stable Austria would change a certain failed painter's life. Or at least the life of his TTL half-brother. Let's call him "Alois Hiedler, Jr".
Here are the bare bones for the Pan-China War
  1. Reformers are disgruntled with the Qing Dynasty
  2. Reformers find someone receptive to reform. They float the idea of constitutional monarchy and the claimant accepts.
  3. Shadow government is formed and war breaks out. Due to the Reformer faction being more acceptive of trade in Europe, and also of Western ideas, they get European support.
  4. Years of war, millions of lives later, the Reformer faction defeats the Qing dynasty.
  5. China becomes a constitutional monarchy afterwards.
  6. Greater western influence in China causes its increased westernization.
  7. Sun Yat-Sen becomes a Prime Minister in the new China in the early 20th Century.
Austria. This will be a bit harder. I'm thinking a republic forms. Whether or not it would be German parts only or the whole empire (part 2 seems unlikely tbh though due to separatist tendencies in the other ethnicities.) Nevertheless it will be relatively democratic and stable by 1890.
 
.. I think they will try for a constitutional monarchy first, but will get no traction among the ruling dynasty. So they decide to toss out the dynasty in frustration later.
Maybe they could push for a native Han monarchy under the Duke Yansheng or the Marquis of Extended Grace or some other Han aristocrat?
 
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