Joshua Chamberlain and the 5th Acadia Island

JackExpo

Introduction
This is Manifest Destiny to its reasonable extreme, an effort to include all of the British and French settler colonies of North America into one single nation.

As a long time lurker on this forum, I feel like it’s time for me to actually contribute something. I have been working on this TL for longer than I care to admit, before I ever discovered this site, and have returned to it many times over the years, tweaking it here and there, trying to make it as realistic as possible, adding new details or facts I’ve come across, etc. The premise isn’t the most original (it is essentially an Ameri-wank), but I decided to write what I know, rather than bungle an attempt at a Roman state surviving in Britain or the ISOT of a small American college to 1420’s Byzantium (both of which would be pretty cool).

This TL uses the people that lived throughout American history, employing a butterfly net over marriages, conception of children, disease outbreaks, and all the other things that would change in any TL where a major change was made. This has been done primarily because history is too full of rich characters that are already familiar to the audience to dispose of them so flippantly, no matter how realistic that would be. Plus, if I started saying “Then Gen. D.T. Simpson captured Vicksburg” or “President Leonard was accused of orchestrating the break-in at the Washington Marriott,” they would be obvious stand-ins for real people and events, which I think shows less originality than just depicting how a different US reacts to events that are already familiar.

I will admit at the top, I have borrowed elements of this timeline from several other books or timelines I’ve read. For example, the Battle of the Capitol is similar to Eric Flint’s Rivers of War and I use the term First and Second Great War like in Harry Turtledove’s Timeline-191 books. Some ideas are just too good to leave out.

[FONT=&quot]This is also an essentially finished TL. Like I mentioned before, this is not a new project and I have population figures (updated with the last census), state flags, maps, and a story that ends in the present day. Changes will continue to be made, but I hope to post the entirety of this work and there should be little fear that this project will be abandoned, I’ve done too much to only offer half.
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This is no longer true. In posting the first "sections," I've had a few more ideas and so I'm throwing out most of this TL following the Battle of Gastonia. I may follow the basic outline, but quite a bit will be rewritten.

The maps may not be great, I made them all in MS paint and as bitmaps, but some type of map is better than none.

One last note, I’ve never been a fan of the way footnotes work on this forum. Particularly with long posts, it can be annoying to have to scroll to the bottom of a post to read a note and then find where you were in the body of the post. In an effort to avoid that, I have included what would be footnotes into the body of the work. When something is in parentheses ( ), it is an aside within the timeline. When something is in brackets [ ], it is a reference or clarification regarding this TL compared to OTL.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. :)
 
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JackExpo

Part 1: 1776 - 1783 (The American Revolution)

This timeline separates from our own in 1774, when in the aftermath of the Boston Tea Party, the Coercive (or Intolerable) Acts are passed by Parliament. The Quebec Act is one of these, but unlike in our timeline, the British government decides not to allow the recognition of Catholicism in the area and refuses to allow an American bishop or other member of the Vatican establishment to setup a diocese. This effectively means that even though allowed a civil government, the Quebecois are unsatisfied and continue to seethe under the “occupation” of the British, since they conquered the area during the French & Indian War. The British believe that the population along the St. Lawrence River is not numerous enough to be a concern and prefer to allow their Catholicism to be gradually overwhelmed by Protestant (read: Anglican) settlers moving to the area.

The American Revolution occurs much like in OTL, but now Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery’s invasion of Quebec takes place in 1775 with diplomacy set as the main mission with conquering the province in a secondary role. At the outset of the rebellion, Quebec is invited to participate and send delegates to the Continental Congress. They refuse to do so due to their distrust of the English settlers to their south, some of whom helped capture Quebec from France just a few years before.

The idea to seize the cities of Montreal and Quebec is formulated, with the intent being to show the Quebecois that the Americans could fight and win the war and to gather support for the Revolution. The army spread the words of Paine, Locke, and Otis as it goes and Arnold specifically discusses with Quebec’s leaders how Catholics live in the colonies and practice freely. This idea is greatly helped by the addition of Catholic soldiers, largely from Maryland, to the invading force. The invasion fails after the American loss in the Battle of Quebec [allowing France to intervene with the hope of regaining New France], but now the Quebecois are in near open revolt against the British as the Americans are forced to withdraw. Three regiments of locally raised troops go with them.

As the war continues, the fermenting revolt in Quebec hampers the British as they try to supply their armies via the St. Lawrence during the Saratoga campaign a few years later and leads many British officials to decide that Quebec isn’t worth the trouble. The Sons of Liberty continue to supply the Quebecois with guns and ammunition, but also with the writings of Paine, Jefferson, and others, often in translation. Thus, in the last years of the fighting, British control in the area is tenuous at best and non-existent beyond the immediate environs of the major cities.

The Patriots make further gains in the fall of 1780 when they mount a surprise attack on Nova Scotia, hoping to capture the vital port city of Halifax and bring the Revolution to the settlers in that colony. Accomplished by very small number of soldiers led by Ethan Allen, the Americans march through northern Massachusetts [Maine] into western Nova Scotia. They are able to overwhelm the British at Fort Frederick and Fort Cumberland, then attempt to march into the Acadian Peninsula [Nova Scotian Peninsula] on their way to Halifax. At Fort Edward however, they are repulsed by the British defenders and so retreat from the peninsula, fortifying their positions at Forts Frederick and Cumberland. Unbeknownst to the Gen. Allen, the fighting at Fort Edward was almost an American victory and had he made another push, the entire colony may have fallen. The British lack the manpower to build up the garrison in eastern Nova Scotia and so are unable to push the Colonials back into New England.
 

JackExpo

Part 2: 1783 (The Treaty of Paris)

The Treaty of Paris is signed by Great Britain and the colonies in the fall of 1783, officially recognizing their independence. America’s claims to the Ohio Valley and other areas east of the Mississippi are included, however due to the revolt throughout Quebec, that territory is also demanded, along with western Nova Scotia [New Brunswick]. This demand is thought of by the US peace commissioners as an incredible long shot or a position from which they can safely work toward compromise, but to their surprise, the British delegation requests time to discuss it. Historians now know the inclusion of Quebec can be laid at the feet of one British treaty commissioner, David Hartley. His words go down in history when he says, “Quebec has been a thorn in our side since we captured her twenty years ago. Her timber and fur do not validate our continued rule over these provincial French. Let us give her to the colonies and see how they enjoy a restless minority in their midst.” The other British commissioners are not hard to convince and Parliament agrees.


In the final treaty even more territory is added to the new American nation than any had expected, including Labrador and the peninsula of Lower Canada, effectively the St. Lawrence River valley and the Labrador coast. Thus the British holdings on the North American continent are reduced to minor posts in the Pacific Northwest and the territory along Hudson Bay controlled by the Hudson Bay Company (Rupert’s Land). Eastern Nova Scotia, St John’s Island [Prince Edward Island], and Newfoundland are also retained by the UK.
 

JackExpo

Part 3: 1783 – 1787 (Confederation Years)

Under the Articles of Confederation, residents of Quebec are given short shrift. These additions to the United States are treated as territories, much to the consternation of the Quebecois. This never leads to much more than grumbling, largely because they are able to freely practice Catholicism, but also because the segments of society most opposed to American rule (the wealthy upper classes, aristocrats, crown representatives, etc.) emigrate, as do many loyalists throughout the colonies. Some flee all the way to South Africa and Australia, but the majority go to Nova Scotia (including St John’s Island), the British West Indies (only Tobago is ceded to France in the treaty after the war), and Newfoundland (a hearty few). Some also return to Britain, though these are mostly aristocrats and crown officers. This leaves a population of some 50,000 French-speaking Quebecois. Tensions are soothed somewhat by the appointment of Benedict Arnold to be the governor of the territory, as he remains a well-known and respected figure following the initial invasion, but even he can only do so much.


Quebec’s territory north of the Great Lakes is not subject to the claims of states such as Virginia and New York, though the Aroostook boundary is settled heavily in Massachusetts’ [Maine’s] favor. However, the little unrest that does occur is diluted by the influx of settlers from the thirteen states, particularly New York and New England, many of whom soon begin to cry out for representation as well. This in turn means that fewer settlers from the North go to the southern parts of the Northwest Territory (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois), with Southerners becoming the largest percentage of settlers to this area for many years (up to around 1810).


In the first few years under the Articles of Confederation, the northern part of the Norwest Territory is considered a free-soil area, while the southern part (mainly along the northern bank of the Ohio River) is a slave area. The Northwest Ordinance, passed in 1787, declares the entire Territory free, but slaves already in the area are allowed to remain, however more cannot be imported. Though small in number, these slave holders form an important part of the economies of the soon to be states of Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana, such that there is serious discussion over the status of the institution when the territories prepare to join the Union. Only in Ohio is there ever a real threat, but in all three states slavery as it existed is grandfathered in, allowing a tiny but significant internal slave trade in each state and ensuring political power for the few large landowners. The very existence of these slaveholding families will be a major contributor to these three states later being termed “Copperheads” by abolitionists.


It is around 1785 that real problems throughout the new nation begin to come to a head. The grumbling in Quebec is just one piece of the puzzle, but it is becoming apparent to many that the system of government developed under the Articles of Confederation is proving to be inadequate. Various meetings throughout the nation are held to discuss reform, eventually leading to the calling of a constitutional congress in Philadelphia in 1787.
 

Darth_Kiryan

now this, this is going to be one fascinating Ameriwank. I look forward to see where you are going with this, and how the world changes and id shaped.
 

JackExpo

Maps

I forgot to add these with their appropriate chapters.

The legend for the maps in this TL will be:
Green - United States
Dark green - States
Light green - Organized Territories
Really light/pastel green - Unorganized Territories
Pink - UK
Red - Spain
Diagonal stripes - Territorial Claim
Yellow - Mexico (in a few more updates)

North America in 1783

USA gets Canada (1783).png
 

JackExpo

Timmy811 said:
Shouldn't Joshua Chamberlain be butterflied out of existence by this?
Click to expand...

The Chamberlain-analog in this TL is not the same professor from Bowdoin College, though he will share a number of similarities. That was just an attempt at an intriguing title. :)

However, a number of other historical figures who probably wouldn't have been born (Lee, Wilson, Roosevelt, Stalin, etc.) will appear. I was more interested in how already well known people would react to different situations than those they faced in OTL.
 

JackExpo

Part 4: 1787 – 1791 (The Constitution and Statehood)

When the Constitutional Convention was called, it was meant to work out flaws in the Articles of Confederation, but instead ends up scrapping the entire system for something new. Twelve of the thirteen colonies send delegates (Rhode Island does not), but no invitation is extended to Quebec, as it is still considered a territory (just as none was given to the people in Ohio, etc.). Anger over this exclusion is not truly felt until after the Convention ends. By 1790, when the last of the original thirteen (again, Rhode Island) ratifies the new Constitution, the mood in Quebec is near revolt. However, George Washington is elected unanimously as President in 1789 and he is an excellent leader and tactician. He quickly defuses the situation by inviting Quebec into the Union, but only as three separate states.

The area around Montreal and Quebec City (the area that would become the state of Quebec and which would contain the majority of the French population) remains wary, but after about one month of debate, they accept. Thus on February 9th, 10th, and 11th, 1791, Canada, New Brittany (a name chosen to honor the nation’s French ally), and Quebec become full states in the Union the 14th, 15th, and 16th to join. There are some grumblings from the slaveholding states that they could lose the balance that had been created in Congress (which does happen in roughly twenty years, particularly in the Senate, where the South is never able to regain the veto power it had previously enjoyed), but such is Washington’s popularity, that the plan is approved nearly unanimously.

Excerpt from the Quebec Division Act (1791):

The Division of the Territory of Quebec; to become Three Sovereign States and Two Dependent Territories​


​
The State of Canada: From the Town of Port Severn, following a direct Northeast line (45°) to the Ottawa River, encompassing all or part of the Northern Shores of Lakes Erie, Frontenac [Ontario], and Huron.
The Territory of Ontario: The Northern Shore of Lake Ontario [Superior] and the Northern Shore of Lake Huron above the border with the State of Canada.
The State of New Brittany: Including all former Western Nova Scotia, and from the Eastern end of the Gaspé Peninsula to the Border with Massachusetts [Maine] at the St. Lawrence Shoreline, South to the Bay of Fundy, East to the Border with British Nova Scotia. State will include Anticosti Island and the Magdalen Islands.
The State of Quebec: All remaining areas of the St. Lawrence River to be found South of the line running directly West from the Town of Sept-Iles to the Border with the Lands of the Hudson Bay Company.
The Territory of Labrador: All areas North of the Sept-Iles line, to the Border with the Lands of Hudson Bay Company, including the Labrador Coast.
[From this point on, “Quebec” and “Canada” will refer to only the specific states.]
 

JackExpo

Part 5: 1791 – 1812 (Jefferson and Expansion)

The Whiskey Rebellion in 1794 is a difficult event for the new nation, but Washington’s quick suppression of the revolt in western Pennsylvania (and a smaller one in Quebec a few weeks later) do little to change the highly favorable views of the former general. After George’s retirement in 1797, John Adams becomes president and he soon finds himself at odds with the United States’ greatest ally, France.

Although France is upset that Quebec was not been regained in the war and had in fact been absorbed by their erstwhile ally, such feelings are soon brushed aside, seeming less than frivolous compared to the pressing concerns of the French Revolution. Much of the former alliance is forgotten, as American shipping is targeted during the early Republic and Napoleonic periods. Adams is able to avert war, but it is not until Thomas Jefferson became president that relations with the former ally improve.

In 1803, Jefferson sends envoys to Napoleon in the hope the emperor will sell the port of New Orleans, the gateway to the Mississippi. Much the envoys’ surprise, the French Emperor offers the entire Louisiana Territory to the United States for $15 million. James Monroe, the leader of the America delegation, is forced to think quickly. At this time, communication is only as fast as the fastest ship, and Monroe does not believe Napoleon will leave this offer on the table long enough for letters to be exchanged with President Jefferson. Knowing the French are in desperate need of currency and due to his belief in territorial integrity (a belief he shares with Jefferson), Monroe counters with a $16 million offer if the islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon are included in the deal. After much deliberation, and the addition that France can continue to fish the waters Saint-Pierre and Miquelon waters (adjacent to the Grand Banks off Newfoundland) for the next 75 years, Napoleon agrees.

The Louisiana Purchase roughly doubles the size of the US, as well as removes a strong possible rival from the continent. The United States now directly borders Spain’s possessions in the west, but the crumbling Spanish Empire is not seen as a serious threat. It also brings the US in further contact with the UK, as parts of the purchase overlap portions claimed as Rupert’s Land. This conflict will fester under the surface until the War of 1812 and is compounded by the Lewis and Clark expedition which is sent to map the territory and travels all the way to the Pacific Ocean. By the time the explorers return, the territory has already begun to be divided into territories (the small population of fisherman on Saint-Pierre and Miquelon request, and are permitted, to join New Brittany) and politicians in Washington have begun advocating for the other areas of the continent not yet part of the United States. Lewis and Clark strengthen the US claim to the Oregon Territory which is still claimed by the British, but this will be an issue for another president.


North America in 1810

USA gets Canada (1810).png
 

JackExpo

Part 6: 1812 – 1814 (The War of 1812 and First Treaty of Ghent)

The War of 1812 is not a war in isolation and though it has many causes, some are legitimate, others are not. The war should be viewed in its historical context as an extension of the Napoleonic Wars going on in Europe at the time. Because of the needs of war (and because the US had been trying to sell war materials and supplies to both sides) the Royal Navy begins capturing American ships and impressing American sailors. The British refusal to withdraw from forts in the upper Northwest and Ontario Territories (from which they are also arming Indian tribes to fight against the Americans), is the other very real cause. Though few in number and largely cut-off from easy resupply, these forts are located in strategic areas and often provisioned by local tribes who are less than thrilled at finding themselves under a new flag.

There is also a persistent idea that Britain should be pushed off the continent once and for all. The 12th US Congress is filled with men of this viewpoint, men emboldened by the easy transfer of so much land from France the decade before, and so in June of 1812, the United States declares war on Britain. This was not a war the British wants, they are busy dealing with French ambitions in Europe and abroad, but they are not about to be challenged by backwoods colonials so refuse to back down.

The British soon begin a blockade of American ports, operating out of Bermuda and Halifax. The US is ill-equipped to respond to this, having less than thirty ships in its infant Navy, compared to the ninety-seven ships the British have in American waters alone. The war consists mostly of a British force that wishes to stay as small as possible, leaving more men, ships, and material available to fight France, and a United States that has a regular army of only twelve thousand, augmented by poorly trained and often quarrelsome state militias.

Another important factor is the detestation of the war in the Maritimes [New England and New Brittany], the region most reliant on trade and thus most adversely affected by the British blockade. This regional attitude is a serious blow to the US war effort, as many Maritime states refuse to send militia troops outside their own borders.

The war before the First Treaty of Ghent in 1815 boils down to three main events; the war on the ocean, the US expedition into Rupert’s Land, and the British attack on Washington, D.C.


On the high seas the American ships do much better than expected. Fully aware of their numerical inferiority, the US Navy rely on hit-and-run tactics and prey mainly on British merchants or lone warships, particularly early in the war. Their effectiveness declines as the conflict drags on, but their early successes prove vital to the American view of the war’s progress.


The US expedition into Rupert’s Land is the most (and only) important offensive victory in the war before the First Treaty. A group of roughly 500 regulars, accompanied by around 1,500 militia men (primarily Canadian and Quebecois) and friendly Native Americans, set out from Thunder Bay in western Ontario Territory in late May of 1813. Their destination is York Factory, a city of the western shore of Hudson Bay which is the headquarters of the Hudson Bay Company and thus the de facto capital of Rupert’s Land. They arrive in early August after having traversed roughly 600 miles of relatively empty territory, though several skirmishes are fought with local Natives and those in the employ of the Company. The force has dwindled to some 425 regulars and roughly 900 militia and Indians (the majority of losses come from disease and desertion), but this is more than sufficient force to overcome the 350 British soldiers, colonists, and Natives defending the town.


Like the East India Company, the Hudson Bay Company is not a part of the British government and receives very little government support. Much of the security is through local alliances and soldiers hired to be company employees. Had the British taken a more direct interest, and had the march the Americans accomplished not been viewed as impossible beforehand, a more formidable presence may have been found at York Factory. After this victory, the Americans effectively control a large swath of Rupert’s Land, but most importantly, it completely cuts off many of the forts in American territory the British had refused to evacuate.


The third key event is the British attack on Washington D.C. in August of 1814. Conceived by British naval commander George Cockburn, British troops land in Maryland on the western shore of the Chesapeake and proceed to march on Washington. This shocks the US leaders who thought that the strategic port of Baltimore is the more tempting target, but in fact the British are after a blow to American morale, not the seizure of a port. The British force of 4,500 meet some resistance by hastily gathered militia at Bladensburg on the outskirts of the District of Columbia, but this is brushed aside easily by the British general Robert Ross. Due to the surprise of the direction of the attack, no defenses have been erected to the east of the city. Luckily though, two regiments of newly formed volunteers, one from New Brittany, the other from Canada, are camped in the area, awaiting orders from the War Department. Their intended destination had been garrison duty in Norfolk, VA, but on learning of the British landing force they were ordered north to Baltimore. In the end, the true destination is learned and they march back toward Washington. Although they are too late to enter the Battle of Bladensburg, when they learn Ross has made camp before advancing, they move into the city to build defenses before the Capitol building.


During the night, one American commander comes up with a brilliant idea. The force, numbering ~3,000 with additional locals begins to fortify the US Capitol itself and place men in buildings along Maryland Avenue. When the British advance into the city the next day, Ross takes them down the Bladensburg Road to Maryland Avenue, heading first to the Capitol. A delaying action is fought by a small number of soldiers in civilian dress, crouching behind poorly constructed barricades in the street, to appear to the British as if all the army had evacuated. These brave volunteers lead the British column up Maryland Avenue toward the Capitol. Immense patience and discipline is shown by soldiers and civilians alike, as they wait for the head of the British column to get within 100 yards of the Capitol before they open fire. Many will later compare it to Bunker Hill, though in this battle the Americans are victorious.


Unexpected fire from the front and both sides creates a panic amongst the British, and by the time they regroup, they have lost more than 1000 men, both to death and injury (a single cannon, loaded with grape shot had been positioned off Maryland Avenue and poured shot into the British flank) including General Ross, who will not survive the day. The survivors attempt a fighting retreat, but are cutoff and pinned along the Anacostia River. Fewer than 500 escape back to the fleet in Chesapeake Bay, with the rest being captured or killed. This blow that was meant to crush American morale ends up doing the same for the British.

Word of this rout soon reaches the American and British peace commissioners who are preparing to meet in Ghent, in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Both sides had been prepared to push for a return of the status quo ante bellum, though the British are willing to make some concessions in Rupert’s Land. However, news of the victory in Washington makes the American commissioners much bolder. John Quincy Adams, head of the delegation, then requests an addition to the unsigned treaty, transferring Bermuda to the United States. This move is meant to block any future attempts by the British to blockade the US coast. This idea shocks and appalls the British commissioners and they storm out. How dare the Americans claim an island they do not hold, nor have even attempted to invade! Thus the First Treaty of Ghent is not really a treaty at all. And so the war continues, though had they stayed at the negotiating table in December of 1814, the UK might have lost a lot less territory than they would in the Second Treaty.
 

JackExpo

Part 7: 1815 (The Battle of New Orleans and the Second Treaty of Ghent)

Brief update before the weekend, bringing us to the end of the War of 1812.

Unaware of goings on in Ghent, the British land troops outside of New Orleans in an attempt to capture the city. However, the US force of soldiers (which include the French-speaking Quebecois troops who have been garrisoning the town since it was purchased), militia, and recruited pirates and Indians (4,000 men in total) under Gen. Andrew Jackson are able to hold off and defeat the 8,000 man British army, again killing the commander, Major-General Sir Edward Pakenham.

That same month, American troops under Gen. Jacob Brown are able to capture Fort Lawrence (rebuilt after the American Revolution) in Nova Scotia. They do not advance very far into the Acadian peninsula, awaiting reinforcements, but the road to Halifax is now open. The farmers closest to the fort prepare for the worst, but are mildly surprised when Gen. Brown sends out foraging parties armed with specie to purchase food and other supplies from the locals, rather than requisitioning them by force.

When news of the victories reachEurope, the British commissioners return to Ghent. Although they hope for the terms of the previous discussions, they are sorely disappointed. Adams now demands not only the cessation of impressments and supplying of the Indians, but also the turnover of Rupert’s Land, Bermuda, Newfoundland Island, Nova Scotia, and St. John’s Island. Adams’ letters indicate that these demands were made to better America’s bargaining position, but to his shock, the British grudgingly accept them all. After four decades of almost constant war, the British have had enough and the treaty is signed on February 17th, 1815.

For the United States, the Second Treaty of Ghent goes far beyond the wildest fantasies of what could be achieved. Although Rupert’s Land did not technically include all of northern North America, the US will use it as a base to claim it all, except Greenland (Denmark), Alaska (Russia), and the disputed Pacific Northwest area. There is even some grumbling that the British gave in too easily and more should have been demanded, such as the Bahamas (the port of Nassau could provide a base for a blockading fleet just as Bermuda did). Madison though, concerned that Britain would renew the war if they thought their rich West Indies possessions are at stake, rejects that suggestion, contenting himself with virtually every other piece of British North America.

On the flipside, these territorial losses are no real hardship for the British Empire, particularly the lands of the Hudson Bay Co., which had not turned a profit in years and was infamous for corruption and inefficiency. Britain continues to claim, and maintain forts in, the Pacific Northwest of North America, but without an eastern foothold these claims have no teeth and the occasional supply of these few forts is done as a matter of pride, rather than with any real expectation of future gain.

Thus Britain loses her last firm foothold on the North American continent (unless you count Belize).

North America in 1815


USA gets Canada (1815).png
 

JackExpo

mikegold said:
Well, and the Mosquito Coast.
Click to expand...

I would argue that the Mosquito Coast wasn't a very firm foothold, but I see your point. Either way, the most significant British positions on the North American mainland are in Central America, not a big threat to the USA.

They do still hold a number of important offshore islands, but they are all on the west coast at this point.
 

JackExpo

Part 8: 1815 – 1828 (New Territories)

After the War of 1812, the US finds itself in possession of nearly two thirds of a continent. This is coupled with a tremendous feeling of national pride which fosters a new unity throughout the nation. This gains particular significance in Quebec, Canada, and New Brittany, who for the first decades had felt like poor step-children to the other states. Because of the brave and heroic actions taken by men from these states in the Rupert’s Land campaign and the Battle of New Orleans, but mostly for their iconic stand before the Capitol, these three states now feel connected to the rest of the nation like never before (even the Quebecois) and the rest of the nation seems to, finally, accept them as true countrymen (even the Quebecois). It is this sort of realization in the national psyche that leads President Madison to turn Nova Scotia and St. John’s Island into states almost immediately after the war (on July 18th and August 12th, 1815, respectively). Newfoundland Island is merged into Labrador Territory and Bermuda is governed as a new territory in conjunction with the US Navy.

Madison’s statehood decision takes a number of factors into account. First, he wants to avoid the initial period of alienation that had been felt in Quebec Territory following the Revolution. Second, he faces significant pressure from Acadians living in the United States to allow them to return to their homeland and still be full citizens when they do so (These returning families are the main driving force behind changing the name ‘St. John’s Island’ to ‘Acadia Island’). Third, and some view this as the most important, Nova Scotia and St. John’s Island are home to many former Loyalists and their descendants, people who had sold all their property and fled their homes to escape the coming “tyranny” of an independent United States government. Madison wishes to reassure these people so that a similar exodus will not occur again. Living next to the United States for several decades has changed the opinions of many Loyalists and there is not the mass emigration of people that had been feared, though a fair number do leave. In fact, most stay, willing to take the risk and quick statehood is seen today as a critical gesture that ensures their new loyalty.

Acadia Island has proven to be one of the more peculiar cases in American political history. Because of the somewhat rushed nature of the acceptance of this state, very little debate took place in the halls of power. Had there been, the island would likely have been joined with Nova Scotia into a single state, but at the time, it seemed like a suggestion that would cause more harm than good. The desire to formally tie the area into the Union swiftly has resulted in a state boasting a 2010 population of only 200,000, which makes people in other states, particularly the very populous ones, complain that Acadians are grossly overrepresented in Congress and presidential elections (an accurate assessment). Congress is currently apportioned so roughly every 600,000 citizens have a representative, meaning that Acadia gets triple the representation of the other districts, but as Congress is barely manageable at 575 current representatives, increasing that number to make it more equitable would mean having some 1,700 seats in the House. The issue of eliminating a state (and merging it into another state) against the wishes of that state’s citizens has never be seriously discussed, though it remains a popular cry for those seeking Congressional office in New York, California, Florida, etc. In the end, it is the heroism displayed by Acadian soldiers in the Battle of Gastonia that most contribute to American acceptance of so small a state.

The question of the rest of all this new territory is dealt with in a number of resolutions passed by the legislature over the next several years, under the auspices of the new Joint Committee on Territories and Exploration. Formed in 1815, it represents a unique institution in Congress, one which is tasked with managing the vast areas of the Louisiana Purchase and Rupert’s Land, rather than leaving the territory negotiations to the full Congress. Among the decisions made by the JCTE (and later ratified) are the addition of parts of Rupert’s Land to Quebec and the Ontario Territory (which becomes the state of Ontario in 1821), defining of the boundary of the vast Arctic Territory, and the organization and subsequent statehood of many new areas, such as Missouri, Arkansas, etc.

In 1819, the Adams–Onís Treaty is signed by the US and Spain, giving Florida to the US and formally defining the boundary between the Louisiana Purchase and New Spain (later Mexico). The United States makes further gains in 1835, when a US naval flotilla sails first to the mouth of the Columbia River and then into Puget Sound, politely asking the commanders of the British outposts near present-day Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver to lower the Union Jack in favor of the Stars and Stripes. No demands or threats are made, but the ships are heavily armed and several carry Marines, which the British know. To prevent any chilling of diplomatic ties between the US and Britain, an envoy is sent to the court of King William IV, publicly to offer $2 million for the Queen Charlotte Islands and Vancouver Island, but both sides know it means a relinquishing of all of the British claims to the Pacific Northwest. Had this action taken place twenty years before, it would have been rejected outright. But relations between the former colony and homeland have improved dramatically. Americans are seen as (backwards) cousins and any hurt pride stemming from the loss of the Pacific Northwest is negated by the fact that many in Britain (even in the government) see the area as a money pit with no real future value to the UK. This deal becomes known as the Columbian Expansion and gives the US a firm foothold in the Pacific-Northwest.

While the borders of the nation continue to expand, many internal issues arise. After the war, a period of roughly ten years ensues which has been called the “Era of Good Feelings” due to the decline in partisan politics. The presidency of James Monroe brings with it stability, prosperity, and security. For the first time in its history, America is not surrounded by hostile nations, there are no British lurking to the north, France is gone from the west, and the Mississippi River has been secured. With the issuing of the Monroe Doctrine, the US shows it is not to be trifled with, at home or abroad, as well as showing support for the new nations in South America. This era comes to a close in the election of 1824, in which John Quincy Adams, a gifted diplomat who authored the Second Treaty of Ghent, as well as the Adams–Onís Treaty, barely defeats Andrew Jackson, the hero of New Orleans (though Jackson will defeat Adams four years later).
 
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