Here a thought I had some time ago: History teaches us that revolutions get more radical the longer they last. Since the American revolution was quite moderate compared to the French one, we need to make it more radical and violent.

For example, what if France never sent troops to America? The US have a much harder time at beating Britain and become more democratic and expansionist in the process.

Is this possible?
 
Certainly was. For instance, General Charles Lee proposed a much more militia/guerilla warfare sort of strategy than his rival Washington. This was turned down for a variety of reasons, but if taken up, would basically see large-scale bloodshed that was only hinted at in the South during the American Revolution. As in, massacres of Loyalist populations or people suspected of being Loyalists/aiding Loyalists.

Could the Americans still win? I don't know, but if they still won anyway, the outcome would be far different, and far more radical than what we got OTL. I think more democracy might be an outcome--after all, the war was won on the back of the poor man taking up a gun and shooting his Tory neighbors, so why shouldn't he get the vote?
 
Here a thought I had some time ago: History teaches us that revolutions get more radical the longer they last. Since the American revolution was quite moderate compared to the French one, we need to make it more radical and violent.

For example, what if France never sent troops to America? The US have a much harder time at beating Britain and become more democratic and expansionist in the process.

Is this possible?

what would be the effect on slavery ?
 
I think the case of the War of the Three Kingdoms is instructive here. The wars dragged on for years, and some of the more radical members got pretty out-there - and yet, by the end, the Levellers and Fifth Monarchy men and all that had been brought to heel by Cromwell; the Lord Protectorate was a monarchy in all but name, and it was replaced when Cromwell died with the monarchy.

The length of the conflict, the bloodiness and violence of it, none of these were enough to make the increasily radical aims of some of the Parliamentarian side actually succeed.

So - I'm no expert in the ARW, but were the radicals going to be powerful enough, significant enough, to get their way? Or will it be the Putney Debates and the New Model Army mutiny all over again, on the other side of the Atlantic?
 
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