Saratoga of the South: An Alternate History of America

[zhenghe1421]

Saratoga of the South: An Alternate History of America

You don’t finish your timelines, why are you going to start another one?

Because I can.

What is the POD?

March 15, 1781.

Wait, isn’t that the Battle of Guilford Courthouse?

Yes, my favorite battle in world history. It’s a really underrated battle in the Revolutionary War, and tactically is really interesting. Also, you have two very good generals that are familiar with each other tactically, and arguably underrated by history.

How long will this timeline go to?

My intention is to go up to the present day, though that depends on what I want to include.

Chapter 1: Greene’s Masterpiece

In the annals of the Revolutionary War, certain battles stand tall as the reasons why the Americans were able to win their independence. In the northern theater, you had Trenton, Saratoga, Bunker Hill, and the British retreat from Concord. In the southern theater, you had King’s Mountain and Cowpens. But there is one battle in the theater that is described as “Saratoga of the South”, and with good reason. Of course, I am referring to Guilford Courthouse.

When Nathanael Greene took over command of the Southern Army in 1780, his men were reeling from the devastating defeat at Camden. The army had very low provisions, low morale, and were facing a determined British army led by General Cornwallis, arguably the most aggressive and capable British officer to serve in the Revolutionary War. But Washington knew what he was getting by nominating Greene to Congress to take over the command.

A fallen Quaker, Greene had established himself as a capable general who had been one of the most senior generals who served under Washington. Greene was regarded as the most capable commander in the Continental Army behind only Washington himself. As a commander, Greene had been noted for his understanding of the importance of keeping the army in the field, of knowing how to best keep his army supplied, and how to make the most of whatever resources he had. All of those skills would come together at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

March 15, 1781 dawned as the American army waited for the British army to attack. Greene had chosen the battlefield specifically because he knew that Cornwallis wanted to place the fate of the two armies on one decisive battle. Greene was too smart to let Cornwallis get that satisfaction, and picked his battlefield for Cornwallis. Guilford Courthouse at that time had a heavily wooded area that was surrounding a plateau of open field, which played perfectly into the irregular tactics that was preferred by the militia for the Americans. At 1 in the afternoon, Cornwallis attacked.

At the start of the battle, Greene had positioned his troops in three lines. He initially had the lines at a distance from each other, but made the decision to shorten the distance to 75 yards between each of the lines. He also instructed his militia to fire 3 shots and reform behind the third line of regular Continentals. Cornwallis ordered his troops to attack the militia line, and the militia got off 3 shots that found their mark. The battle soon descended into a bloody melee, with neither side giving in. The militia largely reformed behind the third line, and Cornwallis sent his troops to flank the second American line. The British made it through, despite taking heavy casualties and General Charles O’Hara being wounded in the chest.

Then, a major turning point in the war happened. John Macleod arrived with two pieces of artillery. Though the outcome of the battle was uncertain, Cornwallis could have ordered the cannons to fire into the mass of humanity, maybe breaking it up. However, that would have been achieved at the cost of killing his own men. Cornwallis chose to ride up towards the center of the line in order to get a better look to make the decision. As he was riding up, an American soldier who has been lost to history fired a shot at Cornwallis. The bullet stuck him in the chest, and was a mortal wound. As word started to spread through the ranks, the British started to panic and their cohesion started to collapse.

Soon, the battle turned into a rout as Cornwallis’s second in command Tarleton ordered a general retreat. The Americans had won one of their most important victories, at a cost of 500 killed, missing, and wounded. The British had lost 35% of their force, a total of 735 men, and more importantly their commander. The war in the South had changed forever.

Author's Note:The POD is twofold. First, Greene doesn’t spread out his lines so far away from each other. Second, Cornwallis is killed because he doesn’t fire grapeshot into the mass of soldiers once the artillery arrives, and gets shot by riding too close to the battle. Sources used are Washington’s General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph Of The American Revolution by Terry Golway, A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore P. Savas and J. David Dameron, and Wikipedia articles on Greene, Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Charles O’Hara, and Lord Cornwallis.

 

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Chapter 2: A Change Of Plans

Guilford Courthouse had suddenly forced both American and British leadership into rethinking how exactly to campaign during the rest of 1781. General Sir Henry Clinton had warned Cornwallis about the dangers of going into North Carolina the previous year, and had ultimately been proven correct about his concerns. What was more pressing for Clinton was figuring out who would replace Cornwallis. He was worried about Tarelton, as the cavalry commander’s aggressive nature had needlessly inflamed the ongoing war in the backwoods of the Carolinas between Loyalists and Patriots.

What Clinton decided to do was designate General Charles O’Hara as the new commander of the Southern Army on April 21st. O’Hara had served with distinction at Guilford Courthouse, and was likely to be less aggressive than Cornwallis was during his time in charge of the army in the Carolinas. Clinton then ordered the detachment in Virginia under Benedict Arnold to establish a base of operations in Hampton in order to carry out raids and have a base of operations. Hampton was a notable port in Virginia, and was an ideal base to work with the Royal Navy.

Clinton likewise ordered O’Hara to return his small army to Charleston, to establish a third port to conduct raids when appropriate in the Carolinas and to make it easier to operate in concert with the Royal Navy. That way, the British would be able to avoid getting sucked away from their main bases, and make it easier for help to arrive, while still allowing for ways to better respond to a possible advantage that could be gained.

The American victory at Guilford Courthouse was greeted with great excitement for the Americans. Suddenly, new options were opened up by the withdrawal of British troops from the interior of the South, and Washington for the moment did not have to worry about Greene being crushed in battle and losing the South to British domination. The American plan for 1781 changed into finding a way to repulse the British from one of their bases, and try and force the British to admit defeat due to the rising costs and troubles of the war.

By establishing coastal bases, this meant that for the Americans to win a decisive battle at the base, it would mean an increase in naval resources. Those would have to come from the French and Spanish until the Americans could develop their own naval resources. Work began to try and outfit ships, and the Americans and their allies agreed to meet in Newport in early May to discuss what would be the next steps in the war, and how to cooperate on a joint offensive, learning from the disaster that was the attack on Newport.

Author’s Note: Okay, this chapter does introduce a couple of butterflies. In OTL, Clinton was not known as an aggressive commander in chief, and had a bad working relationship with Lord Cornwallis. The base strategy is more in line with OTL Clinton ordering Cornwallis to find a port in Virginia to use as a base, and Hampton is arguably a more suitable port to work with than Yorktown. Here, Clinton decides that having Charleston be a Deep South base makes sense, and make it easier on the Royal Navy. Next chapter will be the Newport Conference between the Americans, French, and Spanish. Sources used were the same as the first chapter, plus Wikipedia pages on Clinton, Benedict Arnold, Hampton, and the Virginia Campaign of 1781.

 

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Chapter 3: The Newport Conference

It was on May 10th, 1781 that the Newport Conference would begin. This would be the first time that all three of the Allies would meet in a council of war to discuss the options for the coming summer and fall. The Americans were represented by Washington and his aide Alexander Hamilton. What Washington's goal was for the coming campaign would be retaking New York. What made New York attractive to Washington was that it was where Clinton was based, and was geographically closer to the main Contential Army and the French troops under Rochambeau. The problem for Washington was that New York had plenty of naval defenses under Admiral Graves, and it would be a complex siege operation. Nevertheless, it was Washington's hope to better persuade his European allies about his plans and the validity of his ideas.

The French were more circumspect about the possibility of taking New York. They held the real key to any success. A French fleet under de Grasse was in the Carribean just waiting for the hurricane season to end, and was prepared to sail to the American coast for a short time to help with naval missions, and deliver 3,000 French troops fresh from the siege of Pensacola. The French viewed attacking in the South as the better idea, as both Arnold and O' Hara were still working on fortifying the port cities. In addition, Greene's army was waiting in South Carolina to better respond to threats, while Lafayette was shadowing Arnold in Virginia. Both armies could be easily reinforced with the 3,000 additional troops the French had.
The Spanish had their own mission in mind. They had continued the Great Siege of Gibraltar with the French in Europe, and Galvez wanted to mount an assault on the British possessions in the Caribbean to continue to keep British resources stretched thin, and therefore make it easier to hold both Admiral Rodney and Hood occupied so that the British would have to keep their resources marshaled carefully.

After two weeks of spirited debate, the Allies agreed to an assault on the Carribean by the Spanish under Galvez, who would combine with De Grasse for the hurricane season. Once the hurricane season was over and the Allies had taken Jamaica and the Bahamas, Galvez would assist Greene in a siege of Charleston. In the meantime, De Grasse would take his entire fleet to Hampton to link up with Lafayette. Washington would bluff an attack on New York, making sure that Clinton would stay turtled in New York and unable to fully support the two southern bases.

It was an interesting plan, but there would be another wrinkle that would be thrown in. On the other side of the Atlantic, a fatal weather event would change the course of history for the British, the Americans, and their European allies. The event would lead to one of the most underappreicated battles of the Revolutionary War, but famous in another country.

Author's Note: And we are back. The plan is a departure from OTL, but then again the British do not have as aggressive a commander as Cornwallis around in the south. If you paid attention to the hint at the end, the battle is another one that most people forget happened during the Revolutionary War and had an impact in the wider war. Sources used are Wikipedia articles on Newport, Siege of Pensacola, Galvez, de Grasse, Rodney, Hood, and sources in earlier chapters. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Chances are that I have an answer.

 

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Chapter 4: A Pirate and A Rock

Despite what American historians might let you know in the textbooks; the American Revolution was not just fought in North America. The Royal Navy was still the preeminent naval power in the world, but one of the chief issues they had to face was having to be judicious with their resources. No matter what era or kind of ship, it is hard to cover thousands of miles of ocean. So as Admiral George Darby began to head towards Gibraltar, he didn’t know that the destiny of the war would change with him.

The Siege of Gibraltar had been going on for months at this point, and the garrison and civilian population were facing the bitter reality of being starved out, and were relying on Darby’s squadron to resupply and reinforce the defenses. If the fleet was going to survive, then they would have to get to Gibraltar unmolested. Well, two things conspired against Derby. Both a surprise attack and a storm would doom Gibraltar.

The storm happened off the coast of Portugal, near Sagres. Sagres is located in the southern part of the Algarve region, and features a fine natural harbor that was the base for Henry the Navigator during the Age of Discovery. Sagres is also where the continental shelf drops off. As Derby’s fleet was preparing to make the turn towards Gibraltar, a storm struck the fleet. Two ships sank, and the supply ships were scattered. That forced Derby to write a letter to Governor George Elliot asking for a couple of days longer to regroup and repair his damaged ships. That letter was intercepted and handed over to the Allied command.

When the Allied command saw the message, they chose to storm the city. On April 20th, the Franco-Spanish troops attacked at dawn without warning. The British garrison fought back like a wolf, but were soon flanked and Eliott was killed in action. The same day, the garrison surrendered. Gibraltar had fallen after a long siege and news of the success spread within weeks.

For the Allies, the news sparked scenes of jubilation. With the fall of the Rock, there would be more freedom of movement, and soon a debate broke out among the French and Spanish courts. Would it be better to fight Derby in case of a siege on them, or should they attack Derby?

For the British, this was the worst defeat of the war. The Cabinet suddenly had to make decisions surrounding what to do in the European theater. Their decision to try and strengthen Derby’s fleet without weaking the Home Fleet would be put to the test. Within a few weeks of the fall of Gibraltar, the order went out. Admiral Rodney would send 5 ships of the line to join up with Derby’s fleet which had been moved back to Dover to protect against a potential invasion.

Author’s Note: And it lives. My justification for Gibraltar falling is that a lot of things had to go right for the British, and they were in trouble before Darby removed the civilian population to allow more freedom of movement for the garrison. Next chapter will be returning to America. Sources used was a bunch of Wikipedia articles on the names mentioned in the chapter. Thanks for reading.

 

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Chapter 5: A Nest of Vipers

The Southern theater of the war is often remembered for Guilford Courthouse, and the campaigns in Virginia and the Carolinas involving Greene’s army fighting at (Redacted) and (Redacted), which were interesting from a tactical perspective. Those battles are still studied at the U.S. Military Academy to this day. But the South was more than just the traditional set piece battles and sieges that were so common during the 18th century. The war in the backwoods was also interesting, and often involved little to no British involvement.

The entire reason for the Southern strategy for the British was predicated on the idea that there was a large Loyalist population that would turn out to fight for and support them, and this informed a lot of the British plans. However, the war in the backwoods was more complicated than that, and was different than a lot of other parts of the war. Most of the battles between the Loyalist and Patriot militias were smaller in numbers, and often based off grudges and feuds that spanned years, and the British often didn’t understand that. There was a lot of raiding, and those combatants would often be fighting away from the major battles in the theater.

The fighting was often characterized by hit and run battles, and ambushes. These fights were nasty, as there was often little quarter given and left a trail of destruction across the rural parts of the Carolinas, Georgia, and Virginia. The commanders of these militias often had a fractious relationship with the main army commanders. It was common for Greene, Cornwallis, and O’Hara to complain in their correspondence that it was like pulling hairs to figure out how to integrate the militias into the main armies when they seemed more focused on fighting these backwoods scuffles.

There is a strong consensus among historians that the real impact of Guilford Courthouse was that it emboldened the Patriot militia. Like Saratoga in the north, Guilford Courthouse raised hope that the French would intervene further in the war effort, and when news of the Newport Conference trickled down, there was a notable increase in the size and enthusiasm of the Patriot militia, and Greene’s army swelled in size. There was a real sense among those men that there was a lot of blood in the water. On the flip side, the Loyalists were discouraged. Although O’Hara was a competent officer who would go on to have a distinguished career, it took time for Loyalist leaders to develop a working relationship with the new commander. As a result, when O’Hara needed reinforcements during the battles to come, he would find it difficult to get the men that he needed.

It has been only in the past few decades that the backwoods war has been brought into the wider national discussion by popular historians. With the publication of a treasure trove of primary source documents in recent years with the (Redacted) Insurgency in the (Redacted) Intervention, there was a lot of discussion centered with comparing the (Redacted) Administration’s comparison to Washington and Greene’s decisions during the war.

Author’s Notes: And we are back. I wanted to discuss the backwoods war a bit because in OTL was a part of the war, and almost the first Civil War in the history of the country. The Redacted pieces are to avoid spoilers, and will be revealed in due time. Sources used were the same ones listed earlier, plus Wikipedia. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to share. And thanks for reading this timeline. Hopefully it is worth the click and time investment on your end.

 

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Chapter 6: A Diplomatic Improvisation

Far from the battlefields of America, another fight was going on. This one didn’t involve soldiers and sailors, but was one of the most critical battlefields of the war. That was the diplomatic front, and America had done a lot of work already. Despite disagreements among the American diplomats, they had managed to secure a military alliance with the Bourbon kingdoms of France and Spain, and had continued to get assistance and money that had been critical to the success of the American war effort.

But the French in particular were growing tired of the constant pursuit of their money. The Continental Congress lacked the power to raise taxes from the states, and the governmental infrastructure was still young. Benjamin Franklin knew this well from his years of being in France. What made his mission difficult was that he was caught in between two opposing missions. On the one hand, he had to keep a good relationship with the French foreign minister the Comte de Vergennes to keep the French aid rolling in. On the other hand, he had to make sure that the Congress got that aid, and they would often send him a lot of requests. These lists of requests were fairly constant, and Vergennes and Louis XVI were constantly asking why the last shipments seemed to not satisfy the Americans. Louis XVI was going into debt supporting the Americans, and he wanted to see a major victory to give France a chance to get something out of this war that would stave off the murmurs of discontent that were festering underneath the surface of France at this time.

When news reached Paris during the summer of 1781 of Guilford Courthouse, it caused a groundswell of confidence in Franklin. This was coupled with the news of the Newport Conference. This was in addition to the news of Gibraltar. These two victories caused the Allies to change their wartime strategy to be more offensive. Franklin was able to secure a few more French ships and an additional 7,000 soldiers that would be sent to America, sailing from the port of Brest. If they were not needed in Gibraltar, they would link up with whomever needed help in the three-pronged assault upon the British armies in the Americas.

But it would have to be done in secret. Paris in 1781 was a hive of spies and information was their currency. Franklin and Vergennes knew that British agents would pass along any information to Lord North’s government. The battle between the various spies would be later dramatized in the television series Turn: Spies of the Revolution which was inspired by the book of the same name. So, the Allies came up with a cunning plan.

What their plan was that they would leak a plan to invade the British Isles, which was unlikely. The Home Fleet was well-supplied, and was on the lookout for any sign of an invasion fleet. Yes, John Paul Jones had been able to cause destruction to shipping and raid Whitehaven, but those were more useful in forcing the British to commit resources in ways that they weren’t anticipating. So, they passed the rumor around. And the British spies bought it.

Lord North and his government made the decision to concentrate more of their naval forces in the Channel, while a French fleet was able to sneak away to America. Where it would sail would soon be put to good use.

Author’s Notes: Okay, this chapter was pretty interesting to write. I included a new source in addition to those sources already listed in older chapters. The new source is A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America, by Stacy Schiff. It’s a great book about Franklin’s time in France, and it is a very good book even if you aren’t interested in this time period. In fact, it is one of the best history books I own. What I have enjoyed the most about this timeline is that I’ve gotten to reread some good books. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to share them. Thanks for reading, and have a good rest of your day.

 

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Chapter 7: The Second Siege of Charleston

Charleston was the scene of one of the worst defeats for the Americans, and it was up to Greene’s army to avenge said defeat. It would not be easy. Charleston was well fortified under the command of General Charles O’Hara. O’Hara had been named commander after the death of Cornwallis at Guilford Courthouse, and had been busy increasing the fortifications to turn Charleston into the type of base that would allow the British to send Loyalist raiders into the backcountry to fight against the Patriot partisans who patrolled the swamps and forests of the western edge of the colonies.

Once Greene received his orders, he sent a message to De Grasse and Galvez to discuss how to coordinate the siege. This move was a shrewd decision, as Greene had experience with Allied plans that had bogged down due to bad communication. Greene was present at Newport, where Allied bickering had scuttled a promising opportunity early in the Franco-American alliance to achieve a victory.

Both Allied fleets sailed away from the normal shipping lanes to avoid detection by the British, and the combined fleet unloaded 7,000 troops to reinforce Greene’s force of 5,000 on August 15th. Greene’s force was boosted by militia that had been emboldened by the triumph at Guilford Courthouse. The British force only had 4,000, as O’Hara had sent men north to try and reinforce Arnold’s detachment at Hampton.

The three commanders met in a council of war, and was the subject of a famous painting. Charleston Council of War by famed Revolutionary War painter Charles Wilson Peale sits in the Charleston Art Center to this day, and is one of the most iconic paintings of the time period. Greene, Galvez, and De Grasse agreed to form a classic siege, and sent half the fleet to cross the bar to get into the harbor, and bomb Fort Moultrie. After a week of bad weather, the Allied fleet was able to get into the harbor and cut off supply by sea.

Greene’s ground forces had started to siege, and were slowly making progress against a determined British effort. O’Hara was trying to contest every inch of ground, but was hopelessly outnumbered. Compounding it, his pleas to New York for reinforcements had fallen on deaf ears. Clinton was preparing a relief expedition, but the effort was plodding, and his orders to O’Hara were full of empty promises. With no choice, O’Hara continued to fight on.

But it was no use. Greene opened a second parallel after 2 weeks, and the artillery continued to inch closer, and the shells hit the inner city. On August 21, 1781, O’Hara surrendered. The Allies had lost 2 ships, 750 dead, 450 wounded, and 17 missing. O’Hara lost 2,356 combined to death and wounded, and the rest of his men were bound for Havana, ironically as a British fleet reached Hampton.

The Allies had won, and Greene was the toast of the country. He was the second American general to force a British army to surrender, and he would rest his troops, as the Allied fleet repaired and refitted for their next move. The tide had officially started turning in the South.

Author’s Notes: And we are back, and glad to see some new readers on board. This siege lasted a bit longer as I felt that it would be realistic and be a sort of analogue to the OTL Yorktown Siege, and my reading of O’Hara is that he was a fairly competent officer. Clinton being indecisive is a nod to his behavior OTL, and I hope this chapter interested you. Thanks for reading, and feel free to share any questions. No new sources used, but a bunch of Wikipedia pages were used.

 

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Chapter 8: A Young Cadet

Later on in the fall, the news of the Second Siege of Charleston reached Europe. Paris was intrigued, as the Allied success had been similar to Gibraltar. Due to luck, skill, and cooperation between a multinational force, the Allies were able to take a major base. King Louis XVI could use any success at this point to use to confront his domestic troubles. Due to an increased tax burden on the lower classes and less than expected harvests, there was a growing discontent among the French lower classes as the French continued to bankroll the American war effort. What Louis XVI and his ministers desired was enough decisive victories like Gibraltar and Charleston to keep the people on his side. But one subject in particular would prove to be interested in what was happening in the American theater of the war.

26 miles to the northeast of Troyes, there was a military academy. École de Brienne housed many young students, who were hoping to study at the École Militaire in Paris. The students there of course paid attention to what was going on with the war against the British, and they had been excited about the recent victories. One cadet in particular had been pouring over accounts of the victories in his limited free time in between classes and other obligations.

Napoleon Bonaparte was at first glance someone who would not have been the likeliest pick to be the most successful graduate of Brienne. The young Corsican hadn’t shown much interest in the Americas before he attended the school, though historians are quick to remind you about some notes of his as a young officer that were discovered a few years back. But those who were at Brienne with him during this period noticed how he had taken a different lesson from Charleston. While most observers of the Second Siege of Charleston had thought was the key to the battle was the synergy of the Franco-Spanish fleet like they had seen at Gibraltar. For those in both Bourbon kingdoms were looking at a perspective that was Eurocentric. Napoleon observed a different lesson, one that would become the cornerstone of his campaigns against the (REDACTED) and the foundation of the (REDACTED). The lesson the young cadet had learned from the Second Siege of Charleston was that Greene was the major reason. Why did Napoleon think this? Well, what he noticed was that Greene had the ability to take what he had learned at battles like Guilford Courthouse and Newport, and used his resources to great effect.

Napoleon had all that in the future, and he stayed in school for the next couple of years, all the while dreaming of what would happen if he could be able to be involved in a big battle. The world didn’t know it yet, but they would hear of the young Corsican, and they would hear from him in a big way. Some of his classmates had begun to take notice of Napoleon, as he seemed to be different than his peers in ways that were different than just having a Corsican accent and for talking about Corsican independence. But all of that would be in the future.

Author’s Note: And we are back. This chapter is setting something up, and obviously Napoleon is going to play a part in this timeline. Of course, that seems like an obvious statement. But then again, he was already at school by the time of the POD, and it stands to reason why he wouldn’t have a huge impact on the timeline yet. Now, I can’t tell you what impact he will have because that would be spoiling the story. Thanks again for reading, and if you have any questions or comments feel free to share them.

 

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Chapter 9: A Call For Change

George III of Great Britain and Hannover had seen his ministers preside of conduct of a war that had turned from an assumed win to a world war that was looking increasingly like it could be a disaster. Despite British commanders arguing that they were being micromanaged from the other side of the world, that claim is hard to reconcile. Lord North's government had been quick to send resources towards America, but because of the size of British commitments across the globe in various theaters, those resources were at a limit, especially with rumors swirling around that there would be an invasion of the British Isles by a Franco-Spanish fleet. With John Paul Jones leading renewed attacks on merchant fleets, there was a growing skepticism about the performance of Lord North.

Despite the support of the King, North was facing pushback at the increasing cost of the war, and a lack of success. When news of Greene's victory at Charleston reached London, Lord North was stunned. O'Hara hadn't done anything wrong, and his defense had been brave, but in the face of overwhelming numbers made Clinton's strategy of defense in ports look like the wrong choice. North relieved Clinton of his command, and instead turned towards a commander who had largely been competent during the war.

Sir Guy Carleton had done an effective job at running Quebec, and had managed to successfully defend Canada during the colonial invasion of 1775. Even though some had argued to again turn to Jeffrey Amherst, Carleton's experience and record during the war made him an attractive candidate. Amherst's orders were quite simple.

What the British government had planned was for the New York City garrison to be joined by the remainder of the forces in Virginia, where they would invade New England with a goal to retake Boston. That way, the allies would be forced to go on the defensive, and New England would be touched by war once again as the fighting in that region had been largely static.

In the meantime, Lord North and the King had a series of private meetings to discuss how the government could survive. North believed that the British should keep fighting but send out feelers to set up a peace conference. With one victory or two somewhere, they could get something to use at the peace table.

In France, King Louis XVI was also beginning to tire about the cost of the war. The Americans had performed well, and the French had been getting their revenge for the Seven Years War that they had hoped for. The problem was that they were paying not only for their own war effort, but also for the colonial war effort, and there was a growing sense amongst the government that it would be a long battle to get repayment on those loans, and they didn't want to risk calling the Estates General, especially with the famine. The French would fight on, but were beginning to send out feelers about peace.

Author's Notes: And we are back. Not too many butterflies this time, but the attack on New England is something that I'm really excited to write about. Sources used are Wikipedia, and thanks for reading.

 

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Chapter 10: The Invasion of New England

By the fall of 1781, it was becoming clear that something was happening in New York that was highly unusual to those who had been keeping an eye on things in the de facto capital of British America. While the war had shifted away from New York City since the Battle of Harlem Heights in 1776, all of a sudden the arrival of the British force from Norfolk had caused a commotion. Loyalists became convinced that they were going to be left at the mercy of their Patriot neighbors, and spots on boats sailing to Britain and Jamaica in particular became scarce commodities.

Carleton arrived in New York in late August, though he had already begun to draft plans on his voyage from Plymouth. With 15,000 troops and a fleet of 20 ships under the command of Admiral Samuel Hood. Hood was considered one of the most aggressive admirals in the war, and was prepared to support Carleton's invasion with a majority of his fleet. Seeing as though the main Allied forces were resting in Virginia after capturing Norfolk without a shot a few weeks earlier, it was expected that by attacking New England, that the Allies would have to rush to respond, and that the British would have free reign to retake Boston and cut off the rebellion in the Northern colonies.

On September 15, the invasion began. Carleton led 11,000 men on an attack against Connecticut. The plan was to reach Boston by early October, and lay a traditional siege and force the Allies to hurry as much resources as possible without time to organize, and then would take that victory into peace talks. Word of the peace talks had reached New York by that day, and it was thought that the process would take months, especially considering that word would come on a weeks long delay to the shipping technology at the time.

As the invasion began, there was a blind panic as the authorities attempted to gather as many men as possible to attempt to slow down the advancing British forces, and a plea was sent out to Washington, Greene, and the French to rally back to Boston to attempt to form a defense. Despite the best efforts of the militia to slow down the British, the British were able to continue their advance through to Massachusetts with minimal casualties. The British also made the decision to take whatever supplies they could, and then burn whatever they couldn't take to the ground as payback for what the colonists had done to the Iroquois during Sullivan's invasion in upstate New York.

Speaking of Native Americans, British allied tribes sent over a 800 man force of warriors to act as a second column, and invading through western Massachusetts, opened up a front that was the setting for some of the most gruesome acts of the war. That front devolved into a series of atrocities committed by both sides, which would be remembered by both sides during the (REDACTED) Wars of (REDACTED to REDACTED).

Boston became swollen with refugees, and the American authorities began to devise a plan to slow down the British. Soon, earthworks were being prepared around the land routes to the city, and small ships were being outfitted to attempt to hold off Hood's armada, while news was waited on about the Allied forces. By the start of October, New England was in flames, and the stage was set for the Second Battles of Boston. And if you thought that Bunker Hill was bloody, then things were about to get worse as the two sides were on a collision course for one of the defining battles in the history of the Thirteen Colonies.

Author's Notes: And we are back. Sorry for not updating sooner, but things happened in real life. That's why I don't promise any updates. You might be wondering why I picked Boston as the spot for an important battle. Well, it's important to remember that Carleton was considered a competent and experienced officer who had done a pretty underrated job in fighting off the 1775 Invasion of Canada, and he wasn't at fault for what happened at Saratoga. Also, Boston is where the British had their first setback of the war. Also, this is a twist that I haven't seen in any Revolutionary War TLs on here to my knowledge. No change in sources here. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to share them.

 

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Chapter 11: The Allies Respond

“I have resolved never to start an unjust war, but never to end a legitimate one except by defeating my enemies” Charles XII, King of Sweden

John Hancock was one of the longest serving leaders of the Revolution, and the war had started in large part due to his smuggling and role as a leader of the Sons of Liberty. As governor of Massachusetts, Hancock had been presiding over a colony that had not seen serious fighting in a few years. But when Carleton’s invasion was set in motion, Hancock and other local leaders would have to attempt to fight against a strong and experienced British force.

Hancock’s decision was to leave the militia in the western part of the state to fight against the Indians, with a directive to hold them off as long as possible. The fighting was very vicious, especially with raids and counterraids being based on response to atrocities committed by both sides. All the while, the few regular units and militia near Boston would be ordered to prepare a defense of Boston, and attempt to grind the British as much as possible.

Boston by that point was one of the most heavily fortified cities in the world. Earthworks began spurting out of the ground to protect the crossing from Charlestown to Boston, and fortifications were prepared on Breeds Hill, Bunker Hill, and Dorchester Heights. Supplies were gathered to withstand a long siege, and sentries were sent on constant alert to mark the progress of Carleton’s forces.

As Carleton continued his march towards Boston, he began to face a continued resistance. The New England militia had been called out, and those who were not sent to work on the defense of Boston were placed under the command of Seth Warner. With a force of only 4,000, Warner knew that he couldn’t beat Carleton in direct conflict. So, what he decided to do was stall Carleton as long as possible in order to buy time for the Allies to move forces to face Carleton, and to harass the British supply lines.

Trees were cut down on the roads, snipers were put at natural choke points, and raiding parties were sent behind British lines. Although the British were able to fight off those attacks, the mental toll was starting to tell. As one British soldier put it in his diary “It was as if the country had become a desert. The constant attacks by the Americans were slowing us down, and our only option was to fight on to reach Boston by the end of the campaigning season. What awaits us at Boston?”

On October 15th, Carleton arrived on the outskirts of Boston, and called a council of war between his officers and Admiral Hood and his captains. With an army of 10,000 effectives, multiple cannons, and 13 ships of the line seaworthy, Carleton knew that he would have the advantage so long as the Allies didn’t get a relief force fast enough. Under the conventions of war, Carleton sent a letter to Hancock demanding the surrender of Boston in exchange for no destruction of property and the freedom of the civilians that had stayed behind after Hancock had given the order to evacuate. Hancock refused, and sent a curt response. “General, if you wish to take Boston, rest assured that we will defend it or die in the attempt. Best of luck to you.”

While Carleton began a classic 18th century siege by beginning to dig parallels, Hood was able to navigate into Boston harbor. As the British net began to slowly tighten, it looked like the British were about to get a victory that would change the momentum of the war. But that was when a curious thing happened. An armada suddenly appeared off the coast of Massachusetts.

Author’s Note: Leaving it on a cliffhanger? Yes, that’s because the next chapter is about when one of TTL epic battles will commence in proper. The eagle-eyed reader will notice a couple of easter eggs that I put in that tie to a couple of battles in OTL, and those details will become important later on. Also coming down the pipe are an update on the peace talks, and once the peace talks are done, then we can get into seeing what America is going to look like. No new sources outside of Wikipedia this time. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to share them. Thanks for reading.

 

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Chapter 12: A Showdown in Beantown

On October 31, an Allied armada arrived near Boston Harbor. With a force of 21 ships, a combined Franco-Spanish-Continental fleet set anchor, and the British fleet under Hood sailed out of the harbor in a straight line, to take advantage of the wind gage. De Grasse gave the order to shadow the British ships, and moved out by Broad Sound to give enough room. Hood was surprised that De Grasse would have done that, and reasoned that there must be a ruse of some sort, but he felt like he had to press his advantage. Little did he know that the 21 ships were only a diversion.

When news of the American victories in the South had reached Paris, the French government realized that the tide of the war had turned, and that if the French committed more troops to the effort, then they could achieve the great victory that they had dreamed when they made their intervention. A second expedition was readied in secret, and from Cadiz sailed out on September 11. This was a 13-warship fleet carrying 20 cannons, 15,000 French soldiers, and money to aid Congress in meeting their budgets.

Leading the land forces was one of the most enigmatic and colorful generals France has ever produced. Charles Dumouriez had seen combat before, but his performances in Poland had caused him to be recalled, and he had spent the intervening years at staff postings throughout France. Dumouriez’s orders were to force the British to stand and fight before the siege lines could go further to Boston.

Hood made the decision to attack, and the British ships formed a T shape line and began to fire at the Allied masts in an attempt to cripple the Allied fleet. De Grasse made the determination that he was to hold Hood in place and made the decision to feign a retreat to draw the British out of the harbor. Hood was known as one of the most aggressive officers in the Royal Navy, and when he saw the Allied ships pull out of the harbor, he couldn’t help himself, and ordered his fleet to attack. De Grasse ordered an attack once there was an opening for the second fleet to sail into the harbor, and was able to hold his own against Hood for 2 hours.

The second French fleet had avoided all of the common shipping channels, and now had been able to sail into Boston harbor by Hog and Noodle Islands. As the naval battle raged, De Grasse was waiting for a signal that the troops and the fleet under De Barras had arrived safely. At 2 in the afternoon, de Barras had gotten the troops on Dorchester Heights, and Carleton was stunned. This wasn’t part of the plan, and he sent a missive to Hood warning him that the Allies had just landed troops that would make it very difficult to keep the siege going.

When Hood looked to his rear and saw another large French fleet looking back at him, he knew that it would take everything that he had to survive the battle. De Grasse had gotten the signal cannon from Dorchester, and had the green light to fully engage. As De Barras attacked the British land batteries, De Grasse then noticed a gap in the middle of the British line, and decided to exploit it.

HMS Terrible had lived up to her name, but in ways that weren’t exactly what Hood had anticipated. The ship had struggled with staying afloat, and was looking like she might have to be sent to a watery grave. As the ship was engaged in the middle of the British line, she began to sink, and the Allied captains waited for De Grasse to make a decision. De Grasse knew that he had the advantage of fresh ships, and if needed, he could call on De Barras to attack. So, he made an order that went down in history. He signaled 10 of his ships to attack the gap in the middle of the British fleet, and broke his line. It was the first time in the history of naval combat that the now famous breaking the line tactic was used. And it worked like a charm. The British fleet was stunned at the audacity of this maneuver, and Hood tried to send some ships into the center, but the British were outgunned and began to retreat. By 3, it was all over. The British fleet was in tatters, with De Grasse capturing Hood, 6 warships, sinking 3, and killing 876 sailors. The Allied Fleet lost 175 men, and the British lost 125 ground troops. The Battle of Boston Harbor was a complete Allied victory, and all of a sudden Carleton’s grand plan was going up in flames. The garrison at Boston had fresh supplies, and Washington’s troops were coming any day. Carleton by the end of the night knew that he would have to be on the defensive.

The next morning, Carleton ordered that the siege be raised, and that the British retreat to Lexington to regroup and begin the retreat to New York. He wrote back to London with concern. “Sir, I have the regret to inform Your Majesty’s government that I have been forced to raise the Siege of Boston in order to better respond to the landing of a French army to reinforce the American garrison. I fear for New York and the safety of all of our posts in America. If you have the chance, end the war.”

Author’s Notes: So, the Battle of Boston Harbor is a combination of OTL Battle of the Capes and Battle of Les Saintes. And yes, the irony that De Grasse actually breaks the line instead of it happening to him was too much to resist. A special thanks goes out to reader piratedude who provided a couple of great maps of Boston during this time period that helped with the planning of this chapter, and those are the new sources for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed the update, and thanks for reading. If you have any comments, feel free to share them.

 

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Chapter 13: Let’s Talk Peace

As the campaigning season began to draw to a close, Britain was facing up to the realities of a disastrous year. The Allies had been able to win multiple decisive battles, and it had become clear to Lord North that he was going to have to find a way out of the conflict, or resign. Rumors were swirling that Parliament was going to hold a confidence vote, and that was even before the news of Boston reached London.

On January 5th, 1781 Parliament held a vote of no confidence against the North ministry. Despite the best efforts of his supporters and the King, the continued defeats and mounting costs were too much to overlook. For the first time since Robert Walpole decades earlier, a government had fallen due to a no confidence vote. The conduct of the war would be left to a new government, and one soon was formed under Lord Shelbourne. Shelbourne made the decision to push for peace, and to get the best peace that they could get, and he knew that Britain’s enemies were running out of money.

Louis XVI had spent heavily backing the Americans, and despite all of the victories that had happened since the French had intervened in the Revolution, the Americans continued to ask for more. France’s finances were so bad that there were even calls to have a meeting of the Estates General to figure out how to get out of the debts that had skyrocketed over the last couple of years. With the news of Allied victories in America, the King instructed his ministers to begin peace talks, after an agreement with his Bourbon cousins across the mountains in Spain.

The Americans were ready for peace talks to begin as well. Despite all of the attempts by Congress to pay for the war, the debts were starting to pile up, and the inability to raise a national tax to get money to provide for the war effort was going nowhere due to states still not having a national outlook. Congress authorized the beginning of peace talks, and began to communicate with their European allies on a strategy for peace talks.

The peace talks would be held on neutral ground in Vienna. Austrian Emperor Joseph II had offered to host peace talks going off his previous offers to mediate the conflict between fellow European powers. Both sides accepted, as a way to get the process started, and hammer out the issues.

Two days before the peace talks, Charles James Fox, who was one of the most notable voices in Parliament against the Revolution, gave what would be one of the most famous speeches of his career.

“When all this started, the mistakes that we as a governing body and the rest of His Majesty’s government should have been obvious. The Americans were raising what they thought the issues were. We sit here in London half the world away, and we thought we knew what conditions in America were like. As much as one can argue that the American rebels should not have raised their populace to a rebellion against His Majesty, what should be noted is that all of this cost in lives, treasure, and effort should have been prevented, and could have been prevented.

What Lord North and the majority should have done is sent a group of ministers over to listen to them, and to observe what the colonists were saying. It might not have been perfect in our eyes, but all of this started because both sides were too hard headed to come to the peace table years ago. And what did this war win us? We’ve lost Gibraltar, battles in the Caribbean, and our bases in the southern part of the colonies. And who knows what we might have to trade to get them back? All of the gains by William Pitt’s government and strategy in the previous war might be going away, or at the very least diminished.

The peace talks that would eventually culminate in the Treaty of Vienna would have a profound impact on all of the nations, and would open up new avenues that would lead to later conflicts.

Author’s Notes: And we are back. We have an additional source in The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam by Barbara Tuchman. I personally recommend the book, as it discusses the fall of Troy, how the mistakes of 6 popes contributed to the rise of Lutheranism, the British government losing America, and America’s handling of the Vietnam War. So the Treaty of Vienna is going to be the analogue to OTL’s Treaty of Paris, but won’t be an exact copy. Thanks again for reading, and feel free to share your comments and questions.

 

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Chapter 14: The Treaty of Vienna

In early 1782, the peace commissioners for the warring power got down to business and began negotiations. The British were going to try and hold on to as many possessions as they could, but knew that the Allies would try and get a pound of flesh to make the amount of money that they had funneled to the Americans and spent on their military expenditures. One of the potential ways that the British could drive a wedge between the Allies was to convince the Americans that they could get a better deal in a separate peace, with the possibility of a trade deal and other enticements.

The Americans had one major aim. Independence with a boundary into the Ohio Country so that they could continue to grow and have enough land to work with. But there was a problem. Both France and Spain were looking to get the Ohio Country, as a compliment to their colonial ambitions and to establish a stronger claim in the Americas. And there was a fourth group that had claims of their own over the Ohio Country, and one who was prepared to fight over their claims to the land. But that was a story for another time.

The two most complicated parts of the treaty were who was going to control Gibraltar and who would get what parts of the mainland. The Spanish were adamant that they wouldn’t be interested in returning Gibraltar, no matter what the British offered in a trade. The British wanted to keep their gateway to the Mediterranean. Discussions bogged down for weeks, even with the Austrians playing a sort of “shuttle diplomacy” in the various houses around Vienna where the delegations were staying.

The French wanted to get back into North America and reacquire either Louisiana or Quebec, in addition to another island or two to increase the sugar yields in the Triangle Trade. King Louis XVI had nearly gone broke supporting the Americans, and getting something in return that could generate cash would be able to get him the goodwill needed to stave off the rising calls for reform.

On July 31, 1782, the Treaty of Vienna was signed, and sent to the various countries to end the Revolutionary War. The 13 colonies were declared independent, and received the Ohio Country as their western frontier. Britain ceded Gibraltar to Spain, Quebec and Newfoundland would go to France, and Florida would go to Spain after some horse trading. All debts would be settled upon an agreed upon payment schedule, and France would receive some indemnities in order to start paying off some of their debts early.

But there was one group of observers who were disgusted with the way that the Europeans and Americans had dismissed their claims to the land. Back at the start of the French and Indian war, the Ohio Country was up for grabs. Tanacharison, an Indian leader who was the representative of the Six Nations. Also called the Half King by the British, he had to negotiate between the British and the French and balance holding onto his land. In a television documentary about the French and Indian war, Tanacharison quipped “If the British claim one side of the river, and the French claim the other side, might I ask where does the Indian land lie? We live in a country between, which belongs to neither.” Tanacharison was dead by 1782, but his quote encapsulated the questions that the various tribes had to answer as best they could with whatever leverage they had.

While the historical accuracy of that quote is uncertain, a new generation of Indian leaders were faced with the return of the French, and the increasing incursions of the Americans. To make sure that their interests were represented, one of the leaders of an Indian tribe was sent to Europe to attempt to make sure that the various tribes of the Ohio Country would get to keep their land. But each delegation refused to even meet with them. It was a decision that they would come to regret in the coming years. For the leader would talk to two of his younger family members. As legend says, the conversation said “The whites will try and trick you. I fear that we are going to be in for the battle of our lives in the future. You will have to defend our lands with whatever means are necessary.”

Author’s Notes: And we are back. So this treaty isn’t as generous to the Americans as OTL, but still gives them something to work with. The quote I included about a country between comes from the excellent PBS documentary The War That Made America, which was about the French and Indian War. And those last two paragraphs are foreshadowing a much bloodier frontier, with two Indian leaders getting some attention. Sorry about no map, as I’ve never done that before. If someone wants to make a map, feel free to reach out. Thanks for reading, and feel free to share your thoughts.

 

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In the fall of 1782, the French returned to Canada and began the process of returning Quebec and Newfoundland to what Voltaire had called "a few acres of snow" a couple of decades earlier. King Louis XVI made it clear to his ministers that his intentions for the newest parts of France would be to unlock the economic potential that the two colonies harbored, as well as to rekindle the alliances that the French had held with the Indians. For the various tribes living in Quebec as well as the Ohio Country, it meant that the Americans, British, and French would be played against each other just like it had been before the French and Indian War. That meant that tribes such as the Iroquois would be facing tough decisions, and whomever could pick the right alliance would become a major player on the new map of North America.

France decided to send General Charles Dumouriez to be the military governor of Quebec to establish French control over the colony. Dumouriez arrived in Quebec City in the winter of 1782, and began to carry out the process of turning Quebec back into what it had been decades before. He began by combining Newfoundland and Quebec into the province of New France, restoring the traditional name of France's holdings on the American mainland. The Catholic Church was returned to a place of prominence in the colony, taxes were established, and the colony began to become more French over the next few years. Contact was made with the traditional Indian allies France had held, and militia units were established to aid in the defense of the colony.

One of Dumouriez's soldiers who was sent to New France was a young Corsican artillery officer named Napoleon Bonaparte. Having graduated from Brienne by this time, in early 1783 Napoleon had arrived in Quebec, and was able to set up and train Troupes de la Marine who would be able to better argument New France's defenses. On the ship coming over, Napoleon had studied the French and Indian War, and had noted how the French needed to make the most of troops that they had, figuring that the next war for North America would come sooner rather than later, with Britain looking like a power who had a point to prove after 1782.

The young officer threw himself into the duty, and the Troupes were coming along nicely. It was in New France that Napoleon's reputation as a charismatic and effective leader was born, especially as he had taken notes of what the American militias had done during the Revolutionary War, and Napoleon had been able to blend his traditional European tactics with the American tradition of fighting, which would prove to be an important milestone in his tactical development. During this time, Napoleon would also get a look at the tactics that Indian tribes like the Iroquois and Huron would use as part of New France's policy of restarting the traditional alliances with various Indian groups.

One day on a training exercise, Napoleon was talking with a young warrior about their experiences growing up, and how it seemed like things were changing fast in North America. The young warrior mentioned how despite the best efforts of his delegation, that his people had been ignored at Vienna, and that the Indians would have to make important choices. The warrior also mentioned that he and his brother had been talking amongst the tribes of New France, the Ohio Country, and parts further about what their next steps were going to be. Napoleon wasn't sure what it meant, but he knew that the question of who's land it was in this part of the world would be decided in blood, and that this New World would be defended by a leader who seemed to be a greater version of Pontiac 20 years further. Little did Napoleon know it at the time, but Tecumseh would go on to achieve his promise, and his actions would alter North America forever.

The next day, Napoleon wrote to his superiors in Quebec. In his letter, he made it clear that "Tecumseh is someone who has the capability and intellect to become a major player. It is best that we keep an eye on him. The risk we take by underestimating him could be bloody for our goals in this region. No matter what, I fear that he has ideas of creating something that could be powerful, even more than the Iroquois and Pontiac's War combined." This warning would fall on deaf ears, as New France was confident that they would have the same success that their predecessors had before the French and Indian War. But little did they know that the later part of the 18th and early part of the 19th century would see the frontier of America in flames, and the ambitions of multiple players in this part of the world would be tested, and Tecumseh would be right in the middle.

Author's Notes: And we are back. And yes, in the last chapter it was Tecumseh and the Prophet who saw firsthand how they were rejected, similar to Ho Chi Minh in OTL at Versailles. Napoleon getting outside of Europe is going to have a big impact on his career, and how that will play out is going to be a lot of fun to write. Tecumseh is one of my favorite American historical figures, and him playing a big role in the development of the frontier is something that will change how America views westward expansion. The butterflies are starting to flap a bit faster, and I hope you are enjoying this. Thanks again for reading, and if you have any questions and comments feel free to share them.

 

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Here is what is hopefully a not so bad map showing the aftermath of the Treaty of Vienna. Blue is New France, Brown is the United States, Pink is British Canada, Orange is Hudson's Bay Company, dark Pink is Florida and Louisiana, and Grey is New Spain. The dark yellow is disputed land.

 

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Chapter 16: Enter Shays

After the Treaty of Vienna was signed and America was given their independence, the question was what would the new country look like? The Articles of Confederation had been in place for a few years, but the many problems with the document could no longer be ignored. Congress was finding it almost impossible to raise taxes to pay off their debts to France and Spain, and they had to create the very foundations of a government that was to live up to the revolutionary ideals that the Sons of Liberty had been echoing back in the 1760s. But even the most ardent proponents of tearing up the Articles of Confederation couldn’t conceive what was to come.

All across America, soldiers were returning home to discover that they were facing poverty. Since the Continental Army had been waiting on back pay, these veterans were suddenly finding out there was eviction notices on their farms. Nowhere was this more apparent than in Massachusetts. The state government of Massachusetts were dominated by merchants, not farmers. All across the state, meetings were taking place by veterans wondering how they were able to keep their farms and shut down the courts, and were ready to do so by any means necessary.

By the summer of 1784, a leader had emerged amongst the disgruntled veterans. Daniel Shays was a farmer who had served for 5 years in the army, and had returned home in 1780. He was owed back pay, and was struggling to keep his land, which was his livelihood. In meetings all across the state, he railed against the state for how they had let down those who had sacrificed so much without pay, proper clothing, and all of the supply problems that were a chronic issue for the Americans during the war. To make matters worse, the 1781 campaign by Carleton had made it much more difficult to tend to the land, and the scars of that campaign were not healing fast enough for the veterans. On August 6th, Shays had raised a group of 5,000 that were ready to take their demands to Boston to close the courts and get the back pay that they were owed, with plans to go to Philadelphia to pressure Congress as well if all went well in Boston.

Needless to say, the prospect of 5,000 men who were going to be armed alarmed the state government, and the militia was called out. Command of the militia was going to go Benjamin Lincoln, but then Nathanael Greene was asked to take command. Greene, who had returned to Coventry in Rhode Island couldn’t ignore the chance to make sure that his work in the glory year of 1781 wouldn’t go to waste. “It is my duty to make sure that this rebellion by these veterans be put down to avoid undoing the work that has gone into building independence. This hour is getting dark, but we need to press on to avoid something that could be bad.” He said that in a letter to his wife Caty, and immediately made plans to protect the state arsenal at Springfield.

Shays’s plan was to get to the arsenal as fast as possible, and to use the weapons in the arsenal to further arm the protestors. On August 29th, Shays’s men arrived at Springfield to see that Greene’s troops had arrived first, and were prepared to fight. Shays ordered his men to line up, and Greene did likewise. Shays’s men attacked first, and Greene’s militia held, as the fighting soon became a desperate mixture of guns firing and hand to hand combat. Slowly, Greene’s milita was able to turn the tide, and by nightfall Shays and some of his other officers had made their escape. Shay’s rebellion was over, at the cost of 1050 total casualties, wounded, and escaped on Shays’s side and 800 total casualties and wounded on Greene’s side.

The Rebellion was over, but the fear of what Shays could have done with more men had ripped a hole in the Articles of Confederation, and there were calls for drafting a new document that would govern America.

Author’s Notes: So Shays’ Rebellion is more bloody here, but it will mark an important landmark in TTL America. Greene happens to be in the right place at the right time, and this will add to his reputation for the future, which sadly in OTL never came thanks to an early death. Some quotes came from Wikipedia. I’m glad to see that people are liking this, and this has been fun to write. Hopefully you enjoyed the map as well. If you guys have any questions or comments, feel free to share them.

 

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Chapter 17: Flight of the Loyalists

After the Treaty of Vienna, the Loyalists knew that they were going to have to leave if they haven’t already. The hurried scramble to get berths on the British ships that were evacuating the 13 Colonies were famously captured in the painting “Fleeing New York” by Charles Wilson Peale. The mad dash of Loyalists poised a problem for Carleton, who had a limited number of transports available to evacuate New York and other areas under British control at the end of the war, and competition for berths on those transports allocated to civilians was strong. Based on eyewitness accounts and primary source documents on display at the Museum of New York City, offers up to hundreds of pounds were offered to British officers and officials for transport back to England. While this might sound crazy to modern audiences, what is important to remember is that during the Revolutionary War there was a pattern of officials and officers taking extra money on the side and various conflicts on both sides that defrauded the public of money that was allocated to various accounts. Carleton was even accused of taking bribes, but historians debate that allegation to this date, and any evidence that has been uncovered is at the very least murky.

Those Loyalists that were able to leave Britain were able to settle in primarily one of three places. The first location was in Canada, where Loyalists were among the first settlers of what is now named Markham. The land around Markham was considered the perfect place to start new homesteads, and the British government was looking to get land settled in case another war would break out in North America in the next few years. The American Quarter of Markham is one of the oldest neighborhoods in that part of North America. One of the other important group of people who settled in Markham was former slaves who came with the Loyalists to try and live a better life. As a result, Markham would become one of the most racially diverse areas in North America, and the impact of the former slaves can be traced directly to this day, with strong cultural roots being placed in the city which would have a deep impact in the years to come.

The second location where the Loyalists would go to is London. Benedict Arnold would settle in London, where he would find none of the praise that he was expecting for betraying the American cause. Little did he know that he would get another chance to face the countrymen he betrayed on the field of battle, and this time it would be for a far different prize. But that is another story for another time and place. London attracted a wealthier brand of Loyalists, who would in due course try and run for local office owing to their status as British citizens, though they would have to build up patronage networks and figure out how to navigate a British system that hadn’t been reformed in ages. Still others would move to Newcastle, Liverpool, and Southampton in search of employment, and those would get involved in the various industries that would lead to the Industrial Revolution.

The third place that the Loyalists would go to would be New Providence Island in the Bahamas. It was still in British hands, and the warmer weather would allow those who would want to try and become involved in the lucrative sugar trade, and to start life anew. But for some men, the choice of going to the Bahamas would mean something much darker. During this period the Royal Navy needed to constantly make sure that they had the sailors that were required, and there weren’t a whole lot of volunteers. Thus, the Royal Navy engaged in the practice of impressment, and New Providence Island was one of the most notable hunting grounds, which meant that those who had fled to the Bahamas and were sailors were among the most prominent groups who were impressed. This practice would soon become infamous in North America, and the practice would contribute a tenuous relationship between the British government and the Loyalists, who some in the British government blamed for the loss of the 13 colonies. That issue would fester under the surface, and the British were wary of doing it in American waters in the next few years, which meant that American sailors were less at risk of impressment.



Author’s Notes: And we are back. So, Impressment is going to look a little different, and the choice of Markham is also deliberate as a city who will grow in importance. And yes, Benedict Arnold is not going to quietly leave the pages of history like he did in OTL. Thanks so much for reading, and feel free to share any thoughts or comments you may have. I really appreciate that I have a collection of interested readers who seem to be enjoying this.

 

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Chapter 18: The Constitution

After Shay’s Rebellion was put down, the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation were made clear and more and more political leaders were making noises that there had to be a new set of documents to make the difficult task of building the national structures of government clearer and to start repaying the debts that had been taken on to win the nation’s freedom from Great Britain. A convention was called to meet in the summer of 1786 in Philadelphia to iron out what this new system of government would look like.

As the convention was getting closer, there was grumblings about what the leader of this system would look like. Would it be Washington as a king? Would it be based on the Roman system, or the Spartan system? George Washington was asked to chair the convention, and agreed. Rumors were swirling that Washington would try and take power himself. Given his popularity among the army, his status as winning important battles, and the trust that he had earned, most thought that he would be the right choice. Still others argued that the head of this new government should be someone who had been with the rebellion since the beginning, which was rumored to be John Adams or John Hancock.

On June 15th, 1786 the delegates arrived at the Pennsylvania State House to begin their deliberations. Little did they know that the debates surrounding what this new system of governance for the United States would be fractious and lead to issues down the road.

Washington accepted the offer to chair the convention, and John Laurens was named as the convention’s secretary. Laurens was from a prominent South Carolina family, and had narrowly survived being killed at the end of the war. His father was a former President of the Congress, and he was viewed as one of the rising stars of the political realm, and was close to Alexander Hamilton. It would be Laurens’s views on slavery that would cause one of the greatest fights at the convention.

Slavery was one of the biggest stumbling blocks. The Southern states had no intention of conceding the slave trade or allowing any restrictions on the expansion of slavery. Laurens was aghast at how his fellow delegates couldn’t look at the bigger picture. In the television film 1786, Laurens was depicted as someone who wanted all Americans to be treated equally. That was truth in television, but despite Laurens making an effort, slavery would remain legal, with the promise to revisit the issue later in order to avoid breaking down. Thus, the slavery can was kicked down the road, with tragic consequences.

But the biggest issue was how to structure Congress. Smaller states wanted there to be equal representation, with larger states wanting it to be based on population. This debate lasted weeks, and threatened to scupper the whole convention. But then, a compromise was reached. The compromise was that Congress would be organized in two houses. The upper house would have 3 Senators elected per state. The lower house would be called the House of Representatives, with proportional representation based on the total population of the state. The Maryland Compromise would be one of the key successes of the Constitution, as it gave every state a voice in some way. All members of Congress would be elected by direct election.

The head of state and head of government would be the same, with a President to be elected by popular election with a group of Electors certifying the result and would be bound to honor the votes of the states, with harsh penalties for defying the will of the people. A term would last 4 years, with no limits in place, and the first election was scheduled for 1788. A Vice President would be appointed by the President after the election was certified.

As for the Judiciary, a series of courts were set up that would create the federal court system. There were no qualifications for who could serve, and they would be confirmed by the Senate and nominated by the President to lifetime terms, with the strict expectation that they would be politically neutral and focus on upholding the laws of the country and dealing with constitutional issues.

When the Constitution was signed on September 11, 1786, the battle for ratification would begin. It would take 2 years, but then all 13 states would ratify the document.

Author’s Notes: So we have a couple of differences from OTL, but nothing too out there. I had John Laurens survive because he is someone who could have been an important Founding Father, but sadly died too young like Joseph Warren. No new sources, and I want to thank the great readers I have for waiting for this update. If you have any questions or comments, let me know.

 

[zhenghe1421]

Chapter 19: Conference of Nations

After the signing of the Treaty of Vienna, the tribes on the frontier of America were facing a challenge similar to what had happened at the end of the French and Indian War. Only this time, there were two new players on the horizon in the Americans and French, and thus the various tribes had to face the realities that they had 3 different nations in which to play off against each other. Compounding the difficulties that the tribes faced was that the Iroquois Confederacy had been splintered by the debate on who to support during the Revolution. There was a vacuum of power, and the fate of the frontier would be decided in blood amongst the tribes, French, British, and Americans who would be trading and living amongst one another over the following years.

The Shawnee were one of the most prominent tribes in the border regions between the three white powers, and had been allies of the British during the Revolutionary War. The tribe became concerned about losing their land because of an increase in settlers who were lured by the promise of cheap land and advocacy from groups like the powerful Society of the Cincinnati. By the spring of 1787, the Shawnee war chief Cheeseekau had called on all of the tribes who resided west of the Proclamation of 1763 line to meet to discuss possible ways to work together to keep their land and customs from being submerged by the changing world after the Treaty of Vienna was signed.

In the summer of 1787, hundreds of Indian leaders descended on an area in the Ohio Country named Fallen Timbers for what would be known as the Conference of Nations by Indian historians. Leaders of tribes ranging from the Iroquois, Shawnee, Miami, Creek, and smaller tribes joined in what would become one of the largest gatherings of Indians outside of battle in the history of America.

There were trading agreements, wampum, the settling of accounts, and all the other diplomatic trappings of a European style meeting, which dubbed one observer to mention it as the “Vienna of the frontier”, and the Conference of Nations would be centerpiece of the first book in the Old Northwest series of fictional novels written in the 1970’s.

The biggest question at the conference was what to do about dealing with the American government and signing away tribal lands in treaties. It took the charisma of chiefs like Cheeseekau, Joseph Brant, and other prominent leaders to hammer an agreement on what to do. It was eventually decided that the tribal leaders would go back to their tribes and figure out a way to get weapons and be prepared to defend their lands to the death, and to keep the lines of communication open to unite if needed. The confidence that the Indians had was increased by two events that happened on the final day of the Conference.

The first was that in the early morning hours there was a shooting star that passed over where a young chief from the Shawnee was sleeping. Tecumseh was the younger brother of Cheeseekau, and had seen that the settlers would stop at nothing and that it was impossible to stay out of conflicts. When he and his brother had gone to Vienna to attempt to convince the British to honor their commitments, the British had washed their hands of the matter, and both young men would never forget that gesture, and would play a critical part in the coming struggle for the future of the Old Northwest. The shooting star would be interpreted as a divine sign that Tecumseh would go on to become a great leader.

On the last day of the conference, the second event would happen that would go down as one of the greatest speeches in the history of the United States. Tecumseh may have only been 19 years old, but his charisma and leadership abilities had made him a name among the Shawnee, but this speech would put him on the radar of a much wider audience.

“The white men have come here for generations, and they are not to be trusted. All of their promises have been empty, and they do not honor the land and have defiled our sacred rights. We may all come from different bands and tribes, but we are facing a struggle that will determine the fate of both us, our children, and their descendants. This land was created so that we could all live together in harmony. We have done our best to uphold that sacred covenant with the Creator, but the white men seek to force us to give up that covenant so that we can follow their teachings and their God. It’s time to set aside our differences and make the white men pay dearly for their policies, and to make sure that our land stays our land.”

The United States had gained a formidable enemy, and one who would lead a desperate struggle that would forever change the country in ways that are still becoming known after 200 years.

Authors Note: Tecumseh is someone who I feel is one of the most interesting characters in US history, and his confederation was an interesting idea and had a decent chance of working if some things had gone differently. In TTL, Tecumseh will have a lot of success, and what he and his brother do will make America have to confront some truths. Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a comment or question if you have them.