I'd love to write a new chapter sooner than later, but I can't come up with a compelling topic. What would you guys like to see expanded on or written about?
The Dominion and the Union: An Alternate North America
- Thread starter GoshDiggityDangit
- Start date
How are the Quebecois doing as part of America? Are the anti-Catholic prejudices of Anglo-America causing much tension? What is the state of canals linking the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes? That kind of thing could be interesting. For a broader suggestion if that doesn’t catch your interest, a pattern I see in many pre-1900 timelines is a focus on broader geopolitical topics with less focus given on things to smaller, more granular changes like cultural or economic issues.
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The Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Canals System (1817-1830)
The canal system grew out of an expansion of the Erie Canal, which is retroactively seen as the first canal in the system. Originally, the GLSLC was seen as an independent project from the Erie Canal, but as the Erie Canal became so central to the system, and as its completion spurred the development of the GLSLC, it has mostly been analysed as a part of the greater system by most in the modern day.
President John Quincy Adams (1820-1828) subsidised the project in an effort to alleviate the effects of the Panic of 1819. As the canal system expanded, protectionist trade policies began to be implemented. Therefore, goods produced in the US mostly remained in the US, being transported via the growing GLSLC system to states across the country, from Quebec to Indiana, through New York to New England. These policies and the increase of internal movement of goods helped raise the US out of its first economic depression.
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I see John Quincy Adams gets a second term. Does that mean he is more successful in implementing his desired policies? A national university, for one, would be an interesting change.
The Parti Patriote and the Parti Candien
Quebec’s regionally isolated position lent credence to the ideology of Canadian sovereignty within the US system. The Parti Canadien of 1821 sought to ensure the rights of French-speaking Catholics in the US. They advocated for a parallel system of government for Quebec, calling on the belief that states should have power alongside the federal government. Very popular in Quebec, the libertarian core of the Parti Canadien made it moderately popular in Canada and Acadia as well.
The Parti Canadien suffered some issues. Though popular in Quebec, and having some success in neighbouring states, the party would never be truly relevant outside of those states. Almost all successful Quebecois politicians were members of the Democratic-Republican party, and though most Quebecois Republicans supported a limited form of Quebec sovereignty, the greater goals of the Parti Canadien were not taken seriously in the wider nation. Radicalists in the party, who clung to the goal of Quebecois independence, sullied the reputation of the party as a whole.
The Parti Canadien would disband in 1832. Even with its success in the north of the USA, internal disagreements and continuous mockery beyond its homeland would lead to the downfall of the party. The ideals of the Parti Patriote and its successor, however, have remained relevant in American politics in the following centuries. Following the Tejano and Californio Rebellions, American nationalist fervour would lead to a crackdown on Quebecois-sovereignty supporting politicians, and politicians who supported independence were shunned even by their peers in Quebec. However, seemingly as soon as this tension died down, parties following in the footsteps of the Parti Canadien rose to prominence once again.
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I imagine this is an OTL map, because I highly doubt the Great Dismal Swamp canal would be completed across a border (not that it was much used regardless...).
I am almost salivating at the effect the integration of the St. Lawrence will have on Montreal, Canada, and Detroit in the coming decades.
I'm back on my conlanging shit so I won't update the TL for the foreseeable future. Love ya, see ya some other time!
Collaboration?
Hey all!
I know it's been a long time since I wrote any new parts for this timeline (though I am kinda working on one), and I understand that it may be a bit frustrating. In the interest of updating the timeline more frequently, I'm considering opening the timeline up for collaboration. I imagine that it could work like this:
I know it's been a long time since I wrote any new parts for this timeline (though I am kinda working on one), and I understand that it may be a bit frustrating. In the interest of updating the timeline more frequently, I'm considering opening the timeline up for collaboration. I imagine that it could work like this:
- Any persons who so choose to work with me on the timeline will be added to a group document (or something along those lines) to suggest developments. This would allow for the timeline to delve into concepts that I wouldn't come up with myself, e.g Arts and Culture, Economics, Warfare, etc.
- With a number of suggestions, I may deliberate on which I would prefer to write about, or open a strawpoll here or in the chat. I do have an idea of how I want the North American continent to eventually look, but my ideas are not solidified, and so I would be amenable to a shift away from my original ideas.
- Once a new part has been decided upon, the people in the collaboration can help write the new part. I am no skilled writer, and I am certain that many of the people who read this timeline are much better writers than I am. Allowing more people to write the parts could improve the experience of reading the timeline.
I'm interested. I'll see what I can offer for suggestions if I have the time.
I’m not sure if I have the means to commit to this full-time but I’d be happy to drop by suggestions when I can whether it be by PM, in this thread, or a test thread if you decide to open one (if you don’t have one).