The Fox and the Eagle - A Transatlantic Timeline

RangrimRumneheim

RangrimRumneheim

18 May 1778 - Walnut Grove Manor, Philadelphia, Colony/Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
There are a lot of things on William Howe's mind, most of them to do with the week facing him, his last week in America. Why what will they make of him back home? Why he may have conquered New York and seized Philadelphia, the rebel heart, but Washington has alluded him; the rebels only melting into the vast wildernesses of the continent. What will they say about Saratoga and Burgoyne? And perhaps lastly, what will Baron Amherst and his new armies think of it all?[1]

But tonight he will keep those thoughts out, because there are festivities[2], and they're for him. Why dear André[3] planned all this to send Howe off; parades, fireworks, banquets, dancing, all beside the Delaware; it's almost celebration, enough to assuage whether such celebration deserved...

"Sir! I have come with urgent news. May I escort you somewhere private?" bellows some officer. "Go on then, this better be important..."

Howe is brought into another room of Walnut Grove, where several of his subordinates, including Maj. Gen. Grant[4], have gathered around map on a table.
"Scouts have located a rebel encampment between us and the enemy main base at Valley Forge, this place called Barren Hill next to the Schuylkill River. There are four roads[5] in and out of a crossroads on the northeast side of the hill, overlooked by a Church that the enemy has also fortified. One road east leading to Germantown, another north to another crossroads, another south along the river, and small road winding west and then north along the river to nearby ford[5]; well-hidden that last one, good on the scouts for finding it. The plan is to move forces around Barren hill and block off each four of these escapes routes, then advance on rebels from all sides; they will be forced to surrender."
"Well done James. Say you lead those forces, and I'll arrive with the needed reinforcements. But that will be tomorrow...no you go tomorrow, and I'll follow the day after; I feel my celebration won't be finished anytime soon; I'll need rest. Good night."
Howe rejoins the festivities, though with the mildly happy anticipation of a trap in the making; maybe someone important is in that encampment, the higher-ups in England might like that.

2 June 1780 - Windsor Castle, Berkshire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain[6]
All is calm in Windsor Castle, at least as calm as possible, for his Majesty George III and his wife Charlotte. But then noises start to rumble outside, marching steps?
"What is that? Could anyone check? Dear?" - "I will darling."
Charlotte looks out the window to spy a column of soldiers marching into the grounds, passing through the gate; no one said anything about opening the gates...
A knocking on the front door starts, Charlotte can see that the column has reached the door, that must be it. - "Let them in!" - "Let who in?" - "It's the Army darling."
"What? Why is the Army here? The French can't have invaded..."
The soldiers rush into the room, the doors brushed wide open as an officer, only a lowly one, a messenger, approaches George.
"What is the meaning of this!"
​

"I'm sorry your Majesty, we are here for your protection…"​

Welcome, one and all, to my first timeline! I have been thinking about and loosely working on the idea of this timeline for a while now, before I even joined this site.

This timeline will start with paving the background to its central point-of-divergence; what will come to be known as the Regents' Coup[7] - a radical, pro-American, anti-Catholic coup against George III and the conservative government of Lord North. However, while the consequences of this event on Britain itself will be followed, and its effects on Europe even more so, the focus will be on the true intent of this timeline; the transformation of the United States into a multi-lingual, non-Anglophonic nation, the paving of America's path into fulfilling the promise of the Statue of Liberty[8], to be given the world's tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

Apologies in advance for any peculiarities of format or errors in my posts given this being my first attempt; it may be a while till my next postings given I used a free afternoon just to make this, a free afternoon away from the home and coursework I generally have; but I do hope to continue this timeline. I will be interested to see what you think.
[1] Referring to Jeffery Amherst, the former commander of British American forces during the Seven Years' War.
In OTL he was considered as a successor for Howe, but demanded that forces in America be increased to 75,000* if he was to defeat the rebels.
The government rejected these requests and instead promoted Howe's lieutenant, Henry Clinton, and made Amherst Commander-in-Chief of the British Army.
One of several sub-PODs in this timeline is that Amherst's requests are granted.
[2] The Mischianza.
[3] John André, who in OTL would play a key role in Benedict Arnold's defection.
[4] James Grant, former governor of East Florida.
[5] In OTL, Washington sent 2,200 men under Lafayette to encamp at Barren Hill (now Lafayette Hill), in order to scout out an anticipated British withdrawal from Philadelphia, and to harass supply routes related to that. In OTL British scouts discover the enemy presence, but did not discover westward road to Matson Ford, which Lafayette used to withdraw his forces with minimal casualties. Another POD of this timeline is the British discovery and blocking of this road.
[6] The true POD.
[7] OTL Gordon Riots
[8] Though, for reasons to be explained, the Statue of Liberty will not exist in this timeline.
 
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Anarch King of Dipsodes

At this time, the white population of America north of Mexico (even including Texas, New Mexico, and California) is at least 75% anglophone. So is the black population. Both are growing rapidly. There would have to be massive additional non-anglophone immigration to change that balance. Also severely reduced anglophone immigration.

One current that would have to be bucked is the natural assimilation of minor non-anglo immigrant groups to anglophone, that being the dominant language of discourse. And the more Swedes or Poles or Greeks assimilate to anglo, the more dominant English will be, and the more Germans and Italians will assimilate.

Because they're all going to assimilate to something, unless America is broken up into ethnically exclusive tracts, with each immigrant population settling in one area.
 
RangrimRumneheim

RangrimRumneheim

Kellan Sullivan said:
out of curiosity, why would the Gordon Riots trigger a coup?
Click to expand...
Well, not to spoil too much of the timeline, there are three mini-PODs intended to converge on this result.
  1. Lord North's government agree to Jeffery Amherst's demand to increased troop commitment in America (up to 75,000).
    • With his core demand granted Amherst becomes Commander-in-Chief in America instead of Henry Clinton.
    • This also means Amherst doesn't become Commander-in-Chief of the British Army.
  2. The troops who discovered Lafayette's presence at Barren Hill[1] also discover the sunken riverside road between Matson Ford and Barren Hill.
    • This cuts off Lafayette's OTL escape route during the Battle of Barren Hill, resulting in the encirclement and capture of him and his forces[2].
    • The resigned William Howe returns to England with an additional victory under his belt, providing additional criticism against charges of incompetence, and combined with POD 1, allowing Howe to become CIC of the British Army in Amherst's stead.
  3. Charles James Fox has an earlier split with Edmund Burke[3], influencing Fox to move away from his mentor's support for Catholic emancipation.
    • The specific nature of this POD will probably change as it is the POD I have least though out, nevertheless its general effect is to allow Charles James Fox to tolerate or support co-operation with Lord George Gordon and his Protestant Association.
These three PODs and their ensuing butterflies have four key effects.
  1. Amherst's aggressive tactics and escalation of the American War[4], and the consequent increase in losses and economic issues, serve to intensify anti-war and anti-government sentiment, particularly among the lower classes that support the Gordon Riots in OTL.
  2. William Howe, who before the war had disagreed with government policies in America, will slowly come to sympathise (privately) with this anti-war sentiment, particularly in the face of Amherst's brutality.[4]
  3. Charles James Fox will begin more and more to travel in anti-Catholic and anti-clerical circles, where fear has erupted over the Papists Act of 1778[5]. This will coincide with the intensification of Fox's own pre-existing opposition to the War, and towards George III and Lord North.
The coup itself will have four prongs to its conspiracy, those being:
  1. Lord George Gordon will mobilise the masses of London against Parliament and other key centres of power, similar to in OTL.
  2. William Howe will mobilise supporting sections of the British Army to secure control of the King, and to help seize Parliament by giving military backing to its purging.
  3. Charles James Fox will grant rebel access to Parliament, and then mobilise his allied rump of the House of Commons to form a new radical cabinet.
  4. Prince George (OTL George IV) will cooperate with Fox, a close personal and political friend, in passing a Regency Act[6] to pass royal power from the King to the Prince, in exchange for parliamentary restrictions of the King's regency powers.
The new radical government would then seek to reverse Catholic emancipation, end the American War as soon as possible, and pass a suite of radical and populist reforms, including to expand franchise and centralise power towards the House of Commons. My ultimate intent beyond this point is for this to prompt an anti-Catholic and militaristic shift in British foreign policy compared to OTL, and by extension altering the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars. Beyond that will be for me to determine and you to find out.
[1] As depicted in my first post.
[2] 2,200 men and 5 guns, minus undetermined combat losses.
[3] In OTL Fox and Burke split in 1791 over opposing views on the French Revolution, with Fox supporting it and Burke opposing it.
[4] There isn't too much information on Amherst's potential plans in America, but based on his request for more troops, and his conduct in Pontiac's War (vis-a-vis suggesting biological warfare), I have decided to interpret a less restrained war strategy compared to OTL, if also for reasons of influencing the POD in the necessary direction.
[5] The Act allowed Catholics to circumvent imposed disabilities of the Penal Act through an oath of allegiance to the King. It also reduced restrictions on priests and inheritance.
[6] Similar in manner to the OTL Regency Acts in 1789 (which was aborted) and 1811 (which passed). In both cases Parliament planned to bypass royal assent by having other individuals use the 'Grand Seal of the Realm'.
 
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Kellan Sullivan

RangrimRumneheim said:
Well, not to spoil too much of the timeline, there are three mini-PODs intended to converge on this result.
  1. Lord North's government agree to Jeffery Amherst's demand to increased troop commitment in America (up to 75,000).
    • With his core demand granted Amherst becomes Commander-in-Chief in America instead of Henry Clinton.
    • This also means Amherst doesn't become Commander-in-Chief of the British Army.
  2. The troops who discovered Lafayette's presence at Barren Hill[1] also discover the sunken riverside road between Matson Ford and Barren Hill.
    • This cuts off Lafayette's OTL escape route during the Battle of Barren Hill, resulting in the encirclement and capture of him and his forces[2].
    • The resigned William Howe returns to England with an additional victory under his belt, providing additional criticism against charges of incompetence, and combined with POD 1, allowing Howe to become CIC of the British Army in Amherst's stead.
  3. Charles James Fox has an earlier split with Edmund Burke[3], influencing Fox to move away from his mentor's support for Catholic emancipation.
    • The specific nature of this POD will probably change as it is the POD I have least though out, nevertheless its general effect is to allow Charles James Fox to tolerate or support co-operation with Lord George Gordon and his Protestant Association.
These three PODs and their ensuing butterflies have four key effects.
  1. Amherst's aggressive tactics and escalation of the American War[4], and the consequent increase in losses and economic issues, serve to intensify anti-war and anti-government sentiment, particularly among the lower classes that support the Gordon Riots in OTL.
  2. William Howe, who before the war had disagreed with government policies in America, will slowly come to sympathise (privately) with this anti-war sentiment, particularly in the face of Amherst's brutality.[4]
  3. Charles James Fox will begin more and more to travel in anti-Catholic and anti-clerical circles, where fear has erupted over the Papists Act of 1778[5]. This will coincide with the intensification of Fox's own pre-existing opposition to the War, and towards George III and Lord North.
The coup itself will have four prongs to its conspiracy, those being:
  1. Lord George Gordon will mobilise the masses of London against Parliament and other key centres of power, similar to in OTL.
  2. William Howe will mobilise supporting sections of the British Army to secure control of the King, and to help seize Parliament by giving military backing to its purging.
  3. Charles James Fox will grant rebel access to Parliament, and then mobilise his allied rump of the House of Commons to form a new radical cabinet.
  4. Prince George (OTL George IV) will cooperate with Fox, a close personal and political friend, in passing a Regency Act[5] to pass royal power from the King to the Prince, in exchange for parliamentary restrictions of the King's regency powers.
The new radical government would then seek to reverse Catholic emancipation, end the American War as soon as possible, and pass a suite of radical and populist reforms, including to expand franchise and centralise power towards the House of Commons. My ultimate intent beyond this point is for this to prompt an anti-Catholic and militaristic shift in British foreign policy compared to OTL, and by extension altering the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars. Beyond that will be for me to determine and you to find out.
[1] As depicted in my first post.
[2] 2,200 men and 5 guns, minus undetermined combat losses.
[3] In OTL Fox and Burke split in 1791 over opposing views on the French Revolution, with Fox supporting it and Burke opposing it.
[4] There isn't too much information on Amherst's potential plans in America, but based on his request for more troops, and his conduct in Pontiac's War (vis-a-vis suggesting biological warfare), I have decided to interpret a less restrained war strategy compared to OTL, if also for reasons of influencing the POD in the necessary direction.
[5] Similar in manner to the OTL Regency Acts in 1789 (which was aborted) and 1811 (which passed). In both cases Parliament planned to bypass royal assent by having other individuals use the 'Grand Seal of the Realm'.
Click to expand...

If Amherst gets what he wants, the Yanks are screwed seven ways to Sunday
Howe won't be so bitter if he's CiC of the British Army. And if he's CiC, it's very hard for the army to court martial him for incompetence when every chain-of-command in the army runs back to him. It's gonna give junior officers some mutinous ideas about court martialling their own superiors.
Fox becoming some pro-coup person is beyond the pale. What led to this?
Also, George III was a staunch Anglican, why would he have allowed wholesale Catholic Emancipation when the '45 is still within living memory?
 
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