Who should become the first president of new england?


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The Fleur de Lys on a white background that's the main part of the flag is basically taken from the flag of pre-revolutionary France. If that isn't meant as a tacit bid for Bourbon sympathy it's still very likely to be taken as such in France.
it was partially done to get French sympathy from France. The French republicans already like Louisiana as it is a republic, and royalists would probably sympathize because of its flag.
 
Well yes but also no. I do agree that there isn't enough people, let alone French speaking people to effectively claim the Louisiana Purchase territory, but I dunno if enough Angelo's migrated into the core lands, that being Louisiana, and maybe Arkansas and Missouri, to say that a French-Louisianan separatist movement wouldn't be feasible.
Looking up data...

OTl the popu of the louisiana purchase was: 240,000 - 275,000. Francophone (at least speak french in the purchased territory, how many of them were *french* is hard to say) population was something 150,000 to 200,000.
ITTL, pop is: 220,000 to 255,000 with francophone being 175,000 to 190,000.
 
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I'm really enjoying this timeline so far. As an American myself, I'm fascinated by the direction the US is going here. Though one nitpick I have is the Louisiana rebellion. There weren't really enough Frenchmen for that. It's far more plausible and likely that there's some sort of rebellion in Quebec. It was prone to rebellion in the 19th Century. I believe the last real serious attempt at some sort of armed rebellion was in the 1830's (1837 I think).
 
Chapter 17: Know Thy Enemy.
Chapter 17: Know Thy Enemy.

***

6th August, 1825

Le Flore


One Jean Caron was itching slightly as he and his party waited in the small cabin by Cedar Creek as the river flowed by. He and his men were waiting for three important guests as they tried to keep their nervousness from showing. The Comanche did have a fearsome reputation after all, and one that was well earned as well. Nonetheless, Jean Caron was here on behalf of the Louisianan people, and he would not fail them here.

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The cabin where the deal was made in Le Flore today in the modern times.

A few minutes later Jean Caron was sitting down on the table, a little irate as he looked at his watch time and again just in case, to see whether or not the time had arrived. A few seconds later one of his junior diplomats came up to him and whispered, “Monsieur, the Comanche of Penateka are here.”

Ah Oui. Bring them in.” Caron ordered as he stood up and readied himself. His servants and diplomats opened the door to his den as the three chiefs stood tall and proud. The first was of course Old Owl, or known in his tongue as Mupitsukupu, the second was Buffalo Hump, known in his tongue as Potsunakwahipu, and the third and last one was Iron Jacket or known in his tongue as Puhihwitsikwasu. The three had a fearsome reputation in the Wild West and the French population did have a history of dealing with them, so Caron was brought to forefront, as a diplomat and lawyer.

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The Commanche Warriors.

“Gentlemen. It is an honor to meet you three legendary war chiefs.” Caron began diplomatically and then beckoned them to sit down on the seats in front of Caron. “Please do sit. Fine wood imported from Anatolia they are.”

“Anatolia? Quite the ways away.” Came the dry accented voice of Iron Jacket. The man was wearing his iconic Spanish chain armor and sat down with a slight clunk as he looked at Caron. “It is also quite the ways away that I am together with old Buffalo Hump and Old Owl.”

“Do not patronize me as old.” Came the grumbling answer from Buffalo Hump as the man sat down as well. Old Owl sat down on his chair quietly instead and simply looked at Caron with some trepidation present in his eyes.

Caron broke the small silence that had enveloped them all. “It is an honor to have all of you here. I am Jean Caron. I am a diplomat in New Orleans, as well as a lawyer, and I am here on behalf of the French Republic of Louisiana.”

“Petty little rebellion.” Grumbled Buffalo Hump. “The ruckus between you Whites due to your rebellion has made all the game flee!”

“Ah yes, well we are terribly sorry about that.” Caron nodded and sat down handing some hot water to the men. “Anyways, I am here on behalf of President Dupre. I have been asked to ask you three, for an alliance. An alliance between us and you, war chiefs of the Penateka of Commancheria.”

“An alliance?” Asked Iron Jacket intrigued. He leaned forward and his eyes twinkled.

“Yes an alliance.” Caron affirmed. “Our spirits may be high, but our numbers are low. We are in need of your great warriors.”

“And what do you propose in return?” Buffalo Hump asked in a haughty voice.

“I propose the following. We will provide you with tribute every year or so, in the same manner that the province of New Mexico provides to you folk, and second, we will allow your people full gaming rights in our forests and should you wish it, to settle down in your lands.” Caron listed as he looked at the three war chiefs in front of him.

“I accept.” Came the gruff answer from Old Owl. “The money and gold is something that my war band needs, and for it, I will give my war band as a mercenary group to you should you need it, with my leadership as well. My 1,000 warriors are yours for this rebellion of yours.”

“So quick to answer Old Owl!” Guffawed Iron Jacket. “Nonetheless, the offer is tempting. And full gaming rights? Why the old Spaniards did not give us such a privilege, and I bloody miss them after they left Mexico.”

“Ah, but I must digress.” Iron Jacket murmured. “Very well, my 1,500 warriors are at your disposal. What say you Buffalo Hump?”

“I am wary of this.” Buffalo Hump stated plainly. “I do not wish to get entangled in the affairs of the white men.”

“It is our affair, primarily yes.” Caron acknowledged. “But tell me what do you know about the US government? They have been encroaching on native lands for decades by this point, and they wish to continue that trend, with your bands as their next target after the civil war. Come now, and hit them and strike them down when they are weak, or be preyed upon, when they regain their strength!”

Buffalo Hump sighed and nodded. “Very well. My 1,200 warriors are yours as well. We shall aid you in your……war of freedom is it?”

Oui.” Caron sighed in relief.

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The Commanche Warriors of the Penateka Tribe would be instrumental in the Louisianan War of Independence.

***

“…….With the recent developments in America coming to the attention of His Majesty Charles X of France, of the House Bourbon, the government and His Majesty convened in a grand meeting to discuss the state of affairs that we could afford in the New World. We still had significant Caribbean holdings from which we could project power should we need to, however the government was unsure whether or not we wanted to go to war with the United States of America.

France, certainly had the capability to project power into the Americas, and the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, however the fear remained that our neighbors, in particular, the Italian states, the German states, Netherlands, Britain and Spain would remain hostile to a resurgence of French intervening power and power projection. Nonetheless, whilst for the moment, no concrete decision about an intervention was made, the government did indeed plan on aiding our fellow Francophones in Louisiana in their righteous struggle for independence. His Majesty Charles X ordered and decreed that 10,000 rifles along with 350,000 rounds of ammunition be supplied to New Orleans. 5,000 pairs of boots, 1,000 sabers and swords, and 5,000 uniforms were also to be supplied to the port of New Orleans through our secret merchants and contacts in the Caribbean sea. Nonetheless, despite the fact that we would not intervene directly against the USA, the government made its final decision in regards to a military proposition. It was decided that a volunteer group of 7,500 troops would be sent to New Orleans to aid them in their fight. We would not go to war, and these troops would all be ‘volunteer troops’ who would be asked to volunteer from our army. They shall be sent to New Orleans under the command of General Sylvain Charles Valee and General Charles-Marie Denys de Damremont, as both have already shown interest in volunteering for the Brigades de Volontaires Francais en Louisiane (French Volunteer Brigades to Louisiana).

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Sylvain Charles Valee

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Charles-Marie Denys de Damremont

The media was also being asked by His Majesty Charles X to write write-ups in favor of the Louisianan nationalists and portray them in the best light possible. Journalists in service of the Kingdom were already being called into duty in doing so.

All in all, for the moment we remain on the sidelines, but still in the shadows working with our fellow Francophones in the New World. As it should be………..” Page 176 of Prince Jules de Polignac’s Diary.

***

9th August 1825

Calcutta


Frederick Lewis Maitland was looking at the orders given to him with some amount of aghast present in his voice. He looked at the letterman again and asked “Is this a valid order?”

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Maitland, the admiral who opened Japan.

“Yes, you are to take your fleet to Japan and force them to repeal their new edict of Foreign Restriction. The government of His Majesty will not tolerate such un-economical acts in the region, especially as the government seeks to expand its dominance over the Near East and the China station.” The man answered tiredly.

“Fine.” Maitland groused. “To Japan then?”

“Take HMS Wellesley with you.”

***

“From August 1 to August 10, as skirmishes erupted between the LNLA and the American unionists, the Louisianan Provisional Elections took place. The Provisional Elections were largely for all intents and purposes only conducted in Louisiana proper and St. Louis, however it did cement the political processes in Louisiana. Whilst everyone running for the provisional elections during wartime were allies, there were of course factions.

Bernard De Marigny was the face of the Old Guard, and the conservative faction of the Louisianans. He favored conservatism and neutrality in foreign diplomatic affairs, and instead preferred isolationism. In the election, his party would garner 42 seats out of the 150 seats in election and 28% of the total vote.

Andre B. Roman was a young man and preferred progressive policies, and founded the Progressive bloc in Louisiana. The man was a progressive and did of course encourage progressiveness. His party also garnered 28% of the total vote and gained 42 seats.

Dupre himself was the leader of the Louisiana Nationalist bloc. Of course everyone in the election was nationalist but the man himself rode on a platform of heightened nationalism and regionalism and was a determined moderate between conservatism and progressiveness. His party won the majority of the votes at 30% and won 45 seats.

The last bloc was led by George A. Waggaman, who was an Anglophone collaborator with the Louisianan Nationalists and whilst he did support Louisiana, to secure the autonomy of the Anglophone population he founded the Anglophone Group bloc that ostensibly represented the Anglophone population of Louisiana. He gained 11% of the vote and 17 seats. Independents managed to nab 4 seats as well.

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The council was named the Chamber of Deputies and the voting suffrage for the election was largely in line with the voting suffrage of the old US. Notably Anglophones were also allowed to vote as long as they did not speak up against the Louisiana movement.

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The Louisianan Chamber of Deputies. Blue represents the Old guard, the Greens represent the Progressives, the Light Blue represents the Louisianan Nationalists and the Yellow represents the Anglophone group whilst the grey represents independents.

After the elections were over, Dupre was elected by the Chamber as their provisional President of the French Republic of Louisiana.” Political History of North America, University of Havana, 1998.

***
 
Can I just express some regret that it's Maitland and not Cochrane (who should have finished his escapades in South America by now) opening up Japan :biggrin:
 
I'm really enjoying this timeline so far. As an American myself, I'm fascinated by the direction the US is going here. Though one nitpick I have is the Louisiana rebellion. There weren't really enough Frenchmen for that. It's far more plausible and likely that there's some sort of rebellion in Quebec. It was prone to rebellion in the 19th Century. I believe the last real serious attempt at some sort of armed rebellion was in the 1830's (1837 I think).
I think the best comparison is Texas - there are considerably more Frenchmen in Louisiana in 1825 than there were Anglophone settlers in Texas in 1837.
 

Lusitania

Donor
I think the best comparison is Texas - there are considerably more Frenchmen in Louisiana in 1825 than there were Anglophone settlers in Texas in 1837.
There are several differences between Quebec (Lower Canada), Texas and French Louisiana.

In case of Lower Canada and Upper Canadá it was not so much a rebellion against Britain like in Texas against Mexico but a rebellion against the way the political and economic elites had taken over the two colonies and were governing them.

The Texas rebellion was about the refusal of English speaking settlers to bow to a Mexican government whom they saw as corrupt not against their own local government since they actually had a lot of autonomy and were for most past left alone. The other major factor was that American settlers population in Texas was considerable larger compared to Spanish population (as a % of the total population) this is not the case in lower Canada or in French Louisiana ittl where the French were majority.

If the Mexican government had the ability to send thousands of Spanish settlers to Texas it would of made the American revolt there more difficult as such they had an advantage that American settlers in French Louisiana do not have.

French Louisiana in 1820s was a crossroads. Another 10 years and the French would be a minority and their influence and power slowly diminish. The time period is actually the last possible time the revolt could happen. If the Americans now faced with two wars fail then their independence is guaranteed. The Americans will pay little attention to Louisiana for the most important goal is subdue the north. The feeling in US would be that once north is subdued then Louisiana will fall the might of the US.

Strategically the only thing I see the US government doing is blockading New Orleans. The problem with that is that it will lead o war with French and British who will not take kindly at American interfere in their right to go where they want.

FYI I do think that border states will raise new militias to first protect themselves since they can’t rely of federal government and then some hot head will attack French Louisiana.
 
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All kinds of craziness.

The addition of the Comanche to the Louisianan cause will shake things up considerably, as will all those French guns and other supplies.

I'm wondering exactly what the British/EIC forces are going to do in Japan, exactly. Send in the gunboats in order to get them to repeal the legislation, or kick the door in and force Japan to open up.
 
All kinds of craziness.

The addition of the Comanche to the Louisianan cause will shake things up considerably, as will all those French guns and other supplies.

I'm wondering exactly what the British/EIC forces are going to do in Japan, exactly. Send in the gunboats in order to get them to repeal the legislation, or kick the door in and force Japan to open up.
Hopefully no opium is involved
 
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