No problem. I'll look forward to procrastinating from my own university work to read this. 😉
Northstar
The Revenge of the Crown : An Alternate 1812 and Beyond.
- Thread starter Sarthak
- Start date
No problem. I'll look forward to procrastinating from my own university work to read this. 😉
Northstar
Quite good so far! 
It's amazing to me how the WO1812 is one of the great neglected conflicts of history (unless you're Canadian, in which case it's a defining moment ), yet a different outcome (which was easily possible at numerous junctures) would've changed subsequent history considerably.
Here's a couple resources you may find useful, and if not at least fascinating timekillers: https://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/
The 1st is the Newberry Atlas of Historical County Boundaries - click a state then select a year. May come in handy if some nay-sayer (I will mention no names) jumps in to blab about how many Americans were already in the Northwest and West.
The second is the LoC's collection of the Royce Maps, along with a handy numbered list of treaties, with details of tribes involved, some with info on how boundaries were determined, etc. Cross-reference the numbers on the parcel with the number on the treaty list, and you get a pretty good idea of what tribes were where, and how much land they held or claimed.
Here's a collection with just the maps, that's a little easier to use:
It's amazing to me how the WO1812 is one of the great neglected conflicts of history (unless you're Canadian, in which case it's a defining moment ), yet a different outcome (which was easily possible at numerous junctures) would've changed subsequent history considerably.Here's a couple resources you may find useful, and if not at least fascinating timekillers: https://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/
The 1st is the Newberry Atlas of Historical County Boundaries - click a state then select a year. May come in handy if some nay-sayer (I will mention no names
) jumps in to blab about how many Americans were already in the Northwest and West.
Indian Land Cessions in the United States, 1784-1894 (U.S. Serial Set, Numbers 4014 and 4015) | Century Presentations | Articles and Essays | A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates 1774-1875 | Digital Co
Indian Land Cessions in the United States, 1784-1894 is in U.S. Congressional Serial Set, Number 4015, which contains the second part of the two-part Eighteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1896-1897.
memory.loc.gov
Here's a collection with just the maps, that's a little easier to use:
Indian Land Cessions in the United States
In the spring of 1996, a group of genealogists led by Jeff Murphy organized the Kentucky Comprehensive Genealogy Database Project, which evolved into the KyGenWeb Project. The idea was to provide a single entry point for genealogy data and research for all counties in Kentucky. In addition, the...
usgwarchives.net
Thanks for the maps!Quite good so far!
Here's a couple resources you may find useful, and if not at least fascinating timekillers: https://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/
The 1st is the Newberry Atlas of Historical County Boundaries - click a state then select a year. May come in handy if some nay-sayer (I will mention no names
The second is the LoC's collection of the Royce Maps, along with a handy numbered list of treaties, with details of tribes involved, some with info on how boundaries were determined, etc. Cross-reference the numbers on the parcel with the number on the treaty list, and you get a pretty good idea of what tribes were where, and how much land they held or claimed.Indian Land Cessions in the United States, 1784-1894 (U.S. Serial Set, Numbers 4014 and 4015) | Century Presentations | Articles and Essays | A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates 1774-1875 | Digital Co
Indian Land Cessions in the United States, 1784-1894 is in U.S. Congressional Serial Set, Number 4015, which contains the second part of the two-part Eighteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1896-1897.memory.loc.gov
Here's a collection with just the maps, that's a little easier to use:
Indian Land Cessions in the United States
In the spring of 1996, a group of genealogists led by Jeff Murphy organized the Kentucky Comprehensive Genealogy Database Project, which evolved into the KyGenWeb Project. The idea was to provide a single entry point for genealogy data and research for all counties in Kentucky. In addition, the...usgwarchives.net
No problem
Be careful though, they're easy to get lost in!Ficboy
Banned
Wonder how Manifest Destiny and the Civil War are affected by a more successful joint British-Canadian assault into Upper New York.
Oh snap, could we actually have a Tecumseh victorious here? I don't think I've ever seen a TL where he gets to keep his confederacy
It wouldn't surprise me if this resulted in a much more militant USA who could even more easily wipe the floor with the Mexicans.
I could easily see a trans-Atlantic cold war develop over this if the USA gets beaten up badly enough, have them team up with the French after the Napoleonic wars against the British Empire.
I could easily see a trans-Atlantic cold war develop over this if the USA gets beaten up badly enough, have them team up with the French after the Napoleonic wars against the British Empire.
Chapter 3: Some Relief.
Chapter 3: Some Relief.
***
“Respect everyone. But bow to no one.” – Tecumseh, of the Shawnee Tribe
“The Battle of the Niagara was a devastating blow to the United States of America. It opened up the northern frontier of the United States of America, particularly, Upper New York State completely to a British invasion led by Brock and aided by Sheaffe, aided also by Prevost’s actions in the New England border. Nonetheless, Brock was also a realist, and within a day he had secured the American side of the Niagara River, and had taken two key forts, Fort Niagara and Fort Schlosser with relatively low casualties. However the reinforcements from Rochester had begun to arrive by the end of the day, and Brock was in no hurry to overextend himself.
Brock had around 5,000 troops under his command by the end of the Battle of the Niagara, and despite securing the east of the Niagara, he needed to be able to hold it, which in military terms a very important object of war. Nonetheless, Brock stopped his advance after the Battle of the Niagara and instead settled down re-fortifying Fort Niagara and establishing a line of communication from Fort Niagara to Lewiston to Buffalo, where Sheaffe was based at. From there, Brock requested reinforcements of 2,000 to 3,000 troops from Prevost from either York or Kingston. Brock requested this order as winter started to settle in. The road situation in British North America was absolutely horrible. However some seasonal roads froze over and allowed easy travelling using these ‘ice’ roads. As said roads started to become seen, it would make it easier for Prevost to reinforce Brock with troops. Prevost accepted Brock’s offer, thankful that the man had been cautious enough to pause to consolidate his victory in the eastern side of the Niagara.
General Prevost.
However, Brock stopping his advance meant nothing but trouble for America in the long run. As Brock began shoring up his position on the eastern side of the river, he did something that had cost Smyth the Battle of the Niagara. Brock focused on his logistics. He began the construction of supply boats over the Niagara river, and sent all captured schooners in the river to York, where they would aid the British fleet being assembled there. Speaking about the British fleet, Brock also began planning for a plan of attack that would cement British naval dominance of Lake Ontario.
Brock knew that if he could dominate Lake Ontario and join up with Prevost’s forces that would turn south from Kingston, then the entirety of the American side of the lake would be occupied, and provide a dagger right into the heart of America. It would also further disrupt the trade of the New Englanders and increase the anti-war agitation being conducted by the Federalists in New England, which Brock knew about. However there was no proper admiral in Lake Ontario at the moment. Brock knew from Prevost that an admiral was being recalled from the Bahamas however. And that admiral would be Sir James Yeo. Yeo had reached Halifax harbor by the time Brock settled in Fort Niagara.
Captain Yeo.
Brock by this point realized that he would not be able to pursue the American forces without the reinforcements and Yeo arriving in York. And both would only happen in December or January of the next year. Accepting this fact, Brock however settled in on the American side of the river to winter the rest of the year. He ordered the construction of multiple bridges over the Niagara river, and especially on Grand Island which served as a major depot for the British forces on both sides of the river.
Nonetheless, Brock wasn’t going to stay inactive all winter long. He began contracting private merchants in British North America who would be able construct ships. Brock knew that the Americans wouldn’t even try to contest the British superiority in Sloops of War in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, however would try to do so in the manner of schooners. He contracted several merchants and private shipbuilders using the coffers of Upper Canada and the loot taken from the Americans to gain a contract with these private shipbuilders. After the contract was completed, these merchants returned to the British side of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie and started the construction of schooners. Schooners which would become the war winners in the lakes……” Isaac Brock At War, University of Quebec, 1972.
“Meanwhile the security of the British forces in York, and the capture of Detroit and Niagara meant that the British forces in the area experienced a lot of free mobility. One Lieutenant Colonel William McKay of loyalist background, who was a fur trader of some fame, had been on the way to Quebec to raise Canadian voyageurs for the war. However with the Niagara and Detroit secure, the need to have a large force of voyageurs evaporated, and when news arrived to him in his inn in York, he took account of the voyageurs he had with him. He had around 180 voyageur corps from all around from Rupert’s Land and Upper Canada. He had been trying to go to Montreal and Quebec to raise more, however with the new developments, found his numbers adequate enough. He and the Corps of Canadian Voyageurs were ordered by Prevost to secure the waterways of the Western Front of the War of 1812, where despite the lull in the fighting in the Niagara, was raging on in full might.
William McKay.
The British victory at Niagara meant that Brock had started to stockpile weapons, however without an active engagement to fight in, British ammunition supplies were diverted towards the west, where Tecumseh, and the British forces under Colonel Henry Proctor. Colonel Henry Proctor can be summarized by the following quote by Isaac Brock after the War of 1812:-
‘To some he remains a monster. To some he remains a coward. He is neither – merely the victim of consequences and events, a brave officer but weak in will, capable enough except in times of stress, a man of modest pretensions. The prisoner of events beyond his control.’
Nonetheless, Proctor’s quite racist handling of his Native Indian allies made many in the British higher ups in British North America turn at him with the inquisitive eye. In this war with America, Britain needed absolute cohesion between their native indian allies and the british forces, and they could not accept such misconduct which would lead to lack of cohesion between the allies. Proctor was recalled by Prevost on the onset of November, after a heavy fight had broken out between Tecumseh and Proctor on the subject of strategy of invading the American Northwest. In Proctor’s place, William McKay was sent to Detroit to command the British forces there. And whilst Tecumseh would never get along with any British soldier as he did with Isaac Brock, he found McKay to be a suitable replacement. Tecumseh would later go on to state:
‘Brock and I got along well. He understood my plight and the plight of my people. And despite both of our tries, Proctor and I could not understand one another, and he had to be withdrawn. Nonetheless, in McKay I found a kindred spirit and a friend as well. Both of us would go on to reclaim our lands. For that I am thankful to both McKay and Brock.’
But, for the winter, even Tecumseh did not engage the Americans in direct confrontation, knowing the hardships of nature more than anyone else. Instead he used the free time he had to shore up his people. He contacted more and more tribes all over the old American Northwest, and as his influence grew, more and more Indian warriors, enthralled by the prospect of fighting against their American foes, and their confidence strengthened by Brock’s advance came to Tecumseh in the droves, and McKay later tabulated around 700 to 900 Indian warriors who joined up with Tecumseh over the course of the winter. These Indian Warriors also provided Britain with a unique set of events. On their way north, these Warriors raided American depots, storage's, and ambushed American patrols, which led to the American government placing multiple amounts of patrols in the West as well, which would remain a manpower drain on America for the rest of the war.
However like his friend in Fort Niagara, Tecumseh wasn’t simply sitting idle writing to his Indian allies either. Throughout the winter, he used his Indian troops to construct better lines into British North America, which helped him and McKay shore up their supply lines from Canada. He also began training much of his troops in Detroit through the winter, and equipped the new warriors with raided weapons from American camps. When the winter would end, Tecumseh’s warriors would be a force to be reckoned with……” Tecumseh’s Warriors, Imperial Publishing, 1946.
“Meanwhile as Brock shored up his supplies and wintered the cold winter, one John Norton of the British Army also began to shore up support for the war among the Iroquois population of America. John Norton is a very unique case in the history of Native Americans. He would rise to become extremely respected and become the second High Chief of the Karahkwa Confederacy. He was born in the 1770s to a Cherokee father and a Scottish mother. He was raised in Scotland and followed his Cherokee father into the British army. His Cherokee father is said to have fought the Americans during the American Revolutionary War alongside the British forces. At the age of 16 he found himself stationed in Quebec alongside the rest of his regiment. During this time he deserted the army and it is during this time that he became involved with the Six Grand Nations of the Grand River. For a time, Norton taught at the Bay of Quinte, an Iroquois village west of Kingston. He also began the first of many of his rambles throughout North America, travelling through the Ohio region as a trader and establishing many contacts. The call of the Grand River settlement proved to be stronger however. Norton was especially inspired by the local Mohawk chief, Thayendanega (Joseph Brant). Norton acquired Mohawk language and culture, and was adopted into the community as Thayendanega’s nephew. He acquired the status of chief from his adopted uncle and was given the name ‘Tyoninhokarawen’, which is Mohawk for open door. The name suggests to us that Norton had a strong dual nature; he was a chief for peace and a chief for war. Norton, like Tecumseh came to believe that the best hope for the First Nations lay in native solidarity. The multi-ethnic nature of the Grand River community simply reinforced this vision. Embarking on a year-long journey in 1809, Norton traveled south to learn about his Cherokee history and ancestry where he became acquainted with the conditions of other First Nations within the United States of America.
John Norton of the Mohawks, or Tyoninhokarawen of the Mohawks.
As the Anglo-American conflict approached in 1812, Norton was considered an obvious ally by the British Administration. He had retained aspects of his white heritage (he was a devout Anglican) and had maintained close contact with the British while living on the Grand River. Norton famously distrusted politicians, an irony considering he would become one on the future. He preferred dealing with military leaders and it was through a military alliance that Norton hoped to make gains for the First Nations. Despite Norton’s influence, many of the Iroquois were wary of an alliance with either of the Americans or British. But Norton had the support of a young hereditary chief of the Grand River Community, Brant’s son Ah’You’wa’eghs. Together they secured a sizeable force with which to fight with General Sir Isaac Brock. Norton and his warriors were present at Detroit, Queenston Heights and the Battle of the Niagara.
Nonetheless, the solid British victory at Niagara managed to gain the confidence of the majority of the Iroquois nations. Under Norton, the Mohawk tribe had already committed themselves to the fight, and with the British restoring confidence among the natives towards Britain and possible British victory in the war, the Oneida Tribe, Onondaga, Tuscarora, and the Cayuga tribes all decided to aid the British during the War of 1812. In late November, 1812, the warriors of these tribes would embark to meet Isaac Brock and reach the Niagara where the 4 tribes, with warriors totaling 1400 swore alliance with the British crown until the end of the war with America, until when Brock promised to get the best deal for the native americans of the Iroquois tribe. Most notably Seneca tribe did not take part in this, however promised to stay neutral as their sister first nations went to war. Nonetheless, the Iroquois would play a massive role in the War of 1812, and they would be rewarded for it at Ghent in 1814…….” The First Nations At War, University of Kathmandu, Nepal, 1908.
Presidential Nominee DeWitt Clinton.
“After the end of the Battle of the Niagara, the news of the failed battle came only hours after the electoral ballot had been counted by the government and the electoral commission. The War of 1812 heavily overshadowed the campaign for the 1812 Presidential Election, much to Madison’s favor. Clinton continued his regional campaigning, adopting an anti-war stance in the Northeast which was the most adversely affected and a pro-stance in the South and West. The election ultimately hinged upon New York and Pennsylvania and while Clinton took his home state of New York, he failed to take Pennsylvania and thus lost the election. Though Clinton lost, the election was the best showing of the Federalists since that of Adams, as the party made gains in Congress and kept the presidential election reasonably close. Clintonite Democratic-Republicans in many states refused to work with their Federalist counterparts, notably in Pennsylvania and Clinton was generally regarded by most as the Federalist candidate, though he was not formally nominated by them. Madison was the first president in the history of the US history, to win re-election with a lower percentage of the electoral vote than in their prior elections, as Madison won 69.3% of the electoral vote in 1808, but only won 58.7% of the electoral votes in 1812. Additionally, Madison was the first president to win re-election with a smaller percentage of the popular vote than in prior elections, although in 1812, only 6 of the 18 states chose electors by popular vote.
Electoral Map of the election of 1812.
After the re-election of Madison, the news of the British victory at Niagara arrived to the rest of New York and the rest of the Northeast and America. Particularly in Washington, no one among the Democratic-Republicans had any time to celebrate their victory as defeatism permeated through the air. William Eustis resigned as Secretary of War and was filled in temporarily by James Monroe. One aide de camp of the president would later write ‘the atmosphere is most frightened. The president had been re-elected but right after news arrived about the defeat at the Niagara. The redcoats were in position to attack and now no one knew what to do.’
Monroe immediately ordered troops from the West to be diverted to the Niagara Front, however only found the regular troops willing to be transferred, as the militia refused to cross over into other states and aid them. The states backed their militia citing states right. Because of this Monroe found only 600 to 800 troops available to be transferred to the Niagara front instead of the 2000 like he wanted. This would be a problem throughout the entirety of the war. Nonetheless, the loss of 600 regular troops from the Western Front would make Tecumseh’s work even easier in the future.
Prominent Federalist John Lowell Jr.
As the end of the Battle of the Niagara was left to circulate in the public, the public mood immediately after the elections erupted into classic political polarization. The Federalists blamed the Democratic-Republicans for dragging them into this war, and the Democratic-Republicans blamed the Federalists for not working or cooperating with them for the war effort. Famed member of the Federalist Party, and lawyer by trade, John Lowell Jr, a man from Massachusetts would lambast the Democratic-Republicans with fiery and eloquent speeches for dragging them into this war. He would also write two prominent articles. One was named Mr. Madison’s War, and the other was named Why New England Should Put Her Priorities First……” A Political History of the War of 1812, Imperial Tejas University, 1994.
***
***
“Respect everyone. But bow to no one.” – Tecumseh, of the Shawnee Tribe
“The Battle of the Niagara was a devastating blow to the United States of America. It opened up the northern frontier of the United States of America, particularly, Upper New York State completely to a British invasion led by Brock and aided by Sheaffe, aided also by Prevost’s actions in the New England border. Nonetheless, Brock was also a realist, and within a day he had secured the American side of the Niagara River, and had taken two key forts, Fort Niagara and Fort Schlosser with relatively low casualties. However the reinforcements from Rochester had begun to arrive by the end of the day, and Brock was in no hurry to overextend himself.
Brock had around 5,000 troops under his command by the end of the Battle of the Niagara, and despite securing the east of the Niagara, he needed to be able to hold it, which in military terms a very important object of war. Nonetheless, Brock stopped his advance after the Battle of the Niagara and instead settled down re-fortifying Fort Niagara and establishing a line of communication from Fort Niagara to Lewiston to Buffalo, where Sheaffe was based at. From there, Brock requested reinforcements of 2,000 to 3,000 troops from Prevost from either York or Kingston. Brock requested this order as winter started to settle in. The road situation in British North America was absolutely horrible. However some seasonal roads froze over and allowed easy travelling using these ‘ice’ roads. As said roads started to become seen, it would make it easier for Prevost to reinforce Brock with troops. Prevost accepted Brock’s offer, thankful that the man had been cautious enough to pause to consolidate his victory in the eastern side of the Niagara.
General Prevost.
However, Brock stopping his advance meant nothing but trouble for America in the long run. As Brock began shoring up his position on the eastern side of the river, he did something that had cost Smyth the Battle of the Niagara. Brock focused on his logistics. He began the construction of supply boats over the Niagara river, and sent all captured schooners in the river to York, where they would aid the British fleet being assembled there. Speaking about the British fleet, Brock also began planning for a plan of attack that would cement British naval dominance of Lake Ontario.
Brock knew that if he could dominate Lake Ontario and join up with Prevost’s forces that would turn south from Kingston, then the entirety of the American side of the lake would be occupied, and provide a dagger right into the heart of America. It would also further disrupt the trade of the New Englanders and increase the anti-war agitation being conducted by the Federalists in New England, which Brock knew about. However there was no proper admiral in Lake Ontario at the moment. Brock knew from Prevost that an admiral was being recalled from the Bahamas however. And that admiral would be Sir James Yeo. Yeo had reached Halifax harbor by the time Brock settled in Fort Niagara.
Captain Yeo.
Brock by this point realized that he would not be able to pursue the American forces without the reinforcements and Yeo arriving in York. And both would only happen in December or January of the next year. Accepting this fact, Brock however settled in on the American side of the river to winter the rest of the year. He ordered the construction of multiple bridges over the Niagara river, and especially on Grand Island which served as a major depot for the British forces on both sides of the river.
Nonetheless, Brock wasn’t going to stay inactive all winter long. He began contracting private merchants in British North America who would be able construct ships. Brock knew that the Americans wouldn’t even try to contest the British superiority in Sloops of War in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, however would try to do so in the manner of schooners. He contracted several merchants and private shipbuilders using the coffers of Upper Canada and the loot taken from the Americans to gain a contract with these private shipbuilders. After the contract was completed, these merchants returned to the British side of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie and started the construction of schooners. Schooners which would become the war winners in the lakes……” Isaac Brock At War, University of Quebec, 1972.
“Meanwhile the security of the British forces in York, and the capture of Detroit and Niagara meant that the British forces in the area experienced a lot of free mobility. One Lieutenant Colonel William McKay of loyalist background, who was a fur trader of some fame, had been on the way to Quebec to raise Canadian voyageurs for the war. However with the Niagara and Detroit secure, the need to have a large force of voyageurs evaporated, and when news arrived to him in his inn in York, he took account of the voyageurs he had with him. He had around 180 voyageur corps from all around from Rupert’s Land and Upper Canada. He had been trying to go to Montreal and Quebec to raise more, however with the new developments, found his numbers adequate enough. He and the Corps of Canadian Voyageurs were ordered by Prevost to secure the waterways of the Western Front of the War of 1812, where despite the lull in the fighting in the Niagara, was raging on in full might.
William McKay.
The British victory at Niagara meant that Brock had started to stockpile weapons, however without an active engagement to fight in, British ammunition supplies were diverted towards the west, where Tecumseh, and the British forces under Colonel Henry Proctor. Colonel Henry Proctor can be summarized by the following quote by Isaac Brock after the War of 1812:-
‘To some he remains a monster. To some he remains a coward. He is neither – merely the victim of consequences and events, a brave officer but weak in will, capable enough except in times of stress, a man of modest pretensions. The prisoner of events beyond his control.’
Nonetheless, Proctor’s quite racist handling of his Native Indian allies made many in the British higher ups in British North America turn at him with the inquisitive eye. In this war with America, Britain needed absolute cohesion between their native indian allies and the british forces, and they could not accept such misconduct which would lead to lack of cohesion between the allies. Proctor was recalled by Prevost on the onset of November, after a heavy fight had broken out between Tecumseh and Proctor on the subject of strategy of invading the American Northwest. In Proctor’s place, William McKay was sent to Detroit to command the British forces there. And whilst Tecumseh would never get along with any British soldier as he did with Isaac Brock, he found McKay to be a suitable replacement. Tecumseh would later go on to state:
‘Brock and I got along well. He understood my plight and the plight of my people. And despite both of our tries, Proctor and I could not understand one another, and he had to be withdrawn. Nonetheless, in McKay I found a kindred spirit and a friend as well. Both of us would go on to reclaim our lands. For that I am thankful to both McKay and Brock.’
But, for the winter, even Tecumseh did not engage the Americans in direct confrontation, knowing the hardships of nature more than anyone else. Instead he used the free time he had to shore up his people. He contacted more and more tribes all over the old American Northwest, and as his influence grew, more and more Indian warriors, enthralled by the prospect of fighting against their American foes, and their confidence strengthened by Brock’s advance came to Tecumseh in the droves, and McKay later tabulated around 700 to 900 Indian warriors who joined up with Tecumseh over the course of the winter. These Indian Warriors also provided Britain with a unique set of events. On their way north, these Warriors raided American depots, storage's, and ambushed American patrols, which led to the American government placing multiple amounts of patrols in the West as well, which would remain a manpower drain on America for the rest of the war.
However like his friend in Fort Niagara, Tecumseh wasn’t simply sitting idle writing to his Indian allies either. Throughout the winter, he used his Indian troops to construct better lines into British North America, which helped him and McKay shore up their supply lines from Canada. He also began training much of his troops in Detroit through the winter, and equipped the new warriors with raided weapons from American camps. When the winter would end, Tecumseh’s warriors would be a force to be reckoned with……” Tecumseh’s Warriors, Imperial Publishing, 1946.
“Meanwhile as Brock shored up his supplies and wintered the cold winter, one John Norton of the British Army also began to shore up support for the war among the Iroquois population of America. John Norton is a very unique case in the history of Native Americans. He would rise to become extremely respected and become the second High Chief of the Karahkwa Confederacy. He was born in the 1770s to a Cherokee father and a Scottish mother. He was raised in Scotland and followed his Cherokee father into the British army. His Cherokee father is said to have fought the Americans during the American Revolutionary War alongside the British forces. At the age of 16 he found himself stationed in Quebec alongside the rest of his regiment. During this time he deserted the army and it is during this time that he became involved with the Six Grand Nations of the Grand River. For a time, Norton taught at the Bay of Quinte, an Iroquois village west of Kingston. He also began the first of many of his rambles throughout North America, travelling through the Ohio region as a trader and establishing many contacts. The call of the Grand River settlement proved to be stronger however. Norton was especially inspired by the local Mohawk chief, Thayendanega (Joseph Brant). Norton acquired Mohawk language and culture, and was adopted into the community as Thayendanega’s nephew. He acquired the status of chief from his adopted uncle and was given the name ‘Tyoninhokarawen’, which is Mohawk for open door. The name suggests to us that Norton had a strong dual nature; he was a chief for peace and a chief for war. Norton, like Tecumseh came to believe that the best hope for the First Nations lay in native solidarity. The multi-ethnic nature of the Grand River community simply reinforced this vision. Embarking on a year-long journey in 1809, Norton traveled south to learn about his Cherokee history and ancestry where he became acquainted with the conditions of other First Nations within the United States of America.
John Norton of the Mohawks, or Tyoninhokarawen of the Mohawks.
As the Anglo-American conflict approached in 1812, Norton was considered an obvious ally by the British Administration. He had retained aspects of his white heritage (he was a devout Anglican) and had maintained close contact with the British while living on the Grand River. Norton famously distrusted politicians, an irony considering he would become one on the future. He preferred dealing with military leaders and it was through a military alliance that Norton hoped to make gains for the First Nations. Despite Norton’s influence, many of the Iroquois were wary of an alliance with either of the Americans or British. But Norton had the support of a young hereditary chief of the Grand River Community, Brant’s son Ah’You’wa’eghs. Together they secured a sizeable force with which to fight with General Sir Isaac Brock. Norton and his warriors were present at Detroit, Queenston Heights and the Battle of the Niagara.
Nonetheless, the solid British victory at Niagara managed to gain the confidence of the majority of the Iroquois nations. Under Norton, the Mohawk tribe had already committed themselves to the fight, and with the British restoring confidence among the natives towards Britain and possible British victory in the war, the Oneida Tribe, Onondaga, Tuscarora, and the Cayuga tribes all decided to aid the British during the War of 1812. In late November, 1812, the warriors of these tribes would embark to meet Isaac Brock and reach the Niagara where the 4 tribes, with warriors totaling 1400 swore alliance with the British crown until the end of the war with America, until when Brock promised to get the best deal for the native americans of the Iroquois tribe. Most notably Seneca tribe did not take part in this, however promised to stay neutral as their sister first nations went to war. Nonetheless, the Iroquois would play a massive role in the War of 1812, and they would be rewarded for it at Ghent in 1814…….” The First Nations At War, University of Kathmandu, Nepal, 1908.
Presidential Nominee DeWitt Clinton.
“After the end of the Battle of the Niagara, the news of the failed battle came only hours after the electoral ballot had been counted by the government and the electoral commission. The War of 1812 heavily overshadowed the campaign for the 1812 Presidential Election, much to Madison’s favor. Clinton continued his regional campaigning, adopting an anti-war stance in the Northeast which was the most adversely affected and a pro-stance in the South and West. The election ultimately hinged upon New York and Pennsylvania and while Clinton took his home state of New York, he failed to take Pennsylvania and thus lost the election. Though Clinton lost, the election was the best showing of the Federalists since that of Adams, as the party made gains in Congress and kept the presidential election reasonably close. Clintonite Democratic-Republicans in many states refused to work with their Federalist counterparts, notably in Pennsylvania and Clinton was generally regarded by most as the Federalist candidate, though he was not formally nominated by them. Madison was the first president in the history of the US history, to win re-election with a lower percentage of the electoral vote than in their prior elections, as Madison won 69.3% of the electoral vote in 1808, but only won 58.7% of the electoral votes in 1812. Additionally, Madison was the first president to win re-election with a smaller percentage of the popular vote than in prior elections, although in 1812, only 6 of the 18 states chose electors by popular vote.
Electoral Map of the election of 1812.
After the re-election of Madison, the news of the British victory at Niagara arrived to the rest of New York and the rest of the Northeast and America. Particularly in Washington, no one among the Democratic-Republicans had any time to celebrate their victory as defeatism permeated through the air. William Eustis resigned as Secretary of War and was filled in temporarily by James Monroe. One aide de camp of the president would later write ‘the atmosphere is most frightened. The president had been re-elected but right after news arrived about the defeat at the Niagara. The redcoats were in position to attack and now no one knew what to do.’
Monroe immediately ordered troops from the West to be diverted to the Niagara Front, however only found the regular troops willing to be transferred, as the militia refused to cross over into other states and aid them. The states backed their militia citing states right. Because of this Monroe found only 600 to 800 troops available to be transferred to the Niagara front instead of the 2000 like he wanted. This would be a problem throughout the entirety of the war. Nonetheless, the loss of 600 regular troops from the Western Front would make Tecumseh’s work even easier in the future.
Prominent Federalist John Lowell Jr.
As the end of the Battle of the Niagara was left to circulate in the public, the public mood immediately after the elections erupted into classic political polarization. The Federalists blamed the Democratic-Republicans for dragging them into this war, and the Democratic-Republicans blamed the Federalists for not working or cooperating with them for the war effort. Famed member of the Federalist Party, and lawyer by trade, John Lowell Jr, a man from Massachusetts would lambast the Democratic-Republicans with fiery and eloquent speeches for dragging them into this war. He would also write two prominent articles. One was named Mr. Madison’s War, and the other was named Why New England Should Put Her Priorities First……” A Political History of the War of 1812, Imperial Tejas University, 1994.
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I wonder if we will actually see an independent native nation or if they will merely get a nice bit of land within the British Crown.
The Federalists surviving would make for quite the change.
If they push the centralization too much an actual rebellion about states rights instead of slavery could be pretty interesting.
Alternatively an independent new England is also an cool option.
That is for the future indeed.
The federalists have an interesting future ahead that's for sure.
