Thoughts for the Americans to make limited gains in War of 1812
Here are some thoughts for the Americans to make limited gains in the War of 1812
1.) POD being in 1807 with no Embargo Act - With no Embargo act, New England trading economies would not be as hurt. New England would not be as disinclined with the Democratic Republicans foreign policy in 1812 having no knife put in their backs in 1807. Impressment would go on from 1807 through 1809, New Englanders at this point might be even more inclined to finally stand up to the British. (It would be interesting to know if any New England Congressmen voted for the Embargo Act)
2.) As with some of the previous responces, what if prior to the 1812 Declaration of War, the US deals with the Indians more effectively either by treaty or by eliminating them as a threat in the Northwest by building up a stronger military presence and settler presence in Indiana and Michigan sooner. Could this have happened with better roads extending the limits of civilisation from Ohio to Indiana to Michigan? Could the US afford to have more of a military presence in the Northwest and who would pay for it? What if instead of the embargo acts, Congress has the forsight in 1807 to slowly build up the US military and settler presence in the Northwest to the disadvantage of the Indians. And what if there was a professional US military that dealt with the Indians more effectivly, more successfully than OTL in the preceeding years?
With a greater US presence, when war is finally declared on the British in 1812, the main US thrust is from Michigan and over Lake Eerie. The Niagara front is defensive. The US forces then simply overrun the British from west to east at Niagara and Kingston, Ont. The British forces at Niagara are under seige. Kingston might be harder, but falls after Niagara. The US is in posession of Upper Canada.
There is no US hostilities towards Quebec, just defensive on Lake Champlain.
3.) End Game
- The US holds off British attempts to liberate Upper Canada, the US might even try to displace Loyalist settlers around Kingston
-the British blackde US ports OTL (New England suffers, but does not have the nasty taste of the Embargo Act this time)
- The US sees that it needs to conclude a peace
- Treaty of Ghent is signed where no one is suppose to gain territory
- US forgets to abandon the forts in Upper Canada much like the British did after the ARW, uses the time it gains to build up a little more respectable navy, brings in American settlers to the area.
The British are now challenged with having another go with the Americans, the War of 1818 or 1829 or leaving it be. The longer they leave it be, the more the US strengthens in the Upper Canada area, canals open in the 1820's and it is thoroghly linked to the US.