alternatehistory.com

Prologue
In late 1796, a vessel known as The Olive Branch left Ostende in europe, narrowly avoiding a Royal Navy patrol and arriving in Vermont with a cargo of 20,000 riffles & 24 canons. The purpose of this arsenal: to supply an army of Vermontese, Canadiens and French adventurers, lead by Vermont native Ira Allen, intended on freeing Lower Canada from the British yoke.

The Invasion
After months of semi-secretive training at various camps with the local authorities turning a blind eye to their actions, the army finally moved north into Lower Canada, managing to seize a few villages with minimal violence where they would hoist the flag of "United Colombia", the republic meant to unite Vermont and Lower Canada. The harsh winter would prevent any real counterattack by the British beyond skirmishes but would also prevent the invaders from seizing Fort St-Jean which they intended to serve as their linchpin to walking on Quebec City.

Within months of forced winter encampment, the officers and troops would come to realize that Allen was more interested in the economical advantages of the new country and less in allowing greater autonomy for the locals. When conflicts began in earnest in spring, the plunging morale of the troops combined with victories on the British side spelled the end of the United Colombia adventure with the leaders surrendering at Chambly after a token show of resistance.

The Aftermath
The British authorities came down hard on the rebels: leaders were executed, followers deported to penal colonies, land confiscated and some village burned to the ground. Despite these harsh measures, a large segment of the anglo-protestant population, especially among the merchant class, demanded that a lasting solution be found to the "Canadiens Problem" lest another uprising occurred within a few decades.

After much public debates in the colony and in the British Parliament, a two fold approach was adopted. First, the Quebec Act was repealed thus baring Canadiens from holding offices unless they renounced their Catholicism, thus helping to assimilate those with ambition. With this ban on Catholicism back in place, priests found themselves barred from the colony unless they received written permission from the governor (something which seldom happened) with the current "Roman catholic church superintendent" (as the catholic bishop was known to avoid sounding like the equal of an Anglican one) being the first to be told to leave. The authorities made it clear that a new superintendent could be named by the pope but would have to be approved by the Governor, a power of veto the catholic church was loath to give. Without the priests dispensing education, the only schooling available ended up being in anglo-protestant schools which was offered only in english and while technically secular, used the King James bible to teach reading.

The second measure further ensured marginalization of the Canadiens population by uniting Lower Canada, Upper Canada & New Brunswick into a single colony to be known as Wolfeland (after the conqueror of New France).
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