Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM

Chris’s timeline on peaceful secession made me wonder. Can we have two nations on the American continent to begin with? What would they be like?

More to the point, Scott’s TL ended up with an American Empire, but it sounded too dramatic a change. If you want an imperialist America, you need a change much farther back.

The problem with an American Empire is that while both the north and south wanted an Empire, they wanted it for different reasons, and all expansion was held up by the slave debate. So we need to have a government capable of flexing its muscles, as it were, at an earlier date. And we need to solve the slavery problem.

This implies an America which followed Hamilton’s advice, and industrialized earlier. But we need to do this fairly early. We need to separate Dixie from the Union, as well. How? I suggest Benjamin Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union.

In 1754, the Seven Years War raged across the world; it was unknown whether the forces of liberty (AKA the English) would triumph over the evil nation of France. Honest. The colonies, reeling from attacks from the Native Americans, sent delegates to Albany to discuss “a union between proprietary, charter, and royal governments”. That is to say, a union of the colonies.

Only 7 colonies sent delegates: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. The full document of the Albany Plan can be found online, and thus I will not retype it here, but basically:

1) It had a Grand Council, elected by the assemblies, with a President-General appointed by the King.

2) The Council could make peace or war with the tribes.

3) They can build settlements, or sell and buy land, until the crown establishes a proper colony.

4) “That they raise and pay soldiers and build forts for the defense of any of the Colonies, and equip vessels of force to guard the coasts and protect the trade on the ocean, lakes, or great rivers; but they shall not impress men in any Colony, without the consent of the Legislature.”

5) They may raise taxes and tariffs in order to pay for said vessels and forts.

6) Officers for the American Union shall receive commission from the President-General.

See http://www.constitution.org/bcp/albany.htm for more details.

Ultimately, the crown decided against it, on the basis that giving the Americans a standing army would be a bad thing.

So here’s our POD: Benjamin Franklin, the most famous colonial, travels to England to present it. The King eventually agrees, but there’s a catch. There are to be two unions: One for the northern states who sent delegates, known as the American Union, and the other one is to be the Dominion of Virginia. (It’s worth noting that George II wasn’t that aware of the geography of his colonies).

Franklin is a bit upset by this, because he feels that the colonies would be stronger in a single union, but he’s also aware of the differences between the north and south.

So, how does this end?

1754- In August, Parliament passes the Act of Union. William Braddock becomes the first president.

1755- George II, thinking of Hannover first and foremost, makes an alliance with Frederick of Prussia, guaranteeing diplomatic immunity for his electorate. Louis of France, in return, makes an alliance with Austria.

Meanwhile, in North America, the first units of the American Union march north. The American expedition up the Mohawk valley, which in OTL failed, succeeds here, because the colonial detachment is three times what it was in OTL. The French, in response, send three thousand men to the colonies.

And, finally, a French convoy carrying three thousand men to Canada is captured. (Note: In OTL, it almost was; the British bungled it, and most of the fleet got away. Here, thanks to butterflies, they managed to capture most of it).

1756- Maria Theresa, the French, and Czarina Elizabeth of Russia plan the partition of Prussia, along with the Elector of Saxony.

Frederick the Great, realizing what was going on, invades Saxony in August, and absorbs their army into his own. At the battle of Lobositz, Frederick defeats an Austrian army coming to relieve Saxony.

In “A day which shall live in infamy”, the French launch a surprise attack at Minorca. Relief efforts fail, and the French capture the island.

1757- In the new world, the British (and Americans) take Louisburg, in a naval assault. Fort Henry is besieged, and only relieved by troops from the Dominion of Virginia.

But in Europe, things are much more intense. The Duke of Cumberland raises a Hanoverian-Prussian-German army, which defeats the French at Hastenback. This battle was a defeat for the Hanoverians in OTL, but here they have British troops which are not in America; not many, but enough.

Frederick the Great, meanwhile, earns his namesake. He defeats the French at Rossbach, and then the Austrians in Silesia.

What does succeed here is the wooing of the Sardinians over to the side of the Allies. With British naval support, the Sardinians capture Corsica, which serves as a base to blockade the southern French coast.

1758- Frederick pushes the French back across the Rhine. He pursues, but his rear is threatened, and hence he withdraws.

Meanwhile, Frederick besieges Moravia in Bohemia, until the Austrians force him to withdraw. The Russians then cross the Oder, and threaten Berlin. Frederick manages to defeat them at Zorndorf, a costly victory. He is actually defeated by the Austrians in Saxony, although his strategic maneuvers buy him time, and mitigate the defeat.

Also this year, Quebec falls. On the Plains of Abraham, a bloody battle breaks out, which ends with the English victory. British troops are withdrawn by Pitt, in preparation for campaigns in the West Indies.

1759- British troops capture Martinique, a French Caribbean island. The British fleet decisively defeats the French off of Lagos, ending the threat of the invasion of England.

In Germany, meanwhile, the French again slog towards Hanover. Near Minden, Ferdinand captures an entire French army, and chases the French back to Warburg. Ferdinand captures Cologne, before being forced east to help Frederick.

Frederick has bungled at Kunersdorf, and lost nineteen thousand men to the Russian army. The Austrians have overrun Silesia. Prince Henry manages to cut off the Austrian lines of communication, however, forcing them to withdraw. The armies end the war exactly where they began. Plans are begun for the capture of Mauritius and Bourbon in the Indian Ocean; one year ahead of OTL because the north American front does not exist.

1760- The American army in Quebec holds against the French, who nearly retake the city. The British in the Caribbean, meanwhile, conquer Guadeloupe.

Frederick is facing perhaps his most difficult year. He manages to drive the Russians out of Silesia, defeats the Austrians at Liegnitz, and receives reinforcements from Ferdinand’s army in western Germany, because British troops have replaced them.

The French pressures on Spain to join the war amplify.

1761- The Spanish join the war ahead of schedule, thanks to pressure from France. The date is January, 1761. The British politely respond to this by capturing the Spanish treasure fleet, and capturing Havana in August. Manila falls in October, as well. This marks the beginning of the years of Victory.

Pitt was on the verge of resigning, due to hostility from George III’s policies. But since the Spanish entered the war, Pitt was proven correct. George does not yet have the support in Parliament that he would later have, and is forced to continue the war.

1762- The Spanish invade Portugal. In Germany, Ferdinand continues defeating French armies, defeating an army 70,000 strong with one that was only 40,000 strong. He manages to cut off their communications, and trap the French army.

The Spanish, reeling form the destruction of their fleet at Havana, invade Portugal. British soldiers are sent, and halt the Spanish advance.

Florida is captured.

Note: Some one reading this told me “Poor, poor Bourbons.” It probably is, but they’re facing a UK which can focus solely on the empire and Germany.

Finally, Czarina Elizabeth dies, and Peter ascends the throne. He quickly makes peace with Prussia, and evens supplies Frederick with troops. The Swedes withdraw from the war as well, leaving it as Prussia vs. Austria. The King of Sardinia uses this opportunity to invade Lombardy, taking much of the province.

And to round things off, the British capture Buenos Aires.

1763- Parliament is locked into two bitter factions, Newcastle and Pitt vs. George III’s supporters. They represent more than that, however: George III has the support of the landowners, who are grumbling about the high taxes. Pitt has the support of the merchants of London, who favor continuing the war. After all, the British fleet could basically take anything within the range of water, now. And the French are clearly on the ropes; the war in Germany has bogged down, and Austria has been forced out of the war. But George favors ending the war on a conciliatory manner.

The last major conflict in the war is the British attack on Haiti. The British succeed in landing, only to find out that the treaty of Paris had ended the war over a month ago.

The Treaty of Paris stated that:

1) Britain shall retain Florida, Canada, Martinique, , Buenos Aires, French possessions in India, and maintain exclusive fishing rights in North America.

2) Prussia shall receive lands from Saxony. These roughly comprise what Prussia got in 1815.

3) The Kingdom of Sardinia shall receive Corsica and Lombardy.

Unfortunately, there are already clouds on the horizon. Britain passes the Proclamation of 1763, refusing to let the colonists expand beyond Appalachians. There was a Pontiac’s Revolt in TTL, but it was put down largely with American soldiers.

Now, the colonists are furious. They pay a substantial portion of the cost for administering the newly conquered lands (30,000 lbs, of the 320,000 it requires), and they’re not allowed to settle it? William Otis, a printer, publishes a pamphlet with the words “American blood for English profit.”

Several important colonists accuse the British of passing the act to stop the colonists from expanding from sea to sea, as is in their colonial charters, in order to main proper control. They’re right, of course, but Parliament denies it.

1764- Braddock steps down as President-General, and is replaced by Benjamin Franklin. Under Franklin, the legislature passes several laws relating to matters of finance, including taxes and the military. By 1770, the American navy will have 7 frigates.

Revolution and Riots

Meanwhile, Parliament is busy. To raise money for the debts from the war, they pass the sugar act. Tariffs are placed on wine, coffee, sugar, and other luxuries. The tax is also placed on molasses imported from the West Indies. The tax had been in place before, but was never enforced.

The British Parliament also passes an act restricting the printing of money by colonial governments. As conglomerates of the colonies, the American Union’s delegate to London, William Patterson, argues that it is not covered by the Act.

Colonial outcry is furious. This violates their colonial charters, and if this is taxed, many are afraid that there will be taxes on land and property soon. A common theme in the outcries is that no free people can be taxed without consent. But the British feel that is the colonists don’t protest other regulations on laws, then why can they protest laws regarding taxes?

1765- Despite the colonist’s “indecent respect”, Parliament under Lord Grenville passes the Stamp Act, to help supplement funds raised. All paper goods are taxed.

The reaction of the colonists goes far beyond what Parliament expected. Benjamin Franklin himself denounces it in the Grand Council. The colonies are then pushed to the brink of open rebellion against Britain. This angers lawyers, shipowners, merchants, and printers; or in other words, the people you do not want to anger. Printers, including Christopher Paltier of Boston, publishes pamphlets arguing how the law is unsound in English law, and illegal. This law comes during an economic slump, as tariffs hurt trade with the Sugar islands, and the British troops are moved elsewhere.

Franklin suggests letting the Union print paper money, but with interest. Thus the rich, who use paper money, would pay the tax. Grenville refuses to hear him out.

Charles Townshend, in London, supports the taxes, stating:

“Will these Americans, children planted by our care, nourished up by our indulgence until they are grown to a degree of strength and opulence, and protected by our arms, will they grudge to contribute their mite to relieve us from the heavy weight of that burden which we lie under?”

Some support the colonists. Barre, a member of parliament who is against Grenville, says:

“ Your oppressions planted them in America….They nourished by your indulgence? They grew by your neglect of them….They protected by your arms? They have nobly taken up arms in your defence, have exerted a valour amidst their constant and laborious industry for the defence of a country whose frontier, while drenched in blood, its interior parts have yielded all its little savings to your emolument.”

In the southern colonies, Patrick Henry, at the center of the Dominion of Virginia, prises in protest at the Stamp act, stating that “Are we Englishmen or Irish? We are equals, not those who curry their favor.”

The Stamp act is also abhorred because it implies the development of ecclesial courts, and with those, an Anglican Church. The colonists are also furious because English law is violated by the fact that colonists can be tried with the Admiralty for treason.

The American Union rallies in protest of the Stamp Act, while the southern colonies are more pacifist.

Finally, in August, the pot boils over. Bostonians awake to see an effigy of the British stamp act commissioner burning. There’s an image of the devil holding the Stamp Act next to it, a move designed to displease the commissioner.

The Governor, Francis Bernard, urges the Council to take it down. The council is aware that that might turn the rally into something more, but Francis disagrees. He dispatches the city sheriff to disperse the crowd. Said sheriff retreats when he sees the size of the mob. Said mob then carries the effigy through Boston that evening, and attack the assistant governor’s house. The militia is part of the mob, so that cannot be used to disperse it.

A week later they burn down the offices of the Admiralty in Boston.

The British have also managed to anger the American Union army. The American officers must pay for their commissions, as the British officers do. But there are no American generals, and only two colonels, because the British view is that Americans do not have the “breeding” to become officers of that rank. In 1765, George Washington, a Lieutenant in the Royal Army of Virginia resigns his commission, and returns to politics and his plantation at Mt. Vernon. This will have major consequences, because George now has a lot of experience with a professional military.

The British are also violating “English liberty” in a variety of ways. In addition to special courts, the British government issues writs of assistance that let the government search property without the consent of a judge, in the name of smuggling And in November, the colonists discover they are to house ten thousand soldiers.

This especially infuriates the Union and the Dominion. “What of our soldiers? Is an army of citizens now considered potential traitors to the crown? Are we now traitors to the crown?” asks Patrick Henry.

The Sons of Liberty, a movement designed to protest the King’s actions, is founded in the Union. The Dominion has the Society of Liberty.

The British also decide that they shall patrol inlets with warships, to guard against smuggling. This is a slap in the face to the port city of Boston, which has built several frigates for this purpose. (Note that the colonists are slightly richer in TTL thanks to the removal of barriers to trade between the colonies, and even with all the taxes, they pay 1/30^th of what the British home islands do, per capita).

In 1766, Parliament finally repeals the stamp Act. This is greeted with joy by the colonists, as in OTL. Bonfires are lit, and songs are sung in praise of George and Pitt. But in England, while the merchants are thrilled, Parliament, especially the House of Lords, is not. One minister of parliament stated that “The King is made to bow to his subjects… British power is set at naught”.

Meanwhile, the American Union has refused to consent to the Quartering aact, and will not quarter the troops. In August, members of the Sons of Liberty clash with British soldiers. The Grand Council agrees to quarter the troops, when face with the threat of suspension by the crown; but this is used by the Sons of Liberty, in the manner the closure of the New York Assembly was. The difference is that now it’s trans-colonial, and it even affects the Dominion’s Society’s views.

And so it is in 1767 that the British Parliament decides to teach those unruly colonists a lesson. They pass the Townshend Acts (named after the minister mentioned above), which are designed to help pay off a cut in land taxes in Britain. The Act place duties on essentials such as glass, paper, lead, and tea. The acts are used to pay a board of customs collectors in Boston. Since the proceeds from the tax pay their salaries, they are usually enforcing the law ruthlessly.

The colonists are furious. Samuel Adams asks the Grand Council to rise up. The motion is of course defeated, but the nonimportation Act is passed, boycotting British goods. Lord Hillsborough, the British Minister for the colonies, orders that the governors do not let the assemblies here the law, but it is ignored.

Needless to say, Parliament is not amused. King George is trying to enforce his rule upon the colonies, who constantly scorn his rules. When he hears of a meeting in Boston where the colonists are advised to bear arms to defend their rights, he moves British warships and two regiments of troops into Boston. The warships are escorted in by the HMS Queen Anne, a Union frigate built in Boston.

Thus in 1768, George must send even more troops to the colonies t keep control, as the southern colonies support the embargo.

Road to War

In 1769, troops arrive in New York, North Carolina, and Boston. Well, more in the latter, but you know what I mean. Tensions reach a boil, and in December a squad of British soldiers is attacked. After their captain is knocked down, the squad fires into the crowd, killing seven. Three soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter, and one of murder. The ones who were convicted of manslaughter were branded and released; the fourth one of murder.

Also this year, with a heavy heart President Franklin passes the Ministry of Defense Act, which is responsible for “the conduct of war against foreign nations”. It details plans to join the small professional army of only 6,000 with the massive militias. The Dominion does not do that, but many of the planters have raised their own regiments by paying commissions, and thus have experience in the British army.

Just as things look grim indeed for His Majesty’s Empire, the Dominion of Virginia’s delegate to Parliament, Henry Lee, is able to broker a truce. The British repeal the acts, and the colonists end the boycott.

Of course, the Crown then destroys this by declaring that Governor’s and judges were paid by the crown, and thus under the Crown’s control. A ship of Thomas Hutchinson, known to be a staunch supporter of the King, is run aground in Rhode Island by customs officials.

Committees of Correspondence are formed in the colonies, although they tend to be focused mainly on the separate regions. They rapidly expand, and by 1772 many of the important figures of the colonies are members.

And, of course, with everything flaring up, the British decide to establish a monopoly on tea in the colonies based on the East India Company. The Union actually calls out the troops and militia to enforce its order. A British ship that docks in Boston is taken over, and is ordered back to England, in December of 1773. This is followed by a similar event in Charleston, North Carolina.

This leads Britain to pass the coercive acts. These acts are worse than in OTL:

1) The Quebec Act:, which cuts through the claims of several colonies, and violates colonial charters.

2) The Boston Port Act: Closes the port of Boston.

3) The Sedition Act: Declares that the Grand-Council is a forment for sedition, and orders the arrest of Benjamin Franklin. It does likewise for the Dominion of Virginia, where Thomas Jefferson is the President-General.

4) Administration Act: Persons accused of crimes against the government are to be tried in England without a jury.

The Grand Council declares that these acts are “A wicked effort to enslave America”, and most people agree. Approximately ¾ of the northern colonies support the Union’s policy, and the remaining ¼ are divided between loyalists and neutralists. In the South, approximately 1/3 are patriot, 1/3 neutral, and 1/3 loyal.

Lord Chatham tries to make a series of concessions to the colonies, but is rejected. The Grand Council, which has unofficially met in a building next door to the Council’s official building, draw up a Declaration of Rights and Grievances.

Say you want a revolution…

British troops in Massachusetts try to destroy arms and munitions caches at Lexington. (I kept it the same because the weapons were stored in those places for a reason). Similar orders go out in Virginia, to take them from the armory in Williamsburg.

In Boston, the troops of the American Union march, along with local militia. At Lexington, 700 British soldiers face 900 American. The British warn them to “Lay down [your] arms… and disperse”. They refuse. The British fire a volley which goes over their heads, and the Union troops fire a volley into the ranks of the British. The British and Union forces wage a battle for most of the day, and the British withdraw, with 100 casualties; the colonists have 110. But on the way back to Boston, they are constantly harassed by militiamen, devastating their ranks. The Union army, which has devised a plan for this exact occasion, rapidly marches into the city, and captures General Gage.

Ticonderoga is shortly captured by the heroic Ethan Allen, in March of 1775. When he walks into the fort, the British soldiers are sleeping at their posts, and thus the colonists view the British army with a great deal of disrespect. The Americans now have control of the waterways into Canada. .

At Williamsburg, colonial leader George Washington defeats a British army outside Williamsburg, capital of the Dominion. Troops are then largely expelled from the Southern colonies, who sit around waiting for the next event to happen. The American Union and the Dominion agree to “join together to defend the English liberties the King would have us lose”, or in essence, fight together when necessary.

The Grand-Council, while sending appeals to the British for peace, also attacks Quebec. Two armies depart in July, one led by Benedict Arnold, the other by Joseph Warren. The armies arrive at the city, battered and exhausted, on October 12.

President Franklin reluctantly calls for 30,000 men to defend the Union. He actually gets a respectable fraction of that: 25,000.

Now, the American plan was a good one, and involved a surprise attack from two sides. The Western side in TTL succeeds, because no one warns the British of the plan. Thus they storm into Quebec from the west, while Benedict Arnold leads the army into the city from the East. Arnold’s men break through the city first, taking the Lower Town.

So, 1775 ends with the colonists in control of Quebec, having taken the British troops in Boston by surprise, and having captured Gates. The Southerners haven’t done much, really. But some planets are raising their own regiments, by paying for commissions.

1776- The Grand Council begins issuing letters of marquee, letting heroic patriots attack and plunder British shipping. Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense, which explains why the colonists should declare independence. He receives a great deal of support.

Early in the year, a British fleet attacks Charlteston. The Americans drive it off, and North Carolian becomes the first colony of the Dominion of Virginia to tell its delegates to press for independence.

George III is less than pleased. His puppet in Parliament, Lord North, offers to grant the colonies peace, if they raise a just portion of the Empire’s budget. The problem with this is that he had just issued the Prohibitory Act, which tries to strangle the colonies economically and bars them from the Newfoundland fisheries. And the country gentlemen almost voted North out of office, until they were assured the bill might shatter colonial unity, and in no way countenanced support of the treacherous Grand Council. So it is that the British offer of peace is barely noticed, because it is wrapped up in punitive decrees. North was also afraid of an Irish rebellion, and in January this occurred to be happening.

Then there’s the threat abroad. He receives letters from a British spy in France that says that France and Spain are assisting the rebels. The British have let their continental alliances dry up, and England stood alone.

But the Kin g decided that North was not the war leader he needed. He chooses Lord George Germain. He views America like Ireland. After all, the Americans are largely non-aristocrats, and they were no longer Englishmen, but a mingling of “Irish, Scotch, German, and other mongrel races”. If it proved to be politically suitable, they could be treated like the Irish.

In January, with Parliament in recess, he sent a message to William Howe. He told Howe that he could expect a total of twenty three thousand men for the campaign of 1776, and to divide them between the two colonies. Furthermore, an additional ten thousand were going to Quebec, to drive out the Americans.

Things are heating up in the colonies as well. The British governor of North Carolina is implicated in starting a slave uprising, something sure to anger the colonials. The British and Dominion forces clash at the Moore’s Creek, and with the victory of the patriots, loyalism in the south is crushed, because the leader of the loyalists perished in the battle. (More or less OTL).

In the north, troops have been dispatched to Canada, and fortifications placed around Boston and New York. American merchantmen trade in the Caribbean for powder and shot, and privateers harass British shipping. The island of St. Vincent is actually raided by privateers, inspiring terror throughout the Caribbean, which is already disturbed because without the colonists, they have no source of food.

But it is New York where the greatest battle of the year will be fought. Howe’s army arrives with twenty thousand soldiers in New York harbor and 30 battleships. A standoff ensues, as Howe’s forces cannot sail up the Hudson itself, thanks to American fortifications there. Howe is outraged by the Proclamation of Independence issued by the Union in May; it confirms his view that the rebellion was a plot by those who had aimed at independence all along. He writes to the King that

“A more impudent, false and atrocious proclamation was never fabricated by the hands of Man… hitherto, they have thrown all the blame and insult upon the Parliament: now they have the audacity to calumniate the King and People of Britannia”.

Thomas Warren has spent the last year in Washington, preparing for defenses; it is commonly held that the British will take the city to march on Philadelphia, where the Grand Council resides. Howe fortunately spends several months trying to make a peace, which is beyond his orders and ability, and thus impossible.

Thus it is not until August 2 that British troops land on Long Island. Almost immediately, things go wrong for Britain. The British frigates are exposed to constant cannon fire; the Pheonix, the Rose, and Charlotta are destroyed in the harbor of New York. General Warren drinks a bottle of claret with his officers to toast their success. The day after, the Union reveals a plot to kidnap Warren, blow up the magazines, and assassinate Franklin. It’s a hoax, of course, but the counterfeiters who were accused of plotting it are shot irregardless.

Thus it is on August 3, 1776, when the “Defenders of Everything Dear and Valuable” brace for the coming of the British fleet.

The British fleet will spend the next four days smashing up against the fortifications of the harbor. Approximately 200 cannons (about double OTL, but they were scrounged up in a year; I figure a people who had a standing army since 1754 could do a bit better). An attempt to run up the Hudson results in the loss of two British battleships, and the British assaults on the island are repulsed again and again, with heavy casualties on both sides.

Ten thousand troops land on Long Island, but they face 20,000 Americans, who also harass the man of wars in the harbor.

The battle continues until the 15 of August, when the British fleet departs. General Warren is at a loss as to what has happened, but it soon becomes apparent; the Union army has triumphed in the battle of Long Island.

Double Talk in London & Paris

When news of the battle of Long Island spreads throughout the colonies, the entire country is in an uproar. Washington, in the Dominion, toasts Warren as a Defender of Liberty. When word spreads that Hessians shot wounded Americans, or those trying to surrender, effigies of George are burned. Franklin comments that “All Philadelphia is liberty-mad again”.

Things are a bit different in London. George III opens Parliament on October 31 with a procession to the House of Lords, and, addressing the House of Lords and the House of Commons, exudes confidence in an early victory over America. He reports the defeat on Long Island as a temporary setback, and calls for unanimous support in prosecuting the war.

Despite this, there is a great deal of forced optimism and uneasiness; bad news from Charleston, Long Island, and Canada cast a pall on Parliament. The seas off of the coast were thick with privateers picking off British ships, and reports from the West Indies tell about growing Union trade with the Dutch and French. Lord George and the rest of the government’s ministers have staked their careers on a “Short, merry war”. The war promises to be neither, and there are reports that the Spanish and French are building up their respective fleets.

The opposition is in disarray as well. The Proclamation of Independence from Philadelphia confirms the government’s accusation against the colonies; that they had been plotting this since 1754. Edmond Burke, an opposition leader, says “I do not know how to wish success to those whose victory is to separate us from a large and noble part of our empire. Still less do I wish success to injustice, oppression, and absurdity”.

Outside of politics, England remains confident. War contracts raise employment, stocks were firm, and food prices were low. The Proclamation confirmed, in the average Englishman’s mind, that the government had been right.

In Paris changes are afoot. The Foreign Minister Vergenne’s policy of aiding the Americans requires rearming against England. This requires lots of money, which England doesn’t have. Louis XVI decides to finance the adventure with the help of *Necker, a Hugenot from Geneva. He puts the national bank in the hands of an international consortium, involving French Catholic financiers and Protestant bankers. By 1781, *Necker has saddled the crown with 500 million livres in loans.

Necker’s money, meanwhile, pours into France. Shipyards spring to life, the army is expanded, and the ambassador from the Union, John Adams, is greeted in the French court. In August, Count de Vergennes writes a paper declaring that there was no question that France should join the Americans against England.

This can be largely thanked to John Adams. He had made it clear from the start that the connection was a two-way street. America was not a pauper, hurling itself into the arms of France. The Union had an immensely profitable trade which she was willing to divert from England to France by a commercial treaty. Adams asks Vergennes for eight ships of the line, manned to help the Americans against the British fleet. The offer is refused, but the offer to help the French conquer the West Indies is seriously contemplated. The government gives millions of livres to the Union, and the Dominion also receives some; but not as much.

Louis is, to put it mildly, hesitant. But the shock given to France by the Declaration of Independence is strengthened by the battle of Long Island. The British try to delay the word of the battle from reaching France as long as possible, and when it does, Louis agrees to help the Union. In November, The King of France declares war on Britain.

A treaty is signed between the Union and France, of course, establishing an alliance.

Come Southerners, Hear Your Call…

The British are reeling from their defeats in the New World, and the intervention of France (Spain follows suit in January of 1777).

So the British war strategy changes. Rather than attacking both Unions at once, as was tried in 1776, Lord North orders the British army to attack the Dominion of Virginia first.

Why the Dominion? There is a healthy respect for the armies of the Union, and is considered too difficult to conquer easily, especially with French reinforcements. But in the Dominion, there is strong loyalist support; the Anglican Church is predominant; and the Dominion has never declared independence. So the British military shifts its focus to that region. While Cornwallis leads an assault through the Chesapeake towards Phladelphia, and is defeated and captured, Howe’s army is marching through Georgia.

Thus, in February, Howe leads 35,000 troops ashore at Savannah, Georgia. Robert Howe, from North Carolina, can only bring 6,000 troops to oppose him. The British easily capture Savannah, and defeat Robert’s army north of the city.

Lord North also appoints peace commissioners to Williamsburg. His entire political career is at stake; with the Union occupying most of Canada, and the assault on Philadelphia repulsed, and the Bourbon monarchies in the war, he needs it ended, and fast. He also sends a delegation to Philadelphia, but the Union is by this point only interested in recognition of liberty.

Thus the British campaign continues, and faces surprisingly little opposition. Charleston is captured by sea in May, and it is only in the hinterland where there is resistance. Faced with the veritable onslaught, most of Georgia (who’s population is only about 50,000 at the time) falls by December.

Meanwhile, the British commissioners in the south make headway. Lord North’s offer is surprisingly moderate; he will revoke the Tea and Coercive Acts, and grant the colonies, under the Dominion, to tax themselves.

The southern colonies are torn about the offer. The Carolina and Georgian delegates are in favor of it, but Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, which have strong loyalist populations (and the latter having just been invaded by an attempt on Phladelphia) are not. The colonies are in a deadlock, which remains until 1778 North Carolina withdraws from the Dominion, and South Carolina and Georgia follow suit. Only Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware remain in the Dominion.

What caused this dramatic shift in interests? Part of it was the British policy in the south. Rebel soldiers who were captured were granted pardon, provided they promised not to fight again. The British troops tread lightly, and many in the south have extensive financial dealings with Britain. The capture of Charleston convinces many that further resistance is impossible; although part of the reason for the capture was that the use of Loyalist troops.

Virginia and the remaining colonies of the Dominion, however, are not quite ready for this. Thomas Jefferson, the governor of Virginia, asks President Franklin if the Dominion of Virginia may join the Union. Franklin is undecided, but is convinced by his friend James Dickinson. In “The Cause of Freedom”, Dickinson argues that Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware are ultimately part of the American nation, which are peoples who pride themselves on freedom. The article also condemns the Georgians and Carolinans for “making slaves of themselves to Britain, as they make others slaves to themselves”.

The End of the War

Britain now advances through Canada towards Quebec, in 1778. But their attempt to relieve Wolf’s campaign fails; the American army commands the heights, and the British are repulsed. American blockaders continue harassing British shipping, although the blockade is tightening.

What is noticeable is that the British are facing tougher opposition. Halifax is essentially the only British outpost remaining in the North; the Native Americans have been crushed. There is a strong and vocal party arguing for peace in the British Parliament.

The main focus of the war in America is shifted to Virginia. Because there is only one front, not two, General Warren is dispatched southward into Virginia. The British do not exactly have a walkover, either; they are continually harassed for much of 1778 in the Carolinas by die-hard rebels.

So it is not until May that the two armies clash. The British have the advantage in men; the Americans know the terrain better. The armies clash at Carlton and Walkerton, along with numerous other skirmishes. Warren is essentially trading space for time, along with his second in command, General Washington. He is waiting for the French army to arrive. When General Rochambeau joins the Union army in Virginia in 1780, things reach their conclusion. Warren, Washington, and Rochambeau face Cornwallis, with an army totaling 25,000. Howe’s army numbers 20,000.

Unfortunately for Howe, he has based his army at Old Point Comfort, on the James Penninsula. This position is indefensible (which is why Cornwallis moved from it in OTL). Howe’s army is trapped and besieged; the French fleet, which has shown up earlier, prevents them from withdrawing. On July 4, 1780, General Howe surrenders. He first offers his sword to Rochambeau, who points to Warren. Warren in turn asks him to surrender it to Washington, his second in command, who finally accepts it.

Ironically, while this ends the war in America, the French and British continue fighting at sea until 1783, when they finally agree to a peace treaty.

The treaty states that:

1) The Union is acknowledged as a sovereign entity, with Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware as parts of it.

2) The Union relinquishes any claims to The Dominion of Georgia, encompassing Florida, the Carolinas, Georgia, and all territories south of the 36^th parallel, roughly the southern border of Virginia, east of the Mississippi.

3) The Union and Britain have free Rights of navigation along the Mississippi.

4) The Union and Britain both have rights to fish in the Newfoundland Banks.

5) Both sides agree not to interfere with the collection of debts; and the Union promises to respect loyalist property (doesn’t happen, of course).

6) Both sides agree to the restoration of prisoners.

The Union largely has Adams to thank for the treaty. France wanted American independence tied in with France’s protection, but Adams negotiates a separate treaty. The British peace commissioner agrees, seeking to drive a wedge between the Americans and French.

So it is that the American Revolution ends. Now that the easy part is over, they have to get down to the harder part: running the nation. Fortunately, the Union already has a leg up.

The Constitution of the Union

In 1779, members of the American Union met in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Union. It’s worth noting that they have avoided some of the obstacles OTL had trouble with. Rough sketch is as follows:

1) Representation in The Grand Council, renamed the Senate, is based on population. This means the few slave states will be swamped.

2) The states have become, over the course of the war, subordinate to the national government. There are three separate branches, executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

3) The Senate already is in control of land in the West. Land is sold cheaply via plots. The Land Ordnance of 1780 provided an orderly method of settling land north of the Ohio (Kentucky, known as Franklin), has already been admitted. Land is surveyed and divided into townships, and land is sold for $1 an acre. To attract speculators, the law required that you buy at least 640 acres at once.

4) Furthermore, whenever 5,000 adult males settled a territory, they could set up a territorial government. When the population reaches 60,000, it could apply for admission into the Union. More important is that it prohibits slavery outside of the slave states. Thomas Jefferson is one of the key supporters of this, and it is agreed upon because the AU’s land is not suited for slavery.

5) Slaves are counted neither for representation nor taxation, according tot eh Compromise of 1780. The government reserves the right to be involved in the slave trade (In OTL the Carolinans and Georgians were against it; here they’re out of the country).

6) The government continues to have the right to levy and collect taxes, regulate commerce with foreign nations, coin money, and raise a navy and army.

7) The Bill of Rights is added on the urging of the President-General. He warns that just as the British twist the natural rights of Englishmen around, so may future generations unless the rights are written down in law. The Constitution may also be amended, and thus in 1783 the first amendment occurs. An exception to the Bill of Rights if in Quebec, where the Catholic Church is allowed favored status.

The American Bank

The Bank of the American Union is established. It is supported by New Englanders. Alexander Hamilton is one of its main proponents, and it passes the Senate by a 3 to 1 majority. The bank is a place for the government to deposit tax receipts, place revenues, and is a place where private deposits could be used as loans to government and businesses. However, the Bank is also supposed to give loans to farmers and those who wish to buy land, according to its charter.

The bank also issues paper money backed by gold and silver in its vaults. The public would have confidence in this currency because it could be exchanged for coins. John Adams, one of the key supporters, also believes the government should encourage industrial development. This characterizes the last Presidency of Franklin.

The Franklin Presidency

Franklin is faced with several problems. The country has large debts from the war. The government agrees to immediately begin collecting tariffs in 1783. There are two camps, those who favor protective tariffs, and those who favor revenue tariffs. Franklin favors protective tariffs, believing they will not only generate revenue and help to develop industry, but, by encouraging the growth of cities, provide a market for farmers. He also believes in keeping the debt down, and Ccongress passes an excise tax on whiskey. Franklin’s method of encouraging a national bank and protective tariffs will become known as a “Franklin Economy”.

Franklin also resides over the negotiation of treaties abroad. A commercial treaty is negotiated with Britain in 1785, and ones with the Netherlands and Prussia follow suit. The Assumption Act, which merges all state debts to the federal date, solidifies the state interest in the government by giving it a vested interest.

Ironically, Franklin’s last term would set the standard in foreign affairs as well as domestic. Spain refuses to grant the Union the right of deposit at New Orleans (the right to put goods ashore for transfer to ocean going ships without paying duties). Franklin sends diplomats to Madrid, and more to the point, threatens war with Spain. Spain promises the right of navigation, and the right of deposit, but this quickly proves unrealistic. Spain refuses to let the Americans actually carry out the right of deposit, and American settlers are constantly harassed. But relations with France quickly cool, as America proves to very unwilling to assist the country that helped give it independence.

There is also talk of rebellion in the new country. Franklin’s excise tax is opposed by farmers in the West, who revolt in 1785. Franklin, despite his advanced age, travels with Warren west into Pennsylvania. Some leaders are seized and taken to Philadelphia for trial. Several were found guilty of treason, but pardoned.

The natives are also restless. Supplied largely by the Spanish, natives in the Northwest territory fight American settlers. President Franklin respects the rights of natives, but he feels that they cannot impede settlement in this manner. The Union army is dispatched west, and defeats the Miami Confederation under the command of General St. Clair. The Treaty of Albany requires that the Native Americans surrender most of Ohio.

President Franklin steps down from office in March of 1789, the last of his terms. (They are five years each).

He is succeeded by the hero of the revolution, General Joseph Warren.

The Warren Administration

Warren would probably have been considered one of the founding fathers, if he had not died in 1775. Here, the doctor from Massachusetts is one of the founding fathers, up there with Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and certainly above Johnny come latelys like James Madison.

Warren continues Franklin’s policies. He encourages the continuation of the protective tariffs; industrialization begins as the plans for factories are smuggled from England. Under his administration, the Bank of the US continues its encouragement of industry and land settlement, with Ohio becoming a state in 1795. The last debts are finally paid off in 1790.

Warren also expands the navy. By 1797, 16 Boston class frigates are built (although some were built by Franklin). They have more firepower than any European equivalents, and are fast enough to escape from larger warships.

Warren also focuses on foreign affairs. In 1788, Louis calls the Estates-Generals to discuss taxes. I think we all know how this turns out; I see no reason that this would occur different than OTL; the costs of the war are the same, the same people were involved, and the King is more or less the same. But then, I’ve always felt that people are more products of their environment than genetics, so I’m sure people will disagree. Suffice it to say that in 1793, the King and Queen are guillotined, and the monarchies of Europe declare war on France.

The Republic expects the Union to join the war, because according to the treaty signed in 1776, France should receive American assistance. Warren is undecided; Alexander Hamilton is against it, pointing out that most of the money is made off of taxes on British goods.

Warren may still have been persuaded to join the French cause; there were those who felt Georgia and the Carolinas should join the Union; but the French chose the worse possible man to send to America. They choose Edmond Genet. Traveling to Philadelphia, he receives many pro-French celebrations, and arranges to place Americans on French privateers, and offers Americans commissions in the French army. When he sees the president, he demands money to pay for this. Warren is furious; his secretary of State, George Washington, receives him coolly; and Warren finally demands that France recall the ambassador. Genet begs to remain in the Union, because the Directorate may kill him.

Warren has trouble with the United Kingdom as well. There are skirmishes over the border, and British warships are seizing American cargo. To solve this problem, he sends John Adams to Britain. Britain was willing to sign a treaty; it was already fighting France, and the Union is Britain’s best market. Hamilton’s Treaty is completed late in 1794; it allows American ships to trade in Britain with greatly reduced tariffs, and permits American trade with the British West Indies. Part of the reason for the respect of America was the Barbary War.

The Barbary War

In 1783, America gained its independence. One problem that many had overlooked was that this meant that the Union now had to defend its merchant marine. Previously, Britain had done so, and during the revolution, France. But now that it was independent, and the French were disgusted with the Union for signing its own peace treaty, the ships of the Union came under attack by Barbary pirates.

Barbary was a name given to a collection of states from Tangiers to Tripoli. They captured ships for plunder, ransom, and slaves. The Union awoke to what exactly their independence meant in 1785, when the Bey of Algiers captured the merchant vessel the Plymouth. The Americans are a godsend to the Barbary pirates. The UK is an Ottoman ally, so it cannot attack their ships, and they are dependent upon France for supplies. By 1790, Algiers alone holds 50 Americans for ransom.

Franklin had tried reaching an agreement, with little success. John Paul Jones, an ambassador to the Bey of Tunis, is told to leave lest he is attacked. Still Franklin offers tribute, which is accepted, for a while.

The breaking point comes in 1791. the warship Philadelphia docks in Algiers, the Bey shanghaied the ship to run an errand for him to the Sultan in Constantinople. The Captain is forced to run up the Algerian colors and take down the Union’s flag, and upon hearing of this, the Pasha of Tripoli, Yusuf, demands that the Americans pay tribute to him in the form of diamond-studded guns. To emphasize his point, the flag of the Union consulate is chopped down.

Warren enters office to discover that tribute to the Pashas is rapidly growing. He sends a message to the Pasha. Appealing to the Senate, he asks “How can we be a nation of free men when Americans are held in chains by Mohammedans?”

Congress declares that a state of war exists between the American Union and the Pashas of Tangiers, Tripoli, and Tunis.

7 Union frigates are dispatched in 1791. John Paul Jones is the commander of the American force, and in August of he persuades the Pasha of Tangiers that it would be best not to anger the Americans, by sailing into the harbor with two warships and threatening to bombard the palace. The Pasha wisely agrees, and provides the American fleet with supplies.

The next target is Tripoli. But Tripoli is a much tougher fortress. It is guarded by 25,000 men, 24 warships, and 115 cannons ashore. Against this, he has only 4,000 men and 7 warships. In September, John’s forces bombard Tripoli, to little effect; but they also take three gunboats, sink another, and capture a warship. Troops are landed outside the city.

The Pasha’s men desert in droves, after several weeks of bombardment (the defenses aren’t as good as in OTL, and American performance at Darna indicates this is the probable outcome). 300 Americans are wounded or killed, but so are several thousand Barbary Pirates. The American flag flies over the Pasha’s palace.

The Bey of Tunis gets the message. He sends President Warren a blooded horse, the signal of the end of tribute. Meanwhile, there’s the question of what to do with Tunis. The Senate decides, after deliberation, to install the Pasha’s brother Hamet as Pasha. It is a close vote; but the New England colonies carry greater weight, and Senator Hamilton quotes an ancient Greek philosopher, saying “No gold for blood”. (He misquoted).

The brother signs a treaty granting America the right to base soldiers and ships in Tunis, promising to respect American vessels, pay an indemnity of $50,000, and release all Christian slaves.

In America, word of the victory spreads. Warren is toasted as the defender of liberty; bonfires are lit, and parties thrown, to celebrate America’s sound thrashing of the pirates. Warren is easily reelected for another 5 years in 1794. The UK is also impressed. Nelson calls it “one of the most daring attacks in history”, and toasts to John Paul Jones.

The XYZ Affair

Sadly, respect for the American military did not extend to France. When America took its position as an avowed neutral in the early 1790’s, France was furious, and privateers attacked American shipping. America’s treaty with Britain further consolidates the French belief that the Union has betrayed them. In 1796, attacks on Union shipping reach a fevered peak, as two hundred Union ships are captured. Talleyrand terminates diplomatic relations with the Union in 1796, and tensions quickly rise.

Warren is, on the whole, a peaceful man. But he is also one who is quick to defend American Liberty. The New England Senators favor war with France; Britain is stronger, and rules the waves, and throwing in the lot there will expand American territory. Warren sends ambassadors to Paris, who are approached by agents of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand.

The agents refuse to negotiate with the Union diplomats, saying the Republic will not negotiate unless the AU loans it twelve million dollars, and gives the members of the Directorate $250,000. The Republic’s statement encouraging the French in Quebec to join the war doesn’t improve relations, either.

Warren, before the Senate in Philadelphia, declares:

“The refusal on the part of France to receive our minister is, then, the denial of a right; but the refusal to receive him until we have acceded to their demands without discussion and without investigation is to treat us neither as allies nor as friends, nor as a sovereign state . . . Such attempts ought to be repelled with a decision which shall convince France and the world that we are not a degraded people, humiliated under a colonial spirit of fear and sense of inferiority, fitted to be the miserable instruments of foreign influence, and regardless of national honor, character, and interest.”

The President goes on to ask the Senate if they will declare war on the Republic, and the American Union joins the second coalition in 1798.

The details of the war in Europe do not concern us here; but the details of the war at sea do. American frigates perform exceptionally well. The AUS frigate the Liberty, with 36 guns, captures a French frigate with 42 off of Guadeloupe. Union warships are on the whole, superior, and a French captain, fighting a night battle, believes he has faced the first American ship of the line.

Union and Georgian settlers move into the Louisiana territory, owned by France’s ally, Spain. The conquest in the west proves to be more of a matter of fighting French naval allies than anything else. The British prove amenable to establishing the border along what is in OTL the Arkansas to Canadian river, running through Arkansas and Oklahoma. The Union demands this territory because the rest of the territory is readily acknowledged as the Great American Desert.

Profitable Islands in the Sun

Since the 17^th century, American smugglers have been trading in the Caribbean But when America had gained independence, this trade had been threatened; the French and Spanish proved less than eager to share the trade with the fledgling Union on the North American continent, and the British flatly refused.

With the chaos of the revolutionary wars in Europe, trade with the Caribbean was rapidly reaching an unprecedented height. And if French Guadeloupe is too great a threat, let the British handle it. The American Union decides it will attack Trinidad and Tobago, two Spanish islands at the end of the Antilles. (The British instead focused on Santo Domingo, which failed miserably).

The American warships arrive off of Trinidad, capture the island in a near bloodless battle, and then take Tobago. With the destruction of the Republic’s fleet at Alexandria, the West Indies lie defenseless. The Union warships aid the British in the Caribbean, and a joint expedition takes Puerto Rico in January of 1801.

In America, support for the war has never been higher. The New England merchants are happy because the AU is expanding markets and has ensured its vessels the protection of the British navy; Westerners are happy because there’s now much more land to settle; the southern colonies are slightly upset about the war, because they are by and large Franocphiles. But they are usually outvoted, although in the Senate, Maryland, Virginia, and Quebec become a bloc that opposes the war against France. They are usually overwhelmed, but when it comes to Trinidad and Tobago, things are different. A lot of Westerners are opposed to an Empire; not that there’s anything wrong with it, but there is a fear that too many Catholics will have the vote.

In the end, the Senate agrees to a compromise. Trinidad and Tobago are merged into the “Commonwealth of Trinidad and Tobago”, and given 1 vote in the Senate. That vote only counts in the event of a tie. The islands are placed behind the Union tariff wall.

A couple of American ships sail on the whaling routes of the Pacific that New Englanders use, and show the flag on those islands as well.

Then the balance of power is altered dramatically. General Louis-Charles-Antoine Desaix de Veygoux has become the First Consul of France, and this is a devastating blow to the supports of France (the Democrats). Louis’s policy of conquering other lands, and accusing the Union of betraying the cause of freedom, eliminates the pro-French forces from politics by 1805.

But when Louis defeats Austria, Britain agrees to peace. At the treaty of *Amiens, in 1802, the British and the Union gain Louisiana, Trinidad and Tobago, but give up Guadeloupe. Many in America and Britain hoped this would bring peace, but this was just the beginning of the struggle.

The Politics of the Union

The Union, as of 1800, is divided between parties. The Republicans dominate; they favor cheap western land, high protective tariffs, the bank, a navy, and federal power. The other party are the Republicans, who have support in the Middle colonies, and among mechanics.

By and large, the Republicans are in control of the Union. The war is making the New England colonies rich, has appeased the West, and the south (Chesapeake Bay area and Virginia).

What is also important for the history of America is the legislature that Thomas Jefferson puts before Congress in 1801. Thomas Jefferson argues for the Emancipatory Act, which requires that all children born in the Union after December 31, 1801, are declared free. There is strong financial basis for this as well; the soil in Virginia is becoming exhausted, and there is concern that slavery will drag the plantation owners into debt. The Act is altered slightly. The revised act states that after working for their masters for 20 years, all slaves born after 1805 are free. It passes the Senate by a vote of 30-5.

Viva Le Emperor!

Louis proves to note desire peace. He annexes Switzerland in 1802, and annexes conquered Piedmont. He is not done yet, of course. Hannover is occupied in 1803, and the Franco-Spanish alliance is renewed. The Desaix Wars begin.

Warren initially strives for neutrality, but it soon proves to be unfeasible, as French privateers attack Union shipping. Reluctantly, the President asks the Senate to approve the war, which (of course) does so. Fortunately, the Union fleet is ready.

The President has not been idle; the Senate has managed to expand the war fleet yet again, with the AU now having 6 ships of the line. (Equal of Holland). This results in more taxes, but the AU is, on a whole, richer than in OTL.

The Union navy has a problem. Haiti is in the midst of a slave revolt. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it’s against the French. The Union is thus undecided about what to do in Haiti, but finally, in February of 1802, Warren acts. He is advised by Hamilton that Haiti would be very useful to America, and if it fell into French hands, that valuable trade that the Americans were conducting. He sends an American fleet to Haiti, which lands 1,000 troops, along with munitions for the slaves. The commander of the expedition, Jeremiah Lewis, of New York, signs a treaty with the rebels, placing them “Under the Protection of the President of the American Union, by the grace of God and Arms”. They are placed behind the American tariff wall, and become the Commonwealth of Saint Dominique.

Perhaps fortunately for Haiti, Jean-Jacques Dessalines is killed in the battle, and Haiti is placed under a moderate who, while abolishing slavery, requires that they work for the state on plantations. The Haitian revolt is finished in 1804.

It is well that this part of the war concludes then, for in 1804 Spain joins the war. Combined with the French and Dutch fleets, the Allied position is in serious jeopardy.

The Election

1804 is an important year for the Union. Warren, after 15 years in office, declares that he will not run for reelection. This is the first time the Republicans have a serious chance, and they nominate Thomas Jefferson. He campaigns on an end to the war, lowering of taxes, and the end of the “military-commercial New England complex” as he calls the war.

Jefferson is opposed by William Hamilton. Hamilton supports a continuation of the war, an enlargement of the navy, and (Warren’s idea) expanding the vote.

The Republicans paint Jefferson as a Francophile, accusing him of favoring a bloodthirsty tyrant over the “Home of Liberty”. The Democrats accuse Franklin of trying to bring the Union back into the Empire, and dragging out a war for his own personal profit.

The election is fairly close: the Union has something similar to the Electoral System, and thus the popular vote matters less than one would hink. Jefferson carries Kentucky (of course), Virginia, and Ohio, as well as Maryland. But Pennsylvania, NY, NJ, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts ( Vermont is part of New Hampshire) vote for Hamilton, and he becomes the third president of America.

Hamilton is inaugurated only a short while before over the naval victory of Cadiz, when the Franco-Spanish fleet is destroyed by the British Admiral Nelson.

Louis’s plan was to lose the British fleet, so that he could invade England. His fleet would sail to the West Indies, and then to Spain. From Spain, it would sail to England. The plan works, initially; the French fleet arrives in the Caribbean, and then in Guadeloupe. But when the fleet leaves Cadiz, the British-Union armada strikes. Nelson divides his ships into two columns, and they devastate the Franco-Spanish fleet. 21 of the enemy’s 33 vessels are destroyed, and 16,000 sailors are killed. The Union-British armada doesn’t lose a single ship, and only 1300 men are killed. Unfortunately, Admiral Nelson is killed by a sniper, an act of “unspeakable depravity”; intentionally shooting an officer violates the rules of war, although the Americans did it often enough. Emperor Louis is now restricted to only the European continent.

Viva El Presidente!

The victory gives President Hamilton the backing he needs. Hamilton is in favor of turning the whaling empire, or the de facto possessions of New England whalers (New Zealand and most of the pacific islands, plus the Falklands) into the basis of a commercial empire. After picking up St. Croix and St. Thomas from Denmark in the latter part of 1805, the American economy is booming. Money from the Caribbean is pouring into the treasury, and the merchants of the Union are rapidly following through with Hamilton’s goal of industrialization.

Perhaps fortunately for posterity, this never comes to pass. What does happen is that in 1806, Francisco de Miranda campaigns for Union and British support. The allies finally agree to support him, and an expedition is raised in New York to support it.

But on his own initiative, while sailing around towards Jakarta, Admiral Eaton occupies Buenos Aires, ostensibly in support of Miranda. Miranda fails, but this leaves us with 5,000 Americans in Buenos Aires. The Union army is opposed by the Argentines, whose colonial militia is in a stand off.

Tensions continue for a few days, until the leader of the Argentines, Jaques De Liners, comes with a proposal to the Union officer. The Argentines will join forces with the Union, if Argentina is accepted as an American state. (For those who find this absurd, I cite the example of the Yucatan, which proposed to become an American state). The Union officer rightly decides this is above his head, and sends a text of the proposal to Philadelphia.

Hamilton is against the Treaty, and tries to keep it secret, but word breaks out. The Senate is divided; Quebec wants it, to have more Catholics in the country. The New England colonies want it, so as to have more trading partners; and it makes it a lot easier to reach the Falklands. The middle states are against it, because it competes with them in the market for grain for the Union. The Senate finally passes the Act of Union, granting Argentina statehood in the Union, by 2 votes. In 1810, the Union assaults Montevideo, incorporating it into the Territory of La Plata.

Ironically, as time passes, Argentina will become more and more American, as British and Irish settlers intermarry with the populace. Argentina will end up becoming one of the most culturally (and economically) dynamic parts of the Union, with Italian, Irish, German, and even New England culture mixing. This has net effects on the culture and politics of the Union; Argentina serves as an example that Catholics don’t always screw it up, and thus Catholics will face less discrimination in the Union than in OTL.

The Continuation of the Louis Wars: The Penninsular Campaign.

Unfortunately, Argentina will take a while to be subdued, and the “Argentine Ulcer” will take a significant portion of the Union’s military (although a lot of soldiers stay on to farm the region). It is not so much that people are against the union with the Union; more that they’re against having to put up with a strong central government.

Meanwhile, in Europe, things are looking grim. Prussia and Austria have surrendered; the Holy Roman Empire has dissolved, and the Savoyard attempt to liberate their territory has failed.

Then Louis makes his first mistake. He wants to march against the British ally of Portugal, and has to convince the Spanish that that French army on their border is just going to pass through peacefully. They manage to take Lisbon, but not before the royal family flees to Brazil (Oops).

The French army then remains, on the pretext of restoring order. The Spanish Bourbons are escorted to France for their own safety, and Louis appoints his brother Emmanuel as king of Spain. The placement of a liberal King on the throne angers the Church and peasants, who promptly revolt. The Spanish army joins them, and despite being the worst army in the war, it performs surprisingly well, notably at the siege of Sargarossa. The British army lands in Portugal, and Hamilton dispatches Henry Joseph to lead the Union expeditionary force, 3,000 strong.

Joseph is a Westerner from Ohio; he was one of the heroes of the conquest of Louisiana, and is a soldier who has a great deal of experience with the hit and run warfare in the Penninsular Campaign. In fact, all the American soldiers do, as most of them are from the West. They join Wellesley, the leader of the British army, and proceed to engage the Spanish army. Wellesley faces the French at Vimiero, where Lieutenant Joseph emerges from the battle with great honor, with his men capturing 16 cannon. The French general is decisively defeated, and much of his army is captured.

Wellesley is honored as the Duke of Wellington in return, and prepares for his next assault. Oporto has been captured by the French soldiers, and he launches an attack on the city in March of 1809.

Oporto is a tricky city to attack. The only bridge to the city had been destroyed, and the French had all the barges. But early on the morning of the 9^th, Portuguese allies sneak barges across the river. Joseph’s men are taken across, and hole up in a Seminary on the east side of the city. It is protected by artillery, and the French cannot drive the British out. The French general withdraws, and he would have been trapped had the flanking attack Wellington launched move more quickly. As it was, there were 2000 Frenchmen captured, and 700 casualties.

Wellington’s army advances into Spain, where he suffers his first setback. Advancing into Spain, he finds little support. Louis himself has led an army against him, and the British are forced to fight a fighting withdrawal. Again the American expedition plays a crucial role, giving the army time to withdraw to Oporto. Union sharpshooters break a French cavalry assault on the right, and although he is wounded in action, the Americans continue to fight. Wellington ultimately secures a major victory, saving the city.

This marks the turn of the tide. Wellington’s army will defeat the French in Portugal, and drive them back into Spain. By 1814, he will occupy Toulouse. Hamilton, riding a wave of popularity, accepts a second term in office, and witnesses over the conquest of the remaining Danish islands.

The End of the War

Louis’s goals know no bounds, and in an effort to bring Russia into the Continental system, he invades Russia. This, combined with the effects of the Peninsular war, doom his Empire. In 1814, he is forced to abdicate, and the Congress of Vienna opens.

The Congress of Vienna opens in 1814, and the American Union is represented by John Adams, son of the Union’s founding father.

For a Congress that was supposed to bring peace, it almost leads to war. When news of the plot between Prussia and Russia, where the former receives Saxony and the latter most of the Duchy of Warsaw, war almost breaks out. Adams supports the British, and the parties eventually come to terms. But when Louis escapes from exile in 1815, the armies of the Congress have to join together to oppose him, and the British army defeats him early in 1815.

This is not our Congress of Vienna. Savoy has a bigger say, because the general of its King, Emmanuel Bounaparte, overran Venice, Tuscany, and Romagna in the aftermath of the French victory. The Danish and Dutch are in a weaker position, and the USA, despite being a republic, is there.

The Congress eventually decides that:

1) The Union shall gain the Spanish Pacific islands aside from the Phillipines: the Marshalls, New Zealand, the Falklands, Boins, the Volcano Islands, a protectorate over Hawaii, the Solomons, Papau New Guinea, the Marianes, Carolinas, Yap, and Peleau, The French and Dutch West Indies, and St. Thomas from Denmark. Paraguay is acknowledged as part of Union territory in Argentina. The Pacific islands may sound far fetched, but I am merely making what was de facto for a few decades de jure. American whalers controlled the islands mentioned here.

2) The Sardinians refuse to back down in Italy. Eventually, the King receives Lombardy, Venice, and Romagna, with the restoration of Hapsburgs in Florence and the Bourbons in Naples.

3) To compensate the Austrians, the Hapsburgs gain Bavaria, which is ruled by a French general. (Come on, the odds of what happened here in OTL are so improbably low that this is more likely).

4) Russia gains Finland, Sweden gains Norway. Both gains are in the form of personal dynastic unions.

5) The Dutch gain the Austrian Netherlands.

6) The British gain Cape Town and Singapore.

Needless to say, the Republicans win all elections this year.

The Union and the UK also come to an agreement regarding the Barbary pirates. Upon hearing of the American war against France, the Bey of Algiers had declared it his policy to “Increase the number of my American slaves”. The Union had been busy before, but now it was ready.

On March 15, 1815, twenty warships, led by the Union Admiral Decateur, form a join expedition against the Bey, who is declared war upon. In June, the fleet arrives off of Algiers, captures and destroys the Bey’s flagship, and bombards Algiers itself. He sends a demand to the Algiers: free all slaves at once, pay $30,000 in reparations, and cease all demands for tribute forever. Numbed by Decateur’s ferocity, the Bey explains that there has been a misunderstanding which he would like to redress with “the Emperor of the Americas, the great Hamilton”. The Bey of Tunis pays $50,000 to make the fleet sail away.

The Bey of Tripoli is much more obstinate. He mocks the fleet, feeling secure behind his walls. What the Bey doesn’t realize is that the British and American marines find the walls pitiful. After an attack lasting several days, the Stars and Stripes fly over Tripoli. Tripoli is occupied as a joint British-Union condominium, along with Malta, to secure peace in the Mediterranean.

The Era of Good Feelings

William Hamilton wins the election again in 1814, and after the Congress of Vienna, journeys around the country. He visits Virginia, Ontario, and even the naval academy in Boston. In a letter to his wife, in Philadelphia, he states

“The war has renewed and reinstated the national feelings and character, which the Revolution had given and which were daily lessened. The people are more American; they feel and act more as a nation, and I hope that the permanency of the Union is thereby secured”.

This extends to politics. by 18119 the Democrats, discredited by their antiwar position in the Revolutionary Wars, had vanished from the Union’s politics. Decateur and Henry Joseph enter politics, and in 1819 propose the “American System”. This system includes not only the preexisting protective tariffs, but also internal improvements.

The national road began construction in 1803, and by 1818 the road reached from Philadelphia to Illinois. But roads proved to quickly be ineffective for the transport of goods, and cansl ;prove to be the answer. Pennsylvania builds a canal system across the Appalachians, linking Pittsburgh with Philadelphia. New York builds the Erie Canal, but it is not completed until 1830. (Less desire to have it, when one controls the St. Lawrence). Many Irishmen become canal builders, and construction soon depends on Irish Catholics.

But the machine which changes the Union is the railroad. In fact, the rapid spread of railroads leads to a conflict between the national government and the state governments. The latter have invested in canals and roads, but the federal government favors railroads, and by 1835 the miles of railroad laid will equal the miles covered by canals and roads.

Hamilton also improves foreign affairs. He signs the Adams-Bagot agreement, which demilitarized the Dominion and Union border, while removing all warships from the Mississippi. The United Kingdom also seeds Prince Rupert’s Land to America, which in turn pays $1.5 million.

When Hamilton leaves office in 1819, the election actually leads to a break in the Republicans. The Republicans are divided over which war hero to nominate, and the issue results in the break of the party.

Decateur’s faction becomes the “Federalists”, while Henry Joseph’s faction remain the Republicans. The issue remains namely one of how the west should be settled. Westerners favor cheap land, rapid settlement, and “squatter’s rights”. Squatters rights are fairly self explanatory, but this meets opposition from the East. The Capitalists in New England and New York favor slow settlement of land, and eastern farmers oppose it because it would mean that their crops would face more competition Joseph also favors land for soldiers in the Union army for free, or, at least, a loan from the Bank of the Union.

The two differ on the military as well. Joseph feels that the army and navy are far too large, while Decateur calls the navy the “Shield of America” in his campaign speeches. He points out that the navy allowed Joseph to achieve the successes he did in Spain, and that the American hegemony in the Caribbean depends on the navy.

The election of 1819 is decisively in favor of Joseph. He carries all states but New Jersey, Massachussetts, and, surprisingly, Quebec. This begins the Joseph Administration

The Joseph Administration

Joseph proves to be a far better administrator than anyone had thought. He cuts the size of the army down to a fraction of its size in the Revolutionary Wars, but actually passes several acts involving the expansion of the navy, a move calculated to please New England. He also appoints Decateur as secretary of war.

Meanwhile, in Europe, the nations of Europe: The Kingdom of North Italy, formerly known as Savoy, France, Austria, Russia, and Prussia, have formed an alliance to suppress revolutionary ideas. Successful in Italy and Germany, the alliance considers acting in America. The Austrian monarch says that democracy is “a disease which must be cured, a volcano which must be extinguished, a gangrene which we must burn out”.

Understandably, this talk has the Union and Britain upset. It would not be aimed at them, of course, but both countries have profitable trade with Latin America. If it is returned to Spain, the Spanish restrictions would reappear. President Joseph enters in negotiations with Britain, and the two issue the Baltimore Compact, which announces the British and Union agreement to preserve the independence of the nations in Latin America. Russia agrees to withdraw from Oregon, where it had been making advances, and the threat of the Union and British navy forces the nations to reconsider interfering in Latin America.

His reign witnesses growing industrialization of America, as European immigration begins to provide a large labor force. By 1830, 800 cotton mills and 500 woolen mills in New England employ nearly 50,000 workers. Shipping continues to thrive, and the Opium trade to China involves the Americans, as well.

Industrialization elsewhere focuses on coal and iron deposits found in New York and Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh becomes a thriving industrial center, and Richmond is renowned for its Iron works. Settlement expands across the Mississippi as the native Americans are wiped out, West is rapidly settled by Easterners, Europeans, and even a few settlers from the Dominion of Georgia

Joseph’s administration, from 1819 to 1829, is one of peace and prosperity for the nation. His solution for solving the problem of a budget surplus is one that is followed by the administrations to follow; Joseph simply spends the money on internal improvements, and building several new forts along the coastline. But there are also problems.

The BAU Crisis.

The Bank of the AU runs into problems during Joseph’s term in office. The state legislatures oppose it, because it prevents state banks from lending too freely. Small farmers believed only in metal backed currency, and did not believe in paper money. The Bank is also opposed because it is viewed as monopolistic. It controls all transactions with the government, and is viewed as a monopoly.

Joseph is not a fool. He’s aware that whatever its flaws, the bank is, on the whole, good for America. So rather than join the attack on the Bank, Joseph attacks the state banks, accusing them of giving loans to the supporters to Senators. Moreover, he prepares to remove state banks, as a result of it. This happened, of course, but State of Pennsylvania appeals in the case of Pennsylvania vs. the Federal government. The court makes a dramatic ruling: Joseph is allowed to take over the State banks, because State banks interfere with interstate commerce, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Constitution.

The implications are, of course, staggering. This means, in essence, that the federal government controls all state finances, through the Bank. There is talk of secession, but ultimately it dies down. Joseph also throws several million acres of land onto the market at this time, and it becomes clear that this just ensures the federal government control against reckless spending.

The Dominion of Georgia

In the 1790’s, the Dominion of Georgia appeared to be moving towards abolition. The cost of providing for slaves was becoming overwhelming to planters, and they were become less and less of an economic gain. But the invention of the cotton gin revolutionized the idea, and cotton production proved to be ideal to the use of slave labor. Between 1800 and 1830, the number of slaves in the Dominion more than doubled.

The social structure is very similar to OTL’s south. There are a few wealthy planters, who own 50 or more slaves and own the best land. Then there was a large class of less wealthy planters, and owned fewer than 20 slaves. There were then small farmers, who owned either few slaves, or none at all. At the bottom were impoverished whites, who obtain food by hunting, and farmed soil for which cotton growers had no use.

Cotton production continually moves west as well. Soil is rapidly exhausted, and plantation owners move to the black belt, stretching across the region around the Mississippi, and Alabama.

The Dominion’s economy is centered around cotton, and it really is a colony of the UK. Raw materials are shipped there (and to the Union), while manufactured goods are imported. This is not to say the Dominion is poor, but it has no industrial base of its own, at least for now. It is also socially conservative; the vote has not been extended to all white males, as it has in the Dominion.

The Dominion does possess a large and well-trained militia, designed to suppress slave revolts, as well as defend the colonies. Its navy is the finest in the world, by virtue of being part of the British Empire.

Recently, there have been tensions between the Union and the Dominion over slavery. Slaves are running north, and the Union is protesting this; the Dominion should be able to control its slaves. As a sort of punishment, the Union is refusing to return the slaves, and suggesting that the Dominion establish a police force along its borders.

And in Britain, there is vocal demand to free the slaves. Parliament comes closet o passing acts against it, but so far, that has yet to happen; the plantation owners are buying votes. Something drastic was expected to happen, and it may have. But in 1836, the Mexican War broke out.

The Mexican War

In 1833, General Rodrigo was elected as the president-general of Mexico. It would be more accurate to say he seized power in a coup. He promptly abolished local rights, and rebellion broke out across the country. It took him until 1835 to establish control over Mexico proper, but in 1835 he marches north against the Texans. The Texans immediately declare themselves the Republic of Texas, and apply for admission in the Dominion. They are immediately granted it (before even asking London), and the militia marches into Texas.

Rodrigo begins to regret his decision, but remains confident. The Mexicans have a professional army, and the British are hesitant about fighting a war to extend slavery. Most observers expect the Mexicans to trounce the Dominion. And, in fact, when the two armies meet at Charleston on the Brazos, the Mexicans perform admirably well.

What President Rodrigo had not counted on was the Union. The Federalist Charles Bulfinch is a firm believer in Manifest destiny, and immediately upon the development of the Mexican Crisis, had dispatched a fleet of warships to the Pacific. He began with a speech to the Senate, giving a list of grievances against the Mexicans in regard to Union traders, and finished by saying “If the Senate and people of the Union will it, let there hereby be a state of war with the Republic of Mexico.” On July 4, 1836, the Union declares war on Mexico.

Ironically, there had been talk of war for several months, and the Union military had been preparing. Several days before the fourth of July, in fact, a Union naval armada had occupied Monterey, California. Admiral Sloat had received instructions from the war department in April, causing one to wonder how eager the Union was for war:

“Should Mexico, however, the resolutely bent on hostilities, you will be mindful to protect the persons and interests of citizens of the United States near your station, and should you ascertain beyond a doubt that the Mexican government as declared war against us, you will at once employ the force under your command to the best advantage. The Mexican ports on the Pacific are said to be open and defenseless. It you ascertain with certainty that Mexico has declared war against the United States, you will at once possess yourself of the Port of San Francisco, and blockade or occupy such other ports as your force may permit."

On July 7, sailing from Monterey, a Union armada occupies San Francisco, which Sloat renames the District of Warren. Ironically, Admiral Sloat’s full name is David Drake Sloat, and he is descended from the British captain who first sailed the west coast. This ends the war in California, although the Admiral will also occupy Baja and Mazatlan, on the western coast.

Meanwhile, the Army of the West leaves from Missouri, and marches southwest, across the Colorado. The leader, Benedict Austin (named after the famous war hero), advances on Las Vegas, arriving there in August. From there he marches to Santa Fe, only to find that the Mexican governor has fled to Chihuahua, and the Union flag is flown over Santa Fe. Austin remains in Santa Fe until September, when he advances on Chihuaha.

The Dominion is finally doing better as well. British soldiers land at Tampico, and the Army of Northern Texas marches on Monterrey. The British soldiers occupy Mexico City in September of 1837.

Now the question arises as to what to do. President-General Bulfinch declares that the Union demands no less than a border running from Chihuahua southwest to the Pacific. The Dominion desires to annex all of Mexico, within reason. The British parliament wavers, but, as this is the time where politicians said that “[they] love to paint the world a lovely shade of pink”, the Treaty of Hidalgo passes. The Union gains Alta and Baja California, much of the Santa Fe territories (although most of Texas goes to the Dominion), Chihuahua, and most of Durango. This gives the Union a lot of land with relatively few Mexicans, but at the same time the Union has less of a Catholic bias, as Argentina is a thriving state. This isn’t to say the racism isn’t there; the president boasts that the lands he has conquered “are encumbered by only a hundred thousand Mexicans”.

The Dominion annexes Tamaulipas, the rest of Durango, San Luis Potosi, Nueva Leon, Zacatecas, and Texas itself, of course. The rest of the nation is a Dominion/British protectorate. Tamaulipas becomes a province of the Dominion in 1844, and the economy joins the rest of the Dominion; that is to say, centered on “White gold”, or cotton.

But it is well that the Mexican war finished when it did. For the Union is about to embark, with Britain, on its first major conquest abroad. And in 1840, a settler in California will notice the real gold, not white, in a stream.

The Opium Wars

In the 19^th century, the British East India had hit upon a way for sure profitability. The company became a drug cartel, growing opium in India, and then sold it in China. By 1840, there was a nation of drug addicts.

It was only national for Americans to follow suit; clippers, after all, were the fastest sailing ships, and the Union navy and merchant marine were pioneering the way in steamships (the Union merchant marine, for those interested in such things, is the 2^nd largest in the world).

In 1836, the Son of Heaven made this trade illegal, but British traders simply bribed officials to let them trade it. Lin Tse Hu, the imperial Commissioner in Canton, aggressively clamps down on the trade, and within two months, it ceases. He sends a letter to King Albert of England and President Bulfinch of the American Union, stating that it was unjust to trade in a product that both nations had banned.

If it had only been about opium, war might have been averted. The problem is that it’s not, to put it bluntly. China has no official treaty relations with Britain or the Union, because both refuse to recognize the Emperor as the ruler of the world (being the ingrates they are). In addition, the British and Union both refuse to submit their citizens to Chinese law. The Chinese, on the other hand, demand that merchants in China be subject to Chinese laws.

This leads to the messy events of November, 1839. Lin warns all merchants that they must agree not to sell opium in China again, and must turn over all contraband opium, on pain of death by immolation. Merchants in Canton, the only port that could be used, are informed that they are being placed in detention until the trade is suppressed. He informs Captain Elliot, of the Union navy, that the Europeans may trade only when the opium trade is suppressed. Several million pounds are destroyed, but ultimately the trade resumes on the island of Hong Kong and at the Portuguese port of Macao.

Things go from bad to worse when in early January of 1840, an American sailor is killed by Chinese villagers in Kowloon (man bites dog indeed). The Captain of the union warship in the area, Captain Johnson, has the men arrested and hung.

Lin, at this point a favorite of the Emperor, decides that he will punish the Europeans. Supplies of meat and rice are intercepted and not delivered to warships, and vessels used by the British and Americans are poisoned. Bulfinch orders several more squadrons to the area, “to assure free and lawful commerce”. When Union merchant vessels try to dock at Kowloon, three Chinese junks fire at them. The net result is that the Chinese flee with their tails between their legs. But to avoid disgrace, the Chinese captains send a message to Lin that they have sunk a Union vessel.

The Emperor, upon receiving the warning, composes a declaration telling the two nations that: “you have presumptuously fired upon and attacked our naval cruisers, our army and navy will now be required to launch a devastating attack upon you, and you will suffer just punishment at our hands.”

Lin meanwhile assembles a fleet of eighty warships, which prepare to set sail in November of 1840. Bulfinch sends three warships to Lin, with a letter demanding the resumption of trade, but it is not opened. They three warships then proceed to, in an attack lasting 45 minutes, severely damage a dozen warships, and sink five. Lin, to keep his embarrassment a secret, informs the Emperor that he has sunk six Union warships.

Things rapidly go downhill. In July of 1841, several thousand Union and British marines arrive in China, along with gunboats. They seize Canton, Shanghai, Xiamen, Linbou, and Fuzhou.

Thus concludes the first part of the Timeline of how to establish a proper American Empire.

Divided We Stand: Or, a history of the American Empire (s)