Disunited States of America... Washington died

POD- On his way to Philadelphia Convention, George Washington fell off his horse and died.
The Convention, despite the best efforts of Benjamin Franklin, was unable to work out a presiding officer that everyone could respect. Regional and philosophical disputes preclude any compromising; any idea of a strong executive from Madison and Hamilton are seen as those individual's personal hopes to one day hold such an office.

As the Convention drags on with more and more arguments daily and Hamilton writing scathing broadsides, Franklin the oldest member there and the last one still respected for truly caring about a United single nation with no future aspirations for himself... dies from the stress. This is the last straw for most states, Rhode Island was already not attending and now the legislature declares it is withdrawing from the USA Articles of Convention. Virginia goes next. By September both the Constitutional Convention had disbanded and the Congress under the Articles of Confederation had failed to work together to pass a Northwest Territory organizing bill in July.

The disputes between NY and Massachusetts and Connecticut and Pennsylvania had been resolved only the year before, in 1786; CT and MA both pass laws acknowledging the earlier resolutions and compromises along with MA's 1785 passing of their NW Territory claims and CT's 1786 agreement to the same. CT still retains claim over the northeastern strip in the Ohio Country along Lake Erie that they had not given up (and in OTL wouldn't until 1800). New England states (now independent nations) seem to be at peace regarding borders... except Vermont, which New Hampshire and New York regard as theirs and for the most part Vermonters see as their own. But this won't get much attention as there are more important matters for the new nations to attend to.

New York and PA continued to dispute the "Erie Triangle", MA and CT both gave up their claims, with MA in favor of NY and CT in favor of PA. Virginia, hoping to have fewer nations on the Great Lakes as possible given its own claims favors NY over PA, especially given VA's own previous disputes with PA and future possible PA settlers spilling into the Ohio Country "illegally".

Slightly to the south things get more complicated. Maryland and Virginia's ongoing dispute over the Potomac (one of the many disputes that had led to the decision on a new Constitutional Convention) becomes more heated and leads to light fighting among rednecks in the western part of Maryland/Virginia over which fork of the Potomac was the "main" branch". Maryland makes a declaration that Delaware "rightfully belongs to Maryland" and makes a claim that previous decisions by the British crown are not binding in this new age. Pennsylvania makes a claim based on Delaware and PA sharing a governor until 1776 that DE is a "Pennsylvania dependency" and that PA will resort to force should any interference from outside sources. Georgia receives notice from Spanish authorities in Mexico City what the Spanish believe is the boundary, of course GA disagrees with their interpretation and believes Spain is too weak to do anything, and plans to eventually sell land in the Yazoo River basin proceed.

SC having never ceded their claims to the western extension find themselves in dispute with GA. Knowing GA will have its hands full with the Spanish in Florida and to the west, SC sees no reason to relinquish its claims despite geographical issues to ever being able to develop it on its own.

NC in order to promote western expansion and bolster its land claims carve Tennessee into 2 counties with representation in the legislature.

Despite Kentucky having at least 3 years in a row of having constantly petitioning VA legislature for separation the Virginia government (led by Thomas Jefferson now with the title of President) makes it clear any more petitions will not be accepted or considered and the legislature at Jefferson's insistence revokes the 1784 renouncing of claims to the NW Territory. Jefferson puts forth a plan for several new counties, but for now it is organized as one- the Illinois County with appropriate representation in the legislature.

So ends 1787/88 in the eastern seaboard of North America with 14 (including Vermont) new nations trying to figure out their identities. I hope to post more soon and go into more in-depth on what individuals such as Hamilton, Burr, and Madison are up to now that they're relegated to their home states.
 

TFSmith121

Banned
The Convention certainly could have failed, but probably

The Convention certainly could have failed, but probably not because of the lack of Washington as presiding officer.

Greene had already died, but Daniel Morgan comes to mind; a unifying figure, greatly distinguished in the Revolution, born in Virginia but one of the leading figures in northern NY in 1777, and he was a Federalist.

Bottomline, the Convention was called for very real reasons; the elites in every state understood the union was a necessity at a time. It took until 1832 for that to change in one state, and 1860 for it to change in more than one.

Best,
 
1789/1790

Prior to the failed Philadelphia Convention New York had begun to move towards resolving its claim over the New Hampshire Grants, which had set up its own govt as "Vermont" in hopes of becoming a state. With the USA dissolved NY under President George Clinton's insistence renewed their claims over Vermont, over the objections of many in the legislature. Massachusetts and New Hampshire quickly come to Vermont's support and recognize the nation's independence and individuals, including some Revolutionary War veterans, sign up to help Vermont in a new War for Independence against NY oppression. NY counters with propaganda about the Haldimand Affair and try to discredit Ethan Allen as a pro-British collaborator. Clinton continues to appoint judicial and county officials in the 4 NY counties created over Vermont and assumes sheriffs with the help of the "Yorkers" of southeast Vermont and increased settlement from NYers can handle what he sees as a few rabble rousers. Attorney General Aaron Burr wishes to treat them as traitors and charge them with treason, many believe he wishes to use this hard-line as a wedge issue to get to the right of Clinton and run against him in the next Presidential election. General Philip Schuyler and John Jay are expected to run as well, both with positions more favorable to ending the occupation of Vermont. Alexander Hamilton as Minister of the Treasury promotes the idea of industrial development and invest state money in enterprises such as a dam and lock on the Hudson to allow shipping north of Albany, post roads paved with planks, and big future plans for a canal west to Great Lakes to promote western settlement of Upstate NY.

General James Wilkinson, who had unbeknownst to Virginia had traveled in 1787 to New Orleans and swore allegiance to Spain in return for their help in Kentucky independence, travels around Kentucky to hoping to rally support for an insurrection.

Rhode Island had not participated in the Philadelphia Convention and yet had been responsible for one of the reasons the Convention was called- the fact that Rhode Island was hampering and taxing interstate commerce passing through their state. MA has had enough, along with RI harboring tax evaders and disputes on fishing rights. MA invades under direction of President John Adams. CT and NH show support for RI; President Clinton of NY in 1790 offers mediation.

Spain continues to send missives to the govt of Georgia that the boundary between Georgia and West Florida is the 32 degree 22' latitude. The Spanish build a series of forts including Fort San Fernando de las Barrancas (Memphis), Natchez, and Nogales (Vicksburg) all on the east bank of the Mississippi and therefore technically on NC and GA territory, neither new nation has the resources to remove the Spanish.

VA, PA, and MD meet in Annapolis to discuss cooperation on western settlement. VA desperately wants to expand Washington's dream of a Potomac to Ohio canal linking Alexandria to Pittsburgh. Secretly VA is willing to mediate a peace settlement over Delaware in PA's favor in return for PA as a "neutral party" in determining the border dispute between VA and MD in VA's favor.

Guy Carleton, who was the Governor of Quebec during the American Revolution until 1778 and again since 1785, decides the disputes and disorganizations in the former colonies is a perfect time to build on Haldimand's attempts to have Vermont reunite with the British Empire. Feelers are sent out in 1790 to certain interested parties in Vermont, NH, RI, and the northern portion of MA (Maine). Forts around the Great Lakes are reinforced with plans to expand the presence of the British Empire among the native tribes.
 

jahenders

Banned
In general, if the Constitutional Convention fails to move forward to create a constitution, the default would likely be to continue with the articles of confederation until negotiations/situations improve to the point they can try again. If that doesn't happen with a decade or so, THEN you might have one or more states pull out. If still under the articles, I think the lead up to the war of 1812 would go very differently -- the US would be generally weaker, most of the states would have little interest in supporting the NE state's desires that became the major impetus. So, the US would either have to cave or the NE states go it alone.

Assuming the US largely caves to avoid war, the Louisiana Purchase is less likely or, perhaps, scaled back. Somewhere in the 1812-1820 timeframe, the states either get their act together and try again at a new constitution or some states leave to "see to their own affairs."
 
1791/1792

MA sees in 1791 unrest in Maine, rising tensions with New Hampshire, and a quagmire developing in their war against Rhode Island. President George Clinton of New York's proposal to mediate the RI war is agreed to by President John Adams of MA. Philip Schuyler, Major General during the US Revolution, state Surveyor-General, and long-time state legislator, is tapped as special envoy to lead the mediation and peace talks to take place in Montauk, NY.

The 1792 election for NY President heats up with multiple candidates. Aaron Burr runs on a revanchist platform of crushing the Vermont insurrection, claiming the Old Northwest Territories, taking the Erie Triangle, and expanding NY influence over CT and NJ; Philip Schuyler runs on a platform of ending the war in Vermont and economic expansion with his son-in-law Alexander Hamilton campaigning strongly for him publishing pamphlets that show, using Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations, that conquests and subjugation isn't the way to go and is a drain, that NY can expand influence using industrial power. Hamilton attacks his once friend Burr directly quite often, Burr takes great offence of being called names publicly. John Jay runs on a centralist policy in favor of negotiating with Vermont as well. Jay and Schuyler split the left vote and Burr wins in 1792. Burr vows retribution against Hamilton for his slurs.

President Mifflin of PA in 1790 makes public Pres. Jefferson of VA's secret proposal for a quid pro quo of supporting each other's disputes with MD, and vows to work with MD on an equitable settlement of their disputes. MD President John Howard see's Mifflin and his actions (both now and from the Revolution) as honorable. In 1791 a settlement occurs, PA pays MD for Delaware's independence in the form of any profit of land sales from the region of western PA from the border north to the Ohio and east to the Monongahela. A treaty of friendship is signed to guarantee to defend each other from attack. Jefferson takes personal offence, and the VA legislature declares that VA is renewing their claim to the same Ohio and Monongahela area that VA had claimed until 1780. Mifflin taps General "Mad" Anthony Wayne to lead a western campaign to shore up PA influence in the west.

Colonel James Wilkinson in 1791 leads a band of Kentucky militia north of the Ohio River on a successful raid against Native American villages and tribes loyal to the British who still had not removed their forts along the Great Lakes. VA President Jefferson promotes him to General of the Army and sends him with orders to follow Braddock's Road north from VA into PA and turn west to occupy Rice's Fort, which sits in PA along the VA border. Jefferson is unaware of Wilkinson's continuing intrigue with Spain.

Arturo O'Neill, Governor of West Florida for Spain, continues building more forts in what Georgia claims to be their territory, encourages Spanish settlement and intermarriage, makes treaties with Natives, and increases Spain's position north to the Tennessee River. With Juan Nepomuceno de Quesada, Governor of East Florida, a joint announcement stating that Spain's recognition was that GA's southern border is the Altamaha River. As part of the 1790 Nootka Convention between Spain and the UK the British pledge moral support to Spain's claim of lands from west from the Proclamation Line of 1763 and south of the Tennessee and the Spanish recognize British sphere north of the Ohio and around the Great Lakes. President Jefferson of VA pledges support for GA.

NC appoints William Blount "ambassador to the Indian Nations" to secure land and treaties to bolster NC claims to trans-Appalachian territory. He begins correspondence with General Wilkinson of VA, Wilkinson believes by 1791 he can trust Blount about possibly working with the Spanish to their benefit.

The British declare the 1783 Treaty of Paris "null and void" as it was with a govt not in existence anymore. A new treaty is made with the Western Confederacy, a loose collection of Native American tribes/nations in the old Northwest Territory, Britain recognizes the Confederacy's boundary as the Mississippi to the west and the Ohio to the south as far east as Muskingum River. VA, PA, CT, and NY all protest vehemently.
 
1793/1794

Rhode Island gets the short straw in the Peace of Montauk. MA receives northeast Rhode Island and the border is drawn down the middle of the Blackstone and Seekonk Rivers to the Providence River at which point it is the low water mark of the east side of the Providence River and Narragansett Bay, except for the Sakonnet River where it is low tide on the west bank along Aquidneck Island. NY receives Block Island as payment for services during the negotiations. Samuel Huntington, President of Connecticut, and a previous President of the Continental Congress, signer of the Decl of Independence and Articles of Confederacy, puts forth a plan to unite RI with CT for both their benefits to protect them from the growing power of NY and MA; John Collins, President of CT pushes forth the unification proving to be very unpopular in RI. Collins is assassinated. William West, a former Revolutionary War general, deputy governor, and justice of the RI Supreme Court, raise a militia over a thousand strong to resist unification. By 1794 CT has occupied the larger towns in western and southern RI and MA has occupied Providence and Newport, but West controls the countryside with Arthur Fenner proclaimed President of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

President Burr of NY effectively runs Alexander Hamilton out of NY after having the legislature in Albany ruin Hamilton's reputation with multiple committees looking into his loan portfolio as minister of the treasury. Hamilton moves to NJ with a loan from his father-in-law Philip Schuyler and gets started in ramping up NJ's economy to compete with NY and PA. He makes unsuccessful overtures to the stock brokers of the Buttonwood Agreement to move their operations to Jersey City. Burr sends professional troops into Vermont, refuses to negotiate on the Erie Triangle dispute with PA and sends forces to occupy the town, begins correspondence with General Wilkinson of VA about working together in case of full-blown war, and sends feelers to Guy Carleton, Governor General of the Canadas about a treaty regarding borders and cooperation.

Encouraged by Spain's initial success in 1793/4 against the First French Republic during the War of the Pyrenees, General Wilkinson of VA decides to finally make it clear to Blount of NC his plans of creating a western nation under Spanish protection. Blount seems interested and while Wilkinson is occupied in the Ohio Territory and PA he makes plans to travel to New Orleans to ask for money and supplies, along with a guarantee of land grants.

Wilkinson while in western PA rallies rural locals dissatisfied with PA taxes by promising no taxation for life in return for raising a militia, this without authority from President Jefferson. Wayne of PA moves southwest from Pittsburgh by the end of 1794 to confront Wilkinson but is under orders not to confront unless fired upon first.

Also in VA, James Madison, Speaker of the House of Delegates (lower house of the legislature), pushes forth reforms such as Freedom of Speech, Religion, etc but goes too far when he supports banking and industrial development and suggest Hamilton be invited to VA. Jefferson sacks him as Secretary of State. Madison releases to the public Jefferson's secret plans to ban slavery from west of the Appalachian, including Kentucky; ban the importation of slaves; and to slowly move towards emancipation. Madison moves to run against Jefferson in the next election.

The cotton-gin is invented in CT by Eli Whitney in 1793. Ties between SC and CT become tighter as cotton begins to ramp up production. It doesn't take long before GA and NC realize cotton is the future and begin planting it in large numbers replacing tobacco. Jefferson encourages the production of cotton, wrongly believing the cotton gin and future agricultural inventions will be manned by independent white farmers and make large-scale slavery uneconomical.
 
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Deleted member 1487

I think this will end up being a recipe for trade and 'hot' wars, while leaving the Europeans as the long term beneficiaries, as they can back their proxies, exploit the weaker American state governments, and not have to worry about a united political/economic entity dominating the global economy. Texas is guaranteed to be a petrol state of the Spanish variety.
 
1795/1796

The War of the Pyrenees has been going south (literally) on the Spanish as the French occupy Catalonia and the Treaty of Basel is signed ending the war unfavorably. South Carolina, becoming rich on the export of cotton, decides it is time to take advantage of a weakened Spain and Europe's distraction with the French Revolutionary government. SC appoints Thomas Pinckney, former governor, to negotiate for recognition and aid from the UK in return for economic concessions and possible war against Spanish Florida. He is rebuffed, and decides to try Spain before being recalled. Pinckney comes back to SC with a Spanish proposal- SC gets Georgia south to the Altamaha River, the border would then go from the headwaters of said river west along that latitude (the original 1732 charter of GA); north of East Florida, from the Altamaha River west to the Chattachoochee River and south from the latitude of the Altamaha's headwaters would be a Native preserve; west of the Chattahoochee would be part of Spanish East Florida. SC had the upper hand and sent Pinckney back with greater demands that the Spanish felt they had no choice but to accept- SC receives GA to the St Mary's River to the 1763 Proclamation Line north to the 32 degree 28 minute latitude west to the Mississippi. Plans are made for the Spanish to give SC aid in conquering GA, by the end of 1796 SC has conquered the Savannah but little else.

General Wayne of PA, fed up with General Wilkinson of VA's rallying the rural western Pennsylvanians moves to engage despite orders not to engage first. Wilkinson and Jefferson believing in the virtue of the citizen militia fighting for a cause against Wayne's professionally trained and paid forces has the VA forces stand firm. Wilkinson sends word to Pres. Burr of NY asking for NY forces occupying Fort Presque Isle/Erie Triangle to move south against Pittsburgh and for a feint against Allentown in the east, while asking for Jefferson to send forces to occupy Newcastle, Delaware to threaten the capital of Philadelphia. Burr accedes to the first request but not to the feint; Jefferson, hearing rumors of Wilkinson being a Spanish agent declines and sends word to recall the General. Wayne attempts to engage forces of Wilkinson in the early Summer of 1796 and routs all forces willing to engage, a young militiaman named Meriwether Lewis was among the casualties. Wilkinson finally retreats to Fort Hamar, Wayne spends the summer and fall going across Ohio Country buying off Natives from the Western Confederacy or subduing individual villages by force, finally occupying Fort Washington for the course of the winter. When word of Jefferson's decision reaches Wilkinson he rallies his most loyal men and they leave for NC's western territory in hopes of meeting up with Blount. He sends word to Burr asking for support, arms, and money.

A young William Clark is sent with several others on a peaceful mission by Jefferson to win over the natives of the Ohio Valley west of Fort Washington (Cincinatti) and north to the Illinois River in hopes of winning the remnants of the Western Confederacy after Wayne's destruction of the Ohio Country.

CT begins surveying the Western Reserve and found and name Cleveland. NY is growing increasingly suspicious of CT and PA expansion, Burr becomes increasingly paranoid of NY becoming surrounded by powerful nations, he makes plans to support Wilkinson's western schemes. Philip Schuyler intercepts some of the Burr-Wilkinson correspondence and forwards it to Hamilton in NJ. Hamilton informs the PA govt of Burr's intrigues. NY legislature is abhorred by the Burr's constant warmongering intrigues and accedes to PA demands of Burr's impeachment in 1796. After being impeached but before conviction Burr flees to VA hoping to make it to Wilkinson, only to find out he too is on the run. Jefferson has Burr brought to Richmond under custody but is treated with respect. Vice President Stephen Van Rensselaer takes office as Pres of NY until an election at the end of 1796 elects John Jay over George Clinton in a relatively controversial-free campaign unlike that of the previous Burr/Jay/Schuyler.

Jefferson does not run for reelection in 1796, James Monroe runs on the Jeffersonian platform of agrarianism, western expansion, and pro-French/anti-British against James Madison with a platform of American cooperation, ending western wars with compromise, and a strong navy. Monroe wins, though there is dispute whether votes from Illinois County and the other trans-Appalachian counties were fraudulent.

Hamilton as the new Secretary of State for NJ encourages NJ to build on native industry, brings in CT citizens who know cotton gin experience, encourages glass making from the Pine Barrens sands, encourages Philadelphia experts in industry to move across the Delaware to Camden and NY bankers to move to Jersey City and Hoboken. Encourages Irish, English, French, Scandinavian, and German immigration from the turmoil and unknown of the French Revolution. The beginnings of a Navy are started in Atlantic City and defenses of NY Harbor are built. With Jay's election in NY, Hamilton hopes to move NJ and NY to union in the coming years.

Representatives of the Vermont Republic and New Hampshire meet with Guy Carleton regarding rejoining the UK on a level equal with Lower and Upper Canada with similar rights to a local legislature to the Constitutional Act of 1791 that gave parliaments to Canada. Carleton leaves Canada for England in 1796 without making any commitments.

Blount is in New Orleans trying to secure Spanish support for a Western adventure with Wilkinson when word reaches in 1796 of a settlement between Spain and South Carolina. Blount leaves disappointment as Spanish appetite for intrigue has dried up. He reaches Nashville just as word reaches him of Wilkinson's bad fortune. He finds out Wilkinson is in Knoxville and sends word. Neither are aware of Burr's own misfortunes.
 
1797/1798

Georgia government insiders have been selling trans-Appalachian land in the Yazoo River Valley to land speculators in order to raise money for their own lavish lifestyles for years, scandal breaks out in the middle of the Georgia-Carolina war. Land prices plummet just as land speculation bubbles burst elsewhere along the East Coast of N. America, combined with war among the former colonies, and credit and banking problems in England, the results are a panic and recession. Georgia's government falls and South Carolina forces backed by limited Spanish help finally begin to push further into Georgia. Pinckney, considered a national hero, is sent to negotiate treaties with the Chocktaw, Creek, and other Natives for their support.

The 1797 British defeat in their attempt to conquer San Juan, Puerto Rico leads to Virginia, NJ, CT, and MA to further their plans for the latest naval fleets. Virginia contracts with a British firm, NJ contracts with MA, MA and CT build their own. MA is first with a frigate that rolls off the dry dock in 1798.

Hamilton pushes through the NJ legislature laws giving free passage from any tarrifs of any people and goods from Europe on their way to any other part of the Eastern Seaboard. Hamilton gets Jay in NY and Mifflin in PA to recipricate with NJ most-favored nation status. NJ ports see increased travel and the economy weathers the Panic of 1798.

President Jay of NY recalls the invasion of Pittsburgh. A treaty is signed giving PA the Erie Triangle in return for an indemnity payment to NY of $50,000. NY recognizes PA claim over the Ohio Country over that of VA. Jay has troops recalled from VT and negotiates independence in return for recognition of Yorker rights and land patents along with the right to dictate VT's foreign affairs in order to maintain VT independence and crush any attempts to union with Britain or NH.

1797 sees Mad Anthony Wayne continue to move through the Old Northwest Territory subjugating the Natives either peacefully with promises, through threats, or by force. He reaches the swampy land of where the Illinois River meets Lake Michigan and turns back east. In winter of 1798 he surprises the British at Fort Miami on the Maumee River at the northwestern edge of the Ohio Country. The last hold outs of the Western Confederacy sign the Treaty of Fort Miami acknowledging Pennsylvania sovereignty over the Ohio Country.

President Monroe of Virginia taps rival James Madison to lead a Virginia delegation to Annapolis in 1798 to meet with representatives from MD, DE, PA, CT, NJ, and NY to discuss boundaries and free trade. Based on Hamilton's ideas this unites once again Madison with Jay and Hamilton who once all worked together towards an idea of a strong national govt; an idea that Madison no longer holds and which Jay feels the best chance has been lost, only Hamilton believes it can be accomplished, if but slowly through economic cooperation first. Ohio Country with the Ohio River as the southern border and the Miami, St Marys, and Maumee Rivers as the western border becomes acknowledged as Pennsylvania territory with exception of the Western Reserve which is recognized as CT territory. NY/NJ boundary is moved to be the middle of the Hudson River instead of the low tide mark on the NJ shore. MD recognizes VA's claim of the north branch of the Potomac being the southern border in the western part of the state in return for free rights of navigation in the Chesapeake Bay. VA's claim over the counties south of the Ohio River is recognized, but territory west of the Ohio Country claimed by Virginia as its Illinois County is unaddressed. PA, NY, and VA agree to collective work to push the British out of areas given to the USA under the Treaty of Paris, first through diplomacy led by President Jay of NY. Maryland and Delaware join Hamilton's free trade zone, Virginia declines.

Wilkinson and Blount begin a rebellion in the Trans-Appalachian counties of NC (Tennessee) and capture Nashville. On the way to Knoxville they are defeated by a regular army detachment with a local militia regiment, a young volunteer named Andrew Jackson is present and fearless, leading the NC army to victory. Jackson makes a name for himself and is promoted in the newspapers as the "Mad Anthony Wayne of the South" though this is a sensational exaggeration as this is his first action. Wilkinson retreats to Memphis hoping the Spanish will give refuge and supplies, while Blount is left with the ragtag army to hold Nashville.

Madison doesn't know what to do with Burr, whose asylum request he inherited from Jefferson's administration. In consultation with PA, NJ, and NY but with no knowledge of Wilkinson and Blount's rebellion it is decided that it can cause no harm to allow him to go into exile where he wishes. Burr is free to go and sets sail for New Orleans.

Native chiefs in Canada make claims on Vermont and NY regarding land or the equivalent compensation of. British authorities secretly egg them on but take no official moves.

Due to the loss of Vermont which left NH no land to pay veterans, several speculators losing their claims in VT to Yorkers, and no western lands or place for overpopulation or movement of individuals as the older land wore out, NH is hit hard by the Panic and recession. NH begins to default on loans from European, Boston, Philadelphia, and NY creditors.
 
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1799/1800

South Carolina has routed most of GA's main forces and occupied the main portion of the nation, a few individuals, families, and small groups are in the mountains still in rebellion. The farwestern portion of the Trans-Appalachian territory is still occupied by the Spanish with their forts along the Mississippi, but SC is in no position to protest as no SC forces have reached that far and it is sparsely settled.

As the conflicts in New England and the Northwest Territory/Ohio Country have settled down, the populations of MA, NH, CT, VT, and the Hudson Valley of NY are becoming too large for the land to support. Families looking for larger more fertile ground start pouring west. PA's population has their own Ohio Country, so most settlers see no difference in their rights or nationality. New Englanders for the most part see a difference, as they settle in western New York or the Ohio Country or CT's Western Reserve. CT's Western Reserve is treated as a colony with its own limited self-rule and elected legislature with an appointed executive representing CT's govt. Some families go further afield to the Detriot area where conflict grows at the end of 1800 with the British who still hold a fort there. A group of NY families establish Toledo on the north bank of the Maumee River, putting it just outside the reach of the PA authority, nominally the land is claimed by VA with an old defunct claims by CT and NY. Ohio Country is quickly populated and towns spring up all over with a few embryonic cities such as Cincinatti, the Ohio Country is considered an integral part of Pennsylvania and carved into counties and given representation, movement of the capital further west is planned.

In order to make sure future disputes over the Illinois County area goes better for it VA sets out to build a series of forts and trading posts and encourage more settlement. Plantations spring up west from Cincinatti along the Ohio River, Fort Dearborn is established in the area west of the Illinois River along Lake Michigan with a series of trading posts along the river to the confluence with the Mississippi.

Based on Hamilton's suggestion of negotiating with Britain as a group regarding disputes over territory, forts, and impressment, MA sends Elbridge Gerry, PA sends George Logan, and VA sends James Madison to London. After being given a cold shoulder and being pawned from one low level official to another with no hope is made in meeting with anyone of importance, so Logan and Madison try for France hoping to pull a "Pinckney" in imitation of Pinckney's travel to Spain after failure in France. Gerry remains in England in hopes of making headway.

By 1800 several of the states have at least one frigate. Hamilton is of the opinion that they form a joint board of the admiralty to unite in one navy under one operational control, to which no state, not even NJ, agrees to this. NH can not pay for the frigate they had constructed at home, MD pays for it and the plans it was built from. MA, CT, NY, NJ, PA, MD, and VA each have one frigate built, with several more on the way with one more from MA, CT, and PA. CT, NY, and PA discuss naval control of Lake Erie and the British domination thereof.

NC forces attack Nashville in 1799 and rout the pitiful forces under Blount's inept command. Andrew Jackson again shows himself as brave, fearless, and a great tactician. NC promotes him to Colonel. Wilkinson in Memphis asks for asylum from the Spanish. The Spanish have had enough of incompetence in western NC after having had such success with a complaint SC, Spain arrests him and turns Wilkinson over to NC with incriminating documentation. President Monroe of VA is informed by NC. Aaron Burr's role is soon discovered by NC prosecutors and the Spanish are more than willing to arrest Burr in New Orleans, but NY does not want the expense of a trial and NC and VA have little or nothing to charge him with. He is deported to England.

As the wars in Europe between the French Republic and "everyone else" heat up more and more freight is captured by France or Britain. MA, NH, CT, NY, VT, and NJ tend to be more pro-British while PA, DE, MD, VA, NC, and SC are more pro-French. As more PA and VA settlers move into the Ohio Valley more commerce travel down the Illinois and Ohio to the Mississippi and out New Orleans, Spain harasses, taxes, delays, and impounds more tonnage each year. Hamilton says only by banding together can the eastern seaboard states push forward their rights and stand up to Spain. VA and PA work together on a plan for a Potomac to Ohio canal.
 
1801/1802

In 1801 while in France, Madison and Logan learn of the secret treaty in which Spain returned to France the Louisiana Territory. They pass that news on to Gerry who had remained in London. British authorities of course intercept and read the correspondence before passing it on to the American diplomats. The British navy begins working through plans of what to do with the information, whether to attack and occupy New Orleans because it is nominally French even though garrisoned by Spanish soldiers.

In 1802 Elbridge Gerry, diplomat from MA who stayed in London while the diplomats from PA (Logan) and VA (Madison) had moved on to France, is finally approached by a mid-level bureaucrat with news of a proposal based on Britain's discovery of the French Louisiana problem. Britain wishes to carve up Louisiana. The French speaking portion of Louisiana south of the 33rd parallel would be British, North of the 33rd to the southern border of NC's western territory (Tennessee) would be South Carolina's, NC would get an extension of their north and south boundaries, everything north of NC would be split between VA and Britain based on the latitude of the southern tip of Lake Michigan- VA would get south of the line, Britain north of the line. Since the three diplomats had come over representing a united front in wanting negotiations and the British had never bothered to recognize any of the former states/colonies as independent, the British bureaucrats dealing with this matter do not realize this diplomat comes from MA only and does not represent any of the states involved or that this proposal could cause disagreements, scandal, even war. Elbridge decides to leave England immediately to bring this information back to MA and does not send word to Logan and Madison in France.

Ohio and Virginia use 1801 and 1802 to build infrastructure such as trading posts, forts, and roads to bolster their control over western territories. Mad Anthony Wayne dies in January of 1801 in Pittsburgh while planning the route of a Great Ohio Road. Over the next two years the road is planned out and initial work is made, it will travel from Pittsburgh west across the middle of the Ohio Country to intersect a northeast/southwest road from CT's Cleveland to PA's Cincinatti and then end at an intersection with a north/south road from Cincinatti to Toledo; a road along Lake Erie is also planned to connect Toledo with Cleveland and Fort Presque Isle/Erie. The hope of many of these roads are to tie Cleveland (in CT territory) and Toledo (technically outside any effective sovereignty) with PA economically. Speculators start towns, Springfield at the confluence of the Toledo/Cincinatti road with the Great Ohio Road, and Columbus at the Cleveland/Cincinatti road with the Great Ohio Road. Since no road connects Cleveland directly to Pittsburgh trade from the western Great Lakes is encouraged to go to the city of Erie and avoid Toledo and Cleveland on its way to the eastern seaboard.

VA builds a road from Louisville north and northwest to Fort Dearborn and one west from Louisville to St Louis. Travelers going out west used to use the old Braddock's Road which had been improved by Wilkinson during the VA/PA dispute in the 1790s, this path is no longer favored by Virginians, and is only sees limited use by those traveling from MD to the Ohio Country by way of Pittsburgh. Wheeling, VA finds itself in a bad position as PA refuses to cooperate on any bridges or ferries over the Ohio in this region in hopes of keeping PA products traveling to Pittsburgh or Cincinnati, instead of that Virginia city and roads northwest to Pittsburgh face heavy tolls on top of tariffs and fees to enter PA. Wheeling makes several pleas to the VA govt in Richmond for them to join PA.

PA govt makes plans to move west, Lancaster is made temporary seat. Possible candidates for permanent location are- York, Harrisburg, Reading, Johnstown, and Pittsburgh.

The recent Panic of 1798 and its lingering effects are seen as a failure of Hamilton's belief in free trade and open borders, even though in reality NJ and the other mid-Atlantic and New England nations that had signed on did weather the storm better than others. It is Eli Whitney of CT who pushes CT to pull out first in 1801, though CT does work with NY on a bilateral most-favored nation status out of necessity of getting to and from the Western Reserve without hassle and tariffs. By the end of 1802 the effects are felt most in NJ as imports from Europe can go cheaper directly to Philadelphia or NY and out west instead of using NJ ports where they then would face fees and tariffs when crossing to NY or PA. Hamilton is sacked from his position in the govt and moves back to NY.

NY institutes a policy of supporting the construction of post and toll roads, especially west from Albany. The Great Western Turnpike which was started in 1799 was the first and many more are to come in the early 1800s. Albany becomes the hub for western settlement from New England, especially to CT's Western Preserve, Toledo, and the growing settlements in the untamed wilderness of the Michigan peninsula. NY financial markets, banks, and industrial/commercial concerns continue to outpace Boston and a rivalry with Philadelphia for western markets continues. Talk of a canal west from Albany to Lake Ontario or Erie become the fashion among some elites egged on by Hamilton but are considered too outrageous and pure fantasy.

VA, MA, MD, and NY all send their frigates and some smaller ships to the Mediterranean to meet up and assist a Swedish squadron at war with the pasha of Tripoli. Captain Edward Preble of the MA frigate Bunker Hill travels to the Kingdom of Naples and greatly impressed King Ferdinand IV so much that Naples became the first European nation to de jure recognize MA (or any former British colony) and arrange to establish respective embassies. VA's frigate is the Chesapeake, MD the Constellation, NY the Clinton. PA's frigate the Ohio does not participate but does travel to Gibraltar to patrol the eastern Atlantic in protecting Pennsylvania interests and shipping, the NJ frigate Trenton operates extensively in Caribbean waters protecting their merchant marine from French and British interference.

CT's frigate Providence is sent leading a small squadron on an extraordinary feat of rounding the Cape Horn and visiting the west coast. Eli Whitney's interchangeable parts and mass production has given CT quite an industrial capacity and hopes are to open trade among the Natives north of Mexico and supply the Russians with some needed guns, ammunitions, and supplies.
 
1803/1804

Elbridge Gerry returns to MA and back room secret discussions and whispers occur regarding what to do about Britain's proposal, it doesn't directly concern MA but would greatly strengthen the Southern states and allow the expansion of their slavery which greatly bothers anti-slavery MA morals and fuels fears that VA may become strong enough to conquer the other states, though most agree that's unlikely to happen. Consensus is to forward the information to President Mifflin of PA and let him decide as an enlarged VA affects Pennsylvania more than any other eastern seaboard nation.

VA sends William Clark on an expedition to make treaties securing rights to the land from PA's western border (the Miami and Maumee Rivers) west to the Illinois River and north into the Great Lakes. When passing through Toledo he is heckled and Toledo's independence is officially declared, though it is doubtful if any other nation will ever recognize a city-state along Lake Erie.

PA decides on Johnstown as the new capital. Plans are made for improvements and public buildings. Lancaster will remain the capital until things are set.

Thanks to the ships provided by the various eastern seaboard nations, in 1803Sweden begins establishing consulates in the larger ones and issues a blanket statement of de jure recognition of NH, VT, MA, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, VA, NC, and SC as individual nations. The Netherlands and Spain follow suit in 1804. Napoleon recognizes all the nations late in 1804 as well, and personally meets with Madison and Logan.

Events in Haiti split the nations even though action in the Mediteranean had made them rejoice in joint action. SC, NC, VA, MD, and DE all abhor the events of the Haiti Revolution and declare their support for France, PA and NJ declare that they condemn the actions of massacres but support a free and independent Haiti but do not recognize it and make it illegal to send supplies or trade, contraband finds its way though as enforcement of the ban is intentionally not funded; CT, MA, VT, and NH all issue recognition of the new Haiti government, supplies flow unofficially; NY does not address the situation at all, though some supplies flow to Haiti from individuals and groups.

VA and PA continue to build roads and infrastructure in the Old Northwest. Pennsylvania settlers in Ohio build out an unofficial trail, an extension of the Great Ohio Road from Springfield to an intersection of the Louisville to Fort Dearborn Road that VA is building. In reality the Great Ohio Road is only as far as Columbus at this point and little more than wagon tracks the rest of the way but this doesn't stop more and more wagons every month from using it during good weather on their way out west. The small community that springs up is called Lenape in honor of a local tribe, a possible other name- Indianapolis in honor of their being more Indians than Whites in the area, was considered too long and unweildy and would not be encouraging to settlement. A road is begun from Fort Wayne at the confluence of the St Mary's/St Joseph's/Maumee rivers southwest to Lenape. Pennsylvania, NJ, NY, and New England settlers are pouring over the western boundary of the Ohio Territory and into land VA feels is rightly only claimed by it. Tensions rise of a greater war than just PA vs. VA as the nations feel threatened by VA's pro-slavery attitudes and method of large plantations versus their ex-pat's method of town and industry; CT and NJ especially see the west as a safety valve allowing their overpopulation a place to go, especially as the Western Reserve is seen as being a closed frontier and "saturated" by the standards of the time, in fact agitation in the Western Reserve for more rights are just starting to boil, egged on perhaps by PA agents or news of Toledo's "independence", some even say formented by British spies from Canada.
 
1805/1806

In the interest of peace (for now) President Mifflin keeps the news handed to him from MA about the British proposal regarding Spanish/French Louisiana under wraps and does not release it. However, too many people in England, MA, and PA now know and the information about Spanish Louisiana now in reality French and "some sort of British invasion" become whispered rumor that becomes more and more jumbled and alternate versions of the rumors make their way around. Mifflin has become somewhat untouchable in elections and the legislature considers making him "President for life"... they don't have to because he dies in 1805 on a trip to Johnstown to inspect construction of the new capitol building. Simon Snyder, who had been Speaker of the House and instrumental in selecting Johnstown as the new capital, is elected President in a special election in 1806.

William Clark travels through the Michigan Peninsula, crosses Straits of Mackinac after stopping at the British Fort Michilimackinac, explores the Upper Peninsula which he describes as full of potential for furs and timber, but not for farming or permanent settlers. A full report on the demographics of the area and ethnographic descriptins by Peter Custiss, including as best a census as they could make of the French and native settlement of Sault Ste. Marie is sent back to Richmond as Clark pushes west to look for the headwaters of the Mississippi.

In 1806 because of Clark's northwestern adventures PA sends Zebulon Pike through the old Northwest Territory to dispute VA's claims. Pike is given command of quite a large army with instructions to intimidate Toledo, then order the British from Detriot, occupy Fort Dearborn, and then find the source of the Mississippi, at the time that he was given these instructions it was not known that Clark had already decided on achieving that goal. Initial plans were to bring famous surveyor Andrew Ellicott, but disputes with President Simon Snyder led to Ellicott going to South Carolina; Thomas Freeman replaces him.

Ellicott is employed by the SC govt to map out the border with North Carolina.

William Eaton of MA leads a force of six men and 500 Greek mercenaries to capture Derne, a town controlled by Tripoli (Libya). He is backed by the VA, MD, and MA ships in the area.

Andrew Jackson, representative in the North Carolina legislature and a prominent landowner and speculator in the Trans-Appalachian counties, and recently the Major-General of the Army decides to remove the Spanish from western Tennessee. It is seen by some as a distraction from his recent duel with Charles Dickinson, others see it as his hope to open up more land for his own speculation and purchase.

A group of prominent citizens in the Western Reserve meet in the town of Warren to discuss independence from CT. CT has treated the Western Reserve as a colony and has given no representation in the national legislature, though a local legislature has existed. The American Revolution is still vivid with many of the original leaders still alive and an open letter is published mentioning them each by name, including Adams, Hamilton, Madison, Monroe, and Jefferson, they are used as examples and hope to win their moral support. Questions are raised on whether they can exist on their own surrounded by Pennsylvania and with NY also close by, and Virginia claims. One person suggests uniting with Toledo and taking all of the Ohio Country's shoreline along Lake Erie and the Erie Triangle as well.
 
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1807/1808

Andrew Ellicott's survey shows the border in NC's favor. He is kicked out of SC and heads to NY. An accurate border is considered essential given the large amounts of gold that have come out of the Appalachians during the Carolina Gold Rush that started in 1799 and the long border the two Carolinas share to the Mississippi. NC's Tennessee has seen a huge population explosion and SC's new territories from Georgia are beginning to see an increase as cotton farmers have worn out the land in Georgia and SC proper. Westward goes cotton, slavery, and the push of Natives out of the way.

Thomas Pinckney, who had been instrumental in "Pinkney's Treaty" with Spain that allowed SC the opportunity to annex Georgia is tapped by the SC govt to return to Spain. His instructions are to buy West Florida and New Orleans so that western settlers can send raw materials down the Mississippi, Pearl, the Chickasawhay and Leaf that flow into the Pascagoula, and the Tombigbee, Coosa, and Alabama which all feed to the Mobile and Mobile Bay. In Spain he learns the rumors are true that Louisiana is now French, but makes headway on buying East Florida.

After finding the headwaters of the Mississippi, Clark heads south but is stopped by a Spanish patrol alerted of the presence of Americans by French traders just shy of the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers. He travels west discovering the Wisconsin River which he fords and then the Fox River which he follows to Lake Winnebago, instead of following the outlet to Green Bay he then travels southwest and reaches the Alexis Laframboise trading post where he meets with local Native village leaders to present gifts and win their trust in accepting VA sovereignty instead of the British.

Those wanting independence for CT's Western Reserve set up a rival legislature in Ashtabula to the official CT local legislature in Warren. The legislature declares the establishment of the Republic of Erie and calls for recognition in the form of a declaration of independence based heavily on a rewording of the old Continental Congress Declaration of Independence to which the original 14 (including Vermont) British colonies trace their independence (now down to 12 with the loss of GA and RI). Toledo recognizes the new Republic and sends a consulate and support. Pennsylvania weighs their options. Recognition is one of the minor issues around the 1808 election for VA president between John Tyler, Sr and James Madison. Madison runs on peace with PA, Tyler sees this opportunity as an ability to win southern Ohio and the area of Cincinnati and campaigns in the Wheeling and Charleston areas as "the president who will be freeing Wheeling", along with other pro-western policies he ends up winning the election. Other eastern seaboard nations with growing western territories such as NC take note of how the western settlers are beginning to flex their voting muscles against the old elites of tidewater.

Jackson, without a fight, forces the Spanish from the east bank of the Mississippi. He turns south and does the same in SC territory without permission or notice to the SC govt. The Spanish, not knowing one Carolina from the other, send word to Spain.

The HMS Leopold captures the VCS (Virginia Commonwealth Ship) Chesapeake fresh home from the Mediterranean. The VCS Chesapeake is returned but the British maintain their impressment policy and make it clear they are not sorry and this will happen any time again against any colony. Madison is still president at the time and he sends word to the legislature he is ready for war, the legislature refuses to take it up until the Presidential election is done. The only difference between Tyler and Madison's views are that Madison uses this as a reason for VA to seize the rest of Britain's forts in the Old Northwest, such as at Detriot whereas Madison wants concentration on building a stronger navy and cooperation with other American navies on a united front such as against Tripoli. Jefferson is sent to France to negotiate with Napoleon about a treaty of cooperation and support.

William Henry Harrison, a senator in Virginia with ties to the Cincinnati community through his wife's family and owns land north of the Ohio, west of the Miami River just outside Pennsylvania border, puts forth a bill in the Virginia senate that makes settling VA land much easier than PA has made settling their land. The hopes are to increase settlement and attract settlers from New England and New York to skip increasingly settled Ohio for the frontier of Illinois County. Illinois County is split in two- east of the 87.45 west longitude and the Wabash River to the PA border (Miami and Maumee rivers) and north of the Ohio River to the Great Lakes is called Saratoga County in honor of the Battle of Saratoga during the Revolutionary War and due to the large number of NY and New England settlers this is thought to be a good way to attract more northerners away from Ohio, the county seat is located at Vincennes. The territory west of the line stays Illinois County with a new county seat located at Kaskaskia.

New York is the first of the eastern seaboard nations to put in place a consistent immigration policy, in part due to what is happening in the Western Reserve. Maryland and Pennsylvania follow suit in late 1808. VA desperate for settlers in Illinois and Saratoga counties make it known their lax policy on new settlers. NH does the same as they are still recovering from the recent recession and mass exodus to the West, land is plenty and they hope crowded MA and CT residents will look to the north since the Western Reserve no longer looks a good place to start anew.
 
1809/1810

Robert Fulton's invention of a practical commercially-successful steamboat in 1807 allows speedier travel, it has now been adopted in several other nations, especially in Pennsylvania where earlier steamboats had been successful mechanically but unsuccessful commercially. His attempts to keep his invention under his control is unsuccessful as the other nations do not recognize NY's patents. New Jersey requires him to release his inventions plans as a public service if he wishes to dock in on their side. His benefactor Robert Livingston uses this fame to propel himself in 1810 to the presidency of New York as John Jay's chosen successor when he decided not to run, beating out George Clinton.

PA using steamboats on the Ohio from Pittsburgh to Cincinatti often illegally stop at Wheeling to sell goods directly to the people. This encourages the Wheeling population to continue to want annexation to PA. VA sends militia and small boats to patrol the Ohio to keep PA shipping from stopping in VA territory. PA makes plans to build canals around certain areas of rapids on the Ohio to create a continuous waterway from Pittsburgh to New Orleans, since now steamboats make it economical for the flow of goods and people upstream, the hope is to make Pittsburgh an alternative to the port of New Orleans for transhipment to the east coast. More ambitious canals are talked about to link the Ohio to Lake Erie and to the Potomac in conjunction with Maryland.

The Western Reserve is in full-blown revolution in 1809, the Republic of Erie militia has run off or defeated the CT regular army in every engagement. RoE rabble rousers are seen in Erie, PA and among the Wyandot native villages between Toledo and the RoE. The RoE receives Wyandot permission for a trading post along the Sandusky River. PA closes the border and sends two army regiments to Erie.

In 1810 President Tyler of VA gets his declaration of war against PA due to the Wheeling incidents and PA "aggression against friends of VA" and the RoE receives recognition. William Henry Harrison is giving charge of the VA army and immediately sets off to Vincennes with his army to then march east to conquer Cincinnati first, this disappoints the public and the legislature that assumed securing Wheeling would be the first step and then immediate march to Pittsburgh to knock PA out immediately. Harrison however has personal reasons along with his military logic.

When word reaches the CT legislature they declare war on VA and send a delegation to PA regarding cooperation. NY, under pressure from VA declares they will not allow belligerants to cross their territory, CT forces begin the long route from Providence around Long Island and New Jersey up the Delaware Bay to Philadelphia then across to Pittsburgh and north to Erie as the main base to confront the RoE. This will leave them vulnerable to the VA navy.

The Spanish of Lower Louisiana had sent word to Spain regarding Andrew Jackson of NC's seizure of Spanish forts on the east bank of the Mississippi; Spain does not realize Jackson does not represent the same Carolina as Pinkney from SC and so makes an offer to Pinkney that they are willing to give up all of East Florida, New Orleans, and the entire territory of Louisiana. Pinkney sees no way in which SC could occupy or hold such a large claim, and counters that it is by now well-established that France holds legal title to Louisiana, regardless of the Peninsular War between France and Spain.

This does not stop Pinkney from wording the treaty buying East Florida from Spain to be "all territory administered by Spain from the east bank of the Mississippi east to the Apalachicola River", by stating "administered" instead of claimed, owned, or occupied it implies to include the City of New Orleans. SC and Spain both ratify the treaty, Spain sends word to France that SC will "administer" New Orleans for the French instead of them, and that the rest of Louisiana is France's problem, Spanish forces are removed from the rest of the territory and brought mostly either home to Spain or to the Red River Valley of western Louisiana to maintain Spanish claims on that portion of Louisiana that was already claimed as Spanish.

Jackson returned a hero to North Carolina and seen as a possible future President. Jackson is in favor of an alliance with VA against PA to further the spread of southern culture in the face of "imperialistic designs" by PA in the old Northwest Territory which he sees as a plan to eliminate slavery and the South's ways of growing out in favor of the spread of Quaker and New England ideology.

Jefferson is in France and the more he learns of Napoleon and discovers that any idea of republicanism has left France the less he wants to negotiate. Napoleon in 1810 after discovering Spain's illegal sale of New Orleans offers Jefferson all of Louisiana, including New Orleans, all at a discounted rate. Jefferson, believing one way or another Virginians will settle the Upper Louisiana with or without a treaty giving legal title, figures it is better to get legal title and rights than to allow his people to get into more legal wrangling with other nations such as has happened with Pennsylvania over the Ohio Country. He negotiates the treaty and sends it on to VA.

Pike's expedition, which was to leave years ago but kept getting delayed and Pike has set up headquarters at Springfield, is now given orders to seize Wyandot territory along Lake Erie, destroy Toledo, and then march southwest to occupy and fortify Lenape.

Clark is at Fort Dearborn when news of war reaches him, without any orders he immediately organizes the fort's regiment together with local natives and willing white settlers in the area on an expedition to seize PA's Fort Wayne.

John Jacob Astor, the richest man in NY and possibly the entire eastern seaboard, has huge stake in the lumber and fur trade of upper Great Lakes, these constant disputes and wars have gotten in the way of greater profits. Though the British have kept Lake Superior and Huron stable, Astor believes NY needs to take a more active role. He uses his influence (and considerable money) to get the legislature to reinstate part of NY's western claims, the claim is to be the Michigan peninsula with Lake Erie and Lake Huron on the east and Lake Michigan on the west, north of the 41 degree 42 minute latitude which intersects the mouth of the Maumee River, north of Toledo. Also, Astor sends an expedition by sea to set up trading posts along the mouth of the Columbia River to aid in trade with China and Alaska, and to gather furs and timber. VA and MA protest NY's claim (MA has a defunct claim to a portion of that territory), CT is willing to recognize NY's claim in return for peaceful passage of army and supplies across NY to deal with the RoE, PA also is willing to recognize NY's claim in return for recognition of a PA right to everything between the 41 degree 42 min line and the Ohio River. NY weighs their options as ships are built on Lake Erie and messages are sent to British forts at Detriot and settlements such as Sault Ste Marie.
 
1811/1812

The British in Canada get involved with the, yet again, warfare around the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. Britain supports local Native chief Tecumseh in organizing the natives in that region against Virginia, PA, NY, CT, and the RoE. Supported from Detriot he raids and completely eradicates Toledo. The British are horrified but feel they have no choice or else one or more former colonies will take over the Old Northwest and seriously threaten Canada.

William Henry Harrison easily takes Cincinatti, he then travels north to Toledo stopping at Springfield since Pike is barely a day ahead of him on his way to Toledo. Word reaches him of the massacre and he decides to go back south and camp at Cincinatti for the winter of 1811/12. When campaign season resumes he moves to north again to Springfield and occupies it without a fight.

MD naval forces along with PA and CT deter VA naval forces from preying on shipment though NY naval forces harass any ships that come too close to NY waters around Long Island. CT forces must take the longest possible route. CT and PA forces that under CT leadership of William Hull have arrived at Erie begin to march south towards the RoE capital of Ashtabula hoping to make a show of force burning the temporary capital. They are engaged before making the border at Albion, PA by RoE militia, the RoE make a valiant stand but are no match and are decimated. Propaganda of this makes waves in NY and NJ. Ashtabula puts up a good defense during siege but starvation causes surrend in the winter of 1812 around Christmas with promises of pardon.

Pike had left Springfield and arrives at Toledo days after the massacre. Word reaches him of Harrison being behind him and occupying Springfield, he moves south to confront him but finds that Harrison had not stayed. He spends the winter of 1811/12 in Columbus. Campaign season resumes and he has marched north to occupy Canton as his headquarters. Word reaches him of the occupation of Ashtabula and Pike then takes Youngstown quickly and then occupies Warren but sustains heavy loses to guerrilla style warfare.

Word reaches the American coast of the French-Virginia and the Spanish-SC treaties. The idea that they conflict regarding New Orleans is only known to the SC and Spanish govt as the other nations don't realize New Orleans was included with the West Florida cessation to SC. Reuben Kemper is sent by VA to travel south down the Mississippi to garrison New Orleans and William Clark is given orders to garrison St Louis, however he has already seized Fort Wayne and is not in Fort Dearborn when the orders arrive.

Jackson resigns from NC commission and is given title of Major General of SC, in charge of all the SC regular army. He is given orders to secure New Orleans which he does and he sents a detachment to secure West Baton Rouge despite it being outside of SC jurisdiction. Orders to the West Baton Rouge detachment are to cross the Mississippi to Baton Rouge if VA forces arrive, but to also inform them that ALL land east of the Mississippi including New Orleans are SC territory, then to head to New Orleans. Jackson wants accurate information on the size and determination of any VA force that comes down the Mississippi.

Kemper decides to wait in West Baton Rouge for word from VA govt after he learns in West Baton Rouge of SC's occupation of New Orleans. It is beginning to be winter of 1812 and too late to do anything about Jackson anyways.

New York receives Henry Dearborn, Major General of MA, and he resigns his commission to lead NY's expedition to seize Detroit and the Michigan peninsula. Oliver Perry (originally from RI, left to NY after the CT invasion) leads the new NY naval vessels in Lake Erie. Neither VA, CT, nor the RoE have anything close to the naval power; the British however have already shown their willingness to defend Michigan.
 
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I unfortunately don't know how to do that, but if someone is willing to work with me I can supply more detailed info for borders on a map of any year they wish to pick. I'll continue to write more and hope I can make a map some way and insert it in the future.

Here is a link to a map that helps with original 13 colony western claims, it can help with envisioning some of the initial disputes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North...States_land_claims_and_cessions_1782-1802.png
 
1813/1814

Return Meigs, a former CT native and current PA resident in the southern part of the Ohio Country (town of Marietta) becomes ambassador to CT from PA in order to negotiate a formal treaty defining goals of this war.

In early 1813 Harrison moves north from Springfield towards Toledo once again. He stops at the Maumee River and builds Fort Meigs in honor of Return Meigs. This is a harsh winter and he loses a few men. Tecumseh attacks in the spring but is run off. Tecumseh blames this on the British since they won't commit actual troops, only supplies and a base to operate from, he feels he would have won with British troops. Harrison moves towards Detriot, British forces under Major General Henry Proctor feel that Tecumseh is a mad man and a failure. British forces leave Detroit for Windsor before Harrison arrives. Harrison stays in Detroit over the winter. Tecumseh travels through Canada and makes plans to head to the South and join the Creek Confederation.

William Hull of CT and Zebulon Pike of PA join forces for a siege of Cleveland in 1813. By Spring 1814 the city surrenders and Hull begins what he believes will be simply mop up operations to eradicate the remaining RoE militias hiding in the countryside. Meanwhile, Pike moves west in 1814 to punish the Wyandot tribe and confront Harrison in Detroit and Clark in Fort Wayne.

Kemper in West Baton Rouge finally receives word from VA govt not to engage Jackson's SC forces in New Orleans but to begin construction of fortifications on the west bank across from New Orleans. Reinforcements are on their way from VA.

The Red Stick War begins, a civil war between two Creek Confederation factions, the Lower Creek who were more Europeanized and closer to SC and the Upper Creek who were being encouraged by NC "Indian ambassador" Benjamin Hawkins. NC had hoped to weaken their southern neighbor by creating a native insurrection. Jackson sends orders for the Baton Rouge forces to move out to put an end to the war.

William Clark receives his command to occupy St Louis and reluctantly leaves behind most of his forces to remain at the fort under Ferdinand Claiborne. Clark finds St Louis has had no govt control other than a locally elected city council since the Spanish left, the countryside is lawless. He organizes regular patrols and works on gathering as accurate maps of the area as he can and plans on a network of forts up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

With the British withdrawing from all over the area south of the Great Lakes the NY armada under Oliver Perry is able to easily seize control of Lake Erie. Henry Dearborn is delivered to Frenchtown, south of Detroit. The NY navy returns to Buffalo for the winter. Harrison hears of Dearborn's actions and sends a Winfield Scott to Frenchtown with 5 other men to inquire of the NY force's intention and to inform them that this is VA territory. They return with word of NY's intention to enforce their Michigan peninsula. Harrison sends word on to VA asking for specific orders. By the time VA's orders come back the NY navy has brought reinforcements ending any hope of Harrison attacking a fortified position; and by August Detroit is surrounded and the NY Navy has begun bombardments. Harrison dies during the siege in October and Scott takes over as temperatures and supplies drop. He negotiates a peaceful surrender, the NY navy ferries the surviving VA forces to Toledo on the way to winter in Buffalo for the remainder of 1814.

Pike, after having subdued the Wyandot, finds the VA force under Scott in Toledo as winter begins. Scott, outnumbered and with little supplies or fortifications, negotiates a withdrawal of both forces, they head to Fort Wayne and Pike moves south to Springfield which was garrisoned by a small VA detachment which surrenders quickly. He winters there.

In 1814 representatives from CT, NH, MA, NJ, NY, and PA meet in Hartford, CT to discuss cooperation among the northeastern nations against VA's expansion in the west. This is prompted by VA's purchase of the Louisiana Territory and their spread of slavery throughout the old Northwest Territory, it is believed that VA will block the safety valve that the mid-Atlantic and New England uses to avoid overpopulation and block the economic powerhouses of NYC and Philadelphia from supplying goods and services to the West in favor of Baltimore, MD; Norfolk and Alexandria, VA.; and Charleston, SC. Worries over New Orleans capturing all the trade of the west are raised as well, calls are made for more turnpikes, better roads, and the construction of canals and adoption of new technologies. PA agrees in a non-binding agreement with NJ and NY not to support a Potomac to Ohio canal as that would only help Alexandria and Baltimore. NY delegates talk about the work of the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company and future improvements of the Hudson to Lake Erie route will begin by the end of the decade.

The Industrial Revolution comes to America, with the Waltham-Lowell System developed in MA and Eli Terry's mass-production using interchangeable parts (something Eli Whitney, also in CT failed to completely achieve, though he promoted the idea greatly).

Francis Scott Key, prominent lawyer in MD, has become increasingly popular among the nations of the Eastern Seaboard as his song "When the Warrior Returns" about the various American naval and marine forces that worked together with the Swedish against Tripoli. It has become the first song written on the American Continent to be popular in both South and North nations equally. It is played at the Hartford Convention and sung during anti-war demonstrations in Philadelphia and Richmond. Key becomes Attorney-General of Maryland and is thought to be planning to run in 1816 for President, despite his reputation of supporting the rights of slaves and free blacks. He is a slave-holder however and definitely not an abolitionist, and is fiercely anti-North and supports Maryland's entry of war on VA's side.
 
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1816/1817

DeWitt Clinton defeats Rufus King in election for President of New York. Construction of the Erie Canal is begun in 1817. Dearborn crisscrosses Michigan throughout 1816 shoring up support among the natives, signing treaties, and enforcing NY claims. British navy vessels in Lake Erie begin more patrols and warnings are sent that NY vessels in Lake Huron will not be tolerated.

British dumping of quality manufactured goods at discounted prices on the eastern seaboard has caused NY, CT, MA, NJ, PA, and VA to all enact huge tariffs and protectionist policies against Britain and each other. SC, NC, DE, and NH are too reliant on British products to follow suit and try to negotiate trade pacts with Britain or larger states.

Meigs Treaty is signed by CT and PA. PA agrees for CT military forces to always be allowed to cross their territory and for PA to supply forces in time of insurrection in the Western Reserve. CT recognizes PA's new claim in the old Northwest Territory of an area bordered on the north by an extension of their NY/PA border (42 degree latitude) west to the Mississippi River and on the south by 39 degree 6 minute latitude of the mouth of the Miami River as it feeds into the Ohio River west to the Mississippi River. CT and PA send word to NY recognition of NY's claim over Michigan but at the border of PA's more northerly claim and not at NY's claim, and ask that MA, PA, CT, and NY meet in Springfield, MA in 1818 to discuss the territory between Lakes Michigan and Superior, and the Mississippi River; as it is a VA claim not disputed by any northeastern anti-slavery nation and should PA succeed in pushing Virginia out of Illinois it would open that territory to British encroachment.

Pike heads to Fort Wayne (renamed by VA as Fort Jefferson) and begins to siege. Fort Wayne is heavily armed and heavily manned as it has the majority of Clark's original force along with the remnants of Scott's force. Pike realizes he can only hold them in but has no chance of taking the fort. Pike leaves with a small detachment to the southwest to take Lenape and returns after two months of successful campaigning. Winters there surrounding Fort Wayne/Jefferson. In spring again heads out, this time to the northwest and lays siege to Fort Dearborn unsuccessfully before fear of winter leads him back to Fort Wayne/Jefferson. As winter progresses Fort Jefferson surrenders and the PA flag is flown over a rededicated Fort Wayne. Scott is taken prisoner and treated with respect and word is sent to Clark in St Louis about prisoner exchanges.

With the war going bad President Tyler is impeached in 1816, Peyton Randolph becomes acting governor until election and James Preston becomes President. Preston becomes president in 1817 and is horrified to find VA's finances worse than what has been reported. The purchase of Louisiana and expenditures for the war against PA in Illinois and Ohio and mounting shipping losses to the British navy have bankrupted once wealthy VA. He recalls the reinforcements on their way to Kemper and orders Kemper back to Kentucky. Clark is given instructions to recall all forces in Upper Louisiana and instead focus on securing Illinois and Saratoga counties (OTL states of Illinois and Indiana) after the loss of Lenape (OTL Indianapolis).

MA places a blockade on NH over NH's non-payment of debt service. Britain protests. VT promises aid to NH.

Key becomes President of Maryland. He immediately uses 1816 and 1817 to pass a series of laws closing off trade with PA, CT, NY, and MA and strengthens the language of a series of laws dealing with runaway slaves but at the same time makes it a lot easier legally for owners to emancipate slaves and for slaves to testify in court. Some laws regarding slaves having rights regarding treatment are passed, such as one forbidding slave owners from raping or killing, but others such as any whipping or abuse are not able to be passed.

Tecumseh arrives in Spanish Florida on his way to Creek territory. He rallies the "Seminoles" to revolt against white man intrusions. They raid into SC territory. With Kemper recalled to Kentucky and no longer threatening New Orleans or Baton Rouge, Jackson is able to move east to personally deal with the Creek and now Seminoles. The Seminoles led by Tecumseh occupy Pensacola as Jackson deals with the Creeks to the north. While in Creek territory he learns that the Creek are receiving help and support from NC. He forwards this information to the SC govt and asks for permission to cross into NC.

William Hull finds during his tour of the Western Reserve that most of the lands are depopulated with many of those favoring independence have moved on, many of those from NY are moving to Michigan where they hope to find new civil govts popping up in a manner they are familiar with, PA settlers move south to the Ohio Country, other New Englanders move to resettle Toledo under PA authority and promises of automatic citizenship and representation. Hull sets up new local councils based on CT civil law, and petitions CT for giving the Western Reserve full citizenship and representation as PA does with their Ohio Territory.
 
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