Getting It Over With - Washington Wins at Brandywine (likely a TLIAW)

Given the plans, this looks like more than a Timeline In A Week

It's fairly detailed, yes, but has an end point becasue I don't know how much time I'll have.

Your timelines are generally positive; you at least put it on the right track to be. So it could continue?

Yes, but I prefer others to do so after my ending, if they can while avoiding the dystopic.

You made some comments on a collaborative one that never continued, is this really part of it?

Sort of, except that it was basically felt that Loyalistis would eitehr flood British Florida and have lots of slavery and be loyal enough to end it when the rest of the Empire did (even if in 1843 like some plantations in places like, I believe, Ceylon) or not go there in the first place. Since it's before the cotton gin anda waste for the British, I chose the latter.

Sounds logical. And, I know you too well - if I say these were supposed to be about British politicians you'll say they were British just a few years earlier.

Yep.

So, what gives with Europe, though. It seems like you don't have a lot of stuff for them after the end of the Napoleonic Wars?

That's part of the problem; this will be a different Europe and I leave it for someone else to develop. It'll be far behind North America when I finish.

And then someone else could take it along for months if they want.

Sure, as long as the fairly positive (compared to OTL result happens. That way I don't have to bother with fictional characers which i couldn't keep track of normally or figure out who couldn't possibly be born, etc., since I use butterflies very sparingly.
 
A/N: Various others besides me have speculated about Washington winning at Brandywine or a bit later at Germantown. This rose, however, not only from several discussion threads on that from earlier but also from a collaborative TL that was aborted because the consensus was that not only would the British not retain Florida, but if they did it would either have Loyalists mostly getting big plantations with lots of slaves like Ceylon or it remaining very lightly populated.

I had some ideas on how to advance things with a British Florida, but have become convinced, with greater understanding of 18th century colonialism, that the British wouldn’t keep it. Hence, I chose the way I did, since I didn’t want the huge plantations there and this makes it even easier to slowly end slavery early in the infant USA. Although… well, that would be telling.

As usual, I use very mild butterflies, so people can be born after the POD. In fact, if things get interesting and I have time enough, I might carry it through more than my “Created Equal” went; after all, the poster who started the collaborative one mentioned President Grover Cleveland. However, I also have a rational ending point like ”Created Equal.” And, I’ll probably use that since I have a few other ideas and lots of stuff going on.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part I: “They’re Good Enough to Be Second Rate”

The Americans probably would have won anyway.

That’s what most people say now, and it’s likely true. Two weeks later, a major, crushing victory had been had by the Americans at Saratoga. This would have brought the French in anyway, according to documents from the time in the French court. However, the Americans’ victory at Brandywine added insult to injury, letting the Americans have their win a year, maybe two years early. This, in turn, shaped things quite a bit.

Okay, it wasn’t a rout, and one can argue that Germantown weeks later was more of a victory than Brandywine, but still…

What happened was that General Washington managed to hold off Howe’s flanking maneuver at Brandywine, a place where Washington had to make a decision on what intelligence to count on. His troops weren’t as powerful as a first rate European Army – they couldn’t destroy the British army like was done at Saratoga. But, it was still as good as Bunker Hill, or the march back home after Lexington and Concord. The British were awfully bloodied, there, and would be here, too.

It seems that Washington actually heard of British troops movements, in part, from a somewhat wild farmer who seemed a bit mad, but after scouts were sent out to confirm it, Washington knew just what to do. It was more of a draw, but the important thing was, it worked. The British couldn’t take Philadelphia right away like they’d wanted. Well, like Howe had wanted; he was supposed to be marching up to help at Saratoga but that’s a different story.

Then, another assault at Germantown became an American victorythanks to timeline attacking by Alexander Martin’s forces.(1) It was a narrow American win, but still, between that and Brandywine, British forces had been subdued. Then, General Howe had to retreat through New Jersey. A very heavily Rebel-leaning New Jersey. And, as they retreated, farmers hid behind haystacks, barns, even a cow in one famous case. They tried to pick off the British in a wave of random shooting, from what the British saw. No, it wasn’t the organized marching and fighting of European armies, but they weren’t in Europe.

Howe and his men were in America. And, now they wouldn’t attack Philadelphia or anything else big. Instead, Washington’s men had forced them to rest and go without a major victory in 1777., and forced Howe to resign in disgrace.(2)

King George III was outraged, and had Howe’s resignation not arrived when it did, it’s likely he’d have been relieved. One big loss was bad enough, but now, it appeared that the British couldn’t win a thing. More and more members of Parliament began to support the Americans, and one of the leading Whig supporters of the Americana, Wilkes, dared to stand up and declare that “God is against us this day, because we dare to trample upon the Rights of Men.”

Lord North’s government was in trouble, and it was feared that not only France – which declared war quickly on the American side – but also other nations might declare war on Britain. North himself distrusted Henry Clinton due to his threats to resign and problems with orders, but the king insisted that Clinton was “the only man who can save our colonies.”(3) This, of course, prompted feuding among them, making matters worse.

General Henry Clinton knew he had to try again. He considered sending forces south, but the British took some of his forces to fortify others areas because the French had entered and they feared the Spanish would follow. A French fleet was already supposedly coming up toward them. Clinton decided to try raiding areas around New York City as he waited for new troops and supplies, but French and American harassment damaged even these attempts. When Washington wound up attacking Clinton from behind at Monmouth in May of 1778, it led to a quick series of battles which ended with the British being holed up by the combined American and French forces.

Even worse, word was reaching Britain of General Clark’s successes in the Midwest since he’d been sent there in January. Confidence in Lord North, which had been waning since 1777, collapsed as word of General Clinton’s losses came. The government fell, and the Whigs were placed in power with a desire to make peace before the Spanish got involved and tried to retake Florida.

The combined armies of Generals Washington and Arnold celebrated the French commanders and Germany’s Baron von Steuben. Such men had helped them turn into a military that, as Clinton wrote later in his diary, “was so good it was as if we were facing a second rate European military, not a bunch of backwoodsmen.” They had been a bit lucky in 1777, but the victories of spring, 1778 were genuine;y considered to be because of men like Von Steuben.

Clinton’s final defeat, in early July, 1778, was the proof that the new government needed. They insisted that King George III make peace.

George III could see the writing on the wall. Things unknown to him meant that any delay would be critical. British forces were withdrawn and peace talks began in 1778; a final peace treaty would be signed in 1779 by Whig Prime Minister Savile and the American representatives, including John Adams, who had been sent as a delegate to the peace talks and welcomed coldly in Britain once word was leaked that he’d planned to go to Europe to seek aid from other nations.(4)

Other events would soon shape the world just as much.

It seems that the French entering the war in early fall of 1777 had been followed by the Spanish considering what to do. As the British were organizing a new government, the Spanish were preparing for war and sending fleets to prepare to attack British forces. Even as the American Revolution wound down – with a final peace signed in 1779 – the European powers continued to fight. The Dutch even considered getting involved, but since the war died down so quickly, they chose not to.(5)

-----------------

(1) OTL his men confused British troops for Colonial troops ina thick fog. Here, Brandywine being a victory – which is the origina POD – changes the date of Germantown, meaning no fog and a better result for the Americans.

(2) Howe resigned anyway after the campaign when he couldn’t get much else done, but would do so earlier here. The guess here is that due to time lags hampering communication, he’d still resign rather than be fired.

(3) OTL this dispute came after a series of inconclusive events and Clinton’s request to be removed; here it comes earlier as the British are more desperate, having not even taken Philadelphia.

(4) OTL he was sent as an envoy to other countries and was captured by the British. Here, there is no capture, and he will return safely – though treated coolly at first – with the treaty.

(5) No disastrous (for the Dutch) Fourth Anglo-Dutch War helps them keep some colonies but also helps their economy. It also, however, keeps them from realizing how poor they are compared to the British.
 
I'm curious to see where this goes; what are the terms of this peace treaty?

Thanks; pretty similar to OTL except Britain keeps East and West Florida witht he West boundary moved up a bit; without the French or Spanish having had sucha hand, as noted, they see the U.S. as "almost second rate" and at least more worthy of being treated as equals than in OTL.
 
Part 2. Two Countries Are Better Than One

The Americans knew they’d won by late in 1778, as the British had been plling out for months and peace talks had begun. Not all the states had ratified the Articles of Confederation, but most had. One of the big sticking points had been lands claimed in the west by each state, though not all states had those. This kept Delaware from approving them till February of 1779. Maryland still hadn’t done it!

However, as the new nation and the British negotiated a peace, problems surfaced back in the Continental Congress which would cause a split. Now that the colonies weren’t united in trying to win their freedom anymore, other issues came to the forefront.

What happened was that the British pulled their troops out partly because they were certain to lose the Ohio River Valley area, and they wanted to avoid losing more.

Instead of sending troops to the Southern colonies, as he’d planned, General Clinton lost badly and pulled out, instead going to West Florida. Spain had entered the war around the time that peace talks began, and the British hoped to avoid losing any more. And, the excess troops helped defeat the Spanish at Baton Rouge before peace was signed.

Northern states wished to consolidate and focus on ensuring good trade relations now that they were about to make peace with Britain. Most didn’t want to join in the fight for West Florida. The number of troops Washington had was always in flux, and troops more interested in ensuring Pennsylvania’s holdings wouldn’t bother with supporting Georgia. Meanwhile, Maryland kept holding out, hoping to claim lands, and they were even willing to send troops south. However, this would mean other states also possibly getting back into the land grab.

A couple of Southern states eventually sent soldiers to ensure Fort Watauga was secure and to take areas around it, but they were unable to drive further south because General Nathaniel Greene, who might have gone, had left the army with peace being at hand. While it may be argued that even with the men from other states they could have done little themselves, this raised some bitterness between the states. Maryland actually did send soldiers when it was promised that they might be able to claim lands in West Florida, but not all the states agreed to this – it was clear that some states had a different foreign policy than other states when it came to the West.

On top of all this, some states were complaining about having to pay for these states’ actions.

When the final treaty was signed, the 33rd parallel was chosen as the border for the U.S. and British West Florida, roughly a straight line between the Mississippi and Chattahoochee River just before it begins to veer northeast. The British did acknowledge that the new United States had claimed pretty much all the area north of it through their numerous ventures.

Instead, the United States began discussing the possibility of dealing with Spain about buying rights to Spanish Louisiana from somewhere west of the Mississippi (perhaps the Arkansas River)down to the Mississippi and New Orleans.(1) First, though, the states needed to agree on a plan as to how or even if it was desired.

With this, Maryland’s refusal to ratify the Articles, taxes, and other things coming up months after the treaty was signed, delegates began in earnest to discuss amending the Articles in 1780. Much finger pointing went around as they tried to figure out what to do. The only thing certain was, they didn’t want a king.

Eventually, once he finished work on the Massachusetts Constitution in 1780, John Adams met with representatives from Maryland and other delegates to suggest not only how to give up those Western claims, creating new territories, but to suggest an entirely new Federal Constitution. George Washington, after being asked if he would become the king (possibly knowing he’d refuse), was asked to head up a new Constitutional Convention. Initial meetings would be held in September of 1780. Since the debate was clearly too rigorous, the delegates left having discussed a few things; which had been the plan all along as all knew it wouldn’t get done overnight. With no huge threats, they would work in committees writing to each other and then return in March of 1781.

Adams was highly respected after the Massachusetts Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Though his friend from the latter days, Thomas Jefferson, was unavailable – he was governor of Virginia – Adams found a pleasant working relationship with James Madison, a protégé of Jefferson’s. While Madison believed in a small government, like Jefferson, he and Adams worked on the development of a bicameral legislature like Adams had at the state level, as well as a system of checks and balances. Adams later noted that, “He [Madison] possesses the political genius wherein – had I not been here – he may have been able to develop our government himself.”

A number of compromises ended up being worked out, including those on slavery. Henry Laurens had been one of South Carolina’s leader slave traders decades earlier, but his son had been instrumental in arguing against slavery, and in the last months of the war, his son had tried to recruit slaves, promising freedom to them. Laurens – unlike a couple of South Carolina’s delegates – was willing to listen to arguments that slavery be eliminated in the new country, though he knew that would never be acceptable to Southern states. However, some argued that the country could not claim to be filled with free men while owning slaves.

In return for the nation’s capital being moved from Philadelphia to the more central Baltimore (as was noted, a city shielded more than Charleston, though still with a good harbor), Laurens and others were able to prevent a Fugitive Slave clause from being put in place. He noted that the idea of states which did not support slavery being forced to return fugitive slaves “violated the very principles of states’ rights that we claim to support.”(2) Indeed, he said, “Any power which is not specifically given to the government of the United States will be invested in the states.”

Of course, the South bent a little, too, becasue the British owned not only East Florida but also West Florida, and felt hemmed in. While a major effort was under way to ensure that the Mississippi remained navigable, such treaties would only help there, not with the land around Georgia. Indeed, concerns were raised about the number of Loyalists, but the war had been short enough that they weren’t seen to be a major problem, and many were going North anyway rather than inhabit the horribly malaria-infested parts of Florida. But, some were even staying in those backwoods parts of Georgia, and that also led to some calls to be separate.

Especially when complaints rained down in letters from back in the Carolinas and Georgia. Virginia’s was muted, though a bit belligerent, because of the work of men like Washington and, from his post as governor, Jefferson. There had been discussions of a compromise on how to count slaves when it came to representation, and some Northern states were considering accepting that. However, the Deep South insisted on inserting the clause, despite the states’ rights argument; true, there were slaves in most states, but it was in sharp decline.

Aside from that, things began falling into place in 1781,(3) aided in part by the work done over the winter with several committees of correspondence. Washington’s desire – as convention chair – for a Potomac capital was partly heeded, the more middle Baltimore, Maryland found itself as the compromise choice – as one delegate noted, “A city in one of the smaller states, but one which balances north and south, with tracts of land and farms nearby for the farmers and a large harbor for the merchants, it has a great mixture of many kinds of things that encompass America.” Maryland had pushed for this as a boost to its own taxes, though a federal district could be carved out of areas around Baltimore, which would soon be made an independent city, not part of a county.(4)

However, South Carolina was so insistent on Charleston as a capital, full support of slavery, and so on that they recalled Laurens, which upset those who had been working on the document with him and caused them to harden their positions. Georgia and North Carolina demanded a Fugitive Slave Clause, and now insisted on more; their position had been hardened, too. There was talk that they might form their own confederation.(5) Compromises had fortunately urged Virginia to remain, and in fact they were happy not to have a slave trade because it would make theirs more valuable. As it was, it was decided that nothing could be done about it till 1800, though it mostly disappeared beforehand. Smaller states didn’t mind much slaves being counted as people for representation since it would also be for taxation, because they could still band together and oppose actions by the larger states, as they would be likely to have New York and Massachusetts on their side if it was something to do with slavery, and they could make sure that – with a compromise in the works to create new states out of any Western claims – they could create smaller states whose representatives would vote with theirs, since each representative would vote individually, not as a bloc.

The document was signed in August, 1781, without South Carolina or Georgia – but with the invitation to join later. North Carolina dithered. It was not only their dithering but that of others that would soon cause the new Constitution to get, from Congress, a promise of individual rights. A Bill of Rights would be added later. Indeed, the Constitution was amendable without needing a whole new convention. The President’s term would be 4 years, with re-election possible.

Washington had been a key figure and was the almost certain first President. After all, while he hadn’t led the country through lots of hardship, he was still a respected political leader and much better than the bombastic Adams. Jefferson – who was only 38 – was seen as too young and idealistic. Benjamin Franklin was considered, but in 1783 he’d be 77 and getting rather sick with gout. Washington would, however, honor him by naming him Postmaster General in his first cabinet, a position Franklin held for a year before his retirement.

When the Electoral College met, Washington was chosen unanimously, with Adams chosen as his running mate; while discussion had been had on the 2nd place man being Vice President, Adams had insisted that – like a Lieutenant Governor – the Vice President should be a separate office, not just a “runner up position.” He hoped to turn it into a powerful, Senate-leading post, though it didn’t work out that way.(6) Delegates also liked it because they saw the chance to settle the North-South debate that way, as well as the Big state-Small state debate, by having one person from each on the ballot running for President and Vice President. Washington would take office March 1, 1783.

Meanwhile, the Columbian Confederation of America (CCA)was formed with a fairly similar structure but much more loosely knit. The President, who would serve a 6-year term, had little power. It was much more an aristocratic nation. John Rutledge became the first President January 1, 1782, as they had found it easy to quickly develop a loosely knit Confederation, and had no debates on slavery. (There would be no Vice Presidency, as the head of the Senate would automatically take over if needed.)However, the 2nd Confederation President, Charles C. Pinckney, would mold the government into a more centralized one.

North Carolina dithered for many months;(7) they wanted changes, but even as a Bill of Rights was promised, and the new government pledged to recognize them as an equal state, the CCA looked very promising. It was a looser group, at least at first, and while they felt very close to Virginia, some in Virginia, like Patrick Henry, had even “smelled a rat.” When a bill began to be discussed in early 1783 about abolishing slavery in territories – one which would pass the following year – the state felt they had to say “no” and join the CCA. However, there would always be those wishing to join the U.S. instead, and as Columbia’s Federal power became stronger under C.C. Pinckney, and other things happened, those voices calling for splitting off from Columbia grew louder.

As for now, a border was established after negotiations with the CCA. The CCA would stretch from the border of British Florida and Georgia at the Chattahoochee (Just above OTL Eufala, Alabama; it was be just inside the U.S. part) on a straight line to the point where the Tennessee River begins to go generally north (OTL around Sheffield, Alabama), so including Lake Wheeler, then following the Tennessee generally north. Meanwhile, the line established by the border of Virginia and North Carolina would be followed west to the Tennessee River, where it would concluded the boundaries of the CCA.

That way, the CCA could transport along the U.S. portion of the Tennessee toward the Mississippi. It let North Carolina claim land out to the Tennessee and the Confederation territory otherwise on the Tennessee could become a new state. That way, three states (two present, one future) had rights on the Tennessee, and the other housed the capital and the largest port. (South Carolina would quickly learn that an error in mapping a river made their claim out to the Mississippi moot). North Carolina and Georgia each had a little of the territory they had claimed; one argument between Georgia and the others was that Georgia wanted to claim everything, including British Florida if they ever got any. This way, it’d be more even, and Georgia wouldn’t grow to a monstrous size; even with their Confederation the CCA states had had to do some wheeling and dealing.

Washington’s administration helped set the foundation of the government, established the treasury department through Robert Morris(8) and his deputy, Alexander Hamilton, with the Federal government assuming state debts, and other things. The national government had been made stronger, and nobody knew if it ever would have had the Articles been ratified.

In addition, Congress was already looking to ban slavery in the Northwest Territory, and many hoped it could be banned in all territories. It appeared later that it had become almost a certainty that the Northwest Territory would be free, but without the CCA’s presence, a law passed by several votes banning slavery in all territories, with the exception of what would become Kentucky.(9) This appeased Virginia and many who had moved into Kentucky from the CCA, wishing to be part of the larger, stronger USA. Daniel Boone became one of the leaders of this movement, helping to develop settlements in Kentucky for them. Meanwhile, because of the CCA, it was harder for people to get to the territories south of the CCA, anyway. With many Indians there, most didn’t bother.(10)

In foreign affairs, Washington tried to steer way clear of involvement in European affairs while forging peace with Britain and Spain, including ensuring navigable waterways. The Spanish only listened a little when it came to inquiries about part of Louisiana, but they knew the U.S. was interested and preferred to deal with them rather than possible losing the area to Britain.

However, while the US calmly set up their nation, events in Europe had become quite interesting. The French, especially, felt like they still had unfinished business against Britain, but they weren’t sure where to start. And, Spain still wanted Florida back. Meanwhile, there were still major concerns as Franc and Spain tried to recover from the money spent financing the Revolution.

--------------------------------

(1) Remember that here, Britain still owns West Florida, and quite a bit of it. So, the U.S. needs a larger amount of territory since they’d have to go around it to get to New Orleans.

(2) OTL Laurens was a delegate to the Convention ratifying the Articles of Confederation, and was young enough yet he still could have represented South Carolina here, replacing one of the men who pushed hard for the Fugitive Slave Clause.

(3) TTL’s Constitution, built by roughly the same men, is mostly the same except for a few pieces, such as a Vice President selected on a separate ballot like OTL’s 12th Amendment, and bits about slavery for reasons mentioned; Laurent isn’t involved elsewhere as in OTL so he is available, and he and another replace the 2 most vocal men who inserted the Fugitive Slave Clause OTL. Meanwhile, Adams mostly fills Hamilton’s shoes, as Hamilton may be a bit young to serve in this Cenvention, while Madison would still be appointed with Jefferson’s help.

(4) General Washington pushed for a Potomac capital since it’d be so close to home for him. He’s not quite as renowned TTL, though he is some for having won some important victories, though, so Baltimore is a good compromise and seems like it’s partly for him, anyway, even if it isn’t.

(5) OTL the Fugitive Slave Clause was removed but then quietly reinserted the next day – it’s unsure why but perhaps because of a threat by some states to walk out.

(6) An important possible change with Adams there. It makes sense that a VP could be like a Lt. Governor, but more importantly, Adams wanted to do this to the VP role anyway, and would argue for it at the Convention, before landing in the role and finding much opposition to him as that leader in the senate, anyway, as occurred OTL.

(7) North Carolina was next to last to ratify, doing so months after Washington took office, because of the lack of a Bill of Rights and seeming to feel states’ rights were more important. With a loose confederation available, they will be willing to join it at first, though as noted in the text, it wont’ last.

(8) Morris was offered the position OTL but recommended Hamilton. Here, 6 years younger, Hamilton would be a bit young and instead be Morris’ assistant, at least for a few years, after which Morris could retire in the late 1780s if he chose.

(9) A law banning slavery in territories was almost passed in 1784 OTL, and that’s with the Deep South. It’s likely something similar to the Northwest Ordinance passes TTL because Vermont would enter quickly and for a while, at least, there would be more free than slave states, even if the CCA doesn’t decide to form its own nation.

(10) The Cumberland Gap is in Columbian hands, and while there is a route it would require going along the Ohio and down through far western Kentucky or along the Mississippi, which is why the U.S. will be seeking land soon.
 

TFSmith121

Banned
Interesting premise (a more "Latin American" resolution)

Interesting premise (a more "Latin American" resolution of the American Revolution), but it somewhat butterflies the "hang together or hang separately" concept.

Which seems like it would be even more significant in "this" North America, given British territories north and south of the (former) colonies, and the Spanish actively engaged on the "Old Southwest" frontier; presumably the French are still in control of Haiti?

North America remains a cockpit of ambition for the Europeans, and having the British to the north and south seems more dangerous than even the reality of the late Eighteenth Century; plus, how long before the British make a play for Georgialina, either overtly or covertly?

The southern planter class may not have wanted to be Yankees, but they also did not want to be Englishmen, as Marion, Pickens, and the rest made quite clear.

Speaking of which...

Best,
 

Faeelin

Banned
Yea, I'm not sure I buy the southern states leaving. Why would they? They have a hostile Spain and Britain to their south, and there's no reason they shouldn't stick with the USA.
 
Yea, I'm not sure I buy the southern states leaving. Why would they? They have a hostile Spain and Britain to their south, and there's no reason they shouldn't stick with the USA.

South Carolina is over 40% slaves. Charleston and Beaufort Counties are over 3/4 slaves. The plantation elite in SC regards anything anti-slavery as a mortal threat. There are counties in Georgia that are 80% slaves.
 
South Carolina is over 40% slaves. Charleston and Beaufort Counties are over 3/4 slaves. The plantation elite in SC regards anything anti-slavery as a mortal threat. There are counties in Georgia that are 80% slaves.

New York is still a slave state, unless they're prophets there's no reason for them to foresee the coming divide. In fact, before the invention of the Cotton 'Gin most southerns thought it would eventually die out.
 

Faeelin

Banned
New York is still a slave state, unless they're prophets there's no reason for them to foresee the coming divide. In fact, before the invention of the Cotton 'Gin most southerns thought it would eventually die out.

I think that's grossly exaggerated; there's no sign that anyone was speeding along that process, for instance.

But the southern states on their own are basically going to be annexed by Britain or become its satellites, and cut off from Western expansion.

Meanwhile, with continued control of Florida, Britain is going to want to seize the trans-Mississippi. They must all hang together, or they will hang separately...
 
Interesting premise (a more "Latin American" resolution of the American Revolution), but it somewhat butterflies the "hang together or hang separately" concept....The southern planter class may not have wanted to be Yankees, but they also did not want to be Englishmen, as Marion, Pickens, and the rest made quite clear.

Speaking of which...

Best,

Thanks. Yes, but the thing is, Florida is still rather useless to the British, and as noted in the discussion on the attempted collaborative TL, countries didn't hang on to colonies much if it wasn't cost effective. And with worries about Spain still and trouble brewing in Europe...

let's just say the COlumbian Confederation will start to have trouble; not right away, but eventually.
 
Part 3 – “Three Cheers for John Jay”

During Washington’s term, Secretary of State Jefferson continued to encourage trade with France. Meanwhile, John Jay had been appointed the first Chief Justice, but he was also sent to Britain to negotiate treaties with the British. Washington saw some major concerns with the lack of a Fugitive Slave clause, which some in Congress were now demanding; it might even lure the Columbian Confederation back into the fold, some said.

Perhaps, he considered, having more Southern territory would help. Loyalists had been finding, in the years since the end of the Revolution, that British Florida, East and West, was a malarial infested swamp, but in certain places, it was ripe for large plantations; if not cotton, then tea, both of which would require lots of slaves. After all, in Asia they used a lot in the making of tea. However, there were a few problems with that. And, they could always make an exception to the law they’d passed banning slavery in the territories; they had for Kentucky, after all.

Either way, the U.S. wanted access to the Mississippi on one bank if not the other, and to the Gulf. And, with problems brewing in France, the British were concerned about possibly having to intervene. And, that’s to say nothing of the continued Spanish threat, which they had to garrison against. Why not offer to buy Florida from Britain? Loyalists hadn’t gone there en masse because of the horrible conditions, and slavery was becoming less profitable. Not only that, but there was starting to be a bit of sentiment against slavery in Britain. It wasn’t big yet, but the that didn’t matter. Florida, East and West, was a big money drain.

Not only that, but there were concerns that the CCA might try to buy it instead, since the Loyalists meant their government was also friendly toward Britain. Since the British pullout began in mid-1778, Loyalists had just naturally begun to accept that the Rebels had treated them well; there wasn’t a lot of animosity toward Loyalists like there might have been.

However, the CCA had far less money than the U.S.. Indeed, Georgia’s government was trying to sell land as if they already owned it to raise money.(1) So, America’s John Jay began negotiating a treaty. It included the purchase of both West and East Florida, the Eastern part because the British just wanted to unload it. The British found it to be economically untenable. Sure, there had begun to be talk of plantations, but there hadn’t been near enough time for those to develop, and cotton wasn’t a big money maker yet due to the expense. Even some in the CCA began to consider that slavery might die out. Plus, the natives were a problem in some areas.

Finally, the British had to guard against Spanish attack even with Europe in a very unsettled peace. Thankfully, Spain hadn’t had time to do much damage during the Revolutionary War, but now they could. Now, they would be America’s problem.

Jefferson disliked the idea of cozying up so much to the British, but France – while they had helped – had only entered the war after the two big victories. Plus, France was still a monarchy, with less power for the people than the British had, right?

It’s funny how things work.

As the treaty was being finalized, hunger riots broke out in France in 1789. Information was spotty because of communication and travel time, and also because France was in chaos in 1789-90. The King of France was overthrown and escaped Paris, with a Republic being declared, two days before the treaty was ratified by Congress in early 1790.(2)

Jay had encouraged the British to see Florida as a wasteland, while selling the idea that Spain could attack not only from Louisiana, but also from Cuba. The British had other interests. And, as long as the British had other interests, they could be relieved of one burden and thus not have to maintain a policy of impressing U.S. sailors, either. He couldn’t get the British to leave certain forts, but just the naval situation was a big boost.(3) The British really had respect for them as a military which, which not the top of European standards, was at least equivalent to some of the smaller nations, like the Dutch.(4)

Given that Jay had not only acquired land for America, but had also eliminated the problem of impressment, he was widely hailed. Britain hadn’t met all of America’s demands, but those would come.

As for the CCA, in what they realize later was a serious mistake, they jumped in and tried to buy the area, but too late and with way too little cash. They really only had to decide if they wanted some of East Florida. However, they declined. A number of settlers had found the land to be too sandy. Another problem was Indians, against whom a young fighter named Andrew Jackson was already making a name for himself in the 1790s. The saying was, “Tennessee (Northern CCA) for the yeoman farmers, the other states for the plantations, and Florida for nobody.”

C.C. Pinckney had become CCA President in 1788 and the South Carolinian argued for a stronger central government. It was a hard fight, one he spent his Administration waging as he sought changes in the Constitution, but he argued that this treaty with Britain hadn’t been matchable because of internal dissent – his own South Carolina and especially North Carolina had been jealous of Georgia getting so much more land. He argued that a stronger central government would have allowed the Senate to easily insist that Georgia get none of the land but that it go to create at least one new state. Georgia was already selling hand south of the Tennessee because they owned it, and the others as if they did. He insisted that the Columbia Confederation try to buy some of that land from the U.S. now.

With Adams U.S. President for the second half of Pinckney’s term, there was discussion, with that southern part of the Tennessee as the pivot point. The diplomat from Charleston, Thomas Pinckney, knew the U.S wouldn’t sell it all, but recommended the Tombigbee River as the new boundary, with the CCA getting Mobile and the U.S. keeping East Florida. The U.S. objected , and so did North Carolina for the same reasons as before. Georgia finally relented, forced to by the courts in the land sale suits, and promised the area could become a new state, but North Carolina still objected that the CCA government was growing far too strong.

To keep them in the fold, President C.C. Pinckney pushed the Columbian Congress to adopt a Bill of Rights like in the U.S.. North Carolina wondered, though, if they had jumped too soon into the Confederation, which was supposed to be loose but was clearly becoming like the U.S. government.

A compromise was eventually reached – the U.S. readjusted their border this way. From the bend with the Tennessee on a straight line to the top of the Cahaba River, following it south to the Alabama River, then following the Alabama generally east to where it branches off into the Tallapoosa, then following the Tallapoosa east until the big bend northward, and at that big bend continuing east to the Chattahoochee. Georgia would relinquish the land and the CCA would make it a new state. Some in Georgia expressed glee as having one more state which could “represent the landed interests and outvote the backwoodsmen and recalcitrant North Carolinians.”

There was some frustration that they hadn’t gotten Mobile, but not much, and it soon died down as they began to speak instead of hopefully one day “ruling the Caribbean,” as they said, urged on by Alexander Martin, their 3rd president, who had helped keep North Carolina in the fold and been one of the main negotiators of the treaty with the U.S..

As for the U.S., it was agreed that slavery would not be allowed in the Floridas, either. Indeed, it had already begun to be considered as a place to settle freedmen.(5)

Washington left office in March of 1791, and John Adams took over as the newly elected President. His Vice President, Richard Bassett of Delaware, was seen as a statesman who, Adams felt, possessed the intelligence to champion a strong central government as leader of the Senate, while Adams himself focused on building a military which – in many senses – was the antithesis of what Washington had hoped for with his plea in his Farewell Address to stay out of European matters. It was certainly the antithesis of what Jefferson favored, as leader of the opposition.

Adams felt it important to have a strong navy and army partly because the Barbary States were starting to cause problems, but also because, in his words, “The British saw us as strong and able to be trusted as, if need be, an ally, in their struggles. That is why they ended impressment and why we continue to hope they will see the light and abandoned the forts along the Great Lakes. We must show ourselves strong not only for that but to eliminate the problem of Indian attacks.”

This caused quite a few squabbles with the Republicans of Jefferson, who began to turn toward the French, even as the situation in France grew worse. Jefferson also accused Adams of making America “another Sparta” rather than relying on the power of local militia.

This last was caused by a man Adams disliked immensely, Alexander Hamilton. However, both were Federalists, and Hamilton was starting to become powerful politically. In fact, some say it was he who allowed Jay to win the Governorship of New York against a hard fighting –some alleged cheating- George Clinton in 1792.(6)

Despite his own sneakiness, Clinton used this to his advantage and worked with Jefferson, who promised to make him his running mate in 1794. Clinton had been Governor of New York for years before being defeated, and seemed like the perfect person to balance the ticket, as many envisioned when Adams suggested a Lieutenant Governor-type of role.

Meanwhile, Jay knew he wasn’t quite as popular with the North as he could be. He went about trying to end slavery in New York, something he hadn’t been abler to do before.(7) He resigned his position as Chief Justice to focus on New York, and Adams appointed Oliver Ellsworth as his successor. Jay also seemed ready to prepare himself for the Presidency in a number of years, whenever the chance arose – likely not next time, with a Federalist already in office, but sometime thereafter.

President Adams promised to remain neutral in the growing European conflict. He supported the British enough that some in the British Parliament hoped that, in time, America could be an ally. France had little for America to take, so that was wishful thinking, but it would be both prescient and destructive.

It seems that Jefferson spun this, too, as the French Civil War occurred and the King of France slowly lost. He made it seem as though the British were trying to sway the election, and gain control over the nation.(8) The hysteria caused by this and rumors of some sedition acts being considered in part due to the extremely radical French Revolution and worries that could catch on in the U.S., began to drive voters to Jefferson. When Jefferson promised that he thought the French Revolution had gone too far in the bloodbath it had created, he gained even more favor and calmed some.

In the end, Thomas Jefferson won a very close election in 1794. He hoped that he would be ushering in a period of small, yeoman farmers having great power. Instead, foreign affairs conspired to sink his ship of state – thanks in part to a top general, James Wilkinson, who spied for the Spanish. Of course, the Spanish were an ally of Britain at first, but… well, that’s getting ahead of ourselves.

---------------------------

(1) The Yazoo Land Scandal, where Georgia tried to sell land to several different people at once, occurs different here; here it’s hand in OTL Alabama and the backwoods of Georgia, as well as Tennessee.

(2) Without the last 3 years of war, France has a bit more cash on hand, but not much. The peasants were starving, so that ends up breaking out first here, with a slightly slower start and longer boil time, but with the king thus having to flee faster. This time, he makes it out alive, with his wife and the Dauphin, among others.

(3) The British aren’t going to give up everything, but with a greater cash payout for Florida, and the continent at peace, in addition to having more respect for the American military, the British are more willing to accept this.

(4) Which they never fought, the Dutch not having entered the war before the peace treaty where the British recognized American independence.

(5) The American Colonization Society wouldn’t be founded for years yet, and with the number of Indians in the new territory anyway, and slavery not allowed, there would be voices calling for them to be resettled somewhere where white settlers wouldn’t be going.

(6) OTL, Clinton won a very narrow race in which votes for Jay were thrown out on a technicality. Here, Jay is just popular enough after having worked the treaty that he draws the doezens more votes needed to win, and probably a couple hundred, despite any skullduggery Clinton pulled, though this is partly because of Hamilton, who got along better with Jay than he did with Adams.

(7) OTL it was in 1799, here it’ll be a bit earlier since Jay wins election a few years earlier.

(8) OTL, one reason he lost in 1796 was a French ambassador letting it get out he wanted Jefferson to win, thus making it seem as though the French were trying to influence things.
 

TFSmith121

Banned
Okay, fair enough ... standing by

Thanks. Yes, but the thing is, Florida is still rather useless to the British, and as noted in the discussion on the attempted collaborative TL, countries didn't hang on to colonies much if it wasn't cost effective. And with worries about Spain still and trouble brewing in Europe...

let's just say the COlumbian Confederation will start to have trouble; not right away, but eventually.


Okay, fair enough ... standing by.

Best,
 
Chapter 4 – My, My, This American Spy

While still a general in the U.S. Army, James Wilkinson had become involved with a group of settlers who wanted Kentucky to become independent, because he opposed the Constitution.(1) This wasn’t unusual – till the Bill of Rights were put into it there was much opposition. What people didn’t know was that he considered trying to get part of Kentucky to join with Spanish territory. Upset about tolls on the Mississippi, he wound up becoming a spy for the Spanish.

Even after the U.S. bought Florida, the Spanish still massed forces around New Orleans with the hopes of gaining more money from tolls; their main source of income was their colonies. Jefferson sought to purchase New Orleans from Spain and relieve pressure on Western merchants; yes, they’d had Mobile for a few years now, but it wasn’t easily accessible from towns on the Mississippi, and the U.S. wanted to secure the big river; that was one of the campaign promises Jefferson had made.

Spain bowed out of the European wars in 1795. They had been very interested in selling New Orleans for the right price – they were at war, after all, and needed the money. However, after that peace, things changed; in fact, Spain soon moved over to France’s side.

This complicated things immensely. Wilkinson had been placed in charge of the new Southwest Territory, after defeating some Indians in western Kentucky in the early 1790s. Wilkinson was asked by Spain about U.S. plans, as well as what might be done. He was becoming quite wealthy with the money from Spain and from the U.S. – which paid less than the Spanish for their information, especially after Jefferson cut the military so much.

“Jefferson’s problem,” one historian would write years later, “was an innate belief in the general good of humanity. He believed that everyone would flock around the concepts of democracy now that it was in place, and even if they didn’t, they would at least be civil. Oh, he knew spies existed, but the news when it came out that a spy had been one of the leading generals, supposedly fighting for the Republic he held so dear, was gut wrenching.”

Jefferson had complained about Britain’s blockade on Europe before, but when Spain was an ally, or a neutral, at least goods could get there, and maybe slip through to France if the Mediterranean was free. However, Spain flipped in 1796, and the blockade increased. Jefferson went so far as to push for an embargo on all European goods in return, which began early in 1798 and – coupled with an economic downturn in other areas – damaged his chances for re-election.

This put him on the road to defeat, but he might have had a chance because of some Federalist bickering. What sealed his defeat in 1798, however, was when the purchase of New Orleans not only fell through, but it was discovered that the U.S. had nearly given Spain money for land it no longer owned – rumors had it that Spain was planning to transfer the property to the French. They hadn’t transferred it yet, but with what Georgia had been doing selling the same land to several different people, it seemed possible. Coupled with the diplomatic insult of the French not receiving U.S. ministers, a wave of sentiment for war with France and Spain beckoned.

As it turned out, Spain was painting the U.S. as fools because Wilkinson had provided them with the information to know exactly what U.S. plans would be.

When he was ordered to investigate an incident between Spanish and U.S. forces in New Orleans, Wilkinson sent back information totally blaming the U.S. forces, even though he knew the Spanish had been in the wrong. He was, in fact, bending over backwards so he didn’t have to pick a side, because he was frightfully afraid of having to in the event of war. Meanwhile, a report from a junior officer reported the truth, that the Spanish had been in the wrong, and furthermore, there was question as to whether they would even sell New Orleans to the U.S. now.

Questions surfaced as 1798 wore on as to whether Spain was bullying the United States, and the cries for war grew. Alexander Hamilton – who had been trying for the Presidency – promised to lead an army himself. There was a Quasi War with both France and Spain, it seemed.(2)

This troubled John Adams, who wanted to return to the Presidency himself. Hamilton had launched a smear campaign against him, and Adams in turn was afraid Hamilton was “too much of a tyrant.” However, he also feared that if he and Hamilton both ran, the fracture could give Jefferson the White House, and he didn’t want that.

He had two options. John Marshall was a bright, young statesman, but in his early 40s, he seemed a bit young given the possibility of war. John Jay, on the other hand, would be just the man for the job. He was well respected both in the South for his purchase and in the North by opponents of slavery and those who felt it should be contained for having pushed through an end to slavery in New York in 1797.(3) He promised to ally with Britain in exchange for the removal of British troops from forts along the Great Lakes as had been promised earlier (and not delivered).

This troubled George Washington, of course, who offered to serve as General of the Army again but who had warned against foreign entanglements. However, Jay astutely pointed out that this wasn’t a foreign entanglement per se. “This is a conflict within the colonies; we shall not send forces to the European theater of war, but merely protect our own interests, which President Jefferson has failed to do in a timely manner,” he said in many speeches. “We do not seek rivalry with anyone, merely friendship with Britain so we can be assured of living peacefully. If we show ourselves to be weak, others – even the British themselves – may think they can have their way.”

In saying things like this, he clearly attempted to draw the Hamiltonians. It generally worked, which made sense, as Hamilton got along a lot better with Jay than with Adams and was only in his early 40s himself, like Marshall – who would end up becoming Chief Justice when the previous one retired due to poor health in 1805. Jay was seen as a middle ground between the two, and therefore, wound up with Federalist support and ultimately with the election.

He chose Kentucky’s Daniel Boone as Vice President to draw both the Southerners and the Western vote, trying to show himself a champion of the yeoman farmers Jefferson so liked. However, Boone was a Congressman and territorial governor who had become involved in the statehood of the region. While the Confederation was more aristocratic, Boon was at least more able to relate to Alexander Martin, by now the CCA President and a man who was pushing for a buildup for the CCA, too.

Jefferson lost a somewhat close election. As he and George Clinton left the capital, he lamented that, “War has come to our shores once again, it appears. We seek to be a land of peace; this is what democracies should be. A large military only invites tyranny.” Indeed, it was the navy, not the army, which the CCA was mostly building up.

It would be a difficult war, but even before the inauguration, Jay began trying to sort things out, and he found that he could rely on the British to help in more than just war. They helped find a superspy who would become synonymous with treason.

------------------------

(1) OTL he left in 1779 partly because of a plot to remove Washington in favor of Gates as lead commander; here, Washington has done very well and peace is being negotiated, so he remains in the United States Army.

(2) The Quasi War with France is about on schedule, perhaps a little more animosity toward France since there wasn’t quite as much history of them helping with the earlier Revolution, though Jefferson would still like them.

[FONT=&quot](3) A bit ahead of time since he’s governor 3 years early TTL.[/FONT]
 
Chapter 5 – Spy Versus Spy

Jay’s administration built up the military quickly, with Hamilton’s help as a general, while young officers were sent to try to take St. Louis under George Washington. The U.S. made sure it could claim the Missouri, too, if possible; given Washington’s advanced age (67) this seemed wise, though he was still spry enough to command troops with help it would be easier sending Hamilton to New Orleans.(1) A young William Henry Harrison accompanied Washington, fresh off service under Anthony Wayne and Benedict Arnold(2) defending settlers against Indian attacks. Arnold’s age – after Wayne’s death from complications from gout – had meant that people like Harrison were starting to rise quickly in the ranks.

After Wilkinson lost some battles in the Southwest Territory, letting the Spanish take Baton Rouge, someone on Hamilton’s staff suspected problems once he arrived. After briefing Hamilton on some of the curious goings-on, he was ordered to create a phony report of a British alliance which would draw the Spanish away from Cuba to New Orleans. He sent information on it to Baltimore (and the new District of Washington which had been created as part of it, the full title for the area being known as Baltimore, D.W.), stating that he feared a traitor within Wilkinson’s camp.

Meanwhile, Wilkinson sent the message on to the Spanish. This created confusion.

The British, of course, didn’t know of this spy, but Jay’s Secretary of State informed the British Ambassador. Talks concerning a formal alliance in North America had been under way, though nothing was yet set in stone. The ambassador relayed the information on to London.

Meanwhile, word had gotten to Madrid, wherein the British Ambassador to Spain got word of it. He suspected a secret treaty had been signed, and was quite confused because he’d been told there wouldn’t be an alliance as the British were too focused on mainland Europe, though they would try to send some help. He inquired as to who the informant was – when told that General Wilkinson himself had sent the information, he believed it to be true, and sent a query to London inquiring as to why the change took place, remarking that information had come from Wilkinson.

Word reached the American ambassador during a meeting with officials of the Pitt Cabinet; when he asked where the information came from (but not from whom), he was told.

“I wonder - could this be an attempt at a diversion, a distraction of some kind?”

“I suppose it may be, but it is odd they would think to use this means to convey it.” When asked what means had been used, he was told, “A spy for the Spanish apparently relayed it to Madrid.”

The American asked who the informant was, simply because he was trying to find any sort of clue. The London official asked the messenger to please bring in the entire message so they could study it. When it was noticed who the informant was, the ambassador gasped.

“A high ranking genera?” the Englishman asked.

“One of the top… I believe in charge of that whole district.”

“Oh Dear! You have a serious problem, don’t you?”

The ambassador nodded. Before leaving to send a message to Baltimore – which he sent on 3 different ships, lest one or two sink – the ambassador suggested that they might work together to turn this to Britain’s advantage. Though it was later in the 1799 campaigning season for the militaries, he suspected that the English could have some ships ready to ambush the Spanish.

“You Yanks love the power of surprise, don’t you? Well, it certainly worked when you fought us, so why not? We shall try.”

President Jay was relaxing in the White House late in 1799 when he received an urgent message. He opened it and gazed upon the words in horror. “General Wilkinson…” he muttered.

“Is there a problem, Mr. President?” the messenger asked.

Jay muttered, “…British promise to provide full co-operation… at least they respect us well enough. Plus I’m sure they don’t want to see the Spanish get too powerful. If the Spanish should take much of the Gulf Coast, it would be bad for Britain strategically; hence why they were willing to sell us Florida, Should we have New Orleans it’ll really knock Spain down.” He finally stared at the messenger. “Order General Wilkinson to come to Washington at once.” He began to write a memo instructing him to come for “major military discussions concerning next year’s plans.” He smiled at the plan which had caught the man, and added, “Regarding Cuba.”

Wilkinson had dallied and lost some battles, and the Spanish might threaten Mobile soon. A British fleet helped to protect the Americans there as the war went on. He was, therefore, a little concerned that he might be relieved, but he could always flee to Spain if anyone suspected something.

Instead, the mention of Cuba gave him confidence. He sent the Spanish a note confirming that Cuba would be targeted by someone – likely the British - gave Hamilton the reins and rode to Baltimore, where Wilkinson would be tried and hung for high treason in December, 1799.

The U.S. Navy had begun to be built up again after Jefferson had begun to deplete it. There was increasing cooperation between the U.S. and Britain, and it continued to spread to the Army, too. However, the British didn’t want to try to attack Cuba, which would be a mighty undertaking with the Spanish Navy still rather strong. In addition, stern warnings from Jamaicans about potential competition from the much larger Cuba prevented the British from wholeheartedly supporting an invasion of Cuba.

Columbia was a different story, but they wanted to wait till the time was right. Martin had fought in the Revolution and didn’t want to think of attacking American territory – their army wasn’t powerful and they didn’t have as much need for more land yet – but Cuba was too big of a prize to pass up. Incoming President Thomas Pinckney, who took office January 1, 1800, agreed, though he was still upset at Britain over impressment of sailors, which Jay had gotten the British to agree to stop for the US in return for this help against Spain. He hoped to get Britain to stop impressing theirs, too.

As 1800 wore on, the British planned to attack Puerto Rico. Spanish forces, with Americans attacking New Orleans, did hold back some, but then they received word that the British had taken Puerto Rico. Now, there was a direct threat to Caracas. With the French embroiled in their own problems, that being Napoleon taking over as the French supreme leader, Spain was forced to try to retake Puerto Rico alone.

The attack failed, and the British still held Puerto Rico into 1801. Admiral Nelson reportedly said that winter, “Thanks to an American bluff to catch a spy, we have been able to gain an upper hand where we didn’t think we could, drawing a fleet away and then luring them back. General Wilkinson may have done them much harm, but the Americans’ creativity has worked wonderfully for us.”

Once Napoleon had taken power, he realized his ally, the Spanish, needed help. He didn’t have a huge love for them, but he did want to keep them onside with him, and they’d lost enough so far, with the British threatening Venezuela, that they were thinking of making a separate peace. Napoleon couldn’t build a huge empire but he could at least try to get through the blockade and retake Hispaniola; the British were somewhat occupied guarding their home islands and fighting the Spanish.

So, rather than wait another year, he ordered ships sent to regain it in 1801, along with using it to possibly get Puerto Rico himself, or trade it for something else of Spain’s.(3)

The British had begun to not only fortify Puerto Rico but also attack and try to foment rebellion in Venezuela. The Spanish were desperate. However, the British were able to knock out the Spanish and then await the French fleet and defeat them and the remaining Spanish as well. When Napoleon got news of the defeat, he muttered, “I should have gone for England right away, even though my fleet seemed too small to do so yet.” He decided to plan that for later, but as for now, Spain was ready to quit the war entirely and accept the loss of Puerto Rico and Louisiana; they decided that a peace with America would allow them to sell even more land to them.

The Americans had recaptured New Orleans after much effort, partly because of Washington’s and Harrison’s moves in the northern part of the Louisiana Territory drawing troops away. Indeed, President Jay had quickly sent someone out in 1800 to explore the northern part of the Louisiana Territory and chart a path to the Pacific and claim it for America. They’d camped on the plains over the winter, and then travelled through the mountains and wound up returning in early 1803.

Spain had lost enough men they sued for peace after the defeat of the fleets in April, 1801. However, as the call for it was going on, Columbia attacked Cuba. They were unble to take it, though, due to the size of the Spanish garrison there. However,it did enough that it was decided that the parties would return to the status from before the war, and plans were made instead o try to take theBahamas or, perhaps, the Danish Virgin Islands.

Spain made peace with the Americans, and also left the European theater of the war. This complicated things for Napoleon, too. With the elimination of the League of Armed Neutrality, there was a Czar of Russia who was now friendly toward Britain and a Danish-Norwegian fleet which was a threat as a defensive measure against any attempted French invasion – if they hadn’t just had their fleet sunk off Hispaniola.(4)

As for America, several diplomats, with young James Monroe and John Quincy Adams among them, went to Spain to negotiate a sale of not only Louisiana, but also perhaps some of California so they could reach the Pacific; after all, Spain had lost New Orleans fair and square now, and St. Louis and some points west and north and south of it with even more certainty. However, part of that was thanks to British help, and while Britain would get Puerto Rico they joined the negotiations as they hoped to get Spain to turn against France as they had been in the Firsrt Coalition.

Which was confusing because France and the Second Coalition were still fighting and winning, to a large extent, on the ground. What would come of that remained to be seen. About the only certain was that Jay was popular enough to gain a second term in the election of 1802. Because, as Napoleon sued for peace, he didn’t have Hispaniola to make money off of by reinstituting slavery, he didn’t have a Louisiana to sell, and he really needed money.

So, he made peace anyway late in 1802, and waited.

---------------------------------

(1) He was quite healthy OTL, and if not for being bled might have survived even the illness he had OTL, which is of course butterflied away here.

(2) No betrayal TTL, as by the time he’d become disillusioned, the war is nearlyi over, but he’s getting older and about to step down.

(3) the French attacked Hispaniola in 1802 OTL so a year earlier is plausible. Since there is no Louisiana Napoleon might not be able to get the Spanish to transfer it to him but he could try elsewhere.

(4) With Britain occupied in the Caribbean, and then Spain soon being forced out, there is no attack on Copenhagen in 1801.
 
Thanks, doing Europe for a few posts now.

Chapter 6: Torn Between Two Looters

Spain had problems. Until they actually agreed to join Britain and come back to the Coalition, it was going to see Puerto Rico held by the British in what seemed like perpetuity, and likely would be, as the area was a very good base for the British.(1)

However, France was also making demands on it. Napoleon decided that, if Spain wasn’t going to ally with him, they would give him some land that would. It just had to be one that would be economical for him, since he couldn’t sell anything to anyone like he could have if he had Louisiana.

Spain refused to sell him Cuba, of course – especially since all they were going to get was Tuscany.(2) But, that was okay – Napoleon would rather have something on land, anyway. And, preferably something well away from French Guiana. Rio de la Plata was seen as a very possible place once peace was signed. However, Spain didn’t want to trade this lucrative place.

Spain had lost a large chunk of its navy. Now, France had nobody with which to invade England, and France needed money. Since Sweden still had diplomatic relations with it, perhaps he could convince them to join him against Denmark-Norway? After all, the nations were constant rivals for control of the Baltic, and Denmark-Norway had one of the largest fleets in the world, next to the British and what had been the French, now that the Spanish were sunk.

Sweden was content to watch as Napoleon’s forces gathered in Hanover, where they had occupied after the Council of Artlenburg. Denmark-Norway was fearful of invasion, and the British were fearful that France would grab the Danish-Norwegian fleet. The neutral Denmark-Norway didn’t want to be invaded by both France and Sweden, so they asked the Swedish to promise to remain neutral if France should attack. Then, they told the British, they would be willing to fight on the British side. Otherwise, they needed to ensure their own safety.

Napoleon wanted the navy too badly to wait; he wanted to prepare to attack Britain. When Denmark-Norway hesitated, while Britain dithered about what to do with Sweden (and promise protection for Denmark-Norway in exchange for its navy) the French attacked. They swept through Holstein as the Danes swiftly joined the fight against Napoleon.

Denmark allowed the British into Copenhagen to help them fight, and leased their fleet to the British to help with the war effort provided that the British help by moving excess food to Norway; while they had had time to warn the Norwegians, and had gotten the harvest in, they knew it wouldn’t happen next year, as the French had their best fields in Holstein.

Meanwhile, Sweden, fearing French invasion of Pomerania, considered avoiding an invasion of Norway. They began to prepare for it, and the British feared Sweden would enter on the French side, especially since Denmark was on the British side. However, then Napoleon had the Duc d'Enghien executed on very weak charges for involvement in an assassination attempt, and Sweden broke off relations with France as a result.

Napoleons’ forces had struggled, and Napoleon lost a couple battles in the very thin peninsula before Denmark was finally taken. He couldn’t get to Copenhagen, because the water around it almost never froze and the British were now protecting it like crazy, so he had to be content with turning his attention to the south. He’d need to spend some time planning, as he still didn’t have a lot of money even after looting Denmark, but by 1805 he knew he could defeat the Coalition that was developing.

With Sweden beginning to warm to the British, they offered to help feed the Norwegians. Their reason for doing so, of course, was to try to win over the Norwegians so they might rebel against Denmark. They hoped to then lure Norway into their sphere of influence.

Napoleon, meanwhile, took Pomerania, since Sweden wouldn’t join him; then, he joined the army himself and marched south, defeating the Coalition. He sent a terse note to the Spanish – they were next if they didn’t immediately enter his Continental System and break off relations with Britain. When they wouldn’t, he marched south and invaded in 1806.(3)

Because Napoleon disliked Spain, and had ceased trying to get them to join in the war once he tried to grab the Danish fleet (and had lost much hope anyway once the Spanish fleet was sunk), Spain had continued to try to remain neutral. However, France attacked in 1806 after losing the Battle of Trafalgar (and France's entire fleet) in 1805. Napoleon thought, “If we can’t control he seas we can at least control the land.” Napoleon sought to grab the profits from Spain’s overseas empire.

Prince Ferdinand had been part of a growing group that opposed the government, and now he had every reason to stand up and proclaim he was right. This angered his father, King Carlos IV, of course, but he didn’t want to abdicate while Spain was being invaded. The Spanish saw a small civil war erupt which helped the French gain ground, but then Ferdinand got wind that Napoleon wouldn’t replace his father with him, but instead with Napoleon’s brother, Joseph. Ferdinand switched sides and began to fight alongside the king’d forces.

Napoleon hadn’t been able to subdue all of Spain in 1806, but he was making good progress. However, the Fourth Coalition was now forming, and he wanted to take care of that problem. So, he offered an agreement to them – join the Continental System, give the French a colony that was worth having, and France would leave it alone. But, the colony had to be a very good one, considering that France was in control of large parts of Spain (and even some of Portugal.)


Napoleon, at the same time, was really mad at Ferdinand. He’d been working for him for a time, thinking that perhaps Ferdinand would be able to help him. Ferdinand, on the other hand, wanted Napoleon to name him the successor – whether he was actually willing to be the puppet head of Spain in return for France leaving them alone is uncertain but he likely would have turned against France fast anyway.(4) What matters is that Napoleon sought to destroy Ferdinand'sarmies the most. Prince Ferdinand wound up dying after several very bloody battles when he was mortally wounded in one fight, leaving his younger brother as heir apparent, the potential future Carlos V. An agreement was quickly reach that Carlos would marry his maternal niece, Maria Isabel of Portugal.(5)

Since this younger Carols was the last surviving of Carlos IV’s sons, if Carlos IV died and he died, Carlos' oldest sister - King Carlos IV's oldest surviving daughter - would become Queen of Spain with a Pragmatic Sanction. The problem was that she happened to be Queen Consort of Portugal! The personal union scared some and reminded them of the time 2 centuries before when Philip II of Spain had become King of Portugal. So, arrangements were made for King Carlos IV to issue the Pragmatic Sanction – which had been agreed to years earlier by the Cortes but never ratified by the king - and if she were to ascend to the throne, she would then abdicate in favor of one of her sons, since there were several living. That way, there would always be separate sons as King of Spain and of Portugal.


Napoleon finally was losing some battles in Spain – and Portugal – in 1807, but slowly he was able to subdue the peninsula. Then, he turned his sights on the other countries of the Fourth Coalition, which had been nipping at his heels. The King of Spain, meanwhile, fled, feeling incapable of governing, while Carlos, now effectively Carlos V, remained behind trying to rally support against the evils of French occupation. Though he was seen as heroic for doing so, he also was an extremely staunch conservative who would love to destroy any and all who co=operated with the liberal French.(6)

----------------------------

(1) Spain is basically getting the Denmark treatment of OTL here – and the Dutch treatment, since Britain took South Africa and didn’t give it back as with Puerto Rico here.

(2) The trade offered OTL for Louisiana

(3) A couple years early, but Spain wasn’t with him in the war against the Third Coalition, so that irks him enough to invade, especially since unlike OTL they’re more aligned with Britain after making the separate peace that they did.

(4) This invasion comes at the start of when he was considering a revolt against his father, so there would be rumors.

(5) it’s likely he’d marry the same way Ferdinand did OTL, with the same kinds of agreements.

(6) Since the Spanish aren’t taken by surprise but simply invaded, there is no kidnapping of their Royal Family, However, King Carlos IV fleeing – since he abdicated OTL – is quite likely, as he could continue to be a monarch in exile, while the prince OTL fought in the Carlist Wars, so it’s logical to think he would also be willing to stay behind and lead resistance, and also gain the favor of the people after seeing that his father was disliked.
 
Last edited:
Chapter 7: Get While the Getting’s Good

Napoleon figured that – with the British occupied in Spain and Portugal – he had a great chance to attack the Fourth Coalition in 1808. He was dissatisfied, of course, that he hadn’t managed to totally crack the Spanish for their refusal to stick with him in the war against the Second Coalition, but he was close and felt that, given time, he could do so. Now, however, he wanted to demolish the Prussians, who had remained neutral before, but who now needed to be stopped.

Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia had attempted, in 1807, to move into the territory of the Confederation of the Rhine. Despite early successes, by 1808 his forces were driven out. The prince led a disastrous charge, in which he was killed, late in the year. However, Napoleon received other bad news from Spain, which would shake his psyche for a time.

Joseph Bonaparte had been considered to be the King of Naples, but once Napoleon made up his mind to invade Spain in 1806, he held off on that, appointing Murat there. Instead, he assigned Joseph to Spain. Joseph’s forces had initially been repelled before Napoleon entered and crushed resistance late in 1806, pushing into Portugal in 1807. He then left Joseph to do mop-up work.

Joseph was, by all accounts, a very able king, but a lousy general compared to the Emperor himself and a number of his other marshals. Joseph wound up dying of wounds suffered in a campaign against rebels in 1808, as Napoleon was fighting along the Danube.

Napoleon knew the Coalition would expect him to retreat. Instead, he would keep fighting and demolish them while he had them on the ropes. He could either send his oldest sister Elisa to Spain as Queen, or release Lucien from what was practically confinement in Italy. He decided that to make up with Lucien was best, as long as he could force Lucien to follow him – Lucien was so liberal it would really rankle the Spanish.

Lucien had spurred Imperial honors before, being a true revolutionary. He now opposed much of what Napoleon did. However, Napoleon told him he “needn’t serve as King of Spain, you may remake it as you wish, a true Republic if you desire, provided you remain within the Continental System.” Thus, Napoleon was playing with psychological warfare; Lucien would hopefully play the sides against each other and thus cause chaos in Spain with a large dose of the principles of the Revolution. Then, once he (Napoleon) returned, he could take over as he saw fit if need be..

However, Napoleon had made a major blunder. The people weren’t rebelling against Joseph because he was a king and they wanted the Revolution as much as they were rebelling against the rag-tag group of criminals who were ravaging the Spanish people. Napoleon was incensed when Lucien refused to get a divorce and marry a Spanish noblewoman. Furthermore, Lucien took Spain out of the Continental System practically the minute he landed in Spain.

Napoleon would have to do something about Spain. He had taken Pomerania from Sweden before and crushed the Prussians, but they were back, as were the Austrians. He left his campaign along the Danube and once again went into Spain to remove Lucien and this time put a Spaniard on the throne. He had an idea.

He felt he could do so because the British couldn’t land easily in Europe, though France couldn’t take Copenhagen either. This helped Denmark hold onto Norway and (with British help) feed it. The fact that Denmark-Norway and Sweden were partners was beyond odd to many in that region, but the British hoped – well, more like insisted – that they see it as the beginning of a great friendship among the Scandinavian countries.

Napoleon used the winter to set his sights on Spain and Lucien. True, Lucien was fomenting Republican ideals which pleased the people, but Spain was now – for all intents and purposes – independent of his system and of him. This angered Napoleon even more, as Napoleon figured peasants would make good soldiers and that the point of a bayonet was supposed to convince people to listen. The story had gotten around in Spain of how Lucien had promised to thrust Napoleon through if he ever departed from Revolutionary principles. So, when Napoleon invaded, they rallied to Lucien’s side, hopeful that he would protect them. Ironically, Napoleon now hoped for help from Carlos, the young reactionary prince who had been fighting so valiantly against the French, hoping he hated Lucien more.

Napoleon didn’t just want Spain out of Lucien’s hands, he wanted a wife who was among the leading royal houses, to cement his legacy. And, since Lucien was still being so bombastic as to refuse to divorce his wife and marry a Spanish noblewoman like Napoleon had asked him to, Napoleon decided he would do so himself.(1)

He had just the candidate – Maria Luisa of Spain.

She’d married the King of Etruria, but Napoleon had hoped to merge the land into his realms when the king died a few years earlier. However, since he’d never reached an arrangement with Spain(2) to take the land, and so it was easy for him to marry Maria Luisa, who was only 26 and likely to bear a son. If not, he could adopt one of her sons.

They married in France and consummated the wedding, and then they held another ceremony in Spain in March of 1809 as Napoleon proclaimed Maria Luisa “the new Queen of the SPanish” and said that they were uniting the crowns, to be divided between her son as King of Spain and the son she’d have with him as Emperor of France. It was said that in Parliament that day, “The English were spitting mad, as the only thing that could have made them more apoplectic than that Corsican ogre ruling Europe was the idea that France and Spain should have their crowns unified.”

Then, Napoleon placed a price on Carlos’ head, and it was feared that instead, the Portuguese crown might become united with that of Spain. Things were becoming incorrigible, and the British only hoped that Napoleon would return to fighting, as Wellesley performed magnificently in kicking the French out of Portugal. Perhaps, they considered, as Napoleon marched off in late spring of 1809 to meet the Coalition of Prussia, Russia, etc.. Austria sat out after huge defeats in the previous war. this time he would be defeated. As Lucien retreated once again to exile in Italy, having been unable to win over the Spanish people and keep them won over thanks to his brother, all of Europe hoped to be able to end the wars quickly.

It would be hard, though. Napoleon crushed the Prussians and Russians as he had been doing before retreating over the winter of 1808-9. His campaign, funded partly by money seized from Spain just as he’d done earlier with Denmark, led him to win numerous major victories over Prussia and then voer Russia, leading to humiliating peaces being imposed on them by Napoleon. In early November, 1809, Napoleon signed the Treaty of Tilsit with Russia(3).

Part of this treaty was that Russia invaded Finland early in the spring of 1810.(4) The Swedes were helped by not having to watch for Danish troops in Norway, since Denmark wouldn’t attack with them on the same side. However, battles were fierce, and it was generally felt that Sweden wouldn’t be able to take part in the Fifth Coalition. Instead, Austria would have to be the leader, along with Britain. And, Prussia might not even be able to – and, they wouldn’t, as not only was their country ruined and Berlin occupied, but the king was distracted by the illness of his beloved wife.

In the Americas, meanwhile, things had gotten very complex. Starting with Napoleon’s invasion of Spain in 1806, the seeds of rebellion had been laid in Spain’s colonies. Lucien and then Maris Luisa had confirmed Joseph’s ending of the Inquisition, which pleased the people, and now things were settling more into a Spanish Civil War than anything, with liberals versus Carlos’ reactionaries. The only good news was that Napoleon now felt an obligation to try to help Maris Luisa retain control of Spain. Of course, the bad news was that this meant the same troops which had been ravaging Spain despite her insistence that they stay out of the country.

--------------------

(1) He married a Hapsburg only as part of the peace at the end of the War of the Fifth Coalition, but here, that coalition hasn’t yet begun to fight, as his need for money and then going after Spain first delayed things.

(2) OTL the treaty of Fountainbleu did this just before Napoleon’s troops were allowed through Spain to take Portugal. TTL, his troops never do this, as he is really mad at Spain and invades them directly.

(3) A few months later in the year 1809 than OTL’s 1807 one because of the survival for a bit longer of the Prussian prince and because Napoleon was distracted by the mess in Spain.

(4) Spain came first because Napoleon was so upset at them for not fighting in the Third Coalition and leaving the Second early. This means that the Wars of the Fourth Coalition occurred when OTL’s Fifth occurred, as he hadn’t had time to put his own full strength toward defeating the Coalition as he did in OTL’s 1806-7. So, Prussia and Russia get clobbered in 1808 and, more, 1809 in TTL.
 
Top