The Hands of the Valiant

"The bayonet in the hands of the valiant is irresistible."
-John Burgoyne, British general and playwright, 1722-1792​

Chapter I: The Rise of British Hegemony

First American Revolt

The First American Revolt is an important event in the history of British North America. The main cause of the revolt was increasing taxes after the Seven Years War. This conflict was costly to the British. Following a string of increases in taxation without any say by any of the responsible government of any colony, fighting between the loyal Tories and the rebels began, opening with the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1777. The rebels, calling themselves the “Continental Army,” were able to score a number of victories against the Tories and the British, but were ultimately defeated after the Saratoga Campaign in 1779. Subsequent defeats led to Thomas Jefferson conceding defeat to the British with the Treaty of Baltimore in 1781.

Prelude

The First American Revolt began due to a series of factors. One major factor was the defeat of France in the Seven Years War. As a result of the war, all of mainland French North America, with the exception of Louisiana, which was ceded to Spain, was ceded to Britain. However, the Seven Years War was a global war. Britain struggled to repay mercenaries employed and it was plunged into debt. To repay this debt, taxes were inflicted on their colonies. Over time, more and more taxes were put into place. But what truly pissed off the rebels was that Britain was taxing the colonists without any say from the responsible governments of the colonies.

But what truly pissed them off was the Quebec Act of 1777. Following the Seven Years War, most of the former French colony of Canada was turned into a reserve for the Aboriginals, while the following was done to the remainder. Rather than deporting the Quebecois, as was done with the Acadians, Britain wanted to encourage immigration into Quebec, to the point that the majority of the population would be English speakers. Then, the Quebecois would gradually be assimilated into English culture.

Many settlers from British North America went to the “reserve” that most of Canada had been turned into and established settlements, ignoring the Royal. The British did nothing about it. They tended to put a blind eye to this ignorance of the Proclamation. However, it was soon apparent that the colony of Quebec would not be assimilated. As a result, in the Quebec Act of 1775, the borders of Quebec were expanded into the former borders of French Canada. This stopped the expansion of Americans into these lands. Entire settlements were abandoned. The British were feeling warm and fuzzy. They thought they had just stopped a rebellion. But they were wrong, and enormously so. For many people in BNA, the spark to war was lit. Many in British North America took up arms against the British. The First American Revolt had begun.

Rebel Victories

In 1777, the two towns of Lexington and Concord had stocked up on weaponry. This attracted the attention of the British. However, unfortunately for them, a number of horseback riders had warned the rebels in the two cities. They had enough time to prepare for the arrival of the British, or Redcoats, as they were called by the rebels and met them head-on. The rebels were victorious in both battles. The First American Revolt began.
The rebel general George Washington was extremely capable. He realized that the British were capable of destroying the rebels. As a result, he only fought the British at small battles. These techniques stopped any potential destruction at the hands of the better-trained British. These tactics led him to successfully expand the rebellion northward. He successfully crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania.
The Rebels styled their army the Continental Army. They had a goal of unifying North America under their republic. A prominent rebel supporter, Thomas Jefferson, declared independence with the Declaration of Independence and created the American Constitution. Styling their nation as the United States of America, the rebels now had a nation to fight for: Their republic. As prominent rebel generals like George Washington and Benedict Arnold scored victories, the strength of the rebels increased. They were even able to send troops into Quebec, despite failing to take the region. Despite this failure, the rebels were still powerful. However, this all changed with the Saratoga Campaign.

Turning the Tide

General John Burgoyne was a playwright and a general. As a general, he was known for being quite incompetent. However, his army of British forces was larger than that of the rebels. As a result, his Saratoga campaign in 1779 was quite successful. Meeting the rebels head-on with a pre-emptive strike, Burgoyne was defeating the forces of the rebel generals Benedict Arnold and Horatio Gates. This campaign culminated with the Battle of Saratoga.
Ultimately, the rebels were utterly decimated in the Battle of Saratoga. Despite superior tactics, there were too many Englishmen stationed. However, this victory meant much more than one would assume. Prior to the battle, the French were supporting the Americans. They sent covert support. However, this battle ended any hope of more French, or other, foreign support. With the victory of the British, rebel generals Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold were captured. They would eventually be sent to Australia along with other rebel prisoners.

Burgoyne’s victory led to a complete alteration in the rebels’ fates. The tides had turned in the favour of the British and the Tories. The rebel forces were forced out of New York State and subsequently out of New England. In these towns, there were large numbers of Tories. As a result, enlistment was high. The army only grew with time.

Tory and British generals created a plan that they termed the Southern. It consisted of rapidly invading and taking Georgia and the Carolinas. British troops and new volunteers were both sent to take the region. They took much of these colonies away from the rebels as they were forced northward, while other Tory forces were advancing southward from New England.
The two Tory contingents continued their advance towards the middle until March 1781, when they finally met in Maryland, which was becoming a land of rebels. Thomas Jefferson, one of the last rebel leaders, forced to flee to Maryland due to the Tory advance, accepted unconditional surrender. In the Treaty of Baltimore, signed in the same month, the First American Revolt finally came to an end.

Aftermath

The rebellion had some long-lasting effects. As a direct result of it, martial law was declared. Rights were temporarily suspended in the Thirteen Colonies. But by 1790, all of the colonies had their representative governments restored.
The rebellion was very costly for Britain. Lots of money was put into the rebellion. This meant that the Thirteen Colonies were taxed more. This intense taxation led to more resentment from the Thirteen Colonies, but no one was able to rebel.
Many captured rebels were forced into Australia. Today, the land is shaped by all of these settlers. Rebellion leaders like Benedict Arnold did nothing more than establish a life for themselves. They thought of themselves as lucky to be alive. They recited an oath of allegiance; for the rest of their life, they were loyal to the King. However, one rebel, Benjamin Franklin, was a notable scientist. His “Franklin Stove” fell out of use in Australia. Despite it, he gave a good name to Australia. Today, he is considered a founding father of the nation.

However, in British North America, the population was divided evenly amongst the rebels and the Tories. Many rebels wished to go into the Ohio Valley, far from British control. In response, Britain created the colony of Transylvania in the western side of the Ohio Valley. This colony quickly became home to rebels and rebel supporters. Although the watchful eye of Britain led to them not declaring independence, many knew that the region would rebel given the chance. However, for the time being, Transylvania remained British.
 
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Map of British North America after the First American Revolt

Here is a map of BNA, including the new colony of Transylvania.

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