Too Far From Home: A TL

I haven't finished writing the first chapter yet, but I figured I'd post a little preview of my new TL. This is my Fourth attempt so lets hope this one turns out alright :)

This TL is inspired by Robert Sobel's novel "For Want of a Nail" and Sakura_F's timeline on here "Land of Freedom".

Thomas Jefferson made sure he was on the first row boat to go ashore. This was, after all, his new home. His families new home.Tens of Thousands of American's new home. The new home of their republic.

The water was clear, clearer than the water's off of Virginia and Maryland and the rest of the colonies. The land was hardly much to look at. Compare it to Jefferson's homeland it was rather, made out of bush until a mountain range rose up in the distance. None of the former Americans wished to think what new and strange wildlife resided in those bushes.

Nonetheless, this new land was indeed there new home. The British had named it Port Jackson. It would need a new name. So many people who dreamed of freedom would be making there way here. Jefferson and the rest of the old American rebel leaders would not allow them to be disappointed. "Alright, start unloading the ships, we have lots of work to do..."


Anyone care to guess whats happening here?;)
 
So, here is the first part of my timeline. As mentioned before, it is inspired by For Want of a Nail and Land of Freedom. It wont be too detailed but I would like to cover culture and sports and stuff like that eventually. It should also be mentioned that some of you might find this ASB, and thats ok, it has multiple PODs that could or could not be chalked up to butterfly's.

Chapter 1:

Although both sides of the American Rebellion expected a short war, it wasn’t until the British managed to take the strategic Hudson River in the Province of New York [1] that made it clear the American rebels probably had very little of a change to win independence. Many supporting the rebels cause, however, saw that if they could win a few major battles the British would be willing to concede to given the colonies more autonomy and representation in parliament. These ideas were brought to an end soon though, as France agreed to ally with the rebels only if they agreed to seek nothing but their total independence. Those colonists who formerly looked to a compromise would now have to find a way to beat the British and gain full independence.

This goal would prove to be impossible to achieve, however. Controlling the entirety of the Hudson River, the lower part captured by General Howe, including the town of New York, allowed Britain to cut off New England from the rest of the colonies. This would prove decisive as New England was a hotspot for the revolution and bringer of supplies to rebels further south.

While Burgoyne would continue to hold New York and later push into Connecticut, Howe would devise his own plans for an invasion of Philadelphia, seat of the continental congress. Howe would receive reinforcements from Britain and head down to Maryland, where he would land and capture Baltimore and most of the colony. The rebel General George Washington would position himself between Howe and Philadelphia, but although the Americans put up a tough fight the continental congress was forced to withdraw from the city into Lancaster, further inland into Pennsylvania.

George Washington, however, would choose to stay in New Jersey through the winter, an effort that would prove to be a huge mistake. Many of his men died from exposure to the cold winter, and many more died as General Howe, leaving his cozy safe haven in Philadelphia, attacked Washington’s forces and moved up the Delaware river, capturing Trenton. Howe’s men and a force sent out of New York would capture nearly the entirety of New Jersey.

Meanwhile, less fighting would be seen in the South, seen as as less important that New England and the mid-atlantic colonies. However, an expeditionary force from new york would capture Savannah, capital and largest city of the Province of Georgia, with help from the loyalists there. After General Cornwallis took control of the southern army, he met American Horatio Gates and some Frenchmen in Charleston. Cornwallis, with the help of the Royal Navy.

Even Spain joining the war on the rebels side could not help them. The British Navy was strong enough to take out the combined Franco-Spanish-American fleet in both Europe and the Americas. Britain would capture most of the small sugar islands owned by France in the Caribbean during the war, however the failed to take the large islands of Hispaniola or Cuba. Similarly, British attempts to drive into Spanish Louisiana and Spanish attempts to drive into British West Florida were both repressed.

Cornwallis himself would continue further North into the colony of North Carolina. He would, however, leave a smaller force to capture the more inland areas of Georgia and South Carolina. This force would be nearly completely destroyed by the end of the war. While they did manage to capture most of the colonies, Americans would adopt a tactic that later became known as Appalachian Warfare[2], after the region in the Americas where it would be first noticed. This involved staying away from major confrontation and instead choosing to raid the enemy forces almost constantly, slowly picking them off.

Cornwallis’s main force would have more luck. By the end of the year he would have captured most of the major parts of North Carolina and was in Virginia near Williamsburg, and along with an expeditionary force sent by Britain was ready to capture Richmond, which he did in February. More rebel forces would retreat into the hinterlands, engaging in Appalachian Warfare. This region would prove to be where most of that kind of fighting took place, hence the name.

Meanwhile, New England had been mostly captured by the British. Two expeditionary forces were sent out from New York and Rhode Island that captured the entirety of Connecticut. During the fair weather of summer, a force would come down from Nova Scotia and capture main and New Hampshire. All that was left was to take the symbolically and strategically important city of Boston, where the revolution had started. The British would send three forces, a group that came up from Hartford and came into Boston from the West, a group coming from New Hampshire attacking from the North, and a small expeditionary force that landed near the original Plymouth colony attacking from the South. The rebels would put up a huge fight, but in the end they would have to retreat into the Blue Mountains, just like the rest of the adavant patriots in New England, to go on with even more Appalachian Warfare.

A force, definitely large enough to be considered extreme overkill, was sent to fight the last battle of the war in Spring of 1779, when they would take Lancaster and York, and the continental congress was forced into exile in the Appalachian Mountains.

The state of rebellion in these colonies would be declared over that summer, when a peace treaty was signed between Britain and France and Spain. However, in reality, the war would continue. Appalachian Warfare would prove hurtful to the colonies economy, and even with the rebels themselves being raided by Indian tribes, it seemed as if they would never give up. Parliament and the king at this point refused to give any sort of compromise for autonomy of the colonies, as they believed they had rightfully won, and for the most part, they had. Appalachian Warfare would continue into early 1782,until tragedy struck Britain when King George III was killed by an Irish Catholic (ironically enough, this killing is believed to have pushed back catholic emancipation for a decade or two). His young son would be crowned King George IV. After talking to explorer James Cook, the new King would come up with an insane new kind of a compromise…

[1] Yes, I stole this POD from for want of a nail :p

[2] The term Guerilla Warfare existed before the POD, but it didn’t become popular till the ending stages of the Napoleonic Wars, particularly the Peninsular War and the Latin American Wars of Independence. I figured I would change it sense I don’t see lots of timelines doing it.


I don't know if that font is too annoying or not, we will see :p
 
What? No comments and only about 50 views? Criticism is encouraged if you hate it. Well, here's some more I guess.

Chapter 2:

James Cook had been sent out on a voyage 6 years before the American Rebellion started. Part of the goal of this journey was to find the eastern end of the extremely unknown (believed to have riches untold at the time) landmass of Terra Australis. What he found was...pretty disappointing, a land occupied by savages and bush desert. Another expedition would be launched immediately after the first. In this voyage, Cook would take more of an interest in the islands to the east of the continent in this trip, although he did sail by a landmass which he assumed to be part of Terra Australis, but would later be proven to be another place altogether.

Cook's third [1] voyage would have a goal set on discovering the fabled northwest passage. Cook would fail at this goal by going through terrible conditions without finding such a passage. After returning to Sandwich Islands, discovered earlier by the voyage to wait out the winter, he ultimately decided to return to Britain through the East Indies and get better supplies for another voyage. [2]

When he returned in 1779, however, his fourth trip would be postponed as he would end up fighting French and Spain in the high seas till the “end” of the war. One thing he did before he returned to exploring was seek an audience with then Crown Prince George IV. The Prince took an interest in Cook’s discoveries after a talk, but he didn’t think much of establishing a British colony on Terra Australis, seeing it as pretty much worthless. He instead focused more on possible colonization of Polynesia, specifically the Sandwich Islands.

Shortly after being crowned King, George IV came up with a mad idea to stop Appalachian Warfare in the American colonies, saying it “came to him in a dream.” The crown would offer American republicans settlement in the alien region of the globe. Any rebels who chose to let down their arms and stay in the colonies would have no charges and would be allow to continue life in America.

George eventually managed to get political support for the idea, and the tired and starving (the Brits thought they were still in a good situation with high morale, hence the willingness for a minor compromise) American rebels reluctantly accepted the offer. Almost a million Americans would set off to this “New New World” between 1785 and 1800, in the largest exodus ever known to man.

Very few rebels were left fighting in the hinterlands now, and those who remained for the cause of patriotism would be killed over the next year. Those who chose to move to Terra Australis would find life hard. They were in an alien world. They didn’t know what crops to plant (it should be noted that very few slaves were brought along the journey), and this would prove their major struggle during their early years. This, of course, and founding a government…



“I truly do hate this land. It is bitter and barren, and Virginia is a million times more hospitable. But this is what we received, and on this land, far away from European tyranny, we shall not only survive, but we shall become a become of freedom and hope for any who wish to join us in our struggle. The land of Australis shall prove to the world that we can overcome these great odds given to us, and we will establish a new land with new ideals, with liberty and justice for all.”

~ Thomas Jefferson, from a speech given to the first group of American settlers.

[1] Of five, in this world.

[2] Another minor POD here. IOTL, Cook chose to return to looking for the northwest passage after leaving Hawaii for the second time. This would cause his ship to be damaged, which would cause him to go back to Hawaii, which would cause his death
 
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This timeline is quite good, except for some spelling errors. I think that you should check over your writing before posting it.

In addition, change the font from Courier New. It's a cool font, but it's not for reading large amounts of text.

It's also a good idea to bold your headings.

This timeline is interesting. Please continue.
 
I'm liking it so far. The consequences should be interesting. Will East Asia become the center of republicanism in this world after the former rebels spread their ideals?
 
I'm liking it so far. The consequences should be interesting. Will East Asia become the center of republicanism in this world after the former rebels spread their ideals?

hmm did they take any slaves or is this a free state?. That could determine whether this is truly a beacon or a scandal that the Empire eventually has to deal with.
or even worse do (ex?)slavocrats treat the aborigines even worse than OTL( thats hard i know)
 
I just realized that you were the same guy who was making the realistic Draka TL. Honestly, I think I'll like this one better because I don't think I've ever seen such a scenario done in depth for a TL. Australia is one of those places that doesn't get a lot of love in pre 1900 TLs, and this concept feels nice and original. Good luck, man! :D
 
Don't you mean George IV? George VI lead Britain in WWII. Good start otherwise.

Fixed :eek:

This timeline is quite good, except for some spelling errors. I think that you should check over your writing before posting it.

In addition, change the font from Courier New. It's a cool font, but it's not for reading large amounts of text.

It's also a good idea to bold your headings.

This timeline is interesting. Please continue.

Formatting will be updated. I agree the font sucks :p

I'm liking it so far. The consequences should be interesting. Will East Asia become the center of republicanism in this world after the former rebels spread their ideals?

We will see ;)

hmm did they take any slaves or is this a free state?. That could determine whether this is truly a beacon or a scandal that the Empire eventually has to deal with.
or even worse do (ex?)slavocrats treat the aborigines even worse than OTL( thats hard i know)

I mentioned it quickly in the text, VERY few slaves were taken. The new republic will be banning slavery in her constitution.

I just realized that you were the same guy who was making the realistic Draka TL. Honestly, I think I'll like this one better because I don't think I've ever seen such a scenario done in depth for a TL. Australia is one of those places that doesn't get a lot of love in pre 1900 TLs, and this concept feels nice and original. Good luck, man! :D

Thanks. I agree, my big problem with that Draka TL was the originality part. I hope to make this something unique on the site :)

Also, the thirteen colonies and Canada are still British. An update on them and there politics till 1800 can be expected soon.
 
The population of British North America will soon be too high for no changes to occur. Someone or something is going to have to give if the British don't want a second revolution, probobly a dominion style deal, Maybe with less autonomy than OTL. Certainly not a sharing of government/allowing Americans into the British isles government. The British will never tolerate being told what to do by the Americans just because they have a higher population. I wonder what effects such a thing would have for the Spanish and Portuguese colonies of the new world.
 

Asami

Banned
Do you know how amazing it feels when people claim me as inspiration? Pretty damn good.

Keep going, you'll do wonderfully. ;)
 
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