I am thinking about writing a time line that explores Britain keeping its American territories and the effect that will have on the British Empire if it can call on the resources and markets of the OTL USA as well as the effect that remaining British will have on America. In particular I want to examine the affect of anti-slavery legislation being introduced in 1807.
This will mean butterflying the ARW which is not an easy thing to do. However when I look at the causes of the ARW I feel that one of them was the fact that the British Government needed money and they saw the Americans as an income stream, secondly there is the whole "no taxation without representation" thing.
In the 1763 Treaty of Paris Britain handed over a lot of Frances Caribbean Islands but kept Canada. What if they kept Guadeloupe and returned Canada?
This would give them access to tax the £6m worth of sugar Guadeloupe produced every year so easing their money problems, whilst keeping an enemy on the close to the 13 Colonies so there would be less reason to complain about the taxes raised to keep the country defended.
I know that Lord Bute wanted to appease the French in the hopes of staving off yet another French / British conflict in the near future but many Brit's (including William Pitt the Elder) were against this policy of appeasement.
I would welcome any thoughts you have.
This will mean butterflying the ARW which is not an easy thing to do. However when I look at the causes of the ARW I feel that one of them was the fact that the British Government needed money and they saw the Americans as an income stream, secondly there is the whole "no taxation without representation" thing.
In the 1763 Treaty of Paris Britain handed over a lot of Frances Caribbean Islands but kept Canada. What if they kept Guadeloupe and returned Canada?
This would give them access to tax the £6m worth of sugar Guadeloupe produced every year so easing their money problems, whilst keeping an enemy on the close to the 13 Colonies so there would be less reason to complain about the taxes raised to keep the country defended.
I know that Lord Bute wanted to appease the French in the hopes of staving off yet another French / British conflict in the near future but many Brit's (including William Pitt the Elder) were against this policy of appeasement.
I would welcome any thoughts you have.