(This is a modified version of a timeline I posted ages ago - well over a year. I've changed some things and this time I might even finish it)
Part I - E Unus Pluribum
1775 – 1783 – American Revolution goes as in OTL.
1781 – Articles of Confederation forming a loose national government are ratified (OTL)
1783 - Peace of Paris confirms US independence with western boundaries largely along the Mississippi River (OTL)
1785 – Death of George Washington after a sudden illness
1787 – Convention called in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation breaks down over disagreements
1788, 1789 – Two more congresses in Baltimore and New York also fail to reach an
y agreement on revising the Articles of Confederation
1789 – Tensions between several states (New York vs. semi-independent Vermont and other New England states; Connecticut vs. Pennsylvania; Virginia vs. several other states; etc) over western land claims and debts rises
Beginning of French Revolution as in OTL
1790 – Outright fighting erupts along the Vermont-New York border, and in northern Pennsylvania. Vermont demands that it be recognized as a separate state if it is to be part of the US, a claim backed by New England states. At the same time, Native American nations in the Ohio country increase attacks on encroaching white settlement in the Ohio River area. The Congress in New York is unable to resolve these issues.
1791 – New York militia defeated in Vermont, Vermont militia backed by militia and volunteers from other New England states move into upstate New York. New York demands assistance from the small number of federal troops available. Also, settlers from New England states in parts of Pennsylvania that are trying to break away are defeated by Pennsylvania militia. There are accusations of atrocities against New England prisoners. Pennsylvania and New Jersey agree to send militia to assist New York. New England militia pushed back from near Albany to their own borders. A joint force of Virginia-Pennsylvania-local militia is defeated by a coalition of Indian nations in the Ohio country.
In an effort to salvage the situation, a distinguished group of senior political figures, including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Patrick Henry, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, meets in New York to try and come up with solutions to the disputes and create a more effective government that will not be too powerful. By this point, however, even these men are unable to reach agreement or resolve the growing disputes.
1792 – Settlers in the lands west of the Appalachians claimed by North Carolina, following a series of disputes with the North Carolina government, declare themselves to be the independent state of Franklin, and demand representation in Congress as a separate state if they are to be part of the US. Settlers in the Kentucky area, which is technically federal land, consider doing the same. Meanwhile, Virginia begins reasserting claims to the territories west of the Appalachians (including Kentucky) that it had give up earlier, citing the inability of the Federal government to defend settlers against Native Americans or keep order.
An uneasy truce is established between New York and Vermont and other New England states.
Representatives from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont meet in Hartford, Connecticut to consider plans for setting up their own government. A proposed constitution establishing a stronger central government than the US has is written, but it is agreed that none of the states will consider ratifying it unless the truce breaks down. Rhode Island, traditionally distrustful of the other New England states, remains aloof.
In France, King Louis XVI is deposed and arrested and France is declared a republic. The French Revolution becomes increasingly radical. (Same as OTL)
1793 – The United States begins to break apart. New York and New England militia clash again, with both sides accusing the other of violating the truce. Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont quickly ratify the draft constitution establishing a new government and withdraw their representatives from Congress in New York. Virginia reasserts claims to Kentucky that Kentucky refuses to recognize. Kentucky demands that it be recognized as a separate state within the US, but this is blocked by Virginia delegates.
French Republic executes Louis and goes to war with several other European nations (OTL)
1794 – Militia from Virginia and North Carolina fail to take back Kentucky and Franklin. Kentucky and Franklin both declare themselves fully independent. Disputes over how to handle these crises as well as debts, frontier issues, and foreign policy strain relations between the remaining states within the US to the breaking point. Representatives of southern states from Maryland to Georgia meet and discuss setting up a new government.
1795 – Southern states form a separate government with capitol in Williamsburg, Virginia. USA now includes only New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Other lands formerly part of the US are now part of the New England Federation, the Federation of Southern States, Kentucky, Franklin, or in territories whose authority is disputed between the different groups and with the Native Americans, British, and Spanish.
British keep garrisons in Detroit and other fortresses that were technically part of the US after 1783. The successor states to the old US are too focused on squabbling with each other to do anything about this. Strong native American resistance also continues, especially north of the Ohio river, but settlers still are coming westward, in spite of the risks and the uncertain legal status of much of the territory between the Appalachians and the Mississippi.
c. 1795 – c. 1810 – Limited numbers of factories, mainly for textiles and firearms, are established in both the USA and New England
1797 – Franklin claims lands west to the Mississippi and south into parts of OTL Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, which are also claimed by the Southern Federation.
A few settlers from Kentucky, Franklin, and other states begin settling in Spanish territory west of the Mississippi, some with legal land grants, some without.
1798-1800 – USA, the Southern Federation, and Kentucky manage to cooperate enough to defeat the coalition of Indians arrayed against them south of the Great Lakes. The land between the Ohio and Great Lakes is partitioned between these 3 states, but the British still occupy some outposts and won't give them up. Officially this is because reparations were never paid to Loyalists from the American Revolution, in practice it is because none of the independent American nations are strong enough to push them out.
1800 – Cotton gin developed in Georgia by a local inventor. This will soon lead to a boom in cotton production in parts of North America.
Kentucky and Franklin join together into the Free Republic of America.
1801 – Spain secretly agrees to cede western portion of former Louisiana territory to Napoleonic France (OTL).
1802-3 – Brief period of peace between France and Britain (same as OTL) Napoleon sends a garrison of French troops to New Orleans and openly claims the Louisiana Territory. Some French planters driven out of Haiti by the successful slave revolt there relocate to Louisiana.
1803 – Treaty between Britain and New England defines boundaries between New England and British Canadian territories (similar to OTL, except a little bit of OTL northern Maine goes to New Brunswick)
1804 – War resumes between Britain and France
1805 – Franco-Spanish fleet crushed by British, Louisiana garrison mostly cut off from contact with France. French military governor of Louisiana offers generous land grants to recruit volunteers from the USA, Southern Federation, Free Republic.
1806 – Failure of British expedition against New Orleans
1807-1810 – Britain establishes several outposts in northern Louisiana territory to assert claims to the area against the French.
Failure of New England efforts to pressure Rhode Island into leaving the US
1808 – Agreements between Britain and several Native American nations establish a de facto British-supported Native American territory in much of OTL Michigan, parts of northern Indiana, northern Illinois, Wisconsin – on land claimed by the US. Settlers from US will continue to encroach on this territory, however.
1809 – French/volunteer forces from Louisiana seize Mobile and the westernmost parts of Florida from Spain, which is now allied with the British.
1810 – British units reinforce Spanish forces in Florida to defend Pensacola and other centers from possible future attacks. British reconnaissance and intelligence about New Orleans area indicates that it is now too heavily fortified and defended for anything short of a large field army to have a chance of capturing.
1811-1813 – Clashes between militia and army units of the USA and British backed Indians result in war between USA, informally supported by Free Republic and Southern Federation. British backed Indians are able to retain the majority of their lands and the USA is forced to relinquish control of almost all of OTL Michigan, much of Wisconsin, northern edge of Illinois. These areas are reserved for Native American groups, with some British outposts, and limited rights for traders from the US.
1812 – 1815 – The course of Napoleon's downfall, brief restoration to power, and final defeat goes pretty much the same as in OTL, with perhaps a few differences in detail due to butterflies. (I don't believe that anything that has changed so far in North America would be likely to have a serious impact on events in Europe, though one could always think of possible ways that the changes could be linked.)
1815 – Congress of Vienna proceeds along similar lines to OTL. Around the same time, a smaller diplomatic conference is also held in a different location in Vienna that resolves boundaries in North America. Louisiana is recognized as an independent republic, but with greatly reduced boundaries as Great Britain takes the northern portions of the old Louisiana territory. The area around Mobile goes to Louisiana. The Mississippi is guaranteed open to trade from all nations, with New Orleans as an open port.
(Louisiana is at this point, and will remain, a bilingual nation whose French and English speaking portions exist in an uneasy relationship with each other, tending to live in different regions of the country, but prepared to live under the same government as long as neither group tries to dictate to the other.)
Part I - E Unus Pluribum
1775 – 1783 – American Revolution goes as in OTL.
1781 – Articles of Confederation forming a loose national government are ratified (OTL)
1783 - Peace of Paris confirms US independence with western boundaries largely along the Mississippi River (OTL)
1785 – Death of George Washington after a sudden illness
1787 – Convention called in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation breaks down over disagreements
1788, 1789 – Two more congresses in Baltimore and New York also fail to reach an
y agreement on revising the Articles of Confederation
1789 – Tensions between several states (New York vs. semi-independent Vermont and other New England states; Connecticut vs. Pennsylvania; Virginia vs. several other states; etc) over western land claims and debts rises
Beginning of French Revolution as in OTL
1790 – Outright fighting erupts along the Vermont-New York border, and in northern Pennsylvania. Vermont demands that it be recognized as a separate state if it is to be part of the US, a claim backed by New England states. At the same time, Native American nations in the Ohio country increase attacks on encroaching white settlement in the Ohio River area. The Congress in New York is unable to resolve these issues.
1791 – New York militia defeated in Vermont, Vermont militia backed by militia and volunteers from other New England states move into upstate New York. New York demands assistance from the small number of federal troops available. Also, settlers from New England states in parts of Pennsylvania that are trying to break away are defeated by Pennsylvania militia. There are accusations of atrocities against New England prisoners. Pennsylvania and New Jersey agree to send militia to assist New York. New England militia pushed back from near Albany to their own borders. A joint force of Virginia-Pennsylvania-local militia is defeated by a coalition of Indian nations in the Ohio country.
In an effort to salvage the situation, a distinguished group of senior political figures, including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Patrick Henry, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, meets in New York to try and come up with solutions to the disputes and create a more effective government that will not be too powerful. By this point, however, even these men are unable to reach agreement or resolve the growing disputes.
1792 – Settlers in the lands west of the Appalachians claimed by North Carolina, following a series of disputes with the North Carolina government, declare themselves to be the independent state of Franklin, and demand representation in Congress as a separate state if they are to be part of the US. Settlers in the Kentucky area, which is technically federal land, consider doing the same. Meanwhile, Virginia begins reasserting claims to the territories west of the Appalachians (including Kentucky) that it had give up earlier, citing the inability of the Federal government to defend settlers against Native Americans or keep order.
An uneasy truce is established between New York and Vermont and other New England states.
Representatives from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont meet in Hartford, Connecticut to consider plans for setting up their own government. A proposed constitution establishing a stronger central government than the US has is written, but it is agreed that none of the states will consider ratifying it unless the truce breaks down. Rhode Island, traditionally distrustful of the other New England states, remains aloof.
In France, King Louis XVI is deposed and arrested and France is declared a republic. The French Revolution becomes increasingly radical. (Same as OTL)
1793 – The United States begins to break apart. New York and New England militia clash again, with both sides accusing the other of violating the truce. Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont quickly ratify the draft constitution establishing a new government and withdraw their representatives from Congress in New York. Virginia reasserts claims to Kentucky that Kentucky refuses to recognize. Kentucky demands that it be recognized as a separate state within the US, but this is blocked by Virginia delegates.
French Republic executes Louis and goes to war with several other European nations (OTL)
1794 – Militia from Virginia and North Carolina fail to take back Kentucky and Franklin. Kentucky and Franklin both declare themselves fully independent. Disputes over how to handle these crises as well as debts, frontier issues, and foreign policy strain relations between the remaining states within the US to the breaking point. Representatives of southern states from Maryland to Georgia meet and discuss setting up a new government.
1795 – Southern states form a separate government with capitol in Williamsburg, Virginia. USA now includes only New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Other lands formerly part of the US are now part of the New England Federation, the Federation of Southern States, Kentucky, Franklin, or in territories whose authority is disputed between the different groups and with the Native Americans, British, and Spanish.
British keep garrisons in Detroit and other fortresses that were technically part of the US after 1783. The successor states to the old US are too focused on squabbling with each other to do anything about this. Strong native American resistance also continues, especially north of the Ohio river, but settlers still are coming westward, in spite of the risks and the uncertain legal status of much of the territory between the Appalachians and the Mississippi.
c. 1795 – c. 1810 – Limited numbers of factories, mainly for textiles and firearms, are established in both the USA and New England
1797 – Franklin claims lands west to the Mississippi and south into parts of OTL Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, which are also claimed by the Southern Federation.
A few settlers from Kentucky, Franklin, and other states begin settling in Spanish territory west of the Mississippi, some with legal land grants, some without.
1798-1800 – USA, the Southern Federation, and Kentucky manage to cooperate enough to defeat the coalition of Indians arrayed against them south of the Great Lakes. The land between the Ohio and Great Lakes is partitioned between these 3 states, but the British still occupy some outposts and won't give them up. Officially this is because reparations were never paid to Loyalists from the American Revolution, in practice it is because none of the independent American nations are strong enough to push them out.
1800 – Cotton gin developed in Georgia by a local inventor. This will soon lead to a boom in cotton production in parts of North America.
Kentucky and Franklin join together into the Free Republic of America.
1801 – Spain secretly agrees to cede western portion of former Louisiana territory to Napoleonic France (OTL).
1802-3 – Brief period of peace between France and Britain (same as OTL) Napoleon sends a garrison of French troops to New Orleans and openly claims the Louisiana Territory. Some French planters driven out of Haiti by the successful slave revolt there relocate to Louisiana.
1803 – Treaty between Britain and New England defines boundaries between New England and British Canadian territories (similar to OTL, except a little bit of OTL northern Maine goes to New Brunswick)
1804 – War resumes between Britain and France
1805 – Franco-Spanish fleet crushed by British, Louisiana garrison mostly cut off from contact with France. French military governor of Louisiana offers generous land grants to recruit volunteers from the USA, Southern Federation, Free Republic.
1806 – Failure of British expedition against New Orleans
1807-1810 – Britain establishes several outposts in northern Louisiana territory to assert claims to the area against the French.
Failure of New England efforts to pressure Rhode Island into leaving the US
1808 – Agreements between Britain and several Native American nations establish a de facto British-supported Native American territory in much of OTL Michigan, parts of northern Indiana, northern Illinois, Wisconsin – on land claimed by the US. Settlers from US will continue to encroach on this territory, however.
1809 – French/volunteer forces from Louisiana seize Mobile and the westernmost parts of Florida from Spain, which is now allied with the British.
1810 – British units reinforce Spanish forces in Florida to defend Pensacola and other centers from possible future attacks. British reconnaissance and intelligence about New Orleans area indicates that it is now too heavily fortified and defended for anything short of a large field army to have a chance of capturing.
1811-1813 – Clashes between militia and army units of the USA and British backed Indians result in war between USA, informally supported by Free Republic and Southern Federation. British backed Indians are able to retain the majority of their lands and the USA is forced to relinquish control of almost all of OTL Michigan, much of Wisconsin, northern edge of Illinois. These areas are reserved for Native American groups, with some British outposts, and limited rights for traders from the US.
1812 – 1815 – The course of Napoleon's downfall, brief restoration to power, and final defeat goes pretty much the same as in OTL, with perhaps a few differences in detail due to butterflies. (I don't believe that anything that has changed so far in North America would be likely to have a serious impact on events in Europe, though one could always think of possible ways that the changes could be linked.)
1815 – Congress of Vienna proceeds along similar lines to OTL. Around the same time, a smaller diplomatic conference is also held in a different location in Vienna that resolves boundaries in North America. Louisiana is recognized as an independent republic, but with greatly reduced boundaries as Great Britain takes the northern portions of the old Louisiana territory. The area around Mobile goes to Louisiana. The Mississippi is guaranteed open to trade from all nations, with New Orleans as an open port.
(Louisiana is at this point, and will remain, a bilingual nation whose French and English speaking portions exist in an uneasy relationship with each other, tending to live in different regions of the country, but prepared to live under the same government as long as neither group tries to dictate to the other.)
