Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Well, as the new year begins, so too does the new campaign season! In earlier posts, I described two battles, both of which ended in a victory for the United Provinces against the Royalist Forces. Like any good campaign, there has to be some background as to the whys and wherefores of the whole exercise.

The whys, of course, are less important than the wherefores, as the whole thing is an exercise in imagination. But context is important so let me briefly explain how this war between two powers and their allies came to be. With that in mind, we begin with the historical Treaty of Paris in 1783 ending the American War of Independence (AWI), recognizing the United States as an independent nation,  and setting the boundaries between the new American nation and the remains of Britain's North American empire.

But what if...

In my alternate history, things are considerably different. Britain, France, Spain, and the American provinces were both financially ruined and in a state of exhaustion. Bankruptcy loomed, so everything previously agreed upon regarding North America (going back to 1740) was up for negotiation. Another "Great Game" was afoot!

The following terms were ultimately negotiated: the original thirteen colonies, along with the Republic of Vermont, were split into a northern federation which included New England and Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.The southern colonies of Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia became a united confederation.

The lands to the west became unincorporated territory, belonging to the indigenous peoples living there.

Spain was confirmed as sovereign over Florida and Louisiana, along with some previously owned Caribbean islands.

France received Quebec, a portion of the former Arcadia, and one or two Atlantic islands.

Britain retained its other Canadian provinces, including Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and Labrador.

Nova Scotia remained a British territory and became a homeland for displaced Loyalists, albeit with some local autonomy.

The German Princes of Hesse, Anhalt, and Brunswick, having placed the King's treasury in serious debt, received as payment the territory northeast of the St. Croix River. This led almost immediately to a crisis as each prince felt it should be named for his lands. Some rolls of the dice (2 out of 3), the turn of a card, and it officially was named: Neu Braunschwieg.

Now, how could this possibly lead to more conflict?