Colonial World

Wondering what would happen if the Articles of Confederation had crumbled, leaving the States disjointed, separate entities? Wonder no longer.

Parallel History

When the Revolutionary War ended, delegates from all 13 colonies convened to draft a new federal charter. The Articles of Confederation had worked as the colonies had waged a war of independence, but now in the aftermath it was determined that they were simply inadequate in creating a national government.

Championed by George Washington, the Constitution replaced the Articles and was eventually ratified by a majority of the colonies, thus leading to the bureaucratic morass Earth Prime has today.

On Colonial World, however, the Articles of Confederation remained the same. Washington, who had been a chief proponent of a central government, was unable to attend the Continental Congress due to illness. As a result, the bitter intra-state arguing rendered the possibility of a unified nation an impossibility. The Articles of Confederation were upheld, guarding state independence and removing the possibility of a federal chief. The one thing that came from the meeting was an amendment ratified by all 13 states (as required by the Articles) facilitating common currency between the states to ease trade.

That was all. And even that didn’t last.

Several states with close ties — New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Massachusetts (which also included Maine and Vermont territories) — established their own central government in 1792, electing Alexander Hamilton president of the Confederation of New Englande. Pennsylvania, primarily populated by Dutch and German immigrants, restored ties to their European brothers, made Deutch the state’s language and fostered trade with ports in Europe. Virginia (and Washington in particular), shocked at the quick dissolvement of the new nation, attempted to piece together a coalition of Southern states but met with failure. Washington died heartbroken at his home in Mount Vernon in 1797.

The states, now separated, pursued lands to the west and frequently battled with each other. The South gobbled up Florida and huge portions of the Louisiana territories. The Confederation re-established ties with Great Britain (stopping the battle of 1812, 7 Years War, etc.) and co-opted a great deal of the Hudson land grant. Much of our Canada is today a part of the CNE.

Eventually, in 1853, things finally came to a head. With Spain pushing people in from Mexico, the French attempting to colonize their lands and the new nation-states attempting to expand, war was inevitable. The CNE, calling on England, waged brutal campaigns against the French. Pennsylvania, allied with the French because of early ties built by Ambassador Benjamin Franklin, fought with the French. The South, operating mostly as an agrarian society, had neither the resources nor the wherewithal to fight, and eventually succumbed to the Middle States.

War went on for another 23 years. Stalemate was reached when the Spanish and French finally ceded lands and withdrew to their South American and East Asian territories. The former colonies have been rewriting the borders ever since.

Without a War of Aggression or a unified political body, technology has progressed differently here. Textiles and industry are slowly working their way into society; the technological revolution is 150 years off. No cars, prototype trains. People still ride horses and shoot muskets. Apparently fighting in the Americas left a bitter taste in the mouth of Enlightenment Europe, and weapon refinement hit a standstill.

The result is a world much as we would think of when thinking of the 1790s. Some things never change.