PART 1 - KING GEORGE'S REVENGE
1800 Treaty of Ildefonso - Spain cedes Louisiana to France in return for Napoleon Bonaparte creating a small kingdom for the son-in-law of Charles IV in central Italy
1803 Spain finally hands Louisiana back to France. Twenty days later France sells the whole territory to the United States for $15,000,000
1807-1812 Anger at the boarding of American ships by the British Navy in search of cargo being sent to France and possible deserters from the Royal Navy increases.
1810 Several pro-war congressmen are elected. The most prominent of these 'warhawks' are John Caldwell Calhoun and Henry Clay.
1812 A party of Russians led by Ivan Kuskov land at Bodega Bay in California and start the construction of an outpost known as Fort Ross. Building is finished later the same year.
The United States declare war on Britain on June 18th. The war is opposed by much of Federalist New England.
1812 Attempts by the American Army to invade Canada fail. Napoleon Bonaparte falls from his horse and dies while leading the retreat of his army from Moscow. An armistice is immediately signed in Europe. This allows Britain to many additional, battle-hardened troops to America thus turning events in their favour.
1813 US troops burn York in Canada.
Battle of Thames - An American force led by William Henry Harrison is defeated by a combination of British regulars and Indian led by the Shawnee chief Tecumseh. This is sweet revenge for Tecumseh for his brother 'The Prophet' was defeated by Harrison at Tippecanoe in 1811
1814 The British successfully take Washington DC and Baltimore but progess is slower in the south. The Americans' only major victory in the War occurs when General Andrew Jackson stops a British attempt to take New Orleans.
Federalist leaders from all over New England meet in Hartford Conneticut. Anger with the progress of "Mr Madison's War" has hardened attitudes and the final
result of the Convention is that, allowing for support from the army and state militias, New England should secede to form a separate republic.
1815 A peace treaty is signed in Ghent, Belgium. Two clauses lead to the loss of a major part of American territory.
1. The Government of the United States of America undertakes to cede to The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland such land within
the former Lousiana Territory that lies north of the Platte River.
2. The Government of the United States of America undertakes give up any claim to the land currently making up the State of Ohio and Territories of Wisconson, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. Ownership of the said land will return to its original inhabitants.
To protect this new nation the US Navy is banned from the Great Lakes.
When news of the provisions of the treaty reaches America there is uproar. President James Madison decides to 'jump before h is pushed' and resigns.
President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Senator John Gaillard (SC) becomes acting President.(since VP Elbridge Gerry had died the previous year)
The New England Federalists, having consulted with regional military leaders announce the formation of the Republic of New England. A month after the
creation of the new state New York seccedes from the US and joins the RNE. Dewitt Clinton who had been defeated by Madison in the Presidential election of 1812 is made acting President of the RNE. A US delegation led by John Quincy Adams fails to persuade the RNE to rescind the seccesion. Adams decides to stay in the RNE stating "I had hope to stop this split in our young nation. However if my home state of Massachusetts is leaving the Union I must follow my conscience and leave the Union as well". The 'warhawks' in the US demand that the RNE be forced back into the Union. The Senate votes for war. Andrew Jackson is appointed commander-in-chief of the US army.
US forces move into New York from Pennsylvania but are pushed back. Lines remain static in New Jersey.
1816 Pro-RNE demonstrations take place in Delaware and Maryland, both of which backed Clinton in 1812. A nervous US government attempts to put stop the demos using troops fail. Many of the soldiers involved are local and sympathise with the demonstrators. When the army is asked to fire on the demonstrators many soldiers refuse and join the demos themselves. An armed uprising takes over Baltimore for a few days, but is defeated by out of state troops. Many of the leaders of the uprising are killed by firing squad. This causes the uprising to spread throughout both Delaware and Maryland. US troops are withdrawn from the frontline to deal with the situation. This allows RNE troops to make major advances into Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
RNE forces under Major-General George Croghan. reach Maryland and join up with the pro-RNE rebels. The US government flees Washington and moves to Charlotte, North Carolina. Acting President Gaillard signs an armistice with the RNE. New Jersey, Delaware
and Maryland all become part of the RNE as does the eastern two thirds of Pennsylvania. The political establisment in the US blames Andrew Jackson for the
loss of the war and he is court-martialled. His peripheral involvment in Aaron Burr's plot to invade Spanish territory is brought up again. In the end Jackson is merely discharged from the army. A civilian court, equally sympathetic to him only bans him from holding public office for three years.
Great Britain is the first country to diplomatically recognise the RNE. The other European powers follow suit at various times during the next year.
1817 John C. Calhoun wins the US Presidential election. His only opponent is Henry Clay. Calhoun nominates Clay as his vice-president
Timothy Pickering defeats Dewitt Clinton in the first election for President of the RNE.He appoints Harrison Gray Otis as his vice president.
1817-19 Both the US and the RNE are exhausted from the two recent wars. Both nations spend the next few years rebuilding socially, economically and militarily. In the US there are constant calls for a another war with the RNE, but President Calhoun realises the time is not right and decides to play the long game Andrew Jackson embarks on a series of speaking tours defending his actions in the "War Between the States" and attacking the treaty signed at the end of that war and the one signed after the War of 1812.
1820 Andrew Jackson is asked by several prominent citizens of New Orleans to run for Governor of Louisana. Jackson is a great hero to Louisianans because of his defence of New Orleans. He wins a stunning victory, sending a shiver down the
spine of President Calhoun.
Key to map
R.N.E. = Republic of New England
U.S.A. = United States of America
M.W.T. = Mid West Territory
I.N. = Indian Nation
B.N.A = British North America
O.T. = Oregon Territory
N.S. = New Spain
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