Secession in 1812 - what if

[YankeyMCC]

I'm reading 1812 by Walter R Borneman, it's mostly an account of important battles (not really my cup of tea but I'm reading it through) but he does talk a lot about the anti-war sentiment in New England. And it seems secession of New England would not be that far fetched at the time. Although he does point out that the Hartford Convention in 1814 made no moves or seemed not to seriously even consider secession.

But what if different delegates had been sent to Hartford instead of the moderates that did attend, specifically in some cases to deter any secession talk?

Perhaps this has been discussed before, lots of people like to discuss the what if of the CSA wining the civil war, but this 1812 scenario has really captured my mind at the moment. I keep picturing something close to that United States of Canada map that went around after the Nov election as a possible result. :)

Would NE try to remain an independent nation on it's own? Or would it try and join the Canadian provinces...essentially returning to the fold of the British empire?

Would Britain have succeeded in ensuring the creation of an "Indian State" for native Americans in the old Northwest territories as a buffer between what remained of the USA and Britain's territory in Canada?

Would the southeast and west of the USA - If Louisiana was somehow retained by the USA - end up in a civil war like the North and South did?

[Lefty48197]

1. Wow! Michigan, Province of Canada.

That would be heaven!

[On the Road]

2. Depends on How the Lines Were Drawn

New England as a separate country would have been successful, industrial, but would have stayed small geographically. The South, OOH, would have had been the area conducting the Indian Wars and conquering the West. Without New England, the South would have had the upper hand politically and might have made legalized slavery in all the new territories.

The War of 1812 had a lot to do with this -- the US pushed West to the Mississippi, defeating the British and allied Indian tribes. The Southern States plus Pennsylvania extended westwards; New England didn't profit at all directly.

But I doubt New England would have wanted to return to the British Commonwealth even if they didn't want to go to war with England in 1812.

[Yupster]

3. I'd agree and say

that New England would have been plenty big enough and economically viable enough to remain an independant nation.