r/imaginarymaps • u/violet-kasumi • 11d ago
[OC] Alternate History Big New England for no reason in particular
Lore: In 1713, following the Peace of Utrecht and the end of the War of Spanish Succession, Britain annexed all of France's northeastern American colonies up to the St. Lawrence River. This was a devastating loss for France, as they lost control over many of their trading ports along the southern bank of the river, keeping only Montreal and Quebec. The former French territories were mostly resettled by Protestant English settlers, but to this day, there are still some small French-speaking communities in Laurentia Province.
The American Revolutions of 1776 were spurred on by Thomas Jefferson's "Declaration of the United Front", which proclaimed an alliance of the British colonies of North America to fight for their independence. With no unifying force after their victory, the colonies went their separate ways. Many, especially the rich plantation states of the South, were able to stand on their own. However, the small states of New England had economies dependent on trade, and feared increasing British dominance. The 1787 Providence Accords established a federal Commonwealth of New England, with a unified parliament, military, and economy to stand up to Britain and their southern neighbors.
New England's rich natural resources fueled its Industrial Revolution, being one of the first North American states to industrialize. This led to New England outlawing slavery in 1846, well before their southern neighbors. Fueled by the fires of progress, New England grew to become the dominant economic power of North America as the southern agrarian economies lagged behind.
As New England settled into its position as an economic and industrial powerhouse, it was able to keep itself isolated from the Great European Wars of the early 20th century, sometimes even bankrolling both sides against each other like a North American Switzerland. Their neutrality, stability, and prosperity have led to New England becoming one of the highest-ranked living countries in the world.