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Updated 2005-10-24

Pete's Alternate Draka Timeline: Draka 2α

Section 1: 1652–1815

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Draka 2α Timeline
Section 1: 1652–1815

Colonization and American Revolution

• 1652: Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC)) sends Jan van Riebeeck to found and command the first fort and settlement at the Cape of Good Hope — later Cape Town — as a supply base for the company.
  [OTL as far as I can tell. Something will eventually be said about the British East India Company and the other competitors in this period as well, to give perspective to the wide-ranging mercantile imperialism of 1600 to 1874 (when in OTL the British company reverted to the Crown). See "in progress" entries far below. The French already have a foothold on Madagascar since 1642.]
• 1654: The capable administrator but religious bigot Peter Stuyvesant tries to deny admission to New Amsterdam to 23 Sephardic Jews. The Directors of the Dutch West India Company reprimand Stuyvesant but suggest the Jews go to Cape Town instead. The East India Company is trying to build up Cape Town, and isn't too picky about who settles there at the moment. The die is cast, making the southern tip of Africa a combination of dumping ground for undesirables and burgeoning trading stop for the next 130 years.
  [First noticeable point of divergence (POD) from our time line (OTL): Stuyvesant's decision was overruled and his bigotry condemned, making New Amsterdam (eventually New York) usually tolerant of immigrants, and an important commercial center. But in this timeline, the "dumping ground" aspect of Cape Town gets an early boost so you can almost consider it this timeline's later New Amsterdam.]
• 1654–1778: Spanish religious persecution and forcible conversion to Catholicism in the Netherlands and Spanish colonies doesn't extend to the Dutch colonies or to the very wealthy. Dutch Protestants, Spanish Sephardic Jews and French Huguenots escape persecution by fleeing to the Dutch Cape Colony and other destinations. Dutch Cape Colony population enlarges quickly, and becomes a major stopping point for British, French and Dutch ships traveling between Europe and India, the East Indies, China and the Japans. The Dutch maintain a reputation as fair yet shrewd traders, but only a relative handful of pioneers relocate to the Cape Colony as colonists; most are there to make a fortune at trade and then return home. By the time of British occupation, Dutch population is almost 40,000 with almost 60,000 slaves working plantations.
  [Further divergence from OTL and original Draka timeline: Ian has a larger population but only a vague reason for it, and Stirling has the OTL population absorb a massive amount of immigrants. The religious refugees of this era are partially diverted from North and South America to the southern tip of Africa, slowly increasing the population and importance of the area over a long period. Also, port facilities in other countries' outposts nearby aren't developed as quickly as OTL, making Cape Town the preferred stop in the area. The Portuguese therefore don't have as firm a grasp on Angola or Mozambique later. The religious refugees are less numerous in the Americas in this timeline, fostering just a mite more intolerance on that side of the Atlantic. I'll ignore the population implications there, but you'll see the philosophical ones eventually.]
• 1729: Danish East India Company chartered. [OTL]
• 1760: French ousted from India. George III is King of England. [OTL]
• 1763: Proclamation Line of 1763 sets boundaries of 13 original British colonies east of the Appalachians. [OTL]
• 1775–83: American Revolution. [OTL]
• 1776: Captain Patrick Ferguson invents an early breech-loading rifle at his family's estate in Scotland, which is more effective than existing designs once troops are properly trained in its use and maintenance. Demonstrated in rain and wind at Woolwich Arsenal on April 27^th, it is approved by the Crown on July 4^th, and 100 are produced by September. During the winter, a Light Company of 100 men is raised and trained. The Ferguson Rifle is patented on December 2^nd.
  [All OTL.]
• 1777: The green-uniformed Light Company (Ferguson's Riflemen) arrives in America in March. Captain Commandant Ferguson leads a diversionary attack by the Light Company near Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11^th. In a minor action with far-reaching consequences, while scouting during the battle, Ferguson shoots and kills a man who appears to be a French Hussar (cavalry officer) in a Rebel General's bodyguard. The General - George Washington - escapes while the Hussar is charging towards Ferguson and several of his men. The apparent French Hussar is really a Polish volunteer cavalryman temporarily acting as Washington's aide-de-camp, Count Casimir Pulaski. Ferguson himself is slightly wounded in the right arm a few minutes later, but his determination keeps the unit focused and leads to their success despite many casualties, and contributes to a British victory at Brandywine. Ferguson keeps the Light Company active in further battles until he is ordered to create another elite military unit.
  Vermont splits from New York during the war, and is extralegally self-governing.
  [Another significant POD: in OTL still Ferguson refuses to shoot an enemy officer in the back, but doesn't shoot the Hussar either. Ferguson is seriously wounded in right arm OTL, at least 40 of his men killed or wounded in the battle. The unit was disbanded afterward while Pattie recovered and learned to write, fence and shoot left-handed. Ferguson rifles were only issued to that small group of troops in OTL, plus a few made for private buyers and the East India Company. One "big" divergence possible at the Battle of Brandywine is "what if Ferguson had shot the (unknown to him) George Washington just before his own wound a few minutes later." I'm not going to explore that one beyond saying it would have devastated the Rebel cause too much for the Loyalists to be sent to Drakia after losing the Revolution. Some possibilities are explored at http://www.americanrevolution.org/ferguson.html and http://www.ushistory.org/brandywine/special/art09.htm. The "killing Pulaski" event is my own invention; it immediately affects the battles of Charleston and Savannah in 1779, and then degrades the effectiveness of American cavalry for the next 50 years or so. And, since Pulaski never went on to gain fame as a Brigadier General or "Father of American Cavalry", Poland languishes under partition for decades but much fewer Poles immigrate to the USA. Vermont is OTL so far.]
• 1778: Ferguson is sent to Georgia to recruit and command a Loyalist Corps called the American Volunteers, which is bolstered by handpicked elite troops from existing units. He is appointed Inspector General of Militia in the Carolinas after great success at recruiting in Georgia, due to his gregarious and determined personality. Ferguson has first meeting with Banastre Tarleton; the two disagree strongly over the treatment of captured rebels. Ferguson wants to "win hearts and minds" and Tarleton would rather crush all resistance and leave the countryside desolate.
  [Nearly all OTL, but since his rifle unit wasn't disbanded before the weapon's effectiveness was demonstrated successfully in battle, Ferguson is able to have his rifles issued to this next unit as well. Meeting with Tarleton is my own invention, but the attitudes of the two men are OTL.]
• 1779: France, Spain & Netherlands declare war on Britain. British occupation of Cape Town in Dutch Cape Colony by fleet under Admiral Lord Cochrane, to prevent its use by the French and Dutch. Patrick Ferguson promoted to Major for continued valor.
  [Major POD from OTL: Netherlands declares war later, so Cape Colony never occupied during this conflict (OTL 1795 British capture). Holland's (now the Netherlands) early entry may have been due to events similar to those described at http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/E/newnetherlands/nl8.htm, just occurring earlier than OTL. Either convincing the Stadtholder in spite of his relationship with the King of England, or the British getting a copy of the draft treaty with the rebels even earlier, could have done it. Maybe the Stadtholder got up on the wrong side of bed one morning. I'm guessing Spain was dragged in as well, and France was already involved. Ferguson's promotion is OTL, though here it happens earlier in the year because he hadn't been as seriously wounded.]
• 1780: Savage partisan warfare throughout Southern colonies. In further meetings with Ferguson during the siege of Charleston, Tarleton begins to moderate his stance on laying waste to America. Much of the progress is lost when Tarleton backs some of his men caught at rape after the fall of Charleston, but a kernel of doubt remains. This bears fruit when Tarleton's cavalry accepts surrender of rebel militia at the Waxhaw, and disarms the troops but executes their leaders and known turncoats. Local Scots-Irish grumble and protest but continue to basically stay neutral. Warned by a local Loyalist, Ferguson's troops avoid an ambush near Gilbert Town in September, but the rebel force escapes. Colonel Ferguson's Loyalist militia has a Pyrrhic victory at Battle of King's Mountain in October; Ferguson himself is seriously wounded in the right arm. Several Loyalist units, including Tarleton's Legion and the newly formed Ferguson's Legion, re-equipped with Ferguson breechloaders during the winter. Ferguson learns to write, shoot and fence left-handed.
  [A few major changes in quick succession: Tarleton refuses to give "quarter" and entire rebel force is killed or massacred (aka "Tarleton's quarter" or "Buford's play") at the Waxhaw, enraged Scots-Irish and "mountain men" join rebels, and Ferguson killed and his entire force captured or killed at King's Mountain in OTL. See official history of the Battle of King's Mountain at http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/revwar/KM-Cpns/AWC-KM-fm.htm. A rather good overview of OTL Patrick Ferguson and his place in the American Revolution at http://www.co.cleveland.nc.us/battle_of_kings_mountain.htm with excellent bibliography/links, and a mention of possibly shooting Washington at Brandywine. Another very complete King's Mountain site at http://jrshelby.com/kimocowp/km.htm, which gives Ferguson the honor of appearing first on the list of people on a subsidiary page. And just so most of them are in one place, here's a Scottish site with a lot about Patrick Ferguson, referring to his use of a silver whistle at King's Mountain: http://www.silverwhistle.free-online.co.uk/.
  Steve Stirling told me that he believes a quantity of Ferguson rifles (and proper training in their use) would have been sufficient to change the outcome of King's Mountain. Going back to "root causes", my postulation is that Tarleton could have prevented the Waxhaw massacre if his attitude was moderated and he had the opportunity. Therefore, have the more robust (not burdened with as many injuries) Ferguson be able to interact with Tarleton; the best time to do this is during the siege of Charleston. Thus, the Scots-Irish wouldn't have suddenly supported the rebel cause due to Tarleton's supposed violation of the common protocols of war. Without a recent massacre to stir the blood, Ferguson would then have had a better chance to avoid being caught up in the moment as evidenced by his inflammatory "fire and sword" message to Shelby. Not being ambushed would certainly help that frame of mind too. With a less aggressive tone in the message, such as warning the rebels in the mountains to stay there for the winter "outside the pale", or suffer the righteous wrath of men loyal to the King, fewer mountain men would have come after Ferguson. Of course, fewer of McDowell's 160 men would have made the trip there and back if Ferguson had enough superior guns in the first place. And the battle could easily have turned out differently if Ferguson's troops had had better weapons, had fortified a bit more, and faced fewer and less-bloodthirsty opponents. Things would then have gone back to something approaching OTL if Tarleton had then committed a massacre sometime after King's Mountain. At that point, Cornwallis would have had to side with one or the other of his flashy subordinates. If Ferguson had then been sidelined to rebuild his unit and recuperate, and there was still disapproval of his unorthodox tactics despite his success, Tarleton could have gone to further antagonize the locals and still help cause eventual defeat for Cornwallis.
  The chief thing that bothers me about the battle at King's Mountain is the trees. How did Ferguson expect to defeat a numerically superior force of woodsmen firing longer-ranged weapons from cover while he allowed his troops to be surrounded on a relatively exposed hilltop? I don't have a good answer for that one that doesn't involve cutting down trees to hide behind, even with the use of Ferguson rifles. As it is, instead of a complete envelopment of the Loyalists, with none escaping, Ferguson would have been looking to give at least as good as he got. After suffering substantial casualties assaulting a defended hilltop, the rebels would still have had the initiative to withdraw, especially as they had many more horses. So, instead of the OTL complete British defeat at King's Mountain, I'm thinking that here it was a Pyrrhic victory for the British. That's for suffering almost the same number of casualties as the Americans, but being left in possession of the battlefield at the end of the day while the rebels retreat into the hills. Thus, the battle of King's Mountain is another heartening event for the British (and strangely enough, the Americans as well — they also "gave as good as they got"), but neither side has a lopsided numerical result in their favor, and Cornwallis doesn't turn turtle as much. However, the casualties to Ferguson's force would convince Cornwallis to swap Tarleton to the left wing, so Ferguson's force could be rebuilt over the winter along the coast. That's my opinion of how Ferguson could survive, and more military units get issued the Ferguson rifle, but Cornwallis still eventually loses. Ferguson also still gets his "Bulldog" nickname while he learns to do things left-handed, just later than OTL.
  Some other OTL events that, if altered, I believe would have changed the result of King's Mountain were: the paroled messenger failed to deliver the inflammatory message on paper to Shelby, the 150 Loyalist foragers ambushed some Rebels, there was some quick reinforcement from Cornwallis and Tarleton nearby (who both had fevers at the time and didn't like Ferguson much in OTL), Ferguson got his troops to cut down some trees to fortify better, or even that it didn't rain as hard (or at all) the night before and morning of the battle. Also, in my opinion, given Ferguson's honorable nature, including argument with Tarleton over troops caught at rape in Charleston, the "fire and sword" proclamation is rather unlike him — if an ambush hadn't occurred just before writing it, Ferguson might not have been as inflammatory to Shelby. No evidence of Ferguson rifles used in the OTL battle. Ferguson's brevet to Lieutenant Colonel arrived after King's Mountain OTL, here he got it just before.]
• 1781: Tarleton's forces equipped with Ferguson rifles massacre General Morgan's at the Cowpens in January. This provokes the heretofore mostly uncommitted Scots-Irish to firmly back the rebels in large numbers, especially after Tarleton releases an inflammatory circular promising to subject any and all rebels "to fire and sword, if not the end of a noose." Significant British loss at Guilford Courthouse turns the tide in the Rebel's favor, even with superior British weapons. General Cornwallis besieged at Yorktown in Virginia, surrenders to American rebels and their French allies. Ferguson and Tarleton have bitter arguments during the siege, but eventually become loyal friends.
  [Although Ferguson's failure at King's Mountain in OTL led quickly to other losses, and thus seemingly inevitably to Yorktown, the tide flows in a different channel but the same direction here. Tarleton loses his temper at Cowpens, and makes the public relations mistakes that Ferguson did in OTL. The OTL Pyrrhic victory for the British at Guilford Courthouse becomes the British disaster that King's Mountain was in OTL. Eventually, Yorktown is a big enough British loss that Ferguson's (and others') successes are undone here regardless. Explain how Ferguson manages to get along with Tarleton from now on, when they didn't earlier OTL.]
• 1782: British have several naval victories in the Caribbean, occupy Haiti and Trinidad. Rockets by William Congreve (British) used in several sea battles; long range (2,000 meters) but inaccurate and little damage. [Congreve rockets are OTL.]

Crown Colony of Drakia

• 1782–85: First Loyalist refugees begin to arrive in Cape Town, supplemented by an enlarged British Army garrison. Tens of thousands of Loyalists and their families and household slaves eventually arrive, creating tension with the approximately 40,000 Dutch Afrikaaners. The free population is soon roughly half Dutch and half immigrant (American Loyalists and a few paid-off Hessian mercenaries). Early Drakian society contains a notable Dutch-Afrikaaner component, but this becomes less pronounced with later immigration and expansion northward. The border of settlements is quickly pushed up the eastern coast to the Tugela River, although armed slave-raiding/exploration parties range much further into the interior. A second wave of Loyalists occurs at the end of this period, after two severe winters in North America convince some southern Loyalists that initially went to Upper Canada to move to a warmer clime. Colonial Assembly created with British permission, a purely advisory body to both solicit local inputs for the Governor and collect possible revolutionary statesmen in a visible group. The Assembly can write legislation as petitions to Parliament, but the Governor must approve transmission before Parliament debates and possibly enacts it. All of the Acts allowing Drakia to stay within the legal bounds of the British Empire, while starting to diverge from its mores, originate in the Assembly, and gain approval through log-rolling and various shady maneuvers in Parliament. Drakian militias are eventually consistently equipped with only the Ferguson rifle, "the gun that broke the tribes." The militias persist over the objections of the Army, as the first arrivals are entire Loyalist militia units that celebrate their arrival with full military ceremony, and there is initially a real danger of Dutch revolt or native attack on the new settlements. The Army is also initially tasked only to control coastal locations, not protect colonists in the interior.
  [Ian has no Hessians, no second wave from Canada, and a Legislative Assembly. OTL Icelandic eruption effect on climate is a temporary drop in Northern Hemisphere temperatures. Nobody else addresses why the Army allowed the militia to persist.]
• 1783: Second Peace of Paris. America independent. During the peace negotiations, America strongly objects to Loyalists in Canada raiding the border, or being offered land further west in Upper Canada. British Florida and Caribbean conquests exchanged for return of Franco–Spanish gains, but Dutch Cape Colony retained and renamed Crown Colony of Drakia. American Loyalists and "all who fought or otherwise suffered for their loyalty to the Crown" are officially offered resettlement (including subsidized transport and land grants) in Drakia by the Loyalty Acts, including those who fled to Canada or Caribbean islands. Colonel-General Patrick Ferguson is first General of Militia in Drakia, recognizing the transplanted Loyalist militias as a force separate from the Army. (Use Drakia for the territory and "Drakian" as the adjective, until the 1820s.) Volcanic eruption begins in June at Laki on Iceland, eventually contaminating much of the island with poisonous chemicals.
  [Ben Franklin basically drinks his British counterpart under the table to get these terms. I explicitly reduce the number of Loyalists remaining in Canada, and separate the Drakian Militia and Army. London appoints Governor of Drakia until 1810. See the Laki volcano page here for information on this real volcano and its OTL effects on Iceland and Europe, contradicting Ian's minimization on his web page objecting to Stirling's timeline (in Analyses, choose "Problems with the timeline"). Icelandic population about 37,000 at this time, before famine kills 1/4 of them OTL. I'm convinced there has to be somebody powerful in London pushing for Drakia over the next few decades, or some of what happens next is difficult to accept.]
• 1784: Founding of Virconium (Durban, South Africa), and Venta Belgarum (East London, South Africa). General Banastre Tarleton leads Drakian Militia forces in exploring the interior, setting up frontier defense posts, and raiding African tribes for slaves. Widespread famine caused by the Laki volcano's gasses devastates Iceland. Although many more go to British North America (Canada), several thousand Icelanders accept asylum in Drakia, arriving 1784–1785.
  The India Act created a government department to exercise control over the Indian affairs of the British East India Company. Lieutenant Henry Shrapnel invents a mid-air bursting shell.
  [I reduced number of Icelanders going to Drakia compared to Stirling's large influx, and gave Tarleton some orders. India Act and Shrapnel are OTL. Durban founded as Port Natal by the British in 1824 OTL.]
• 1785: Gold discovered on Whiteridge (Whitwaterstrand/Witwatersrand, South Africa) and in eastern Archona Province (Transvaal). First steam engines imported from England for mining applications not amenable to more (slave) manpower or using the currently limited number of horses and oxen. Gold output quickly ramps up, and Drakian gold effectively finances the entire British Empire's development for the next decade, as well as paying for several territorial acquisitions by the Crown. An influx of prospectors and fortune hunters to Drakia begins.
  [I expect it wasn't originally named Archona Province, but I'll use that name here.]
• 1786: Drakian Colonial Assembly writes "Indentured Labor" and "Master and Servant" Acts, and the Governor eventually passes them to the British Parliament for enactment. These establish a system of debt-peonage for conquered non-white population that rapidly becomes indistinguishable from chattel slavery, which is also (rarely) practiced. City of York (Pretoria) founded. Diamonds discovered in the northern interior.
  [Although the Colonial Assembly isn't a true legislative body, it soon exerts a strong influence on the Governor and the British Parliament, who are eager to quickly grow a loyal and productive colony regardless of the slavery issue. Some of the more noxious (in hindsight) pieces of legislation probably got through only by use of dirty tricks in the halls of Government House and Parliament.]
• 1786–95: Rapid growth of Drakian economy and population, export trades established in raw materials (diamonds, gold, copper, sugar, wool, salt, hides, ivory) and slaves. Growth of Drakian shipping, expansion of several British shipbuilding concerns to Drakia as a stop in itself or on the route to India and beyond. External slave trade exists but is dwarfed by imports for internal usage. Even so, British disapproval of slave trading and slavery begins to mount. The dwindling Drakian popular disapproval of use of slaves takes on character of "loyal opposition" in face of perceived inability to function economically without them. Colonial government establishes Transportation Directorate to centrally plan and manage building of roads to mines and interior settlements, first ownership of slaves by a modern government entity. Drakians elide "Cape Town" to "Capetown."
  America quickly finds problems with the Articles of Confederation, and there is little internal debate as a Constitution is adopted. It includes a Bill of Rights, and one portion that carefully explains the duties of citizens to contribute to the common defense by militia or naval service. Congress lavishly funds West Point as an educational and training institute for military officers, with an emphasis on engineering, artillery and leadership, and Annapolis to a similar extent for the officers of a small standing professional navy. A very small standing army is authorized, almost entirely posted to frontier forts, with call-up of the large state militias only by approval of Congress and the individual states, although state and territorial governors can call on the militia for local emergencies. The chief use of horses is by officers, or in mounted infantry units — there is practically no cavalry in the American armed forces. To address the problem of religious pacifism, the Quaker Legions are formed. These do non-combatant duties or public works (some regular militia do these as well) under the direction of engineers. A monetary exemption, deliberately set high at 1/2 the annual pay of a hired farm laborer, is also put in place for those medically unable to train; this becomes a refuge for rich men who don't want to dirty their hands or even become part-time officers. But the relatively low demands on the time of those who do serve let nearly every free man vote. Compromise on representation results in voting being reserved only to male war veterans and current militia members, but there is a growing list of exemptions. Census every 10 years mandated for reapportionment of Representatives, based on total male population over 21, excluding "Indians, slaves and other bondservants," which is only proportional to who can vote before immigration becomes a factor. Monthly militia training days often become community holidays, as families come out to the field to watch. After several disastrous losses to Indians in the Northwest Territory (Ohio), the appointment of militia officers is by a panel of Army officers from a pool of local candidates ("the Captains' Walk"), instead of as a local political perk.
  [Ian has significant slave trade, British and Drakian disapproval of slavery, no Transportation Directorate yet. I noticed the use of Cape Town in OTL South Africa, and Capetown later in the Draka timeline, and addressed it early on. This timeline has quicker (and less controversial) adoption of American Constitution than OTL, more support of West Point, and the "militia" clause. The losses to the Indians are equivalent to Harmar and St. Clair's in OTL that led to the Indian loss at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.]
• 1787: First 5 states ratify US Constitution.
• 1788: Colonel Freiherr Augustus von Shrakenberg retires, receives 20,000 acre land grant under Maluti Mountains, South Interior province (Lesotho). He marries Alexandra Hugeson, of a New Jersey Loyalist family. 6 more states ratify US Constitution. Pennsylvania delays signing the Constitution until promised transfer of the "Erie Triangle" from New York, which will give it access to Lake Erie. New York in turn delays signing until promised compensation. Vermont (formerly part of New York, but separate since the Revolution) panics and gives up self-governing status to sign before Congress looks in their direction.
  [Hessians not mentioned earlier by Ian, or von Shrakenbergs at all.]
• 1789: Final 3 states ratify US Constitution. The state (i.e. national ceremonial) flag of the United States becomes 14 small gold stars in a horseshoe pattern surrounding a white scroll reading "We the People", with the white caption "1776 Independence" below, on a field of blue bordered on left and right by vertical red and white bars. The "Star and Stripes" battle (and civil) flag drops the complicated imagery, and has just a single large gold 5-pointed star in the middle of a blue field, between red and white bars. Both flags are in 5:8 proportions, 1/4 width red and white bars. The heraldic symbolism of red (war) being closer to the hoist than white (peace) is unintentional but prophetic.
  [Instead of the 13 original colonies within 3 years, here there are 14 states within 2 years of the start of ratification of the Constitution. The different flag design, and the separation of the state and civil standards, are my invention. The rules of heraldry say there should be a fimbriation between the red and blue, but this isn't added until 1816, so the civil flag image shown is incorrect for 1789–1815 in that one respect.]
• 1791: Castle Tarleton built overlooking York (Pretoria, South Africa); initially a border fortress, later headquarters of the War Directorate Supreme Staff. Island of Zanzibar seized as trading outpost and stopping point on coastal route to India. Free population exceeds 150,000 and slave population nears 600,000.
  A year and a day after buying it from New York, the Erie Triangle is sold by the federal government to Pennsylvania for $1, to give it access to Lake Erie. District of Columbia established as a federal territory from parts of Virginia and Maryland.
  [The fort originally has the pastoral name of York Vista, but is renamed years later, after the death of Banastre Tarleton, in his memory. Erie Triangle is one year earlier than OTL, D.C. is on-time.]
• 1792: Universities of Capetown, Virconium, and York founded. Anglican bishoprics established in Capetown and Virconium. Local freeman militia puts down first serious slave revolt in Drakia. Angus McGregor patents improved ("cylindro-conic") rifle bullet.
  Toussaint L'Ouverture begins leading free blacks and slaves in slave uprisings and war against French and British on island of Hispaniola (Haiti and Saint-Domingue). Denmark abolishes slave trade, but not slavery. This has little effect, as the Danish East India Company is a late-starting minor player in India. Kentucky split from western Virginia, and admitted as a state; one star placed in white bar of USA state flag.
  [Haiti, Denmark and Kentucky are OTL. While gold stars in the white bar should have a black fimbriation by the rules of heraldry, this point is ignored until 1816.]
• 1793: Conquest of Northmark (Rhodesia/Zimbabwe) begun by Drakian armed landholder militia and hired mercenary units. These contribute more to the expansion of the colony than the more conservatively deployed British Army. The mercenaries are mostly Germans, and are offered land grants in the areas they just subdued upon contract completion. More men are lost to disease than military action. Drakian forces quickly equipped with McGregor bullets.
  [I added more emphasis on German mercenaries. Although starting slightly later than Stirling, the Drakians will develop Janissaries and powered road transport to address the disease problem.]
• 1794: Richard Trevithick arrives from Cornwall to work as the steam engine supervisor for a mine near Whiteridge. First use of a tethered balloon for battlefield observation.
  [Balloon event is same year as OTL, but under very different circumstances.]
• 1794–97: French population of Haiti and Santo Domingo flees from a successful slave revolt. Almost 11,000 arrive in Drakia. Black Republic of Haiti founded. Serious slave revolts put down in Drakia during 1794 and 1795–97.
  [Ian believes this number of French is too large, as there are other destinations besides the remote Drakia. But it might make sense if the southeastern coast of Drakia is one of the few sugar growing areas in the world at this time. The events on Haiti occur almost 10 years earlier than OTL, but France still tries to hold onto Louisiana for another decade before selling out to the United States.]
• 1795: African Mining and Metals (AM&M) Company formed and granted monopoly on large-scale mining operations, with partial ownership by the colonial government on behalf of the Crown, leases smaller deposits to the discoverers. School of Mines founded in York.
• 1795–1815: French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. [I apologize for a long-standing typo that implied a later start for the French Revolution. Let's just say this is practically OTL.]
• 1796: Tennessee created from northern part of South Ohio Territory, and admitted as a state; second star in white bar of USA state flag. [practically OTL]
• 1796–1799: First Janissary Legion formed, beginnings of hierarchy of slave assignments ranging from "office work," Great House and Janissary duty down through field and factory work followed by mining and "destructive labor." System of rewards and punishments becomes codified by "Brotherhood of the Lash" (professional overseers), but still subject to slave-owner's whims. Gold production continues increasing as improved steam engines and more slaves are applied to the task. Second Janissary Legion revolts during advanced training, put down by local landowners and First Janissaries. Conquest of Northmark completed using Janissaries and Drakian militias, with British Army rarely providing support. It will take several more iterations before recruitment and management are sufficiently developed to make Janissaries a reliable and effective fighting force.
• 1797: Richard Trevithick appointed Inspector-General of Steam Engines for AM&M Company. Slave Code granting all free men "power of life and death over slaves and other bond-servants" is proposed by Colonial Assembly, shrewdly presented to Parliament after reporting the annual AM&M revenues, and thus approved.
  [My invention of how this Slave Code got past Parliament.]
• 1798: First coal mine in northern Natalia (southwest of OTL Swaziland). Women's Militia Auxiliary formed by volunteers. Almost a thousand French Royalists arrive in Drakia, attracted by the isolation and relative prosperity of the colony.
  French-controlled Batavian Republic takes control of the Dutch United East India Company, headquartered at Batavia [OTL Jakarta, Indonesia later]. Sierra Leone founded by the British, with Freetown as the capital. The US claim on the southern part of the South Ohio Territory is resolved with Spain, and the area renamed the Mississippi Territory.
  [Number of French Royalists significantly reduced from Stirling; there are closer and nicer places for them to go in Europe. Batavian Republic, Sierra Leone and Mississippi Territory are OTL.]
• 1799: Drakia free population passes 300,000. Founding of Diskarapur (Newcastle, South Africa) and Shahnapur (Maputo, Mozambique). Trade with India produces British and Drakian fad for Persian/Moghul artwork. Drakian settlers begin encroaching on Portuguese territory nearby (Mozambique and Angola), culminating in de facto control of all but the established Portuguese ports by 1810.
  [Encroachment on Mozambique not mentioned by anyone else. I'm assuming that Portugal's control of coastal east Africa is basically only the port cities, essentially no change from their retrenchment due to a weakened economy in the late 1500s. I don't know exactly what happened in Angola yet. Stirling has free population of 350,000 in 1800, which Ian believes is way too high.]
• 1799–1802: First local industries (iron-works, machine shops) started in Drakia as the French wars render imports uncertain. Cotton becomes a major crop. Several thousand more French Royalists immigrate to Drakia. Militia Act establishes peacetime conscription, mandatory yearly training, and reserve service to age 50.
  [I moved the Militia Act a little later, so it occurs after the wars have really begun, and the Army won't object as much to the colony increasing its own security. As someone pointed out, peacetime conscription is the act of a warlike state, and Britain would surely reverse this move if they weren't so interested in Europe. Also, age 60 (per Stirling) is too much for this era, even 50 is pushing it.]
• 1800: Northwest Territory split into Ohio Territory (later becomes Ohio) and Indiana Territory. [nearly OTL]
• 1801: Britain destroys Denmark's naval power, and the fortunes of the Danish East India Company begin declining. Ohio admitted as a state. The state/ceremonial flag of the United States has now had 3 gold stars added to the vertical white bar since 1789, but the battle flag is unchanged. While Ohio makes a strong case for being conquered from British-backed Indians during the 1780s, their star is put in the white bar to avoid antagonizing the British or the peaceful Indians still in the area.
  [Britain/Denmark is OTL, Ohio is 2 years early.]
• 1802: French troops under Napoleon wrest Egypt from the Ottoman Empire, then Napoleon returns to Europe. High-pressure steam engine perfected by Trevithick.
  [Ian says engine in 1805.]
• 1803–1804: The ambitious Drakian Governor conceives a plan to secure the French territories in Africa for Britain. He mounts an expedition, the Drakian Expeditionary Force, at considerable local expense, convincing Parliament to lend armed support and legitimacy. Additional sponsorship by prominent landholders hoping for a share of glory and booty leads to start of landholder councils to pool resources, a step beyond existing militias. Port of Aden in Yemen seized by the Drakian force as an initial step, turned over to a Governor appointed by London. Conquest of Egypt and French West Africa (OTL name) by the Drakian Expeditionary Force supported by British Army forces, and protected by the Royal Navy. The Governor of Drakia is appointed Governor of the new Crown Colony of Egypt (which includes most of present-day Libya too). Along with the replacement Governor from London, the Colonial Assembly receives a guarantee that future Drakian Governors will be chosen from the Drakian Colonial Assembly, an unprecedented step in local autonomy. Drakia gets none of the conquered territory. Percussion ignition invented by Reverend Alexander Forsyth.
  [Stirling has this in 1800–1802. I say most, if not all, of these conquests have to be taken from Britain in 1918. Ian has landholder councils or guilds start in 1840s, no such promise of local governor, Aden seized in 1793. Stirling somehow had Drakia control all this conquered territory. Forsyth is a year quicker than OTL; he may have a different middle initial in this alternate.]
  (French West Africa consists of present-day Mauritania, Mail, Niger, Senegal, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Togo and Benin. Existing British territories in the area are present-day Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Nigeria. Present-day Guinea-Bissau is a Spanish enclave. The French still claim territory further south near the mouth of the Congo, and an isolated portion of midwestern North America, but nothing on the eastern coast of Africa except influence over the native Merina regime of Madagascar. The British modus vivendi with the Spanish includes not claiming French West Africa north of the latitude of the southern boundary of Spanish Western Sahara, at least for now.)
• 1805: Indiana Territory divided so land north of Ohio and east of Lake Huron is now Michigan Territory. [same names as OTL, but slightly different boundaries]

1805

[Map uses OTL 1917 boundaries, and is currently not authoritative for India, Australia or Canada. Northern boundary of British West Africa claimed only to south edge of the Spanish Western Sahara. Drakian encroachment on Portuguese territories shown.]

• 1806: First steamship sails on Hudson River. United States makes Louisiana Purchase from France, which is about to receive the coastal territory (from Florida to the Mississippi) from Spain in a complicated deal involving Parma in Italy. Construction of first Drakian long-distance railway line begins, York–Virconium. Forsyth patents percussion ignition.
  The Merina kingdom of Madagascar expels the French, who have been unable to technologically assist them against the other native kingdoms due to British control of the seas. The Merina and lesser kingdoms increase their trading with Arabs, Drakians, and any Europeans that will trust them. The island quickly becomes even more of a haven for pirates than it already was. Although the expulsion upset the French, the British effectively bar the French from the area anyway, and the British and Drakians are too busy elsewhere, allowing the Merina regime valuable time to consolidate against weaker kingdoms on the island.
  [Fulton steamboat and Forsyth patent a year earlier than OTL. Ian has railway in 1808. Madagascar is under French influence from 1642; I just put in an expulsion of the useless French during the Napoleonic Wars. The Louisiana Purchase is delayed from OTL, as Napoleon was convinced for several years that losing Haiti earlier didn't significantly affect Louisiana.]
• 1807: Ottoman Empire declares war on Britain following British refusal to relinquish Egypt. Britain seizes several more territories, but eventually hangs onto only Cyprus and Tunisia, all without Drakian participation.
  The economies of scale and financial support by Drakian landholder councils, along with the standards set by the Brotherhood of the Lash, encourage the aggregation of small industrial concerns into the first Combines. The Ferrous Metals Combine and others soon become the most efficient way of supplying the standardized demand, in large quantities, of the various plantations, colonial government directorates and powerful AM&M Company.
  [Practically no change from Ian's war with the Ottomans; compared to SMS, we've locked the Drakians out of northern Africa for the next 100 years. I describe the economic development of Drakia with more emphasis on standards and organizations.]
• 1808: First steam "drags" (road engines towing wagons) and ocean-going steamships. Territory around New Orleans designated Orleans Territory. Remainder of Louisiana Purchase split into Florida Territory and Upper Louisiana Territory. Mississippi Territory gains western coastal part of Florida Territory, giving it access to the Gulf.
  [US Territories are rearranged a little later than OTL, but more rationally.]
• 1808–11: US Army Engineer Corps detachments sent out with Army escort to survey the Louisiana Purchase and inform the natives of their new status. Several encroachments by the British are discovered, most noticeably several forts on the west shores of some Great Lakes. These, and impressment of American sailors by the British Navy, lead to the "War of 1812".
• 1809: Illinois Territory split off from Indiana Territory. This will later become the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. [OTL]
• 1810: Drakian capital moved from Capetown to York, at request of the Colonial Assembly and the first "native" Governor.
  Portugal accepts reality of Drakian encroachment on their colonies, and a substantial payment in gold and diamonds from Drakia, and hands over control of Angola and Mozambique, but retains some trading rights and facilities until the 1850s.
  With the Louisiana survey practically completed, the US now claims the Oregon Country (Oregon and Washington) from Britain, and some areas around the 49th parallel. Along with the continuing unresolved claims for the northern borders of the New England states and New York, and the discovery of several British forts in Illinois Territory, tension is increasing with Canada and Britain.
  [Move is over Governor's objections in Stirling timeline. Ian says Portugal remains in control until late 1870s. The unresolved northern borders and other claims are OTL.]
• 1811: Pauly patents first cartridge breech-loading rifle. [A year earlier than OTL.]
• 1811–14: War of 1812. American militia led by professional officers invade British North America (Canada), with engineers from West Point in support to build field fortifications and rebuild captured forts. American naval forces maintain supply lines across the Great Lakes, and win several stunning victories in Lake Erie, but in the open sea are less successful against the experienced Royal Navy. In open-field battles, Americans separate British and Indian forces by using woodsmen and snipers to consistently lure Indians into massed rifle and cannon fire, and then defeat them in detail, leaving the British troops at a significant disadvantage. British naval blockade results in start of American emphasis on industrial self-sufficiency and expansion of New England manufacturing, genesis of interchangeable parts in assembly of rifles. British raids on Baltimore, Washington, Boston and New Orleans only serve to inflame American public opinion and discredit Federalists who seek peace. Lack of American Loyalists in Canada, and collaboration of French Québécois with Americans are also to blame for American occupation of southwestern Upper Canada (Ontario) up to Lake Simcoe and York (later renamed Toronto), Lower Canada (Québec) south of the St. Lawrence River, and much of New Brunswick. British exchange perpetual most-favored-nation status and mutual tariff reduction with America for return of southern Québec and New Brunswick, and make concessions in the other territories and the far northwest. The British withdraw from positions threatening Buffalo and New Orleans; the position at Baltimore had to be abandoned due to relentless militia infiltration and sniper attacks. The issue of trade with France is deliberately left unresolved, but increased trade with Britain more than compensates America for giving up support of Napoleon's Europe.
  While Britain is distracted in Canada and Europe, Drakian forces land and seize control of the coasts of the nominally French but practically unoccupied territories comprising present-day Gabon, Cameroon and continental Equatorial Guinea. Drakia now controls the mouth of the Kongo River, but disease and fierce natives discourage interior exploration for the next few decades. Drakia also seizes Ceylon from the Dutch (French allies) with British acquiescence, a gateway to trade with India and Asia, including slaves from those areas. In 1815 both areas are handed over to Governors appointed by London. Improved bullet [similar to OTL Minié or Burton ball] developed and approved for Militia.
  [Draka 2: Americans held off and eventually defeated in Canada. Stirling: America conquers Canada. It's my belief that a professional officer corps would have avoided many of the mistakes made by the OTL Americans, mostly due to timidity and overestimating enemy numbers. But taking over all of Canada is too much, especially the areas easily accessible from the Atlantic where the English could land troops. Note that the Ferguson rifle isn't explicitly involved in the Canadian conflict; if only one side had them now, they would have enjoyed the same advantages as the Drakians. I'll have to confirm with Steve if he had the Americans using Fergusons, or a homegrown copy, to justify such a conquest. This fits in with the assertion on several historical websites, referenced above, that the Ferguson would somehow have changed the outcome of the War of 1812. Steve also believes that the lack of Loyalists in Canada would tip the balance in 1812.
  The Drakian conquests now are my invention, especially the part about Ceylon; I don't feel comfortable doing it in the same go with Egypt. OTL Congo is Kongo here.]
• 1812: Orleans Territory becomes the state of Louisiana. 4th gold star added to white bar on USA state flag. [OTL except for the state flag]
• 1813: British East India Company loses its monopoly of the Indian trade, but administrative functions continue. [OTL]
• 1815: America writes in further exemption for militia service for professional law enforcers (sheriffs, etc.), and the "Ramer Rule" to prevent more than 3 close relatives from serving in the same unit. This rule stems from an incident where one British cannonball killed 2 brothers outright, and the other 2 die trying to reach them, leaving the elderly Ramer parents with no heirs.
  [Professional police are needed to protect the community at all times. Ramers inspired by the OTL Sullivans.]

Next: 1815–1916

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