Talk:BL: Part 14
From Alternative History
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Created in the 1783 at the second Treaty of Paris, the territory of Iroquoia was supposed to be a protectorate of the United Kingdom, used as buffer state between the unorganized territories of the U. S. of A. and Canada. Iroquoia would compromise the territories from the Erie to the Mississippi, north of the 41,5 deg N, and limited by the Lakes at the North.
Many white settlers, mainly from upstate New York but also from Pennsylvania, Virgina and Canada had been pouring into Iroquoia. Some times the small white groups are allowed by the Iroquois, some times they are expelled or simply slayed.
Many white settlers are completely hostile to Indians. This leads to further conflict.
By 1795, state militias from New York have been formed in Iroquoia, and from time to time raid Indian settlements.
Neither Pennsylvania nor Virginia set permanent outposts on Iroquoia but their militias in the Northwestern Territories continously raid on Iroquoia, supposedly to deffend white settlers.
In 1799, Britain enforced Detroit Fort as a deffense to U. S. of A. raids, and begun to provide weapons and military training to the Iroquois so that they could form a permanent army under European standards. The Spanish-American war was a small relief to the Iroquois.
The incidents between Indians and white settlers icreased in frequency and intencity until the war of New England sessession. Given that most raids came from New York, and much relatively minor threats came from Virginia, the Iroquois reached an agreement with the Federal Government of the United States of America: they would fight the New Englanders provided a renewed recognition of Iroquoia by the United States of America. After that, some organized settlement of white peoples would be allowed on Iroquoia.
The British were not pleased with the agreement, as they still recognized the U. S. of A. as a potential enemy, but decided not to interfer as longer as Detroit Fort were preserved.
The Iroquois provided an effective help to the Federal campaign in the North West.
In 1807 the rump U. S. of A. signed two separate treatie: the Treaty of Philadelphia recognizing the Confederation of New England, and the Treaty of Detroit, recognizing again the Iroquois Federation (Iroquoia).
The U. S. of A. honored the treaty of Philadelphia, however in 1809, a disagreement between a group of settlers near Lake Michigan and the Iroquois authorities ended up in a shooting, causing the death of 13 white Americans, and 8 Indian soldiers. Soon after the U. S. of A. sent an attack to the nearest Iroquoian fortification, causing the death of 120 Indian soldiers and 208 civilians.
Britain did not declare war to the U. S. of A. neither got British troops in direct confrontation the Americans, but gave plenty support to their Iroquoian allies. However this was not enough to prevent the U. S. of A. to defeat the Iroquois in four consecutive battles, with only one minor defeat. Half of the regular army of Iroquoia died in the war, as well as one third of the unorganized wariors.
The second agrement of Detroit moved the Iroquois territory nortwards to the 42.5 paralel between the Eire an Michigan (recognizing Detroit Fort and a 12 mile radius to the British), and to the 43 paralel between the Michigan and the Mississippi, and no white settlements in Indian territory.
The Iroquois nation knew that this new peace agreement might not last longer.
