Privateers of the Anglo-Mexican War: In 1846 President Polk found him caught with two expansionists drives: the desire to annex Mexico and the dispute with Britain over the Pacific coast. As war with Mexico loomed over the annexation of Texas Polk tried to moderate his stance with Britain, but elements of his own party rejected the Treaty of Oregon. When word reached London of the declaration of war on Mexico Her Majesty's Government decided a United States distracted by a Mexican war could easily be defeated and the extreme British position imposed.
So began the Anglo-Mexican War. The US Navy, struggling to blockade Mexico was too stretched to fight the navy of a global empire. The US Army, whose major units assembled in mass for the first time in decades, was similarly stretched.
Americans, however, had always been an entrepreneurial sort and Congress, using the dormant power to issues Letters of Marque and Reprisal tapped into this spirit. Thus were born the Free Companies of Oregon and the Free Fleets of the Pacific, privateers of land and sea fighting for glory, treasure, and Manifest Destiny.
The campaign would have players take the part of leaders of mercenary units, both ground and sea, in the free for all that conquered the Northwest up to 54 40 for the United States. Mass combat, establishment of forts, and diplomacy would be the mark of the day as groups struggle to not be defeated separately by the British but to maximize their own gain.
The game would be closer to the original Braunstein games in Minnesota that Dave Arneson participated and drew upon than a traditional RPG campaign.
I love alternate history, even more when you can play it out on the tabletop. Nice scenario!
ReplyDeleteI like it. A lot, really, though fantasy is the main thing going in my group right now.
ReplyDeleteThe 'Anglo-Mexican War' sounds more like a war between England and Mexico. What about the 'Mexican-Pacific War'?
ReplyDeleteFor more full-bore Alt-History craziness you could add in the (in this timeline) newly non-isolationist Japanese, an early revolt in the Philippines or Hawai'i, or all sorts of wackiness.
@seaofstarsrpg: Or the War of 1845...
ReplyDeleteAs for added wackiness, I like this level just fine. Sometimes less is more as is easy to sell. All this needs changed is the Senate vote on the Oregon Treaty and a more aggressive government in the UK. Neither is out of the question.
Oh, and Hawai'i is still an independent monarchy and the PI are still Spanish. Both of those acquisitions are 50+ years in the future. In fact, statehood for California is still five years in the future.
ReplyDeleteWhen you say the anglo-mexican war, do you perhaps mean the real life Mexican-American war, which started in 1846?
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: I think you missed the point. This was an idea for an alternate history campaign set during the Mexican-American War. One reason Polk, who had run on the uncompromising position later described as "fifty four forty or fight" accepted the 49th parallel compromise in the Oregon Treaty was the impending war with Mexico over Texas Succession. Neither Great Britain or the US wanted to fight yet another war so compromise based on earlier US positions was reached.
ReplyDeleteMy scenario was what if the British had been open to such a war and used the Mexican-American War to gain advantage for an Oregon conflict.