Canadians Win

[The Mad Monk]

Then there's the Ohio River, a tributary that's navigable at least as far as Pittsburgh, PA.

[Wezil]

Meanwhile, we claimed the entire Mississippi, its access to territory, and its trade, in perpetuity.

Think about it. You could have controlled access to the river, like, forever.

I think you missed the part about the war being over.

Had the Brits won at NO they would have had to give it back anyway.

[The Mad Monk]

As if that actually mattered in the world of 1812.

"Hey the war was technically over when you captured the city that gives you control of the entire midwest, can we have it back?"

"No."

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yeah, seriously at the Brits giving back New Orleans if they took it.

(I imagine it'd be like the British giving back their forts in the Ohio River Valley after the American Revolution as the treaty specified - hint, they didn't)

[notyoueither]

I'm thinking there was no way the Brits were going to hold on to the Mississippi in the long term, or short term for that matter.

It is somewhat miraculous that they held on to British North America for long enough for good relations to develop in the NE-Maritimes, and for the colonies to get it together enough for Confederation to be viable. Keep in mind that some of the colonies were pushed into Confederation by Britain. Britain wanted out of British North America to avoid conflict with the US over it.

[regexcellent]

Well, Newfoundland didn't join the confederation until '47 and could very well have been the 49th state had the US not been trying real hard to maintain tip top relations with Britain thanks to World War II.

edit: that may be a bit of a misrepresentation since it's doubtful Britain would have ever allowed that.

[The Mad Monk]

Well, congratulations Canada, on winning the Maritimes!

...

[notyoueither]

There's these small chunks of land called Ontario and Quebec, and then the slightly larger bit west of Ontario.

[regexcellent]

Is there anyone on poly from the maritimes?

It really continues to baffle me, why they suck so much. I may have asked this before: is there really nothing there but fish and christmas trees?

Yes I know Newfoundland has oil/gas but I'm not talking about that (I would be 15 years ago though). NS, NB, and PEI. WTF?

[notyoueither]

Well, Newfoundland didn't join the confederation until '47 and could very well have been the 49th state had the US not been trying real hard to maintain tip top relations with Britain thanks to World War II.

edit: that may be a bit of a misrepresentation since it's doubtful Britain would have ever allowed that.

The Newfs didn't want to join anyone. They tried quite hard to remain a Dominion of Britain. Unfortunately they bankrupted themselves and the Brits eventually coaxed them into joining Canada.

[notyoueither]

Is there anyone on poly from the maritimes?

It really continues to baffle me, why they suck so much. I may have asked this before: is there really nothing there but fish and christmas trees?

Yes I know Newfoundland has oil/gas but I'm not talking about that (I would be 15 years ago though). NS, NB, and PEI. WTF?

Flubber is from Newfoundland (Atlantic Canada is the Maritimes and NFLD).

Confederation was not good for the Maritimes economically. Policy was set to favour industry in Ontario and Quebec (where the votes happened to be).

Nova Scotia should have been much stronger, but protectionist policies on both sides of the border isolated them from historical trading partners in New England.

New Brunswick was younger than Nova Scotia and was stiffled as well.

PEI is too small and too removed from anything important to have done much.

Later on, the region became dependant on welfare. It is not a great story.

Some are working to fix this now.

[Wezil]

As if that actually mattered in the world of 1812.

"Hey the war was technically over when you captured the city that gives you control of the entire midwest, can we have it back?"

"No."

So you think the Brits would have chucked the Treaty of Ghent and pursued the war had they won at NO?

Really?

[Wezil]

I guess an equally likely scenario would have the Americans say "Ahh, never mind. You can have it."

[The Mad Monk]

They didn't have to. The treaty wasn't ratified until February 1815, and even if it had been, there were diplomatic ways to tie that up for years if they wanted to. The capture of New Orleans could very well have turned public opinion in Britain, which would have given them sufficient capital to do so. It would have been up to the Americans to renew hostilities and break the treaty.

[Wezil]

Oh please. The Brits couldn't hold it long term and had no desire to continue the war. Giving **** back happened all the time and this would have been one of those cases.

You scored after the game was over. Too bad you didn't bring your "A game" when it actually mattered.