Diverge and Conquer (Look to the West Book 1)
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1742-1743: Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington (Whig) - real power rested in John Cartetet, Secretary of State for the Northern Department
1743-1751: Henry Pelham (Whig) - shared power with his brother, Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
1751-1758: William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath (Patriot Whig)
1758-1766: William Pitt (Patriot Whig)
1766-1782: Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham (Patriot Whig/Liberal Whig) - First term
1782-1796: William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland (Liberal Whig) - real power rested in Edmund Burke, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
1796-1799: Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham (Liberal Whig) - Second term
December 1799 there was no Prime Minister due to the constitutional crisis at the time.
1800-18??: Charles James Fox (Radical/Reform)
List of Lords Deputy of the Empire of North America
1728-1751: Prince Frederick, Duke of Cornwall (the future Emperor Frederick; retroactively backdated from the sinecure office of ‘Lord Deputy for the Colonies’)
1751-1764: Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron
1764-1790: William North, 2nd Earl of Guilford
1790-18??: Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton
List of Lords President of the Empire of North America
1788-1795: George Augustine Washington, 1st Viscount Washington (crossbencher)
1795-1799: Alexander Hamilton, 1st Baron Hamilton (Patriot)
1799-18??: James Monroe (Constitutionalist)
List of Kings of France
1715-1776: Louis XV
1776-1795: Louis XVI† (OTL's Dauphin Louis-Ferdinand; executed)
1795-18??: Louis XVII (approximately OTL's Louis XVI; currently recognised only as King of the remnant ‘Royal France’)
List of Kings of Spain
1724 (restoration) - 1746: Philip V
1746-1761: Ferdinand VI
1761-1788: Charles III
1788-18??: Philip VI; ongoing disputed succession
List of Kings of Portugal
1706-1750: John V
1750-1769: Joseph I
1769-1786: Maria I and Peter III (co-monarchs)
1787-1787: Maria I (ruling alone in name only due to insanity for most of the year)
1787-18??: Peter IV
List of Holy Roman Emperors
House of Hapsburg
1711-1740: Charles VI
House of Wittelsbach
1742-1745: Charles VII Albert (with Maria Theresa as Archduchess of Austria)
House of Hapsburg-Lorraine
1745-1773: Francis I (with Maria Theresa as Archduchess of Austria)
1773-1798: Ferdinand IV
1798-1830: Francis II (Archduke of Austria, unelected claimant Holy Roman Emperor)
List of Electors of Brandenburg and Kings in Prussia
1713-1740: Frederick William I
1740-1759: Frederick II† (not called ‘the Great’; died in battle)
1759-1797: Frederick William II
1797-18??: Frederick III
List of Electors of Saxony
1694-1733: Frederick Augustus I (also King Augustus II of Poland, called Augustus the Strong; Protestant)
1733-1765: Frederick Augustus II (also King Augustus III of Poland, called Augustus the Fat; converted to Catholicism)
1765-1776: Frederick Christian I
1776-1797: Frederick Christian II
1797-18??: John George V
APPENDIX B: CHRONOLOGY OF “LOOK TO THE WEST”, 1688-1800
This simplified date-event format Chronology serves to provide a convenient reference for readers wishing to recall the precise date of an event. In order to contextualise the broader history of this timeline, it begins before the Point of Divergence in 1727 with the convenient date of 1688, which (at least from a British perspective) set the upheavals of the ‘Long Eighteenth Century’ (1688-1815) into motion.
Please note that as it is impossible to write about events across the world simultaneously in a narrative format, the Chronology below includes some events which are not discussed in the main narrative of Volume I: in particular ongoings in China which will not appear until Volume II. You have been warned...
Part 1: Before the Point of Divergence (1688-1726)
1688-1697: The War of the Grand Alliance, aka the ‘Zeroth War of Supremacy’ or King William’s War, in which a coalition of powers fight France to a standstill and forms the framing for the Glorious Revolution.
1688:
The First Glorious Revolution, in which the unpopular Catholic King James II of England and VII of Scotland is ejected from the country and replaced with William of Orange and his wife Mary, James’ daughter.
On the other side of the world, much the same thing happens in the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, as King Narai (seen as a French puppet) is overthrown and trade with Europeans - except the Dutch through the port of Mergui - is banned.
1689:
William and Mary crowned as co-monarchs with the assent of Parliament. Parliament passes “An Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Succession of the Crown”, which sets down the British Bill of Rights and forms the basis of the British Constitution. Among other things, the Constitution severely limits the rights of Catholics, forbidding them the throne, the vote and public office.
1689-91:
The Williamite War in Ireland, which results in the French and James II being ejected from Ireland, and the country brought under effective British control. The siege of Limerick ends the war, with the ‘Flight of the Wild Geese’ as many Irish nobles flee to Spain or France. The Treaty of Limerick guarantees Catholic rights, but is rejected by the Protestant-dominated Irish Parliament and Anti-Catholic laws are implemented, to much resentment among the Irish populace.
1694:
Death of Queen Mary. All English judges wear black in mourning, beginning a tradition of judicial garb. William rules as sole monarch.
1701-1714: The First War of Supremacy, also known as the War of the Spanish Succession or Queen Anne’s War. England/Great Britain, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Portugal, Savoy, Portugal and the Aragonese vs. France, Bavaria, Hungarian rebels and the Castilians. The war is indecisive, with post-Hapsburg Spain receiving a Bourbon monarch but not entering personal union with France as Louis XIV had hoped. Territorial changes include: Britain receives Gibraltar and Minorca from Spain; Austria receives Naples, Sardinia, Milan and the Spanish Netherlands (the future Flanders); Savoy receives Sicily; British colonies in North America receive French Acadia and France gives up claim to Newfoundland and Rupert’s Land.
1701:
By the Act of Settlement, Parliament makes the heir to the throne after the childless Anne Electress Sophia of Hanover, although she predeceases Queen Anne and so her son will becomes George I.
1702:
Death of William III of England after his horse stumbled over a molehill and he broke his collarbone, which became infected. Jacobites raise their glasses to ‘the little gentleman in black velvet’. James II’s second daughter Anne becomes Queen Regnant. End of the personal union between the Dutch Republic and England/Scotland/Ireland, as Willem Friso (no close relation to William III) becomes claimant Stadtholder William IV of the Netherlands. However not all the Dutch provinces recognise this, and so the Netherlands is Stadtholder-less until 1747.
1707:
The Act of Union is passed, which unifies England and Scotland as the Kingdom of Great Britain. The Act abolishes the Scottish Parliament and Royal Scots Navy, and amalgamates them into their English counterparts.
Birth of Carolus Linnaeus in Sweden.
1709:
Attempted Jacobite rebellion under claimant James III Stuart is defeated by Sir George Byng. Future rebellions will instead be managed by James’ son Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie).
1713:
Charles VI, Holy Roman Empero
r and Archduke of Austria, has no male heir. He issues a Pragmatic Sanction recognising his daughter, Maria Theresa, as heir, and makes all the powers of Europe agree to it. However, it will transpire that quite a lot of them had their fingers crossed behind their backs.
1714:
Death of Queen Anne; George I, Elector of Hanover, becomes King of Great Britain and Ireland. As he does not speak English and lacks interest in British affairs, Parliament gains more real power during his reign.
In Virginia, the “First Wave of Germanna”, as German Protestant religious refugees from the Rhineland and the Palatinate settle there.
1715:
Death of Louis XIV; his great-grandson Louis, one of the few to survive a series of deaths in the French royal family in the late 17th century, becomes King Louis XV at the age of five, with Philippe, Duc d’Orléans as regent. A Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland, led by the Earl of Mar, is crushed by Marshal Wade. More minor outbreaks in Cornwall and Northern England are also subdued.
1717:
“Second Wave of Germanna” as more German refugees settle in Virginia.
1718:
The Puckle Gun, an early cyclogun predecessor, is invented by James Puckle. Though technically impressive the technology is not viable at the time, though it will later be cited as the beginnings of such weapons.
1720:
The South Sea Bubble. Excessive speculation in the South Sea Company causes an economic meltdown in the City of London. Parliament holds an inquiry and several prominent members of the current Whig government are forced to step down, leaving most of the power in the hands of Robert Walpole, the Paymaster of the Forces.
1721:
Robert Walpole becomes the first Prime Minister of Britain, i.e. the first minister to dominate a government, although the term Prime Minister is considered vulgar and derisive for years afterward. His official titles are First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons, all united in one.
1722:
Williamsburgh, Virginia, becomes the first city in Britain’s North American colonies as it receives a royal charter.
Part 2: The Exile (1727-1749)
1727:
Death of King George I of Great Britain. His son becomes George II of Great Britain. Much like his father, he does not get on with his eldest son, Frederick. At George’s coronation (POINT OF DIVERGENCE FROM OUR TIMELINE) the King stumbles and falls and Frederick laughs at his father’s public humiliation. This caps a series of violent disagreements between the two, with the result that George II disinherits Frederick, making his younger brother William the Prince of Wales, and sends Frederick into exile to the North American colonies, giving him the sinecure of Lord Deputy of the Colonies. In Virginia (which has not yet heard the news of Frederick’s fall from grace), the new town of Fredericksburg, named in his honour, begins construction.
1728:
Prince Frederick arives in Virginia (the “Third Wave of Germanna”). He decides to settle in the town named in his honour (Fredericksburg), at the quite modest house later known as Little St James’.
1729:
Treaty of Seville forbids British ships from trading with Spanish colonies in the Americas - it is however frequently violated. Spanish ships commonly stop British ones for inspection.
1730:
Virginian House of Burgesses passes the Tobacco Inspection Act, which improves the quality of Virginian tobacco overall and places it in high demand in Europe. The scheme is the brainchild of William Gooch, the Royal Lieutenant-Governor (and de facto governor) of Virginia. Prince Frederick, a political ally of Gooch, invests heavily in tobacco plantations and uses the profits to build his still quite meagre funds.
With the assistance of British envoys, the Cherokee people of America politically unify under the leadership of the Chief of Tellico, who becomes Emperor Moytoy II.
1731:
A particularly brutal inspection by the Spanish of the British ship Rebecca in the Caribbean; the British captain, William Jenkins, has his ear cut off.
1732:
A scandal almost breaks as Prince Frederick is found to have made Mildred Gregory (twice-widowed sister of the Virginian planter Augustine Washington) pregnant. It would ruin his chances of regaining the kingship if news broke out, so Frederick reluctantly agrees to marry her, and to restore the Washingtons’ lost lands and titles in England if he becomes King, in order to keep Augustine quiet. The son will go on to become King George III.
In Sweden, Carolus Linnaeus travels to Lapland for his study of the local flora and fauna.
In Britain, the future Lord North is born. Due to Prince Frederick’s disgrace, he is named William rather than Frederick as in OTL.
1733:
Prince George Augustine of Cornwall, the future George III, is born. He is nicknamed George FitzFrederick by Williamites who do not recognise his father’s marriage as legitimate.
In China, Hongli the Prince Bao, tipped to succeed his father the Yongzheng Emperor, dies when he drowns in a river.
1733-1738: The First War of the Polish Succession. France, Spain and Savoy vs. Russia, Austria and Saxony over whether the elected King of Poland-Lithuania should be Stanisław Leszczyński or Frederick Augustus II, Elector of Saxony (respectively). George II of Britain wants to enter the war, but Walpole refuses, and the infuriated King is only able to assist Austria via his position of Elector of Hanover. Walpole recovers some popularity with the British people thanks to his decision to stay out of the war. Although the French-led side wins, the Saxon becomes King Augustus III of Poland at the compromise peace settlement. Austria receives Tuscany and Palma but transfers Naples and Sicily to Don Carlos, the former Duke of Parma and future King Charles III of Spain. This is the beginning of the end for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which decays under Augustus III’s indifferent rule.
1734:
Frederick tours the American colonies, while Mildred remains behind and gives birth to Princess Mildred, the future Queen of Denmark. He forms a political alliance with the Lieutenant-Governor of Pennsylvania, Patrick Gordon, and then becomes involved in New York politics, backing the “Morrisite” opposition party against the tyrannical Lieutenant-Governor William Cosby, a fierce Georgian loyalist. He also visits New England and writes about the questionable loyalties of the French-descended people in British Nova Scotia.
In Britain, Robert Walpole’s majority is reduced after he attempts to introduce an unpopular customs and excise tax. A new opposition party, the Patriot Boys, is formed. They support Prince Frederick and are led by skilled political orators such as William Pulteney, William Pitt and George Grenville.
1735:
Prince Frederick returns home to Virginia briefly, then tours the Carolinas before finally returning to Fredericksburg at the end of the year.
Linnaeus publishes his seminal work ‘Systema Naturae’ in the Netherlands. This is a controversial work, as it argues for a purely empirical system of classification, with no regard for the Great Chain of Being.
1738:
When Robert Jenkins exhibits his pickled ear in a jar in the House of Commons, British outrage is such that even Robert Walpole gives in and declares war on Spain - the War of Jenkins’ Ear, which bleeds into the War of the Austrian Succession.
1740-1748: The Second War of Supremacy, AKA the War of the Austrian Succession. After Charles VI of Austria’s death, the powers of Europe conveniently forget they agreed to the Pragmatic Sanction, and war is declared. Maria Theresa’s accession is really just a casus belli, however - in truth the war is mainly about Prussia’s desire to take Silesia from Austria. Prussia, France, Spain, Bavaria, Naples and Sicily, and Sweden vs. Austria, Britain, Hanover, the Netherlands, Saxony, Sardinia and Russia. The war sees Maria Theresa appeal for assistance to her Hungarian subjects and receive important levies - a contrast to the Hungarian rebellion against Joseph I in the First War of Supremacy - and the powers of Europe astonished by the performance of the Pruss
ian army under Frederick II. The Prussians use powerful new drills and tactics, and deploy an entirely professional army, not using unreliable (but cheaper) mercenaries. This leads to Maria Theresa, and others, copying the Prussians to some extent.
1741:
British general election reduces Robert Walpole’s majority, especially in the rotten boroughs.
Admiral Edward Vernon, whose captain of Marines is Major Lawrence Washington (Augustine’s elder son), is embarrassingly defeated in an attempted descent on the Spanish city of Cartagena-des-Indes in New Granada. This overshadows his earlier victory over the Spanish at Porto Bello in Darien.
Frederick II of Prussia wins an important victory at Mollwitz, bringing France and Sweden into the war on his side.
Governor George Clarke of New York puts down a slave revolt. He is the ancestor of future Supremacist Party leader Matthew Clarke.
1742:
Robert Walpole, his government having lost numerous constituencies in the 1741 General Election, resigns as Prime Minister and accepts a seat in the House of Lords as 1st Earl of Orford. He is succeeded by Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington, but real power rests with the Secretary of State for the Northern Department, John Carteret.
Admiral Vernon takes Guantanamo from Spain, but is eventually repulsed by Cuban irregulars.
The Battle of Bloody Fields sees the repulsion of a Spanish attack on Georgia by the local militias. However, Georgian/Carolinian attempts to take Spanish Flordia are equally inconclusive.
A poorly coordinated Franco-Saxon-Bavarian army under Marshal de Broglie nonetheless manages to take most of Bohemia from Austria.
Heinrich Mühlenberg immigrates to America from the Germanies, founding a political dynasty and the Lutheran Church in America. He anglicises his name to ‘Henry Mullenburgh’.
1743:
Sweden knocked out of the war by Russia, which annexes parts of Finland; however Russia also leaves the war soon afterwards. Austria, backed by Hungarian levies, ejects the French and their allies from Bohemia. Britain enters the European war, blockading the Neapolitan fleet in port, while King George II goes to Hanover and raises an army, which he leads into battle personally (though his son William, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cumberland, acts as general).