The Free, but not United, States

[justfollowingtheelections]

I had asked a while ago what North America and the world would have looked like if the 13 Colonies had won their independence, but did not remain united (a plausible scenario considering the problems the Union faced under the Articles of Confederation).  The timeline will have plenty of details but nothing unrealistic and unlike many of the timelines here that feel like novels, I will try to focus on how different events might have affected history without making assumptions about the personal lives of the people involved.
I am doing this because I feel it is an interesting story and I would be happy to hear what you think.  I also look forward to your input.
So, here we go!
It is 1783 and the Treaty of Paris has just been signed recognizing the 13 Colonies as independent states (rather than an independent nation) free to determine how they would like to be governed.  The American states are awarded with land that extends to modern-day Minnesota.  The land is mostly populated by Native (the so-called Indian) tribes who allied with the British but were never defeated like the British were.  Nevertheless, their claims were completely ignored which will turn out to be a problem later for the former Colonies and their claim on those lands.
In addition to recognizing the independence of the 13 states, Spain is awarded with West and East Florida.  The northern border of West Florida will remain a point a contention between Spain and newly independent Georgia.
The United States may have won their independence but the first issue that needs to be resolved is that of the territories west of the Ohio River.  Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York all have claims on the land, but the only state that really has the manpower to control the new territories is Virginia.  The proposal to hand the land over to the federal government with the intention of dividing it into new states is quickly rejected as the states feel they can arrive at a solution without giving the federal government too much power.

The focus of the discussions between the states is the fear that Virginia will come to dominate the union if it is able to annex the new territories.  What convinces them to hand over the land is Virginia’s offer to take over part of their Revolutionary War debts.  Massachusetts and New York are quick to agree on this, but Connecticut holds on to what will be known as its Western Reserve.  At the same time Kentucky officials has requested to be separated citing the distance from the Virginia capital and the need to form their own government.  Virginia at first has no intention to grant Kentuckians their freedom, but the other free states see it as an opportunity to reduce Virginia’s size and support the movement.  To convince Virginia, New York and New Hampshire recognize Vermont as an independent nation and allow them to join the Union.
Thomas Jefferson who is at first hesitant to let Kentucky become a free state, understands that Kentucky’s plight is no different than that of the 13 Colonies when they attempted to free themselves of British rule.  He also acknowledges the need to maintain peace between the States and agrees that it would be best for all sides to let Kentucky go.

The issues between Spain in Georgia are also settled in favor of Georgia as Spain has no intention to go to war for an area that is being flooded by English-speaking Americans.
While the territory of the States ceases to be an issue, there are other problems that require more drastic solutions.

The Continental Congress had the authority to publish currency, but by constantly increasing money supply  (in order to fund their activities since they cannot tax the citizens) the continental dollar is devalued to the point where it has no value at all.
The failure of the Continental Congress to implement sound monetary policy makes many states lose confidence in the only branch of the federal government.   At the same time, trade is going downhill as the new states have no trading partners.  Frustration is growing and the federal government is losing the little sway it had.  Many of the Founding Fathers agree that it might be time for a more robust union and a stronger federal government.  Powerful New York Governor George Clinton refuses to agree to send representatives to Congress claiming that while the States should remain allies, it might be better for everyone to follow their own path and avoid giving too much power to a centralized government that resembles the British rule.  Clinton sabotages the attempts to call a new Congress and the Union between the states is effectively over. 

While Washington, Jefferson and other influential Virginians are disappointed with this development they choose to focus more on the growth of their own state.  Differences between the two men also play a big role in the Union’s collapse.  The future of the states has all of a sudden become very unclear, but there is much optimism despite the difficulties.  The states pledge to support each other in case of a war, and agree to meet when important issues arise, but other than that the federal government ceases to exist.

As I mentioned above, the land west of the Ohio River was inhabited mostly by Natives.  The Native tribes and their claims on the land were completely ignored by the European powers and the United States when signing the Treaty of Paris.  The Native tribes form the Western Confederacy in order to resist the expansion of the independent states into their territory.  Virginia immediately makes a call to arms and requests help from the other states reminding them of their agreement to support each other in case of war.  Only Connecticut sends soldiers to Richmond to assist Washington (who is now the new Governor of Virginia), while the other states claim they are only required to provide an army when American land is in danger.
Washington, enraged, reminds them of Virginia's assumption of the Revolutionary debt.  The states agree to pay their debt, while Washington without any support, allows the Western Confederacy to hold onto their land.

Thomas Jefferson is very disappointed with this development, but he realizes that it is necessary for the States to have an amicable relationship.  He believes that it will be important for Virginia to expand and hopes there will be better opportunities to do so in the future.
In the meantime Britain is extremely satisfied with this development as they feel they are much better off having an Indian nation between them and the States.

And a very ugly map (if anyone can make a better one, I would greatly appreciate it)!

 

to be continued...