What if Spain's Charles II Died Sooner?

[Michelle R. Wood]

A Closer Anglo/Dutch Future

I started this timeline two years ago as a thought experiment, to see how well I could write a true alternate history. My vague goal at the onset was to get England and the Netherlands; once I picked a POD, though, I wanted to really see how things played out and determined to let the chips fall as they may, as much as was in my power to research and anticipate. Any and all critique is welcome.


1670: June

On June 1, King Charles II of Spain has an epileptic fit and goes into a coma; meanwhile in Europe, King Charles II of England and King Louis XIV of France sign the Treaty of Dover in secret. George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and a member of the English king's private "Cabal" of political allies, is dispatched to France to draw up a public treaty.

Despite no knowledge of her son being given out for over a week, Mariana of Austria continues as regent of Spain. Demands begin for word of whether the King is alive or not. Juan Jose, Viceroy of Aragon and illegitimate half-brother to the king, leads the main opposition to the queen regent. Eventually the queen's confessor confesses: Charles II died three days after disappearing. A coup ousts the Queen Regent. Juan Jose assumes the role of Prime Minister as the various Cortes meet to decide on the succession. Louis XIV positions his second son Philippe Charles, Duke of Anjou (and not yet two), as the true heir to the Spanish throne. Johan de Witt of the Netherlands objects and demands an international conference to decide the heir. Buckingham remains in France and works toward the continued plans for a British/French coalition against the Netherlands and, now, Spain.

On June 27, Stadtholder William of Orange arrives in Spain and begins discussions with Juan Jose over international involvement in the Spanish question. He believes England could force France to negotiate.


1670: July

Public opinion in England is against France having a seat on the Spanish throne. The Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper (another Cabal member) speaks against the potential "horrors of a dictatorial empire" should the two crowns fuse.

In France, the exiled Edward Hyde (Earl of Clarendon and former Prime Minister) discovers evidence of the Treaty of Dover, including the provision that Charles II would convert and bring England back under Catholicism. He is horrified and sends word back to friends in Parliament. By sheer bad luck the letter is left unattended, found, and printed as a pamphlet. A public scandal erupts; protests by nonconformists converge in London, demanding the Conventicles Act of 1664 be revoked (with support from Scottish presbyrs). The Cabal Ministry is divided on the issues; with Buckingham out of town Ashley urges the King to deny the charges.


1670: August

Parliament reconvenes on August 3. Charles II says his actions are completely misunderstood: he had "engaged to assist my dear friend and brother, the King of France, with a matter of some minor policy regarding our mutual enemies." Religion, he explains, had not entered into the question. Commons leaders, with support from some Lords, brings forward a Bill of grievances against the King. Ashley rallies a slim majority against it but also speaks against too much reliance on France with the famous words: "Caesars have no sense of the minor."

In Spain, the French ambassador Pierre de Villars holds an informal meeting with William and Juan Jose in Madrid on August 5. It leads to a heated argument when the Frenchman implies Charles II (William's uncle) has been less than truthful. Later that night the Marquis de Villars is found dead.

France lodges a formal complain against the death of its ambassador, claiming he has been harmed due to the machinations of "those heretical bastards." William and Juan Jose are both insulted. The English Envoy to Madrid, Sir William Godolphin, protests the charges, and not just because de Villars himself was of illegitimate heritage. Citing his fellow ambassador's popularity with the ladies, he believes him the victim of a jealous husband.

The insult to William, the implied slur against England, and the scandal back home all force Charles II to abandon plans against the Netherlands. Instead he quietly recalls Buckingham back home, allowing Ashley to speak in Parliament about solidarity with the Dutch and publicly calling on a peace conference to settle the succession once and for all.

Louis XIV decides to call the English bluff and attacks in the Spanish Netherlands on August 25, ostensibly in retaliation for the death of his ambassador. Juan Jose marshals considerable support to his position in the dragging Cortes and leads a counterattack, with William joining him in battle. They route the French forces in the short Battle of the Little Armies, named for the small forces engaged and complete lack of casualties. Afterward, the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I declares that bloodshed is pointless and urges peace.

William's prowess on the battlefield makes him even more popular in the Netherlands, leading de Witt to capitalize on the victory with a demand for France to negotiate, uniting the two factions of the Dutch commons under his leadership. Charles II chooses to capitalize on his relationship with William, who also gains popularity in England for his spirited defense of the King, and the English king joins the call for a settlement. The Cortes, now united behind Juan Jose, give him authority as Prime Minister to enter into a treaty on Spain's behalf.


1670: September

France, Spain, England, the Dutch, and the Holy Roman Empire all meet in the Hague to discuss the terms of Spanish succession on September 15. De Witt with some support backs Leopold I's son Archduke Ferdinand Wenzel (age three) as a potential heir, while Louis XIV continues to press for his son Philip. The debate is called the "Battle of the Little Princes" in satire of the earlier "Battle of the Little Armies." Juan Jose proves a savvy negotiator, playing both sides in an attempt to push Spain's interests forward.

Into the stalemate England proposes a "middle way:" Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, uncle to the French claimant Philip and first cousin of the deceased King Charles II of Spain, as well as recent widower of Henrietta, sister of Charles II of England. He would become King if he renounced all claims to the French throne and married a Spanish duchess. Juan Jose is not in favor of such a strong king and calls on further negotiations, demanding renunciation of more territory by France.


1670: October

On October 13, the Treaty of the Channel is signed, so named due to it occurring at sea as "neutral" territory outside of Dutch lands. Philippe will be crowned Philip V of Spain. In exchange for their support, half the Spanish Netherlands are returned to the Dutch, while Spain regains some of the Caribbean islands formerly taken by England and ceded to the Dutch after the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The Holy Roman Empire agrees based on a peace treaty of nonaggression from Spain. England rewards William with the territory of New York, renamed New Orange in his honor, which de Witt maneuvered in order to prevent the prince from gaining too much power at home.

On October 26, the newly crowned Philip V marries Ana Catalina, daughter of Juan Gaspar Enríquez de Cabrera, 6th Duke of Medina de Río Seco, 10th Admiral of Castile, 10th Count of Melgar, 10th Count of Rueda, Count of Modica and a Grandee of Spain. The Duke is a supporter of Juan Jose, and backs him in the Cortes as a strong Prime Minister, checking Philip's power. Philip V and Ana begin the Spanish Bourbon dynasty.


1670: November

While in England to discuss an expedition to his territory, William is approached by Charles II about gaining more power with the Dutch. He and his uncle agree to work towards his gaining control of Holland away from de Witt.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1671: January

Parliament meets on January 15 over an incident where Sir John Coventry's nose is cut by players at a court entertainment, and passes a bill to limit the crown's power to pardon offenses, also including a clause that says "His Majesty's royal Assent to this Bill should not determine this Session of Parliament." Despite Charles II's decision to adjourn Parliament, they continue meeting. The two subjects of debate are methods of defeating Popery and the struggle between Commons and Lords over the money bills.


1671: March

Anne Duchess of York, wife of Charles II's younger brother James and daughter of the exiled Clarendon, dies on March 31. A rumor spread that a Catholic priest had performed last rights.


1671: April

A conference of Commons and Lords representatives meets on April 19 concerning the Bill for Impositions and who has the right to determine such levies. Debate also centers around the state of the Church, threats to it, and the throne's succession. Secret negotiations begin over who the Duke of York should remarry. When a bill pushes forward to demand that James marry a Protestant in exchange for votes on certain impositions, Charles II prorongues Parliament.


1671: August

William returns to Holland after a successful campaign against Native Americans in New Orange and a tour of Dutch Caribbean properties, bringing riches from the New World back. He starts a charm campaign of the various Dutch provinces toward gaining control of the confederacy, aided by his deft use of printed narratives about his exploits. De Witt, who's made a lot of hash out of the populist leader, finds his hands tied in opposing him, and rethinks his strategy in favor of controlling rather than opposing the young prince.


1671: September

Pamphlets begin circulating that demand all officers of the realm swear loyalty to the Church. Pressure builds internally to get James safely married. Charles II, cut off from France, looks instead toward Germany.


1671: December

Philip V produces a male Spanish heir to the throne, Philippe Juan, born December 30. Juan Jose as Prime Minister has begun serious reforms in the parliamentary system of Spain, gaining greater authority in the central government and establishing a merit system for sending strong leaders to oversee territory in the New World. He also increases the tax yield for the country, bringing wealth back to Madrid. William of Orange visits the Spanish court and is approached about a potential marriage with Philip's oldest daughter, Marie Louise d'Orléans.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1672: February

Negotiations begin for James Duke of York to become betrothed to Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine¹. He is convinced to agree to the marriage through pressure from his brother (who has been told repeatedly by his advisers that James needs to marry a Protestant), and secret correspondence with the girl and her family that assures him she would be receptive to converting privately to Catholicism per his wishes. Charles II in turn works to ensure the future Duke and Duchess of York will not be forced to renounce their "private" beliefs.


1672: March

De Witt champions William III becoming Captain-General of a confederate Dutch force to protect their colonies in the New World. William returns to shore up defenses and work toward better relations and trade with New England.


1672: April

Lord Ashley is made Earl of Shaftesbury and becomes Lord Chancellor of England. His leadership during the Spanish crisis and strong support of the King, combined with his leniency toward nonconformists, make him a unifying leader. The engagement between James Duke of York and Elizabeth is announced.

On April 28, Parliament convenes; Robert Milward is elected Speaker. "Court Party" supporters rally behind the proposed "Loyalty Act," which requires all English officeholders to swear "Loyalty to the King, to his authority as leader of the nation, peer amongst peers, and head of the Church," as well as "holy fear to God, his church, his sacraments, and the peace of the realm." The wording of the act allows many nonconformists and Catholics to remain in positions of leadership under the guise of Church servants. Some staunch Anglicans are dismayed, but the natural enemies of the act (Sir William Coventry's "Country Party") are divided because of some members' secret religious beliefs. The Act narrowly passes, in exchange for a renewal of the Conventicles Act with stronger punishments against meetings outside of the Church. Several money bills are passed. Charles II prorongues Parliament until August.


1672: June

James Duke of York marries his distant Elizabeth Charlotte (age 20) on June 25. The two swear to the Loyalty Act and take the Eucharist, but are ambiguous when it comes to religious practice, choosing to take services privately more often than not. Elizabeth Charlotte becomes popular at court and is very friendly with her stepdaughters, encouraging them to continue their studies and exposing them to her favorite philosophers. Whether she truly converts to Catholicism or not is debated to this day: she appears to have been just Catholic enough in private with James (she owns rosaries, a prayer book, and supported her husband through the rumors that dogged him) but also kept an open mind when it came to the English Church and her new family. Her pragmatism and populism provides a stabilizing force in the Stuart household, particularly the passionate James.

---

¹ In OTL, Elizabeth married Philip Duke of Orléans. As he's now married in Spain, she's free to take the place of the Catholic Mary of Modena. Working on this timeline was an exercise in royal marriage musical chairs: look for more dynastic changes to come.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1673: February

Parliament reconvenes; bill passed to increase protection of the provinces in light of the buildup of Dutch and Spanish interests in the Americas, and debate over unrest in Ireland. Charles II adjourns Parliament until August.


1673: July

On July 4, James Charles Edward Stuart is born to the Duke and Duchess of York, becoming second in line to the English throne and styled Duke of Cambridge. The birth is celebrated throughout England as a symbol of national unity, easing fears of Catholic aspirations to the throne with the birth of a Protestant heir.


1673: August

Several presbytrs and Quakers are arrested due to the newly strengthened Conventicles Act, including William Penn. He appeals to the King, but it is the new Duchess of York who becomes his champion. He is released and they begin a correspondence over theology.


1673: September

Tensions between Massachusetts and New Orange ignite in a skirmish off the coast of Manhattan when a Dutch slave ship fails to give way to a ship carrying supplies to Plymouth. A single shot is fired of disputed origin: the New Englanders claim a canon misfired on the Dutch ship while the Dutch maintained it was fired upon, with the result of a large group of slaves being lost. The Dutch ship demands redress for the loss of property. When Plymouth and Boston authorities fail to comply, William writes England asking for help in dealing with the King's subjects.


1673: October

John Bunyan, still imprisoned for nonconformist preaching, begins work on Pilgrim's Progress.

Parliament reconvenes on October 11. In a rare move the embittered Anglicans side with Puritans against the Dutch demands, citing a lack of funds and loss of face to the Dutch power. The Royalists and cooperating nonconformists feel the King should intervene and the colonies should bow to his authority. Debate in Parliament shifts several alliances around. The fledgling County Party claims to be the true servants of the "Stuart Crown," support the colonists, and want the King to side with them against the Dutch: "Freedom of the English." The Court Party embraces a platform of national unity, claiming loyalty to the state before any one group or person, with the slogan "The Kingdom Unbroken." As debate on funding for any action in the colonies stalls, Thomas Clifford, one of the few original Cabal ministers still close to Charles, advocates the King stop all payments out of the Exchequer for a year in order to avoid Parliamentary obstructions. Charles II does so and prorongues Parliament for a year, making Clifford a Baron and Lord High Treasurer.


1673: November

The Thanksgiving Massacre occurs on November 25 when William enters New England territory with an armed group to speak before the common meeting, and is ambushed on the way by men dressed as Indians. Two of William's soldiers are killed. William retreats to New Orange, where he gathers his forces to march against the local tribes. Several skirmishes ensue between Dutch and native forces. William continues sending updates back to England and the Netherlands, passing them straight to agents and newspapers, inflaming public opinion in his favor.


1673: December

James Duke of York, as Admiral, sends an armed ship to New England to stabilize the situation and provide reinforcements for William against the natives. The HMS Royal James, under Captain Richard Haddock, sets sail for Boston.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1674: January

Philip V and Louis XIV attempt to enter into a nonaggression treaty in the colonies, but are circumvented by Juan Jose, who inserts an exemption relating to "events transpired against our colonies or those of our allies."

House Commons Speaker Robert Milward dies in England.


1674: February

The Battle of the Long Night breaks out on the border of New England and New Orange on the night of February 21. The combined English/Dutch forces believe they are fighting a purely native force, but as dawn breaks realize they are facing a joint colonist/Wampanoag group. The battle becomes confused, and the official army is beaten back to the New Orange fort.

Governor Josiah Winslow of Plymouth Colony is summoned to New Orange to put an end to the situation. He claims the group was renegade and not associated with the main Plymouth armed forces. He brings Captain Benjamin Church with him to assert that no true soldiers fought. One of the men had been captured, and claims to serve under Church. Church and Winslow deny it, claiming he is not a true English citizen but a halfbreed of the tribe, leading a force to disrupt the colonies. The man, "Indian John," is put to death for rebellion against the King and his colonial powers. Later this death is questioned as being expedient rather than true, and Indian John becomes a mythic figure of both tragic and political implications, as his true identity is put in doubt and never fully explained. Eventually it would be claimed he was a Christian and a martyr.

On Leap Day, the Wampanoag chief Metacomet (King Philip to the colonists) leads an attack against Plymouth. After a town is destroyed the colonists plead for assistance from the the English forces, who together under William begin King Philip's War. Later historians will question if the earlier battles were in fact Wampanoag or actually colonists dressed as natives, and whether there was a ploy to get land from a tribe that had stopped selling to the English. Regardless, the war begins in earnest and puts an end to the standoff with the Netherlands. Spain remains neutral, using the distraction to shore up its defenses and consolidate power in the southern hemisphere, while France secretly arms the Wampanoag tribe to weaken English dominance in the north.


1674: March

France has used the war's distraction to encroach on both English territory in the New World (Maine) and Dutch holdings in the former Spanish Netherlands. Spain is silent but wary, and Juan Jose writers to William to warn him against potential French incursions.


1674: April

Parliament's Twelfth Session begins on April 4 with Edward Seymour elected Speaker. Statements are made in favor of the combined force in the colonies. The Court Party joins him in favor of general colony defenses, including the standing army there under William, while the Country Party seeks to grant funding only to the Duke of York for recruiting purely English soldiers. Charles II prorongues Parliament until July.

Thomas Osborne, an Admiralty Commissioner and Viscount in the Scottish peerage, is elevated to the privy council and made Baron Osborne of Kiveton and Viscount Latimer in the peerage of England due to his outspoken support of York as supreme Admiral and maneuverings around Shaftesbury to get funding. However, as an ardent Anglican, he soon alienates York and is seen as a threat by Lord Treasurer Clifford.


1674: May

A Frenchman is captured during a raid against a native stronghold, in which the entire native force and village is destroyed. He at first tries to claim to be half English and is thought to be another "Indian John" (some believe it to be the man's spirit), but is eventually identified as a French officer when France insists he not be hanged but given back to his garrison in Arcadia. Captain Church at first refuses even though the English commander is pressured to consent. William asserts himself as the true commander of the combined armies waging war and orders the captive to be treated as a gentleman prisoner of war, writing to France to claim redress for interference, and insisting that any prisoner release be accompanied with a nonaggression treaty in either Dutch or English territory.


1674: July

Juan Jose discovers a French plot to take the Spanish Netherlands, and alerts de Witt to the danger. A battle breaks out, with combined Dutch/Spanish forces pushing the French back, and forcing Louis XIV to concede any claims to the territory.

Over in North America, William carries his point, scoring a diplomatic victory by forcing the French out of the new world conflict, and gaining the admiration of the colonies, the Netherlands, and England.


1674: August

A naval battle fought on August 20 between two frigates, one Spanish and one French, is sometimes counted as belonging to King Philip's War, but was actually unrelated and unknown to both governments. The Spanish Caribbean governor ordered his men to pursue a ship thought to be a privateer, which actually turned out to be a French military vessel. Some historians believe this ship was being sent to reinforce the native forces up north, while the government at the time maintained it was a supply ship for its regular forts without a specific military goal. Regardless, the ship was captured, with the French officers eventually returned.

On August 28, the Duchess of York bears a second child, a girl named Charlotte Laura.


1674: September

Parliament reconvenes on September 2 with a public acclamation of the new princess. The Court Party is proud to proclaim William a leader of England; Country Party leaders are dismayed that William's popularity has enabled Charles to grain ascendance over Parliament. Shaftesbury becomes more partisan in his support of the County Party to counter his rival Clifford, who is rumored to accept mass privately with the Duke and Duchess of York. He advocates the Writ of Habeus Corpus¹ to defend the rights of "all subjects of the crown throughout the Kingdom," which passes. It is meant to refer only to England, Scotland, and Ireland, but the ambiguous wording allows it to apply to the colonies as well.

Charles II prorongues Parliament until January. Shaftesbury and several like-minded Country members begin meeting at the "Three Head Inn" and form a group with the objective of ensuring that no Catholic nor "foreign King" be accepted to the crown. Discussion of a change in wording to the Loyalty Act. Meanwhile, Court Party members see the need to keep their Protestant heir above suspicion and seek to have William serve as a custodial guardian for the young Prince.


1674: October

The Great Fight of the Three Tribes is the longest battle of the war, beginning on October 1. Captain Church leads a colonial group of rangers against the main attack force and is eventually killed in battle, saving the life of William as he leads the combined forces to victory. When news reaches England, Charles II awards William the Order of the Garter, which is later resented by some colonists who feel the true hero was the neglected Church.


1674: December

William Penn successfully lobbies for nonconformist pastor John Bunyan's release from prison through the Duchess of York, making use of the newly passed "Habeaus Corpus" to defend him (since he was originally arrested before the act that made his preaching illegal).

Fighting drags on through winter, which is exceptionally bad and favors the native forces. Starvation breaks out in many of the Plymouth towns, and colonists flee to New Orange in refuge from storms and pillaging by tribes.

---

¹ Many events in this timeline are similar to ones in OTL, just occurring at different times or with different names. In this case, Habeas Corpus passes five years early.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1675: February

The Allied armies draw out the native forces in the final battle of the war, colloquially called the Rout, known in England and the Netherlands as William's Triumph. It is less of an organized battle and more a series of skirmishes taking place over five days, with each side alternately gaining ground, but with the steady momentum of bringing the battle to Plymouth Bay. On February 10, a waiting armada of ships led by Captain Haddock fires on William's signal, destroying most of the native force.


1675: March

William receives a hero's welcome in London upon his March 30 arrival. His uncle first broaches the idea of his marrying the Princess Mary, which William agrees to consider before heading on to Holland.


1675: April

Parliament's Thirteenth Session begins on April 1. Court party advocates award William the victory, causing some resentment for its lack of acknowledgment for colonial forces or leaders. One pamphlet accuses the crown of committing a betrayal against the "True Church," a play on Captain's Church name and the Anglican Church, whose chief proponents see a gradual weakening of position to the egalitarian Dutch influence.

De Witt concedes the inevitable and allows a vote on making William the new Prince of Orange, but maneuvers to add the title "Lord Protector of New Orange," wanting the stadtholder to stay in the New World rather than interfere too much in affairs back home.


1675: May

Debate over territory gained to the war drags on, and tensions rise again in both the old and new world. Colonists petition for aid in rebuilding their homes, or establishing themselves in the new territory, while Dutch merchants want exclusive trading rights. English Parliament Court Party advocates insist on gaining more control over the Plymouth Colony.

Juan Jose attempts to broach the topic of William marrying Philip V's daughter again, which de Witt uses at the negotiating table with England. William agrees to an engagement with Princess Mary of England and strengthens the Dutch position, yielding more land to his own territories near New Orange. There are protests from some Country Partiers, but the aid of the Dutch divides them and William's popularity wins the English over. James Duke of York is awarded a colony formerly called New Jersey, now named New York, with exclusive rights to its proprietorship. He founds a city to administer his new property at the mouth of the Delaware river, Charlotte¹.

Shaftesbury had tried to convince Charles away from the marriage and in favor of Mary being wed to George², a lower Danish Prince, as a means of maneuvering around William. His defeat pushes him even further out of Charles's good graces. Henry Coventry, a former ally but now a firm Court Partyist and supporter of the William/Mary wedding, travels to Exeter House to inform Shaftesbury that he is relieved of his post as Lord Chancellor. He is replaced by Heneage Finch, Baron of Daventry. Shaftesbury consolidates power in the Country Party and begins buying up shares from his fellow Lord Proprieters in the Carolina colony.

Charles II adjourns Parliament until for "February come Twelve-month."

The first newspaper in the new world is published in New Orange, the Nieuwe Courante van Orange, and is known to be the mouthpiece for William and the governor.


1675: July

The wedding between William III of Orange and Princess Mary of England is held on July 5. They return to New Orange for William to serve as Supreme Commander of the expanded Dutch holdings in New Orange. The newest Dutch town is named Bruilofton³ in the couple's honor.

Doeg Indians raid the plantation of Thomas Mathews, located in the Northern Neck section of Virginia near the Potomac River, in a dispute over the nonpayment of some items Mathews had apparently obtained from the tribe. The situation worsens when the colonists retaliate against the wrong Indians, the Susquehanaugs, prompting more Indian raids. Governor William Berkeley orders an investigation. Though Berkeley continually pleaded for restraint, colonial council member Nathaniel Bacon (his cousin by marriage) disregards Berkeley's direct orders by seizing some friendly Appomattox Indians for allegedly stealing corn.


1675: September

Philip V of Spain's third daughter is born on September 14, the first in line to the Spanish throne, Ana Luisita.


1675: October

Philip V of Spain enters into talks to marry his eldest daughter Marie Louise to Maximilian Emanuel, son of Ferdinand Maria, Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and an elector the of the Holy Roman Empire. Maximilian's older sister Maria is already engaged to marry Loui le Grand Dauphin, heir to the throne of France.


1675: December

Baron Osborne, a rival to Shaftesbury for control of the still factious Country Party, brings a bill before Parliament that would introduce a new "Test Oath," requiring all office holders to swear articles of belief (such as stances on the Eucharist and baptism), and a ban on coffee houses because of "defamation against the King." The latter is a direct shot at Shaftesbury's King Head Club, which has taken to meeting in such places to determine policy.

Both bills are brought down, with Shaftesbury swinging his side of the Country Party to join the Court against it. Osborne publicly declaims "The triple alliance of Orange, York, and Carolina," and is removed from his office in the Admiralty. He begins meeting with a group that will be called the "Green Ribbon Club" for their secret hat markings, planning to gain back power. Meanwhile, Shaftesbury's move restores him to some semblance of grace with the King, and allows him to continue consolidating his power in Parliament and the colonies.

---

¹ OTL Philadelphia, PA
² Prince George of Denmark, OTL husband to Mary's sister Anne
³ OTL Waterbury, CT; "Bruilofton" means "weddings" in Dutch

[Michelle R. Wood]

1676: March

Virginian Governor Berkeley calls the "Long Assembly," which, declares war on all "bad" Indians and sets up a strong defensive zone around Virginia with a definite chain of command. The Indian wars which result led to high taxes to pay the army. Accusations of corruption arise over prohibition of independent trade with native tribes. A government commission is established to monitor trading, leading Bacon to see the governor as playing favorites. The Governor also denies his cousin a commission in the local militia, who then leads a group of local volunteers as an elected "General."


1676: April

The Duchess of York bears a third child on April 23, a son named Henry William James Stuart, styled the Duke of Berwick.


1676: May

Shaftesbury gains control of the entire Province of Carolina except that owned by Albemarle in the North, and is able to influence the appointment of a new Royal Governor in Charleston.


1676: June

The newly elected members of the Virginia House of Burgesses meet and enact sweeping reforms limiting the powers of the governor and restoring suffrage rights to landless freemen. Bacon arrives late with 500 followers and is arrested, but a mob demands the governor accede to his demand to lead men against the local tribes. Berkley gives in and eventually is forced to flee north to Maryland, where he writes to the governor of New York for assistance.


1676: July

James Duke of York settles the remaining financial difficulties of his New York property with the original New Jersey charter members, Fenwick and Byllinge, and agrees to honor a deal with William Penn at his wife's request, allowing the Quaker and three others to purchase western territory, which they name Sylvania. However, the group is required to pay levies to the New York governor and must go through there to trade.

The New York Governor is meeting with William when Berkeley's letter arrives. The Prince immediately offers assistance in quelling the rebellion, and sails down with two ships, one Dutch and one English. William arrives in Maryland on July 25 and meets with Berkeley, coordinating an attack on a fortified Jamestown. An offer of amnesty is given to any who return to their lawful governor. Some defect, but Bacon is undaunted, saying the plot is one to force Dutch rule on free Englishmen (a return to the County Party cry of the previous year). He and his army issue the "Declaration of the People of Virginia," criticizing Berkeley's administration in detail, accusing him of levying unfair taxes, appointing friends to high positions, and failing to protect frontier settlers from Indian attack.

William leads an attack on Jamestown, which is hopelessly outgunned. Rather than let the city be taken, though, Bacon burns it. Ground forces move in and save part of the city, with Bacon and his most ardent followers making a last stand on an island farther away. He is shot by an unknown English soldier, while his supporters are rounded up and hung at a later trial for high treason.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1677: February

Parliament's Fourteenth Session begins on February 15 with a bill brought forward for a standing army in the colonies to prevent further rebellions. The County Party objects. Alliance brought forward for a joint protection league with New Orange and the Netherlands. Charles II prorongues Parliament until June.


1677: March

Debate in the Netherlands has raged since William marched on Jamestown, especially since he went without permission from the Hague or the Governor of New Orange. De Witt suddenly dies¹. Those made wealthy by New Orange holdings promote William. He accepts the final title Prince of Orange, Leader of the Netherlands Republic and Its Provinces, becoming the constitutional ruler of New Orange, the Netherlands, and Java. William and Mary return to the Netherlands after years in New Orange to formally take his holdings, stopping to visit London on the way.


1677: May

The first part of English preacher John Bunyan's Christian allegory The Pilgrim's Progress is published in London. Though highly nonconformist, it gains popularity with some "true" Anglicans who see the title character as an embodiment of their struggles to keep the purity of the true Church from going astray in the increasingly "tolerant" court mood of lukewarm Anglicans (the Loyalty Act having made private religious practice opposing public affirmation of the Church common for secret Catholics and Presbyrs). Osborne and other ardent County Partymen reference the work in letters when they comment on "Legality, Civility, and Morality, the three fiends of our present Discontent."

---

¹ OTL de Witt died in 1672 at the hands of Organists supports; I don't suspect any sinister cause of death in my timeline, more likely he dies of natural causes/illness.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1678: April

Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria marries Spanish King Philip V's firstborn daughter, Marie Louise d'Orléans, on April 15. She and her issue are ineligible to inherit the Spanish throne.


1678: May

A Dutch Plot is printed in various pamphlets and papers. It calls Bacon a "Second Church," and claims a plot by Catholic Spanish agents who want to kill the Duke of York and his issue to put William on the throne of England. Osborne is the leading proponent of the plot. Court Party members are offended by the use of Bacon and the attack on their hero William; Charles II publicly dismisses it as without basis. Shaftesbury decides to play the long game and urges his supporters to stay silent until further evidence one way or the other comes forward.


1678: October

English magistrate Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey is found murdered in Primrose Hill, London. He had been a chief supporter of Shaftesbury, a voice both against the Treaty of Dover in 1670 and later against Spanish interests in the Treaty of the Channel. Lately, though, he had begun meeting with Osborne's Green Ribbon Club. His name appears on a paper set to be brought before the Commons to increase import tariffs. His death is seized on as a sign that the Dutch/Spanish alliance is working against British trade interests. Osborne attempts to peg Clifford as a Catholic and a member of the plot.

On October 19, Shaftesbury seizes the moment. Silius Titus is a King's Head clubbist who published a pamphlet against Cromwell during the Commonwealth called "Killing No Murder." He claims to have word from former nonconformists now in exile in the Netherlands implicating Edward Coleman, York's secretary, an associate of Godfrey's and a person long suspected to be Catholic. A search of his rooms turns up correspondence between him and William III (which was actually on behalf of Charles II) regarding his gaining more power over the Dutch government and an alliance with Mary, and some letters to John Juan of Spain regarding French incursions. The most damning evidence is a bill of sale from Madrid that includes a rosary and crucifix, which some take to be confirmation of the Duke's secret Catholicism.

Coleman is arrested for murder. Titus and Shaftesbury successfully subvert Osborne's power move, and now are fully at war with the Court Party in the form of Clifford for control of the situation. Coleman eventually confesses to Catholicism but claims it is a private matter of conscience and not related to his service to York. The Court Party is derisively referred to as "Tory" out of their loyalty to William and their "permission" for him to steal the throne.

William III publishes some of his own correspondence with Charles II in a bid to turn public opinion, denouncing any plot against the "King or his issue." Shaftesbury and Titus, meanwhile, consolidate their holdings on the opposition by implicating more of their rivals in the plot; they maintain their actions are against "threats to the crown." Green Ribbonists quickly fold or are imprisoned.

Suspicion of York's Catholicism resurface due to the crisis, while William III is exonerated of any plotting by his oath. He also inadvertently attaches a name to the Country Party, when he says the proceedings are as mired in pettiness as that of those "Yankees in the colonies." Tory pamphleteers take up the name and begin depicting their opponents as Indians. The move backfires, as Titus prints a piece loudly proclaiming, "If Yankee it be to remain English and free, I'll be red as an aborigine."

Coleman is executed on October 30.


1678: November

Yankee partyists stage a mass Guy Fawkes Day demonstration with foreign crowns burned in effigy, claiming there should be no "No Reign but the King's, Defender of our Freedom." Shaftesbury and his supporters use the current hysteria to bring up an Act of Succession. Clifford's political capital has eroded with accusations of Catholicism, and he spends the last of it to get William III named guardian and protector of York's heirs by his second wife. Charles dissolves Parliament before further work on the Act or against Clifford can be done. Clifford proposes getting York out of the country until the crisis blows over. It is determined that the Duke will accompany his eldest son to stay with William and Mary in Orange after Christmas.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1679: January

A sudden Channel storm strikes the ship carrying James Duke of York; it blows off course and eventually sinks. He and his eldest son perish¹.


1679: February

Parliament reconvenes on February 2; it is later called the Succession Parliament. After much debate an Act of Succession is again put forward, attempting to bar William III from inheriting the throne or serving as regent to it. York's and his son's deaths, coupled with Clifford's spent status and the desire to secure a clear line of succession for Prince Henry, allow it to pass by a narrow margin. The Act confirms Henry as Charles II's heir, followed by Mary and then Anne. Some disgruntled Yankees, upset at Mary's inclusion in the Act (and thus her husband), begin speaking to Charles II's eldest bastard, Monmouth, about serving as an alternative to the boy's expected regency (and potentially a contender for the throne).

Henry is styled Duke of York and Cambridge. He inherits his father's colony; its management falls to royal governors, which William heavily influences the appointments of. New Orange and New York develop an even deeper reliance on each other, while New England grows steadily more alarmed at the encroachment of the Dutch and their "vile ways" into the colonies. There is now a permanent standing army operating between New Orange and New York for the purpose of holding off native attacks and preventing rebellion.

Some Yankees attempt to bring up a bill excluding Mary and Anne from Succession due to their "marriage to foreign powers." Charles II dissolves Parliament rather than hear further debate.


1679: May

The New York Governor revokes the Sylvania charter due to new treaties with the Indians and concessions to the Dutch. Penn writes to the Duchess of York for assistance.


1679: June

Royal forces led by the Duke of Monmouth and John Graham of Claverhouse subdue the Scottish Covenanters.


1679: November

A fire in Boston, Massachusetts, burns all of the warehouses, 80 houses, and all of the ships in the dockyards.

---

¹ I admit this event is the most "out there" butterfly of my timeline, since I don't have any records for the weather on the English Channel at this time. But it's in the realm of possibility, and James certainly wouldn't be the first English royal to meet his death in those fickle waters.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1680: January

Politics in England increasingly involves itself with that of the Netherlands due to William III's growing influence. Charles II is happy to let his nephew take the lead as it allows him to play politicians against each other, appearing as the benevolent overlord. William III presses his uncle's points and pursues policy on behalf of his godson. As he and Mary are unable to bear children, Prince Henry becomes like a son. Tories enjoy a rise in power against the Yankees, taking most of London's offices.


1680: March

The Duchess of York intercedes with her son and his godfather on Penn's behalf, and Charles II grants the Quaker new territory farther inward. The settlement is christened Pennsylvania by the King, and the Quakers found the city of Philadelphia¹.


1680: June

After a fire breaks out the never fully rebuilt Jamestown is abandoned; colonial government moves to Middle Plantation, renamed soon after as Elizabeton² in honor of both Elizabeth I and the heir's mother. A new governor is appointed and new elections are held; shortly thereafter, a military agreement is reached with the standing York/Orange army for mutual protection.

---

¹ OTL Harrisburg, PA
² OTL Williamsburg, VA

[Michelle R. Wood]

1682: May

Charles II becomes gravely ill. Shaftesbury convenes a meeting including Monmouth and several key Yankee party members to determine how best to push William out of the picture if the King were to die. They determine that it would be best to draw the militaristic prince into a battle (something cooked up near Scotland) and have him killed by not-so-friendly fire. Monomouth's rise in the military gives him an excellent position for this work, and he's seen as a safer guardian for his young cousin than the foreign Prince. After Charles recovers the plot remains ongoing.


1682: July

The Tories gain control in the election of London Sheriffs.


1682: September

News reaches Shaftesbury and his gang that William III will return to New Orange in the spring to shore up defenses in the standing army, afterward taking a tour through the colonies. They change tacks and decide to do the deed in Virginia, making use of Shaftesbury's extensive southern Carolina connections as well as Yankee sympathizers in Elizabeton.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1683: May

Juan Jose dies on May 1 at the age of 54. He leaves behind the legacy of a strong Spain united in the Cortes against the power of the monarchy, alliances with England and the Netherlands, and renewed profits from New Spain. One of his sons serves as the governor of Texas. He had begun to direct policy against French intrusion there when he grew ill. His last act is to have the Cortes proclaim Phillipe Juan the true heir, but a vote on the articles of succession is not passed before his death. It becomes mired in bureaucracy.

Instead of setting sail for New Orange as he had intended, William travels with Mary to Spain for his old friend's funeral. The assassination plot against him has already been set in motion.

On May 15, William begins his cross of the Atlantic, but heads up the coast from the South instead of starting North due to his being conveyed by a Spanish ship.


1683: July

William arrives in Elizabeton as a guest of the governor. His unexpected arrival spooks an erstwhile assassin, who confesses his hand in the plot. The nest is arrested: one confesses to having been in the pay of the Carolina governor, a Shaftesbury man. The lot are promptly hanged. The event leads to the city gaining the nickname "Dutchtown;" the name comes to describe the poor section of town.


1683: September

The assassination plot leads to the Yankee party being thrown in turmoil as accusations spread about new plots against William and potentially Henry. Monmouth decides he's better off a bastard than dead, and promptly begins spilling names in the plot. Several are arrested, and with the juries stuffed with Tories, trials are swift. With the Yankee party in disarray Shaftesbury sets sail for Carolina under the pretext of installing a new governor.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1684: January

Additional outposts founded by explorer René-Robert Cavelier in Illinois and Texas spread the influence of the French in the central part of the American territories. The Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is revoked after critical reports reach England, which ends the requirement of church membership for voting. King Charles II of England gives the title Duke of St Albans to Charles Beauclerk, his illegitimate son by Nell Gwyn.


1684: March

Philip V's second French daughter Anne Marie d'Orléans marries Louis, Duke of Bourbon (Monsieur le Duc) and heir to the Prince of Condé. Anne Marie and her descendants are unable to inherit the Spanish throne.


1684: November

James Duke of York's second daughter Anne marries Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, on November 1. She is his second wife.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1685: February

On February 6, King Charles II dies without legitimate issue. At age 9, Prince Henry becomes Henry VIX of England and Henry I of Scotland. The next period becomes known as the "Regency;" while the Queen Mother is Henry's official regent, the boy's godfather plays a key role in guiding the boy and English politics. He is sometimes called William III of England due to his influence.


1685: May

Charles II, Elector Palatine, and brother to the Queen Mother Elizabeth of England, dies without issue on May 26. Frederick William of Brandenburg-Prussia is able to claim the electorate through his son's wife Anne, who is stepdaughter to the only surviving Palantinate heir.




1686: July

The League of Augsburg is founded in response to claims made by Louis XIV of France on the Electorate of the Palatinate in western Germany.

• Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
  
• William III of Orange
  
• Charles XI of Sweden
• Henry VIX of England¹
  
• Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria
• John George III, Elector of Saxony
• Philip William of Neuburg, Elector Palatine
  

---

¹ OTL this spot was filled by Spain's Charles II (whose early death started this whole timeline). Three years after Juan Jose's death, Philip V's got enough power to keep Spain out of anything that threatens the Bourbon family.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1688: November

Frederick William is born to Anne, wife of Frederick of Brandenburg and daughter of James Duke of York, on November 11.


1689: February

Prince Phillipe Juan of Spain (18) marries Portuguese Princess Isabel Luisa (20) on February 20.


1690: October

Princess Isabel Luisa dies of smallpox on October 21, without producing a child.


1690: November

On November 20, Philip V of Spain dies; his legitimate heir is Philippe Juan (19). Louis XIV aims to bring the Spanish throne into the hands of his great nephew Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria (10), son of the King of Bavaria and Philip's eldest daughter, and cousin to the Dauphin's children. Louis claims to have been given a verbal command from Philip to settle the succession away from Phillipe Juan, who is claimed to be sterile, and to his eldest daughter. Some older Spaniards, reminded of Charles II's days and rewarded by their loyalty to Philip V, side with the French, while an opposition sect made up of New Spain landowners, governors, and bureaucrats push to crown Philippe Juan, who desperately needs a wife.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1691: February

The Five Years' War begins between Spain and France over the latter's incursions in the New World and the succession to the Spanish throne. With Philip V's death all support for a different heir vanishes; Philippe Juan takes advantage of his uncle's meddling to muster an upswing of nationalist, populist support in his favor, putting to rest in rumors that he's a "sterile French puppet." He marshals Spain's forces and personally rides out to battle.

William aids Spain, declaring war on France, and eventually bringing the entire League of Augsburg into the battle on Spain's side. He utilizes English resources in the New World even though England is supposedly neutral. New England refuses to send troops, and Yankee members of Parliament protest any backlash against them. A mutiny on one ship breaks out after a pressgang of Virginians refuses to fight for the "false rascals." Fighting between English and French forces near Canada breaks out, with many native tribes banding together with the French. Pennsylvania Quakers declare neutrality.


1691: September

Henry VIX collapses the Plymouth colony, which had remained independent since its founding in 1620, joining it with the Massachusetts Bay Colony under a new governor appointed by William. The move is hugely unpopular, as it leads to conscripts and higher taxes for the war, now derisively called "King William's War."

[Michelle R. Wood]

1692: March

The Salem witch trials begin in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony, as three women are charged with performing witchcraft.


1692: April

Princess Charlotte Laura of England marries John George IV, Elector of Saxony on April 17. They have an unhappy marriage thanks to his continued affair with his mistress, whom he is allowed to keep in exchange for keeping up support in the Holy Roman Empire for the anti-French league.


1692: June

On June 30, the unpopular Governor Sir Edmund Andros and other officials are overthrown by a mob of Bostonians. Andros, an appointee of Henry XIV but seen as a Dutch interloper, is disliked for his support of the Church of England and revocation of various colonial charters.


1692: August

William's forces reestablish control of Boston, temporarily putting the governor of New York in charge of the colony. In reality the New Orange governor sends an aid on loan to fill the post.


1692: September

The Salem witch trial investigations and convictions have led to several months of hangings, and many are still awaiting arraignment on charges. One such man, Giles Corey, refuses to offer a plea in court and instead writes to Boston for intervention. The New Orange/New York viceroy responds by requesting troops be sent to stop the crisis and establish martial law.


1692: October

On October 10, a skirmish breaks out on the road to Salem between Orange forces and Puritan leaders seeking to stop them from entering the town. A leading townsman, Thomas Putnam, whose daughter is one of the leading girls to "cry out" witches, is killed. He becomes a martyr and rallying cry. The witch crisis ebbs as a new battle forms.


1692: November 25

The Battle of New England (November 25) is a standoff between New England and combined New Orange/New York forces, which has taken on the nature of a religious war. Schoolboys from Harvard join in a fight against authoritarian rule, sending printed works up and down the eastern seaboard. William learns of the new war while fighting off the coast of Florida, and immediately sends back word to halt hostilities. The ship carrying his peace envoy is thought to be a warship, though, and shot at by Yankee forces. The War is now a naval battle.

---

¹ OTL Giles Gorey was arrested for witchraft on April 18, 1692, then arraigned on September 9. A man of much legal savvy, he refused to offer a plea, which meant the court could not try him. He was eventually killed but his property remained with his family since he was not found guilty of witchcraft. With higher legal address much closer in this timeline, I see him as the man who would have both the connections and the ability to get a sound request for aid to Boston.

[Michelle R. Wood]

1693: February

Yankee members of Parliament are outraged and demand all succession of hostilities with foreign powers, both in the colonies and in Europe. They're defeated by a Tory majority, reinforced by fears of French fighting in Ireland. Instead, Henry VIX sends a new governor to take control of Massachusetts.

Charlotte Lucas produces a Saxony heir, John George V, on February 2. She escapes catching syphilis from her husband only by refusing his bed after her son is born, and spends most her life in the Netherlands.


1693: March

1693 Henrico College¹ in Elizabeton, Virginia, is granted a Royal charter on March 8.


1693: May

The new governor of Massachusetts gains firm control of the eastern part of the colony, with some western townships still refusing to surrender. He closes the printing press at Harvard and arrests Yankee rebels; several flee south and start protests.


1693: October

Students and rebel landowners are arrested and hung for treason in Elizabeton.

---

¹ OTL College of William & Mary

[Michelle R. Wood]

1694: April

King Henry VIX of England comes into his majority, formally ending his Regency. He still allows his godfather to fight with English troops.


On April 27, John George IV dies of smallpox. His abandoned wife Charlotte, sister to King Henry VIX, returns to Saxony with her son, John George V.


1694: May

The English Parliament is now dominated by Yankees, who declare war on France but proclaim an end to any hostilities in Massachusetts. In reality there is further battle, as the French have taken advantage of the unrest to take all of Maine (a part of Massachusetts), and Yankee land interests are at stake. Massachusetts colonists feel betrayed, as do Yankee supporters in the lower House of Burgesses (Virginia).

It's the final straw in the old Yankee coalition. A majority of the more outspoken Lords were either purged or arrested; the more moderate party leaders renew ties with William to stay in favor with the crown. The core of the old partyists, mainly in the Commons, takes to calling these men "Orangists;" they, in return, are branded "Greens" by their rivals (a reference to Osborne and his club). The very term "Yankee" becomes a term of derision in New England due to their apparent abandonment by those in power in London. Blue and orange become code for Royalists; green and red are now the colors to wear as a "true Yankee and Pilgrim," soon after a "Pilgreem," a play on the original New England settlers fleeing an immoral and corrupted Dutch (as the mythology now goes) and Osborne's usage of Pilgrim's Progress in his club.


1694: July

The Bank of England is founded through Royal charter by the Parliament of England on July 27, proposed by Scottish merchant William Paterson to raise capital by offering safe and steady returns of interest guaranteed by future taxes. A total of £1.2 million is raised for the war effort against Louis XIV by the end of the year to establish the first-ever government debt.


1694: December

On December 3, Parliament passes the Triennial Act requiring general elections every three years.

Mary Princess of Orange, aunt to Henry XIV, dies of smallpox and without an heir on December 28. Her funeral is marked by public mourning in England and the colonies. Arrests take place in Boston and Elizabeton when colonists refuse to attend or tear down memorials.