National motto:E pluribus unum | |
Official language | none, English de facto |
Capital | New York City |
Independence | 1776 (declared) 1783 (recognized) |
Dissolution | 1871 |
Currency | None |
The United States of America was a loose organization of independent states in North America. It was formed in 1776, when several colonies of Great Britain declared independence. Their independence was recognized in 1783. The newly-independent States were linked only by a weak and ineffectual congress, established by the Articles of Confederation. The Articles created a weak union, with little prestige, which was often ignored by the state governments. Conflicts over western territories, disputes over trade tariffs, and non-convertible currencies strained the infant nation. While many historians believe that the proposed Constitution could've created a stronger union, it did not get to prove itself, as it failed to achieve the required 9 state ratifications.
Instead, the states continued to drift farther apart. Virgina reclaimed the territory it had ceded to the Congress, and several other states followed, often with overlapping claims. New Jersey, its economy wrecked by post-War depression and New York's tariffs, merged with Pennsylvania. Rhode Island was invaded and divided by her neighbors, Connecticut and Massachusetts. New York and New Hampshire continued to feud over the disputed territory which called itself the Republic of Vermont.
Disputes between New York and Pennsylvania on one side, and Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire on the other led to the War of the Northern States, which ended in the New England states leaving the union, and returning to Britain under the banner of the Union of New England.
Virginia meanwhile began to aggressively assert her claims to the Northwest Territories in the Northwest Wars, a series of relatively minor military conflicts which left Virginia in control of the entire disputed territory.
In 1809, a border disputed between Georgia and Spain heated up into a war. Georgian troops clashed with Spanish troops in the disputed region, beginning the Florida War. The other states sent some assistance, but, for the most part, remained outside of the conflict. When the War was over, Georgia found herself in control of all of Florida.
The United States broke up in the aftermath of the Virginian Civil War. The last meeting of the Congress was in 1871, at which time, the remaining members voted for dissolution.
Members[]
Original members (north to south)
- Commonwealth of New York
- State of Pennsylvania
- State of Maryland
- Commonwealth of Virginia
- State of North Carolina
- State of South Carolina
- State of Georgia
Later members
- Republic of Vermont
- Union of New England
- Republic of Louisiana