The USA opts for constitutional monarchy instead of a republic.

[Agent23]

By act of ASB, the USA decided they want a constitutional monarchy after their war of Independence, the reasoning could be that this is a way for them to gain more legitimacy among the European Powers.

How would this be implemented, e.g. how would the system of checks and balances work, would the USA have separate elections for the chief of the executive branch or an extra chamber so as to make sure power is not concentrated too much in a single political party or interest group.

Who will the king be?
House of Washington, house of Jefferson, or maybe like a number of countries in Europe they will opt out to import somebody that is already plugged into the system, somebody coming from the Hapsburgs, for example, might give the USA claim over Mexico.

How much actual power would the American Royal Family have and how will this impact the USA going forward?

 

[Terthna]

The most obvious candidate would be Prince Henry, younger brother of Prussian king Frederick the Great; who was actually sent an invitation from former President of the Continental Congress, Nathaniel Gorham, to become America's king.

 

[Agent23]

The most obvious candidate would be Prince Henry, younger brother of Prussian king Frederick the Great; who was actually sent an invitation from former President of the Continental Congress, Nathaniel Gorham, to become America's king.

Maybe, but wouldn't a French or Spanish offshoot be a better choice, since that might give the USA claim to Mexico or Quebec, with the King holding two titles, one over the Quebecois and another over the USA and once they are in a de facto alliance the USA could, in theory take the rest of Canada?

There would obviously have to be some extensive legal agreement/amendment to the US constitution that would guarantee Quebec a lot of autonomy and that can become a problem later on, as the sout could use the legal precedent, though.

 

[Terthna]

Maybe, but wouldn't a French or Spanish offshoot be a better choice, since that might give the USA claim to Mexico or Quebec, with the King hoding two titles, one over the QUebecois and another over the USA and once they are in a de facto alliance the USA could, in theory take the rest of Canada?

It would be the start of another war; which post-revolutionary war America wasn't exactly keen on. Besides; as far as I'm aware, neither the French nor Spanish royal families had anyone of note to spare at the time to become king of some backwater, rebellious former colony.

 

[Lord Sovereign]

The most obvious candidate would be Prince Henry, younger brother of Prussian king Frederick the Great; who was actually sent an invitation from former President of the Continental Congress, Nathaniel Gorham, to become America's king.

There'd be some pretty big ripples from that. That might lead to Royal America becoming very chummy with Prussia and eventually Imperial Germany.

 

[Agent23]

There'd be some pretty big ripples from that. That might lead to Royal America becoming very chummy with Prussia and eventually Imperial Germany.

IIRC the USA almost decided to use German, rather than English, for its official language.

 

[Agent23]

It would be the start of another war; which post-revolutionary war America wasn't exactly keen on. Besides; as far as I'm aware, neither the French nor Spanish royal families had anyone of note to spare at the time to become king of some backwater, rebellious former colony.

Both the Spanish and the French had scores to settle with the British, with the French intervening heavily in the American war of independence.

This can be the cherry on top and in return the US might agree to send some food to France.

 

[Terthna]

Both the Spanish and the French had scores to settle with the British, with the French intervening heavily in the American war of independence.

This can be the cherry on top and in return the US might agree to send some food to France.

No, no; you're not getting it. It would mean war with Spain/France.

 

[Agent23]

No, no; you're not getting it. It would mean war with Spain/France.

Unless some other crisis happens and the British are preoccupied with it.

Like a rebellion in India, perhaps?

How much of India was consolidated under John Company by that point?

Alternately, this US war of independence went worse for the British than in OTL.

 

[stevep]

IIRC the USA almost decided to use German, rather than English, for its official language.

That is a popular myth but as I understand it the suggestion was that German as well as English would have equal status - whether in the entire nation or some of the northern colonies/states where there was a strong German elements I can't off the top of my head remember.

 

[stevep]

Both the Spanish and the French had scores to settle with the British, with the French intervening heavily in the American war of independence.

This can be the cherry on top and in return the US might agree to send some food to France.

France has already got its revenge by enabling the revolution to succeed and gaining some territory but its also exhausted its treasury in the process.

At this point in time I doubt there's a great food surplus in the US and no real capacity to transfer large amounts of food across the Atlantic. Plus at this time France was generally able to produce massive amounts of food on its own.

 

[stevep]

There'd be some pretty big ripples from that. That might lead to Royal America becoming very chummy with Prussia and eventually Imperial Germany.

That assumes that the German empire comes into existence under Prussian leadership which is far from certain. Also that the American dynasty continues and stays politically close to their Prussian kin, both of which is far from certain.

 

[Circle of Willis]

Why not set up an elective monarchy rather than a strictly hereditary one, as proposed in all but name by Alexander Hamilton at the Constitutional Convention? Would let the Americans sidestep the dynastic issue for a while (at least until & unless an elected king's family starts monopolizing the crown, as the Habsburgs eventually did with the HRE) as well, which would have been a problem had either George Washington or Henry of Prussia become the first king. IIRC, neither of them had any direct descendants.

 

[Lord Sovereign]

In terms of what an American Constitutional Monarchy would look like, it wouldn't be too much different from what exists now except that the office of the Presidency would either be heavily diminished or replaced by the King. The original system of government heavily derives from 18th century Britain's with one of the primary differences being the President in of himself, as he is essentially an elected King with term limits.

The big problem of course is how would the other states see this as, back in the day, they were essentially countries unto themselves who might not look too kindly on a monarch from another state having power over them.

 

[S'task]

That is a popular myth but as I understand it the suggestion was that German as well as English would have equal status - whether in the entire nation or some of the northern colonies/states where there was a strong German elements I can't off the top of my head remember.

It wasn't widespread across the entire 13 colonies, but was a major language spoken in Pennsylvania due to the massive number of German immigrants who settled there and became known as the Pennsylvania Dutch.

 

[WolfBear]

Maybe, but wouldn't a French or Spanish offshoot be a better choice, since that might give the USA claim to Mexico or Quebec, with the King holding two titles, one over the Quebecois and another over the USA and once they are in a de facto alliance the USA could, in theory take the rest of Canada?

There would obviously have to be some extensive legal agreement/amendment to the US constitution that would guarantee Quebec a lot of autonomy and that can become a problem later on, as the sout could use the legal precedent, though.

Any French or Spanish prince who becomes the King of the USA would have to convert to Protestantism, no? Anti-Catholic sentiment was likely still very widespread in the US in the 1780s.

 

[Agent23]

Why not set up an elective monarchy rather than a strictly hereditary one, as proposed in all but name by Alexander Hamilton at the Constitutional Convention? Would let the Americans sidestep the dynastic issue for a while (at least until & unless an elected king's family starts monopolizing the crown, as the Habsburgs eventually did with the HRE) as well, which would have been a problem had either George Washington or Henry of Prussia become the first king. IIRC, neither of them had any direct descendants.

I think that most monarchs were hereditary by that point, though, and also it will probably be easier for the Americans to plug themselves into European politics if it was a member of an established dynasty.

Any French or Spanish prince who becomes the King of the USA would have to convert to Protestantism, no? Anti-Catholic sentiment was likely still very widespread in the US in the 1780s.

Probably, but it wasn't all that uncommon for that to happen, Catherine the Great converted to orthodoxy, for example.

It wasn't widespread across the entire 13 colonies, but was a major language spoken in Pennsylvania due to the massive number of German immigrants who settled there and became known as the Pennsylvania Dutch.

IIRC there were decent-sized German-speaking communities in places like Texas into the first half of the XXth century, with their own schools, LBJ was even sent to one and couldn't understand a word.

 

[WolfBear]

Probably, but it wasn't all that uncommon for that to happen, Catherine the Great converted to orthodoxy, for example.

Even an ex-Catholic could arouse suspicion if their conversion could be viewed as being insincere, though. For instance, French King Henry IV was subjected to a lot of assassination attempts during his lifetime (with one ultimately being successful) because his conversion to Catholicism was viewed as being insincere by some.

 

[Agent23]

Even an ex-Catholic could arouse suspicion if their conversion could be viewed as being insincere, though. For instance, French King Henry IV was subjected to a lot of assassination attempts during his lifetime (with one ultimately being successful) because his conversion to Catholicism was viewed as being insincere by some.

Well, good thing the USA is pro-religious freedom I guess.
A German royal would probably work, too.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

The most obvious candidate would be Prince Henry, younger brother of Prussian king Frederick the Great; who was actually sent an invitation from former President of the Continental Congress, Nathaniel Gorham, to become America's king.

Don't think there was near enough support for this.

House of Washington it is. Though the ASBs may need to rejuvenate George so he can produce living heirs.