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Author: Xtifr

Oct 23rd 2016 at 1:58:32 PM

Ok, expanded to incorporate Bisected8's suggestions:
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An AlternateHistory setting where UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates remains under the control of a European monarchy. The most common version is where the colonists lost UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution. This may be portrayed as a dystopia, especially by writers ''from'' the US, or it may simply be to show how glorious UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire might be if it hadn't eventually fizzled out (more common with British writers).[[note]] In reality, the British Empire did not reach its peak until ''long'' after the American Revolution.[[/note]] The important thing is that the United States never became an independent country, and the original colonies (at least) ''remain'' under control of a foreign king (or queen).

If there was a failed revolution, then it's quite likely that the colonies will have suffered some sort of harsh reprisals, and may still be living under some sort of [[OppressiveStatesOfAmerica stern martial law]]. In this case, expect to find LaResistance going strong.

The colonists will often retain stereotypically British traits, such as accents, even those traits were not actually affected by the war, but by distance, and, in many cases, were already somewhat established by the time the war occurred. This may be done to help remind the viewer that things are different in this timeline, or it may simply be RuleOfFunny.

In any case, expect mention of HistoricalDomainCharacters like UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington, UsefulNotes/ThomasJefferson, and Creator/BenjaminFranklin, in much different roles from the ones they played in our history. They may be branded as traitors, or simply remembered for much different things. Benedict Arnold's name will no longer be a synonym for {{Turncoat}}, and may even be a term of praise. Paul Revere will be remembered for his work as a silversmith, rather than for the midnight ride immortalized by the poet Longfellow.

See also the DividedStatesOfAmerica, where the US never unified or the union broke up at some point; the FallenStatesOfAmerica, where the US has become a third world country; and the ExpandedStatesOfAmerica, where the US has gotten bigger.
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Anything else we should mention?

I do think we should discuss the name a bit more; the current one seems ''very'' misleading to me.

And while I'm at it...Indexes! I suggest {{Settings}}, AlternateHistoryTropes, and IndexedStatesOfAmerica.