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Welcome to Roses, Tulips, & Liberty!
Roses, Tulips, and Liberty (RTL) is a collaborative alternate-history timeline, based on the premise of a stronger Dutch presence in North America surviving to the present day.
You can also find us on:
- Discord All are welcome, feel free to join if you want to contribute or just hang out in general. This is where the discussion and brainstorming for the timeline happens.
- RTL Subreddit This is where maps are posted (aside from this wiki, of course). Maps are also posted on r/imaginarymaps on Reddit, most of the time.
The Point of Divergence
In our timeline, the Dutch colony of New Netherland came to an end after it was ceded to England in 1667, following the 2nd Anglo-Dutch War. In this timeline, however, the colony holds out and repels the English invasion. But how, exactly?
To understand the situation, we need to go 26 years back. The story begins when Adriaen van der Donck, a Dutch lawyer, arrived in New Netherland in 1641. He was immediately impressed by the land, which, in contrast with the Netherlands, was thickly forested, hilly, and full of wildlife. He ended up spending a good portion of his life in the colony, exploring and writing about this beautiful land. He traveled back and forth multiple times between his homeland and New Netherland to promote the Dutch West India Company run-colony.
It was not long after that he became an activist for Dutch-style republicanism and a prominent political figure in the colony. He despised the mismanagement and undemocratic methods of the Dutch WIC, a sentiment he shared with his fellow colonists. Van der Donck became the voice of the settlers, advocating for reforms and a change in the colonial government.
He was elected in the colony's Council of Nine in 1649 and had petitioned the Dutch States-General in Europe to remove the Dutch WIC from the colonial administration and establish a more liberal government. After several years of being ignored, his petition was finally heard and granted by the Dutch States-General on February 2, 1653. He was victorious.
However, before he could sail back to the colony, the First Anglo-Dutch War broke out. Due to the war, the Dutch government rescinded its decision for the colony, and Van Der Donck's dreams for New Netherland fell apart.
Van der Donck's multiple attempts to return to the colony was blocked by the Dutch WIC because of the destabilizing effects of his activism, especially in a time of war. Two years later, Van Der Donck died. His dreams never came to fruition, and he became nothing but a footnote in New York history and American history in general.
This timeline explores what could have happened if his plans had materialized. In this timeline, the First Anglo-Dutch war still happens, but Van Der Donck was allowed to proceed with his new government in New Netherland.
Fast forward back to the 2nd Anglo-Dutch war, when four English frigates had sailed to New Amsterdam and demanded New Netherland's surrender. Due to the promotion of the colony and a boom in population thanks to Van der Donck's advocacies, the settlers were able to successfully repel this attempted invasion and secure New Netherland's position for the years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called "Roses, Tulips, and Liberty?"
The Roses, Tulips, and the Liberty pertain to New Netherland's complicated history with England (Rose), the Dutch Republic (Tulips), and her independence in 1795 (liberty). More specifically, it refers to the Autumn War of 1795. When the Dutch Republic was subjugated by the French Republic in 1795, the Dutch stadtholder William V ordered New Netherland to surrender to Britain for "safekeeping". However, New Netherland's leader refused to acknowledge this order. Britain then sent an ultimatum for the New Netherland colonial government to surrender. When they refused to do so, they were plunged into a war against Britain known as the Autumn War. This war is the most significant war in New Netherland history, and is often regarded as the independence war.
