One vote could have prevented the American Revolution

In 1774 a Pennsylvanian Colonist named Joseph Galloway was a member of the First Continental Congress wherein he had proposed a middle ground between Revolution and oppression. With a vote of 6 states to 5 they postponed consideration of his plan then endorsing the more revolutionary Suffolk Resolves. By October he was removed as Speaker of the Pennsylvania assembly and replaced by John Dickinson who argued the British Parliament had no right to tax the colonists.

Galloway was considered a “Loyalist” as he did not want to break from the Crown. Instead his plan was to create a Union between the two with a written constitution, guaranteed rights of Englishmen, and right of representation in Parliament. The plan proposed an American legislature chosen by colonial assemblies for 3 year terms, King would appoint a President General to administer the colonies and execute the laws, and the requirement that no law would be implemented without being approved by both Parliament and American Legislature.

His plan received little traction in the Continental Congress which was motivated towards revolution, resulting in them choosing separation over compromise. It was then expunged from the journal which prompted him to publish his proposal separate from Congress. With the Congress becoming more favoring towards Revolution in 1776 he broke with them and left Philadelphia. Within 2 years he would be prompted to flee the Colonies for England (20% of Loyalists left the Colonies (Loyalists comprised 33% of Colonists)). By 1793 he petitioned the state of Pennsylvania to allow him to return home; he was denied the right of return.

So by just 1 vote the Colonies rejected his plan of compromise which led ultimately to the American Revolution. Had just 1 more state voted for his plan, the Colonists would have been given representation, they would have remained part of the Kingdom, and the American Revolution would never have occurred.

Joseph Galloway
Plan of Union

Thanks for the history lesson, but I still believe that nothing would have stopped the American Revolution, the colonies wanted to separate and become independent, Even if they have gotten that 1 vote.

I have to believe, that no matter how that vote turned out the American Revolution would have occurred. Maybe not right then but somewhere down the road Americans would have grown disillusioned with the crown and they would have started to revolt.

Or the second option that would could of happened is we could have seen loyalist states form an alliance with England and pursue the plan that was laid out in the OP. Then the other states would have tried to form some sort of alliance with themselves and possible expand west to incorporate more land.

Either way, I still think the states were bound to try to break free from England at some point.