In need of a PoD

I need a PoD for the following map, which is c.1934

US AMA2.JPG
 

Grey Wolf

Gone Fishin'
Donor
I notice we have an interesting dangly state South of the Rio Grande border. In the 1850s during his eleventh presidency in Mexico, Santa Anna attempted to sell more territory to the USA on the lines of the Gadsden Purchase. OTL he didn't last long enough to see it through. Interestingly, and slightly paradoxical, one reason he didn't last long enough in power was that his powerful counterpoint in government, Alaman died. His death freed Santa Anna from serious contraint or review, leading to his usual excesses and overthrow. One could instead have an ironic situation where Alaman lives, Santa Anna survives longer with less excess, and negotiates in the later 1850s the sale of more territory to the USA. Looking at the map maybe he has ceded Baja as well ?

Grey Wolf
 

Xen

Banned
Intresting! Kentucky and Tennessee seem to be one state but a border runs north and south instead of east to west. The eastern portion of the state has engulfed western North Carolina, western Virginia and part of southern West Virginia. It seems that Yukon Territory has also been added to Alaska, perhaps it is given to the US as a gift from Britain after the Civil War in an effort to reconcile differences the two nations had in that timeframe, it was seen as a wasteland by most then so its not improbable.
 
Eadt-West border in Canada

I see what looks like a border running east-west through the Atlantic Provinces. Is OTL Canada more than one nation, or are parts of ti American?
 
About the southern state of Eastern Tennesse and Southern Appalachia.
A way I think this could happen is if the Unionists in the Appalachians had been able to get better supplies from the Union say by securing the river basins in the areas and ferrying supplies. This may lead to a union state in the heart of dixie and maybe a shorter civil war.
 
The question about Kentucky has certainly got me thinking. Its so out of place, if the POD is pre-1800, since most of the states, and their divisions, usually ran east/west, not north/south. I think the POD might be pre-1860, so the only thing I can come up with is these possible divisions:

East half: state of Franklin, Kentucky or Sylvania or the Cherokee Nation

West half: Cherokee Nation or Pelisipia, a name proposed by Thomas Jefferson for his plan for the division of the Old Northwest Territory.
 

Grey Wolf

Gone Fishin'
Donor
David S Poepoe said:
The question about Kentucky has certainly got me thinking. Its so out of place, if the POD is pre-1800, since most of the states, and their divisions, usually ran east/west, not north/south. I think the POD might be pre-1860, so the only thing I can come up with is these possible divisions:

East half: state of Franklin, Kentucky or Sylvania or the Cherokee Nation

West half: Cherokee Nation or Pelisipia, a name proposed by Thomas Jefferson for his plan for the division of the Old Northwest Territory.

Nice idea. The Supreme Court backed the Cherokee against Jackson, so perhaps given a less egocentric 'Manifest Destiny' president they would be left to join the Union in their own good time

Grey Wolf
 
I like the idea about having the Unionist in east Kentucky/Tennesse get more supplies. Maybe, after the ACW, the state of Appalachia (east) and the state of eith Washington or Frankline (west) is formed.

Three questions:

1. How could a war somewere between 1899-1904 against Mexico start (preferable during TR's presidencey)?
2. What is the absolute earliest date for powered flight?
3. How esay would it be to prosuce a sub-machine gun, if at all, after the Spanish-American War?
 

Grey Wolf

Gone Fishin'
Donor
Mikey said:
I like the idea about having the Unionist in east Kentucky/Tennesse get more supplies. Maybe, after the ACW, the state of Appalachia (east) and the state of eith Washington or Frankline (west) is formed.

Three questions:

1. How could a war somewere between 1899-1904 against Mexico start (preferable during TR's presidencey)?
2. What is the absolute earliest date for powered flight?
3. How esay would it be to prosuce a sub-machine gun, if at all, after the Spanish-American War?

Hmm, you would need to change the OTL ruling (or decision) that secession and defeat had not removed the existing states' right to exist, and to adopt the very radical view that they had essentially annulled their accession to the Union and needed to start all over again

Earliest date for powered flight obviously depends on what other changes you are making. IMHO for aeroplanes ity requires the internal combustion engine so the later 1890s at the earliest. Airships might be achieved earlier but probably need an all-round genius

Grey Wolf
 
As for powered flight, it depends what you need for performance. I had one off the wall idea a while ago for a very dangerous aircraft.
Assuming that experiments with gliders are somewhat successful, and enough is learned about airframes, perhaps a glider could be modified with a solid fuel rocket pack. It's lifted aloft by a large balloon, then cuts loose. As soon as it's clear of the balloon, the pilot ignites the rockets.
The rocket burns at a steady rate until gone--there's no throttleing back or landing early! I designed one using GURPS Vehicles aimed at 1880's level technology, but with sufficient knowlege to make an airframe that will fly.
If anyone's interested, I'll post it here.
Some will fly close to the heavens, but many will be blown there--I'd never wnat to fly such a beast!
Sub-machine guns--I seriously doubt it for some time. Someone could concieveably build one, but it would require such precision manufactureing that they would be horribly expensive, IMHO. Someone with a knowlege of machineing cuold make a far better estimate here.
 
Maybe the Trent affair could lead to a larger civil war between the US and Russia on one side and the CSA , France, and Britain on the other. This would account for the expanded Alaska. Then maybe after a miliatary defeat of the CSA. The US then marches further south to expell the French backed government out of Mexico. After the war. The US takes more territory in the war with Mexico.
 
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