America Emerges as a Great Power

This is also a spin off of the time line that started with Sweden entering the Crimean War. This will be more concentrated on what happen with the emergence of the United States.
The US opened Japan to the rest of the world in the 1850's with the appearance of Commodore Perry's fleet. One of the things that did happen then was Perry stopped at the Borin Islands. The island had a settelemnt of European and Americans. The American Naval officer bought land there from the head of the settlement and he also claimed the land for the United States. He left a small detachment of volunteers on the islands and vowedd to return on his next voyage into the region.
Indeed he did return to the islands on his next voyage to Japan.
The result of American iterest was more settlers arrived.
Yet it was the Spanish American War that took place during the Freemont Administration which resulted in the Americans taking a larger role in the Pacific. The war saw the US capture the island of Guam and by the end of the war the US had title to the Maranasas Island chain.
It also claimed Wake island and Midway Island.
The Borin islands expanded as a coaling station and as a naval facility for the American Far Eastern force.

Ameriwank.

The US getting Alaska early might make sense. The US taking on Spain . . . it might, just might be worth going into how a far weaker US (than the US of the 1890s) just casually wins a war with Spain.

And why it cares about the Borin Islands and such.

Elfwine said:

Ameriwank.

The US getting Alaska early might make sense. The US taking on Spain . . . it might, just might be worth going into how a far weaker US (than the US of the 1890s) just casually wins a war with Spain.

And why it cares about the Borin Islands and such.

Click to expand...

theres a lot more over it in the thread Swden enters the Crimean War

herricks said:

theres a lot more over it in the thread Swden enters the Crimean War

Click to expand...

If he's going to create a new thread dedicated to wanking the US so hard it hurts, it would be useful to provide relevant information to what's going on in the US and with it in the new thread.

Recap of what has happen before: During the First Freemont Administration the US ended up with a war with both Mexico and Spain. The war united the country. Spain was already weaken having suffered two Carlist Civil Wars. The first one was in the 1820s and the second one had taken place in th late 1840s.
The Mistreatment of American citizens by Spanish Colonial authorities resulted is a swarm of stories in the press. The end result was the US was able to achieve vistory over both of its neighbors. The US won the war in Cuba and in Puerto Rico. It also captured Guam.
Spain was worried that the US might seek to take the Philippines, so lacking a navy it agreed to a peace treaty that gave the US the teo colonies in the Americas as well as Guam and the Maranasas Island.
Mexico also lost territory to the Americans.

The US had acquired Alaska from the Russians during the Crimean War as Russia was desperate for money.
The US has acquire the Bonin Islands as a result of the opening of Japan.
It was decided that it would make an excellent site for a coaling station for American Warships in Asia.
For a more detailed look check Sweden enters the Crimean War.

Below the Pacific as of 1871 in this time line

why does the US have Haida Gwaii?

Why does the US have half of OTL Mexico?

Currently claimed by the US and Canada. I may award it back to Canada as it was colored blue to a slip.

United States of America 1871

Below a corrected Map of the United States, Canada and the Empire of Mexico.

The American Navy was finally seeing the construction of some new warships. The Congress had cut spending on the Navy from1869-1871 in an attempt to balance the large cost of maintaining a larger army. The Empire of Mexico was regarded as a threat and then there were the conflict with the American Indians, Still President Grants budget called for the construction of 6 new warships. America would need them in view of the island territories in the Pacific.
The European/American population in the The Islands that Commodore Perry had claimed for the US totaled 1700 plus an additional 300 Asian/ Polynesians. The Naval base was still small but the sailors and Marines that maintained it totaled 39.

The United States Maintained a sizable Military force In what was called the Mexican territories. These lands had been acquired during what was termed the 2nd Mexican-American War (for more information on this conflict check Sweden enters the Crimean War). There had been a considerable immigration
from those southern states that had tried to break away from the US.
Mexico's Emperor had no desire for a conflict with the US. He was attempting to finally put down the Juarezists threat and would prefer to have better relations with the Americans.
President Grant had submited a Naval bill which called for the construction of 24 new warships over the next 6 years. Work had begun on designing the first steel warship.
Grant was about to announce that he was seeking a second term.There was little talk about who would oppose him. Former President Freemont was going to be going overseas on a tour of Great Britain, the Empire of Germany and Austria. Former President Lincoln had already been asked by members of the Illinois Republican Party to consider running for the US Senate seat. But a letter from Grant really perked his interest. He sent a letter back saying that he would be in the capital to meet with the President.

The former Presidents meeting with President Grant lasted for more than 4 hours. Lincoln's mood was up beat as he left the White House. He doubted that his wife would understand why he had taken the mission on but he had found the idea interesting.
Lincoln and his wife Mary caught the morning train that was heading south. . The journey was a long one and even when this phase of it was over he would just be starting . after several days the train had made its way through Texas. He had continued south into the US Mexican territories. He had then traveled by a special stagecoach to a fort that was the Headquarters for General Philip Sheridan. He then met with the general and handed him a letter from President Grant.
Two days latter the former President left the fort escorted by a troop of cavalry for a meeting along the border with the Empire of Mexico.

Lincoln finally arrived at a town near the border. Waiting for him was Colonel Mackenzie with the Rest of the regiment. Across the other side of the border was an encampment of the Imperial Mexican Army.
A special Building had been constructed to allow for a meeting that might solve a problem.
The Former President of the United States was acting as a special Envoy fr the current President of the United States.
Lincoln rose from his seat to greet the man who had come a long way to find a peaceful solution to the tensions between the two nations.
The two men approached one another and shock hands. With a slight accent that indicated that English was not his native language he greeted the former President. Lincoln responded and over the next four hours they spoke. They then dined together and talked about their lives.
The Emperor of Mexico and the former President did not always agree but they reached an understanding. They then signed a letter of understanding and finally a treaty.

The agreement signed by the Mexican Emperor and by former President Lincoln on behalf of the US was on its way to President Grant by special courier. It would end the lack of diplomatic relations between the two nations. It would also hopefully result in a settlement in the Mexican Civil War. The Mexican Republicans were losing but this agreement would settle that with pardons.
Lincoln was now en route to California for the second part of his trip. It would take him to Hawaii and then on to other parts of the Pacific.

The former President and his family enjoyed the visit to Hawaii. He also found New Zealand and Australia to be fantastic. He deliver a speech there and then traveled to Shanghai becoming the first former President to visit China. He then traveled o Japan. There he met with representatives of the Japanese government. From there the President traveled to the Borin island
where the ship was refueled. The former first family dined at the home of the Governor. He was a US Naval officer, who also comamded the US Navy/Marine detachmen there.
The Warship then saled to Hawaii and then to the west coast. After a weeks stay in Califonia the Lincolns started a train trip which would take them to WashingtonDC. There the met with the President. He and to his suprise th other former Republican President had joined them for a diner.
They discussed what they had seen in Europe and Asia.

One of the things that occurred as a result of the two ex-Presidents trips was that President Grant moved forward and established diplomatic relations with the German Empire. The US was the first non European Nation to establish relations with it.
The United States also signed a treaty with the Empire of Brazil which would improve trade between the two nations.
Relations with Japan seemed to also get the attention of the administration. It was America that opened Japan to the world.
Hawaii was a question mark to the administration. On the one hand one had Americans living there that wanted it made part of the United States but on the other hand it was an independent nation and President Grant did not feel it was right. The tide of Manifest Destiny might be rising but there were still those in the US that thought it had limits. The US relations with Hawaii would improve. When word arrived in the White House that General Longstreet was going to retire he sent word to the general asking him to visit the White House.
The President was about to ask the General to take the post of Consulate General to the Kingdom of Hawaii. He would oversee US relations and hopefully keep in check some of the fanatics.

Shortly after the dinner that saw the current and two past Presidents of the United States together for the first time the US Senate approved the treaty with the Empire of Mexico. The United States would be reopening its embassy in Mexico City. Benito Juarez was also in the Mexican Capital after the Emperor had offered amnesty to all of those who would lay down their arms and pledge loyalty to the new government. To the surprise of many Benito Juarez was named as Prime Minister in a move to bring the Mexican Nation together.

Only a handful of people were aware that this had happen do to the efforts of Lincoln and President Grant.
Below the Emperor of Mexico

Which Emperor is this? Do you mean Maximilian I, because that doesn't entirely look like him. Wouldn't the US be loathe to cosy up to an Emperor who was essentially a French puppet? Monroe Doctrine, and all that?