No, California was definitely colonized by that point. The empire doesn't have a chance of taking it before the Americans do.
True, but you aren't going to stop people from chest thumping.
That is a fascinating question. Can US do much about Philippines without Hawaii?
The Philippines were almost an afterthought at the start of the Spanish-American War.
Also I wonder how the rise of Japan would play out.
I was wondering when someone was going to mention the power MOST interested (proportionally) in Pacific Affairs as regarded their own national future.
Perhaps US would not be really involved in China that much.
Then they'd be the only power this side of Sweden who weren't.
So, could it safely be said that with a bit of effort and luck, we could see OTL Seattle be part of British Columbia?
Alaska is a consideration
What about impressing upon Japan? We've got the Bakumatsu just around the corner - it could mean Britain can provide more assistance to either side, British Protectorate in Japan? Yes please!
Too bad there won't be anyone left in the British Isles since they'll all be overseas defending and exploiting this mega-empire.
And Japan is a protectorate to nobody!
Why did the British tell their man to shut up and stop being stupid OTL?
This is the empire that annexed a centuries old kingdom of some millions of people in the ass end of Africa because a glory hound who the government was embarrassed over got his command badly mauled by the locals.
If they turned down Hawaii OTL with a track record of flimsy annexations and concessions they must have had a reason. Most likely they just didn't see any value in it and figured an influential American minority was too much of a pain in the ass to deal with.
Not to mention that seven course meals were one thing. Sixteen course meals were another. Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you should.
I suspect that after the costs of the 7YW, ARW, Wars of the French Revolution, and Napoleonic Wars the British Government saw the wisdom in not trying to grab for every single last morsel on the table. They did that at the end of the 7YW, pissing off both their enemies and (now ex-)allies, and found that at the next war THEY were the ones at the beggars table, without a single Continental ally to call upon. And whatever our...prouder, Pax Britannica fans may have to say about the matter, at the very least Great Britain could not have withstood a global war (1) with all the other powers as their enemy or hostile neutral.
1) Whether in terms of matters military, economic, or political, Something would have given. Most likely a fall of the current British government.