One of the most well-known AH cliches around these parts is Confederate Cuba. It's been discussed a few times how a Confederate-Spanish War over Cuba might turn out.
What I want to discuss is an American Cuba prior to the ACW. I think the problem with using the Ostend Manifesto as a POD is that apparently everybody involved was an idiot. So what is a credible way for the US to gain Cuba prior to the ACW?
Then comes the mess of what to do with it. Would it be a territory or a state or something else? How long would it take to gain such a status: months, years, decades...? Would it be slave or free? What happens to the island's demographics, politics, economy, and culture? How does it affect these things in the rest of the country? Does it cause an early ACW, postpone it, or prevent it? What happens to Cuba when the ACW breaks out, during the war, and after it?
What I want to discuss is an American Cuba prior to the ACW. I think the problem with using the Ostend Manifesto as a POD is that apparently everybody involved was an idiot. So what is a credible way for the US to gain Cuba prior to the ACW?
Then comes the mess of what to do with it. Would it be a territory or a state or something else? How long would it take to gain such a status: months, years, decades...? Would it be slave or free? What happens to the island's demographics, politics, economy, and culture? How does it affect these things in the rest of the country? Does it cause an early ACW, postpone it, or prevent it? What happens to Cuba when the ACW breaks out, during the war, and after it?