It is my understanding that the Hudson Bay Company wanted to sell Rupert's Land and the American government wanted to buy it.
"As the Dominion of Canada was taking its first steps, its political leaders were eyeing a vast area of land to the west of the new nation.
The government of John A. Macdonald purchased almost eight million square kilometers of land from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1869. The area was almost 30 times the size of Great Britain. (Courtesy of the National Archives of Canada)
An enormous territory called Rupert's Land was up for sale. It encompassed almost eight million square kilometers, including most of the prairies, and parts of what are now northern Quebec, northern Ontario, and Nunavut. The once powerful Hudson's Bay Company controlled the area. But the British fur trade giant had been in decline for years and it was now preparing to sell Rupert's Land.
The Americans, who had just paid Russia $7.2 million for Alaska in 1867, were looking for other properties to expand the Republic and eyed the territory.
But Canada saw Rupert's Land as the natural extension of its new nation which included Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec.
George Brown, editor of The Globe and a Father of Confederation, described it as "the vast and fertile territory which is our birthright - and which no power on earth can prevent us occupying."
The Hudson's Bay Company was prepared to sell to the Americans who would pay top dollar, but the British government made it clear it wanted the territory to be sold to Canada.
On March 20, 1869, the Hudson's Bay Company reluctantly, under pressure from Great Britain, sold Rupert's Land to the Government of Canada for $1.5 million."
Lets assume that Great Britain lets the HBC sell Rupert's Land to the USA. For the sake of this discussion, lets assume that the USA agreed to honor all current land claims in the settled area and agreed to extend to HBC the same rights and privileges as an American Company. Also, lets assume that the USA honors these agreements due to the importance of trade with Britain and the size of the British navy.
With what was Canada in the OTL, now split into two separate areas, what would happen? Does two separate countries evolve with one on the East Coast and the other on the West Coast? Does these two sections find themselves coming under the economic control of the USA and eventually become part of the USA?
Thoughts?
"As the Dominion of Canada was taking its first steps, its political leaders were eyeing a vast area of land to the west of the new nation.
The government of John A. Macdonald purchased almost eight million square kilometers of land from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1869. The area was almost 30 times the size of Great Britain. (Courtesy of the National Archives of Canada)
An enormous territory called Rupert's Land was up for sale. It encompassed almost eight million square kilometers, including most of the prairies, and parts of what are now northern Quebec, northern Ontario, and Nunavut. The once powerful Hudson's Bay Company controlled the area. But the British fur trade giant had been in decline for years and it was now preparing to sell Rupert's Land.
The Americans, who had just paid Russia $7.2 million for Alaska in 1867, were looking for other properties to expand the Republic and eyed the territory.
But Canada saw Rupert's Land as the natural extension of its new nation which included Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec.
George Brown, editor of The Globe and a Father of Confederation, described it as "the vast and fertile territory which is our birthright - and which no power on earth can prevent us occupying."
The Hudson's Bay Company was prepared to sell to the Americans who would pay top dollar, but the British government made it clear it wanted the territory to be sold to Canada.
On March 20, 1869, the Hudson's Bay Company reluctantly, under pressure from Great Britain, sold Rupert's Land to the Government of Canada for $1.5 million."
Lets assume that Great Britain lets the HBC sell Rupert's Land to the USA. For the sake of this discussion, lets assume that the USA agreed to honor all current land claims in the settled area and agreed to extend to HBC the same rights and privileges as an American Company. Also, lets assume that the USA honors these agreements due to the importance of trade with Britain and the size of the British navy.
With what was Canada in the OTL, now split into two separate areas, what would happen? Does two separate countries evolve with one on the East Coast and the other on the West Coast? Does these two sections find themselves coming under the economic control of the USA and eventually become part of the USA?
Thoughts?
