A Bigger United States

[HeavyWeaponsGuy]

Mentioned once already, I really like the Greenland idea. Seems quite plausible to me actually. Also, its always seemed odd to me that Baja California isn't part of the USA based purely on geography.

Or settlement patterns for that matter, it's not hard at all to imagine people coming through California down to set up minor settlements in Baja to the point where that start to outnumber the native Mexicans, problem is there isn't really an abundance of land and they have to go through both California and Texas, both of which have flourishing areas of existing communities, Mexican or American, that they can settle in either of those places. Baja does have pretty good fishing prospects though. Good for a group of people that may want to lay low but needs somewhere with good prospects.

 

[Plumber]

Thank ya kindly Mr. Plumber, I see for once we have discussed Wilson without derailing the thread, we are making progress as it would seem.

Though I find myself amused at the realization of how immensely similar US Latin America policy back in the early 20th century was to modern US Middle East policy. Gotta protect 'dem bananas/oil resources.

Yup.
Well why would policy analysts make whole new strategies when they can just lazily look at history? Apparently they didn't remember one word from Latin America though: insurgency.

It also may be worth noting that many people thought Nicaragua especially would join the US, probably people who wanted a Nicaraguan canal as well.
Forgot about Greenland, that's a good one. And you could always make the pacific islands the state of Pacifista instead of kind-of-not-really decolonizing

I live right by Baja. No one is really interested in moving there, California has as much undeveloped desert as it is. The only place in Baja people go are typically Tijuana and Mexicali (because they're very very very close) and Cabo San Lucas. If it was part of the US because of the Mex-Am War or William Walker succeeded or a larger Purchase, then what would happen is Tijuana is part of San Diego, Mexicali wouldn't exist, and Cabo would be pretty much the same.

 

[HeavyWeaponsGuy]

Yup.
Well why would policy analysts make whole new strategies when they can just lazily look at history? Apparently they didn't remember one word from Latin America though: insurgency.

It also may be worth noting that many people thought Nicaragua especially would join the US, probably people who wanted a Nicaraguan canal as well.
Forgot about Greenland, that's a good one. And you could always make the pacific islands the state of Pacifista instead of kind-of-not-really decolonizing

I live right by Baja. No one is really interested in moving there, California has as much undeveloped desert as it is. The only place in Baja people go are typically Tijuana and Mexicali (because they're very very very close) and Cabo San Lucas. If it was part of the US because of the Mex-Am War or William Walker succeeded or a larger Purchase, then what would happen is Tijuana is part of San Diego, Mexicali wouldn't exist, and Cabo would be pretty much the same.

Yeah... I live by Baja too... it's oppressively hot and really only good for the fishing from the PoV of a settler, doesn't make much difference whether the US has it or not.

 

[Incognito]

Is there any way U.S. to set up protectorates (which decades down the line become new states) in Europe post-WW2? Say Hitler is more genocidal towards western Europeans than he was in OTL or something and post-WW2 Europe is basically in anarchy?

 

[Wendell]

The only area worth adding to the United States is Canada, but doing so is at best borderline ASB in the twentieth century.

 

[MerryPrankster]

If it was part of the US because of the Mex-Am War or William Walker succeeded or a larger Purchase, then what would happen is Tijuana is part of San Diego, Mexicali wouldn't exist, and Cabo would be pretty much the same.

Could you elaborate on Mexicali?

In my Afrikaner TL, a more Catholic-friendly U.S. annexes more of Mexico after the war and Tijuana is the name of a neighborhood in San Diego.

I haven't put any thought to other cities, so any input would be nice.

 

[MerryPrankster]

Is there any way U.S. to set up protectorates (which decades down the line become new states) in Europe post-WW2? Say Hitler is more genocidal towards western Europeans than he was in OTL or something and post-WW2 Europe is basically in anarchy?

There were some people who wanted Sicily to become a U.S. state OTL, but I don't know how feasible that would be.

 

[CT23]

Could you elaborate on Mexicali?

In my Afrikaner TL, a more Catholic-friendly U.S. annexes more of Mexico after the war and Tijuana is the name of a neighborhood in San Diego.

I haven't put any thought to other cities, so any input would be nice.

Do you have a link to that TL? It sounds interesting.

 

[Evan]

Is there any way U.S. to set up protectorates (which decades down the line become new states) in Europe post-WW2? Say Hitler is more genocidal towards western Europeans than he was in OTL or something and post-WW2 Europe is basically in anarchy?

I'm wondering if that might happen (or else they become British dominions) in Calbear's Anglo-American / Nazi War...

 

[Tallest Skil]

The only area worth adding to the United States is Canada, but doing so is at best borderline ASB in the twentieth century.

"Worth"? WORTH?!

Taiwan, Sicily, Albania, the Philippines, and Japan (if the U.S. becomes MUCH more evil) all have GREAT merit.

 

[The Marauder]

I think the better question is, what is the latest point that the United States can enlarge itself? I think as soon as World War II finishes, the United States is done growing, provided that the war itself is the one that we recognize.

 

[snerfuplz]

Northern Mexico was a complete mess at the time, what with Pancho Villa running around and the whole Revolution that was sweeping the country. By that point, most US properties and investments in Mexico had been nationalized by the Mexican government, leaving the US with no incentive to go in and take over. All it would do is add several million impoverished citizens and violence to the Southwest.

Not to mention the United States had already picked sides supporting Carranza

 

[Abgrund]

With a post-1900 PoD, any large accretions of territory are a bit far-fetched. After WWI, even moreso; there was some anti-imperial backlash. A few possibilities, although they may well be considered ASB:
1. Instead of an 'Open Door', the U.S. fights or negotiates for its own sphere in China, and eventually winds up trying to rule it.
2. In 1905, Teddy R. negotiates the sale of Kamchatka and the Chukchi peninsula to the U.S., leading to an American interest in the region and the acquisition of further territory during the Russian Civil War.
3. Britain comes under Nazi rule during WWII, and a demoralized Canada looks to the U.S. for protection during the coming Cold War.
4. Mexico foolishly joins the Central Powers in 1917 (I did say ASB, didn't I? Hell, some German thought it was possible).
5. Hitler escapes to Brazil in 1945 and leads a coup. Allied intervention leads to a prolonged occupation and the U.S. eventually takes over in Brazil.
6. Liberia is attacked by, uh, someone. Alien Space Bats perhaps. The U.S. intervenes and is drawn into local conflicts, leading to a major presence in West Africa.
7. Huge deposits of gold/dilithium/unobtainium are found in Antarctica, leading to a race to rule the Antarctic. Naturally America wins, and Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen, and Robert Scott are all imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay.

An 1800 PoD would be a lot easier.

 

[Wendell]

"Worth"? WORTH?!

Taiwan, Sicily, Albania, the Philippines, and Japan (if the U.S. becomes MUCH more evil) all have GREAT merit.

Is Albania a reference to the film Wag the Dog?

 

[MerryPrankster]

Do you have a link to that TL? It sounds interesting.

https://www.alternatehistory.com/Discussion/showthread.php?t=148407&highlight=apartheid+superpower

Here's the latest version.

 

[karl2025]

In the first couple decades there's an opportunity for a second Mexican "war" involving US troops moving into Mexico and it's possible you could see some territory change hands.

Cuba, obviously. Greenland.

The US might be able to get more islands from the Destroyers for Bases program or selling France airplanes for their stuff in the Pacific.

 

[TRX]

Taiwan, Sicily, Albania, the Philippines, and Japan (if the U.S. becomes MUCH more evil) all have GREAT merit.

The Philippines was already American by 1900. Acquisition of the others by conquest would have to occur before Roosevelt and Churchill made the Atlantic Charter in August of 1941; the Charter covered any territorial acquisitions during WWII, and the creation of the UN overlapped the duration of the Charter.

Of course, nothing would stop a country from petitioning to become part of the USA, voluntarily or otherwise...

 

[Plumber]

Could you elaborate on Mexicali?

In my Afrikaner TL, a more Catholic-friendly U.S. annexes more of Mexico after the war and Tijuana is the name of a neighborhood in San Diego.

I haven't put any thought to other cities, so any input would be nice.

Mexicali was founded as a border town. I doubt an analogue of it would exist at all, since I think Baja would be part of Alta California if it was in the U.S. The only reason it might be founded is because it's the gateway to the Imperial Valley, but if it is it remains a very small town. Actual settlements was concentrated on Los Algodones, which was a slightly easier area to live. Certainly the name changes, which is rather a shame.

Yes, Tijuana would be a neighborhood in San Diego Like Culver City and LA.

In your TL did you mean for Coahuila to be annexed too? If not, Piedras Negras will likely be a booming border town.

The only area worth adding to the United States is Canada, but doing so is at best borderline ASB in the twentieth century.

You could have the Venezuelan Crisises of 1895 and 1902 flare up, but on the whole... very implausible, yes.

 

[ArabianAdobo]

Philippines won't happen in any way that doesn't make it basically a colony in any way to the US. Their population is large enough that they could very significantly have a voice in Congress larger than that of a good amount of US states. I suspect that is part of the reason why it was eventually determined that "the Constitution does not follow the flag".

At the turn of the 20th Century, the Philippines only had 8 million people. I don't think that would have made a major dent in the US population of 76 million at that time.

 

[Dilvish]

At the turn of the 20th Century, the Philippines only had 8 million people. I don't think that would have made a major dent in the US population of 76 million at that time.

8 million out of what would be a total of 84 million is a lot. That is nearly 10% of the House of Representatives, and maybe 7%-8% of electoral votes.