A House Divided-An American Timeline
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Intervention and Revolution in Mexico
Since the French intervention in Mexico in the 1860s, when French troops had overthrown the Mexican government and replaced it with a French-style imperial government led by Maximillian I, Mexico had been unstable, with Liberalist rebels in open opposition to the conservative Mexican Empire. Though Maximilian himself was not a conservative, his rule depended on the support of the Catholic Church, which was. Maximilian’s French backers had realized that he could not remain in control of Mexico without the people believing that Maximilian had the support of the Church. However, even the Church didn’t like him too much, as they saw him as far too liberal. This split in what few supporters he had left Maximilian’s already fragile rule even weaker and more unstable. Maximillian became increasingly reliant on the French and Confederate troops stationed in his country to stay in power, and when they began leaving, there was nothing propping up his rule. Revolution seemed inevitable, though nobody knew exactly how it would start. The spark necessary occurred in 1873, when a bomb went off at the Imperial Palace in Mexico City, killing Emperor Maximilian I and dozens of civilians. With the Catholic Church and France scrambling to get an heir who could rule Mexico, the Liberalists were able to win many victories, and soon the Empire’s rule was reduced to simply the state of Mexico and the immediate area. The Confederacy soon withdrew its troops from Mexico, and France followed suit. Though Salvador de Iturbide y Marzan, grandson of former Mexican emperor Agustin I, was hastily named Emperor, it was too late to stop the Liberalist victory. Naucalpan fell in 1875, and the fall of Mexico City, August 18, 1875, is celebrated as Revolution Day, a national holiday, in Mexico.
An older American flag being raised in Veracruz, 1874
Though the United States never committed any troops to actively fight in the conflict, American industry and limited military advisors were crucial to the Liberalist victory. The United States never recognized the Imperial regime in Mexico, and continued to supply the Liberalist rebels with arms shipments throughout the conflict. A limited naval blockade and the lack of a shared border prevented Confederate soldiers and supplies from reaching the Imperial forces, and the American occupation of the eastern port city of Veracruz kept the French out. After the extremely bloody and destructive Confederate-American War, no American wanted to go to war with France, but President Sherman hoped to use America’s greater size and industrial might to bluff the French into not intervening. It worked, Napoleon III backed down, and any foreign aid that the Imperialists were receiving dried up almost immediately. American volunteer units also fought on the side of the Liberalists, with the most famous being Tommy Wilson and his Freedom Riders, who operated in northern Mexico.
Benito Juarez, President of Mexico
After the war, Benito Juarez, who had been President of Mexico before being overthrown by the French and been recognized by the Liberalists as the legitimate president, returned from the de facto Liberalist capital of Monterrey to the traditional capital of Mexico, Mexico City. Emperor Salvador fled Mexico and headed to Spanish Cuba, and set sail for France, where he would live in exile for the rest of his life. The United States had once again displayed its dominance over the North American continent, and showed that it didn’t need to directly intervene militarily to be powerful.
Canadian delegates in Ottawa, 1875
An effect of this dominance was seen on America’s other border, with British North America. Though the British North American provinces of Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia were separate colonies, the sheer size and power of the US Army, even though it lost, and the United States’s ability to raise an enormous army in such a short amount of time for the Confederate-American War caused support for Federation to increase, and America’s apparent willingness to intervene in its neighbors during the Mexican Revolution only added to that. In 1875, the Commonwealth of Canada was formed, from the union of all British colonies in North America.
Since the French intervention in Mexico in the 1860s, when French troops had overthrown the Mexican government and replaced it with a French-style imperial government led by Maximillian I, Mexico had been unstable, with Liberalist rebels in open opposition to the conservative Mexican Empire. Though Maximilian himself was not a conservative, his rule depended on the support of the Catholic Church, which was. Maximilian’s French backers had realized that he could not remain in control of Mexico without the people believing that Maximilian had the support of the Church. However, even the Church didn’t like him too much, as they saw him as far too liberal. This split in what few supporters he had left Maximilian’s already fragile rule even weaker and more unstable. Maximillian became increasingly reliant on the French and Confederate troops stationed in his country to stay in power, and when they began leaving, there was nothing propping up his rule. Revolution seemed inevitable, though nobody knew exactly how it would start. The spark necessary occurred in 1873, when a bomb went off at the Imperial Palace in Mexico City, killing Emperor Maximilian I and dozens of civilians. With the Catholic Church and France scrambling to get an heir who could rule Mexico, the Liberalists were able to win many victories, and soon the Empire’s rule was reduced to simply the state of Mexico and the immediate area. The Confederacy soon withdrew its troops from Mexico, and France followed suit. Though Salvador de Iturbide y Marzan, grandson of former Mexican emperor Agustin I, was hastily named Emperor, it was too late to stop the Liberalist victory. Naucalpan fell in 1875, and the fall of Mexico City, August 18, 1875, is celebrated as Revolution Day, a national holiday, in Mexico.
An older American flag being raised in Veracruz, 1874
Though the United States never committed any troops to actively fight in the conflict, American industry and limited military advisors were crucial to the Liberalist victory. The United States never recognized the Imperial regime in Mexico, and continued to supply the Liberalist rebels with arms shipments throughout the conflict. A limited naval blockade and the lack of a shared border prevented Confederate soldiers and supplies from reaching the Imperial forces, and the American occupation of the eastern port city of Veracruz kept the French out. After the extremely bloody and destructive Confederate-American War, no American wanted to go to war with France, but President Sherman hoped to use America’s greater size and industrial might to bluff the French into not intervening. It worked, Napoleon III backed down, and any foreign aid that the Imperialists were receiving dried up almost immediately. American volunteer units also fought on the side of the Liberalists, with the most famous being Tommy Wilson and his Freedom Riders, who operated in northern Mexico.
Benito Juarez, President of Mexico
After the war, Benito Juarez, who had been President of Mexico before being overthrown by the French and been recognized by the Liberalists as the legitimate president, returned from the de facto Liberalist capital of Monterrey to the traditional capital of Mexico, Mexico City. Emperor Salvador fled Mexico and headed to Spanish Cuba, and set sail for France, where he would live in exile for the rest of his life. The United States had once again displayed its dominance over the North American continent, and showed that it didn’t need to directly intervene militarily to be powerful.
Canadian delegates in Ottawa, 1875
An effect of this dominance was seen on America’s other border, with British North America. Though the British North American provinces of Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia were separate colonies, the sheer size and power of the US Army, even though it lost, and the United States’s ability to raise an enormous army in such a short amount of time for the Confederate-American War caused support for Federation to increase, and America’s apparent willingness to intervene in its neighbors during the Mexican Revolution only added to that. In 1875, the Commonwealth of Canada was formed, from the union of all British colonies in North America.
Something tells me that there's going to be pretty good relations between Mexico and the United States, and that's going to make the Confederates nervous. The European powers are backing off and the United States is coming back as the head hancho of the Americas. The Confederates must be pretty damn scared. 
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Yep. The Confederates are going to have a heck of a time. And just in time for Independence Day, too!Something tells me that there's going to be pretty good relations between Mexico and the United States, and that's going to make the Confederates nervous. The European powers are backing off and the United States is coming back as the head hancho of the Americas. The Confederates must be pretty damn scared.
I'm working on one as we speak.
[FONT="]Imperialism[/FONT]
A British image showing imperialism in Africa
In the latter half of the 19th century, the great powers of Europe, namely the United Kingdom, France, Prussia and to some extent, Italy, Austria and Russia, began to extend their influence throughout the world, especially in Africa. In 1884, the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Prussia, Italy, Portugal, and Spain met in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the division of Africa. Following the Geneva Conference, the only remaining free territory in Africa was the Congo, which had previously been disputed and was now temporarily placed under joint British/Prussian/French administration, and Liberia, which was under American protection.
Following its victory in the Battle of the North Platte, the United States also hoped to join the European powers in expanding its influence throughout the world, as well as containing the Confederacy and preventing any additional European influence in the Americas. The first opportunity came in 1874, when President Buenaventura Baez of the Dominican Republic requested the annexation of his nation by the United States. It was a controversial issue that divided Americans. Anti-imperialist politicians, such as Democratic Senator Frank S. Thompson of New York argued that, if the United States annexed the Dominican Republic and became an imperial power, “then we will have sacrificed the noble ideals we hold dear out of pure greed.” Not all opposition was the result of noble intentions, however. Thomas Black, the head of the Progressive-Labor Party, was infamously known to have said, “The southerners did us a favor by taking all the ni**ers out of our country, and now we want to add more? They’ll just take American jobs and do them for far less!” Many Americans shared Black’s beliefs, and did not want to bring more blacks into America, but others, particularly businessmen, believed that the annexation of “Santo Domingo” would open new markets and allow them access to more cheap labor. Still others, including President William T. Sherman, believed that Santo Domingo could become a home for African-Americans, either to remove them from the United States proper, or to become a safe haven for them. Eventually, a compromise was reached in Congress. Santo Domingo became an American protectorate, with the possibility of becoming a territory and eventually a state. The rise of the American Empire had begun.
President Buenaventura Baez of the Dominican Republic, on and off from 1849-1874
Though initially confined to the Americas, the American Empire eventually expanded to the rest of the world. Before and following the Confederate-American War, many freed blacks had been immigrating to Liberia, as racism was very common in the United States, and blacks were not considered full citizens. By 1880, when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States officially abolished slavery, 3 million blacks had immigrated to Liberia and made it a de facto American colony. Liberia maintained close relations with the United States, partly because of its heritage, but also as protection from the imperialist powers of Europe. Liberia became yet another American protectorate.
Milton Taylor, founder of the Free State of the Congo and Governor from 1887-1904
The Congo region was the only free region left in Africa, and it too eventually came under the control of a foreign power, the United States. Though King Leopold II of Belgium had wanted a colony of his own, and had offered to take it, the British and Prussians believed that Belgium was too close to France, and that they would essentially be giving France another colony. The Congo remained open to foreign investment, and became a popular destination for many African-Americans who could not afford to go to Liberia. An American entrepreneur, Milton Taylor, bought a portion of the Congo in 1887, and governed the Free State of the Congo as an independent nation. Thanks to the passage of the 13th Amendment, as an American citizen, Taylor was unable to use slave labor to build his new capital city of Taylorstown, and so promised job opportunities for Americans. As many white Americans were unwilling to give up their lives and go to Africa, the majority of people who built Taylorstown and settled the Congo were African-Americans. In the Congo, blacks, both Americans and native Africans, were given the same rights as whites, mostly out of fear that the ruling white minority would be overthrown, but regardless, the Congo became the world’s first racially equal nation. Soon, Taylor began experiencing economic difficulties. The United States government offered to buy the Congo from Taylor, but he declined. However, by 1890, the Congo was becoming too difficult for Taylor to control, and he agreed to sell it to the United States. The US government established the Congo Protectorate, and assumed control of the Congo’s foreign policy and trade. Other than that, though, not much had changed in the Congo. Taylor was even allowed to remain in power as the Governor of the Congo. The United States seemed to be content with building its empire by establishing protectorates, rather than through direct control, as the nations of Europe had done.
Interesting to see an imperialist America but no way is Sherman president. He forcefully eschewed politics his entire life. Are former slaves forced to emigrate? The US gov. offered transportation to Haiti. Few took them up on the offer.
They're not forced, but lots of them, having no real reason to stay in America, leave for Santo Domingo, Liberia or the Congo. As for President Sherman, I know he deliberately stayed out of politics and was rumored to be a Catholic, but he's a very "hands-off" president.
So what's different than in OTL? There was legislation before the end of the ACW, a bureau setup and a sizable amount of money set aside to pay for transportation to Liberia and Haiti. F. Douglass opposed colonization. Few people accepted the gov's offer.
I deal with this extensively in my thread linked below:
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=318660
Well, there's a lot of escaped slaves from the Confederacy as well. Since they obviously wouldn't want to go home, they decide to start a new life in Santo Domingo, Liberia or the Congo.
Why would there be? The British didn't help the Confederates, the French did. For that matter, why wouldn't the USA just stay neutral, like in OTL?
I assumed USA vs. CSA/France, Britian gets dragged in by proxy thanks to being allied with France. But the USA avoiding WW1 entirely? That's fairly novel in and of itself.
It's not TL-191 I'm writing here(despite the initial POD). I've even had to rethink some ideas I had at first.
Just read straight through the entire thread. Your updates are well written, plausible, and digestible; great work and subscribed.
My only gripe is that poor Maximilian still got royally screwed over.