Rattenfänger von Memphis
Donor
What about the Ionian Islands off of Greece which would serve as an American base to aid the Greeks during their 1820s War for Greek Independence?
In OTL, Americans were very sympathetic towards the Greeks, who were also Christians, rising up to fight for their independence against the Musllim Turks. A chance to see another republic in the world, especially a revival in Greece, the very birthplace of democracy, would have been very compelling to Americans.
I suggest that, rather than the Monroe Doctrine in December 1823, that instead the United States agree to the proposal of Canning (the British Foreign Minister) made in August 1823 of a joint Anglo-American statement which warned the Quadruple Alliance(Russia, Prussia, Austria and France) to stay out of the Americas.
England, of course, had acquired a vast Latin American market for her exports once Spain was expelled. A return of Spain or another European power would take these valuable markets away from England.
In the ATL, this agreement between England and America would be expanded to enable the Americans to aid the Greeks. England would cede the Ionian Islands (in her possession since the Treaty of Paris in December 1815) to the United States, giving the US a base to both tackle the Barbary Pirates and to render aid to the beleaguered Greeks.
The upside for England would be that the United States would be unable to concentrate totally upon Canada and would be England's de facto ally in dealing with the Greek imbroglio.
In OTL, England ceded the Ionian Islands to an independent Greece in 1864. In this ATL, the United States would hold onto these islands.
In OTL, Americans were very sympathetic towards the Greeks, who were also Christians, rising up to fight for their independence against the Musllim Turks. A chance to see another republic in the world, especially a revival in Greece, the very birthplace of democracy, would have been very compelling to Americans.
I suggest that, rather than the Monroe Doctrine in December 1823, that instead the United States agree to the proposal of Canning (the British Foreign Minister) made in August 1823 of a joint Anglo-American statement which warned the Quadruple Alliance(Russia, Prussia, Austria and France) to stay out of the Americas.
England, of course, had acquired a vast Latin American market for her exports once Spain was expelled. A return of Spain or another European power would take these valuable markets away from England.
In the ATL, this agreement between England and America would be expanded to enable the Americans to aid the Greeks. England would cede the Ionian Islands (in her possession since the Treaty of Paris in December 1815) to the United States, giving the US a base to both tackle the Barbary Pirates and to render aid to the beleaguered Greeks.
The upside for England would be that the United States would be unable to concentrate totally upon Canada and would be England's de facto ally in dealing with the Greek imbroglio.
In OTL, England ceded the Ionian Islands to an independent Greece in 1864. In this ATL, the United States would hold onto these islands.