AH Challenge: British California

With a POD in the 1830s-1840s, make Alta California part of the British Empire while holding onto Oregon. Bonus points if you make a map of the region.

The United States would no doubt be angry (if not then, eventually) if it was deprived a Pacific coastline, seeing as it would become important to world trade (not then, but later) in the future.
 
Last edited:
Britain really could'nt have gotten the entire Oregon country with a PoD that far ahead. The United States had already invested diplomatic effort and actual hard assets in gaining part of it.

Now Britain could get Alta California, but without a major continental war, which Britain may very well not win or America collapsing for some reason, their really is no way to get the entire Pacific coast controlled by Britain by that point.
 
Last edited:
Too far...

Although Britain had one of the best power-projection capabilities of any state in North West Europe, Australia was touch and go. Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope rather restrict things. California could have been Mexican, Russian, Chinese or Japanese - but even I can't make it British. The Pacific Station had enough on its hands with a base in Vancouver and in Chile, but it was a small affair.

Hawai'i is different...
 
If for some reason the British went with the south instead of the north on the Pacific coast its possible.
Move the Vancouver Island Outpost to OTL San Fransisco, possibly by taking it from Spain in a 18th century war would push the British to control California.
The US would likely get all of Oregon territory up to Alaska, but Britain could control most of California.
To meet the full terms of your challenge I think would require a balkanized America with the British controlling several colonies in North America. Possible but bloody unlikely.
 
Top