raharris1973
Gone Fishin'
How contingent was the struggle for independence in Spanish America, and the settlement that emerged, at least de facto, by 1830, the independence of Spanish colonies on the North American and South American mainland, and the retention of Cuba and Puerto Rico and Spain?
By a Spanish "Canada", I mean a block of territory that remains loyal to the Spanish Crown until the 20th century, and quite possibly remains in some form of commonwealth with Spain to the 21st century. In OTL, Cuba and Puerto Rico were the closest to a Spanish "Canada" in that Spain held them until 1898.
I do not know if in say, 1800 or 1805, the populations of Cuba and Puerto Rico were more loyal to Spain than the populations of Mexico or Peru. Possibly their prolonged loyalty was a consquence of them being the central bases of Spanish advance and retreat in the hemisphere, and perhaps loyal peninsulares and creoles moved their in large #s after the independence of the rest of Spanish America.
But a real Canada equivalent would need to be an extensive mainland territory. What region of Spanish America would make the most plausible redoubt of loyalists? Mexico? Central America? Colombia, Venezuela, the Andes or Rio de la Plata?
Alternatively, is there a plausible way that Cuba and/or Puerto Rico could have won independence at the same time as Mexico, Central and South America? Could a federation of of Cuba and Mexico, independent of Spain, have existed?
What about contemporaneous independence of the Philippines and/or Spanish East Indies? Could those territories plausibly have federated with Mexico (for a period of time, I believe they were administered from New Spain rather than Old Spain. And ironically, for a time, Tejas province was also called "New Philippines").
A Mexican federation with Spanish Caribbean and/or Pacific territories could be interesting, albeit unwieldy. Might it seek to make Hawaii a protectorate to secure its communications?
In a sense, it could create the opportunity for the United States to get the territorial expansion of two wars of aggression for the price of one, with the Mexican War winning not only the US southwest, but also Cuba, Puerto Rico and PAcific territories out to the Philippines by 1850.
By a Spanish "Canada", I mean a block of territory that remains loyal to the Spanish Crown until the 20th century, and quite possibly remains in some form of commonwealth with Spain to the 21st century. In OTL, Cuba and Puerto Rico were the closest to a Spanish "Canada" in that Spain held them until 1898.
I do not know if in say, 1800 or 1805, the populations of Cuba and Puerto Rico were more loyal to Spain than the populations of Mexico or Peru. Possibly their prolonged loyalty was a consquence of them being the central bases of Spanish advance and retreat in the hemisphere, and perhaps loyal peninsulares and creoles moved their in large #s after the independence of the rest of Spanish America.
But a real Canada equivalent would need to be an extensive mainland territory. What region of Spanish America would make the most plausible redoubt of loyalists? Mexico? Central America? Colombia, Venezuela, the Andes or Rio de la Plata?
Alternatively, is there a plausible way that Cuba and/or Puerto Rico could have won independence at the same time as Mexico, Central and South America? Could a federation of of Cuba and Mexico, independent of Spain, have existed?
What about contemporaneous independence of the Philippines and/or Spanish East Indies? Could those territories plausibly have federated with Mexico (for a period of time, I believe they were administered from New Spain rather than Old Spain. And ironically, for a time, Tejas province was also called "New Philippines").
A Mexican federation with Spanish Caribbean and/or Pacific territories could be interesting, albeit unwieldy. Might it seek to make Hawaii a protectorate to secure its communications?
In a sense, it could create the opportunity for the United States to get the territorial expansion of two wars of aggression for the price of one, with the Mexican War winning not only the US southwest, but also Cuba, Puerto Rico and PAcific territories out to the Philippines by 1850.