AHC Make the USA Switzerland-like

Ghost8472

Banned
With all the settlers with different languages shouldnt it have been possible that the USA would have become more like Switzerland?
 
I honestly thought this would be about their defensive strategy and neutrality, not multi-lingualism.
 
The problem is that the US is too large to maintain complete neutrality. Remember, Switzerland is a small, landlocked nation that has a large amount of mountains creating a natural wall.
 
The problem is that the US is too large to maintain complete neutrality. Remember, Switzerland is a small, landlocked nation that has a large amount of mountains creating a natural wall.

The OP didn't posit that as a challenge, the challenge is to make the USA be composed of several different ethnic groups, like Switzerland.
 
Get Quebec to join the ARW, or possibly have the Rebellions of 1837 go in a very different path and lead to annexation.

Also friendlier terms and better treatment for native groups, especially 'civilized' natives like the Cherokee and Haudenosaunee.

Also a slower, but steady, expansion into Spanish-speaking regions that is lead by Spanish-speaking natives instead of English-speaking settlers essentially filibustering territories.

It'd also help if the US was diplomatically and economically engaged with countries aside from Britain more-so than IOTL, forcing many Americans to learn and use at least a second language. France, and to a lesser extent, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, and the Netherlands could fill this role, while the British would need to sidelined as a continued antagonist.
 
The problem is that the US is too large to maintain complete neutrality. Remember, Switzerland is a small, landlocked nation that has a large amount of mountains creating a natural wall.

Actually, the size of the US is an asset towards neutrality. Larger countries have more ability to be self-sufficient, and the oceans create a huge natural moat:D The US was in fact neutral for much of its history until WWII.
 
Well, if WWI goes different you could get a large German speaking north. I suppose Spanish can fill in for France, and getting the ex-Mexican zone to speak that isn't to hard. Then English fills the role of Italian I suppose?

And native languages clearly fill the role of the fourth one. . .
 
The title of this post was very misleading! :p

But I think less nativist pressure against immigrant practices in the mid 1800s. If immigrants were less pressured to assimilate, we'd have more languages used commonly and more cultural variance.
 
The title of this post was very misleading! :p

But I think less nativist pressure against immigrant practices in the mid 1800s. If immigrants were less pressured to assimilate, we'd have more languages used commonly and more cultural variance.

However, that would cause problems for the United States in terms of stability. Multiculturalism doesn't work so the United States would probably only be a regional power.
 

MAlexMatt

Banned
However, that would cause problems for the United States in terms of stability. Multiculturalism doesn't work so the United States would probably only be a regional power.

It worked exceptionally well right up until 1917.

I mean, the US is still multicultural.

Still, a more multicultural US would require a few other Swiss attributes, such as even more decentralized government. Prevent US entry into WWI, allow immigration to continue past the 20's, and maybe a few other changes.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
The best way to make the USA more like Switzerland is to make it much smaller and more mountainous, and relocate it to the middle of Europe, preferably sandwiched between Germany, Italy, and France.
 
However, that would cause problems for the United States in terms of stability. Multiculturalism doesn't work so the United States would probably only be a regional power.

Works fine for Switzerland. Anyway, Swiss nationalism isn't so much based on any particular nationality as being an exclusive club of self-governing statelets: "Swiss freedom" being a notion of high prestige. Why not a US of unified republics, federations, cherishing same ideals? French Quebec, Louisiana, Spanish speaking California and Cuba...

Bruce
 
Works fine for Switzerland. Anyway, Swiss nationalism isn't so much based on any particular nationality as being an exclusive club of self-governing statelets: "Swiss freedom" being a notion of high prestige. Why not a US of unified republics, federations, cherishing same ideals? French Quebec, Louisiana, Spanish speaking California and Cuba...

Bruce

Admittedly I thought it was Swiss-style politics and not explicit/official multilingualism like the OP wondered about.

Actually, the US with a lot of Swiss canton-style cantons and politics sounds like it would be interesting to see.
 
More blacks imported into the USA -> stronger Ebonics strength or maintaining a more 'creole' speech like Gullah if not more divergent than white american english. conquering Cuba & Mexico + Centro America helps too, then settle them with Europeans (esp Mexico areas with small native populations; then autonomize the native areas)

EDIT: Alaska stays Russian or has more Russian settlers when sold to the USA. Perhaps more political prisoners are dumped into Alaska instead of Siberia -> friendly 'Alyeska' with USA that gets annexed - or White Russians flee to Alaska -> US Ally and possible state.

More Danish in Greenland too, but that's a bit iffy.
 

MAlexMatt

Banned
Admittedly I thought it was Swiss-style politics and not explicit/official multilingualism like the OP wondered about.

Actually, the US with a lot of Swiss canton-style cantons and politics sounds like it would be interesting to see.

It's actually what I would like the US to look more like today.
 
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