AHC: United States of the Americas

As it says on the tin, your objective, if you accept this challenge, is to have the United States, with a POD no earlier than 1776, control the entirety of the Americas by the present day.
 
The United States breaks apart.

Much later, an international organization to foster trade for the Americas springs up, calling itself the United States of the Americas.
 

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Does it have to remain the United States, or, as long as the USA wins the ARW, can it become an imperial/autocratic state? If the US still has a democratic government, I can't see total conquest of North and South America in the cards. There would be no motivation for said conquest.
 
Does it have to remain the United States, or, as long as the USA wins the ARW, can it become an imperial/autocratic state? If the US still has a democratic government, I can't see total conquest of North and South America in the cards. There would be no motivation for said conquest.
Let's say that the United States can transform into whatever system of governance you wish, yet it would be even more impressive if you can have a democratic US control the entirety of the Americas.
 
Congress doesn't decide to stop overt colonialism after the Spanish American War and the closure of the frontier

I think it might be too late by that point.

To the OP, I think you'd need an early departure in order to pull it off. Having more colonies join the revolution is the standard way of starting an Ameriwank, and for good reason IMO. But in order for that to happen, you'd need a POD before 1776 (though maybe not too much earlier). Having the US become more tolerant of Catholic citizens would go a long way towards making the challenge feasible. Having a larger US from the start might also help cement the ideas of manifest destiny earlier.
 
There is no actual reason for the USA to try for the entire New World and many against, I can see maybe all of North America and even that requires a nation that would be utterly alien to OTL USA though still feasible if unlikely. From there it is stretching things a lot but I guess the best bet would be a regime akin to Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan somehow arising then deciding to conquer South America while Europe is in a major war. It would be extremely costly and would bring pretty much nothing but a nation composed of North America that goes crazy while Europe is busy could pull it off.
 
Well, here's what I got. Not the most realistic but good enough.

In this timeline Spain and Portugal never leave the Seven Years War and the Portuguese are eventually beaten in Europe. Brazil is annexed into its former ally, Britain (a bit forcefully), and Spain is eventually beaten. However, the UK refuses to return Brazil (similar to OTL South Africa) causing anger in the colony. Britain also annexes all of New Spain, the Caribbean, New Granada, and Venezuela and the Stamp Act still occurs in the 13 Colonies in order to prevent the new colonies from revolting. However, the USA still declares independence with Britain's other acquisitions. Thanks to more soldiers America takes all of Britain's colonies in the New World. The Latin parts of America originally intended to leave the USA, however, with Europe in rubble after the Seven Years War (preventing Brazilian annexation back into Portugal) and an eventual leader that spreads the idea of unity the USA avoids dissolution. During the Napoleonic Wars the USA annexes almost all remaining European colonies in the Americas and eventually purchases Alaska.
 
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There is no actual reason for the USA to try for the entire New World and many against, I can see maybe all of North America and even that requires a nation that would be utterly alien to OTL USA though still feasible if unlikely. From there it is stretching things a lot but I guess the best bet would be a regime akin to Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan somehow arising then deciding to conquer South America while Europe is in a major war. It would be extremely costly and would bring pretty much nothing but a nation composed of North America that goes crazy while Europe is busy could pull it off.

I am developing a story where the USA has all of North America from Greenland and Alaska to Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. I had thought of including the Guyanas but it seemed excessive. ;)
 
Does it have to remain the United States, or, as long as the USA wins the ARW, can it become an imperial/autocratic state? If the US still has a democratic government, I can't see total conquest of North and South America in the cards. There would be no motivation for said conquest.

M A N I F E S T D E S T I N Y

I think there are a lot of people ITT who're unjustifiably discounting the cause of America's changed attitude at the turn of the 20th century.

A lot of Americans wanted to annex Cuba, as far back as the Revolution. And a lot of people lay blame for that change on the rhetoric that Americans used to incite rebellion against Spain. ("Freedom! Independence from colonial overlords!") But, and more importantly, the vested economic interest certain people (like Senator Henry Teller) had in sugar plantations in Hawaii led Congress to pass the Teller Amendment:

The Teller clause quelled any anxiety of annexation by stating that the United States "... hereby disclaims any disposition of intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control over said island except for pacification thereof, and asserts its determination, when that is accomplished, to leave the government and control of the island to its people."

The proposed amendment gained support from several forces: "... those who opposed annexing territory containing large numbers of blacks and Catholics, those who sincerely supported Cuban independence, and representatives of the domestic sugar business, including sponsor Senator Henry Teller of Colorado, who feared Cuban competition." (A significant import tariff on foreign sugar would be removed should Cuba be annexed.)
The rhetorical justification for the Teller Amendment - America's alleged commitment to independent governments nearby - belies the true reasons for America's Cuba policy.

If a POD could change the economic situation in Hawaii, then Cuba (which has magnificently fertile sugar and tobacco plantations) would be economically much more appealing to American business interests. And therefore, much more appealing to American political interests.

That way, America wouldn't double down on the independent government line after the SAW. Maybe they spin Cuban annexation as "American constitutional democracy is true freedom!" or something like that.

Contributing to this scenario is America's nostalgia for the "good old days" after the closure of the frontier in 1890 and the subsequeny development of Frederick Turner's popular "Frontier Thesis" in 1893. Further, the fact that the Civil War ended decades ago terminates the slave state / free state tensions that barred continued American expansion into Mexico after the Treaty of Hidalgo Guadalupe.

Combine these three elements together: frontier nostalgia, a refutation of Teller Amendment rhetoric, and the realization that continued expansion into Mexico wouldn't make slave states more numerous . . . And we get continued M A N I F E S T D E S T I N Y into the 20th century.

At the very least, that can lead to the USA conquering everything in North America, except perhaps Canada. (The only POD I can think of for Canada is "General Richard Montgomery doesn't die and wins the Battle of Quebec in 1775." Oh well.)
 
Perhaps this could be achieved through two changes in the early 19th century:

1) Rather than Manifest Destiny being centred on the belief that America should expand to the Pacific Coast, it instead leads to a belief that the United States should control the entirety of the Americas.

2) The Latin American republics who emerge from the Latin American Wars of Independence 'pull a Texas', as it were, and apply to join the US. Perhaps this could be achieved through a new threat to the republics emerging which requires them to seek protection of a larger power (i.e. the US) - perhaps the Monroe Doctrine is never issued, and the Holy Alliance makes its intention to suppress the new republics in Latin America clear. (DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert on the Latin American Wars of Independence, so I have no idea how plausible this idea is)

If these two changes come into effect, then you have the US controlling the vast majority of the Americas, thereby setting up for further expansion in the future.
 
Figure out a way to be more culturally tolerant so that the idea of including the people living in the Americas provokes less hostility, and get slavery abolished earlier to avoid a costly civil war.

Also make sure the US is strong enough during the initial rebellions by Spanish colonies to both help out and look as an attractive proposition to join an established country, maybe an early Cuba annexation with statehood, and avoid the war of 1812.

The benefit of bringing in Cuba would be a sign to others of acceptance of Catholics and those of a non Anglo background.

Other things could be an increased early immigration from Eastern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East with getting both the religions and people accepted ad part of America opens up more sources of population as you am need the people to control the land.

South America is harder due to distance and geography but I think the earlier you can integrate them the better to get people more used to a central federal government she having their own regional governments.
 
I am developing a story where the USA has all of North America from Greenland and Alaska to Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. I had thought of including the Guyanas but it seemed excessive. ;)
With a PoD as late as the OP's or a more reasonable origin?
 

IFwanderer

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2) The Latin American republics who emerge from the Latin American Wars of Independence 'pull a Texas', as it were, and apply to join the US. Perhaps this could be achieved through a new threat to the republics emerging which requires them to seek protection of a larger power (i.e. the US) - perhaps the Monroe Doctrine is never issued, and the Holy Alliance makes its intention to suppress the new republics in Latin America clear. (DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert on the Latin American Wars of Independence, so I have no idea how plausible this idea is)
Somewhere between not happening and 0% chance. Texas was US immigrants taking over the area and then asking the US government to come in, you'd need to have the same happen in every Latin American country, and their populations not try to fight back.

Apart from that: Spanish speakers already outnumber English speakers in America (the continent), and according to Wikipedia the ratio of Spanish to English speakers in 1800 (a midpoint between US independence and the independences of most Latin American countries) was even more lopsided towards Spanish speakers (nowadays it's less than 2:1 Spanish to English, in 1800 it was about 2.5:1) so a scenario where you make USA an accurate name would likely result in eventual dominance of Spanish speakers.
 
With a PoD as late as the OP's or a more reasonable origin?

Here I made a thread where I explained my AH with a POD of 1775-1785 where I asked several questions to have second opinions. reducing the ASB as best as possible. Related: 1 2


Somewhere between not happening and 0% chance. Texas was US immigrants taking over the area and then asking the US government to come in, you'd need to have the same happen in every Latin American country, and their populations not try to fight back.

Apart from that: Spanish speakers already outnumber English speakers in America (the continent), and according to Wikipedia the ratio of Spanish to English speakers in 1800 (a midpoint between US independence and the independences of most Latin American countries) was even more lopsided towards Spanish speakers (nowadays it's less than 2:1 Spanish to English, in 1800 it was about 2.5:1) so a scenario where you make USA an accurate name would likely result in eventual dominance of Spanish speakers.

Thanks for the information. To take it into account in my Alternative History. I have an idea where there is an amendment or law where English, Spanish and French are co-official languages.
 
This is a very common prompt throughout the site. Have the Quebecois fight in the ARW and thus USA is more tolerant of Catholics and minorities. A movement of Pan-Americanism will cause states to rapidly join the US. While this is going on, there will be a Civil War and the Union will win abolishing slavery. Loose end will be tied up so that the continent of Americas plus maybe even Oceania if you want will be united by the 20th century.
 
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