British Alaska

What if Britian bought Alaska instead of the United States. The Russians were reportedly close to a deal but it fell through at the last minute. Let's assume that deal goes through and the British get Alaska. How does this affect Candian Confederation? Would Alaska become a part of the Confederation or stay on it's own. How would the addition of Alaska affect the politics of Canada and the United States?
 
It would most likely be integrated into Canada at the same time British Columbia or maybe even the Northwestern Territory are added to Canada, simply because that early Alaska generally was just a money drain (Alaskan fur trade was essentially dead, which is why Russia sold it in the first place, gold wasn't yet discovered) and Britain wouldn't gain ANYTHING if it were to keep it (unlike the case with Newfoundland, which at least had VERY lucrative cod banks). And well, I basically see Alaska as another Northwestern Territory, if not directly integrated into it (at least up until the point where the Yukon Territory was created, which which it would then be lumped together). It would be fascinating what will happen with the Alaska panhandle. In case of it being lumped together with NWT I would see the panhandle going to BC. Also "rump Alaska-Yukon" might even get province status later (ca. 1930s), considering how population grew in Alaska in OTL.
 
The place will be united into Canada ASAP I think. Maybe not exactly when the Dominion is created, but possibly shortly after (it was a matter of budget from a London perspective anyway I think).
Most likely, the Panhandle (up to Skagway at least) goes to BC, the rest and part of the then NWT (more or less what is now Yukon I suppose, probably not all of it though) are lumped into a Canadian province/territory that is probably named either Yukon or Alaska.
 
If the US hadn't of bought it, it was pretty much destined to be a part of Canada. I echo everyone else that it becomes a part of the Northwest Territories and possibly later the Yukon, with the panhandle probably going to BC.
 

Abhakhazia

Banned
I think that I'd be awesome if gold was found in Alaska way earlier, and a bunch of Canadians and British flooded in a founded a Texas-like Republic of Alaska, which would be eventually added to Canada.
 
I think that I'd be awesome if gold was found in Alaska way earlier, and a bunch of Canadians and British flooded in a founded a Texas-like Republic of Alaska, which would be eventually added to Canada.

There wasn't the same "Manifest Destiny" ideology in Canada that drove American filibusters in OTL. That plus the fact that Alaska is a hell of a lot harder to get to than Texas makes this scenario unlikely. If anything, it would be Americans flooding north from California who would set up such a republic.

Getting back to the OP. I had a TL where Alaska was annexed by the British as a result of a slightly different Crimean War (it's a bit more complicated...). Eventually it was incorporated into the Colony of British Columbia but if anything this makes the colony's debt problem even more severe. BC joins Canada roughly on schedule with most of Alaska becoming part of the North West Territories. The Alaskan Panhandle due to economic ties is linked with the rest of the Pacific North West Coast and thus is incorporated into British Columbia.

One interesting ramification might surround the issue of the annexation of the Dominican Republic after the American Civil War in TTL. Without the Alaska purchase, the US might look favorably on annexing the western portion of Hispaniola (which almost happened in OTL) in order to encourage free African Americans to migrate there.
 
I think that I'd be awesome if gold was found in Alaska way earlier, and a bunch of Canadians and British flooded in a founded a Texas-like Republic of Alaska, which would be eventually added to Canada.

Fearless Leader is right. I read once Canada was more settled by the strategic efforts of the HBC to capitalize on trade rather than land hungry settlers; a more 'orderly' state-sponsored affair you could say.
 
Fearless Leader is right. I read once Canada was more settled by the strategic efforts of the HBC to capitalize on trade rather than land hungry settlers; a more 'orderly' state-sponsored affair you could say.
Actually, the HBC for much of its history DISCOURAGED settlement in western (what is now) Canada, as it would interfere with the fur trade.
 
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