Jerry Kraus
Banned
I can't help but notice that the Canadians, Brits and Americans on this site seem to get into endless battles regarding the ability of the U.S. to take over Canada in the nineteenth century. Personally, I'm a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, so, I don't really care, from a purely nationalistic point of view. So, in an effort to cut the Gordian knot here, as it were, I'm posting this thread. Let's suppose that Canada, backed by Britain, is doing to the U.S., regularly, in the nineteenth century, what New France was doing to New England, regularly, in the eighteenth century -- piracy on the high seas, border skirmishes, regular incursions, attempts to take territory by armed force. To the point that it's effectively impossible for them both to survive long term in North America. Who wins?
You see, Americans tend to argue, with some reason, that the reason they didn't annex Canada in the nineteenth century was simply that Canadians got along well enough with them that they had no reason to mobilize and militarize sufficiently to do so. Not that it would have been easy, of course, Britain was a great power, but, also very far away. Canadians and Brits argue that the U.S. didn't have the military might -- except at some point just towards the end of the Civil War, and shortly thereafter. Americans counter they had no reason to mobilize, because Canadians got along with them. So, let's say that Canada decides regularly to battle the U.S. to the death in the nineteenth century. Does Canada survive?
You see, Americans tend to argue, with some reason, that the reason they didn't annex Canada in the nineteenth century was simply that Canadians got along well enough with them that they had no reason to mobilize and militarize sufficiently to do so. Not that it would have been easy, of course, Britain was a great power, but, also very far away. Canadians and Brits argue that the U.S. didn't have the military might -- except at some point just towards the end of the Civil War, and shortly thereafter. Americans counter they had no reason to mobilize, because Canadians got along with them. So, let's say that Canada decides regularly to battle the U.S. to the death in the nineteenth century. Does Canada survive?