Now these are the butterfly influences I've been waiting for (Its still South America but its a start). So Philippines rules the waves on this side of the Pacific. May I ask the statistics of the navies around this time? I find it interesting that Philippines can overwhelm the combined navies of Mexico, Central & South America.24. The Silver must Flow 1824-1849
Mexican experience of American colonists was not good. They had ample experience of U.S. colonists and their potential to cause problems after the revolt in Texas.
After the North American war ended, U.S. Citizens were expelled. If they chose to stay, they had to renounce U.S. Citizenship and apply for Mexican citizenship. Those that stayed were usually first-generation European migrants who had no long history of affinity to the United States. Americans who refuse to moved were forced by the Mexican army and herded back to the United States.
The Mormons were a religious group formed in 1830. They were pushed away by United Stated started moving west from Illinois were allowed to resettle newly acquired territories by Mexico. A war was fought even by Mormons and Missouri in 1838 which expelled the Mormons from Missouri. Initially these Mormons arrived in Salt Lake Valley during the North American war but will be allowed to practice their beliefs in Mexico. Mexico allowed this religious group due to their lack of loyalty to the United States and propaganda for Europe. Mexico does not allow slavery and is more tolerant to other religions than the United States. The U.S. allowed slavery and discriminates other religions. Mexico made sure to spread this information in Europe.
Veterans of the North American war were given large plots of lands acquired from the United States. Around 150,000 Mexican army veterans of mostly poor background resettled in the areas.
Catholic migrants from Europe flooded in as famine, revolts in Ireland, Spain, Italy and most Europe occurred. Their initial goal was to get to California but some of them settled on the way from Texas to California or were given a large piece arable land to settle in the newly acquired territories.
Philippine loss of San Francisco naval base after the North American war, the squadron was reassigned to Callao district in Lima. The Andean Union welcomed the presence of the Philippine navy. Philippines was pivotal in creating Andean Union. During the War of Confederation, Philippine government and merchants aided the Peru-Bolivian Confederation and help defeat Peruvian rebels and exiles, forcing Argentina and Chile into peace in 1838. Philippine representatives supported Andres de Santa Cruz in his authoritarian union, with the people of North, South Peru and Bolivia influenced in supporting and “voting” for a unified state. The Andeans have taken some influence from the Philippines, an autocrat meritocratic system, but instead of the leader being declared by the army like in the Philippines, voted by the people.
The revival of Mexican-Philippine trade, Mexico kept investing, improved mining and continued to provide 60% of the new world silver. The Andes provided a large part of the remaining new world silver. Not stopping in Acapulco in 1824, Philippine merchant ships also went to Central and South America in the Pacific. Philippine merchants replicated the Spanish silver trade port of calls in Panama, Gran Colombia and back then Lima, Republic of Peru.
The policy of Philippines dealing with her Central and South American nations - the silver must flow.
Any stop of the trade may result into Philippine interference. This became more prominent as more and more Philippine merchant ships arrived in the 1830s. Philippine representatives brokered peace deals among Latin American nations that offered them significant trade deals, influenced stability at the South American Pacific.
Battles, wars were shelved or forced into the table by Philippine representatives.
The Philippine Navy was larger than any navy in Central and South America by 1840s. All of their navies (including the Brazilian Navy) had to combine in order to have a fighting chance versus the whole Philippine navy. Even then, the Imperial galleons were more than the Philippine navy at this part of the world. The combined Mexican, Central and South American ship of the lines were fewer than the total Imperial Galleons this side of the Pacific.
If the British can force the Philippines or influence to do their bidding, the Philippines does this with nations with weaker navies.
Imperial galleons are as armed as British first rates, manned by former navy sailors, accompanied by fast armed clipper ships. With the transfer of the San Francisco squadron to Lima, there was even more reason not to anger the Sealion.
Spanish American revolts influenced Andres Novales revolt in the Philippines. However, the influence was never one way. The revival of trade between former colonies of Spain in Asia and the Americas, news spread of an enlightened absolute monarch in the Philippines. This leader does not spend money on elaborate things but spend a lot to provide for his people; News of a stable, orderly, literate, wealthy, developing Spanish speaking nation. Policies of the Philippines that were successful influenced a lot of South American policies. Stories of the conquest of Borneo, the battles in China and defeat of United States spread in these Spanish speaking nations.
With Spain always embroiled in a civil war and shrinking navy, these Hispanic nations looked for inspiration. Mexico’s defeat of United States, Mexico was favored by more democratic Latin American nations and nations with ambitions to have a large army. Philippine meritocratic policies and practice were also favored by Latin American autocrats or ambitious nations who want a strong navy. There was a template of Hispanic democracy and Hispanic autocracy - Mexican idealism and creativity versus Philippine pragmatism and efficiency.
Mexico and Philippines also competed for influence. Most of Central America was influenced by Mexico while those that had a large silver to trade with Philippines and port, Philippines had more influence.
Andresian virtues were being emulated by a section of Hispanics in Latin America - Discipline, love of law and order, punctuality. Even British tourists attest to Andresian efficiency. “The trains in Cebu runs on time. Customs man is quick, Hotels and water works are clean.”
Philippine culture of more equal female treatment starts to creep in these influenced nations. Anti-clerical nature of the Philippines also influenced some Latin American policies. Latin American governments debated if they were to implement a more Philippine style public education including agriculture and more military work ethic among their pupils. Philippine policy of open migration for the Chinese and frequency of Philippine ships that can carry Chinese migrants increased the Chinese migration in the Latin Pacific, from Mexican California down to the Andean union.
Large Tax funded public education became a common sight among Hispanic nations in the Pacific. Philippines even encouraged the Latin Americans to put a large amount in education starting in 1840s, discourage funding in the navy, to prevent any challenge of Philippine supremacy in the seas within the Hispanic world.
The U.S. loss during the North American war, the United States was looking for more friendly nations. The U.S. was surrounded by British North America and Mexico. By 1849, U.S. influence and investments increased in Gran Colombia. Slowly, Gran Colombia gravitated away from the influence of the Philippines and Mexico.
I also find it interesting that Andresian traits is quite strong already. I was expecting it 2-3 generation of Filipinos later. This is because Andresian culture traits is largely influenced by public mass education. But then Filipinos are also very family oriented and respects seniority (a norm in Asian countries). Filipinos that grew up under the mass public education will have the disciplined traits but they are also largely influenced by their parents and extended families (and the contrast will be glaring, a strict ethos at school/work and easy going lifestyle at home). And these parents and older family member most likely have the OTL Spanish traits (and even though they also took the Andres-certified mass education in their later years, their traits had already been solidified and harder to influence, then pass it down to their children). So 1st generation Filipinos (child Filipinos who grew up with the mass education system, I'm not counting the adults (see above reasons) will have the developing "Andresian" traits but yet full blown, it'll be the next generation whose parents grew up under the mass education who will have the stronger Andresian traits
Unless the mass education of Andres also included "forced" boarding of students in their schoolage to teenage years ....I just think 1840s is just too early for Andresian traits to really pierce the culture & work environment of the Philippines. (Believable if its already 1860-1880s where these Andresian children are parents who already have children in the productive force)
Another thing I wanna ask, is the Pacific silver trade a state monopoly? (like the British with their East indies Trading Company). Cause I imagined some economically-savvy private Philippine elites wanting a piece of that (and they will be more efficient and more successful in getting what they want because yeah, meritocracy). I really find it really interesting because there will be a different kind of elite who will grow out of this because:
1. There a strong revival trade between Philippines and Latin America which may grow to other kinds of trade (OTL, the silver and silk in the Galleon trade weren't the only ones being traded, but these items are the most sought after) and other elites can capitalize on that. International trade between them also favors Philippines/Britain because they control the Pacific together (unlike OTL, where America is gaining presence on the west coast and is eyeing beyond the Pacific)
2. there is less rise of landed/agricultural elite (they only grew more in OTL because of the focus of whole Philippines' transition to cash crops)
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