Russia unites two decades earlier, reaches the Pacific about 40 years earlier, hears of America, goes into Alaska fifty years early, ships reach Baja California, freaks the fuck out of Spain, who immediately moves into Alta California to ensure Russia never gets near Mexico.
Gold is discovered, developed, independence sometime in the early 1800s most likely.
Big maritime power until the Industrial Revolution, when they become industrial.
Then they use the 1800s to pull an America and Manifest Destiny the lands nobody cares about West of the Rockies.