napoleon doesn't sell Louisiana to usa

NIGHTLORD

Banned
what would happen if napoleon didn't sell Louisiana to USA and after he lost the war Britain got it as war trophy.how would america and mexico respond respond both short term and long term?
 
Focusing solely on the land itself, and not the butterflies caused from Napoleon having less funding...

For starters, Mexico was still under Spanish rule, albeit with insurgents running amok. Secondly, the Americans would likely still be at war with the British. Anyway, Louisiana would be given back to the Spanish, but the British could possibly haggle for it.

If the Spanish got it back, the Americans could follow what Jefferson thought would happen, in that Louisiana would slowly gobbled by the Americans. If the British got it, either a longer War of 1812 (because Clay could argue that you know, why not guys) or the Americans trying to get the land later, when the Manifest Destiny is raging harder.

In other words, the Americans would be keen to try and get it still. :)
 
The British don't want it. Spanish management is the best of both worlds for them - the ability to sail in and do as they please, but if something breaks, they're not responsible for fixing it.

According to Madison's diaries, if the purchase had failed, Jefferson - the man who feared standing armies - was planning to take New Orleans by force. This ought to be interesting.
 
If the Americans were to try to grab New Orleans during/after the Congress, I'm guessing there would be a less than pleasant reaction by the Europeans. But if it was say, in 1804, then I'm foreseeing Napoleon losing Louisiana... ;)
 
It would probably be like OTL Texas, only over a bigger area.

Might make for an interesting TL, actually, especially if you break it off in bits... ;)
 
what would happen if napoleon didn't sell Louisiana to USA and after he lost the war Britain got it as war trophy.how would america and mexico respond respond both short term and long term?

Didn't Jefferson (not an Anglophile) answer that at the time?

Iirc he said that should France get New Orleans "We must marry ourselves to the British fleet and nation." IOW America would be forced onto the anti-French side in order to dislodge them.
 
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