PC: Voluntary United States

[NKVD]

IOTL, most of the current territories of the U.S. were acquired through buying territory (like with the Louisiana Purchase) or by war (Mexican cessation, Puerto Rico and Guam and others).

Is it possible at all, that the United States could grow through mostly voluntary means, and become more of a multiethnic country that stretches beyond North America? For example, could territories breaking away from Spain in the early 19th Century have joined the United States, which was at the time probably the freest country on the planet?

POD: No earlier than the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

 

[Sevarics]

Well even territories captured in the Mexican cession had certain voluntary aspects behind them, i.e. Texas and California. Didn't Hawaii 'voluntarily' join, too?

 

[Meerkat92]

Well even territories captured in the Mexican cession had certain voluntary aspects behind them, i.e. Texas and California. Didn't Hawaii 'voluntarily' join, too?

Hawaii's joining of the US was only "voluntary" in the sense that the word loses damn near all possible meaning.

 

[David S Poepoe]

Hawaii's joining of the US was only "voluntary" in the sense that the word loses damn near all possible meaning.

Texas and Vermont joined voluntarily - tho the later was threatened with invasion.

 

[NKVD]

Texas and Vermont joined voluntarily - tho the later was threatened with invasion.

Vermont was threatened with invasion?