What is the smallest the United States can be (either at genesis or through secession/balkanization) and still be a Great Power, albeit not necessarily a superpower? Assume a POD before 1900.
Have Mexico hold onto all of its territory and have the British take the old northwest and lock the American out of the West coast, stuck on the eastern seaboard the USA will still be a significant power but it will not only be much smaller but also be in competition with a Mexico that holds California and a Canada that holds a good portion of the Rust beltWhat is the smallest the United States can be (either at genesis or through secession/balkanization) and still be a Great Power, albeit not necessarily a superpower? Assume a POD before 1900.
Have Mexico hold onto all of its territory and have the British take the old northwest and lock the American out of the West coast, stuck on the eastern seaboard the USA will still be a significant power but it will not only be much smaller but also be in competition with a Mexico that holds California and a Canada that holds a good portion of the Rust belt
Can the USA still be a Great Power without the Lousiana Purchase?
I'd probably throw in enough of New Jersey to make sure that it can control the mouth of the Hudson River, and including Massachusetts/Connecticut/Rhode Island would help just for the initial phase of getting established. On the other hand, you can lose some of the Great Lakes states (Illinois becomes much less important if Chicago is no longer the railroad gateway to the west, and you lose access to the lower Mississippi; Wisconsin even more so; I'd keep the "mitten" of Michigan but the Upper Peninsula is much less important).USA could still be a Great Power if it controlled New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Great Lakes states.I would say that's the absolute minimum for USA to still be a great power.
I'd probably throw in enough of New Jersey to make sure that it can control the mouth of the Hudson River, and including Massachusetts/Connecticut/Rhode Island would help just for the initial phase of getting established. On the other hand, you can lose some of the Great Lakes states (Illinois becomes much less important if Chicago is no longer the railroad gateway to the west, and you lose access to the lower Mississippi; Wisconsin even more so; I'd keep the "mitten" of Michigan but the Upper Peninsula is much less important).