1794: The French Revolution. King Louis the umpteenth is stubbornly refusing the constitution demanded by the people. He’d like to take the aristocrats and Church down a peg, as their own obstinance is preventing the country from moving forward. This year is another poor harvest, and the people go beyond being restless and actively agitate for bread and change. Young Dauphin Louis the umpteenth + 1 is a student of enlightenment, and is a firm believer that the crown will be removed from power if something isn’t done. He has had enough of watching his father freeze in inaction. seizing the backing of the people, he rails against the status quo, and implores his father, the King, to abdicate and allow him to form a constitution limiting the privileges of the aristocracy and the church. The King refuses and attempts to confine his son to house arrest. the younger Louis escapes and attempts a coup. He almost pulls it off in a quick fashion. But his father outwits him, and they settle down for a long battle of supremacy. It goes on for nearly a decade, until Louis the umpteenth is stricken by meningitis. In his final months in the year of 1801, his ailment has many thinking he is insane. When he finally passes on, the country is worn out and ready for a peace. Louis the umpteenth + 1 is crowned as the constitutional monarch, Leonard I (he has grown tired of explaining to people exactly which Louis he is and wants to denote a new beginning to the nation). The Aristocrats are forced to accept taxation, but they get their own council in the gov’t. The Church has been badly bruised, and has to accept restrictions on their power, as well as some confiscation of their lands.
1799: The New France-New England War. During the revolution, New France has contemplated independence. they have been left completely unattended and rudderless. Although they’ve been mostly de facto self governing, the laws and direction have come from the Crown. They are low in number (200,000ish) in a large land, but look with envy at the independence of their southern neighbors. They also fear their neighbors. Both the Republic of New England and the Northern Kingdom contest their boundaries. As long as France looms overhead, the neighbors glances are only covetous. Now that France is otherwise occupied, the story is different. Some call for a colonial monarchy, seeking to emulate the southern neighbors. Others are fearful of the ambitions of the much stronger Northern Kingdom and Republic of New England. There are mixed opinions on how the colony will be treated under a constitutional regime if the dauphin wins the revolution. Some feel that they'll be treated fairly, as an equal province of the empire. Others hold the opposite, that their representation will be dwarfed by the mainland, ending their current status of being unofficially self governing while being overseen by the Crown. In 1799, their fate is decided for them. During the height of the confusion of the revolution, the Republic of New England marches in with an ‘army’ (mostly a mob of citizen soldiers and their families) to occupy and settle Maine. New France has done nothing with the region, except for some minor settlement at the mouth of the Penobscot River. With no expectation of help from France (it’s unsure which faction actually holds the crown at the moment), New France accepts the border at the Penobscot. Most of northern New Hampshire is regained as well. The Northern Kingdom uses this opportunity to press for recognition of its claims as well. New France presses for retention of the Champlain Valley, but the Northern Kingdom, led mainly by the desires of New York, wants it as well. The war consists mostly of settlers proclaiming themselves a militia moving into contested territories. Real attacks on the few forts are avoided. Knowing it will only get help from a foreign source, New France declares independence, mobilizes what army it can muster and asks Mexico for mediation. The new Kingdom of Canada opens its port to foreign trade with the hope of foreign aid and investment. Mexico sends aid, and forms a small army on the western bank of the Scioto River in Ohio (Mexico has been looking to increase its presence there anyhow) and threatens intervention if mediation is not accepted.
1798-1799: Mexico mediates a settlement. New York (Northern Kingdom) gains OTL western NY and all of OTL Vermont, but Canada gets the Champlain Valley, and both banks of the Saint Lawrence. the Northern Kingdom will pay a small indemnity, but will gain trading privileges. The Republic of New England gains Maine south of the Penobscot River, and northern New Hampshire. The compromise seems reasonable to all sides and peace is restored. In return for their assistance, Mexico receives fishing rights in the rich north atlantic fisheries, and a couple of small islands in the mouth of the St Lawrence to dry their catch.
1799: Canada searches for a King. They eagerly offer it to any one of the Dauphin’s (now King) several brothers, but none are interested in such a miniscule throne. Not many in France even realize, or care, that they’ve lost a colony. The rest of Europe similarly lacks interest. Perhaps a Bourbon from a different direction, then. They ask the King of Mexico if perhaps one of his sons, or nephews, would be interested. The king asks his youngest son, Pedro, to take on the solemn duty of protecting the people, and the land, the northern reaches of the continent. Pedro, after being assured that he’ll have a lifetime supply of very, very, warm fur coats, accepts and is crowned Pierre I.
1810’s: The south american colonies of Spain are dissatisfied. They had been expecting an advance of autonomy/dominion status with the motherland's constitution. Instead, they've been left as colonies to be exploited. With the entirety of North America as independent countries, it should have been obvious that the south continent would seek to be the same, but Spain was oblivious. The Vice Royalty of New Grenada was the first to rebel. Chile followed suit. Peru/Bolivia/upper Argentina (aka Vice Royalty of Peru) remained loyal, as did Uruguay, but Buenos Aires and Paraguay were agitating for independence. With this explosion of rebellion, and fearful of losing the South American colonies as they had lost Mexico, Spain came up with a plan of partition. Named the Andres Plan after the fellow who suggest it to the King, Andres the Small. Andres was a person afflicted with dwarfism, quite witty and personable, who was kept in the Spanish court for the king's amusement. The King had discovered that Andres was quite rational and practical, and often talked of matters of state when the two were alone. When the King lamented the situation, Andres merely said, "if you can't beat them, join them", and reminded that although Mexico's sovereignty was lost to Spain, their trade situation and military alliance was a definite positive. tis better to get something out of the situation than nothing.
The South American colonies were to be turned into something akin to a dominion, fully autonomous in home rule, but foreign affairs would be the province of Spain, and their head of state would be the King. All would pay yearly tribute to the mother country. There were to be four of them: New Granada (comprising Venezuela and Columbia), Peru (Bolivia, Peru, Equator, and the northern provinces of Argentina), Chile (Chili, plus the lower half of the southern cone of Argentina) and Parana (Paraguay, Buenos Aires, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul). Cuba, Puerto Rico, and other miscellaneous small islands, were to be kept in colonial status.
The vice royalty (now Dominion) of Peru was given a special place on the continent, and provided with a prince (against his will) to rule. As the most loyal of the colonies, and centrally located, Peru was to act to enforce the will of the crown. With the troubles happening on all sides, it was of limited efficiency. Still, most of the heartland of South America was kept within the empire.
The Andres Plan was a mixed bag of failure and success. Chile only acted as a special partner when it suited them. At other times, they acted in their own interests as a virtual independent nation. The tribute expected of them was only sporadic.
Buenos Aires wanted to be the capital of Parana, which was set in Montevideo. Paraguay was tired of being treated as a rural hinterland whose desires were ignored by the La Plata region. Rio Grande do Sul identified more with Portugal than with Spain. The region was mostly of pastoral economy, which benefited mostly the minority land owner class. In 1812, Buenos Aires declared independence, followed in 1813 by Paraguay. Entre Rios made a play for separation, but was quickly put down by Uruguay.
the Dominion of New Grenada immediately degenerated into chaos, which required intervention from Peru. Venezuela split off as an independent country, while the remaining dominion (Columbia, Ecuador) was under the thumb of Peru.
By the end of the first quarter of the 19th century, the whole region was a mixed bag of muddle.
The Spanish gov't was torn on how to handle the situation. Some resisted sending troops, arguing the whole point of the plan was to eliminate that need. Others wanted to send in massive troops and return the dominions to colonial status, while still others argued that it was too late to put that genie back in the bottle. By the time the first quarter of the 19th century closed out, Spanish South America was a hodgepodge of newly minted countries, and dominions of varying loyalty to the crown.
Looking for a feel good foreign success to buoy morale at home, Spain spies what seems to be an easy target. In 1823, Spanish troops in Milan, find an excuse to invade the Republic of Genoa. This is a minor military move was to have enormous consequences.
1823: the Genoa War. the initial conquest was easy. Italy was not amused. The pope was not particularly enamored with Spain of late, with Spain allowing the divine right of kings to wither in South America. The King of Italy was a devout believer. Italy had resisted a constitution. God gave kings the divine right to rule, and the Italian Bourbon king was not going to give that up. This resonated well with the Pope, who was tired of seeing the religious rights diminished, even those of faiths non Catholic. The Jesuits were diminished or expelled around the world in the century gone by. The Church had suffered greatly in the French Revolution. Mexico had cut the power of the Church greatly. True, the awful republicanism turned out to be a passing phase, and God was put back in power with the return of Monarchy inspiration. The Pope encourage Italy's invasion of Milan, with the added bonus of bringing a long time republic Genoa back under the leadership of God.
Gaining the blessing of the papal states, Italy made a stand, and came to the defense of Genoa. They swiftly swept through Milan, surprising the unprepared Spanish, and aided by a populace that was not particularly enamored with their Spanish overlords. Simultaneously, they invaded and conquered Sardinia. They demanded a quick peace after this, but Spain was not so easy to dismiss. They geared up for a war with a country far smaller. Europe had settled into a state of loose alliances which shifted almost yearly. Gone were the days of rigid alliances lasting decades and enmities lasting longer. Italy was under Bourbon rule, but a century had passed since the Bourbon ruler was a son of France. France under Leonard I might have remained neutral, but Austria saw an opportunity to regain influence in Italy. France wanted neither Spain or Austria to gain power, and joined in with her cousin Bourbons. Britain continued the policy of isolation that had served it well. Military intervention seemed to only bring misery. Trade was good with North America and growing in South America with every country emerging.
Austria had done well since the 4 years war. With the return of Silesia into the fold, Austria had money to accomplish her goals, which was basically to make life well for the populace. Serfdom had been abolished decades ago. Maximilian II had done minimally his duties as Holy Roman Emperor, and had allowed the whole arrangement of the Empire to slowly erode. His successor, Maximilian III had made feeble efforts to reassert Austria's authority (having barely been elected Emperor over the aging Joseph Ludwig Leo of Bavaria), but ultimately acquiesced to a slow decline of the HRE. Now the new king, Francis I, was eager to show his mettle. Spain was seemingly doing poorly in Northern Italy and could use a hand. Southern Italy was a smaller state, would make a nice addition to the Austrian sphere.
Having no choice but to capitulate to Austrian demands, the Republic of Venice ,played a passive role in joining with Austria, and allowed passage of Austrian troops so that they might defeat the Bourbon Italians now in possession of both north and south Italy, separated only by the Papal States.
Spain was surprised by Austria's entry in the war, and was both delighted to have an ally, and worried about Austria's intentions regarding the region. They made a pact, whereby Austria would receive southern Italy, and Spain would gain northern Italy.
France had also done well since her devastating revolution. The aristocracy was still doing fine, albeit knocked down a peg since their heydays of the 18th century. The church had taken a beating. They had sided with the old king. In truth, it still was a very powerful institution, but it would be a long time until the bitterness of the reduction of power dissipated. But, the people were happy, and prosperous. the Industrial Revolution was emerging from the ashes of the old order. France could have kept on being fat and happy. Italy was important in world affairs, but not so important that France should risk itself being enmeshed with a war against two very large and much more important countries. But rational thinking often has no seat at the council of war. France joined the war, seeking to protect a Bourbon family member in need of protection.
French Aristocratic society had watched with horror the debacle of the British Revolution happening across the channel. They didn't want this happening to them and were determined to prevent it from happening to them. This helped precipitate the French Revolution. During the fray, many found the British response of nobles (mostly minor, but some of the medium to higher noble families) moving to the new world to be appealing, but where to go? The Caribbean sugar islands were hotbeds of . New France seemed cold and for disease and pestilence. New France looked cold and desolate. Mexico, with its healthy population of French looked inviting. They already had an aristocratic presence including a few French nobles who, being of minor stock in Europe, could be bigger fish in the pond, and had already made the move. The variety of the massive country ensured that one could find somewhere that would suit his needs. there were plenty of destinations for the French diaspora, but Mexico was one of them.
Northern Mexico had always been a polyglot of peoples, but now, slowly, southern Mexico was becoming more varied, as well.
This aristocratic movement was not unnoticed around the world. It would seem the world was a changing place. The once seeming rock solid foundations of society/government were shifting. Not necessarily crumbling. Peoples around the world, of all classes, were observing, wondering where it all was leading, and if they were clever types, looking to mold it and shape it for their own ends, or for what they saw as a betterment of mankind. The bloodshed and devastation of the British and French revolutions worried many. some, while not reveling in guts and gore, saw it as a necessary evil to effect a more positive change. Most, though, sought to avoid this, and agitated for a more gentle, gradual change. This was to be a multi generational evolution. Some peoples of all types kept their heads firmly planted in the sands of delusion, believing that if they ignored the signs around them, nothing would change, but most could see change as inevitable. Everything was a constant shift of multiple currents of change, swirling about in ever changing patterns. Peoples and classes were islands in those currents, working to steer their direction, affecting the direction of others, who in turn responded and whose actions affected the directions of those islands who impacted up them. On and on this slow dance went.
Truth be told, though, Italy was still doing quite nicely. The Spanish were still recovering from the shock of being tossed out of Milan, Genoa, and Sardinia with such unnerving ease, and Austria had rushed in a little too unprepared and had suffered a bloody nose on their first engagement. The Bourbon Italian king was eager to strike a peace while Italy was at its peak, but Austria and Spain weren't about to give in that quickly. Leaving Austria to deal with Italy, Spain put forces across the Pyrenees. The mountains made for a very nice defensive barrier, and although the struggle was hard, they were making bloody headway. France sent troops to bolster Italy in the Milan region. Details are boring, but suffice it to say, it was a long arduous slugfest.
No part of Italy was left unscathed. Austria and Spain tried from all angles to defeat the Bourbons. they gained footholds, then lost them. Were glorious victors in some battles, and thoroughly beaten in others. Spain never made it far over the Pyrenees when they were push back, it was finally the dual defeats of the Basque region of Spain and the loss of Cuba that caused Spain to lose the war. In the former, French forces pushed over the Atlantic side of the Pyrenees and through Pamplona into the Basque country, taking Bilbao and looking like there was no stopping the French troops, with more spilling over the mountains daily. In the Caribbean, French held Haiti had long been a prime jewel in the French nest. They, too, had toyed with independence during the dark years of the revolution. home governance and freedom was happening all around them, and the lure was strong. The slaves were getting uppity, as well. Magnificent sums were being tallied on the credit side of the ledger, while sweat, misery and death balanced it out on the debit side. But the overseers kept control with a firm whip. The overseers in Haiti bartered with their own overseers who were busy bickering in France. The landed class in Haiti gained a measure of home rule, while the slaves received their share of the bargain with more heaping portions of sweat, misery and death.
Now, some 20 or more years later, it was Haiti's turn to serve the mother country. Slaves were promised freedom, given rifles and a wee bit of training, boarded on to ships and sailed to nearby Cuba. There they served as canon fodder to soften up the Spanish defenses. With their twisted, bullet torn bodies still washing out to sea, French regulars waded ashore and took control of Cuba. Cuba had missed out on the dominion status of the Andres Plan, and now she went from being the colony of Spain to being the colony of France. France gave up its gains in the Basque country in return for a steep indemnity. Italy now resembled the Italy of OTL. France nibbled off a little bit here or there, but Italy was now a unified state under the Bourbon king. Genoa, Milan and Venice, as well as the island kingdom of Sardinia were added to Tuscany, Naples, and Sicily. Previously, Italian states such as Modena, Mantua, and Parma had already been assimilated. The Pope, although he was on the winning side, suffered as much as the losers. The Papal States, which had been trampled during the savage back and forth fighting, were mostly added to Italy, with only the small enclave around the Vatican remaining. The Bourbon King who started the war had sought to lead his glorious Christian troops in battle had been struck down by a canon ball late in the war. His final thoughts were despair that his was not a noble death, run through by a saber in personal contest amongst foes, but smashed from far away by an unseen hand lighting a fuse. The new King took the mantle of all of Italy, but was far more pragmatic and accepted a constitution to unify his realm.
The Scramble for Germany:
Austria lost far more than just a war against France and Italy. The descendants of Joseph Ludwig Leo of Bavaria continued his dream of a strong Bavarian state. Seizing the opportune moment, Joseph Ludwig Leo II, grandson of his namesake, and now King of Bavaria, discouraged the members of the Holy Roman Empire from joining with Austria in the war. Instead, he created a zollverein in the former Swabian Circle region. the east bank of the Rhine was now practically a Bavarian state. Joseph Ludwig Leo II outright annexed some of the bishoprics, coerced some of the Dukes into joining, and enticed some duchies to join by letting them swallow up other small german states who weren't so eager to join.
The House of Lorraine also benefited from the Genoa War. Now seated in the former Austrian Netherlands, she had enjoyed a century of peace. She had joined sides here and there, but her actual military efforts were minimal. King Johann I watched as King Joseph Ludwig Leo II expanded his kingdom. Here was a possible threat, and also a possible opportunity. Johann's country, the Kingdom of Lorraine-Netherlands, had been on good terms with the United Provinces of Netherlands for decades. Finally, it seemed a propitious moment to join the two together in a closer union. While they were at it, they would pull in a few smaller neighbors, and called it the Kingdom of Holland..
All the German states were in a whirl as they watched the dissolution of the HRE. Bavaria had grabbed a portion of it, and the newly formed Kingdom of Holland had nibbled away at it. Hanover, Saxony, and Brandenburg were the other big members of the empire. since it appeared the name of the game was conquer or coerce thy neighbor, a mad scramble ensued. Tiny duchies, bishoprics, and states sought protection under the umbrella of one of the big states, or tried banding together for protection against the big states. There was a great deal of statesmanship and saber rattling, but surprisingly little bloodshed from a skirmish here or there. Electorates now fancied themselves Kingdoms. In end, Austria was left holding close its Bohemian Crown lands and Hungary, while groups of states in varying degrees of union centered around Bavaria (the largest), Holland (next largest), Hanover, Saxony, and finally Brandenburg, who had been squeezed out by its more powerful neighbors.
This assortment of unions quickly proved unworkable and trade patterns were interrupted. Trade arrangements were worked and reworked. Tiny states lost their identity within the larger unions. Bishoprics were the easiest to dispatch, having no hereditary rulers. Duchies disappeared within the Kingdoms. If they were strong enough, they managed to hold on to a bit of power. If not, farewell. Only the small entities wanted to lock in to a constitution, with the larger powers wanting to hold off til they were in the strongest position possible. The constitutions that were written were quickly rewritten, then written again, until, as someone scoffed, they were only good for finishing business after a bowel movement (more vulgar language was used by the author)
1830’s
The decade was dominated by the uncertainty of Germany. Austria seemed content to stay above the fray. It now styled itself a kingdom, and it set about revamping its military capability and licking its wounds from the Genoa War.
The ottoman empire had a rough start to the 19th century. In the opening years, Serbia rose up in rebellion, was put down, and rose up again. This time, they were joined by Greece. Again the Turks managed to put them down, but the natives were restless, as they say, and it wasn't long before they rose up again. The world powers looked on eagerly to see what would become of the sick man. Some backed the rebels covertly, or even openly. The Turks were not without their backers, not because they favored the Ottomans, but because they sought to prevent potential enemies from carving out too much of the dying empire.
Russia was quietly modernizing. They had tangled with the Ottomans on more than one occasion, and though they always came out on top, or fought to a draw, the Russians saw that reforms were necessary. Peter III's successors (I left Catherine - not her original name - to wither away in obscurity, yet another princess married off into a minor duchy or principality. Peter got a less ambitious bride, who attempted to work with Peter rather than Catherine's method of opposition and deposition. This alternate bride is tossed by the wayside when Peter is assassinated and their son put on the throne under a regent) have more or less muddled through the years. The son had to fight to wrestle power from the regent, who had grown rather cozy in the role, and then had to find his way. Just when he was settling in, Russian ways of opposition happened and he died in mysterious circumstances, replaced by an underaged son of his own, who needed a regent, and that regency was fought over by several factions. Through it all, Russia lurched and sputtered forward, modernizing and seeming to freeze in ability all at the same time. When the 19th century dawned, Russia was looking to make its mark on the world, and taking the lead on the Eastern Question seemed like a good place to do it. They cajoled the Ottomans to give up concessions in return for inaction, but backed and encouraged the rebels wherever they rose up, and looked for opportunities to take more themselves.
It was during a lull in the decades long struggle (the rebels seemingly content with the amount of suzerainty they'd managed to wrest away from their masters) that Austria decided they could take their eyes off that side of the empire and entered the Genoa War. Russia pounced on the opportunity and encouraged the rebels once again. With both Serbia and Greece rising up again, the Russians threatened the borders once more, hoping for more gains.
In the Austrian sphere, the Magyars of Hungary looked on the Genoa War with apathy, while eyeing the rebellions with interest. Perhaps now was the time to gain the independence of their own that they had so long yearned for.
As the Genoa War dragged on, the atmosphere in Hungary was changing, and Austria had to diminish its role in Milan. France, rather than pouncing, let up on her efforts to vanquish the foe. As long as Austria kept reducing troop force in Italy, she would be not be contested elsewhere. It was necessary to leave Austria in good enough shape to check the Russians. The Genoa War wound down, and Austria concentrated on pacifying a Hungary that wasn't in open revolt, but not far from it. The Holy Roman Empire fell apart, and in declaring itself a Kingdom, Austria gave major concessions to the Magyars. S Secure, Austria sought to tear off a few pieces of it's own off the Ottoman Empire. Austria, though reeling from the stalemate war against France, was still a potent fighting force, especially now with peace with the Magyars. They watched as Russia struggled against the Ottoman forces. They did not want Russia getting too much, but they also wanted to get some for themselves. Russia was finding it was not such an easy go of it, as it would seem the dying man was not dead yet. They signed a treaty with Austria, and both countries geared up to throw massive forces against the Ottomans. The Sultan quickly sued for peace and gave up territory and concessions to both. Each power nibbled off a little bit,and jockeyed for influence in Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia, Rumania, Bulgaria, and Greece. Egypt arrived to bolster the Ottomans, and for a while it looked good for the Turks. All but Greece, who got full independence and a King from one of the minor European families, settled for massive amount of home rule/autonomy in return for protection of staying in the empire. Independence held its charms, but the large vultures circling overhead looking to take advantage of them gave them cause for concern. When all is said and done, you have OTL results. Austria had to give up a lot of power to Hungary earlier than OTL.
Mexican relations with the natives:
The Indian issue was much greater in the northern half of Mexico. in the southern half (previously known as New Spain), the natives had been conquered for centuries. In earlier days, they had been useful as slaves, until Spain, and then Mexico, had outlawed the practice (slavery was still acceptable for blacks). Ways were developed to use them as virtual slaves, and while that still presented a problem, it was diminishing slowly. Carlos I had preached the notion of treating them as equals, and encouraged whites to do so. It took a bit of doing, but gradually, Indians assimilated and became business owners and merchants working along side those of European descent. Indian reservations/communal lands were discouraged on the basis that it would hinder assimilation. The crown attempted to protect land rights of the natives by ensuring they got their fair share, but this was difficult where prejudice was accepted as a virtual law of society.
The north was a different story. Here, the tribes still held rule over the lands. Whites were still getting to the point of having enough power to conquer the tribes. Until then, Whites had to hunker down by forts, or beg for coexistence. Some tribes were more accepting of the whites living in harmony as long as the whites were willing to be harmonious. It was easy to sympathize with these tribes as inevitably, the whites began to outnumber them and their ways were lost in the assimilation. This was the fate of the Choctaw of southern Mississippi. Ever faithful allies of the Mexicans, they had fought side by side in vanquishing the Natchez (pretty much removing them from the face of the Earth) and in diminishing the Chickasaw. True, both of these were traditional enemies of the Choctaw, but the Choctaw were rewarded by seeing their lands shrunken further and further, early victims of having the misfortune of living in a spot conducive to early encroachment. Other tribes were bitter enemies, unaccepting of the whites under any circumstances, except, perhaps for trade for a few necessities such as guns. Most were of the 'we'll get along as long as you don't get too close, and pay us tribute' variety. As the white population grew, the tensions grew, too. When the Southern Kingdom was formed, Mexico sought to protect the border by populating western Ohio and middle Kentucky. The region was claimed by the Iroquois, but with their decimation in the Colonial Wars, they were unable to project power that far. Tribes that had been pushed by the Iroquois into Illinois/Indiana began to return and did not appreciate whites taking up residence on their hunting grounds. The Shawnee were being pushed from West Virginia by the whites encroaching from the east coast. Peace had been made with the Cherokee by allowing them a homeland in eastern Tennessee. the Cherokee called it a sovereign nation, but as they had no delegates/formal diplomacy with anyone but Mexico, the reality was more of a reservation. The Chickasaw in northern Mississippi had slowly lost power, and had given up lands in treaties and encroachment. they and the Creek to their east had been cajoled into letting the whites use and expand the Natchez Trace as a major highway into Kentucky and on into Ohio. Over the decades, various tribes had risen up in defiance of the encroaching whites, and the result was always the same. The Indians could snatch a small victory here or there, but the whites had the numbers and the guns. Mexico tried its hardest to coexist. they cracked down on white transgressions, but there was one basic undeniable truth: the white way of life and notions of land ownership was diametrically opposite. When population density was low, there was hope for compromise, but the Indian way of life called for large quantities of land for hunting. What the whites saw as empty space, the Indians claimed as living necessity.
Some tribes in close contact with whites looked to adopt a lifestyle straddling the two worlds. The Creek bordering Georgia and the Cherokee were two of these. They started farming and dressing as the white man did, but retained their notion of communal living. The mexican crown sought to encourage them, and punished whites who broke tribal laws, and rewarded those who dealt with them in a civilized manner. When the Creeks erupted in a civil war with some tribes looking to dominate those who they saw as turning into stooges of the whites, Mexico backed those were assimilating, including with troops. As a result, much of central Alabama was opened to white penetration in the early 1800s
Mexican exploration westward:.The Kino Trail had been the main land route to California for decades. Still, alternate routes were sought. A good jumping off point seemed to be Santa Fe. Exploration continued northward to Colorado and throughout the Rocky Mountains, searching not only for travel access, but also trade. The notorious mountain men of American lore have their counterparts here. They trapped for furs, traded with natives, and intermarried. They were a varied group. Mexicans of Spanish descent, Frenchmen, Europeans, Irish, Blacks, even Indians who, despairing of a dying way of life and not really liking the prospects of shooing cows or pigs around or clerking in a store, joined the call of the wilderness. By the late 1830’s routes were blazed through the mountains and to Oregon, Washington, California, and on up into (OTL) British Columbia, which showed no sign of belonging to anyone but the natives and Mexico.
1835: The California Gold Rush. You’d think it would have happened earlier. Whites were settling the entire coast much earlier than OTL. Mexicans, going back to the days of New Spain, had a rich (pun intended) history of discovering mineral wealth. Somehow, though, the great deposits of the west had remained undiscovered (by whites, that is. The natives had known of many of the deposits for generations). Now a chance discovery uncorked the bottle.
In the mid 18th century, when Mexico was linking up with their newly acquired lands of Illinois, they had explored westward along the Missouri River. OTL, the french did a little bit of exploration, and then were interrupted/expelled by the French and Indian War. The region was then given a reprieve as the Spanish did not do much with Louisiana, and then it took a while for the US americans to go a whole lot with it. Here, the exploration and settlement westward along it continues unabated. As with the rest of the northern Mexico, the advance is slow, but steady. By the early 19th century, a fort and small settlement was established at Kansas City, putting pressure on the Osage Indians. The Santa Fe trail was blazed, providing for a route for goods from Mexico to reach the Illinois region. It also provided for continued exploration west. Mexico was well established in California, and had a solid trading port/settlement in Vancouver, and sought an overland route. such a route was pioneered in 1798, but remained little traveled for a few decades. the Indians were still in command of that quarter of the country. Few whites may have traveled, but they carried a major impact. Smallpox and other infectious European diseases blossomed in their wake and decimated the indigenous population. For those whites who made repeat journeys on the trail, it seemed each year found another Indian village was no longer in existence. In the 1830’s, with more and better routes established a movement west began. The crown didn’t really encourage it. Mexico wanted a reasonable presence on the west coast to keep sovereign control over it, but she really needed a healthy presence in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee to protect against encroachment from the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. She also needed to occupy Upper Ontario, as well. In the early part of the 19th century, with steamboats making the journey easier than wagons, it was easy to entice and move people there. A steady stream of Spaniards, fantasizing about life on the frontier, made the journey across the Atlantic, and found a rude awakening of reality waiting for them. They nonetheless made the best of it, and wrote home glorious letters exaggerating the splendors of North America, justifying a decision made in haste or against the wisdom of their parents. Irish were always a plentiful source of immigration. Ireland was finding that self rule did not preclude land barons from abusing their position, nor did it make arable land more plentiful. That land was to be found on distant shores. French, too, came in a large wave during the horrors of the revolution, and for a few years afterward til things settled out. Germans of all stripes, displaced, or disgusted, by the power shifts and grabs of post Holy Roman Empire, were found. In ever increasing numbers the immigrants came, threatening to outnumber the Mexicans.
They came, not only for land, but for jobs, which could be found in the factories of southern Mexico, or the bustling docks of a multitude of docks. Indentured servants came to work in the cotton fields, or the coffee and sugar plantations, or any number of agricultural or factory pursuits. Some found themselves treated well, some were exploited, and others broke bond as soon as the ship closed in on shore.
And now, in the far reaches of the Mexican Kingdom, lie riches of the likes boys dreamed of as they wearily trudged behind a plow dragged by the steady pace of a mule. Lying in streams, waiting only for young men hunting and exploring to stop all that and simply pick up more wealth in a week than could be made in a lifetime of selling wheat or toiling behind a counter or in a factory. People of all ages, and sexes, and from around the world, took up that dream and rushed west to the coast.
On the east coast, people hemmed in by the Mexican nation, and unable to expand, had crowded together more and more. They were driven by lack of land to begin a movement of urbanization, moving to the existing cities, and creating new ones. Now, their pillows imparted images of an escape to a faraway land where empty land brimming with gold and silver beckoned. So they made their way to Ohio and up the Missouri River and joined up with a group of similarly minded folk heading west on one of the newly minted trails, or they hopped on board a ship and made their way to the isthmus of central America, took the short hop to the Pacific and then on board another ship heading north. There, they struggled to stake a claim to a plot of land and panned from sunup til sundown. A few struck it rich. A few more struck it rich selling supplies to those trying to strike it rich. A lot made enough to live for the year or so until they gave up the quest, and a lot barely stayed alive long enough to find something else to do for a living out here in the western reaches of a rural land.
The 1840’s:
The world was shrinking. Steam power gave rise to steam locomotion on both land and sea. Even the non steam powered locomotion was becoming more sophisticated and faster. Roads were built smoother. Fewer parts of the world were a black mystery. There was certainly a lot of exploration left to do, but long gone were the days when a new continent or major island was going to be found.
Their hold on California and north to Vancouver firmly in hand, Mexico begins in earnest their push to Alaska. They’d been going at it tentatively for 50 or more years with Russia. Both claimed the region. Neither country really had the zeal to push hard against the other. Without OTL’s Catherine the Great to officially promote Russian advances in North America, Russian efforts were mostly fur traders looking to make a buck. Mexican fur traders had done the same, setting up trading posts here and there, and fending off attacks by both Russians and natives. Russia threatens war, but both sides know the other lacks means to attack each other, so threats remain threats, for now.
The 1850s:
1852: the German War. for close to two decades, the region of German states had been in flux. The end of the Holy Roman Empire had seen the rise of german blocs. Brandenburg emerged as one of the two weakest. From near extinction at the end of the 4 years war, it had slowly recovered. Saxony likewise had faced extinction, and had slowly recovered. They had each managed to make themselves the center of small blocs of states. Careful not to upset any of the bigger powers next to them, they grew bold when facing each other. Some small squabble grew bigger, and chest thumping way out of proportion to the issue at hand. One misstep sparked the flame, and the two welterweights went at it. Two seasons of fighting like bantam roosters saw them ready to call the whole thing off, when their respective blocs broke apart. The neighbors started grabbing pieces and jockeying themselves against each other. Suddenly it was Bavaria facing off against Hanover. Bavaria 'backed' Saxony, although they weren't really concerned about Saxony. Likewise for Hanover and Brandenburg. the House of Lorraine tightened its hold on the Netherlands, while Poland continued its century long attempt to remain a viable nation. the entry of two fresh faces gave Brandenburg and Saxony renewed energy, but it turned out to be just a temporary surge. The two were quickly exhausted worse than they ever were. Two more years of fighting, and Hanover came to an agreement. Saxony and her bloc would be absorbed into Bavaria, while Brandenburg would be part of Hanover.
German nationalism and sense of unity was growing. Lorraine-Netherlands seemed content with the extent of their domain, and weren't interested in being part of any large German state. Austria was a polyglot of nationalities, and had a hard time holding on to their new Kingdom. That left Hanover and Bavaria facing off against each other. Each were tired, and busy consolidating their new gains. Sooner or later, though, everyone knew that there would be a day of reckoning.
around the world, the abolitionist movement grows. Mostly, those who live in an economy dependent on slaves, want to keep them. Those who don't, want the others to give up their way of life. New England formally bans slavery in 1851. The Northern Kingdom hems, haws and debates, and finally declares an end to the practice in 1857. The Southern Kingdom has no intention of giving up slavery. All three prior British countries had a vibrant trade going between them, and with Mexico and Canada (who had done away with the virtually non existent practice years ago), for that matter. New England and the Northern Kingdom had voices crying for trade sanctions on those countries who still had slavery, but they were ignored. It was enough to outlaw it in the home country. If goods came in cheaply on the backs of slaves, a blind eye sees nothing.
Mexico has a mixed economy, slave vs free labor. Even in what would be called OTL USA south, Mexico's labor force is mixed. Small and medium farms have found that they can be a going concern. The problem is that an owner of one couldn't get fabulously rich. For that you needed a large plantation, which typically conjured up visions of slave labor. This plantation class of landed gentry fervently opposed any abolition, but their voices were gradually drowned out. 1860 saw the enactment of freedom of the womb laws, promising freedom to anyone born a slave at the age of 21. This would allow a generation for large plantation owners to find a new way.
France held tight to the institution. Though they espoused the ideals of the enlightenment at home in Europe, for the far away colonies, profits counted for more. In Cuba, acquired not that long ago, they were busy bringing in black masses to fill the island to the brim, while Haiti, already full, had a steady stream to replace those worn out in the fields and buried in overcrowded black cemeteries.
Spanish South America had done away with the practice. Portuguese South America embraced it tightly. the southern portion didn't have much, but throughout the north, Slavery was a diehard staple of life.