1846:
On January 18, a government mint is established in San Francisco to process and collect gold mined in California. Immigration restrictions from British Asian possessions to British North America are lifted by an Order-in-Council. This order also prevents governments from enacting rules, regulations, orders, or measures that would deprive a British subject to any rights that he or she would enjoy on the basis of race or ethnicity.
In February, Sir Robert is able to push through a works program in Ireland to help relive unemployment and provide money for the purchase of food. Among the projects this will sponsor will be the re-gaugeing of rail lines in Ireland to match that of the rest of the United Kingdom. The other measure taken is to heavily subsidize emigration to South Africa, British North America, and Australasia.
In March, the United States bans immigration from the British Empire. This is specifically targeted at the Irish who are predominantly Catholic. While domestically xenophobic in terms of a national policy many Americans do leave there country for fortunes elsewhere.
On April 25, the Mexican-American War starts. This war will see the expansion of American territory to the Pacific Ocean. The United States’ military will suffer desertion rates of 14% as some soldiers leave and reenlist for an additional signing bonus or leave for the goldfields in California.
In October, the representation of British North America is increased in Westminster due to its population growth. Mild Reform is also enacted for the United Kingdom. To facilitate the Reform the number of seats in the House of Commons is redistributed rather than increased.
On November 6, a small community is chosen by Queen Victoria to be the future capital of British North America. This town, Bytown, is located on the Ottawa River at the North End of the Rideau Canal. It is renamed Ottawa, which is considered a much more suitable name for a capital then Bytown. This is in a direct response to the riots that have occurred in Montreal over controversial legislation. While the announcement is made now, it will take more than a decade for the full transfer of government to occur.
1847:
On September 30, the Vegetarian Society is formed in the United Kingdom. The purpose of the society is to "support, represent and increase the number of vegetarians in the UK."
1848:
On February 2, the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo is concluded ending the Mexican-American War. This treaty extends American territory significantly further west.
[FONT="][1][/FONT] This war has left the British and New England governments on edge, as the idea that the United States can and will use military force to expand its borders leave them with the uneasy feeling that perhaps the United States might turn its attention to them next.
On February 21, the Communist Manifesto is published by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in London. For many this is seen as the symbolic start of what will be termed the Revolution of 1848. These revolutions throughout 1848 and early 1849 threaten the stability of much of continental Europe. While ultimately almost all crushed, they do reflect an almost universal call for some form of democracy or constitutionalism, and a surge in people leaving the continent for elsewhere.
On March 2, a small incident occurs on the British North American/ United States of America border. A small group of armed men cross the border and proclaim the State of Missouri. This group is swiftly apprehended and eliminated. Officially this ‘raid’ is condemned by the United State’s government.
On March 6, the Imperial Government orders survey work to start for a railway to cross British North America.
On April 6, the Anglo-New England Treaty of 1848 is signed between the British Empire and New England to strengthen economic and military ties. Towards the end of the year a treaty will be reached to extend the defence agreement between the British Empire, Brazil, and Portugal to New England.
1849:
In January, the Second Anglo-Sikh Wars starts.
On March 29, the British Empire annexes Punjab. This marks the end of an independent Sikh state. The Punjab will prove very valuable to the Empire over the next several decades in a large part due to the strength, courage, and determination of its people
On April19, the British Empire reaches an agreement to Nicaragua to formalize British rights over the existing railroad and proposed canal. The agreement also annexes the Mosquito Coast to Nicaragua as an autonomous region and grants the British Empire basing rights in the country. In concurrence with this measure, the British Empire will keep military forces in the country to defend its interests both economic
[FONT="][2][/FONT] and political.
[FONT="][3][/FONT] The Bay Islands are annexed by the British government to British Honduras.
On October 8, in Westminster it is formally agreed to decimalize the Pound Sterling. It will still take a few months to determine the best way to undertake such a venture. This is the most radical change to the British Empire which has been spearheaded from outside of the United Kingdom so far.
1850:
On January 20, the scheme for decimalizing the Pound Sterling is publicly released and work starts minting new coins. The new coins will enter circulation in early 1851.
On February 4, a curious article is written for and published in The Times.
[FONT="][4][/FONT] The article notes that while marriages between Indians and Europeans had previously occurred the frequency of such unions has increased. It has been more common for junior and mid level officers to marry while on deployment to India. The article notes that most wives convert to Christianity, and thus mixed-race marriages might be a favourable tool in a civilizing mission.
On March 6, as part of his measures to reform royal finances Prince Albert has agents purchase large amounts of land in and around Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. In order to facilitate the purchases a great deal of the assets of Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall are leveraged and several notable pieces of the art collection are put up as collateral and reside in the home of Lionel de Rothschild, who subsequently shall be known as Sir Lionel as a knight bachelor.
1851:
On January 1, the new series of coins enters circulation.
On May 1, The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations takes place in the Crystal Palace, Hyde Park, London. The Great Exhibition is opened by Queen Victoria, and is an opportunity for the British Empire to showcase its industry. The largest exhibits are those sponsored by the United Kingdom and British North America. One notable element of the British exhibits is an unveiled route for the first Trans-Dominion Railway in British North America. This railway will be constructed by the private sector, although the Dominion and Imperial Governments are making land grants and lower interest bonds available to help finance the construction of the railway and to facilitate settlement in the interior of the continent.
On June 25, work starts of the Trans-Dominion Railway and Telegraph Line. This railway more often than not is known by its trading name: Southern Pacific. By 1880 it will be one of four railways stretching across British North America from the Great Lakes to the Pacific.
On July 1, in Australasia the Colony of Victoria is created by separating it from New South Wales. All colonies in Australasia
[FONT="][5][/FONT] are put under one Governor-General of Australasia.
On August 6, the Catholic Church in the British Empire is given greater autonomy in North America in return for its more active promotion of the English language. This is the result of a development during the Potato Famine in Europe and the unfortunate number of young orphan’s arriving in British North America. When orphans arrive they are placed with a linguistically acceptable family of good religious standing, as opposed to having religion as the sole criteria
[FONT="][6][/FONT].
1852:
On January 14, President Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte proclaims a new constitution for the French Second Republic.
On December 2, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte becomes Emperor of the French as Napoleon III. This is the start of the Second French Empire.
Between December 23 and 29, in China the Taping Rebellion continues to escalate with the Taping army taking Hanyang and Hankou. The ongoing rebellion in China sparks a population boom for British Formosa with people going there to avoid both violence and in some cases starvation. British authorities respond by strengthening their presence on the island.
December is also widely thought of as the end of the Potato Famine and the California Gold Rush. The famine has seen roughly 250,000 people die and over 1,500,000 people emigrate from Ireland mainly to other parts of the Empire and to the United Kingdom itself. The California Gold Rush has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people in the California’s with the California’s now being home to an estimated 500,000 people.
One side effect of the cooperation between the Crown and the Catholic Church has been the settlement of large number of people from Ireland in traditionally francophone or mixed areas, and the relatively high intermarriage rate. These communities tend towards bilingualism, as children of multilingual unions are slotted into Anglophone schools yet French remains as either a home or community language. This is not a permanent balance, but it is one that lasts for several generations in most areas.
1853:
On February 6, the Province of Northern California is created and annexed to the Dominion of British North America. The Governor-General for North America is given leave to gradually admit most of British North America to the Dominion as provinces.
On July 8, Commodore Mathew Perry of the United States Navy arrives in Edo Bay, Japan and requests a trade treaty. France, the British Empire, and the Netherlands had been content to let Japan continue its relative isolation as they had focus elsewhere, the United States on the other hand now with a Pacific port is keen to develop any new trade opportunities and Japan is seen as an untapped market.
On October 4, the Crimean War starts between the Ottoman Empire and Russia. With both British and French intervention expected on the Ottoman side once word of the start of the War reaches Pacific plans are drawn up to try gain control of Russian America when the British enter the war, negotiations with the French for this to happen quickly take place. In the United States, with Britain soon expected to be at war in Europe there are thoughts that it is time for a more forceful implementation of the Monroe Doctrine in the United States’ Near Abroad
[FONT="][7][/FONT].
1854:
On February 28, an American vessel named the Black Warrior docks in Havana, Cuba. The vessel refuses to produce its manifests and is seized by the authorities.
On March 18, the American government demands the Black Warrior’s immediate release and compensation for its owners.
On March 27, the British and French Empires declare war on Russia and join the Crimean War. Elements of the British Army are being readied for transport to Crimea from both British North America and the United Kingdom.
On April 18, the Ostend Manifesto is written. This document, inspired by Pierre Soule of Louisiana, calls for the annexation of Cuba by the United States.
On July 3, the Swedish intervention in the Crimean War starts. The Swedish will only be active in the Baltic Theater by participate in the capturing of the Åland Islands, and then by defending the islands and their own territory.
On August 6, the North American Campaign of the Crimean War begins. Considering the relative strength of Russian and British forces in North America the campaign is not considered a great challenge.
On September 8, the United States formally requests that Spain sell its North American possessions it in exchange for dropping the Black Warrior claim and a sizable financial settlement. Spain rejects the American proposal after a short period of deliberation.
On October 4, in Havana an explosion occurs on the Black Warrior sinking the ship. This news is not received favourably in the United States and there is increasing public support for this tarnishment of America’s Honour.
On November 17, the Suez Canal Company is formed without British participation.
On November 24, a large scale filibusters launch a coordinated liberation of Cuba. This mission is actively sponsored by the United States Governments. Many of the filibusters were either involved in the Mexican-American War or served in the United States military.
On December 16, the Spanish Government recognizes the American filibusters as an Act of War and says that a State of War now exists between the United States of American and Spain. In the Western Mediterranean the Spanish Navy seizes several American ships. The Spanish declaration and seizure of further American ships act results in the United States Congress issuing a formal Declaration of War, and the American Military assuming the lead in the invasion of Cuba. The American strategy for the war is to invade and hold Spanish American holdings and prevent Spanish reinforcements from arriving. In Spain itself, this war is an attempt to restore a greater sense of unity to the Spanish people following La Vicalvaradaa. That said Spain’s strength is far from what it once was.
[FONT="][1][/FONT] Historic territories plus the Gadsden Purchase and Sonora. British territories at this point remain British, which includes California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.
[FONT="][2][/FONT] the railroad itself and the proposed canal
[FONT="][3][/FONT] maintain friendly governments and trying to keep the country internally stable, as a unstable country would impact British economic interests
[FONT="][4][/FONT] The Times is a leading London newspaper, it is right leaning and tends to support Conservative ideology although in recent times it has been tainted by its affiliation with Murdoch.
[FONT="][5][/FONT] including New Zealand
[FONT="][6][/FONT] Historically a lot of very young children arriving in Canada from Ireland were placed with Catholic (Francophone) families, in this timeline they will be placed with English speaking Catholic or Anglican (including Methodist) families. Often children did not become orphan until during their passage to Canada… conditions on ships brining Irish to North America were not very sanitary
[FONT="][7][/FONT] wiki the term Near Abroad, same concept different geographical connotation