I'm currently writing a scenario where the US annexes the Yucatan Republic when the offer for military assistance in exchange for sovereignty was brought to the US government. While it passed the house, it didn't pass the senate, as they cited the on-going war in Mexico as being the main focus and not wanting to get dragged down in another conflict.
I have the un-edited and un-finished script below. The only major change that I have is President Polk dying in 1846 shortly after the war with Mexico starts and VP George M. Dallas assuming the role. How this would play out post 1850 I'm not really sure about and would like to know other opinions on the matter. Thanks.
Edit: I know this thread is a bit old and the discussion ended. But I just uploaded the video today, with a few changes from the suggestions. If anyone is willing to offer feedback on the video I'd very much appreciate it.
I have the un-edited and un-finished script below. The only major change that I have is President Polk dying in 1846 shortly after the war with Mexico starts and VP George M. Dallas assuming the role. How this would play out post 1850 I'm not really sure about and would like to know other opinions on the matter. Thanks.
Edit: I know this thread is a bit old and the discussion ended. But I just uploaded the video today, with a few changes from the suggestions. If anyone is willing to offer feedback on the video I'd very much appreciate it.
Manifest Destiny, the belief that American settlers were destined to expand across North America was an integral part of American culture in the 19th century. The destiny was vague, some viewed it as a mission to extent Republican Democracy to peoples across the continent, while others viewed it as gods wish to civilize the people of American institutions, spreading them across the new world. Various treaties were created to further this idea. Buying the Louisiana territory from France and Florida from Spain, as well as fixing boundaries to extend American influence from Sea to shining sea. In this episode, we will be looking at one more potential target for this belief system. The Yucatan peninsula. The Yucatan had appealed to the United States for annexation, as they desperately needed military assistance against a local Mayan uprising. When this was brought to the United States government, President James K Polk mildly approved of the offer and it passed the house of representatives, but was blocked by the senate, citing the war in Mexico as their primary concern. But for the sake of alternate history. Let's look at what would happen if the United States annexed the Yucatan republic. But first, some history.
The Yucatan was twice a Republic during the 19th century. The first in 1823, where it joined the Mexican Federation following independence. Mexico had gained its independence from Spain in 1821, as the First Mexican Empire. This empire, led by Emperor Augustin I quickly had massive stability issues. In August of the following year, a plan to overthrow Augustin was discovered which encompassed 16 members of congress. In late October of the same year, Augustin had dissolved congress as they were heavily criticizing him and his policies. This led to revolts all across the empire, and him eventually being deposed. This also led to the formation of the Central American Republic, which encompassed all lands between Mexico and Panama, who had been un-offical provinces in the empire. From their, Mexico was formed as a Republic, with a new constitutions put into place in 1824. This constitution was repealed in 1835, putting in the era of a centralist government. This centralist government caused a massive amount of rebellion and republic declarations within the following years. A rebellion started in the states of Zacatecas and Tabascos which, combined with the successful Texas Revolution in 35, heavily weakened the governments control in the outer regions of the country. When the French invaded Mexico in 1838, this only further weakened the centralist control over the country, sparking more rebellions in the Rio Grande, and another rebellion in Tabasco. The Yucatan declared their independence again in 1841, citing the stripping away of local autonomy as the main cause. The original centralist government had accepted the Yucatan independence in some capacity but when Santa Anna staged his coup in 1841, he radicalized the centralist government, and sent an army to re-take the territory. They managed to fight back against the Mexican army. But were facing severe economic issues due to the blocking of Mexican trade, and later blockade by the United States. And a war against the local Mayan. In desperation, The Yucatan government pleaded with various governments for military assistance in exchange for sovereignty.
But in this alternate scenario. What if the United States Senate passed the resolution to annex the Yucatan? For this scenario to work within reality, a few things would need to be changed.
First: President Polk dies in 1846, shortly after the war with Mexico starts, and vice president George M. Dallas takes power. This isn't that hard to see happening, as Polks health was rather poor at the time, and he had a habit of over-working himself. Once he left office at the end of the term, he died one month after. Dallas was much more of an expansionist and opportunistic in nature, so long as the Mexican American war is going on, he will likely claim that annexing the Yucatan is a vital goal in defeating Mexico.
Second: The US government would have to be partially blind in its understanding of the Mayan conflict. The Mayan were far more numerous then any of the native tribes that the United States had dealt with previously, and they were masters at Jungle/gurellia warfare. Once the Yucatan got some Mexican weaponry and small contentions of troops they managed to push back the Mayan from the major settlements but they still had large control over the territory. This would be a constant, and bloody conflict that would last for decades in the territory. IOTL, It wasn't until 1933 that the last Mayan uprising occurred, nearly 100 years from its start. Now, we know this in hindsight, but it is easily possible to imagine the U.S government seeing them as an easy enemy, and not taking the conflict as seriously as it should have been.
The USA stumbles into Yucatán sometime in late 1847/early 1848, and the supply of guns and a few troops allows the Yucatecos to do similarly to what they did in OTL and recapture significant parts of the peninsula (though the Maya still control large swathes of territory). That's enough for the USA to convince themselves, for a while, that the Yucatán is easily winnable. With that, come the 1850 Missouri compromise, the Yucatan would be allocated as a slave state, which would have the support of the local population to some degree. One of the large problems in their war against the Maya was that they wanted to use them as a labor force, to farm the cash crops of sugar and henequen. It would be unlikely that the Yucatan would be admitted as a state in whole, more then likely, either the it would be kept as a popular sovereignty territory, or admit the whole region as a state even if control is only nominal. It's possible for this as well, since the lands to the west of Texas, and even large parts of Texas itself, aren't very suitable for slavery crop production.
The Yucatan was twice a Republic during the 19th century. The first in 1823, where it joined the Mexican Federation following independence. Mexico had gained its independence from Spain in 1821, as the First Mexican Empire. This empire, led by Emperor Augustin I quickly had massive stability issues. In August of the following year, a plan to overthrow Augustin was discovered which encompassed 16 members of congress. In late October of the same year, Augustin had dissolved congress as they were heavily criticizing him and his policies. This led to revolts all across the empire, and him eventually being deposed. This also led to the formation of the Central American Republic, which encompassed all lands between Mexico and Panama, who had been un-offical provinces in the empire. From their, Mexico was formed as a Republic, with a new constitutions put into place in 1824. This constitution was repealed in 1835, putting in the era of a centralist government. This centralist government caused a massive amount of rebellion and republic declarations within the following years. A rebellion started in the states of Zacatecas and Tabascos which, combined with the successful Texas Revolution in 35, heavily weakened the governments control in the outer regions of the country. When the French invaded Mexico in 1838, this only further weakened the centralist control over the country, sparking more rebellions in the Rio Grande, and another rebellion in Tabasco. The Yucatan declared their independence again in 1841, citing the stripping away of local autonomy as the main cause. The original centralist government had accepted the Yucatan independence in some capacity but when Santa Anna staged his coup in 1841, he radicalized the centralist government, and sent an army to re-take the territory. They managed to fight back against the Mexican army. But were facing severe economic issues due to the blocking of Mexican trade, and later blockade by the United States. And a war against the local Mayan. In desperation, The Yucatan government pleaded with various governments for military assistance in exchange for sovereignty.
But in this alternate scenario. What if the United States Senate passed the resolution to annex the Yucatan? For this scenario to work within reality, a few things would need to be changed.
First: President Polk dies in 1846, shortly after the war with Mexico starts, and vice president George M. Dallas takes power. This isn't that hard to see happening, as Polks health was rather poor at the time, and he had a habit of over-working himself. Once he left office at the end of the term, he died one month after. Dallas was much more of an expansionist and opportunistic in nature, so long as the Mexican American war is going on, he will likely claim that annexing the Yucatan is a vital goal in defeating Mexico.
Second: The US government would have to be partially blind in its understanding of the Mayan conflict. The Mayan were far more numerous then any of the native tribes that the United States had dealt with previously, and they were masters at Jungle/gurellia warfare. Once the Yucatan got some Mexican weaponry and small contentions of troops they managed to push back the Mayan from the major settlements but they still had large control over the territory. This would be a constant, and bloody conflict that would last for decades in the territory. IOTL, It wasn't until 1933 that the last Mayan uprising occurred, nearly 100 years from its start. Now, we know this in hindsight, but it is easily possible to imagine the U.S government seeing them as an easy enemy, and not taking the conflict as seriously as it should have been.
The USA stumbles into Yucatán sometime in late 1847/early 1848, and the supply of guns and a few troops allows the Yucatecos to do similarly to what they did in OTL and recapture significant parts of the peninsula (though the Maya still control large swathes of territory). That's enough for the USA to convince themselves, for a while, that the Yucatán is easily winnable. With that, come the 1850 Missouri compromise, the Yucatan would be allocated as a slave state, which would have the support of the local population to some degree. One of the large problems in their war against the Maya was that they wanted to use them as a labor force, to farm the cash crops of sugar and henequen. It would be unlikely that the Yucatan would be admitted as a state in whole, more then likely, either the it would be kept as a popular sovereignty territory, or admit the whole region as a state even if control is only nominal. It's possible for this as well, since the lands to the west of Texas, and even large parts of Texas itself, aren't very suitable for slavery crop production.
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