Canadian Flag
I wonder what the Canadian flag would look like with additional Caribbean territories.
I wonder what the Canadian flag would look like with additional Caribbean territories.
In favor of the Canadian Ring of pearls, many businessmen and Canadian economic elite were in favor of beinging the Caribbean into the Confederation as to gain the tax revenues and broader domestic market, as well as gove Canada more clout in regards to the New World and the Commonwealth.
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What makes me not agree with TFSmith is the fact that, as significant as the difficulties would undoubtedly be, I can see it possible for Canada to accept the idea of Ottawa being the leaders of the British territories in the Caribbean. Laurier would probably approve of it in his hope of making Canada a world power, and I can also see Borden potentially being a supporter of it.
Canada by the end of WWI had a very large merchant marine and a growing Navy, and I can see Ottawa actually considering the idea out of the idea of having more power and influence within the Empire. The fact that this would effectively force Ottawa to accept the people of the West Indies as citizens sooner rather than later is a point that I would not bet on Borden liking much, but I'd bet on Mackenzie King probably being approving of, and after WWII the problems with the racial difference would probably melt away.
Is it difficult? Yes. Is it ASB? Absolutely not. It would depend on what Britain was willing to give up, what Canada was willing to give to the people of the West Indies and what the people there were willing to accept. The idea of minimal representation isn't gonna fly with either Ottawa or the islands, so while territorial status would be likely early on, it would have to evolve into provinces at some point in the not-too-distant future, as both Ottawa and the islands would demand it.
Which would trend towards the path towards the West Indians demanding provincial status and full equal rights I was theorizing on before, provided that the period between 1920 and 1950 doesn't result in West Indians and mainland Canadians eventually coming to the conclusion that the West Indian territories would be better off being independent from Canada. Given the social changes you noted which were already ongoing in Canada, this would seem like a less likely prospect actually.
... And that is before the very likely prospect of racially-mixed divisions during WWII and the results of that. Canada began shifting dramatically in terms of views on ethnicity during WWII, and in this world the massive divisions between English Canadians, French Canadians, new immigrants and the African and Asian descent Canadians from the West Indies would make that move earlier, and if they are fighting together during WWII, that much stronger earlier. It would by no means eliminate racism, but it would create a whole class of war veterans who had fought with men of other colors and ethnicities and done so with distinction, which makes it rather harder to be a racist. Hell, if you wanna rattle Hitler's cage a little bit, make sure he knows of the black and Indian members of the Canadian Army - "See you little bastard! See how the black men of the West Indies Regiments of the Canadian Army just whupped the asses of a force of the mighty Waffen-SS! See how your little idea of racial supremacy just got shot to shit by the same army which you and your colleagues feared last time!" Might just rattle his cage just that little bit more....![]()
To be fair, we are talking from the point of view of imperial runnings, white mans burden is unavoidable in understanding the thinkings of the time. Even so: the Canadian empire in the Caribbean is certainly going to be somewhat shameful as a colonial legacy. Ultimately certainly the Big Two and perhaps Guyana and Belize could move to independence and run a path independent of Canada with their own successes and failures. I personally doubt the demographic clout of the other islands even together to push away from Canadian dominance, with many of the Little 8 (9) having popular support of union with Canada. Unfortunately I'm biased as a Trini taking into regard the rest of the Caribbean's perspective.
Interesting idea. Was such a thing plausible?
No, it's not, why ? Structuring.
From the east to the west, your facing, without knowing, just about 2,500 fédérations of natives that have quite different theological approches. The main Constitution is iroquoian and, of a model similar to the europeans, from wich they are issued in the east and , of asians, mainly from the remnant of mongols invasion in Birmania, arriving in the west. Picture it: keltics, norvegians, french, anglo, asians and italians (by proxy) for the main parts.
The europeans, same bunch as before, in a more modern fashion, want the dow but in the wrong direction. Catherine sees the opportunity and, in lieu of listening to the explorators, listen to the observers that she forces the explorators to bring with them. Those guys observed and studied the habits of the locals and the cycles of nature of the area. The locals have good habits, peaceful and great in socials, ready to give everything they owned to others, confidants in higher values (not christians). That's how they became russians!
The elisabethans, those islanders, with a great armada, never tought to do anything of substance with that wilderness, but curiously declared the natives
personnal subjects of the queen, wich was sounded in a matriarcal society. The future will celebrate those words.
The asians might realise in the future what they miss by not following the birmanians.
The french are still playing with their feathers, while the natives put them on their head, symbol of personnal value.
The south of the continent is still freeking but hasardous, comes threw the Mississipi for some incursions and leave as fast as they can, not at ease so far away, with those faces in wood observing them.
Today, the map is such, that there in no borders in northern america and the south is still battling his fanstasm to offer to gods thoses bodies more useful
for developpment.
Plausible? Of course not ! Gerard