WI/AHC: U.S.A. Territory Is Not Just One Nation

To my mind, the ideal split would be: English east coast, French in the Mississippi-Missouri basin; and a west coast divvied up between Spain and Russia. These can either still be under rule from the mother country, or have rebelled and become independent entities (a la the 13 Colonies or the rest of Spanish America). But with a POD in the mid to late 18th century, make it that the OTL U.S. of A does not stretch "from sea to shining sea".
 
The magic formula for colonizing territories is that the mother country has enough problems where enough people want to leave, but is also strong enough to govern colonies in the first place. The biggest nations in the 19th century that met the former condition didn't meet the latter (Scandinavia, Germany, Ireland, Italy). The countries that were most capable of building large empires were not able to attract enough immigrants to their North American territories.

With that in mind, I don't believe it was really possible for any country to block US hegemony in North America.
 
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a mexico with it's shit together definitely could be the country for the job.

Now that would be interesting. Mexico with Tejas, both Californias stretching from Colombia all the way up to a Russian Oregon. ;)

The countries that were most capable of building large empires were not able to attract enough immigrants to their North American territories.

England/Britain didn't do too badly for themselves. Likewise, France didn't seem to have the problem with their sugar islands in the Caribbean, however, they did with Canada/Louisiane.
 
Russia isn't strong enough in the area to project power to much of the West Coast. It would probably be divided between the Spanish (in California), the French/Louisianans (in Oregon and maybe Washington), and the British (in at least BC). If Louisiana isn't strong enough to expand beyond the Rockies, then I'd argue that it's probably not strong enough to exist at all. By the mid-18th century, there's definitely ways to get more settlers to the place, and it's a better choice long-term than Quebec (a breadbasket of the world, oil, agricultural wealth, plenty of mines, etc.).

With that in mind, I don't believe it was really possible for any country to block US hegemony in North America.

Agreed. The minute it became impossible to block the expansion of the US west of the Appalachians, that was the minute it was almost inevitable the US would expand to the Pacific Ocean.
 
I didn't say Russia would be able to project power along the West Coast, (the same way Britain did for the East Coast), it could barely as far as Alaska was concerned. But just that it would be sort of "regarded" as "Russian territory" for wont of anyone else being interested. Although a Russia wank where they end up actually controlling Alaska and most of Cascadia would be cool.

Agreed. The minute it became impossible to block the expansion of the US west of the Appalachians, that was the minute it was almost inevitable the US would expand to the Pacific Ocean.

But not impossible
 
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