California is Could be made something similar to Río de la Plata. I mean a settler colony based with a ranch export economy.
"The Spanish and later Mexican governments rewarded retired
soldados de cuera with large land grants, known as
ranchos, for the raising of
cattle and
sheep. Hides and
tallow from the livestock were the primary exports of California until the mid-19th century. The construction, ranching and domestic work on these vast estates was primarily done by Native Americans, who had learned to speak Spanish and ride horses. Unfortunately, a large percentage of the
population of Native Californians died from European diseases. Under Spanish and Mexican rule the ranchos prospered and grew.
Rancheros (cattle ranchers) and
pobladores (townspeople) evolved into the unique
Californio culture. "
en.wikipedia.org
The franciscans initially aided the early settlement but they protected the local natives from the rancheros so they need to be removed a lot earlier for more settlers to arrive. The church lands need to be privatized. And this is hard bc the spanish crown struggle with this aspect of modern capitalism even in Spain until well into the 20th century.
"The
Spanish and
Mexican governments made
many concessions and land grants in
Alta California (now known as
California and
Baja California) from 1785 to 1846. The Spanish Concessions of land were made to retired soldiers as an inducement for them to remain in the frontier. These Concessions reverted to the Spanish crown upon the death of the recipient.
The Mexican government later encouraged settlement by issuing much larger land grants to both native-born and naturalized Mexican citizens. The grants were usually two or more square leagues, or 35 square kilometres (14 sq mi) in size. Unlike Spanish Concessions, Mexican land grants provided permanent, unencumbered ownership rights. Most ranchos granted by Mexico were located along the California coast around San Francisco Bay, inland along the Sacramento River, and within the San Joaquin Valley.
When the government secularized the Mission churches in 1833, they required that land be set aside for each Neophyte family. But the Native Americans were quickly brushed aside by Californios who, with the help of those in power, acquired the church lands as grants. The indigenous peoples of the Americas ("Indians") instead became virtual slaves of the rancheros.
Spain made about 30 concessions between 1784 and 1821, and Mexico issued about 270 land grants between 1833 and 1846. The ranchos established permanent land-use patterns. The rancho boundaries became the basis for California's land survey system, and are found on modern maps and land titles.
The "rancheros" (rancho owners) patterned themselves after the landed gentry of New Spain, and were primarily devoted to raising cattle and sheep. Their workers included Native Americans who had learned Spanish while living at one of the former Missions. The ranchos were often based on access to the resources necessary for raising cattle, such as grazing lands and water. Land development from that time forward has often followed the boundaries of the ranchos, and many of their names are still in use."
Compared to Río de la Plata there is also a lot of potencial for wool export industry too here. This will probably help bc its easier to industralize wool into textile industry then compared to Argentina were cattle was almost excliusively cows.
My guess is Baja california will be added to this region as in otl
and also otl northwest mexico to make better rule those areas
. Also the capital of the viceroyalty needs to be moved from monterrey to San francisco bay area. Its a better port.
Also while a lot whiter and spanish then slave plantation eastern texas and louisiana they will have a working class mestizo minority, specially in the rural rancho areas.
Otl north mexico tho will be the whitest part of the coutry bc it will be settled last. Its the most arid. Altho in otl its the richest and most developed part of Mexico here they will be the periphery of this 2 new viceroyalties.