WI - Congress acts on Matthew Perry's proposal to annex Furmosa

in 1854, during his travels to Asia, Matthew Perry landed in Furmosa [Modern Taiwan] for ten days, in which he investigated the potential of mining the coal deposits in that area. He attempted to convince congress to claim sovereignty over the island, but congress ignored the proposal.

Perry had argued that Taiwan would provide a convenient, mid-way trade location, that is would be easily defendable and could serve as a base for further exploration [Akin to Cuba for Spain]. Additonally, annexing the island could help the United States counter European monopolization of the major trade routes.

What if the US had annexed the Island? Would it eventually gain independence or would it's early acquisition encourage the US to keep it. How might this affect later US Territorial gain in Southeast Asia and the Pacific?
 
Like Hawaii, Formosa will probably get a lot of immigration from Japan. You will have a slow American settlement of Formosa, and I can see someone trying to nip it in the War Between the States. I think holding onto this possession may encourage the development of a stronger USN in the 1860-1890s timeframe. Given that, taking the Philippines should be easier, and the Philippines might be turned out quite a bit quicker with the implicit suzerainty of American naval power.

If we proceed in accordance with OTL then a militant Japan is going to get to loggerheads with the US much sooner. Maybe this means Japan attacks Formosa in WW1. The USN, wreathed in glory and honor, sails across the Pacific on a desperate relief mission of besieged Formosa. The Marines scrabble ashore and lift the siege of Perryville. By this time American submarine forces have arrived and begin carrying the fight to the home islands while the Pacific Squadron picks on vulnerable islands in the Ryuku Island Chain.

Would the Entente declare war on America for this? Surely not Britain, perhaps someone gets a little head strong though, perhaps an imperial power that has been belligerently frustrating American attempts to trade in south east Asia... America and Siam liberate French Indochina. The War ends, Japanese possessions are returned, and that country begins a reform of itself. Free Vietnam, Cambodia, and Siam.

How did the War end? France worrying about Atlantic consequences of Pacific actions keep too many forces in reserve... earlier end? Did the grasping, ominously neutral liche hand of Alfred Thayer Mahan gobble up some heres and theres in the Atlantic too in a negotiated peace? I'm capable of being just as sorry as you are Pierre... no reparations, no revanchism.

Statehood or Independence?
 
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