WI: The United States was truely Isolationist

And by this I mean the U.S doesn't turn the (Latin) Americas into its own backyard, leaves the Spanish colonies well alone and lets Europe handle its own problems.

But the U.S still expands Westwards.

How would the U.S look if it did not seek to expand its influence abroad? I believe our economy would be fine, and our military would be weak, but I'm curious on how we would act on the international stage.

Bonus points if you guys can think of a way this would change American culture.
 
Near ASB, Great Powers look at their backyards at the very least. The chances that the US doesn't take an interest in Latin America is near zero. I can't think of a Great Power that DIDN'T intervene in its neighbors affairs when it was in their interest.
 
probaly with this is you still having them expande west....that idea later rose to their form of "imperialism" over gthe carribena and latin countries...realyl the onyl way you could have a isolationaist policy stick is after the market crash in 29....they had a very deep isolationist mentality then and wouldve being the only time to keep them out of everyones buisness
 
One possible PoD that might work(since a continental check on US power is probably necessary for this to work is for Louisiana* to become US but for Mexico to do well enough in the intervening years that Texan independence is a non-starter and Mexico is genearlly better at holding territory. That gives you a strong power to restrict American dominance in Latin America and the Caribbean and keep America generally busy.
*Easiest PoD for a non-imperialist USA is to have the Louisiana purchase fall through so the US stays between Canada and the Missippi, and I guess settling the Old Northwest and deeper bits of the south would technically be expanding westward, but that doesn't fit your bill probably.
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
It's impossible for the US to be isolationist; the existence of a massive frontier filled with hostile natives and hostile Europeans decided that before anything else.

If you want a more isolationist US, get rid of the Monroe Doctrine; a stronger European presence in the Western Hemisphere may staunch things like filibusters and serve to stem US ambition in places where it was otherwise unobstructed.
 
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