WI: The US annexed the Dominican Republic.

During the presidency of Ulysses S Grant, there was a serious push from Grant's supporters in the Senate to annex the former French colony of Santo Domingo (present day Dominican Republic), which was at the time in severe debt from the then ongoing Six Years War.

Among other reasons, Grant wanted to reinforce the US Navy's position in the Caribbean, encourage African-Americans to emigrate from the mainland USA with the promise of jobs and encourage Cuba and Brazil to give up slavery. A treaty was signed with the Dominican government in 1869. The US would purchase the Dominican Republic for $1.5 million and would lease the Samaná Peninsula for $147,229.91 for 99 years. The idea was that Santo Domingo was eventually going to become a state in the Union.

In 1870, though there was a low voter turnout of 30%, a referendum called by the Republic's president supposedly revealed that 99.3% of the population supported annexation.

However, the treaty was rejected by the US Senate with a tie of 28-28. The anti-annexation faction fo the Senate was concerned about the Republic's political instability and the fact that the Republic's mixed race population would become US citizens if the Republic became a US territory.

But what if the treaty passed the US Senate successfully and the Dominican Republic eventually became a state in the Union? Would it be as prosperous as other states or would it be like Puerto Rico?
 
During the presidency of Ulysses S Grant, there was a serious push from Grant's supporters in the Senate to annex the former French colony of Santo Domingo (present day Dominican Republic), which was at the time in severe debt from the then ongoing Six Years War.

Among other reasons, Grant wanted to reinforce the US Navy's position in the Caribbean, encourage African-Americans to emigrate from the mainland USA with the promise of jobs and encourage Cuba and Brazil to give up slavery. A treaty was signed with the Dominican government in 1869. The US would purchase the Dominican Republic for $1.5 million and would lease the Samaná Peninsula for $147,229.91 for 99 years. The idea was that Santo Domingo was eventually going to become a state in the Union.

In 1870, though there was a low voter turnout of 30%, a referendum called by the Republic's president supposedly revealed that 99.3% of the population supported annexation.

However, the treaty was rejected by the US Senate with a tie of 28-28. The anti-annexation faction fo the Senate was concerned about the Republic's political instability and the fact that the Republic's mixed race population would become US citizens if the Republic became a US territory.

But what if the treaty passed the US Senate successfully and the Dominican Republic eventually became a state in the Union? Would it be as prosperous as other states or would it be like Puerto Rico?
Once Dominican elite find out about the African American part probably a revolt.
 
I'd say that the DR would end up pretty white, actually. The DR never really was all that populated of a place, and with a POD in the 1870's, a lot of immigrants could end up moving there for a host of different reasons, making it rather different than OTL.
 
I'd say that the DR would end up pretty white, actually. The DR never really was all that populated of a place, and with a POD in the 1870's, a lot of immigrants could end up moving there for a host of different reasons, making it rather different than OTL.
There's just one minor problem...
M A L A R I A
 

Marc

Donor
During the presidency of Ulysses S Grant, there was a serious push from Grant's supporters in the Senate to annex the former French colony of Santo Domingo (present day Dominican Republic), which was at the time in severe debt from the then ongoing Six Years War.

Small correction, you are confusing Saint Domingue - Haiti after it became free - with the eastern part of the island of Hispaniola called Santo Domingo. the later was, and still is, quite Spanish in its dominant culture.
As for becoming a State? Only if it got a majority WASP population, not very likely.
 

Marc

Donor
I'd assume they'd look to absorb Haiti as well

It's, to use the cliche de jour, complicated. Haiti was a free black republic, which even through often in internal chaos, that carried a lot of emotional currency among many Americans.
Ironically, Haiti had tried to take over Santo Domingo and unify Hispaniola - failing several times. I think it could be argued that any desire on the part of Santo Domingo to be taken over by the US was based on fear of Haiti.

You do know that Haiti was under US military occupation from 1915-1934. And even then there really wasn't any serious consideration to making that permanent.
Perhaps in part due to a bit of residual fear in the Southern States. Haiti was a nightmare of a black revolution that still haunted them.
 
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