WI: US gets the Baja Peninsula in the Mexican Cession?

[Blackfox5]

What is attracting Americans to Baja over Alta California?

The same reason some people chose to move to Los Angeles and San Diego instead of the Bay Area.

There were also several gold rushes between 1850-1890 IOTL. That will attract settlers as well.

Even in the southern portion of the penninsula you are going to have merchants and fishermen set up shop.

There are more than enough immigrants and US population grown that will cause some people to settle in an American controlled Baja penninsula. There is nothing magical about it that would prevent people from showing up, and alot of them are going to stay.

 

[Elfwine]

The same reason some people chose to move to Los Angeles and San Diego instead of the Bay Area.

That doesn't even remotely answer my question, since people were drawn to California OTL more because of either a) land or b) gold.

So why would one see the possibilities of those being better here than the north?

There were also several gold rushes between 1850-1890 IOTL. That will attract settlers as well.

Even in the southern portion of the penninsula you are going to have merchants and fishermen set up shop.

There are more than enough immigrants and US population grown that will cause some people to settle in an American controlled Baja penninsula. There is nothing magical about it that would prevent people from showing up, and alot of them are going to stay.

There's nothing that makes it a spot that will draw people more than the areas that OTL got people moving to them, although those gold rushes might help.