Bigger states out West

How large could the Western States have been? Could we have the same territory and area, yet only have 40 or so stars in our flag?
 
If you consider how big the "Alta California" claim the United States took as its prize following the Mexican-American War, that would remove a few stars. The Oregon territory was divided into three states at least.

Whats possible:

California (OTL California, Nevada, Utah, W. New Mexico, Arizona)
Oregon (OTL Oregon, Washington, Idaho)
Texas (OTL Texas, E. New Mexico, E. Colorado)

The Nebraska territory doesn't have to be divided into its respective states, tho I think a state built of both North and South Dakota is possible, called Dakotah.

I don't quite know if you want to extend this to both Hawaii and Alaska, since they are not "Western states" in the historical sense. Without them it becomes a little easier to work one's way down to 40.
 

Grey Wolf

Gone Fishin'
Donor
Tom, I don't think so

Why keep them as one state ?

There was already a recognised minimum population per state for the application process

Texasa doesn't count coz it already existed as a recognised political entity

Have to answer - WHY WOULD a larger mass be admitted as one state if it doesn't have a pre-existing political existence, and there is already a population threshold below it ?

Grey Wolf
 
To me it seems plausible that some larger western states could have been admitted, basied on fairly long-term initial Territorial divisions:

(1) New Mexico (including OTL New Mexico and Arizona)
(2) Utah (including OTL Utah and Nevada)
(3) Dakota (including OTL North and South Dakota)
(4) Oregon (including OTL Oregon and Washington and for a while Idaho)

David, I'm not so sure about the Nebraska Territory as it got broken up pretty quickly, nor do I think a large Alta California or bigger Texas would last. Assuming everything else happens as in OTL this could give the USA 45-46 states. Anything further would probably require some changes in the Northwest Ordinances and/or other Texas-like annexations.
 
I think it would most likely be that if neither Texas or California was broken down into smaller states the Nebraska Territory may not have been as well. Thats strictly dealing with when the said territory passed into US hands. On the other hand there is a tendency to make the territories somewhat geometrically pleasing, so Nebraska may be 'trimmed' to size.

Also this fairly ignores the idea of balancing 'Free' vs. 'Slave' states.
 
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