US BUYS Texas ->1826

Following the Mexican Rebels win in 1819, an Agreement was reached with Mexico buying out the large Spanish Landowners who wished to return to Spain.
As this was done with Hard Gold and Silver instead of mexican debt it left Mexico almost completely broke.

However Mexico did have one asset. Thousands of Square miles of Desert land in the North.

Following a unsuccessful Texas Filibustering expedition in the early 1820's, Mexico approaches the US with a offer to Sell Texas and northern California.
After some negotiations the new border is set on the Rio Grande North to the 33o Latitude and West [just below Phoenix] to the Pacific. [Encinitas Calif. just north of San Diego]
Most of this is Shrub land and Desert, the largest city in the area is Santa Fe.

?How Much can Mexico get for the Land?

Lets Handwave away any Mexican resentment or reluctance for the Sale. and consider the after affects.

US reaches the Pacific by 1830, No Independent Texas, [no Myth of the Alamo], No Mexican American War, Americans headed for California instead of Oregon.

Mexico having the Funds to hold on to Central America, Mexico with Funds for Development in the 1830's, an 1880's French attempt to build a Canal in the Mexican state of Nicaragua.

Just before the Mexican-American War Polk offered to buy slightly less land (Rio Grande to the 36th/35th latitude west to the Pacific) for 25,000,000 plus the assumption of Mexican debts owed to Americans by Mexicans in that territory (~2 to 5 million dollars more). Of course this was refused and war resulted.

So about 20 years previously, but with a bit more land and a more magnanimous US (having not just fought a war), I could see a very similar offer being made and accepted. Lets say a total of 30,000,000 dollars to Mexico. This would go a very long way towards reducing Mexico's foreign debt. America would almost certainly have to borrow the money either from Britain or Dutch banks. So Mexico would be much better off and the US slightly worse off. Yet these would be very short term changes.

Gold and Silver would be found earlier with Americans given open access to California, thus the debt would be paid off quickly and with undo strain to the US economy. In fact there may be greater reluctance to get rid of the National Bank and the Crisis of 1837 might be avoided. Also, there would be an even earlier investment in railroads and telegraphs to ling the west to the east. Perhaps before railroads come into their own there would be an effort to link the west by canal...this also means more urgency in building the "Panama Canal" . A side effect would be that slavery would probably move into California and the Missouri Compromise would fall apart. A new compromise would probably come about, but increased sectional tensions could result in an earlier ACW. San Francisco would grow faster and bigger, but Americans would still move into the Oregon Territory. But with more focus further south gaining the Puget Sound will be less of a priority. Of course if California is a slave territory taking more of Oregon could become a priority for the free states.

I'm betting either the US settles for the Columbia River boundary or pushes harder for all of the Oregon Territory. I actually believe the second option is more viable for several reasons. First, with a slave economy dominating California south of San Franscico free labor will settle further north pushing into the Oregon Territory earlier and in larger numbers. Second, OTL Texas will almost certainly be used to form more than one slave state thus incrasing the need for more free states. Third, the US-UK agreement of joint control over the Oregon Territory may last a bit longer, especially with the string of pro-south presidents similar to OTL not wanting to anger the North but also not wnating to push the issue with Britain. This will favor the Americans as more will be able to move into the region. Last, without the threat of war with Mexico the US is free to put more effort into obtaining all of the Oregon Territory.

Mexico will unfortunatly continue to have a serious problem with factionalism. While this purchase may allow Mexican President, Guadalupe Victoria, to fix some of Mexico's financial problems it would not end the eternal struggle between Republicans and Conservatives that plagued Mexico for over 120 years. Filibusters such as William Walker would probably still attampt to "liberate" Mexican territory and even a Mexican-American War (at a later date...say the early or mid-1850s) is a good possibility. If a Mexican-American War can be avoided, this TL will see a major difference in Mexican American relations. Pro-American Republicans will retain the moral high ground and have a better relationship with their American counterparts, while the Conservatives will blame the Republicans for the loss of northern Mexico.

Benjamin

Tehuantapec Ship Railway

Even if the government could not hold on to the Central American states, a more economically stable Mexico, with foreign invest perhaps, could begin construction on the Tehuantapec Ship Railway, as proposed in OTL by engineer James B Eads.

Mexico will unfortunately continue to have a serious problem with factionalism. While this purchase may allow Mexican President, Guadalupe Victoria, to fix some of Mexico's financial problems it would not end the eternal struggle between Republicans and Conservatives that plagued Mexico for over 120 years.

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I was thinking more along the lines of Emperor Wilhelm Hapsburg making the offer.

So this TL would have a POD earlier than 1826, in which Emperor Wilhelm Hapsburg accepts the Mexican throne instead of Iturbide? If not than I'm a tad confused.

Benjamin

Isn't their an AH rule about other countries not lining up to sell themselves to the US?

Isn't their an AH rule about other countries not lining up to sell themselves to the US?

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Except for OTL RL, France sold Louisiana, Mexico sold Gadsden, Russia sold Alaska, and Denmark sold the Virgins.
I don't see a larger earlier purchase as ASB. At this time Most of Mexico, was concentrating on the south and on Central America. The north was considered as cheap worthless desert.

@ Benjamin
So this TL would have a POD earlier than 1826, in which Emperor Wilhelm Hapsburg accepts the Mexican throne instead of Iturbide? If not than I'm a tad confused.

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Yes -- TTL would be Some European Royal House's Younger Son accepts Mexico's offer of the Crown. ?Any suggestions?