Manifest destiny
The belief that American settlers were destined to expand across North America was an integral part of American culture in the 19th century
The destiny was vague
some viewed it as a mission to extend Republican democracy to people's across the continent while others viewed it as God's wish to civilize the
people of American institutions
Swing them across the new world
Various treatises were created to further this idea
buying the Louisiana territory from France and
Florida from Spain as well as fixing banners to extend American influence from sea to shining sea in this episode
We'll be looking at one more potential target for this belief system the Yucatan, Peninsula
The Yucatan had appealed to the United States for annexation as they desperately needed military assistance against a local mine
Uprising when this was brought to the United States government
President James K pulk mildly approve of the offer and it passed the House of Representatives but was blocked by the Senate
Signing the war in Mexico as their primary concern but for the sake of alternate history
Let's look at what would happen if the United States annexed the u Cataumet public, but first we need some history
The u khatallah was twice a republic during the 19th century the first in 1823 were joined the Mexican
Federation following independence
Mexico had gained independence Paine in 1821 as the first Mexican Empire
this Empire led by Emperor Agustin the first quickly had massive stability issues in
August the following year a plan to overthrow Agustin was discovered which encompass 16 members of Congress in late October the same year
Agustin had dissolved Congress as they were held like criticizing him and his policies
This led to revolts all across the empire and him eventually being deposed this also led to the formation of the Central American
Republic wouldn't encompass all lands between Mexico and Panama which have been unofficial provinces in the empire
From there Mexico was formed as a republic with the new constitutions put in place in 1824
This Constitution was repealed in 1835 putting in an era of the central's government
this centralist government caused a massive amount of rebellion and a republic declaration within the following years a
Rebellious star in the states of zakat Angus and Tabasco switch combined with a successful Texan Revolution 1835
Heavily weakened the government's control in the outer regions of the country when the French invaded Mexico in 1838
This is only furthered weakened
The central's control over the country sparking more rebellions in the Rio Grande and another rebellion to Bosco's the coton declare their independence
again
In 1841 sign the stripping away of local autonomy as the main cause
The original Central's government had accepted the bouton independence in some capacity
but when set to honest stages Kuhn 1841
He radicalize Essentials government and send an army to retake the territory
They managed to fight back against the Mexican army by were facing severe economic
Issues due to the bloc in Mexican trade and later blocking by the United States government and a war against local Mayan in
Desperation the Yucatan government pleaded with various governments for military assistance in exchange for sovereignty
But this alternate scenario what if the United States Senate passed the resolution?
to annex the Yucatan for this scenario to work within reality a few things would need to be changed first President Polk dies in
1846 shortly after the war with Mexico starts and Vice President George and Alice takes power
This isn't that hard to see happening as Polk's health was rather poor at the time and he had a habit of overworking himself
Once he left office at the end of a term
He died one month after Dallas was much more of an expansion on opportu sin nature
So long as the mexican-american war is going on
he will likely claim that acts in the Yucatan is a vital goal in defeating Mexico and
second the US government would have to be
partially blind in its
Understanding of the Mayan conflict the mind were far more numerous in any of the native tribes that the United States had dealt with
Previously and they were masters at juggle SATs. Guerrilla warfare
Was the Yucatan got some Mexican weaponry and small contingent so troops they managed to push back to mind from the major settlements
But they still had large control over the territory
This would be a constant and bloody conflict that'll last for decades in the territory in our timeline
It was until 1933
Now the last mine uprising occurred nearly 100 years from its start now, we know this in hindsight
but it is easily possible to imagine the US government seen them as an easy enemy and not taking the conflict as seriously as
It should have been so in this scenario
The USA stumbles into the Yucatan sometime in late
1847 and early
1848 and the supply of guns and a few troops allows the local
Yucatan to do some where to what they did in our timeline and I recapture significant parts of the peninsula
Though the mines Hill control large was a territory that's enough for the u.s
To convince themselves for a while that the Yucatan is easily winnable with that come to 1850
Missouri Compromise
The Yugo town would be allocated as a slave state which we still have the support of the local
population to some degree one of the large
Problems in the war against the Mayan was that they want to use them as a labor force to form the cash cups of sugar
and Hana Qin
It would be unlikely that the Yucatan would be a minute as a state in whole
More than likely it would either be kept as a popular sovereignty
Territory or a minute the whole region's the state even if the control is only nominal it's possible for this as well
Since the lengths of the works of Texas and even large parts of Texas itself aren't very suitable for slavery crop production
Regions of the northern Mexican states are possibly Baja
California as a whole will likely be annex in the scenario as well as a different
Negotiator would be able to secure more land from the district Mexican government and Santa Anas government was willing to see the underpopulated land
But what does this mean for the future?
well
the underlying political causes of the American Civil War would only be amplified in the scenario as
the drive for slave or free state balance and government would come to a head and the cause of
Occupying and protecting these new territories all of which has significant native
Populations and a large number of Catholic Mexicans would prove a major slaying point between the public it would be an unnecessary
war to wage in the Yucatan in the eyes of many and support back home for these services of
adventures likely when to hold for very long
By the time of the American Civil War the position in the Yucatan would be interesting to say the least
The territory would largely be sympathy to the southern cause as the southern population already had a style serfdom before the annexation
And the military presence would likely be of southern origin if man by a volunteer army
but the main concern for the yucatan would be of
Protection the mind would still be a present issue to the populace as you would be impossible before they pacify them just due to disease
terrain and the skill of the Mayan people
Regardless of which site the Yucatan goes with if one at all
Protection for the region would be severely limited and that weakness could very well be exploited as the military focus is back at home
but by the time of the Civil War local authorities within the newly conquered Mexican territory would likely attempt to build up a case for
reunification with Mexico
Sympathies went live with the Union or Confederate more than likely as the local population would be
considered largely second-class citizens within the United States
With many cultural and religious differences between the two
Mexico could possibly fund separate groups within its former land and
Possibly even wage war to take back the land but beyond that it's hard to say
I hope you liked this brief scenario about what would happen
If the United States annexed the Yucatan Republic if you'd like to learn a little bit more
If you'd like to hear another scenario about the United States annexing the whole of Mexico click here for the episode they did about that
Don't forget to Like subscribe and I'll catch you guys next time