Plausibility Check: US purchase British West Indies
- Thread starter danwild6
- Start date
It's hard, unless you mean before the British emancipation. I mean, the South would stop any purchase of free soil lands mostly inhabited by black people, many of which are former slaves or sons and grandson of slaves. And Britain may not sell without a clause explicitly barring re-enslavement.
OTOH, the islands were still too valuable for Britain to sell in the first half of 19c., especially before abolition (that happened in the late thirties, IIRC). It is debatable when the US are going to be able to pay the considerable sum required.
Britain might chose to get rid of the embarassing slave-holding colonies selling them to another slave-holding nation, though I doubt the British public would be happy at that. But THAT would mean a whole bunch of new slave states and a GREAT amount of black population, both slave and free, joining the US, something the North is going to oppose vehemently.
So, while not impossible, the reasons behind such a move are to be explained and the scenario may require an earlier POD that eases the matter on both sides.
Well I meant before British emancipation and thankfully I found an ancient thread relating to this subject. Apparently this was seriously discussed by the plantocracy in the islands when emancipation seemed imminent.
Ok. I'm think it is possible, but still there would serious opposition both in Britain and the US, and you'll need to work out a way to overcome it.
And sorry, probably I automatically assumed you meant the American Emancipation.
Before emancipation? Couldn't happen IMO. Simply put, the British would turn to the US and say, "no, actually we're quite happy owning *our* islands thank you very much". The islands were profitable for the British, they gave them naval control over the Caribbean (which they were in no hurry to give to the Americans) and simply, there was no reason for the British to sell their colonies. And if they thought that the Americans were planning on preserving slavery there it would be very unpopular in Westminster - it would cause downright uproar if it was after British emancipation of the slaves and they thought the Americans were planning on reinstituting slavery.
Maybe closer to the year 1900 it might happen, but even then I have my doubts.
Maybe closer to the year 1900 it might happen, but even then I have my doubts.
Military catastrophe
I can only see it happening in the event of a British military and/or economic disaster. Suppose that, in one of the wars with France, Britain suffers a major defeat, and peace is being negotiated. France demands a fair amount of territory as the price of peace, and Britain balks. France offers to take money in lieu of land--and decides to sell to the USA. It's easier to get it back from the USA later, than from France...
LIkewise, another option would be for a secret treaty, where the USA builds a bunch of ships of the line for Britian--ones that France won't even know are British--as part of a deal to get Britian re-armed quickly. Perhaps include that with the first option--in addition to money, the USA builds some ships of the line.
Other things that require a HUGE influx of cash into Britain could do the same thing--but how do you get the North to agree?
I can only see it happening in the event of a British military and/or economic disaster. Suppose that, in one of the wars with France, Britain suffers a major defeat, and peace is being negotiated. France demands a fair amount of territory as the price of peace, and Britain balks. France offers to take money in lieu of land--and decides to sell to the USA. It's easier to get it back from the USA later, than from France...
LIkewise, another option would be for a secret treaty, where the USA builds a bunch of ships of the line for Britian--ones that France won't even know are British--as part of a deal to get Britian re-armed quickly. Perhaps include that with the first option--in addition to money, the USA builds some ships of the line.
Other things that require a HUGE influx of cash into Britain could do the same thing--but how do you get the North to agree?