Alaska

[Irish Caesar]

[...] It took them until the turn of the century to make a move to take Cuba, which was part of a much weaker (and more diplomatically isolated) empire. [...]

Americans tried dramatically unsuccessfully to invade Cuba in the 1840s and '50s after offers to buy it from Spain were refused.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Also, who says we wouldn't "liberate" it in 1917, ala the planned Republic Of the Far East?

 

[REDY]

Russia wasn't comparable to Mexico, and I believe 19th century american governments would not dare attack Alaska, for the same reasons they gave up on annexing Canada. It took them until the turn of the century to make a move to take Cuba, which was part of a much weaker (and more diplomatically isolated) empire. They would occupy in during the russian civil war, and probably keep it too. Which would in turn lead to much worst relations by the time of WW2 and after. The russians didn't forgot to retake the territory lost to Japan, would they forget about an Alaska lost in a war?
So we might have been victims of a hot war over a territory at the end of the world!

I dont think so. For Russians it was only isolated defensless wasteland, they would probably say that they are annoyed but thats all and forget. It would be much easier than fighting with Spain or Mexico, because it would be without fighting.

 

[innonimatu]

Americans tried dramatically unsuccessfully to invade Cuba in the 1840s and '50s after offers to buy it from Spain were refused.

That's interesting, I hadn't heard about it. But wouldn't that affect the North vs. South balance at a particularly sensitive time?
Well, they also attempted to take Canada, so I guess this shouldn't be a surprise.

Anyway, without the Panama Canal and with the US still busy building infrastructure in California there was no way to attempt to take Alaska until the late 19 century, unless Britain wanted to help, and I doubt it.

 

[Irish Caesar]

That's interesting, I hadn't heard about it. But wouldn't that affect the North vs. South balance at a particularly sensitive time?

Very much so.

Democrat (the preferred party of slaveholders) James Polk offered Spain $100M for Cuba in 1848; the Spanish responded that they "would prefer seeing it sunk in the ocean." In 1848, Whig (the opposing party) Zachary Taylor was elected and made no further attempts to secure Cuba... so private citizens took it upon themselves to do it. Cuban revolutionaries and Southern folks tried a few times to overthrown the Cuban government... Taylor was not amused, and his successor Fillmore was able only to get the Americans who hadn't already been executed in Cuba back home.

Democrat Franklin Pierce made Cuba an issue during his campaign and was elected, but abandoned the idea of acquiring Cuba after discussions with the Spanish over it ended in diplomatic disaster and Pierce himself became unpopular within the States for domestic policy.

Private citizens also attempted to take control of Nicaragua and parts of Mexico; most of them were executed in those countries for their efforts.

These excursions convinced many Northerners of a "slave power" conspiracy and did much to exacerbate sectional conflict...

I suppose Alaska wasn't particularly attractive to slaveholders or free-soilers, though.

 

[.Shane.]

Americans tried dramatically unsuccessfully to invade Cuba in the 1840s and '50s after offers to buy it from Spain were refused.

You mean filibustering? I'd love to read on some of these cuban invasions. I didn't realize any of them got any further than planning (until the Sp-Am War, of course).

Always found the exploits of Walker to be bizarre and comical, as well.

 

[Irish Caesar]

They didn't get much farther than planning; I think the most any ever did was burn down a governor's mansion in Cuba.

I would end this post with something like "wouldn't it have been something if they succeeded?" but I'd prefer not to start an alternate history discussion...

 

[.Shane.]

I would end this post with something like "wouldn't it have been something if they succeeded?" but I'd prefer not to start an alternate history discussion...

They did succeed. Or haven't you heard of the Spanish-American War?

And, yeah, I second your statement about alt-history threads. Fortunately you and another poster redeemed this one to a degree.