NationStates

I'm trying to come up with a good alternate history for my nation. I want to flip a tiny decision or event in real history that could come up with interesting consequences. My nation is based in North America and I'm looking for critical junctions somewhere between the 1850s and 1980s.

So tell me: What are some good moments in history within this timeframe where a small decision could have had massive consequences?

Cuban Missile Crisis

The South wins the Civil War, the Great Depression never happens, etc.

Avernian Republic wrote:I'm trying to come up with a good alternate history for my nation. I want to flip a tiny decision or event in real history that could come up with interesting consequences. My nation is based in North America and I'm looking for critical junctions somewhere between the 1850s and 1980s.

So tell me: What are some good moments in history within this timeframe where a small decision could have had massive consequences?

Possible Scenarios:
The US Civil War: Battle of Gettysburg- CSA troops capture culps hill on the first day forcing the Union to retreat securing a confederate victory.
US revolution: US forces capture the city of Toronto, Canada holding it Canada becomes part of the US
Spanish American War: US forces capture and hold Cuba bringing it into the US as a territory

I could go on but there would be too many scenarios on here hope you like the ones I listed

1863; The messenger of Special Order 191 (who was intercepted by the Union in real life) is not captured and delivers word to the Army of NoVA to commence the Invasion of the North on time. Thus Lee is successful and Confederate forces destroy the Army of the Potomac before they march to Philadelphia and capture the city forcing a Union surrender. From Harry Turtledove's Southern Victory Series.

Colorado-Kansas wrote:1863; The messenger of Special Order 191 (who was intercepted by the Union in real life) is not captured and delivers word to the Army of NoVA to commence the Invasion of the North on time. Thus Lee is successful and Confederate forces destroy the Army of the Potomac before they march to Philadelphia and capture the city forcing a Union surrender. From Harry Turtledove's Southern Victory Series.

I for the life of me couldn't remember that order your a life saver.

Gig em Aggies wrote:

Colorado-Kansas wrote:1863; The messenger of Special Order 191 (who was intercepted by the Union in real life) is not captured and delivers word to the Army of NoVA to commence the Invasion of the North on time. Thus Lee is successful and Confederate forces destroy the Army of the Potomac before they march to Philadelphia and capture the city forcing a Union surrender. From Harry Turtledove's Southern Victory Series.

I for the life of me couldn't remember that order your a life saver.

Lol, great series isn't it?

Cuba nukes the USA and the soviets, Cubans and the Americans go to war.....

If anyone could find a specific point where the Soviets (China or Russia) almost go to war with America, that would be cool. My nation is uber anticommunist, so any point that can lead to a brawl with them would be neat. Like how in 1983, a false missile warning almost lead to ww3

Kractero wrote:The South wins the Civil War, the Great Depression never happens, etc.

I've been thinking about how to make the Great Depression never happen. Coolidge runs for a third term? It's not in his character. FDR doesnt get elected, meaning it never becomes the hell that it does? Relies on millions of people changing their votes. Kinda big. Hoover never gets elected either? With Coolidge's popularity, it was basically guaranteed that another Republican would win.

Likar wrote:Cuba nukes the USA and the soviets, Cubans and the Americans go to war.....

So far this is has been my number 1 choice. War in the 60s.

As a European ignorant of North American history; Spanish-American War?
(I know you said 1850's onwards, but what about the Mexican-American War?)

Don't ask me how to go about it, just mumble something about the domino effect and it should be alright.

Theo won consequentially
The US implemented liberal reforms earlier
Different CIA policy for South America
Mexico never ceded northern territories

How about Operation Unthinkable?

It wasn't likely to happen at all ("Unthinkable"), but it is a scenario for a conventional US & Britain vs. Soviet Union conflict.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Unthinkable

Inspector Carmelita Fox wrote:Theo won consequentially
The US implemented liberal reforms earlier
Different CIA policy for South America
US never annexed Mexico

What does this mean? We never Annexed Mexico in our Timeline.

Reutoa wrote:

Inspector Carmelita Fox wrote:Theo won consequentially
The US implemented liberal reforms earlier
Different CIA policy for South America
US never annexed Mexico

What does this mean? We never Annexed Mexico in our Timeline.

except for like that whole northern half that now makes up like a third of the continental US

Avernian Republic wrote:

Reutoa wrote:
What does this mean? We never Annexed Mexico in our Timeline.

except for like that whole northern half that now makes up like a third of the continental US

Those weren't States of the Mexican Republic, they were Territories.

Also, to say that we annexed Mexico isn't right at all. To make this guys statement factually correct, the United States would have had to annex all of Mexico, not just their Northern Territories.

Reutoa wrote:

Avernian Republic wrote:

except for like that whole northern half that now makes up like a third of the continental US

Those weren't States of the Mexican Republic, they were Territories.

Also, to say that we annexed Mexico isn't right at all. To make this guys statement factually correct, the United States would have had to annex all of Mexico, not just their Northern Territories.

Okay, I'm correcting it to northern Mexican Territories. I'll have to do more research on the history of this but I think you're right.

You could base it off the French Intervention Of Mexico in 1861 however change it to where the war ends with complete French Occupation of the nation by Emperor Napoleon III. The occupation allows the new french empire to flourish and remain a mainstay until the late 1960s where a constitutional empire is established by Napoleon III heirs. Mexico gains independence in 1975 however the nation is now a weird mix of Spanish, French, and Native cultures/ideas... perhaps The french empire also conquers the rest of central america which is then integrated into the newly independent French Mexico? I think lots could be done with the idea.

I'm sure there is a lot of fertile territory for scenarios within https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Indian_Wars

further things -slight bending of times - if any of these states don't join -oil plays a big part with others exploiting it
hawaii - would mean obama could be pres - he'd be from the sandwich isles - which presidents came from other of these states.

27 Florida March 03 1845
(admitted) Florida Territory
28 Texas December 29 1845
(admitted) Republic of Texas
29 Iowa December 28 1846
(admitted) Iowa Territory (part)
30 Wisconsin May 29 1848[23]
(admitted) Wisconsin Territory (part)
31 California September 09 1850[24]
(admitted) unorganized territory (part)
32 Minnesota May 11 1858[25]
(admitted) Minnesota Territory (part)
33 Oregon February 14 1859
(admitted) Oregon Territory (part)
34 Kansas January 29 1861[26]
(admitted) Kansas Territory (part)
35 West Virginia June 20 1863[27]
(admitted) Virginia (Trans-Allegheny region counties[f])
36 Nevada October 31 1864
(admitted) Nevada Territory
37 Nebraska March 01 1867
(admitted) Nebraska Territory
38 Colorado August 01 1876[30]
(admitted) Colorado Territory
39[g] North Dakota November 02 1889[32][h]
(admitted) Dakota Territory (part)
40 South Dakota November 02 1889[32][h]
(admitted) Dakota Territory (part)
41 Montana November 08 1889[33]
(admitted) Montana Territory
42 Washington November 11 1889[34]
(admitted) Washington Territory
43 Idaho July 03 1890
(admitted) Idaho Territory
44 Wyoming July 10 1890
(admitted) Wyoming Territory
45 Utah January 04 1896[35]
(admitted) Utah Territory
46 Oklahoma November 16 1907[36]
(admitted) Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory
47 New Mexico January 06 1912
(admitted) New Mexico Territory
48 Arizona February 14 1912
(admitted) Arizona Territory
49 Alaska January 03 1959
(admitted) Territory of Alaska
50 Hawaii August 21 1959
(admitted) Territory of Hawaii

- rooseveldt didn't do the new deal - no hoover dam and all the good it did(education/health- yanks actually having more contact with the nation as a whole -

no new deal -american economy and industrial sector much weaker before 2nd world war.

if the agricultural methods were better pre 1930's there might not have been a dustbowl - which led to the migration of the okeys to california - many of whose progeny were 'i think' important players in the digital revolution.

although you've probably already decided - another is- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Plot

Kractero wrote:the Great Depression never happens

You have absolutely no idea about how the boom and bust cycle works

just looked at your factbook and you still seem to be pondering - how to alter history. so-

Something that would have interesting implications is the panama canal- what if the conditions were different and the canal either got built earlier or not at all.

America didn't overthrow so many governments in latin america.
if they didn't get involved in vietnam.
if they allowed britain to stay on the gold standard enabling rationing etc to end earlier.
there was no marshall plan - which seems in line with your hawkish nature and belief in free markets.
Marx and Engels believed that the uk was most likely to have a workers revolution - or something, that would be interesting.

what if the blacks did create their own nation with parts of the country?

--- an electoral system which isn't stitched up for two parties -especially for president.
proportional representation.

continued sending men to the moon - leading to a moonbase etc.

the league of nations succeeded and there was no more big wars- no 2nd world war - tech wise we'd probably be in the 50's now.

- have you decided or are you still thinking?