Additional realistic US territorial and/or colonial expansion without the World Wars?

[WolfBear]

Which additional realistic US territorial and/or colonial expansion without the World Wars could there have realistically been, other than possibly the Danish West Indies, which the US purchased in 1917 in real life but might have still purchased somewhat later in this TL?

Here's a map of the US's historical territorial and/or colonial acquisitions in real life, excluding American Samoa, Guam, and the Philippines (which the US eventually lost when it became independent):

 

[History Learner]

Mexico, either portions of it or as whole indirectly via a Commonwealth status like the Philippines had.

 

[WolfBear]

Mexico, either portions of it or as whole indirectly via a Commonwealth status like the Philippines had.

And racist white Americans would have been OK with adding a bunch of non-white Catholics?

 

[History Learner]

And racist white Americans would have been OK with adding a bunch of non-white Catholics?

By the time in question there was more Catholics in the United States than there was Mexicans as a whole in Mexico itself, and in the 1924 Immigration Act limits were placed on European immigration but not Latin American; race and religious feelings of the time tend to be more gray than Black and White. Specific to the question at hand, to quote from "An Enemy Closer to Us than Any European Power": The Impact of Mexico on Texan Public Opinion before World War I by Patrick L. Cox, The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Jul., 2001, Vol. 105, No. 1 (Jul., 2001), pp. 40-80:

The Wilson administration and the military again blamed the conflict on Villa. Governor Ferguson expressed the feelings of many when he advocated United States intervention in Mexico to "assume control of that unfortunate country." J. S. M. McKamey, a banker in the South Texas community of Gregory concluded, "we ought to take the country over and keep it." As an alternative, McKamey told Congressman McLemore that the United States should "buy a few of the northern states of Mexico" because it would be "cheaper than going to war." The San Antonio Express urged the Mexican government to cooperate with Pershing's force to pursue those who participated in "organized murder, plundering and property destruction."​

Congressman J.W. Taylor of Tennessee, addressing Congress:

"If I had my way about it, Uncle Sam would immediately send a company of civil engineers into Mexico, backed by sufficient military forces, with instructions to draw a parallel line to and about 100 miles south of the Rio Grande, and we would...annex this territory as indemnity for past depredations . . and if this reminder should not have the desired effect I would continue to move the line southward until the Mexican government was crowded off [the] North America."​

 

[WolfBear]

By the time in question there was more Catholics in the United States than there was Mexicans as a whole in Mexico itself, and in the 1924 Immigration Act limits were placed on European immigration but not Latin American; race and religious feelings of the time tend to be more gray than Black and White. Specific to the question at hand, to quote from "An Enemy Closer to Us than Any European Power": The Impact of Mexico on Texan Public Opinion before World War I by Patrick L. Cox, The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Jul., 2001, Vol. 105, No. 1 (Jul., 2001), pp. 40-80:

The Wilson administration and the military again blamed the conflict on Villa. Governor Ferguson expressed the feelings of many when he advocated United States intervention in Mexico to "assume control of that unfortunate country." J. S. M. McKamey, a banker in the South Texas community of Gregory concluded, "we ought to take the country over and keep it." As an alternative, McKamey told Congressman McLemore that the United States should "buy a few of the northern states of Mexico" because it would be "cheaper than going to war." The San Antonio Express urged the Mexican government to cooperate with Pershing's force to pursue those who participated in "organized murder, plundering and property destruction."​

Congressman J.W. Taylor of Tennessee, addressing Congress:

"If I had my way about it, Uncle Sam would immediately send a company of civil engineers into Mexico, backed by sufficient military forces, with instructions to draw a parallel line to and about 100 miles south of the Rio Grande, and we would...annex this territory as indemnity for past depredations . . and if this reminder should not have the desired effect I would continue to move the line southward until the Mexican government was crowded off [the] North America."​

A couple of prominent figures do not necessarily determine US public opinion, though. And while Latin American immigration was still unrestricted back then, the fact that few Latin Americans actually wanted to move to the US back then might have had something to do with this.

 

[Agent23]

A couple of prominent figures do not necessarily determine US public opinion, though. And while Latin American immigration was still unrestricted back then, the fact that few Latin Americans actually wanted to move to the US back then might have had something to do with this.

Maybe because life in the USA wasn't so much better than in Mexico prior to WWI.
The bigger cities on the east coast and around the great lakes where industry was building up were nice, but most of rural America was very underdeveloped, particular in the areas around the southern border, see Caro's biography of LBJ for more info.
And if you just wanted to farm and escape Europe then Latin America was probably fine and dandy, Brazil got a large influx of Japanese, all of Latin America was getting large numbers of various European migrants like Germans and Italians.
Also, the phrase "Rich as an Argentinian" was rather popular, because Argentinians were legit quite wealthy.

 

[History Learner]

A couple of prominent figures do not necessarily determine US public opinion, though. And while Latin American immigration was still unrestricted back then, the fact that few Latin Americans actually wanted to move to the US back then might have had something to do with this.

The Democratic Governor of Texas and a Republic Congressmen from Tennessee, both Southern states and thus at the time probably the most racially concerned in the wider U.S. does tend to leave an impression these feelings were at least somewhat widespread despite the biases of the time in question. Certainly you can't dismiss that many people of note as a crackpot as you could with just one of them and, while we don't have national polling from the time because it didn't exist, Patrick L. Cox's article does make it clear these opinions at the very least were widespread in Texas and probably the Southwest at large. Given Texas was already the 5th largest State in the entire U.S. in terms of population, that's a significant number of Americans with these views.

 

[WolfBear]

The Democratic Governor of Texas and a Republic Congressmen from Tennessee, both Southern states and thus at the time probably the most racially concerned in the wider U.S. does tend to leave an impression these feelings were at least somewhat widespread despite the biases of the time in question. Certainly you can't dismiss that many people of note as a crackpot as you could with just one of them and, while we don't have national polling from the time because it didn't exist, Patrick L. Cox's article does make it clear these opinions at the very least were widespread in Texas and probably the Southwest at large. Given Texas was already the 5th largest State in the entire U.S. in terms of population, that's a significant number of Americans with these views.

TBH, I'm wondering if something like the US occupation of Haiti (lasting for 19 years) was envisioned for Mexico:

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

 

[History Learner]

TBH, I'm wondering if something like the US occupation of Haiti (lasting for 19 years) was envisioned for Mexico:

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

In the thread I did on this, I imagined a Commonwealth like status.

 

[ATP]

Mexico, either portions of it or as whole indirectly via a Commonwealth status like the Philippines had.

Or/and/ Canada,if USA start War with England.
Siberia after WW1,or at least part of it - USA take Vladivostok,and...gave it to soviets in 1923.Becouse they wanted fight Japan,which really fought soviets,and helped commies.

 

[WolfBear]

In the thread I did on this, I imagined a Commonwealth like status.

Where exactly is this thread?