Future US States

The USA currently has fifty states, the majority of them were added as America aquired more territory over the years, but since the purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire there hasn't been any major aquisation of territory and there hasn't been an addition to the Union in fifty years.

However the idea of adding more states to America hasn't died out. Some nations under the control of the US like Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands have considered becoming US states before. The Federal District, Washington DC, has also expressed a desire to become a state.

There are also some people in the USA that want to annex some of the nations in North America, like Mexico. The idea of annexing Mexico has been around since the Mexican-American war, in which America obtained over half of the territory that was then owned by Mexican Empire.

This could actually be mutually beneficial to the US and Mexico. Many Mexicans want to immigrate to the USA, but because of America's very difficult immigration process some of these immigrants attempt to sneak into the country. This means that the US must spend money and time defending this border, which is no easy task as the US-Mexico border is the second longest in North America.

If Mexico was annexed it would mean that the US would no longer have to keep dumping money, and energy on trying to defend the border, and the large amount of Mexicans who wanted to immigrate here would get their wish.

Another nation that the US has considered annexing before would be Canada. This wouldn't be as easy as annexing Mexico, and would be more trouble than it's worth. The Canadian people would never peacefully accept being annexed by the US, so the only option would be war.

While America's military is superior to Canada's, an invasion would be bloody, the American people would most likley not tolerate such a long and costly war, and even if the US managed to gain control of Canada the people would probably still be resistant to US forces. Also Canada and the US are both members of NATO, basically making any war between these two countries highly unlikley. All in all an attempt to annex Canada would end in failure.

However there are other nations in North America and abroad that could possibly be more open to the idea of becoming a part of the USA. So, what do you think are the chances of America admitting more states to the Union in the next few decades?

I wouldn't be a supporter of annexing and I doubt that much conflict would come between the US and Canada. I mean, what could anyone possible have against Canada >.>.

However, I would support the addition of states made from the various US territories.

I can see America acquiring Mexico in the future due to the reasons you stated, but I don't Canada ever being a part of the US.

Originally Posted by John Henry Eden

However the idea of adding more states to America hasn't died out. Some nations under the control of the US like Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands have considered becoming US states before. The Federal District, Washington DC, has also expressed a desire to become a state.

I agree completely with that. I think its messed up that we control other countries without giving them the benefits of being a state, so Puerto Rico and such should definitely gain statehood.

There are also some people in the USA that want to annex some of the nations in North America, like Mexico. The idea of annexing Mexico has been around since the Mexican-American war, in which America obtained over half of the territory that was then owned by Mexican Empire.

This could actually be mutually beneficial to the US and Mexico. Many Mexicans want to immigrate to the USA, but because of America's very difficult immigration process some of these immigrants attenpt to sneak into the country. This means that the US must spend money and time defending this border, which is no easy task as the US-Mexico border is the second longest in North America.

If Mexico was annexed it would mean that the US would no longer have to keep dumping money, and energy on trying to defend the border, and the large amount of Mexicans who wanted to immigrate here would get their wish.

That would have benefits, but would be incredibly unlikely.

Another nation that the US has considered annexing before would be Canada. This wouldn't be as easy as annexing Mexico, and would be more trouble than it's worth. The Canadian people would never peacefully accept being annexed by the US, so the only option would be war.

While America's military is superior to Canada's, an invasion would be bloody, the American people would most likley tolerate such a long and costly war, and even if the US managed to gain control of Canada the people would probably still be resistant to US forces. Also Canada and the US are both members of NATO, basically making any war between these two countries highly unlikley. All in all an attempt to annex Canada would end in failure.

That is an utterly stupid idea. There is really no reason for Canada to become part of the US, and it couldn't be done without bloodshed anyway.

Originally Posted by Hell Hawk

That is an utterly stupid idea. There is really no reason for Canada to become part of the US, and it couldn't be done without bloodshed anyway.

If you read what I wrote then you'd see that's exactly the point I was making.

A pretty important point that most of these discussions slide over is that 50 is such a nice clean number and ruining it is a shame. If we can stomach that, I'm not sure why Puerto Rico hasn't been accepted into the Union other than the government having bigger issues to deal with right now.

Originally Posted by TalAarahk

A pretty important point that most of these discussions slide over is that 50 is such a nice clean number and ruining it is a shame. If we can stomach that, I'm not sure why Puerto Rico hasn't been accepted into the Union other than the government having bigger issues to deal with right now.

Combine the Dakota's/Carolina's/Virginia's

I can't believe no one has mentioned the possibility of splitting California to North and South states.

Or Texas into 5.

Originally Posted by Flames of Valor

I doubt that much conflict would come between the US and Canada. I mean, what could anyone possible have against Canada >.>

Right now, Canada is being used as an example of universal healthcare, and as such the Republicans are demonizing its system as worse than the US one. Currently, the story is that Universal Healthcare will cause death panels where they will kill grandmothers, and so once Republicans realize that this does not seem to be happening in Canada, Glenn Beck is going to have to continue digging a bigger hole to keep up the lie.

As such, there's a chance that at a certain level of pressure he's going to start convincing people that they DO do that in Canada, and suddenly you've got a full 15-20% minority on your hands who thinks of Canada as a Nazi regime that needs to be stopped.

:|

That's a great idea, except I think the rest of the world is going to assume that the big bad USA is trying to take over the world via "annexing into statehood" and will no doubt launch a campaign to stop us.

Mexico would be very difficult. Know the drug problems it has? We annex it, we inherit it's drug problems. Most people don't want to have to deal with any of that, thinking that we can just save money and energy just fortifiying our borders. Plus, the Mexican police are corrupted. You think they're going to be willing to submit to a new authoirty? No way. I forsee a second Mexican-American war if we annex this.

Now, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands? Sure, let's bring them in. I think we can live with 52 states. I mean, we survived with just 13 states and last I checked, 13 was an unlucky number.

I think Texas should go independent again.

Originally Posted by 8bit

I think Texas should go independent again.

Already did that once, United States did not like it and attacked.

I guess we should have thought about that before we begged the US to accept us into the union. XD

Canada is utterly stupid.
mexico wouldn't be that bad but then we'd have to deal with all these problems they have.
The other territories would be okay but really, let's just leave it a fifty! If we were to ever add more states I say we wait until we can have fifty five just to make it a nice number.
Cody: I just heard that the Democrats agreed to remove that section from the bill. Now can you explain to me how they can remove a section on death panels if they don't exist?

Originally Posted by Oni Dark Link

Cody: I just heard that the Democrats agreed to remove that section from the bill. Now can you explain to me how they can remove a section on death panels if they don't exist?

"I just heard XYZ" is not satisfactory. I require a source.

Mexico might be plausible eventually, but Canada is a definite no. There is no way Canada would ever want to be a state, considering that they'd lose their healthcare as well as their freedom.

Moved posts dealing with healthcare reform to a thread actually about healthcare reform.

Puerto Rico is already basically a State, just without any State's rights. They pay US taxes, they are subject to military drafts and fight under the US flag, but they don't get to vote. Probably same with the US Virgin Islands (I remember being there during the start of Bush's second term some of the people were very bitter that they could be forced to fight in the Iraq war, but had no say in who the President was).

I haven't done much checking up in recent years, or looked at any census data, but I'm sure that many in those countries would rather be a part of the US than be in the current position they are in now, a sort of limbo between independence and State.

Originally Posted by Link the Zora

Already did that once, United States did not like it and attacked.

The US never attacked Texas. They sent them a bill for its annexation, it passed in the Texan legislation, Texas then became a state. Texas was never attacked by anyone but Mexico.

Originally Posted by nolan

Puerto Rico is already basically a State, just without any State's rights. They pay US taxes, they are subject to military drafts and fight under the US flag, but they don't get to vote. Probably same with the US Virgin Islands (I remember being there during the start of Bush's second term some of the people were very bitter that they could be forced to fight in the Iraq war, but had no say in who the President was).

I haven't done much checking up in recent years, or looked at any census data, but I'm sure that many in those countries would rather be a part of the US than be in the current position they are in now, a sort of limbo between independence and State.

Well in Puerto Rico's case it's purely up to them, as both the Democrats and the Republicans have stated that they're fine with whatever they want to do. The problem isn't that the US wont let them join, but that the Puerto Ricans can't decide what to do.

I'm very amused reading this thread. Mostly because Americans still seem to think people want to be annexed by them.