Mexico was, from its very birth, a tragic country.
There were far too many tragedies to list—enough to fill an entire thesis—but among them, the greatest was obvious.
It shared a border with the United States.
Moreover, unlike Europe, the American continent did not experience constant realignments and shifting alliances between multiple powers.
In the end, Mexico's tragedy may have been destined from the moment of its creation.
The United States, both then and now, held an unwavering belief: territorial expansion and dominance over the American continent were its divine mission.
They truly believed it was a calling granted by God.
Those who thought Black people were born to be slaves—
And those who believed Black people were human beings deserving of rights—
On this matter, there was no disagreement.
At times, anti-war advocates raised their voices, insisting that wars without just cause must not be fought.
But their numbers were insignificant.
Even the northern and southern congressmen, who fiercely clashed over slavery, would suddenly unite—like a chorus of We Are the World—the moment the subject of manifest destiny arose.
And that phenomenon had only grown stronger with time.
"Once a great war breaks out in Europe, the first thing we should do is sell supplies."
"Britain can source materials easily from Canada. Wouldn't it be difficult to sell to them at high prices?"
"Maybe not Britain, but we can sell to France."
"Then we should first determine the price at which Canada supplies Britain."
"Isn't Canada a colony? Wouldn't they just hand over resources below cost?"
"No. Canada may be called a colony, but it is governed by a Duke who is the Queen's consort. Its industrial cities are funded by British capital, and most resource-producing lands belong to the Crown. The government cannot simply take what it wants."
Just yesterday, these same men had been shouting at each other—
Northern representatives condemning the South for trampling Black rights,Southern representatives demanding the protection of their freedoms—
And now, they were calmly exchanging opinions together.
In truth, the intensification of North-South tensions had much to do with President Zachary Taylor's policy of neglect.
Having risen rapidly during the previous Mexican conflict, Taylor secured the Whig nomination after a fierce contest with Abraham Lincoln, backed heavily by Southern support.
The reason was simple.
Taylor himself was a Virginian landowner who owned a large number of slaves.
Yet upon taking office, he declared clearly that slavery policy would be left to the autonomy of each state.
This angered many in the South, who saw him as a traitor, while the North seized the opportunity to relentlessly criticize Southern immorality.
If things had continued like this for just a few more years, an irreversible outcome might have occurred.
Taylor was a soldier, but not a fool.
And the congressmen who argued day after day were no different.
They all knew.
If this continued, disaster was inevitable.
But even knowing that, they could not stop.
"You immoral Southern pigs! How long will you exploit and dehumanize those poor Black people? They must be freed immediately!"
—At this rate, if a civil war breaks out, won't I be remembered forever as the man who split the Union? Damn it, someone do something!
"Guaranteeing the rights of each state is protected by the proud Constitution of the United States! We firmly reject the North's ignorant interference!"
—Damn it… if this turns into war, won't we be branded petty fools who tore the nation apart over slavery? Someone stop this!
Both sides shouted with veins bulging in their necks,yet beneath it all, they were drenched in anxiety.
And then—
Like salvation descending from heaven—
Europe delivered a gift.
Without exchanging a single word, North and South moved as one, naturally shifting the topic toward war.
It was nothing more than a temporary measure—burying the problem instead of solving it.
But surely, starting a civil war was far worse.
The executive branch was no different.
President Taylor, who had already decided on war with Mexico, sent secret orders to the troops stationed at the border.
—Cross the border and provoke Mexico.
Mexico, never imagining that the United States would strike while Europe was on the brink of war, fell straight into the trap.
"The wicked Mexican army has attacked United States forces! Five are dead, and more than ten have been captured! This is an outrage! Gentlemen—this is a challenge to our nation!"
"We must declare war immediately and deploy our forces!"
"Wait. Isn't this too hasty? Are we certain Mexico actually provoked us? Last time we rushed into war, we only gave Britain an excuse to intervene."
"Come now, Congressman Lincoln. Don't be naive. Britain is in no position to intervene now, is it?"
Even the mighty British Empire could not possibly fight Russia and still concern itself with the New World.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
There was no room for morality or conscience.
"This is not just about expansion. For the United States to reach the Pacific, we must—absolutely must—take northern Mexico."
"That's right. This is our last chance to open a path to the Pacific. If we miss it, we may never reach it again."
Strictly speaking, even annexing northern Mexico would not grant direct access to the Pacific—they would still need to pass through the Gulf of California.
But even that was enough.
With Canada already controlling the Baja California Peninsula, complete independence from British influence was impossible.
Still, securing any route to the Pacific made it worth the risk.
In this near-mad atmosphere, even Lincoln could no longer press his anti-war stance and chose to hold back.
With Congress unified, the President no longer had any reason to hesitate.
"Prepare the necessary procedures. With Congress's approval, we will declare war immediately. And inform Britain… no, inform Canada first of our intentions."
"They won't welcome it."
"This is the last opportunity God has given the United States. Even if we must make significant concessions to Britain and Canada, secure their promise not to intervene."
"How far are we willing to go with those concessions…?"
"We will formally recognize Canada's current territories and swear never to provoke any border disputes in the future. Whatever it takes, we must turn the Gulf of California into an American sea. And if necessary, offer to supply Britain with war materials at low cost for their war against Russia. Make it clear we are willing to join in condemning Russia."
Determination filled the Secretary of State's eyes.
Perhaps this moment would shape the next hundred years of American history.
"Then the Duke of Canada's stance will be critical. Perhaps a personal letter from you would be appropriate, sir."
"If it helps, then so be it. Though I still don't quite understand this political rhetoric."
Taylor hesitated.
He had caused controversy before with his bluntness.
But now was not the time to worry about that.
After all—wasn't it said that sincerity carries?
And so, Zachary Taylor wrote a letter to Killian Gore, Duke of Canada—
Filled entirely with his unfiltered intentions.
While Russia and France clashed over pride,
The question was simple:
Who was at fault?
The answer—
Mexico, quietly minding its own business at home.
To be honest, I had taken my eyes off the Americas for a while, preoccupied with the rapidly escalating situation in Europe.
So when a handwritten letter from the President of the United States suddenly arrived, it caught me completely off guard.
At first, all sorts of thoughts crossed my mind.
What is this? It's not a world war—there's no way the United States would intervene here.
Or perhaps they want to sell weapons?
That seemed plausible.
But then—
The contents exceeded all my expectations.
I read it several times, wondering if I had misunderstood.
But no.
The words remained the same.
Only my mind was spinning.
[I really want this!]
It had been a long time since I had received such a straightforward, honest, and utterly transparent letter.
In a way, it was almost moving.
"So… you're asking Canada to stay out of it?"
"Yes. We swear in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that Canada will suffer no harm."
"I see… Well, your intentions are very clear. In fact, they're so clearly written that it's impossible to misunderstand."
"Ha… His Excellency is a rather direct man. In any case, if Your Highness agrees, our Secretary is willing to cross the Atlantic personally."
The American ambassador gave an awkward laugh.
But honestly, "direct" was putting it lightly.
The letter from President Zachary Taylor was simple:
—The United States desperately wants a route to the Gulf of California.—The Republic of Texas has agreed to join the Union.—Northern Mexico is sparsely populated by Mexicans; in reality, American settlers already dominate the region.—Therefore, we will annex it.—We want access to the Pacific.
In short:
They weren't even asking for help.
They were simply asking Canada to look the other way.
Blunt. Completely blatant.
Was it really wise to send such a letter under the name of the President?
Had he not considered the consequences if it became public?
It defied my common sense.
But considering he was a soldier by background…
I could at least attempt to understand.
He must be that desperate.
"If the United States annexes northern Mexico, Canada and the United States will share a border there. One of the longest borders in history. Surely you've considered the implications?"
"Yes. The President is willing to formally recognize Canada's current territories indefinitely."
I had intended to test the waters and refuse.
But this—
This made it difficult.
In truth, I had long expected that Canada sharing a border with the United States in California was inevitable.
A nation obsessed with manifest destiny would never accept being caged forever without access to the Pacific.
And at present, even the British Empire was in no position to restrain them.
Public opinion would never allow us to divert resources from Russia to America.
And if the United States truly ran wild, Canada—still developing—could not possibly stop them.
We needed decades more.
So if Mexico absorbed that pressure instead of Canada…
That alone was worth it.
The problem was that the United States would gain access to the Pacific—
Even if only slightly.
But realistically, Britain could not block them forever.
That was a price we would have to accept.
And in the long run, there was one undeniable advantage:
By sharing a border with Mexico,
All issues of illegal migration and border instability could be shifted onto the United States.
If they were willing to shoulder that burden themselves—
Why refuse?
"…This is not something I can decide alone. But I understand your proposal. If Britain suffers no consequences, there is little justification for intervention. Mexico is not our ally."
"Yes—exactly."
"However… here it mentions supplying military materials at reasonable prices. Would it be acceptable if Canada, rather than Britain, made those purchases?"
"…Excuse me?"
What are you staring at?
Isn't Canada part of the British Empire?
I had almost forgotten a simple truth:
Whenever war breaks out in Europe—
It is the Americas that profit.
And Canada, too, was part of the Americas.
And thanks to that reminder,
A rather interesting idea came to mind.