I'm not very impressed. They Skimmed far to lightly over the succession of Texas and similar efforts by the Yucatan, whose quasi state was allied with the Republic of Texas.
The Spanish/Mexican missions had made a pretty good start on many of the California Indians.
Would have appreciated more discussion of how weak the Mexica State was, note the inability the Mexican State to raise revenue. Also the failure of the (American) Military occupation of Mexico. There is PhD fodder there, were the lessons learned there in the Post Civil War South? Was Army occupation of the former Confederacy more or less effective?
California is unique, the only state organized without going through a period as a Territory. Sherman's memoirs shed some light on conditions there in the wake of the Gold Rush.
New Mexico and Arizona organized as Free States? In 1912? Snicker. The Native New Mexicans (Hispanics) showed no interest in becoming part of the confederacy, their Militia did turn out to fight the Invasion. Although the division of what had been the New Mexico Territory into NM/Arizona was deliberate, because organizing a separate territory (Potential State) out Northern New Mexico and Northern Arizona (Much more logical geographically) would have created a state dominated by Hispanics (& Indians, but they didn't get the vote until ????).
