1850 American Gold Tycoon

This situation made Yilu feel mixed emotions. In the pouring rain, the soldiers of the Arizona regiment standing like sculptures on the border destroyed Yilu's last confidence and pride.彽

The discipline and military quality displayed by these Western Brigade soldiers on the 49° north latitude border are no worse than those of the British regular army.

What is even more terrifying is that the Arizona Regiment is not the most elite unit in the Western Brigade. The most elite infantry unit in the Western Brigade is the prestigious California Infantry Regiment.

In other words, Liang Yao was able to put so much pressure on him before he showed his trump card.

Under the current circumstances, it would be a good thing for British Columbia to amend the treaty and clarify the border line.

The competition for strength here is no longer about the strength of the United States and the weakness of the United States, but the strength of the United States and the weakness of the United Kingdom.

On September 5, 1856, the British representatives Yilu and the American representatives Liang Yao and Gu Wen revised the "Amendment of the Oregon Treaty" in Liangyao City. The treaty clarified the border line between Britain and the United States.

The main contents are as follows:

First, the mainland maintains the 49° north latitude border, and residents from both sides are not allowed to cross the border to settle without permission. Any violation will be punished in accordance with local laws.

Secondly, on the boundary issue of the island region, the United States respects the British sovereignty on Vancouver Island. The British side also respects the U.S. sovereignty over the San Juan Islands, Mayne Island, North Pender Island, South Pender Island and Saturna Island, but the U.S. needs to pay the British side 50,000 pounds (3.33 million U.S. dollars) within one year. Island purchase fee.

Third, the waterways in the area south of 59° north latitude are jointly used by both parties, and neither party can occupy the waterways under any pretext.

Fourth, allow free trade in the areas surrounding Liangyao City and the Vancouver Plains.

Fifth, the British Columbia government needs to pay a fine of 250,000 pounds for the British and French residents who illegally crossed the border and settled there. After the British side pays the fine, the United States will deport all British residents who illegally crossed the border and settled there.

Compared with the unequal treaties such as the "Nagasaki Treaty", "Edo Treaty", and "Batavia Treaty" signed by Liang Yao before, the "Oregon Treaty Amendment" can be said to be an equal treaty for both parties.

After all, the previous three treaties were signed by coercing the other side through war. However, this time the treaty was revised, and there was no direct military conflict between Britain and the United States.彽

Furthermore, it would be extremely difficult to force Victoria-era Britain to sign an unequal treaty.

Liang Yao has maximized his own interests within his capabilities.

The greatest significance of the "Oregon Treaty Amendment" to the United States is not how much advantage it takes, but that it clarifies the local border between Britain and the United States in the form of a treaty, creating a good and stable external environment for the development of Liangyao City and surrounding areas. .

From this point of view, Liang Yao has already won.

Of course, it’s not like I didn’t take advantage of the advantages.

Before the treaty was revised, Liang Yao's bottom line was to maintain the US-Canada border for future generations.

Through this revision of the treaty, Liang Yao not only maintained the bottom line, but also obtained four additional islands: Mayne Island, North Pender Island, South Pender Island and Saturna Island, pushing the maritime border to the British side. One push.彽

"The price for the four islands is 50,000 pounds. Is Yilu so short of money?"

After the treaty was signed and Yilu left, Ge Wen couldn't help but complain.

"If it's Vancouver Island, Congress may be able to pay for the $240,000, but for these four small islands that they don't know where they are, I guess there's no hope of them spending the money within a year."

The treaty stipulates that the United States needs to pay 50,000 pounds (3.33 million U.S. dollars) to the British within one year as the cost of purchasing the island.

The point is that within one year, Gervin has been a member of Congress for such a long time. Gervin is very clear about the urinary attitude of members of Congress when it comes to money.

Paying US$240,000 for four small islands will definitely not be negotiated within a year.

Although Liang Yao rarely goes to Congress in Washington, he knows a little about this situation. Historically, the United States only spent US$7.2 million to purchase Alaska, which covers an area of ​​80,000 square kilometers.彽

Later generations believed that the United States took a big advantage in territorial transactions, picking up a big leak at an average price of two cents per acre. Of course, this is indeed the case.

But the Americans at the time didn't think so. They thought they were taken advantage of and spent $7.2 million to buy such a big ice pimple in Alaska.

Compared with the Louisiana area purchased from the French for US$15 million, this transaction was a loss to grandma's family.

After the Alaska land purchase was passed by the Senate, it was rejected several times by the House of Representatives and refused to appropriate funds.

In the end, the then Secretary of State Seward spent a year and a half persuading the opposing members of the House of Representatives one by one, and the bill was finally passed.

Seward also recalled in his later years that purchasing Alaski was the most important and correct decision in his life, but few people could truly understand him. It would take a generation for the United States to understand the benefits of this transaction. .

Of course, in fact, in this transaction, Tsarist Russia also exchanged undefendable territory for a huge sum of US$7.2 million, which was not a loss. Tsarist Russia later used the US$7.2 million to buy railway bonds of Western European companies and ate decades of interest to rebuild its own The army, this territory deal is also profitable for them.彽

Therefore, trading Alaska is a win-win deal for both the United States and Russia.

So if someone wins, does any country suffer?

The answer is of course yes. The country that suffered a loss was the Qing Dynasty.

The Russians, who are greedy for territory, naturally have to make up for the losses they suffered at the hands of Western powers through other places.

After the Crimean War, Tsarist Russia adhered to this idea and continued to encroach on China's territory.

From another level, how much territory Tsarist Russia cut off from China in modern times can also be used as a unit of measurement for how much losses they suffered at the hands of Western powers.

"Then let's pay it ourselves first!" Liang Yao said, "After deducting the 250,000 pounds fine imposed on the British, the actual fee we need to pay for these four islands is not 5 pounds, but only 750,000 pounds."

Buying four islands for 750,000 pounds and pushing the border forward is a sure-profit deal. If the British were willing, Liang Yao could not wait to buy the entire Vancouver Island or even the entire British Columbia and monopolize the entire Northeast. Pacific Ocean.

Liang Yao was also worried that the British would go back on their word. Even if California advanced the money first, he would still have to pay the money first to allow the treaty to take effect and create an established fact.

"I always feel that we mobilized so many troops and only got such a small advantage, which is not enough." Ge Wen said with some regret.

"Don't think that a small win is a loss. A small win is a win, and a small advantage is an advantage." Liang Yao said with a smile, "Besides, we took advantage of this iron rooster in the UK."

"Your Excellency, now that the treaty has been signed, should the Arizona Regiment continue to be stationed on the border or return to the station in Portland?" Krueger, the leader of the Oregon Infantry Regiment, asked for instructions, and he did not forget to add one sentence.

"The soldiers were exposed to heavy rain for several days, and many of them got sick. They were able to hold on at the border with just one breath."

"Before the Cavalry Regiment was formed, the Arizona Regiment stayed in Liangyao City to maintain local order in case of unexpected events." Liang Yao patted Kruger on the shoulder, "Thank you for your hard work. This time the British were able to bow their heads, and the Arizona Regiment takes the greatest credit." , the Arizona regiment will receive two months more salary per person this year as a subsidy for this operation."

"Yes, General!" Kruger happily saluted Liang Yao and left happily.

With two extra months of salary this year, he can give an explanation to the soldiers when he returns.

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"I can't understand my brother-in-law's operation. He is selling off the railway company's bonds and at the same time asking the Atlantic Railway Company to undertake such a big project as the Gade-German Railway. I don't understand what kind of medicine he is selling in this gourd?"

In the Vanderbilt family's estate on the banks of the Hudson River in New York, the eldest son of the Vanderbilt family, William, was puzzled by Liang Yao's recent actions.

After withdrawing funds from the shipping industry and investing in the railroad industry, within five years, the Vanderbilt family became the largest iron warehouse tycoon in the United States.

Unlike Liang Yao, Liang Yao's business is very extensive, and railway is only one of the businesses of the Americas Group.彽

The Vanderbilt family is dedicated to the railroad industry. For a railroad giant with assets of tens of millions of dollars, any disturbance in the iron warehouse industry will have a great impact on them.

Therefore, the Vanderbilt family was extremely sensitive to small changes in the railroad industry, not to mention Liang Yao's behavior of selling railroad bonds on Wall Street.

"Don't you understand whether he is pessimistic about the prospects of the domestic railway industry or whether he is optimistic about the prospects of the domestic railway industry?" Vanderbilt pointed at his head and said.

"William, you have to learn to analyze and learn to speak from data."

"Father, I have analyzed it. Although my brother-in-law's behavior caused the stock prices of major railway companies to fall at the beginning of selling bonds, a week later, the stock prices of railway companies all rebounded, so I am very confused." William Still puzzled.

"The public reports of major railway companies are also very good. It seems that my brother-in-law has no need to sell off the railway company bonds they hold on a large scale at this time."

"The rebound in stock prices shows that Liang Yao did not keep the railroad company bonds he sold, but sold them all," Vanderbilt said.彽

"This is his brilliance. He is always one step ahead of others. If these bonds are sold before and after the crisis breaks out, do you think anyone will take over these bonds? As for the railway company's public reports, do you believe it?"

"I can't believe it all." William replied without hesitation.

Not to mention other railway companies, even railway industry giants like Central Railway Company will make their public reports as good-looking as possible in order to raise more funds from the Wall Street stock market and obtain financial subsidies from local governments.

This has become a common rule among all railroads in the United States. Only the core members of the railroad company know how credible the public reports are. The real information is all internal information, and it is euphemistically called business secrets to the outside world. . Every railroad company is secretive.

"When looking at data, we can't just look at the data of the railway company industry." Vanderbilt analyzed calmly.

"There are currently more than 70 medium and large-sized railway companies on Wall Street that are endorsed by local governments to issue stocks, and there are nearly 200 Pheasant Railway companies. I have sent people to investigate these railway companies. Although they raise funds on Wall Street, they are on time every month. Publish the progress of railroad construction, but in fact, many so-called railroad companies have not built even a mile of railroad at all.

In addition, there are more than 800 bank stocks, more than 70 insurance company stocks, and more than 300 company bonds, local government bonds, and even federal government bonds traded on Wall Street.彽

More than two-thirds of these bonds revolve around the railway industry. "

Vanderbilt's meaning is very clear. In the six years from 1850 to 1856, the mileage of railroads in the United States increased by at least 20,000 miles.

In 1850, there were only about 9,000 miles of railroads in the United States.

The rapid growth of the American economy in the past six years has been largely driven by the railway industry.

In six years, twice the railway mileage was built over the previous twenty years. Perhaps only God knows how big the bubble in the railway industry is and how much speculative capital is involved.

After learning these data, William couldn't help but take a breath and feel a chill running down his spine: "We seem to be heading towards the abyss?"

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