The challenge is to create a predominantly-Muslim nation in the Americas that survives to the present day. Bonus if it becomes a regional power.
AHC: Islamic state in the Americas
- Thread starter The Forty-Eighth Rōnin
- Start date
An Islamic State in the Americas, you say? 
You should read Minarets of Atlantis on here. It's pretty dank*.
I was about to say "It's pretty bomb", but I quickly realized the context would make that seem quite inappropriate...
You should read Minarets of Atlantis on here. It's pretty dank*.
I was about to say "It's pretty bomb", but I quickly realized the context would make that seem quite inappropriate...
What about a higher percentage of Muslims living in Southern Spain, are given insentaves to leave Spain in hope of a better life in New Spain, while there they find that they are not treated any better then when they were in "old" Spain and move north, to settle in OTL California, which in TTL is called the Caliphate of America.
Sycamore
Banned
What about an ATL in which the Expulsion of the Moriscos, decreed by King Philip III of Spain on April 9, 1609, is more organised- as such, ITTL, the Spanish Muslim population is primarily expelled to the Americas, instead of being expelled to North Africa (where they'd continue to be a thorn in Spain's side for centuries)? IOTL, The Archbishop of Valencia, Juan de Ribera, was responsible for adding the idea to confiscate the assets and properties of the Moorish population, thereby providing a dramatic one-time boost to the royal coffers.
And Ribera also encouraged the king to enslave the Moriscos for work in galleys, mines, and abroad, as he could do so "without any scruples of conscience"- but this latter proposal was rejected IOTL. So, WI, ITTL, King Philip III is persuaded to accept both of Ribera's proposals- and as such, the Moriscos are primarily enslaved and expelled to the Americas, in order to be put to work in the galleys, in the mines and on the plantations of the New World? IOTL, even if their passage to America has a similar death rate to that of the Middle Passage from Africa, that'd still equate to an immediate influx of least 300,000 Muslims to America, and potentially as many as 850,000. For comparison, IOTL, only 260,000 European settlers had arrived in the Americas by this stage, and only 360,000 African slaves had been shipped over to the Americas thus far.
And Ribera also encouraged the king to enslave the Moriscos for work in galleys, mines, and abroad, as he could do so "without any scruples of conscience"- but this latter proposal was rejected IOTL. So, WI, ITTL, King Philip III is persuaded to accept both of Ribera's proposals- and as such, the Moriscos are primarily enslaved and expelled to the Americas, in order to be put to work in the galleys, in the mines and on the plantations of the New World? IOTL, even if their passage to America has a similar death rate to that of the Middle Passage from Africa, that'd still equate to an immediate influx of least 300,000 Muslims to America, and potentially as many as 850,000. For comparison, IOTL, only 260,000 European settlers had arrived in the Americas by this stage, and only 360,000 African slaves had been shipped over to the Americas thus far.
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Simple. The Reconquista fails miserable, and the Muslims fully assimilate Iberia. They then move on to colonize the New World. Said colonies proceed to independence, and one of them has the resources to become a regional power. The end.
Morocco had plans for new world colonies in the late 1500s in concert with alliances with the english and dutch. The country collapsed due to famine, plague and civil war before that could ever come to fruition and given that the sultan in question also planned to usurp the otomans and be declared caliph and to reconquer iberia, it's easy to write it off as pie in the sky dreams.
But that seems a starting point.
No reconquista and a stronger muslim europe (successful ummayyad siege of constantinople, no frankish empire, whatever pod you go with to weaken the christian coutner attacks) seems your best bet, though.
But that seems a starting point.
No reconquista and a stronger muslim europe (successful ummayyad siege of constantinople, no frankish empire, whatever pod you go with to weaken the christian coutner attacks) seems your best bet, though.
Sycamore
Banned
Expanding on the possibilities of my suggestions- ITTL, the influx of Morisco settlers, expelled to the Americas by the Spanish Inquisition (up to 850,000 over the course of 6 years, even assuming a 15% mortality rate, akin to that aboard African slave galleys), could well exceed the European settler and African slave population of the Americas combined at this early stage (260,000 and 360,000 respectively, amounting to a total of 620,000 Old World migrants to the Americas prior to the proposed POD). And with such an early lead, they could well make it stick in several regions. ITTL, majority Islamic states may even become the norm in the Americas, and across Latin America in particular.
The emirate of granada has less infighting and doesnt try to attack Zahara in 1481. It remains a Taifa of spain. Columbus sets sail from Granada for the new world. Eventually spain sometime in the late 16th or early 17th century takes over granada, and muslim population seeing the writing on the wall and hearing of the good lands in the americas sets out for New Granada (Dominican Republic). The standard spanish treatment of muslims and jews becomes "exile to new granada".
Which country in the Americas do you believe is going to be Muslim in 'a couple of decades'?
How much of a state are you looking for?
POD: Early 1600s, during the height of Anglo-Barbary collaberation
A Moroccan fleet grabs one of the Spanish and/or French Lesser Antilles and takes over the Sugar Plantations there. Knowing what kind of long-term profits are involved, the Saadi and later the Alouite dynasties actively sheltered English/Dutch warships there and it's governors kept a short leash on any pirates (more than one raid on a Protestant town got an entire crew executed and the captives sent home with gold for their trouble).
The British turning on the trans-Atlantic slave trade caused said island to share in the Sugar Islands' economic downturn (who would worth commercial cane fields voluntarily?), and the place ends up a de-facto exile for members of the royal family who are out of favor at court. One prince focuses on improving the economy and integrating economically with the British Caribbean; founding a de-facto cadet branch of the Alouites when the French force the home country into vassalage.
POD: Early 1600s, during the height of Anglo-Barbary collaberation
A Moroccan fleet grabs one of the Spanish and/or French Lesser Antilles and takes over the Sugar Plantations there. Knowing what kind of long-term profits are involved, the Saadi and later the Alouite dynasties actively sheltered English/Dutch warships there and it's governors kept a short leash on any pirates (more than one raid on a Protestant town got an entire crew executed and the captives sent home with gold for their trouble).
The British turning on the trans-Atlantic slave trade caused said island to share in the Sugar Islands' economic downturn (who would worth commercial cane fields voluntarily?), and the place ends up a de-facto exile for members of the royal family who are out of favor at court. One prince focuses on improving the economy and integrating economically with the British Caribbean; founding a de-facto cadet branch of the Alouites when the French force the home country into vassalage.
