Hnau
Banned
I'd really like to focus on some of the OTL Spanish explorers and conquistadors to see where they'd be at by 1503 or so...
John Cabot doesn't get the idea to mount an Atlantic expedition, and instead focuses on the financing and managing of construction projects for various cities, as he did in Valencia and Seville in OTL. He still wants to put a lot of distance between him and his Venetian debtors, so Cabot still moves to England. I'm thinking from 1495 on he makes a living by improving harbors, building bridges, walls, and maybe even ships in English cities from Bristol to London. Tales of Portuguese discovery of islands in the South Atlantic do excite his imagination, but he's getting old and already has an established business in England, so he forgoes any plans for adventure across the sea. He dies in 1506.
Amerigo Vespucci probably doesn't get his big break by providing the Castilian crown with vessels for the West Indies. Still, he's a successful, reputable manager of the Seville agency of the Medici family's ship-building empire. He probably goes on some Spanish voyages to maybe Africa, but its not to the Americas, and he never gets invited by King Manuel I of Portugal to go to Brazil. He has such great connections with the seagoing community in Spain, though, that he'll be the first to hear about the Portuguese discovery of a large landmass in the South Atlantic. But, as in OTL, his days for sailing are over by 1504, so its unlikely he'll be a part of it. He dies a peaceful death in 1512.
Martin Alonso Pinzon, Francisco Martin Pinzon, and Vicente Yanez Pinzon are all dead because of Columbus's ill-fated journey. It's devastating to their family and by some is regarded as the hugest loss of the Columbian voyage, as they were highly-reputable sailors.
Francisco de Bobadilla is an interesting case. The guy was a commander of the Calatrava, a religious-military order of crusaders and fought the wars of reconquest against the Moors. Isabella and Ferdinand trusted him so much they sent him to the Caribbean in 1500 to figure out if Columbus was doing his job, but he pulled off a coup d'etat there. In OTL he perished in a Caribbean hurricane in the summer of 1502. I'm thinking it's likely he's alive and well by 1505 ITTL when the Spanish crown starts floating the idea of a new expedition west. Could this be our guy to head the fleet? There's no info out there telling us how old he is, which matters in determining if he's young and capable enough to lead such an expedition by 1507. And, he was selected for his administrative ability and political position, not because he's a good navigator. So... he probably doesn't head out on the 1507 voyage.
Vasco Nunez de Balboa won't ever strike out into the Americas in 1500. It's probable that he continues to work with ships and other odd jobs in Spain, and like OTL he'll probable remain impoverished for a while. Perhaps instead of seeking adventure in the Americas, he'll enlist as a soldier in the Italian Wars? I'm not sure what happens with him, but I think Balboa is quite a charismatic, brave, tenacious sort of dude, so he'll probably do well in the military campaigns there, perhaps getting enough money to start a successful business somewhere and raise a family. I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the 1507 Spanish expedition, perhaps leading the military contingent. He'd like that, taking risks on noble adventures.
Hernan Cortes follows his OTL life until about 1501, when tales of riches in the West Indies fail to inspire him. He probably wanders around the ports of Spain as in OTL and might even catch some of the last few months of action in the latest conflict in Italy in 1504, but Cortes will return to Spain without too many stories to tell. He'll pick up where he left off, probably sign on as a sailor on some Spanish merchant ships to look for opportunity and adventure. No doubt he'll want in on the 1507 expedition, though he'll still be an inexperienced 22-year old at the time. Who knows where he goes from there?
Nicolas de Ovando remains a commander in the military order of Alcantara. He's well-liked in the Spanish court as in OTL, but he isn't sent to be the governor of Hispaniola in 1502. He's not especially known for his navigational abilities, so he probably won't be on the 1507 expedition.
Diego Velazquez de Cuellar probably got even more involved in the Italian Wars than in OTL and has some naval experience. Still not the guy the Spanish crown would pick to head the 1507 expedition, but he might be involved, like Balboa, in the military contingent of the expedition.
Alonso de Ojeda doesn't go on Columbus's second voyage, obviously, though through the patronage of Archbishop Rodriguez de Fonseca he probably finds himself involved as a commander of some sort in the Italian Wars. I'd imagine he'd have some naval experience as well. He'd be well-placed to be trusted by the Spanish crown in some venture, but I'm not sure if there are more qualified people available for the 1507 expedition.
Juan de la Cosa died along with Columbus on the 1492 voyages. Pity, he was a skilled navigator.
Rodrigo de Bastidas might just be the guy we are looking for to head the 1507 expedition. He doesn't go on Columbus's second voyage ITTL, instead he probably pursues other enterprises in the merchant fleets. He'd be friends with Amerigo Vespucci, for sure, and in OTL he was 65 when he was still crossing the sea to plant colonies in the New World, so here he'd definitely be capable to lead an expedition. If we can't find another more qualified guy, Bastidas will be the leader of the 1507 Spanish expedition. This would be a good thing, as he was called in OTL The Noblest Conquistador because of his policy of respect and friendship towards the Amerindians.
Hmmm... what do you guys think?
---
EDIT: By the way, I really like the idea of the 1507 Spanish expedition taking a more northerly route and exploring the eastern seaboard and the *Chesapeake Bay before returning to Spain... what do you think?
John Cabot doesn't get the idea to mount an Atlantic expedition, and instead focuses on the financing and managing of construction projects for various cities, as he did in Valencia and Seville in OTL. He still wants to put a lot of distance between him and his Venetian debtors, so Cabot still moves to England. I'm thinking from 1495 on he makes a living by improving harbors, building bridges, walls, and maybe even ships in English cities from Bristol to London. Tales of Portuguese discovery of islands in the South Atlantic do excite his imagination, but he's getting old and already has an established business in England, so he forgoes any plans for adventure across the sea. He dies in 1506.
Amerigo Vespucci probably doesn't get his big break by providing the Castilian crown with vessels for the West Indies. Still, he's a successful, reputable manager of the Seville agency of the Medici family's ship-building empire. He probably goes on some Spanish voyages to maybe Africa, but its not to the Americas, and he never gets invited by King Manuel I of Portugal to go to Brazil. He has such great connections with the seagoing community in Spain, though, that he'll be the first to hear about the Portuguese discovery of a large landmass in the South Atlantic. But, as in OTL, his days for sailing are over by 1504, so its unlikely he'll be a part of it. He dies a peaceful death in 1512.
Martin Alonso Pinzon, Francisco Martin Pinzon, and Vicente Yanez Pinzon are all dead because of Columbus's ill-fated journey. It's devastating to their family and by some is regarded as the hugest loss of the Columbian voyage, as they were highly-reputable sailors.
Francisco de Bobadilla is an interesting case. The guy was a commander of the Calatrava, a religious-military order of crusaders and fought the wars of reconquest against the Moors. Isabella and Ferdinand trusted him so much they sent him to the Caribbean in 1500 to figure out if Columbus was doing his job, but he pulled off a coup d'etat there. In OTL he perished in a Caribbean hurricane in the summer of 1502. I'm thinking it's likely he's alive and well by 1505 ITTL when the Spanish crown starts floating the idea of a new expedition west. Could this be our guy to head the fleet? There's no info out there telling us how old he is, which matters in determining if he's young and capable enough to lead such an expedition by 1507. And, he was selected for his administrative ability and political position, not because he's a good navigator. So... he probably doesn't head out on the 1507 voyage.
Vasco Nunez de Balboa won't ever strike out into the Americas in 1500. It's probable that he continues to work with ships and other odd jobs in Spain, and like OTL he'll probable remain impoverished for a while. Perhaps instead of seeking adventure in the Americas, he'll enlist as a soldier in the Italian Wars? I'm not sure what happens with him, but I think Balboa is quite a charismatic, brave, tenacious sort of dude, so he'll probably do well in the military campaigns there, perhaps getting enough money to start a successful business somewhere and raise a family. I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the 1507 Spanish expedition, perhaps leading the military contingent. He'd like that, taking risks on noble adventures.
Hernan Cortes follows his OTL life until about 1501, when tales of riches in the West Indies fail to inspire him. He probably wanders around the ports of Spain as in OTL and might even catch some of the last few months of action in the latest conflict in Italy in 1504, but Cortes will return to Spain without too many stories to tell. He'll pick up where he left off, probably sign on as a sailor on some Spanish merchant ships to look for opportunity and adventure. No doubt he'll want in on the 1507 expedition, though he'll still be an inexperienced 22-year old at the time. Who knows where he goes from there?
Nicolas de Ovando remains a commander in the military order of Alcantara. He's well-liked in the Spanish court as in OTL, but he isn't sent to be the governor of Hispaniola in 1502. He's not especially known for his navigational abilities, so he probably won't be on the 1507 expedition.
Diego Velazquez de Cuellar probably got even more involved in the Italian Wars than in OTL and has some naval experience. Still not the guy the Spanish crown would pick to head the 1507 expedition, but he might be involved, like Balboa, in the military contingent of the expedition.
Alonso de Ojeda doesn't go on Columbus's second voyage, obviously, though through the patronage of Archbishop Rodriguez de Fonseca he probably finds himself involved as a commander of some sort in the Italian Wars. I'd imagine he'd have some naval experience as well. He'd be well-placed to be trusted by the Spanish crown in some venture, but I'm not sure if there are more qualified people available for the 1507 expedition.
Juan de la Cosa died along with Columbus on the 1492 voyages. Pity, he was a skilled navigator.
Rodrigo de Bastidas might just be the guy we are looking for to head the 1507 expedition. He doesn't go on Columbus's second voyage ITTL, instead he probably pursues other enterprises in the merchant fleets. He'd be friends with Amerigo Vespucci, for sure, and in OTL he was 65 when he was still crossing the sea to plant colonies in the New World, so here he'd definitely be capable to lead an expedition. If we can't find another more qualified guy, Bastidas will be the leader of the 1507 Spanish expedition. This would be a good thing, as he was called in OTL The Noblest Conquistador because of his policy of respect and friendship towards the Amerindians.
Hmmm... what do you guys think?
---
EDIT: By the way, I really like the idea of the 1507 Spanish expedition taking a more northerly route and exploring the eastern seaboard and the *Chesapeake Bay before returning to Spain... what do you think?
Last edited: