A Rather Asian America

I find English colonization in the Southern United States to be a little odd and moving far to fast. I also think your Pod came to late to destory Castile and make Grenada such a colonial power. Other than That I rather like your TL.

edit: i find it unlikely that they would call it Australia since that connotes that it is east rather than west.
 

King James IX

I find English colonization in the Southern United States to be a little odd and moving far to fast. I also think your Pod came to late to destory Castile and make Grenada such a colonial power. Other than That I rather like your TL.

edit: i find it unlikely that they would call it Australia since that connotes that it is east rather than west.

The English are colonizing from Florida northwards because that's where they landed first. They heard about all this great stuff in the Gulf, wanted some action, and settled in the nearest place available. I agree that they're moving a bit fast, and I've tried not to have them extend very far recently. My plan is to have an upside-down US sort of thing, with the south containing all the big cities and ports (as the north did IOTL with New York, Boston, etc.) and the north being viewed stereotypically in the future as uncivilized 'hicks'.

As for the Australia thing, that was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. I'll think of a better name.
 
The English are colonizing from Florida northwards because that's where they landed first. They heard about all this great stuff in the Gulf, wanted some action, and settled in the nearest place available. I agree that they're moving a bit fast, and I've tried not to have them extend very far recently. My plan is to have an upside-down US sort of thing, with the south containing all the big cities and ports (as the north did IOTL with New York, Boston, etc.) and the north being viewed stereotypically in the future as uncivilized 'hicks'.

As for the Australia thing, that was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. I'll think of a better name.

My main problem is that if you look at a map of OTL 1650 settlement was mostly coastal, with the notable exeption of Spain's American colonies. Sure, England may lay claim to the region shown, but they would never have had the time to fully colonize the region. Another thing is tropical diseases, by now Malaria and yellow fever would have made it across the pond to the America's and would make colonization more difficult in this region. Even if there is greater settelment in the South it would likely still turn into a region for agriculture. There isn't getting around the fact that the region is more conducive to farming tobacco and cotton.
 

King James IX

Throughout the 1490s, not many new colonies were formed. Tiny Dutch, French, English, Scandinavian and Russian colonies popped up every once in a while, but for the most part, the interesting history was around the pre-established colonies.

The reformed Maya state of Mayapán finally convinced the people of Antestia to join with them to form "the Free Realm of Mayapán and Antestia" in 1494, a strongly militarily and culturally influential nation, that upheld strong relations with their southern neighbour Yucateca. They were influential in Oeste Cúba's move for independence from Gentelluvia. The people of West Cuba (mostly cotton and sugarcane farmers) were fed up with being treated like peasants from the olden times. Surely, if the Castillean crown had been abolished, so too should be all the unjust lifestyles that are a part of the monarchy. The farmers and citizens rallied in Nueva Castille[1], outside the King's Palace, until he agreed to recognize their independence as a nation. In February 1496, the West Cuban Independence Charter was signed by King John of Gentelluvia.

In 1497, a Seránian expedition discovered the western Nass Islands[2]. They brought back tales of magnificent creatures and lush forests. European expeditions followed soon after. However, the King of Serán felt it was in their best interest to assure Serán domination in this new land, so three battleships were built between 1497 and 1500, and sent with troops to uphold laws on the islands. They were to squash all European military command in the area, and all illegal poaching of the fine animals. They did a pretty effective job, as their ships had kept up with naval technology so as to be just a tiny bit better than any other vessels.

Navarre, miffed that Portugal had laid claim to their only real hold in the New World, settled New Navarre just north of New Granada in 1501, and became a popular trading partner of Troisième.

The St. Lawrence became more and more French, while St. John's Island became more and more Swedish. All of the Europeans in North Tayania[3] were content with their neighbours and went about their business peacefully, trading prosperously and exploiting the lands.

Small battles were fought between Diushi Caren, Caddoa and Apach, weakening the Apache greatly. As Muscogee and Caddoa expanded their borders, discussions began about a possible future union between the two.

[1] Located at OTL Trinidad, Cuba. [2] OTL Galapagos Islands. [3] The New World is divided into three continents: North Tayania (OTL North America, to about mid-Texas); Tayania (what is referred to as OTL Central America, from about the OTL Mexican border to South America); and South Tayania (OTL South America.) The word Tayania is derived from the first part of Diushi Caren's full name: Tahiánhéyade Diushì Caren. Why? Just cause. :p

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King James IX

The growing French presence in Northern Tayania disturbed Scandinavian Regent Sten Sture and Gerald, 9th Earl of Kildare (of Ireland), so that they decided to become more aggressive in the New World. A Scandinavian settlement was made to the south[1] while Ireland, for their part, settled across the Bay of Gerald[2]. All three powers in North Tayania had expanded their borders by 1510. Nouvelle-France saw the founding of some important and powerful cities and forts (such as Québek, Montréal and Fort Frontenac) in the first decade of the 1500s, as well, all along the St. Lawrence down to Lac Ontario. Also, sensing the Scandinavian and Gaelic unrest, they further encouraged trade and immigration, reducing taxation on ships sailing with a foreigner on board.

Around this time, Tayanian illnesses (such as Marsh Fever and Jékis[3]) were severely affecting populations back in Europe and in the colonies, which proved extremely helpful for the natives under conquest from the English, who threw off the British monarchy, and were soon gobbled up by the newly formed Mississippian Union (formed 1503.) The Mississippian Union's acquisitions of their former land was seen as an act of war by England, but when the King fell ill with Jékis, there were fearful rumours spread about 'Swamp Warlocks' who could use magic against any military forces they used. War was not declared.

In 1416, Diushi Caren finally declared the desert between their northern territory and the main-land, which became useful for traders going to Póvoschuva, but remained sparsely populated. The new Emperor also claimed some lands to the south, hoping for further trade with the Seránian Empire. The Seránians, themselves, were busy developing the Nass Islands, and improving their ships to withstand extended voyages, as the emperor anticipated further expeditions into the Great Ocean beyond the Nass Islands. In 1510, it was discovered that a Chimu/New Granadan drug trade had been going on in the Black Market of the islands, selling the Great Turtles, an animal it was illegal to hunt and eat, due to its magnificence. The contraband was squished, and harbour security was strengthened tenfold to crack down on illegal operations.

When the Chimu Sultan died, the Granadan Sultan made it sure that his own son was put into power. Thereupon, the Chimu Empire was annexed by Granada, something that was not officially declared to the people, and which caused great distress to the less Muslim parts of the nation (particularly the northern region, which was heavily Serán-influenced.) When it was ordered that all old temples were to be converted into mosques, a northern rebellion began.

[1]Cape Cod, Massachusetts [2]Bay of Fundy [3]OTL Yellow Fever, the word comes from the Mayan word for the illness, Xekik.

[I've realized Norway and Sweden were under the same rule at this time, so I've merged New Norway and New Sweden.]

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King James IX

1520: A year which historians generally agree to be around the beginning of the 'Tayanian Renaissance'.

Upon discovering the helplessness of the Catholic church against the Black Death and Jékis, secularism became more and more popular in Europe, and many pushed for more rejection of religion in their respective governments. This invited many noble thinkers and great artists of the world to create fantastic sculptures, paintings, music, theories, laws and stories. Some of these heavily anti-religious groups travelled to Tayania to seek out a better life, far away from the Vatican. Some stayed in Diushi Caren or Mississippi, whose religions were not all-powerful over everyday life and who promoted scientific and artistic discovery. Others found salvation in Maya & Antestia and Serán, and the latter was able to greatly develop shipbuilding technologies within the following decade. One former English scientist, Charles Robert, travelled to the Nass Islands, where he made detailed investigations about the animals there, noting that some seemed to be specifically designed around their environment. The scientific minds of Serán marvelled at his discoveries.

Along with this anti-religious movement began the Chimu-Granada War, which was heavily to the Northern Chimus' advantage, as Serán provided great help to them on all fronts. In 1527, when active war had died down pretty much (but not officially ended), a border was drawn by the Chimu Emperor and the tired Sultan granted them independence. The New Chimu Empire essentially became a Seránian state, but was never officially annexed.

Another attempt to rid the north of the Apaches was carried out, this time pushing them even farther to the west, and increasing Diushi Caren and Mississippi's borders immensely. There was some public outcry from the war against the Apache in Mitla, some claiming that it was inhumane, and that they were people too. A vote was held in the Emperor's Advisory Council whether or not to continue the war on the Apache. it was decided that they had gone far enough, and further dealings with the Apache should be peaceful.

The western Chichimec nation of Ñuyiwai, another refuge for thinking minds from Europe, began sending expeditions up north, a direction in which most expansionist nations hadn't bothered to acknowledge. They subdued those tribes that protested their settling of the Chichimec peninsula, and continued northwards, establishing the colony of Chiñuporu on the river Puro[1], and exploring more of the north all the time.

The persistently independent southern Mayan state finally decided to join Diushi Caren in 1524 as the state of Kaminaljuyú.

The Renaissance hadn't really reached North Tayania just yet.

[1]Santa Ana River, California

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King James IX

Also, I've made this neat historical/timeline/map thing showing the growth of Tahiánhéyade Diushì Caren, with a legend (top is oldest, bottom newest.)

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King James IX

The great southern Granadan Empire, until 1526 undisturbed by the north's religious conflicts, finally felt a stir of mutiny when conversations were overheard among Seránian merchants in Chan Chan, about the great scientific discoveries of English scientist Charles Robert and his Seránian co-horts. Soon, all of Chan Chan, then most of the rest of Western New Granada were talking about the great religious upheavals in the north. Sympathy was felt towards the New Chimu Empire, who so recently the Granadans had fought tooth and nail because of their differing religious views. Now, when the sultan in Qaiqumkan (the Granadan New World Capitol) heard of this sentiment rising in the west, he was not pleased at all, and reacted violently, sending a heavy military force down the river to thought-police those potential rebels. Naturally, this didn't go over well, and the Granadan people's reaction to the occupation of their cities was only less violent than the army's retaliation. Temples were razed, libraries burned, anywhere that could be used as a meeting place to plot against the sultan was brutally scrutinized, then burned to a crisp.

When those up north heard of this totalitarian bureaucratic treatment of citizens, they're newly sympathetic hearts reached out and helped those in need. A final Granadan war was waged, the Big One, it would be spoken about everywhere in Tayania and Europe for decades to come. Sending forces from the north: Serán, the New Chimu Empire, Diushi Caren, Boscosas, Antestia, Mississippi, even Britain, France and Aragon sent forces to crack down on Granada, who they hadn't gotten too fond of ever since Granada's success in the New World was eclipsing their own. Around the end of the war, in 1531, Granada had been pushed almost out of Tayania by the forces of those listed above, and of Portugal and Gentelluvia, who had joined in at the suggestion of other powers. The Granadan sultan insisted, however, that they be left a city under Granada's control. And so, Qaiqumkan was left as a tiny Granadan city in South Tayania, relinquishing the west to the New Chimu Empire and Serán, the east to Portugal and Britain, and the central territories being divided among some of the other powers.

Finally, with the Granadan sultan's not so close by, progress could be made by the thinking minds of Serán and Chimu. While Charles Robert was finalizing his theories on the animals of Nass Islands-- and Historical Zoology (a field he coined in 1529) in general-- the Seránian Emperor-funded exploration fleet led by Mixtec Explorer Yín Quu set off from Serán with the Emperor's blessing, on a mission of discovery. The Emperor hoped to find even more new lands on which to settle, and perhaps to even make further, more astounding scientific discoveries than those made on the Nass Islands. The expedition was slow-moving, comprising of two battleships (named Huasaahi[1] and Minchanser Kèpo[2]) and five Mayan-inspired triple-masted vessels, but it was expected to be able to last longer than most expeditions, as it had on board one of the battleships a small farm, with chickens and cattle, not to mention growing crops. They landed in and mapped many tiny islands within the first 3 years, whereupon the captain began to go a bit crazy, and ordered the crew to set course precisely for the horizon, and not to turn at all, no matter what land they might see. It took at least another year and a half before the captain ordered them to stop the ships, because they had made landfall.

The islands they had happened upon already had some inhabitants, however, and both parties were shocked at this. The previous inhabitants of the islands (which were collectively named Saanser[3][4] by the expedition) lived a quite advanced lifestyle, living in grand walled cities with astounding architecture and ideas. The Maori and Iniamihi of the Western Islands were glad to share their knowledge with the newcomers, and received many great tales of the lands to the east, and were allowed to study their battleships, a great delight to the Iniamihi scientists.

The year they arrived in Saaser was the year of 1536, and the men rested in the hospitality of the natives until the spring of 1537, whereupon they got back into their ships, loaded with maps, treasures, and pregnant Maori women, for the long voyage home.

The Ahiteirians were awed by the stories told of the East, and sent out a voyage tailing the Seránians, but they were tragically too few and too ill-prepared for the long voyage, and the last crew-member of that expedition died in the middle of nowhere in 1538.

[1]Meaning "New House" [2]Meaning "King of the Sea IV" (as the original Minchanser had long since been destroyed in battle) [3]Meaning "New Sea Place" [4]They landed in Tonga.
 

King James IX

Scandinavian fishermen, who had been whaling and fishing and sailing by the east coast of Greenland, officially settled the large island in 1539, and colonists arrived soon after. However, much of the land was uninhabited, as most of the Scandinavians who wanted a new land went to Tayania, so it wasn't a very pleasant place. Meanwhile, in North Tayania, Eireann Nua, Nouvelle-France and New Scandinavia were content with their situation. Neither thriving nor suffering, the three colonies went on their merry way and didn't bother many people. Occasionally, English tradespeople would land at their harbours and sell a bit, but that was about as much contact as they had with the rest of Tayania.

With essentially all of New Granada destroyed, Granada went into a downward economic spiral, and the sultan sold much of his mainland to Aragon by 1535, and completely forgot about his African colonies, which were either taken in by Portugal or left to fend for themselves.

Official claims of land possessions were made by Ñuyiwai, Britain and France, officially staking their claimed land in Tayania. Ñuyiwai, the "Native" nation with the largest population of Europeans, continued its northward expansion, and-- following suit with Serán to the south-- sent an expedition westwards in a Serán-esque battleship in 1538. The difference between the Chichimec and Seránian battleships was this: the Chichimec one was faster, but by consequence smaller and less well-equipped for a long journey. Thankfully, their journey wasn't very long, for they found something at sea early in the year 1540. It was a Japanese whaling fleet, far from their home because of a miscommunication in instructions when trying a new method of whaling. The fleet was down to its last few crew-members, the others having jumped boat, died, or been eaten by a particularly insane companion, who was quickly dispatched. The Chichimecs, seeing people in need, boarded their vessels and turned around, thinking these new people would be adequate treasure for one journey, and because they had gotten sick of aimless ocean-wandering. They arrived back in Ñuyiwai in 1542, just a few months after the initial fleet arrived in Serán, telling of other people across the sea, and showing the people of Tayania and Europe the treasures brought back from there.

These two similar novelties-- the stories from Serán and the Japanese from Ñuyiwai-- further ignited the inquisitive minds of Serán, Chimu, Diushi Caren and Ñuyiwai. An international meeting was held to discuss this New New World, and resources were pooled so that finally a third, enormous expedition was sent off from Peiñuu-- a city located precisely on the Mixtec-Chichimec border-- in 1544, comprising three Seránian fully-stocked floating cities, ten Mixtec junks, two Chichimec battleships, and a crew totalling over two-hundred soldiers, women, artists, farmers and diplomats. If another world was to be discovered, it'd be discovered in style.

The islands of Bermuda were discovered, claimed and settled by England in 1543.

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King James IX

I think I'll raise this from the dead. How about a French-Screw?

~

Due to the continued conflicts between France and the Holy Roman Empire, their various Tayanian and Genteyuvian colonies got used to a fair deal of autonomy from their European rulers-- this grew out of necessity to cope without much Old World support. In particular the colonies of Nouvelle-France and, to the south, the Iles de Sable and Dominique and Martinique were quite very independent. So much so, that when the time came that peace had been made, these four colonies were repulsed at the idea of heavier taxation by King Francis. The king, fearing further unrest in his colonies, dropped the taxation laws, sending France's economy into the toilet. The four aforementioned colonies, of course, couldn't care less about France's problems, that is, until they were unable to receive highly prized French goods and services. At this time, France was forced to liquidise, in any way possible. They withdrew from the Italian War, Gave Brittany Independence, gave Navarre and Aragon a whole lot of land in their south and west, and ended up wedged in between the Holy Roman Empire to the south and east, and British Normandy to the west. They were basically screwed.

Their Tayanian holdings were mostly divided up between Britain and the HRE. To Britain, Troisième. To the Holy Roman Empire, their South Tayanian River Colony. Iles de Sables dubbed itself an Elective Monarchy (although most of their politics were dealt with by Diushi Caren.) Dominique and Martinique united as Les Iles des Gentillehommes (The Gentlemen Islands, derived from 'Genteyuvia'.) Nouvelle-France also declared independence from the tiny French state, but a sort of 'International City' was established, outside Québek, in which France still held dominion (or, supposed dominion, at least, most of the politics were carried out by Nouvelle-France, but it's the thought that counts.)

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~

So that's what's been going on in France. I suppose I should add more, but I don't have it in me. Perhaps this should die... :/

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