Balkanised North American colonization

It is plausible to have a North America with stable colonies made by various European powers? I don't only mean England and France, but also other countries like Holland, Sweden, Spain and perhaps others, having sucessful colonies. How would a North America like that fare when colonies get big enough to claim independence?
 
It is plausible to have a North America with stable colonies made by various European powers? I don't only mean England and France, but also other countries like Holland, Sweden, Spain and perhaps others, having sucessful colonies. How would a North America like that fare when colonies get big enough to claim independence?

I'd imagine you'd have to knock the Spanish down a peg and keep the French and English somewhat weaker than OTL to do this.

Perhaps Spain shells more money into News Mexico, which leaves St. Augustine to rot in isolation, with less Spanish threat to the East coast. Meanwhile, a strong Spanish Armada wrecks havoc in England, leaving both weaker in the end. At the same time the Religious wars in France continue to be a bloody mess.

With knock-on effects on the 80 years war, The Netherlands is also less successful in commercial enterprising. If it does gain independence,

Sweden is still in a good position to expand. I wouldn't imagine a settler colony would be viable, due to the low population of Sweden at the Time. a Fur Trading colony would be viable, but I'd imagine it would have the same problems as New France did IOTL.

The German states are inevitably due for a Protestant/Catholic War, but with everyone busy rooting out Protestantism, the German war will probably be over sooner, resulting in less depopulation. Several German states could pool their resources to do something exciting.

Portugal would be unlikely to seek more colonies in America. There were more lucrative locations than the American Coast.

Scotland could start something, it's treasury was only drained after the Darien Scheme, and a settler colony with some fur trading on the side would be good for business. It would significantly delay any thought of Union with England.

Poland-Lithuania would be unlikely to do much in terms of 'Settler' colonies: That's what Ruthenia is for. Maybe Fur colonies. Courland could do it if we really try...

England and France would probably come around ITTL to colonies. I could imagine if the POD involves Spain neglecting Florida in favor of New Mexico and California, the English would want Pacific Pirate bases. France would probably just grab some Caribbean colonies the next time Spain goes to War.
 
The Netherlands could have held on to New Netherland, but actually elected to turn it over to the English in return for getting back Suriname.
 
I wouldn't mind New Sweden having the same problems as New France. If it turns out similarly to France in the end, that would mean there's a solid Swedish-speaking population in North America, though realistically I'm sure they'd cover a smaller area than New France, do to the massive size difference between the countries.
Any scenario with balkanized colonization could possibly lead to at least one multilingual country somewhere in North America, which would be awesome.
 
Canada is bilingual. Yes, there are small populations of people who speak other languages in Canada, but I'm talking about a country with a large population of at least three languages.

I don't overlook Canada.
 
Canada is bilingual. Yes, there are small populations of people who speak other languages in Canada, but I'm talking about a country with a large population of at least three languages.

I don't overlook Canada.

I suspected you meant more than two, but you gave me an opening for leg-pulling. :)

Bruce
 
Well, the English, French, Dutch, and Swedes were actually bridges for German settlers as under contract of those colonial powers they traveled to North America.
 
Somehow allow the Dutch to retain New Netherlands, and Sweden to hold onto New Sweden. Also in the early 1500's Portugal laid claim to Newfoundland and Labrador, even taxing the fishermen in the region. If you kept England and Scotland disunited - a big POD and an unlikely one - and somehow allowed them to keep Nova Scotia, then perhaps you could see Scotland in North America too.

EDIT: Also, a relatively interesting thought, is what if the Ottomans got involved? IOTL they didn't really for two reasons, firstly, unlike the initial European colonisers who did it out of spontaneity, the Ottomans had no reason. Secondly, arguably by the time the potential was realised, the Ottomans didn't have a reliable Atlantic port. If, say, there was a TL in which the Ottomans conquer Morocco - unlikely, I know - then perhaps we could even see them get some minor land. It would be small at best in North America, but could be a possibility.
 
Well, the English, French, Dutch, and Swedes were actually bridges for German settlers as under contract of those colonial powers they traveled to North America.
Also, quite a high propoortion of the OTL "Swedish" settlers were actually Finns... mostly 'Forest Finns', whose ancestors had already moved [by invitation] from Finland itself into the sparsely-populated lands of north-central Sweden. They're the people who introduced the 'log cabin' design into North America.
 
Only if New Netherlands weren't in the middle of British North America... If they settled on Massachusetts, for instance, it could be used as a buffer state between French and British North America.
 
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