Columbian North: A TL

Hobelhouse

Here goes my first ever timeline... hope you guys enjoy:
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1492
Spring and summer: Christopher Columbus secures funding for a voyage to the west in search of the East Indies and China. Planning begins. Finally, he departs in August.
September 12: Columbus changes course north, in the face of an advancing storm.
September 17: Columbus is blown off course despite his best efforts. His course takes him north-northwest. Storms continue to dog him, hampering his efforts to turn southward, where he beleives the Indies lie.
October 7: The storms die down in the morning. Columbus sights land in OTL Nova Scotia. He dubs this land San Salvador and claims it in the name of Spain, in recognition of his salvation from the storms. His ships drop anchor near OTL Halifax and begin repairs.
October 8: Columbus goes ashore and is greeted by members of the Mi'kmaq people. He is impressed by their luxurious furs but dissapointed by the lack of spices and gold, as well as the fact that apparently have never heard of China. Columbus concludes this is an isolated land north of Asia.
October 17: Columbus sets south again. However, as they set sail the Pinta runs aground on a sandbar and is forced to be abandoned. Columbus convinces the Mi'kmaq cheif to allow him build a settlement out of the wrecked timbers of the Pinta. This settlement is named San Lucas in honor of the feast day the next day. Columbus decides to return to Europe and search to the south on his next voyage.
Octover 29: Columbus lands in eastern San Salvador (Nova Scotia). He gather supplies and leaves.
November 13: Columbus lands in OTL Newfoundland. He dubs this land Las Peces for the abundant fish. He then sets off again, after claiming it in the name of Spain.

1493
February: Columbus arrives in Seville. The king is encouraged by the news of these lands, and charters a second voyage to explore and colonize the region. Columbus is eager to sail south to find the Indies, but the king is impressed by the furs Columbus has brought back and orders him to set up colonies to collect it.
August: Columbus sets sail from Seville with 12 ships and 850 men to set up colonies.
September: Columbus sets up a colony on the southwest coast of Las Peces, naming it San Pedro. Columbus explores the lands in eastern OTL Quebec, naming it Tierra de Pino, after its pines. He lands in San Lucas to find the colony alive and well; he drops settlers and supplies and heads south. Columbus finds OTL Cape Cod, and names the area San Martin. He returns to Europe, eager to make another trip....

To be continued...

Oh, and here is te map so far. I haven't had time to finish describing the rest of his voyages, but here they are.

Columbus.PNG
 
Electric Monk

Electric Monk

Spain is going to poorer in the short term without the gold. Long-term though… Hmm. Positive I'd think, with rich but non-inflationary colonies. The Habsburg have a completely different opportunity to win Europe (assuming they still get Spain's crown in a few years). Which is a bad thing, actually, but interesting.

I like it, please continue.
 

Hobelhouse

1493
November: Columbus arrives once again in Europe. The king grants his request for a third exploratory voyage.

1494
March: Columbus sets out once again. He encounters the New World at Cape San Martin and sets south. Columbus still believes he has encountered a land far north of China. Later in the month, he names Isla Santiago (Long Island).

April-May: Columbus enters the Santa Maria Bay (Chesapeake Bay). He drops anchor near the mouth of the newly named Rio Isabella (James River) and goes ashore to confer with the natives as to the location of China, as is his custom. The natives have still never heard of China but they do introduce him to the practice of smoking a weed they call 'tabago'. Columbus brings some along on his ship along with other Indian artifacts.

June: Columbus has sailed further south, reaching the OTL Barrier Islands of North Carolina. Columbus runs low on supplies, and turns back to Europe. Before he departs, one of his sailors unexpectedly dies of smallpox during a shore visit to confer once again with the natives...

August: Columbus reaches Europe again. Columbus shares the newfound 'tabago' with some of his friends to positive response. He notes this in his logs. When Columbus presents more artifacts from the New World to the King, he demonstrates tabago use. The King is at first mortified, but several members of the court take a liking to tabago. The King charters a fourth expedition to the New World.

September: The isolated smallpox exposure in the New World turns into a full-fledged plague. The Santa Maria area is depopulated in a matter of months.

November
Columbus sets out from Cadiz.

1495
January: Columbus encounters the New World south of Santa Maria Bay. He names the area (Otl Carolinas) Palmecitas, after the small palms that grow there. He continues south. He is disappointed to never have heard a word of China, and is beginning to think this may be a new continent entirely.

February: Columbus continues down the Eastern Seaboard, reaching mid-Florida by the end of the month.

March: Columbus reaches the tip of Florida, and turns east towards the Bahamas. He names these islands the Balaeres Nuevos. He turns back toward Florida.

April: Columbus reaches the Florida Strait. He is deathly confused about this; here is a tropical strait, much like the straits of Malacca to the Indian Ocean. Furthermore, what little he can deduce of the coastline from his contacts with the natives, the coastline of the Gulf is similar to the eastern Indian ocean. Alas, but he still has not encountered China! Columbus decides to sail south in order to determine if these are indeed the Spice Islands. He names the peninsula Malaca anyway. However, as he leaves the Malaca Keys on the 21st, a storm springs up. His ships are forced to drop anchor near OTL Havana; in fact, the island itself is later christened La Habana for its shelter during the storm. Alas, two ships hit rocks and sink during the storm: the small carrack Caballero... and Columbus's flagship, Asturias. Columbus himself is lost, presumed drowned in the storm. Disheartened, the expedition returns to Europe, abandoning any furrther exploration of these 'Spice Islands'. In his honor, the new northern landmass is named Columbia.

Known Columbia, 1495

known 1495.PNG
 

ninebucks

Banned
Assuming Spain can't hold on to all of the Americas, I wonder which European power will get their hands on the southern gold? It would be interesting to see any other European nation fulfill Spain's role of becoming phenomenally wealthy phenomenally quickly, before burning out dramatically.
 

Hobelhouse

1496:
Columbus's discoveries have caused a stir in Europe. The general consenus is that Columbia is a new continent; however, the new spanish claims cause tensions between Spain and Portugal. Tabago becomes popular in Spain; the king makes plans to plant colonies on the coast to harvest it. Ocampo circumnavigates La Habana. The colonies of Puerto Principe, Santo Domingo, and Rio Fernadno are founded. Plague breaks out among the natives, helping the Spanish settlement.

1497: Amerigo Vespucci leaves for the new world. He will explore the coast of Tierra Del Pino.
Henry VII of England give John Cabot permission to explore the New World in the south to discover if he can pass under Columbia en route to Asia. Of course, he fails, but discovers OTL Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, naming them Cabotia and Newland, respectively. He is impressed by the natives' gold. He sails west and hits the coast of Central America. Henry's England is currently having financial troubles; the new islands could be a source of revenue. He establishes a settlement at OTL Port-de-Paix, named New London. Small posts are established on Newland and Cabotia to trade for gold. However, some of the colonists eye the natives' gold with envy...

News of England's discoveries echo across Europe. The general consensus is reached that these continent are new lands, unconnected to Asia. France and Portugal look the new discoveries with envy; however, France is not currently in a position to respond, being engaged in various Italian wars. Portugal is confident that its new routes to India will ensure the gold it needs; however, it charters Pero de Covilha for an expedition to the New World. Vasco de Gama sets sail for India.

The new discoveries created a papal crisis; according to a bull in 1481, all lands south of the Canary Islands are assigned to Portugal. However, this means that portions of the new Spanish claims, and all of the English claims, belong to Portugal. Pope Alexander VI (who was himself Sapnish-born) issues a new bull that states that land claims by Christian (i.e. Catholic) countries will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. This is in both Sapin and England's favor. Portugal is displeased; however, the Treaty of Zaragoza, signed by Spain, Portugal, and England, sets the bull in a legal setting between the three countries. Spanish dominion of eastern Columbia and La Habana is recognized; English control of Newland and Cabotia is sustained. Portugal fumes, but resolves to discover new lands for itself.

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I'm not quite sure where to go from here. I plan to have the Portuguese discover and conquer Mexico. Would this be enough to spark a Portuguese-Spanish war? I assume that Spain may get envious of the gold found by its comparitely small neighbor, and decide to do something about it. With its coffers full of Mexican gold, would it win? Would England, a traditional ally of Portugal, come to its aid? Does Portugal have the resources to control a large new-world empire? What factors might draw England to settle Central America? When might France begin to come into play? How fast should the rest of the New World be explored and claimed?

A map of the New World, around 1500, showing Cabot's voyage. Note that the colored areas show only claims; actual control of the territory is restricted to within the vicinity of settlements.:

known 1500.PNG
 

Mikey

I like it

It does seem inevitable, though, that one of those Portugese ships going around the cape are going to get blown over to Brazil - could that get them into Mexico, going along the north coast of South America?

If they start in the Yucatan and work up, they'll steer clear of Spain for the time being.
 

Hobelhouse

Oh, yes, I was going to have them discover Brazil as well. In fac, South America will end up being called Brazil. But the Portuguese adventure to Mexico is seperate.
 

Communist Wizard

Hmmm... The Spanish have a chokehold on the Gulf of Mexico... (Cuba, Florida). This'll probably get them to the Missisipi. I agree that Spain's colonies TTL will be mkore stable probably- Not the whole extreme profit but burns out fast thing. Might Spain this time be a larger power than OTL?
 

Hobelhouse

1498
Nothing much happens. Spain and England continue developing their colonies. Amerigo Vespucci discovers the mouth of the Rio Amerigo (St. Lawrence). Spain establishes a few fur trading posts. The colonies on Cabotia consist of a dozen temporary posts for trading European goods for gold. Newland remains unsettled.

Vasco Da Gama arrives in India. Pero de Covilha discovers the shores of the Yucatan and Mexico. Portugal claims the Yucatan.

1499
John Cabot discovers Lake Heny (Maracaibo). He also discovers the island of New Jersey (Jamaica) which he claims for England.
Spain sets up the first of its sucessful tabago plantations at Rio Fernando. Conquistadores 'convert' the Powhatan to Christianity to work on the new planatations. Settlers at Santo Domingo and Puerto Principe do likewise. In the north, Spanish zeal to convert clashes with the desire to trade.

1500
Joanna the Mad gives birth to Charles I/V. Portugal discovers Brazil and claims it for itself. Portugal conquers a small coastal area of the Yucatan and founds a settlement at Cabrilho. Portugal also claims Trinidad and several nearby islands (Las Tartarugas, Otl Barbados and co.)

Know World, 1500:

known 1500.PNG
 

Hobelhouse

1500 (still)

1500 would be a year of disaster for Spain. While Spain divides up Naples between it and France with the Treaty of Granada, in the new settlements the First Revolt occurs. Cherokee in Palmecitas revolt against their Spanish slavers and wipe out the settlement of Puerto Principe. A similar revolt occurs in Santo Domingo but is brutally supressed. The Santa Maria Bay area is too decimated by smallpox to react similarly. The fledgling tabago industry is dealt a major blow. Meanwhile in Tierra del Pino, relations with natives, and the fledgling fur trade, sours when the Spanish begin trying to force Christianity on them. Finally, in the Yucatan, Portuguese invaders are met with fierce resistance from Maya Principalities.
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((In retrospect, I'm starting to realize I've accelerated colonization and settlement too fast. This is my way of rectifying this. I'm still very hazy on what a good timeframe is for real colonies to get off the ground, as opposed to trading posts. Also, I'm probably not going to update much this weekend. Keep posting, guys, I'm always open to suggestions.))
 

Smaug

Just curious, what're the Dutch doing? Did I miss them getting wished into a proverbial cornfield?
 

Reddog794

Just to raise the point, you forgot Cape Breton Island. It may seem a non-issue, but it does kind of guard the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which is the main water way into the heart of the continent, and the fingers of the northern half of the Mississippi. Other than that, very interesting, very very interesting. I could have ended up speaking spanish, instead of English and poor french. I like it! Pur L'amour a Dios! More!
 

Strategos' Risk

Just focus on exploration, with some cursory settlements. Colonization this early one will be restricted to trading posts and camps of conquistadores, anyways.

I'm trying to figure out if this alternate areas of colonization will lead to other players becoming involved with colonization. Probably not, I guess.
 

Burton K Wheeler

Moderator
The way I see it, Mexico could be anyone's at this point. Portugal, England, and Spain are in roughly equal positions to overthrow the Aztecs and take control of the whole area, gaining some pretty impressive wealth.

I see you're thinking Portuguese Mexico. The Spanish very well could try to take over Portugal completely if Portugal was wealthy enough.

Economically, the Potosi silver mines were more important to Spain in OTL. Portugal seems to be the one in a position to get to the Pacific first. If the Portuguese have Potosi, the Spanish are certainly getting it. May I suggest that England cross to the Pacific first? England would become an economic superpower overnight. Either way, the situation in Europe is going to be radically changed. Relations between powers are going to be shifted pretty significantly given Spain's lesser wealth and influence and the (probably) strengthening of England.
 
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