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If my history is correct, Christopher Columbus petitioned both the Portuguese and Spanish royalties before Spain finally mustered up the three ships which led to the "discovery" of the New World. But what if Ferdinand and Isabella, fresh from the Reconquista, decided that it just wasn't in the interests of the kingdom to put forth the resources? Where might Columbus have gone next, if at all? What would the possible outcomes of a Spain-less initial discovery be? Would another western European monarch decide to take up the cause Columbus had laid down? Perhaps France or England?

Of course, perhaps none of them might have...giving the native cultures in America a little more time to develop before someone took up the idea again years down the line.

Any ideas?
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