Danish North America
- Thread starter Zelda
- Start date
Do we speak of Denmark-Norway ? I could see a Danish territory with great economic potential. I could see many rual Danes and Norwegians migrating to the new world to make a better living. Also Germans from the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein are encouraged to migrate and boost the colony. How woul the realtionship with the natives Americans be ? Would we see a Metis like Danish-Native culture ? Maybe they trade with pelts. Danish West India could be a stopover for Danish trading ships.
dissentcontinues
Banned
Vinland lasts. Due to Scandinavian dynastic politics and upheaval in Vinland at some point the Danes become the rulers.
dissentcontinues
Banned
Though it would be an interesting Viking Age with more Skraelingar and it would drastically alter everything else, I think New Foundland settled by Vikings would in the end, by modern times just be Greenland but bigger.
Caesar Biden
Banned
Denmark-Norway could be an active power to settle the New World. They just have to get there early and have reasons to settle in North America.
Driftless
Donor
Disregarding the OTL communicable disease crises from later European encounters.....
A less adversarial starting relationship between the Norse/Danes & the various native groups likely alters the history of Vinland considerably. The Norse/Danes/Swedes travelled & married into various groups across Europe, so why not North America?
Later on, Skraelling/Viking chieftans go East possibly - back to Europe?
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Hi Zelda, and, if nobody's already said this, welcome to AH.com!
TBH, this would be kinda difficult for Denmark to pull off by itself.....they could, however, make an alliance with the British and maybe settle Canada together, with Denmark perhaps receiving parts of OTL Quebec and Labrador for fishing and trapping, and perhaps New Brunswick along with that.
If Denmark had managed to keep everything quiet on the home front, negating any growing Swedish discontent, then they would have a fair bit of energy that would likely be routed into exploration and colonization.
Most likely way to negate the Swedish discontent would be via stopping their fighting with the North Germanic duchies accepting status quo in north Germany instead of chasing precieved or actual claims with middling luck, as the Swedish nobility was very merchantile and had tons of tons of copper and iron that they wanted to trade away, with their trade routes primarily going via North Germany. Furthermore it might be a big help if Denmark managed to come into an long term argeement with Hansa about who's allowed trading where and what it would cost Hansa to sail their stuff through the Danish Straits, instead of insistent bickering with Denmark trying to tariff the hell out of it, and Hansa trying to force the tariff into being nonexistent.
Basicly, the primary issue for Danish led Scandinavian Colonization of North America is that there is to many things close to home that demands their focus and energy.
Most likely way to negate the Swedish discontent would be via stopping their fighting with the North Germanic duchies accepting status quo in north Germany instead of chasing precieved or actual claims with middling luck, as the Swedish nobility was very merchantile and had tons of tons of copper and iron that they wanted to trade away, with their trade routes primarily going via North Germany. Furthermore it might be a big help if Denmark managed to come into an long term argeement with Hansa about who's allowed trading where and what it would cost Hansa to sail their stuff through the Danish Straits, instead of insistent bickering with Denmark trying to tariff the hell out of it, and Hansa trying to force the tariff into being nonexistent.
Basicly, the primary issue for Danish led Scandinavian Colonization of North America is that there is to many things close to home that demands their focus and energy.
GdwnsnHo
Banned
Perversely, I think the best way to achieve this would be to complete the conquest of the British Isles by the various Danes. Given a few generations, there will be more people to go a-Viking, and they'd all be Danes.
These guys could follow the stories of Vinland, and colonise it quite happily. Easier target than waging war against France. Increased resources, manpower, security - and then the new world is bountiful farmland and fishing for the Danes.
These guys could follow the stories of Vinland, and colonise it quite happily. Easier target than waging war against France. Increased resources, manpower, security - and then the new world is bountiful farmland and fishing for the Danes.