This may be borderline ASB, but here goes.
Take a look at the following excerpt from Wikipedia.
Túpac Inca Yupanqui, the tenth Inca emperor, is said to have led an expedition lasting between nine months to a year into the Pacific Ocean around 1480, which discovered two islands.[95] It has been suggested that the islands he visited are the Galápagos,[95] or possibly Polynesian islands (Easter Island).[citation needed] The story says that he brought back gold, brass, and the skin and jaw of a horse, none of which would have been found on islands in the south Pacific.
POD: At the same time the Incan emperor does this in 1480, a rival state on the Atlantic coast decides to show off its sailing progress as well in a scenario similar to the US/USSR space race. So they explore east into the Atlantic...and wind up in Europe with a decent-sized fleet which demonstrates that they are a force to be reckoned with.
The Europeans (you can pick where they land) react to these guys and probably do some kind of diplomatic relations. Eventually, the natives start to get sick and the Europeans try to either send them back or heal them (unsuccessfully). 80% of the crew dies of issues unknown to either side and then they go back.
Alternatively, the New World exploration force has maybe 10 ships, of which only 1 goes ashore to see what's going on. The people on that ship gets sick and the other 9 go back to report what happened. Obviously, these foreigners are barbarians that they kill people who came in peace...
Continue on from there.
Take a look at the following excerpt from Wikipedia.
Túpac Inca Yupanqui, the tenth Inca emperor, is said to have led an expedition lasting between nine months to a year into the Pacific Ocean around 1480, which discovered two islands.[95] It has been suggested that the islands he visited are the Galápagos,[95] or possibly Polynesian islands (Easter Island).[citation needed] The story says that he brought back gold, brass, and the skin and jaw of a horse, none of which would have been found on islands in the south Pacific.
POD: At the same time the Incan emperor does this in 1480, a rival state on the Atlantic coast decides to show off its sailing progress as well in a scenario similar to the US/USSR space race. So they explore east into the Atlantic...and wind up in Europe with a decent-sized fleet which demonstrates that they are a force to be reckoned with.
The Europeans (you can pick where they land) react to these guys and probably do some kind of diplomatic relations. Eventually, the natives start to get sick and the Europeans try to either send them back or heal them (unsuccessfully). 80% of the crew dies of issues unknown to either side and then they go back.
Alternatively, the New World exploration force has maybe 10 ships, of which only 1 goes ashore to see what's going on. The people on that ship gets sick and the other 9 go back to report what happened. Obviously, these foreigners are barbarians that they kill people who came in peace...
Continue on from there.