New world discovered by England

Not that much differently, I think. Late XVth, early XVIth century England simply didn't have the ressources to undergo a large colonisation effort, especially for lands in North America that are more likely to be found first (I'm thinking especially to Newfoundlands (a bit like Cabot's expedition) as I'd think that an earlier discovery would involve the North-Western Atlantic fishing roads, more probably than Carribean.

Meaning no discovery of large and wealthy empires, but rather fishing outposts with expeditions gradually exploring the region up to remnants of Mississipi cultures and eventually Caribbean Sea where Spain and/or Portugal would have probably beaten them.
 
Not that much differently, I think. Late XVth, early XVIth century England simply didn't have the ressources to undergo a large colonisation effort, especially for lands in North America that are more likely to be found first (I'm thinking especially to Newfoundlands (a bit like Cabot's expedition) as I'd think that an earlier discovery would involve the North-Western Atlantic fishing roads, more probably than Carribean.

Meaning no discovery of large and wealthy empires, but rather fishing outposts with expeditions gradually exploring the region up to remnants of Mississipi cultures and eventually Caribbean Sea where Spain and/or Portugal would have probably beaten them.

Note that England hardly had any settlements in the New World until a century after Cabot's voyage. (Even Newfoundland took quite while before the permanent population was greater than the transient one.)

So, basically, what LSCatalina said.
 
Not that much differently, I think. Late XVth, early XVIth century England simply didn't have the ressources to undergo a large colonisation effort, especially for lands in North America that are more likely to be found first (I'm thinking especially to Newfoundlands (a bit like Cabot's expedition) as I'd think that an earlier discovery would involve the North-Western Atlantic fishing roads, more probably than Carribean.

Meaning no discovery of large and wealthy empires, but rather fishing outposts with expeditions gradually exploring the region up to remnants of Mississipi cultures and eventually Caribbean Sea where Spain and/or Portugal would have probably beaten them.
That's assuming if they didn't find gold producing areas.Historically,Spain wasn't that wealthy either,neither was Portugal.Once gold producing areas were discovered(which Spain discovered first and England was left with the non-gold producing areas),there will be strong incentive for both government and private enterprises to colonize the place.
 
That's assuming if they didn't find gold producing areas.Historically,Spain wasn't that wealthy either,neither was Portugal.
Castille and critically Aragon beneficied a lot from Mediterranean trade, plantation economy and mines, and Portugal (which beneficied less from that, except plantations) already began to exploit African gold (and soon from Indian trade). It is safe to say they had more ressources and possibilities at hand for colonial effort when England recovered from a civil war.

Once gold producing areas were discovered(which Spain discovered first and England was left with the non-gold producing areas)
Giving that first explorations would probably meet with Northern America first, and Mesoamerican only afterwards, there's good chances Iberian naval powers still benefit first from gold producing areas.

Even if England discovers Mexico really quickly, by searching randomly, it certainly didn't have the same naval projection power that Portugal and Spain had at this time.
I certainly agree that you'd have a really good incitative to fill the gap, but it would ask for Portugal and Spain to be particularly apathic to not go there while they can still do it without too much rivalry.
 
England was going to support Colombus's voyages. So I wonder if he would go straight across to Newfoundland or not? Though it might be hard to actually catch the currents that would take him to the Caribbean since he wouldn't be able to launch his expedition from the Canaries.
 
Castille and critically Aragon beneficied a lot from Mediterranean trade, plantation economy and mines, and Portugal (which beneficied less from that, except plantations) already began to exploit African gold (and soon from Indian trade). It is safe to say they had more ressources and possibilities at hand for colonial effort when England recovered from a civil war.


Giving that first explorations would probably meet with Northern America first, and Mesoamerican only afterwards, there's good chances Iberian naval powers still benefit first from gold producing areas.

Even if England discovers Mexico really quickly, by searching randomly, it certainly didn't have the same naval projection power that Portugal and Spain had at this time.
I certainly agree that you'd have a really good incitative to fill the gap, but it would ask for Portugal and Spain to be particularly apathic to not go there while they can still do it without too much rivalry.
The civil war only really affected the nobility.As for the crown,Henry VII isn't called a Miser King without a reason.He hoarded wealth and that was the reason why he didn't fund COLUMBUS.He's rich,but too much of a Miser.
As for Iberian powers,the English will have some sort of head start and the English would probably have the support of the pope in eradicating Iberian New World settlements under the view that they were 'illegal' as the Spanish did the English ones in real life.
 
The civil war only really affected the nobility.
A war that deeply affect the elites of a country and its structures certainly had an impact over the said country.
The cost of this conflict (for example, mercenaries but not only) did impacted royal and nobility treasury : there's reasons why Henry VII was hoarding wealth, and one of these was to compensate what was wasted on war effort and the bankruptcy caused by Woodville.

Over-going a colonialism effort when you're trying to build a strong royal treasury back is certainly something you may spare if the results simply don't look promising enough.

.He's rich,but too much of a Miser.
That's really an exaggeration. While his personality may have influenced, the most important point is that when he get the throne, he get a huge problem of treasury, namely an empty one.
Of course, renewed fiscal effort wasn't exactly popular, especially with the growingly important merchant class or the nobility that wasn't much used to pay fully its taxes, but it was eventually as much invested than spared, with (for example) development of Portsmouth.

That said, I could see him funding Colombus as he funded Cabot, if he thought there was something to gain for. But giving he didn't fund Cabot until Colombus found something, it would ask quite something to convince him, and I'm not too sure discovering Basque fishermen and cod hoarding will met much enthusiasm with him.

Nevertheless, it could be a first step for English semi-permanent settlement in NewFoundland and a greater motivation for Castille/Aragon to look on the western exploration.

As for Iberian powers,the English will have some sort of head start and the English would probably have the support of the pope in eradicating Iberian New World settlements under the view that they were 'illegal' as the Spanish did the English ones in real life.
You shouldn't overlook the religious part of destroying these establishments. They did the same with French protestants settlement of Florida, for instance, as much because they were within their sphere of influence that because they represented an heretic religious presence.

The pontifical support would certainly not play, at least immediately and as long Spain doesn't turn Protestant (which may certainly take a while, to say the least).
The problem is not having an head start, but a question of naval dominance : Iberian kingdoms were truly maritime powers and able to kick others out of their sphere if needed in the late XVth century.

I would also point trying to be at odds with Castille/Aragon and Portugal would be quite contradictory with the diplomatic activity of Henry VII that was more about getting closer of Trastamares. He would certainly search to get a compromise as much he could, would it be only to have free hands elsewhere.
 
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