It's been repeated often that the Pilgrims were supposed to go to Virginia, and ended up in New England because they went off course. People think, 'oh, they must mean Jamestown', but that's not really true - the Pilgrims actually intended to settle in the Hudson River area; Virginia's borders stretched much further north then. The Pilgrims hit the Americas at Plymouth and found too many shoals to sail south easily, so they settled there.
So.... what if they had been only a few degrees further south? They could have found the mouth of the Hudson and settled there. Now, at this time the Dutch had only a bare handful of trading posts in the area - their first real settlement in the rivermouth, on Governor's Island, wouldn't be founded until 1624, and New Amsterdam wouldn't be founded until 1625. If the English are already there... I really can't see the Dutch bothering to fight over it. They'd probably just move east and try settling New England.
So... what happens next? If the Pilgrims land there, the nexus of the Puritan colonies is going to be *New York. Given the Puritan propensity for persecution, splinter colonies will probably spring up in OTL Connecticut and New Jersey, which might bring them into conflict with the Dutch. OTOH, the English might appreciate having them in New England as a buffer between them and the French. What happens as the colony develops? The Hudson valley is going to attract immigrants, but they probably won't take kindly to Puritan religious standards.
What would happen to Pennsylvania? The two anchors of English settlement would be closer together, so it will probably be settled faster, but how is it organized? If the Puritan splinter colonies reach down to the Delaware River, it might not have sea access unless it takes land *Maryland would get.
What's the opinion of the board? Would England try to conquer Dutch NE? How would the colonial economy develop? Any significant butterflies in English history in the next 50 years?
So.... what if they had been only a few degrees further south? They could have found the mouth of the Hudson and settled there. Now, at this time the Dutch had only a bare handful of trading posts in the area - their first real settlement in the rivermouth, on Governor's Island, wouldn't be founded until 1624, and New Amsterdam wouldn't be founded until 1625. If the English are already there... I really can't see the Dutch bothering to fight over it. They'd probably just move east and try settling New England.
So... what happens next? If the Pilgrims land there, the nexus of the Puritan colonies is going to be *New York. Given the Puritan propensity for persecution, splinter colonies will probably spring up in OTL Connecticut and New Jersey, which might bring them into conflict with the Dutch. OTOH, the English might appreciate having them in New England as a buffer between them and the French. What happens as the colony develops? The Hudson valley is going to attract immigrants, but they probably won't take kindly to Puritan religious standards.
What would happen to Pennsylvania? The two anchors of English settlement would be closer together, so it will probably be settled faster, but how is it organized? If the Puritan splinter colonies reach down to the Delaware River, it might not have sea access unless it takes land *Maryland would get.
What's the opinion of the board? Would England try to conquer Dutch NE? How would the colonial economy develop? Any significant butterflies in English history in the next 50 years?
