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In a recent thread I was replying to regarding Spanish activities north of Mexico, suddenly the thought hit me--what if Spain had found the gold that OTL sparked the Georgia Gold Rush? If I recall, de Soto was repeatedly told in his march through the US South about gold, but he never seemed to actually find it. And he was hardly the only Spanish explorer in the northern Georgia/Carolinas in the 16th century. There also happens to be smaller deposits of gold found in the Carolinas, which were also known to the natives, if I recall.

So, what if one of the Spaniards roaming around in backwoods Georgia/Carolinas the 16th/early 17th century finds this gold, perhaps when burying a fallen ally after a skirmish/illness or just out of pure luck? Could the population influx this gets make the region at least semi-viable to Spain, to at least the degree of New Mexico (possibly better, since fewer hellish Indian raids)? The mines in the US South aren't the mines of Mexico, Peru, or Brazil, but they do have something in them that'll hold over an initial settlement. Plus this is the Deep South--they can try their hand at tobacco farming (would require slaves, Indian or black) as well for a cash crop. For a more remote proposal, yaupon tea (a relative of yerba mate) might work as well for making income. Although this being 16th/17th century Spain, the main colonial goal will be converting the natives and making them dig every bit of gold they find out of the Earth.

Any other thoughts, comments, etc.?
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