Could it happen and what would be the consequences?
I was thinking along the following lines:
Columbus dies on the return from his first voyage and his ships return almost unnoticed to a smaller habour.
Advisors convince the spanish king to keep the new route to India secret to prevent moorish pirates from raiding the expected tradelines.
A religous order is founded to operate all ships going to the new world (its members are forbidden to talk while on shore). Colonists are taken from the poor, mercenaries and criminals and forbidden to return to Spain.
Over the next decades Spainsh colonies in the carribean slowly grow, while the rest of Europe focuses on the route around Africa.
I was thinking along the following lines:
Columbus dies on the return from his first voyage and his ships return almost unnoticed to a smaller habour.
Advisors convince the spanish king to keep the new route to India secret to prevent moorish pirates from raiding the expected tradelines.
A religous order is founded to operate all ships going to the new world (its members are forbidden to talk while on shore). Colonists are taken from the poor, mercenaries and criminals and forbidden to return to Spain.
Over the next decades Spainsh colonies in the carribean slowly grow, while the rest of Europe focuses on the route around Africa.