Suggest some Boer-like people

There was malaria in Brazil in the 16th century.

There sure was, hence why Portugal sent a giant chunk of their population to Brazil and imported millions of African slaves, and nearly lost control of Brazil to the Dutch in the process. There's a reason the most European part of Brazil is the Southeast with its subtropical and highland climate, and why European immigrants preferred that region. And recall that Brazil had a huge amount of gold and diamonds in the colonial period. Madagascar has none of that, and I wager the Malagasy would be tougher to fight than the disease-decimated Brazilian Indians. Madagascar offers nothing compared to Brazil.
 

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There sure was, hence why Portugal sent a giant chunk of their population to Brazil and imported millions of African slaves, and nearly lost control of Brazil to the Dutch in the process. There's a reason the most European part of Brazil is the Southeast with its subtropical and highland climate, and why European immigrants preferred that region. And recall that Brazil had a huge amount of gold and diamonds in the colonial period. Madagascar has none of that, and I wager the Malagasy would be tougher to fight than the disease-decimated Brazilian Indians. Madagascar offers nothing compared to Brazil.
Madagascar has lumber for shipbuilding. If I were the Portuguese, I would ramp up ship building as much as possible. It's best not to put all one's eggs in one basket. Furthermore, it makes sense that Portugal would want to build a colony somewhere that Magellan discovered. Madagascar could help facilitate trade between India and Portugal. Having a stronger presence in the Indian ocean could also lead to a stronger presence in Malacca and elsewhere. While there are challenges, the long term benefits outweigh the short term costs imo. This is the the spirit of the epic Lusiad. Colonizing Madagascar would honor all the Portuguese explorers from Henry the navigator to Magellan.

All of Portugal's exploration efforts were east. All of Spain's exploration efforts were west. They should have focused on what they explored. If I were the pope, I would have declared that all of the America's belong to Spain, and that Portugal should focus on the Indian ocean. The two powers should have agreed to split the world in half.
 
Madagascar has lumber for shipbuilding. If I were the Portuguese, I would ramp up ship building as much as possible. It's best not to put all one's eggs in one basket. Furthermore, it makes sense that Portugal would want to build a colony somewhere that Magellan discovered. Madagascar could help facilitate trade between India and Portugal. Having a stronger presence in the Indian ocean could also lead to a stronger presence in Malacca and elsewhere. While there are challenges, the long term benefits outweigh the short term costs imo. This is the the spirit of the epic Lusiad. Colonizing Madagascar would honor all the Portuguese explorers from Henry the navigator to Magellan.

All of Portugal's exploration efforts were east. All of Spain's exploration efforts were west. They should have focused on what they explored. If I were the pope, I would have declared that all of the America's belong to Spain, and that Portugal should focus on the Indian ocean. The two powers should have agreed to split the world in half.

Magellan didn't even discover Madagascar, and compared to Brazil and the Cape (much easier to conquer, more gold/diamonds), Madagascar offers nothing. Angola has just as much timber anyway.
 
What do I mean by Boer-like people ? Well, people colonizing a place, with no official state to claim the land that they colonize, it's a very very wide idea, so I count on you to contribute to this subject, don't be shy, there is no stupid question or suggestion, only a stupid thread poster in the person of Myself.
British Protestants in Russian territory like Germany did. Maybe Puritan colonies along the Volga and Crimea Puritans.
 
Post civil war,Sewards Folly becomes dumping ground for freed slaves.30 years later when whites discover Alaska isn't worthless then the usual is attempted but the freedmen had never trusted the government anyway,especially knowing what's going on in the South,and are prepared to resist,so the usual hilarity ensues,bloody as our history generally is
 
America's westward expansion is more independent minded, people set out to carve new nations instead of becoming part of the U.S.
 
What do I mean by Boer-like people ? Well, people colonizing a place, with no official state to claim the land that they colonize, it's a very very wide idea, so I count on you to contribute to this subject, don't be shy, there is no stupid question or suggestion, only a stupid thread poster in the person of Myself.

Mormons. There trek to Utah in my limited understanding and then settling in Utah has similiarities.
 
What do I mean by Boer-like people ? Well, people colonizing a place, with no official state to claim the land that they colonize, it's a very very wide idea, so I count on you to contribute to this subject, don't be shy, there is no stupid question or suggestion, only a stupid thread poster in the person of Myself.
Irish Travellers maybe ?
 

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Magellan didn't even discover Madagascar, and compared to Brazil and the Cape (much easier to conquer, more gold/diamonds), Madagascar offers nothing. Angola has just as much timber anyway.
The exploration of the Indian ocean was Magellan's legacy. Trading with India was his objective. Madagascar can be a stopping point. The climate in Madagascar is better than the climate in Angola, and there were less people. One of the benefits of producing ships and docking ships at Madagascar would have been to reduce wood worms.

What I was emphasizing before though was that the legacy of Portuguese explorers from Henry the navigator to Magellan was about circumnavigating Africa. What greater way is there to honor such an achievement than building a colony in Madagascar, and using it as a major supplier of lumber for a maritime empire?
 
The Jews after being expelled from Judea by the Romans?

Where do they go? Into Arabia or Mesopotamia carving out Jewish and Jewish/Arab and Iraqi states as they go out in search of a new Promised Land?

What about landless French emigrants into the Atlas Mountains before France formerly incorporates them as part of the French Empire? I like the idea of plucky French families making their way into the Atlas Mountains to carve out a piece of territory, running into Barbary lions, bears, and leopards, dealing with Berbers and Arabs and so on. Without the power of the state behind them, how much French assimilation to North African ways would occur?
 
You know, I've got kinda wacky - but fun - idea.

What if: So, following the Irish revolt against the rule of Elizabeth you saw the Flight of the Earls where major Gaelic rulers in Ulster fled their lands and made it to the continent to enter into military or governmental service with major Catholic powers such as France or Spain. What if, one of them gets a great idea: he approaches some of his continental friends with the plans of financing an colony of Irish ex-patriots in North America. The idea is simple: the colony will be nominally independent, but could certainly act as a counter-force to British interests in North America.

The initial wave of Irish is small, as to be expected, but a few small villages are constructed. Place, obviously, is very important here. I'm guessing that anywhere south of Virginia is going to be far too close to English colonies for comfort. New Amsterdam is likewise out and, north of that you get into the New England colonies. Unless we go with Georgia - likely too open to attack from the royal navy - this probably leaves Maine which had a much smaller English presence at the time. Maine also has the benefit of being close to New France who they look to as an obvious ally. This is meant to be a settler colony but also to turn a profit and so *New Ireland quickly becomes engaged in the fur trade and fishing (farming as well, but that's less likely to turn a profit).

Although the initial population is small, New Ireland begins to draw more Irish to its shores and the birth rate in this settler colony is high with new communities springing up. Eventually, realizing that they will need one another to defend against the English, Native Americans (and even encroachment by their allies) the different communities bind together to form a federation of sorts. Each town will send a representative to a common council which will oversee defense and trade negotiations. You have the beginnings of a Confederation of New Ireland.

Whether they go on to be conquered by the English during an alt-French and Indian War or maintain their position (maybe spreading over into Newfoundland at an early date) if open to others.

Like I said, kinda hair-brained idea - but is struck my suddenly and I kinda like it :)
 
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