WI/AHC: Without European colonialism, a unified Caribbean

[danteheadman]

Assuming no European colonialism, either through an Americapox scenario or butterflying European "discovery," is a unified Caribbean possible? Or likely? If so, which society would succeed at it?

I'm specifically envisioning a native Caribbean "mare nostrum" equivalent, whereby the major islands, Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and northern South America are under a single empire of some kind.

 

[MorningDew]

Space filling empire?

 

[SwampTiger]

Politically, culturally or economically? Are you including the mainlands? What time period? What POD?

As far as is it possible, yes. How and why are the questions. Without a centralized polity in the region, I doubt a 16th century empire/unified culture will form. Naval engineering will need substantial improvement. A common trade language would be needed. Coordination of labor, trade and political units is needed.

You need a POD before 1500 CE, preferably before 500 CE, to reach a level of development required for unification.

 

[Tempered Zen]

Assuming no European colonialism, either through an Americapox scenario or butterflying European "discovery," is a unified Caribbean possible? Or likely? If so, which society would succeed at it?

I'm specifically envisioning a native Caribbean "mare nostrum" equivalent, whereby the major islands, Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and northern South America are under a single empire of some kind.

The situation in 1492 was nowhere close to achieving something like this. Heck, half of the peoples of the Caribbean weren't even aware of the other halves existence. The Caribbean also isn't really an ideal place to foster this kind of development, as the sea is twice as large as the Mediterranean (including the Gulf of Mexico), with considerably larger islands than those present in the Med. Land travel will also also very difficult in this empire. Not to mention the diversity of the many people groups of the Caribbean.

I don't think you could achieve this with the existing American technology in 1492. Maybe thousands of years down the line, it could be a different story, though it'll be incredibly hard to justify. Most likely people to achieve this are the Taino, though who knows if they would still exist this far into the future, considering that the Caribs were in the process of invading the Greater Antilles when Columbus arrived. I see no reason why this wouldn't continue if there was no colonization. Overall, it's not very likely.

 

[danteheadman]

Space filling empire?

Easily navigable waters are occasionally able to unify all or most of the lands around a single sea. Consider the Roman Empire and the Mediterranean, the short-lived North Sea Empire, the Majapahit and the Java Sea, etc.

The thread is asking whether it's possible for the same to happen in the Caribbean.

 

[Arcavia]

Well, the OP specified *European* colonialism...
Mali manages to launch successful colonial ventures but doesn't have the capacity to fully annex the Caribbean. Some native group (Carib or Taino) manages to resist disease, converts to Islam, and gets a technological advantage from the Malians enabling it to unite most of the Caribbean with tacit Malian support.

 

[SwampTiger]

Although I like the idea of an African contact leading to technological and cultural exchange, Mali is too late to provide the impetus for a Circum-Caribbean empire before the Columbian arrivals.

 

[Arcavia]

Although I like the idea of an African contact leading to technological and cultural exchange, Mali is too late to provide the impetus for a Circum-Caribbean empire before the Columbian arrivals.

I mean, nerfing Europe isn't that hard, but there are also earlier opportunities for Afro-Caribbean contact.