WI Bristol 'officially' discovers America?

The difference between Columbus and the other Europeans who made it to America is his voyages and discoveries were publicised.

So WI the expeditions that went from Bristol to 'Hy Brasil' in 1480 and 1481 went to North America and came back and publicised this?
 
Well, Kristin Seaver has argued that the Bristol expeditions to the Grand Banks were more frequent that we've recognized. Because they were kept secret by the families undertaking them. And in fact that they were the last straw for the Norse in Greenland, as the fishermen recruited the young people away.

The problem here is, though that what them losing secrecy would do isn't publish the discovery of America, but publish the discovery of exploitable amounts of fish off the Vinland. An area that was known of, if previously of little interest.

When Colombus returned, he was desperate to show value for his trip, which was financed by the authorities. So he grossly exaggergated the amount of gold he'd found, causing a vawe of interest.

In this case, we'd see a more gradual interest. Fishing nations would be interested, and more ships would start sailing...eventually there'd be sufficient activity to start some support on the shore. Some people would start farming...a lot more gradual than the Colombus Gold Rush Special.
 
I was thinking perhaps of fur trading along with fish drying onshore. Also Britain would get to claim vast tracts of North America with no question which would circumvent the papal bull that divided the world between Spain and Portugal.
 
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