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So, I was wondering what would happen if Columbus failed in one of his voyages (i.e. gets sunk by storm or something else) How plausible would this be, what would happen with Europe? (i.e. Would Europe stay out for another 100 years?) If he did get shipwrecked or otherwise stranded could he and his men (or some, anyway) swim ashore? If so, would it be plausible for them to spread smallpox and other diseases to the natives, thus giving them some immunity to those diseases when conquistadors or settlers came? Would this in any way help the natives hold on to their land longer or more permanently? Would a small outpost of "white gods" make the natives realize said "gods" were ordinary men, thus removing a small but somewhat important conquistador advantage? Now, I am talking about the mainland here, and Columbus's first voyage. As you can see from the map below, Columbus did not go to the mainland until his third and fourth voyages. Could the PoD be that, after discovering Cuba, Columbus decided to go on and reach the mainland on his FIRST voyage? Then, while surveying the mainland, a storm inks his ships and he loses most of his supplies?