WI: Columbus found a route to China rather than exploring America

Let's say Columbus' three ships found a route to Asia through the Cape in South Africa. How does it affect history? Who will explore America?
 
Let's say Columbus' three ships found a route to Asia through the Cape in South Africa. How does it affect history? Who will explore America?

South Africa, you said. Silly me, I read it wrong. I suppose that the Portugese would be the most likely to go west, then. Portugese (or was it Basque) fisherman were already in Canadian waters.
 

Flubber

Banned
Basque, although is that really proven?


It's generally accepted among academics, albeit with the usual outliers arguing for other explanations. Kurlansky lays out the evidence rather neatly in his book Cod. There's also archeological evidence of overwinter fishing camps in what are now the Canadian Maritimes dating to the period in question.

Getting back to the OP's question...

If Columbus attempts and/or succeeds to reach Asia via the Cape of Good Hope, that means the Portuguese efforts to do the same either never began or were abandoned for some reason. The Portuguese had been involved in exploring a route around Africa since at least the 1420s. They guarded the maps and rutters they developed, plus the route itself, rather ferociously.

There were two main reasons why the other European trading powers weren't trying to recreate Portugal's route around Africa. First, you'd be starting decades behind the Portuguese "knowledge curve" and, second, if the Portuguese found you along the route, they'd kill you.

Just as the OTL Portguese stranglehold on the Cape route led other nations to look for other ways to Asia, an ATL stranglehold on the Cape route by whichever nation sponsored this alt-Columbus will lead other nations to look for other routes. Which nation sponsors the first trans-Atlantic attempt is of little consequence as, absent substantial PODs, that attempt is still going to occur within a decade or two of 1500 CE.
 

Perkeo

Banned
It's generally accepted among academics, albeit with the usual outliers arguing for other explanations. Kurlansky lays out the evidence rather neatly in his book Cod. There's also archeological evidence of overwinter fishing camps in what are now the Canadian Maritimes dating to the period in question.

Getting back to the OP's question...

If Columbus attempts and/or succeeds to reach Asia via the Cape of Good Hope, that means the Portuguese efforts to do the same either never began or were abandoned for some reason. The Portuguese had been involved in exploring a route around Africa since at least the 1420s. They guarded the maps and rutters they developed, plus the route itself, rather ferociously.

There were two main reasons why the other European trading powers weren't trying to recreate Portugal's route around Africa. First, you'd be starting decades behind the Portuguese "knowledge curve" and, second, if the Portuguese found you along the route, they'd kill you.

Just as the OTL Portguese stranglehold on the Cape route led other nations to look for other ways to Asia, an ATL stranglehold on the Cape route by whichever nation sponsored this alt-Columbus will lead other nations to look for other routes. Which nation sponsors the first trans-Atlantic attempt is of little consequence as, absent substantial PODs, that attempt is still going to occur within a decade or two of 1500 CE.

There is even the dispute wether or not the Protugese, e.g. Corte-Real, DID discover America before Colubus, but never really thought about exploiting it. Would it make any difference except a reversed Treaty of Tordesillas? Would the Portugese do something different when colonizing America?
 

Flubber

Banned
Would the Portugese do something different when colonizing America?


Don't fall into the trap of parallelism. If an alt-Portugal isn't in it's OTL position of exploring the Cape route, why would it necessarily follow that this alt-Portugal is any position to explore a trans-Atlantic route?

The OP's question is also rather vague. The alt-Columbus he posits could just as easily be working for Portugal as part of the Portuguese Cape route effort as he could for any other European nation.
 
Let's say Columbus' three ships found a route to Asia through the Cape in South Africa. How does it affect history? Who will explore America?

As Flubber said, he needs to bypass all the pissed-off Portuguese he'll find along the way. Good luck with that: the other ships at Castile's service that tried this weren't that lucky.

I think your question is summed up to "What if Columbus never discovers America?" Or are you interested in knowing how plausible it is to have Columbus sail to India through the Cape Route at the service of Castile or Portugal?
 
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