WI:Columbus goes to France

Ferdinand II and Isabella I reject Columbus's plans ,because it is impractical.After that he goes to France.
 
I thought he tried the French court already and was rejected? Columbus was from Genoa and France would be the first logical place he looked.

Castille was looking to make a name for itself and had money to gamble with from looting Granada and the Spanish Jews.
 
I expect France tells him "no." They were about to invade Italy at the time, and thus had more important things to spend money on. Charles VIII (fresh out of regency) viewed himself as a conquering hero, not a petty merchant.

England might very well tell him yes, but that's because we know Henry VII was willing to gamble on exploration voyages at more or less the same time (with the Cabots) and had little interest in expensive foreign wars.
 
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England might very well tell him yes, but that's because we know Henry VII was willing to gamble on exploration voyages at more or less the same time (with the Cabots) and had little interest in expensive foreign wars.

Does England have the cash flow for near term and longer term exploitation of the discoveries? Does this change much in 16th & 17th Century British Isles politics, enough to reduce the civil wars?
 
Does England have the cash flow for near term and longer term exploitation of the discoveries? Does this change much in 16th & 17th Century British Isles politics, enough to reduce the civil wars?
That depends, honestly. Henry VII was more or less flush for cash, but Henry VIII and his successors basically spent it all on pointless wars with France and Spain.

On the other hand, it's the initial investment that really costs money; once the colonies are going strong, they can support themselves. And there was significant private investment in English colonization during the Tudor period as well; the initial voyages were cosponsored by the merchants of Bristol, and the Elizabethan era of course saw plenty of private ventures, both trading/raiding like Hawkins and Drake, but also what were intended to be the precursors to legitimate colonization attempts like Frobisher's expeditions.
 
I thought he tried the French court already and was rejected? Columbus was from Genoa and France would be the first logical place he looked.

Castille was looking to make a name for itself and had money to gamble with from looting Granada and the Spanish Jews.

IIRC he wrote to Charles VIII but didn't actually meet him, like he did the monarchs of Portugal and Spain. Portugal was his first choice as they were the big seafaring nation at the time.
 
On the other hand, it's the initial investment that really costs money; once the colonies are going strong, they can support themselves. And there was significant private investment in English colonization during the Tudor period as well; the initial voyages were cosponsored by the merchants of Bristol, and the Elizabethan era of course saw plenty of private ventures, both trading/raiding like Hawkins and Drake, but also what were intended to be the precursors to legitimate colonization attempts like Frobisher's expeditions.

You're partially right. The big question is how long it takes for the colony to go strong. Colonies were an absolute death trap for Europeans.
An a death trap is also a money trap. Even the Spanish were super disappointed until 1522 and were jealous of the Portuguese and their road to India.

I wonder if Brits or French would have the skills to get sugar plantations going: the Spanish had existing plantations from the XVth century
 
You're partially right. The big question is how long it takes for the colony to go strong. Colonies were an absolute death trap for Europeans.
An a death trap is also a money trap. Even the Spanish were super disappointed until 1522 and were jealous of the Portuguese and their road to India.

I wonder if Brits or French would have the skills to get sugar plantations going: the Spanish had existing plantations from the XVth century
Both the French and the British would probably be willing to import foreign expertise to set up sugar plantations; the Spanish were somewhat unusual in their "absolutely no foreigners (including Aragonese) allowed" policy, which was more for ideological reasons (creating a pristine, Catholic utopia in the New World, uncontaminated by the corruption and heresy of the old).

The other big issue is where Columbus lands; OTL he landed in the Caribbean and lucked into finding some gold to justify his voyages. If he lands in North America, he may not, though if he can keep the "almost to China, promise" train going a bit longer, he can stretch out the funding long enough. Sugar would be a difficult choice to farm anywhere north of the extreme southern parts of the modern US, but furs/tobacco are possibilities as OTL (although less lucrative ones). And of course, if they can avoid jumping into expensive, unprofitable European wars, the English certainly have the economic base to support it.
 
The Grand Banks fishery seems to be the best short term bet. European fishermen established a growing industry there very quickly. Some historians have dated tools in the fishing camps on Newfoundland to the very early 16th Century.

After that I cant say.
 
Both the French and the British would probably be willing to import foreign expertise to set up sugar plantations; the Spanish were somewhat unusual in their "absolutely no foreigners (including Aragonese) allowed" policy, which was more for ideological reasons (creating a pristine, Catholic utopia in the New World, uncontaminated by the corruption and heresy of the old).
The Portuguese did something very similar to protect their initial investment.

If the colony looks like it won't be a good investment, they might allow more people in, but if it looks somewhat promising, I'd think they might follow the trend and only allow nationals
 
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