WI: Great European migration to the Americas

The scenario is this: great apocalypse-like disaster occurred in Europe. It was so bad many Europeans thought their land is doomed and wanted to get out of it. Their destination? The lands beyond the western oceans.

Fast forward, these migrants settled in the Americas, and formed their own new states.

How is this possible? What are the requirements to make this happen? When are the most possible timeframe for this? I can only think of Black Death and a highly successful and brutal Mongol conquest.
 
When? Anytime before 1900?

A mongol conquest is a good idea, but I don't think even an long lived Ogedei could conqur all (or most of) western europe with all the mountains and heavy woods.

If he does your scenario could possibly happen though.
 

PhilippeO

Banned
sea transport is very expensive and dangerous, i dont think this is possible in any large scale.

Hell, i doubt modern 21century world could move anything but miniscule fraction of Europe to NA in short time frame. combined capacity of all ship and plane in Europe probably only at best several million people.
 
If the Black Death didn't make anyone do this, nothing would besides maybe alien space bats invading Europe. Even a smallpox in the Americas-tier plague wouldn't make Europe do that. What does that leave you with? An asteroid? Everyone who's in the blast radius dies, the people who aren't slowly resettle the land as the land heals.

A mongol conquest is a good idea, but I don't think even an long lived Ogedei could conqur all (or most of) western europe with all the mountains and heavy woods.

If he does your scenario could possibly happen though.

Europeans would suck it up and deal with it. With the Mongols, you might die (and probably will for all you know), but sailing into the unknown, for all anyone knows, you will die, and with sailing technology of that era, that's quite possibly the case even if you were basing your destination on Norse maps that show Vinland and such. Basically everyone in Europe would rather take their chances--besides, the Mongols might be better than what came before them, and best of all they might promote you high into their bureaucracy or something. Beats a slow death of thirst or starvation at sea, or perhaps drowning after a storm sinks your ship.
 
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