WI: The British Empire discovered the Americas before Christopher Colombus?

GdwnsnHo

Banned
It comes down to relative wealth and power. England is recovering from a decades long civil war and is relatively speaking something of a backwater. Spain on the other hand is flourishing and is probably at her strongest both militarily and financially. Even if England discovers the americas first (ofc they wouldn't be known as the americas then:D), she is relatively speaking not in a very strong position to exploit it. The blood stained boots of the Conquistadors would almost certainly still smash their bloody path through the natives:eek:

You would need to have a PoD that butterflies away or at least significantly reduces the impact of the Wars of the Roses and also weakens Spain, a longer and bloodier reconquista perhaps?

This is all true.

Perhaps Spain has a Pro-Crusade/Anti-Muslim king (moreso than OTL) that is as obsessed with crusading in the Maghreb as Henry VIII was obsessed with invading France. Perhaps add in the circumstances to inherit Portugal, and Spain could be invested in exploting and bringing the faith to North Africa - and use that to further Italian ambitions. By this point so many of Spains resources are tied into Europe (bar a miraculous pacification of the Maghreb) that they can't spare any for the New World, without sacrificing their European interests.
 
England did fund just such an expedition. It was just 5 years later. And they'd been specifically searching for land to the west. All we need to do is have Cabot leave earlier or mess up Columbus somehow. The only real difficulty is England capitalizing on it.
 
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GdwnsnHo

Banned
England did fund just such an expedition. It was just 5 years later. And they'd been specifically searching for land to the west. All we need to do is have Cabot leave earlier or meas up Columbus somehow. The only real difficulty is England capitalizing on it.

Have Ferdinand and Isabella be as uninterested as Portugal in the expedition? I refer to an obsession as described above to lead to it.
 
It comes down to relative wealth and power. England is recovering from a decades long civil war and is relatively speaking something of a backwater.

Henry VII was notoriously wealthy, though. He gave vast amounts of money to European kings and lords in return for them doing what he wanted.

England just wasn't as poor as you're making out. It was making a great deal from the trade in potassium alum, for one.
 
Have Ferdinand and Isabella be as uninterested as Portugal in the expedition? I refer to an obsession as described above to lead to it.

They initially were uninterested. Columbus was literally on his way to France when he received a message that they had decided to fund his expedition after all. It wouldn't be that hard for Isabella's messenger to miss him.

Henry VII was notoriously wealthy, though. He gave vast amounts of money to European kings and lords in return for them doing what he wanted.

England just wasn't as poor as you're making out. It was making a great deal from the trade in potassium alum, for one.

England had a near monopoly on the wool trade, hence the Tudors could afford to fund John Cabot.
 
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