What if the Europeans cannot find the Americas and/or The Indies in time?

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Spices...
Gold...
Silver...
and Glory...

It was the main cause of why the Portuguese, Spanish, Italians and other European power searching for the "Mystical Orient" and "Ancient lands of India". A good story, really. A lot of people gain an Epic Popularity for sailing their ships towards the Middle of nowhere...

Now, What if the Europeans can't sail their ships to the Americas and can't find new lands outside of Europe? A big Question? Indeed...

Remember this is only one scenario, And there would be a lot of outcome from this simple yet big question.

Now, The Explanation

As always, when we are discussing about an Alternate World, we would discuss the Context of our World first.

The story begins in the early of 13th Century, actually... It began from the Antiquity/Classical age. But I'll simplify for sake of readability...

Now... The story begins at early 13th Century. European medieval knowledge about Asia beyond the reach of the Byzantine Empire was sourced in partial reports, often obscured by legends^, dating back from the time of the conquests of Alexander the Great and his successors. Another source was the trade networks of merchants established as go-betweens between Europe and the Muslim world which are vastly differing from Person to person, from one account to another

The Muslim Nations, namely the Ottoman Turks, Shroud the story of the "Far East" with stories of Mystical beasts such as Liang (Dragons), Satyr (Goat-men), Dog-headed men, strange customs, Barbaric attitude, and much more that was said to protect the Goods and exotics the Ottomans brought to their Market. This intrigued a Merchant from Venetia, Italy. Named Marcopolo, To travel the Far East along the Silk Road. Though a lot of men have travelled to the "Far East", Marcopolo is the only European that leaves a highly-detailed note of what lies across the "end of the world". And he returns to found his Homeland, Venetia was at war with their neighbour Genoa

Marcopolo (Left) and his Route in a Modern Map (Right), note that he follows the route from Constantinople to 

Peking (now Beijing) and back

 A new man step up in the act, His name is Christophorus Colombus, Cristobal Colon or known as Christopher Colombus from Genoa, Italy. He was fascinated by Marcopolo's account of the Far East and want to witness it himself. He offer himself to the Castillian Crown (now Spain) to search for a new land for the "Glory of the Spanish people" in term he would be sponsored by the Castille and allowed to use their ships.

Oversimplifying a lot of events, Colombus founded the Hispaniola (now Caribbean Islands) and established four colony for Spain. giving more and more people the hope for "a Brave New World"

Christoper Colombus (Left) and his Route in a Modern Map (Right)

More Oversimplification leads to a new explorer named Fernão de Magalhães or Ferdinand Magellan from Portugal that Circumnavigate (Journey around) the world. "Finding" both Maluku, Phillipines and The Malacca for the European Records, but he doesn't return to Portugal, instead, he was killed by a poison dart by Filipino natives and his voyage was continued by his First Mate Juan Sebastian del Cano

 

Ferdinand Magellan (Left) and Juan Sebastian del Cano (Right) and their route in

Modern map (bottom)

And the Scenario...

With the Context put aside, let us review the scenario...

Let see, The reason of why the Europeans want to explore the world for the "Far East" is for getting riches and glory... with ease

And to get cheap Luxury Goods such as spices, silk, ivory and more

Since Europeans are already trading with the Ottoman Turks, let just say that the Ottomans had a direct influx of Luxury Goods and it flooded the Markets in Europe. This makes sure that people has less intentions to explore for a better "market". 

Now, let's handle with people such as Marcopolo and Colombus. We won't say that they won't exist since there would be other men besides them that would change their place.

Let just say... The Europeans have chartered Asia and India in almost perfect detail.. Maybe some Muslim Traders have bargained some map charters to the Europeans... maybe a Mongolian Diplomat came to the doors of Byzantium and gave them Information about "what and who" in the other side of the world... Maybe the Scholars in Europe has dechipered a map of Asia and India from the Charters and Maps they collect from the Muslim society...

All in all, They have sufficient Information and/or their Influence has grown outside of European lands, allowing people from "corners of the world" to reach Europe.

 

Good day, Your Majesty... I want to come for a Bargain. 

But, I feel someone in the future would say it in a Film 'bout some angry doctor

 

So, what happened when the Europeans had ceased their will to travel to the Americas?

Well... Eventually, The Americas would be founded, I'm not going to lie here... A lot of Factors would increase their will to find new lands.

Crowded settlements, Hard-living, Oppresion, and other factors will drive people to search for a better place than under the same rule of the same king, everyday, by the year.

In this world, some Dare-devil kind of explorer would sail to the Americas, like what the Leif Eriksson do. Some of them would fail because of a lot of factors... Mutiny, Attrition, sickness, or even just plain bad luck as always. some would succeded and would colonize it. But that one factor.

But this means that the Colonization of the Americas happened way late than what in our world expects. Big Chances that they would found the Americas in the 17th or 18th centuries.

This, Creates a very-very differing gap between our world and this world.

Big Chances that the US would still exists but with much differing culture. The US can be from English people irritated by the king, but still... A French or a Spanish United States would also exists as well, this can be affected by a lot of factors.

But, there is a chance that It won't become a "United States" since there are no "Thirteen colonies of New York". But probably a "Singular State" or "a Federation of multi-national colonial settlements"...

A mix of colonies from differing countries...

Same as Mexico"Granada, Brazil and other colonial nations in the Americas later on.

 

 Telling the constable that you didn't steal the king's magic coat won't help you, My Friend

Since this happened, there would be another kind of people that needs to be checked as well, The Natives...

The Aztecs and the Mayans were in Contact with the Spanish in Colombus's journey. This creates new kind of "occupation"... The Conquistadores...

Conquistadores don't only spread chaos and tyranny across the Central American Natives, but also brings the Idea of Westernizations... Culture, Social, Law... everything... even sickness... :|

This has effects for the Americas in the Long Run

Since there are no Natives Massacres, killings and whatnot. The Natives there would have 2 paths... First, they will prosper...

This path are most likeable to happen in the North Americans Tribes, Especially the Iroquian and the Cherokees.

They would keep their migrating behaviour, unlike when the Europeans came earlier. The Natives diaspora would be much different than ours since a lot of Tribe would migrate from one place to another. And there's a big chances when their tribe grows big enough and decided to settle, they will grow much faster, thus resulting to a bigger Native Populations.

Once the Europeans came, they would be more accepting but this is merely one factor.

 

"What? Pipe smoking? Nah, bro... That's sooo last year... Let's do a selfie to commemorate our alliance"

Second, They would have a status quo... Nothing changed. This is more likeable in the Mesoamerican Tribes such as Aztecs and Mayans.

Why the Mesoamerican? They have settled, have medieval-era-like technologies and social structure such as The Chinampa Garden (which is similar to Modern river Irrigation system), and their government system are similar to a Feudalistic Government, a mix of Administrative "Fiefdom" in which the Emperor only exert their power among their own but not to every of their lands.

This would result in a Status quo of the people living there, Since the Aztecs have a tendency towards warfare (They need sacrifices for the Sun God, there :| )... They would grow once the European came, maybe they would trade in resources... whatever it may happen both paths would result in the Natives becoming more accepting... Like the Indian Rajah to the British

Well, there are a lot to be explained by this topic... But here's one scenario...

What do you think? What would happen if the Europeans cannot find the Americas in time? Let me know by your comments... :)

And hey you can contact me via the Google+ or Email, thank you :D

Bibliothek:

Arnold, David, "The Age of Discovery, 1400-1600", Cornwall-Great Britain, Methuen & Co Ltd., 1983, pg. 6.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Polo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Discovery