The Pilgrims came motivated by religion. Once the realization of the richness of America sank in, the wealth incentive overwhelmed the religious one. Although religious freedom was a focus of the Founding Fathers, the settling of all that open land became first priority.
The Dutch had New York until the English conquered it.The Spanish Empire imploded because it was not very economically productive. It focused on mining gold and silver on a scale that caused catastrophic inflation. Spain was not in a position to expand past Texas and California really.
French America was lost due to Napoleon. If he couldn't sell it to Anglo-Americans then what?
Francis Drake made some British claims on the West Coast. Russia had Alaska; again, who do they sell it to if not Anglo-Americans?
Would the British Empire allow Spain to control Cuba?
And what about Canada?
Originally posted by John OsmarThose people might have been Dutch or French.
The Pilgrims came motivated by religion. Once the realization of the richness of America sank in, the wealth incentive overwhelmed the religious one. Although religious freedom was a focus of the Founding Fathers, the settling of all that open land became first priority.
Originally posted by phil3000What if no European ships crossed the Atlantic, but only went south instead? Or what if they all stayed home? What if the western hemisphere and Australia were instead only indigenous people?
What if the Pilgrim settlers had never left England ?.
What would north America be now ?
North America French or Spanish ,how would that have effected the world from the 17th century onwards ?
Originally posted by phil3000The Dutch had a presence in present-day New York that they likely would have expanded to include much of the Eastern Seaboard, while the French would have taken over the bulk of the North American interior. Spain would have kept what it had, including what is now the American Southwest. But don't forget Russia: it was colonizing North America by way of Alaska all the way down to what is now northern California, and I think it's more likely it would have retained a robust presence in the western half of North America, seeing as Spain had little interest in pushing farther north, and France would have had trouble expanding west across the Rocky Mountains and deserts. Perhaps Germany, once united in 1871, would have made a play for some New World territory without the Monroe Doctrine in force.
What if the Pilgrim settlers had never left England ?.
What would north America be now ?
North America French or Spanish ,how would that have effected the world from the 17th century onwards ?