Random Things That Would Have Happened If Christopher Columbus Missed Americas (14 items)

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  (#11) It Would Have Been Decades Before Another Ship Crossed The Atlantic

  Christopher Columbus struggled to find a backer for his voyage. He visited the Portuguese, seeking royal patrons, but they turned him down. Columbus also offered to sail for the French or the English, but both declined. 

  By the time Spain funded Columbus's westward journey, the project was barely still alive. Imagine if Columbus, after pleading with every major court in Europe for money, simply sailed off and never returned. It's very likely that Europeans would have invested their wealth into discovering an eastern route to Asia, as the Portuguese did, instead of sending more fruitless voyages west.

  It might have taken decades for another explorer to convince Europe's royalty to bet on Columbus's failed route. 
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  (#13) The Russian Empire Would Have Become The World's Dominant Power

  The year 1492 was an important one for Russia. The king of Poland passed, and his weak successor eventually ceded his Baltic territory to Ivan the Great. Ivan also conquered the Mongols, transforming Central Asia into ripe territory for Russian conquest.

  Russia's strategic position gave it access to Asian trade without having to pass through hostile Ottoman territories. With less competition from Habsburg rulers, the Russians might have expanded their empire even faster, transforming themselves into a dominant world power. For centuries, Russia fought the Ottomans, but the balance might have tipped in Russia's favor with stronger European trade passing through Russian lands. After all, without the resources of the New World, Europeans would still clamor for Asian trade, which the Russians could provide.
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  (#14) England Would Become The 'Sick Man Of Europe'

  England was slow to colonize the New World in comparison to their European rivals Spain, Portugal, France, and even the Dutch. But without their North American colonies, which made up the vast majority of Britain's overseas empire by 1750, England might not have become a major European power.

  Britain used the North American colonies to fuel their expansion, and the colonies also became an important outlet for religious dissenters. The British might not have established control of India without their experience and the wealth from their American colonies.

  However, by the 18th century, as the Industrial Revolution dawned, Britain's major coal reserves likely would have made the island an attractive resource. It's even possible that another power, like the Russians or the Ottomans, would have colonized England for the coal.
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  (#9) People In North America Would Speak Dutch Or French

  If Columbus hadn't made it to the Americas, some European voyage would have eventually reached the New World. The Portuguese might have discovered Brazil and concentrated their efforts on colonizing South America. Another European power would have risked the voyage across the North Atlantic to land in North America and found new colonies.

  The most likely European country to colonize North America in the 16th century would have been France. In fact, France did found a massive colony in North America. Instead of competing with the Spanish, France would have colonized much of the East Coast, fighting off Dutch rivals. Instead of winning independence from the British, the United States might have grown out of a French colony, like Canada, or even a Dutch colony. 

  As a result, people in the US would speak French or Dutch instead of English.
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  (#5) North American Tribes Would Have Consolidated Into Multiple Adversarial Native American Nations

  Before European contact with North America, several Native American groups were transforming into confederacies. The Iroquois Confederacy, made up of five nations - the Mohawks, Senecas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Oneidas - dominated from the Great Lakes to New York. They often battled the Algonquin nations for territory in the Northeast.

  Prior to Spanish contact, California was home to 300,000 Native Americans broken into about 100 tribes. While relations between tribes were usually peaceful, the separate groups may have consolidated over the 17th and 18th centuries. Aztec expansion might have even reached into California. 

  Without the massive drop in population due to European diseases, plus displacement, forced labor, and extermination, North American tribes might have consolidated into several dominant confederacies that could have controlled large amounts of territory.
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  (#6) China Would Remain A Powerful State And Control Trade In Asia

  China's dominant Ming Dynasty sent out its own voyages of discovery during the 15th century. Under Admiral Zheng He, the Chinese fleet traveled to India and Africa. However, the Ming quickly took an isolationist turn, declaring China the only civilized part of the world.  

  While European traders had a presence in China, they had to acknowledge Chinese superiority. European powers, which would have been weaker without their New World colonies, would have struggled to break into the Chinese market, likely playing an even smaller role in Chinese trade. As a result, China would have continued its role as the dominant power in Asia. With less competition from European powers, especially Portugal and the Dutch, China would have controlled trade throughout Southeast Asia.

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