Help me pick a TL

[AirshipArmada]

I have several old ideas which I tried to work into timelines without much success. I'm thinking of doing research and reworking one of them into something much more satisfying, but I want to have an audience to my efforts.
So my question for you all is: which one of these timelines do you think you would most like to read?

The Mighty Micmac:
Early Norse travelers bring disease to Newfoundland. When the Norse settlers arrive they have a much easier time of things, but after 200 years the settlements fail anyway. Many settlers, however, are assimilated into the Micmac tribes. Locals gain the horse, wheel, sail, iron working, and a few other goodies. (a major reworking of my failed "Men on a Wreck" TL).

Lee's Rebellion:
Cornwallis convinces his superior to allow him to pursue the retreating George Washington across the Delaware. General Lee finds himself perfectly placed to crush Cornwallis's men. Washington resigns and Charles Lee becomes Commander of the Continental Army.

Above it All: an Airship Wank.
David Schwarz lives long enough to take advantage of the 30 year monopoly on airship construction which was granted to him in 1897. Zeppelin, Schütte and Lanz all work togeather under Schwarz's leadership.
Reality is just unwanted ballast - throw it over the side and take to the sky! (A major rework of my "A Good Heart" TL).

Sails on the Caribbean:
Saladoid tribes develop simple sailing boats in ancient times. A cultural "empire" of sorts develops with contacts to the Maya, Aztec (and their ken), and tribes in Florida and the Mississippi. The Castilians have a little harder time of things once they arrive.

Atlantic Islands:
Several sea mounts are just a little bit higher than in OTL and form real islands (Ampere, Corner, Kelvin). Some OTL islands are also a bit higher and thus bigger (Azores, Bermuda). A massive POD with massive effects. (a complete rework of my aborted Atlantic Islands TL)

 

[Zach]

Atlantic Islands seems like a pretty huge undertaking but seems real interesting.

 

[Cromm Crúaich]

Seconding Atlantic Islands.

 

[Promethean]

Isnt that ASB?

Geographic, climate etcetra changes are for the ASB forum i think.

 

[CanadianGoose]

Micmaq. Airships are doomed anyway and Atlantic Islands is ASB.

 

[Falconier111]

I have several old ideas which I tried to work into timelines without much success. I'm thinking of doing research and reworking one of them into something much more satisfying, but I want to have an audience to my efforts.
So my question for you all is: which one of these timelines do you think you would most like to read?

The Mighty Micmac:
Early Norse travelers bring disease to Newfoundland. When the Norse settlers arrive they have a much easier time of things, but after 200 years the settlements fail anyway. Many settlers, however, are assimilated into the Micmac tribes. Locals gain the horse, wheel, sail, iron working, and a few other goodies. (a major reworking of my failed "Men on a Wreck" TL).

Lee's Rebellion:
Cornwallis convinces his superior to allow him to pursue the retreating George Washington across the Delaware. General Lee finds himself perfectly placed to crush Cornwallis's men. Washington resigns and Charles Lee becomes Commander of the Continental Army.

Above it All: an Airship Wank.
David Schwarz lives long enough to take advantage of the 30 year monopoly on airship construction which was granted to him in 1897. Zeppelin, Schütte and Lanz all work togeather under Schwarz's leadership.
Reality is just unwanted ballast - throw it over the side and take to the sky! (A major rework of my "A Good Heart" TL".

Sails on the Caribbean:
Saladoid tribes develop simple sailing boats in ancient times. A cultural "empire" of sorts develops with contacts to the Maya, Aztec (and their ken), and tribes in Florida and the Mississippi. The Castilians have a little harder time of things once they arrive.

Atlantic Islands:
Several sea mounts are just a little bit higher than in OTL and form real islands (Ampere, Corner, Kelvin). Some OTL islands are also a bit higher and thus bigger (Azores, Bermuda). A massive POD with massive effects. (a complete rework of my aborted Atlantic Islands TL)

AAAAAAIIIIIIIRRRRRRSSSSSSHHHHHHHIIIIIIPPPPPSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

That aside, I like the idea of "Sails on the Carribean". Just push it as ridiciluously early as possible, with the Saladoid peoples ending up as big-time Caribbean traders. That way, the moment large-scale civilization evolves, it starts to spread rapidly along those trade routes, and little new civilizations start popping up along the coast. By the time Columbus arrives, we could have several powerful Iron Age cultures straddling the American continents.

Or, we could combine it with your Mighty Micmacs idea, and have horses, wheels, smallpox, and other European goodies spreading south. That way, we have massive, quite evolved civilizations equiped with immunity to many European diseases facing the Spaniards. Therefore, Spain ends up trading instead of Conquistadoring, second-tier powers evolving in America and competing with Europe, a more vicious rush of colonialism in Africa and the Pacific Rim, and loads of other good stuff.

 

[AirshipArmada]

Airships are doomed anyway and Atlantic Islands is ASB.

I agree that airships are doomed (except for possibly some niche plays) but better airships might still have some interesting effects on the flow of history.
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I would try and keep the Atlantic Islands idea from getting too ASB. Some of the sea mounts are very close to the surface OTL. If the flow of history was approached with some sobriety then I might be able to post it on this section of the forums rather than ASB&Magic section.

. . . the moment large-scale civilization evolves, it starts to spread rapidly along those trade routes, and little new civilizations start popping up along the coast. By the time Columbus arrives, we could have several powerful Iron Age cultures straddling the American continents.

That's the idea, but maybe not as grandiose as you envision.

Or, we could combine it with your Mighty Micmacs idea, and have horses, wheels, smallpox, and other European goodies spreading south. That way, we have massive, quite evolved civilizations equiped with immunity to many European diseases facing the Spaniards. Therefore, Spain ends up trading instead of Conquistadoring, second-tier powers evolving in America and competing with Europe, a more vicious rush of colonialism in Africa and the Pacific Rim, and loads of other good stuff.

I have not been able to figure out a realistic way for New Worlders to be generally resistant to European diseases. There are just too many different diseases, to few natives, and not enough genetic diversity for this to really work. That said, we can get New Worlders to be a little better off.

I'm not sure if there is anything we can do about general European strategies: The Spanish will want to conquer, the English will push natives out and settle and so on. But if these strategies are less successful, then other strategies tried by other peoples might have a better chance (the French, Dutch, Portuguese, and Italians all tried a trade strategy in OTL).


Thanks for the feedback so far.

 

[Lord Insane]

I agree that airships are doomed (except for possibly some niche plays) but better airships might still have some interesting effects on the flow of history.

For one thing, if their end is more gradual, and less ignoble, their current resurgence might come off faster and better...

 

[Keenir]

Lee's Rebellion:
Cornwallis convinces his superior to allow him to pursue the retreating George Washington across the Delaware. General Lee finds himself perfectly placed to crush Cornwallis's men. Washington resigns and Charles Lee becomes Commander of the Continental Army.

I vote for Lee. nobody's ever done ATLs focusing on him before.

 

[rcduggan]

I would try and keep the Atlantic Islands idea from getting too ASB. Some of the sea mounts are very close to the surface OTL. If the flow of history was approached with some sobriety then I might be able to post it on this section of the forums rather than ASB&Magic section.

No matter how realistically it is approached, alternate geography goes in the ASB section, I think.

That said, I think the Atlantic Islands one does sound pretty cool... it's got my vote.

 

[Ofaloaf]

People voted for options other than airships?!? How can this be?

 

[Analytical Engine]

People voted for options other than airships?!? How can this be?

Because airships aren't as cool as Vikings...

 

[Novosibrisk]

I voted for Atlantic Islands, seems very original. Conceivably it could be combined with the viking idea and the sails of the caribbean one... small Atlantic islands acting as a conduit for ideas passing from Europe to the Americas, also I will personally give you £8.47 if European explorers end up calling the islands Atlantis or Thule.

 

[AirshipArmada]

Thanks everyone for your vote and comments.

The Might Micmac had one more vote than the runners up, so it's the one I'm going with. I already have a decent book on Micmac history but wonder if any one can recommend a good book on the Norse or Viking that would be particularly useful for this project?

 

[Nicksplace27]

Thanks everyone for your vote and comments.

The Might Micmac had one more vote than the runners up, so it's the one I'm going with. I already have a decent book on Micmac history but wonder if any one can recommend a good book on the Norse or Viking that would be particularly useful for this project?

Can you include airships a little bit in it? Please?