No Mayflower

On September 6th, 1620, the English pilgrimage vessel headed for the New World, the Mayflower, is launched from its dock in Plymouth, England, about to embark on its 66-day voyage.

48 days into the voyage and the Mayflower is struck by disaster - a spilled over oil-lantern is accidentally ignited, setting fire to one of the three main masts. Uncontrolled, the fire quickly spreads to the other masts, burning through the Mayflower's complex array of sails and riggings.

The fire also swiftly spreads across the main deck, igniting several barrels of gunpowder - the resulting explosions blast through-out the ship, killing many pilgrims in the process. The remaining crew members try to put out the flames, but to no avail - its already done too much damage.

The fire spreads downwards, all the way to the lower decks, and soon the whole ship is engulfed in flame. Many are trapped within their rooms, hemmed in by the fire. The handful of passengers still alive scramble about the deck, evading death, unable to flee - the lifeboats had long since burned to the ground. The animals aboard the ship are left abandoned to fend for themselves. No one jumps ship. After all, not a soul on board knows how to swim.

Finally, the bottom floorboards of the ship worn through, the burning remnants of the Mayflower sinks into the waves.

There are no survivors.

After at least a year with no word from the pilgrims or the crew of the Mayflower, it had to be assumed that tragedy had struck and that the ship and everyone aboard had been lost.

The failure of the Mayflower''s voyage to England is devastating. Not only did they fail to start a colony in the New World, but they lost all of their passengers, the crew, the animals, and the captain himself. Even more embarrassing is the fact that the remains of the ship - more importantly, the bodies of the pilgrims - were never found and given a proper burial.

The British morale falls low. Due to the tragedy of the Mayflower, the English decide to cut all funding for New World colonization, believing that the cost of it far outweigh the benefits. The citizens of England discuss that maybe the New World would be best left to the Spanish, or even the French.

This is where our timeline begins:

1622 - The Esperanza or Hope, in English, is the first Spanish ship to land in the New World, on the shores of OTL New Jersey. The eager colonists christen their newfound land "San Santiago" in honor of Spain's patron saint at the time, St. Santiago, whom they believe guided them to success.