What would a Medieval America be Like?

Summary

This imaginative video script explores an alternate history scenario where modern America operates with medieval technology. It delves into the cultural, political, and economic implications of such a world, hypothesizing how geography, demographics, and historical events would shape this version of America. From the potential dominance of the Rust Belt to the rise of Pacific Northwest city-states, the script paints a rich tapestry of a diverse and complex medieval America.

Takeaways

• 🗺️ The video explores a hypothetical scenario of a modern America with medieval technology, focusing on cultural, political, and economic aspects.
• 🏰 It clarifies that this alternate America would not resemble medieval Europe due to its climatic diversity and the impracticality of feudalism and castles in the region.
• 📍 The geography and demographics would remain the same, but the technological level would be that of the year 1300, affecting the existence and size of cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
• 🌍 The video suggests that without modern communication, a unified America would be implausible, and regions would likely develop independently.
• 🌡️ Climate and disease would significantly impact population distribution, with areas like Florida and the southern coast being less populated due to swamps and diseases.
• 🛶 River systems and water transport would be crucial for city development, affecting the importance of cities like Atlanta and Charlotte, and leading to the rise of cities like St. Louis.
• 🐎 Nomadic tribes would play a significant role in the Great Plains, influencing the development of the region and posing challenges to centralized states.
• 🏙️ The Pacific Northwest would develop into a separate civilization due to its advantageous position, with city-states like Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and Vancouver emerging.
• 🛶 In the west, goat herding and a cowboy-Mongol style culture would develop, influenced by the terrain and the lack of suitable farming conditions.
• 🏰 Irrigation societies in the southwest would likely have authoritarian theocratic political structures due to centralized water control.
• 🛡️ The Appalachian region would be inhabited by forest tribes similar to those in medieval Europe, maintaining a warrior culture and engaging in raiding and trading.

Q & A

What was the purpose of the poll mentioned in the script?

The poll was conducted to determine what sort of content the audience wanted, with the video script discussing a hypothetical scenario of a modern America with medieval technology.

What does the author clarify about the hypothetical scenario presented in the video?

The author clarifies that the scenario is set in an impossible alternate dimension where America has the same geography and demographics as today but with the technology of the year 1300.

What is the potential outcome if the video about medieval America is successful?

If the video is successful, it could turn into a series focusing on each independent region in greater detail.

Why does the author suggest that feudalism and castles would not work in America with medieval technology?

The author suggests that feudalism and castles would not work because medieval communications were poor, making a transcontinental empire impossible, and such structures actively promoted disunity.

How does the author describe the impact of climate and geography on the potential cultural diversity of medieval America?

The author describes that due to America's greater climactic diversity compared to Europe, medieval America would be far more culturally diverse.

What role does water supply play in determining the survival of cities in medieval America according to the script?

In the script, water supply plays a crucial role as cities that do not have a strong water supply, like those in the American Southwest, would not survive or would be significantly reduced in size, such as Los Angeles and San Diego becoming fishing villages.

How does the author connect the historical use of DDT to the potential population of Florida in medieval America?

The author connects the use of DDT, which helped control mosquitoes and allowed for effective swamp drainage, to the potential population of Florida. Without such measures, Florida would remain uninhabited swampland, much like it was until the 1940s.

What advantage does the author suggest black Americans would have in the southern regions of medieval America?

The author suggests that black Americans would have an advantage in the southern regions due to a genetic mutation that helps them deal with malaria, which was a significant factor in their initial importation as slaves.

How does the author describe the impact of nomadic tribes on the development of cities in the grassland areas of medieval America?

The author describes that nomadic tribes, being highly mobile and having military advantages, would prevent the development of large centralized states in the grasslands, keeping cities like St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Chicago smaller than they could be.

What is the significance of the Mississippi River in the development of cities in medieval America according to the script?

According to the script, the Mississippi River is significant as it straddles the divide between the grassland and forest, affecting the development of cities in its vicinity. Cities would be kept smaller due to the threat of nomadic tribes.

What role does the author believe the Pacific Northwest would play in the development of a separate civilization in medieval America?

The author believes that the Pacific Northwest, due to its advantageous position with a wet region, great ocean transport, and being cut off from the rest of the continent by a massive mountain range, would develop into a wealthy and separate civilization with large city-states.

How does the author envision the development of trade in a medieval America?

The author envisions three main trade axes in a medieval America: one along the Atlantic coast, another in the Great Lakes, and a final one on the Ohio River. Junction points between these axes, such as Detroit, Cairo, Buffalo, Chicago, and Pittsburgh, would become important cities.

What challenges does the author identify for the formation of stable nations in medieval America?

The author identifies challenges such as the difficulty of maintaining nations with medieval technology, the need for geographically definable borders for unity, and the influence of local cultures and heritage on the potential for unity or disunity.

How does the author describe the potential cultural and societal development in the regions west of the Mississippi River in medieval America?

The author describes the potential development in the west as distinct from traditional Western European society norms, with cultures becoming their own thing due to the harsh western geography demanding changes to social order for survival.

What is the author's perspective on the role of religion in the development of medieval America?

The author suggests that in areas without a strong established church, such as the Pacific Northwest, secularity might be the norm, and a new philosophic non-religion could develop, possibly evolving into a sect of Christianity that prioritizes living in nature and meditation.

What factors contribute to the author's vision of New England as a distinct region in medieval America?

The author's vision of New England as a distinct region is influenced by its cultural and geographical differences, its history as mariners, and the rocky soil, which would drive the population towards the sea and a lifestyle similar to Scandinavians or Vikings, engaging in raiding and trading.