What if the Great Lakes Never Existed? (And How It Changes Everything)

Have you never really given the Great Lakes much thought? That's okay, because they've transformed your life in far more ways than you'd think. Even if you're not from North America.
Twitter: / althistoryhub

[@AlternateHistoryHub]

This took far too long to make, I've been working on it since June. Of course if the lakes didn't exist it probably would have had far greater ramifications in Earth's climate, but this video is to show how simple changes to the map can have drastic results. I know it's ridiculous, you know it is. Lets watch the butterfly effect on full display.

[@stevenwills4660]

Can you do an alternate lore video on the children of men

[@kennedybryan730]

What if money was never invented........

[@subwoofer4191]

What if Europe never existed?

[@AlucardNoir]

No offence but this is bull. You're thinking on a way to short of a scale. You should probably have a look at the history of Long Island and Staten Island and then at the previous interglacial period.

[@lastresort1plays]

Could you do a video on if the Whisky rebellion never happened?

[@MagiconIce]

*Removing a little water from the face of Earth* => *History implodes*

[@TapOnX]

It really does, all of human creation is a flyspeck compared to the rest of the world

[@unvergebeneid]

@@TapOnX Well, welcome to the Anthropocene though.

[@ryanholland1946]

A little water? They are the largest fresh water in the world...

[@paulbrown7455]

@@ryanholland1946 Relative to the rest of the planets water? Little water - A Canadian.

[@MagiconIce]

@@ryanholland1946 Isn't it obvious, that my comment is a slight exaggeration? Calm down, little regional patriot.

[@4rtie]

I feel like a "What if the Greek discovered gunpowder instead of the Chinese?" video would be a good one.

[@sebastianlodge7549]

No. It would be boring

[@makky6239]

@@sebastianlodge7549 Chinese are boring, greeks would conquest Persia

[@nomine4027]

Greek fire would be very interesting

[@nickpaschentis5284]

Better,what if Alexander lived or Pyrhus conquered Rome.

[@lloydbautista2055]

I don't think it would make that much of a difference since gunpowder ended up spreading throughout Eurasia within a few centuries anyways, and it wouldn't be until the late 14th century that gunpowder weapons actually developed to the point where they could start to replace the roles of traditional weapons.

[@awildfilingcabinet6239]

Cody: what if we removed the Great Lakes? The last 200 years of history: *why do I hear boss music?*

[@BigBangAttack-mt6pz]

Longer than that

[@Gray-Wolf]

"What's up with this 400 year gap?"

[@randomhistoryfan7803]

Britain to North America: Hello There

[@Utka87]

Me a Michigander:

[@sarahlachman1349]

All hail Lelouch vi Britannia!

[@TheSevenGuy]

In another universe: What if there was a bunch of lakes in the middle of North America lol

[@sleepshouter5017]

Cody in alternate universe: so what would happen is the original 13 colonies would’ve revolted against the crown creating a United States of America. Me in alternate universe: That’s fucking stupid

[@campbellblock3061]

Another universe: a northwest water passageway exists and explorers sail to India through rivers

[@JewishMcFly-pg3mc]

Bruh Canada has more fresh water than everywhere else in the world combined. So too answer your question there already is lakes all over the middle of north America lol

[@JewishMcFly-pg3mc]

@@gustavot.9339 living in Canada chief it was taught to me in middle school in vancouver

[@thegreattotemaster]

It would legitimately be interesting to see what would happen if there were lakes of that size and origin in some place that doesn't have them in our world. Like Australia or eastern Siberia.

[@madscientist2509]

What if the land bridge between Russia and Alaska never became submerged?

[@BamBamGT1]

Then Russia probably would have kept Alaska instead of selling it if they were physically connected. But it's such a remote and desolate part of the world, I don't really see how this would change much?

[@retrowave69]

@@BamBamGT1 the cold war would be very interesting.

[@guywithstufftosay]

Ionic Retro nah we would have invaded Russia In 1919 with much more of an objective and probably annex Alaska following the revolution.

[@_Tristen_]

bram callebert Alaska has a lot of oil, Russia kicked themselves when the Americans found oil in Alaska after they bought it

[@BamBamGT1]

@@retrowave69 Would it have escalated beyond "a cold war"? 'Sleepless in Seattle" would have been a cold war movie instead of a romantic comedy if Russia deployed nukes in Alaska though :p

[@cringingtom3847]

Cody: *Removes one bucket of water* History: *Makes no sense anymore* *confused screaming in the background*

[@me0101001000]

Humans: *confused screaming*

[@jerrymartin7019]

This... is a bucket

[@two5126]

Jerry Martin dear god

[@jerrymartin7019]

@@two5126 There's more

[@phantom31017]

@Jack the Gestapo This reminds me of The War of the Bucket.

[@jameshale1606]

Cody: *Removes water* History: *everything breaks down*

[@abibas3050]

I'd like this, but the number is too perfect, so here, have a comment instead

[@justinkoehler4839]

If we didn’t have water a lot of things would break down including our cell genome structures. pretty sure we wouldn’t even exist

[@JackAnimatesandiscoolhehheh]

No america leads to no cold war, germans having a chance at winning ww2, heck ww1 could of been won by germans themselves lol

[@schademaghan6065]

At first I was thinking. "No great lakes?" Easy, no canada and maybe some southern states stay independent countries." Then I realized there was no 'Merica

[@agilemind6241]

Hard to know really. Without the great lakes the east coast could have become a colonial race like the caribbean, and maybe we would have dozens of tiny countries instead.

[@alwaysmeepin9609]

To be honest if this happened there would in my opinion India and the North American regions would be Africa and the Middle East a massive fucking mess.

[@JackAnimatesandiscoolhehheh]

No america leads to no cold war, germans having a chance at winning ww2, heck ww1 could of been won by germans themselves lol

[@allenliu4956]

If we're going with butterfly effects from removing bodies of water, what if the Nile never existed?

[@idigamstudios7463]

What if the Mediterranean never existed

[@justice5408]

what if europe never existed

[@xander1052]

What if Germany never existed

[@MPHJackson7]

I bet that would be an hour-long video

[@lib-center96]

@@xander1052 Which one? Nazi, Wiemar, Prussia?

[@jaribombarie394]

What if England and France were connected by landmass?? no northsea

[@trapadvisor2258]

probably speak franklich or anglois, a rich culture of complaining and doing nothing about it until its way too late, enemies on every border and the industrial revolution wouldve secured total world domination.

[@lukedetering4490]

Napoleon is going to have a field day

[@mbanana23456]

England wouldn't exist. It's Island status is pretty much the only thing that allowed England to protect itself from its much more powerful neighbors.

[@mathieuleader8601]

so if Dogerland never sank under the sea

[@ShubaSayori]

One of these places wouldn’t exist depending on where the most people decided to live

[@ojnopulp4563]

Cody: removes some watery bois all of history: now its time to get funky

[@FusionCyborg]

Spain: *Discovers Florida* Florida: *Creates Florida Man* Spain: Not what I expected, but okay.

[@BigBangAttack-mt6pz]

"Give it to America, it's their problem now" -The Spanish probably

[@Steven-ru4uf]

I live in florida and most so called “florida man” are white. Kinda ironic

[@Lumberjack_king]

Yes. As a Floridian I can confirm we are bat shit crazy and nuts

[@Nikki-tx6kh]

As someone who grew up in Spain. You should see my neighbourhood. Seriously. You'll understand.

[@BarelyEducational]

Without the great lakes the map sure looks Erie, It definitely looks like something is Missingan, With the lakes it definitely looks Superior.

[@trigger_once]

Stop

[@Frankenbutt99]

Huron to something dude

[@NotASovietSpy1]

STOP IT SANS

[@EmperorDixon]

Our lakes being gone really is a worst-case-Ontario

[@loki2240]

@@Frankenbutt99 - That's what I was going to go for.

[@bootdude7527]

Cody: lets remove the great lakes and see what happens! Also Cody: uh oh, Uh Oh, *UH OH*

[@OfficialGeneralGrant]

Señor Hilter Lousy stiff.

[@SamGarcia]

O-H I-O

[@bootdude7527]

@@OfficialGeneralGrant haha

[@comradekarlvonschnitzelste8218]

I shouldn’t have said that... I should not have said that...

[@michaelharris8111]

Reminds me of that samonella video on dead boy hijinks.

[@Maverick-hf1pe]

“The picture of North America without the great lakes can’t hurt you, it dosen’t exist” The picture of North America without the great lakes:

As a Michigander, this video’s existence makes me feel appreciated

[@babyoda_054]

Bit I’m a Ohioan

[@cartermccauley7352]

9 years in a row

[@cartermccauley7352]

OH

[@AnnamationsStudios]

Understandable I’m also a Michigander

[@nothingofinterest8048]

charlottesasaki I’m a Minnesotan same here

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Michigan wouldn't be a mitten to warm its people during the Winter. Michigan wouldn't be a Michigan, a wouldn't have a reason to get tourists to visit Michigan. Detroit will be even worse.

[@DS-ej7zt]

Detroit likely wouldn't exist, and if an analogue existed it would be in a different location

[@Admiral_Jezza]

There fortunately wouldn't be a Detroit.

[@Kalhi]

@This Account has been deleted I live in detroit and that's just stuiped how maps dont add us

[@BrokeBot]

Flint probably wouldn't exist

[@backtothefutureman1]

@BrokeBot the Watson's go to Birmingham.

[@Phoenixaflame17]

as a michigander, watching the great lakes disappear was UPSETTING

[@emeraldflame6194]

As A northern Ohioan... [Chuckles] I’m in danger

[@cronscarrotfactory8895]

Same

[@FUDGECRAFT4848]

I felt physically uncomfortable looking at the map without Michigan

[@blakeluccason9971]

@@FUDGECRAFT4848 we need more maps like that

[@camdietzel5187]

Rorynne same

[@alexmorgan1667]

As someone from Michigan, this is awesome! I'd like to add a modern mention to the importance of the great lakes, and that's the transportation of ore. The ability to ship millions of tons of iron ore from the wisconsin area faster and more effectively than by train to steel mills and manufacturers in Detroit, Ohio, etc was a major reason that the US was able to mobilize so incredibly efficiently during the World Wars. There were significant defensive measures taken to prevent Germans from bombing the locks from Superior, so without the lakes, railroads could have been much more easily destroyed, crippling the American war economy, and possibly leading to a much less effective America in the World Wars.

[@danielvisintainer3352]

Alex Morgan not to mention the automotive companies wouldn’t have existed since they all (besides Tesla) came from Michigan.

[@Astrosk1er]

This man literally just took Michigan and yeeted it out the window

[@abdullaalsulaiti1803]

Britain: We shaped America The great lakes: Hold my water

[@desertfox195]

It would mean that I wouldn’t have a camper by Lake Erie anymore.

[@oliver853]

@Virbank yes, you'll never know

[@juancarlostopic6297]

Why does your profile pic match the way i imagine you would say this

[@scottmantooth8785]

you wouldn't even realize that Lake Eire was even missing...only a vague notion that your reality was off by some strange aspect that you should have spotted earlier but somehow missed

[@theoneandonlyrustyshaklefo6256]

aidan tuck Yet you dickheads come here for Cedar Point.

[@macb6528]

As a wise man once said, damn daniel 🤘🏻🤥🤘🏻

[@lazyperfectionist1]

Boy, now. This took a dark turn. Eliminating the Great Lakes would've _prevented_ the _Revolutionary War,_ but _not_ the _Civil War._

[@finchborat]

To me, it can be the Revolutionary War with Civil War themes.

[@arhamshahid5015]

More like a fusion of sorts

[@TheCherryTrader]

But the revolutionary war would be fought for the ideal of the right to a be a white supremacist and a slave owner, so the USA would literally be founded on the right to hold slaves in this time line.

[@cageybee7221]

@@TheCherryTrader you say that like it is a different timeline from ours where the US was founded on that idea, openly or not.

[@alohadave]

The Revolutionary War is only called that because we won and called it that. It was a civil war in reality. A revolution overthrows the current regime, it doesn't split off from it.

[@BlazingRoman]

*CSA:* "I am inevitable"

[@KingDerpy13]

USA: "And I...am America."

[@BlazingRoman]

​@@KingDerpy13 *snaps fingers in Appomattox surrender*

[@Wilhelm4131]

and shall rise again...and again

[@pteven4874]

Are you guys making a bootleg end game

[@rapidus9379]

0:25 'The flat plains of Eurasia' shows a stock video of hills

[@loveconquereskingdomskings4116]

L o g I c

[@zaph9790]

Who would win? *Nearly all of history itself* *Some water boys*

[@danielchequer5842]

*Awaken theme intensifies*

[@hydraco.9423]

Alternate history Hub is my second favorite hub on the internet

[@fancymelon5127]

now hold up a second there

[@shaunp5974]

Hydra Co. this should have more likes

[@ryanmathis8286]

What if it was the first?

[@edups5854]

KnowledgeHub must be the first

[@etho7351]

As a farmer I understand why you would like Corn hub so much

[@mattthomas1442]

Being from Michigan it would definitely make it harder for me to locate my state on a map.

[@TheUnnamedAssailant]

Michigander here and I must admit, I got triggered at the start. Where’s my Great Lakes Crew !!! Fourth Coast Represent !!!

[@redravengames]

As a Michigander i saw the title and thought goodbye Ohio lol

[@nothingofinterest8048]

Carl I’m Minnesotan so I feel superior.

[@KangarooCheese55]

RedRavenGames also goodbye michigan

[@warrenlehmkuhleii8472]

If their is one thing that I think we can all agree on. Great Lakes Freighters are cool looking.

[@enotsnavdier6867]

Bruh, I'm from Southern Ontario, the Great lakes are my LIFE. Huron to the North, Erie to the South, and Ontario to the East. And I currently live in Toronto.

[@thenightmancometh6358]

This deserves a part 2, on Europe and the more global effects

[@davidroddini1512]

The Nightman Cometh definitely there were so many things he chose not to touch on that he could probably do a series on this timeline alone!

[@tealablu3759]

I was gonna say, he could write another book on it!

[@thijsminnee7549]

Yeah we need more of this topic

[@YAH2121]

In an alternate Timeline Each question would be its own mini-series exploring the hypotheticals instead of the one vid per topic format we have now

[@confusedquark826]

I think the lake effect would leave most of modern populated canada and the interior US states north of Kentucky and Southern Oklahoma (mountain barrier) to the Rockies with either a Siberian or sub boreal climate (ie eastern europe). That Teays river system may very well have frozen in the winter like the Volga

[@aidankeys8534]

I don’t know why I laughed so much at 5:57 “Bing bang boom, doesn’t this look familiar”

[@Simon-cz2bq]

Because you’re brain dread

[@Simon-cz2bq]

Fat Earther pussy lol

[@hexoson]

@@Simon-cz2bq asshole lol

[@joaquimsworld]

@@Simon-cz2bq iM GoNa wEpOt YoU fOr bOlLyiNg

[@mr.notsonice]

"I got a German too"

[@cyberceltic]

-What if tobacco never existed? -What if the Titanic never sank? -What if the Amazon was a desert?

[@RojoFern]

If Titanic didn't sink it would become just another early 20th century ocean liner. It would likely be drafted with its two sister ships and the big Cunard liners into the Royal Navy. If it is drafted as a troopship it would likely be torpedoed and sunk, making it the second largest ship to sink during the great war (after its sister Britannic of course). If it is drafted as a hospital ship it would probably survive the war and re enter transatlantic service with Olympic, Mauretania, and Aquitania. The war would still take a major toll on the profits of the White Star and Cunard lines, and would still probably be forced to merge by the British government like in our timeline. However this is where I believe the biggest difference would arise. At the start of the great war the White Star line was already weakened economically by Titanic, and thus when White Star merged with Cunard it received a substantially smaller stake in the new "Cunard-White Star Line" than its rival. If Titanic didn't sink, I believe White Star would receive close to an equal stake in the company. In our timeline, Cunard's division bought the dwindling White Star assets out of the company, and took over rebranding the company back to "Cunard Line". Immediately Cunard began retiring many of the older liners like Olympic and Mauretania. If White Star had stuck around for longer, we would probably see much longer service lives of these liners, now including Titanic. They would probably begin the retirement process in the late 30s, but as we know WW2 would break out. At this point due to their age, the ships would most likely be sold off completely to the Royal Navy. Their fates in this war are really up in the air. Aquitania and the new RMS Queen Mary managed to survive the war in our timeline, so who knows. If Titanic survives WW2 it would likely be scrapped at the end of the war or turned into some sort of recreational body like Queen Mary eventually was. In the end, Titanic would be notable, but likely outshined by liners like Queen Mary, Lusitania, and even her two sisters.

[@CountingStars333]

@@RojoFern The people mate. Some of them could have changed history Can never say.

[@cs0345]

If tobacco never existed, the Jamestown colony would've failed, and the colonization of America would've taken longer than in our timeline, which means that colonization would've only sped up after the introduction and economic viability of cotton production started some time later leading to American independence happening much later, if at all because Britain could've become too powerful for Americans to resist in the 19th century, but the American revolution could've been partly motivated by Britain threatening the planters' economic interests over the abolition of slavery, unless the planters' were financially compensated for their loss over abolition. The need for a cash crop to replace tobacco could've led to the invention of the cotton gin much sooner than in our timeline, which was what made cotton more commercially viable. The lack of tobacco would've also delayed the expansion of slavery into mainland America since slave labor was used to grow tobacco. And the West Indies would've been more contested by Spain and Britain over control of the lucrative sugar trade to make up for much of mainland America being economically unviable at the time

[@2shadesofgray752]

​@@CountingStars333 (cough) (cough) , the federal reserve.

[@JediDanD]

Amen :D I'm from Chicago, far from the Atlantic Ocean, but Lake Michigan feels like an ocean of its own; only better; swimming in it doesn't give one a salty tongue :D

[@alexmcbride7563]

JediDanD I’m from Northern Indiana and I agree. My family would visit Chicago a lot when I was young. I loved swimming in Lake Michigan.

[@jeremywong4235]

Great Lakes: *exist* Cody: *snaps* Seven Years' War: Cody I don't feel so good

[@jackmclaughlin9911]

History: Mr Stark i don’t feel so good.

[@alonsocardenal3328]

Who would win: Arguably the most powerful and influential country in recent history Some wet bois

[@santaplayes]

Im one of dem wet boys I live near the lakes

[@me0101001000]

I was looking for a comment like this. I was not disappointed.

[@soybasedjeremy3653]

"Some wet Bois" - James Charles, let that sink in.

[@bootdude7527]

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WE THREW OUT ITS LAKES

[@petyrbaelish1718]

You mean Great Britain?

[@AD-hr8sg]

"and so one small change, can affect all of us." *like eating an undercooked bat soup*

[@benfed4873]

Well... More like improperly isolating a lab on bat viruses

[@theshamanite]

This feels too much like recycled Ebola theories.

[@benfed4873]

No, no, it has actually been confirmed. Not by some crackpot online either.

[@theshamanite]

@@benfed4873 Your statement seems legit, the undercooked bat theory seems racist.

[@benfed4873]

Oh, yeah That was the prevailing theory We thought that a bat from a wet market caused it Now we know better

[@treythomas1127]

as I a minnesotan, who fell into lake superior as a toddler, I can’t imagine a world w/o the great lakes

[@Tzshchsjsjxijyo]

I guess lake superior really is superior after all

[@ThatGuyWhoMakeRandomStuffYEEAH]

as a person from Michigan, i can say that map is very cursed

[@Kalhi]

I gotta subscribe I'm from Michigan too

[@DiamoneUHC]

ThatGuyWhoMakeRandomStuff same

[@DiamoneUHC]

Music Tracks I gotta sub to you because I’m also from Michigan

[@nocommentary9928]

Michigan here

[@ashblue778]

@@nocommentary9928 death to alllll offff youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[@lucasesteban48]

Don't you think Spain would've taken most of what we know as French Louisiana if the French hadn't moved as far. And if Napoleon didn't exist, Spain would've kept its colonial empire for longer, and maybe even taken English land.

[@jascrandom9855]

Good point.

[@Brams2777]

R.I.P. Mexico

[@MstAsterix]

I don't think so. The Spanish government / Spanish Crown was in deep trouble. The Napoleon wars, the revolutions that followed were just the final blow to Spanish power. I like to compare it to the fall of the HRE. It was an inevitability at that time, Napoleon was the last straw but not the root cause.

[@lucasesteban48]

@@MstAsterix Spain's decline began during the second half of the 1600s by France's continuous wars against Spain's empire. If they hadn't had as much colonial territory as they did in our timeline, they wouldn't have been as able to defeat Spain in Europe, much less in the Americas

[@ericcampbell503]

@@lucasesteban48 Also, if the Spanish had discovered gold in California, that would have been a lot more income for them.

[@mooseii9027]

Why did that ending give me chills. Bravo Cody!

[@JackAnimatesandiscoolhehheh]

As a person living in chicago, lake Michigan disappearing makes me uncomfortable

[@jliller]

1750s war still happens, but it's sparked by Prussia and Austria fighting over Silesia, again.

[@heraadrian7764]

Very much so correct,and the french revolution would happen as well. The impetus for the war was more the english civil war then the american independence proclamation.

[@Sakraida82]

@@heraadrian7764 But what about the debt the French incurred by helping the American Colonies? Also remember if the Seven Years war is JUST the Seven Years war than French defeat would be the same as the several European only wars that occurred before. Redistricting until the next war. It wouldn't have been the birth of the British hegemony.

[@heraadrian7764]

@@Sakraida82 Why is the british hegemony any concern like today they were izolationist concerning the european continent. France is more important to the modern world because of it's class conflict that made the modern equalitarian model this was made so, by progress în industry ,,if we can live better why can we not live better,, any one would think.History would change a bit but the fall of the european empires is a give and by there end we go back to tradition democracy. Meaning even if the monarchy did not die from overspending the culmination of wars would make a ww1 eventualy. People know of the democratic thinking of the ancients were do you thinks the congress got there ideas from the roman and the greek thinkers. Funny is that the Roman Empire(Republic) was build by representative democracy and died by tirany.

[@heraadrian7764]

@Reilly Pryma The American Revolution was a proxy war betwen Britain and France like the USA and USSR fighting in coreean,the same to be franc, a reality they don't teach in the vermacular of american education, so yes the french would try to support every try to oust the brits. Maybe no Napoleon but if you heard of zetgeist , we still get some one similar, i mean, not of nobility but of common origin taking power making it a free for all to take political power,France being most likelly but not obligatory. Europe was a powder cheag so no killing like morons is out of the question,at least how were more sane with the Union.

[@Klishar122]

When I first clicked on this, I thought this would be about the geography of the region. How it would affect the landscape. Boy, was I wrong.

[@mud213]

I think that your biggest oversight was how you really underplayed France's interest in the Louisiana exploration. If France couldn't get involved in Canada and the great lakes as easily, they probably would have pursued traveling up the Mississippi more than in our timeline. Also the tension between France and England would have probably boiled over at a different time, not necessarily the 7 years war, but perhaps a different conflict a bit later or something. It's always a bit hard to predict different conflicts since the lack of something means that people didn't have the same memories. Of course, butterfly effect style, realistically, if the Great Lakes didn't exist you can't predict any specific person being born if their life or there ancestor's life could, however remotely, have been affected by this reality.

[@andrewjazdzyk1215]

A real big hitch in this is that there were pre-glacial rivers following the rough shape of many of the great lakes.

[@JJ-kd5st]

Hey, could you do a similar episode on if the ancient inland sea of Australia was still around? Thanks.

[@equaius893]

it will be around in a few years

[@lilchad-ig1oj]

If climate change isn’t dealt with that is

[@donotcare57656]

@@lilchad-ig1oj So in other words Climate Change is great for Australia

[@lilchad-ig1oj]

Caprikel not really the increased temperatures would make our already huge deserts even larger

[@JJ-kd5st]

Hayden’s Mobile games gameplay nah, the rising sea levels would fill the basin. It’s an interesting topic really, as it seems like the opposite should happen.

[@TheGenesisWarrior]

Me, A Michigander: Cries

[@captainayaaya28]

Same

[@joshmaster1997]

This was by far the most interesting alt history video I've ever watched. Well done and thank you for making this

[@dbzfanexwarbrady]

another thing is Britain wouldn't have invested as heavily in India

[@xander1052]

Until we discovered that Tea is cheaper when you don't buy it from allies :P

[@yungstallion2201]

This would also mean the UK would never have to colonise Australia and the Dutch would create a colony there

[@parkedvanproductions8059]

Imagine Australians with dutch accents.

[@shyasaturtle]

Bloedige australie maat

[@martijn9568]

@@parkedvanproductions8059 Then not a lot would change, because Dutch is already sort of ugly as ****

[@parkedvanproductions8059]

@@martijn9568 rest of the world "tree" or some similar variation Dutch "BOOM!"

[@martijn9568]

@@parkedvanproductions8059 I love mah language, making English laugh since I don't know what year.

[@MonsieurRager]

that outtro with you explaining the point of your, for lack of a better term, narrative was perfect. I enjoy and learn more from your channel than I had with my previous teachers because of how well you explain the importance and or significance of the of the subject. Keep em coming, definitely appreciate these!

[@johnmc67]

You should do a part 2. Discussing how the world was fundamentally transformed by the industrial colossus that developed on the lakes in the late 19th & 20th centuries.

[@Bzons]

Thanos: *Snaps Great Lakes* Everyone: *Confused Screaming*

[@mads5675]

What if Denmark and USA had traded Greenland for Alaska as Harry Truman proposed in 1946?

[@bigbeans202]

American gasoline would be alot more expensive, I know that as a fact.

[@douggoldwater1734]

Just do what if Trump buys Greenland

[@aliciabell6688]

The people of Greenland would be rich af.

[@kiya46107]

@@accessthemainframe4475 USA does own Alaska... If that had happened Denmark would have Alaska and USA would have Greenland.

[@Canada1994]

Alaska wasn't a part of the deal. America only offered millions (somewhere between 40-100) in gold bars

[@kimseokjinsstingray7389]

Me: sees North America without the Great Lakes. Me:*screams in native south Ontarian.*

[@notteddy4015]

For us, this would be an absolute win, no French in school

[@CanuckGod]

Cody: And for you Canadians, you already know how central these lakes are. Me who's lived almost exclusively in Manitoba and Alberta, neither of them close to the Great Lakes: (though if Lake Agassiz were still a thing, I'd have been born underwater...)

[@enotsnavdier6867]

@@CanuckGod I mean, most of the population lives in Ontario and Quebec, which rely heavily on the Great lakes. Canada could have been insanely powerful if Lake Winnipeg was much larger, and had a canal to the Great Lakes.

[@CanuckGod]

@@enotsnavdier6867 Fair enough, though I still cringe when others assume Ontario & Quebec = all of Canada. Granted, the majority of them do live there, but there's still over 12 million people in Western Canada, and another couple million in the Maritimes.

[@enotsnavdier6867]

@@CanuckGod I do get it, the west has gotten the shaft for a long time. I love that we let in so many immigrants, but I wish we were better at incentivizing them to live in the parries. Also the Maritimes are an interesting issue that is difficult to solve.

[@Winaska]

At some point I would love to see you do “What if the Jacobite Rebellions Succeeded” (either 1715 or 1745)

[@EndlessFilmLimited]

This might be a magnum opus of yours. This is everything this series should be. Thank you for all you do. As someone who does tons of history and political work- these are beyond relaxing to experience. They are everything we wish we could do and more. This is certainly a crown jewel.

[@TheAmericanAmerican]

Damn Cody, you’re really developing into quite the mature historian and this video proves it! I’m glad to have grown with you over the years as I’ve been subscribed to you for 5+ years now I think! Keep up the good work and continue your book series cuz I bought you book a few months ago and it has a LOT of potential to grow into a massive universe IF you choose to pursue it!

[@jakeantriasian2353]

WHEN. Not IF

[@lucasspag5098]

Wait what's the name of his book series? I didn't know this

[@thomastakesatollforthedark2231]

He wrote books? About what?

[@numebernode]

@@thomastakesatollforthedark2231 The Atlantropa Articles.

[@BlaudracheLP]

As Austrian I like that Austrians dominating europe part

[@nothingofinterest8048]

Trust me you don’t want this

[@BurgundyandBlue1111]

As someone who was born and raised in lower Michigan (near the thumb) and spent many years in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I feel like a part of me was gone when the Great Lakes were removed. The alternate history shows how crucial the Great Lakes are to our current way of life. Thanks for that reminder.

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

_WHAT IF THE GREAT LAKES NEVER EXISTED?_ *Me, as an intellectual:* I DON'T NEED SLEEP, I NEED ANSWERS.

[@anonymike8280]

Agree. This not well thought out in many aspect. For one thing, all of the water in the norther region still has to drain though the St. Lawrence basin. The most logical idea is that the North-South division as it is understand today might take a very different form. But keep in mind, no matter what, there would still have to be a huge river system many waterways in what is now the Great Lakes region.

[@velozio]

We Ontarians would lose our awesome looking peninsula of Southern Ontario without the great lakes. People of Michigan, you aren't alone. Edit: It really like it when someone talks about my home region. Edit 2: This video is really good

[@scubaman2546]

+1. Eh.

[@noahdeng9401]

I am also from Southern Ontario, and without the Great Lakes, o Ontario wouldn't be Ontario!

[@FriedrichWilhelmViktorAlbert]

I'm a hard core boat/ship watcher on the Great Lakes, as a side hobby rather than being enveloped by military history. I understand fully their importance and seeing a North America without them just hurts me to look at. By the way I am an Ohioan.

[@jordonfewster8335]

0:57 my hometown of Sarnia Ontario, thanks for the great reference Cody!

[@JuanTonSoupXP]

I read “what if the greatest LAKERS never existed” and I got really excited for a second

[@Amesang]

What have the Ramones ever done for us?

[@user-kt8yp5ho2y]

What if Russia won the Russo-Japanese War please.

[@christianbustnes9212]

이동연 well, the Soviet one or the tsar one?

[@user-kt8yp5ho2y]

Christian Bustnes Tsar Russia oh course!

[@gustavju4686]

Russia likely would've carved up a part of Northern Korea (or perhaps have taken all of it like the Japanese did) and the Manchuria region of China for themselves.

[@user-kt8yp5ho2y]

marios gianopoulos That one is a good theory too!

[@nicoburlinson8242]

GODDAMN BRILLIANT

[@PremierCCGuyMMXVI]

The Great Lakes are very important, with out them, the US may not exist, and without the US, world history would be so different.

[@endersquid1132]

I can tell this video was hard to put together considering all the different seemingly unrelated things that all weave together to form the modern human geography of north america and europe but it came out incredibly understandable despite all that confusion... Great video!

[@TheMojaveLamp]

Feels like this scenario would make for a good book!

[@retrowave69]

Imagine a book set in this alternate timeline's 1800s during the civil war between the Confederates and the UK/Thirteen Colonies. That'd be a whole new twist of alternate history books.

[@meg7830]

I need someone to write this series so I can read it.

[@soybasedjeremy3653]

@@retrowave69 Uh... The Civil War literally took place 80 years after American independence.

[@eamartig]

Soy Based Jeremy watch the F-ing video

[@soybasedjeremy3653]

@@eamartig I did, and therefore no Confederacy.

[@cocobean0390]

These videos make me wonder if we're in a kind of "Neutral" timeline. Not bad, but it could be worse. Pretty good, but it could be better.

[@Coygon]

One thing I dislike about most alternate history or time travel in fiction is that the message almost always that if you change things just a little, things turn out differently - almost always for the worse. It's that last part I have trouble with. Do we really think *this* is the best possible world? This video was nice because it didn't turn out worse, only very, very different.

[@Miquelalalaa]

Coe T. That is completely relative to your perspective.

[@DubskyHelix]

@@Coygon I've always thought the same thing but I guess there wouldn't be much tension in a movie if messing with history actually caused a better outcome

[@darken2417]

"Could be worse". Guy we literally live in a world where you have an infinite amount of performers on your magic glowing slab of glass and can order anything to be delivered to your door from anywhere on the flipp'n planet. Also what you consider bad or good and how you weigh how good or bad something is, is not universally true. For example: Does America existing outweigh WWII not happening? Who the hell knows.

[@adamboh393]

Yeah I always find that message of “this is the best timeline” to be cliche. Wouldn’t it be more interesting if we had the Main Character change the timeline to a arguably better one but ends up erasing a family member?

[@hariseldon8728]

"I got a German friend too" as someone from Austria I loled

[@mykuljax]

One of, if not the best episodes you have ever done!

[@dylanmckeen7332]

The Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador would probably still be settled to some extent.

[@IdRatherNotHaveAHandleThankYou]

Yeah

[@declannewton2556]

But nobody would likely care about them so very little people would actually go there. So the areas of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island from our timeline would most likely part of some large colony while Newfoundland and Labrador would exist at a small extent in this alternate timeline

[@johnkilmartin5101]

@@declannewton2556 The second most valuable staple of what would become Canada in the 17th century was cod. Without a means to acquire beaver pelts the French would have put more effort into acquiring and holding Newfoundland. One of the Iberville brothers did capture it but reverted back as part of a treaty. If it were of greater value the French might have been more determined to keep it.

[@declannewton2556]

@@johnkilmartin5101 Yes, fishing would Canada's greatest asset in this timeline, but fishing in a wider sense isn't that big of an industry. Very few colonists would go to these colder areas for work that pays less in comparison to the fertile river valleys and lucrative farms of the Southern colonies. Again, only a small portion of Newfoundland and Labrador would be colonized, based mainly along the coast since there would be no need to go into the interior.

[@johnkilmartin5101]

There were only 60 000 colonists in New France in 1763. That is compared to roughly 3.5 million in the 13 colonies.

[@GmodPlusWoW]

This was certainly a hell of a butterfly effect. Along similar lines, what if the Western Interior Seaway still existed in modern times, dividing North America into Appalachia and Laramidia?

[@historiansayori2089]

You mean like the sea in dinosaur times? If so, I think you've turned West Virginia into a new Britain or Japan when they break off of whoever colonizes them

[@Dr.-Dank]

I second this idea.

[@adiyarzharmenov9187]

There would be no humans

[@ApolloELM]

Never thought I'd see Oshawa in an AlternateHistoryHub video! Great work, really enjoyed the thought experiment :)

[@jasoncoombs9316]

Cody: removes some water Literally all of Michigan: HoW dArE yOu???

[@karaliusking6833]

Me: near Lake Michigan, just chilling Alternate history hub: releases this video Me again: ahhhhhhhdhdiosiebdbdhsj

[@Wm7forthewin]

lol

[@IdRatherNotHaveAHandleThankYou]

you near lake what?

[@nyarlathotep3564]

Baby rage

[@karaliusking6833]

Lol

[@ethanlawrence4890]

I legitimately want to see a mini series about each and every one of althistoryhub's videos, they sound like genuinely interesting scenarios to explore on a more personal level.

[@jaffa3717]

I always find it trippy when taking away something so simple can change so much

[@honestreviews8445]

My new favorite video. It’s mind blowing to think how one change like that would effect the entire world.

[@CRob172]

Proud Michigander here, without the lakes we wouldn't become a very important part of the late 19th and the entire 20th century

[@Spongebrain97]

The lakes have been important since they were discovered by natives and later by europeans.

[@CRob172]

@@Spongebrain97 great point, I am pointing out also because of the automobile industry being connected with the rest of the world and the glaciers leaving behind many valuable minerals that caused the iron and copper rushes of the UP to the point that at one point 75% of the worlds iron came from the UP and 95% (!!!) Of copper

[@soybasedjeremy3653]

@@CRob172 Same with the logging industry. Which depended on the lakes.

[@CRob172]

@@soybasedjeremy3653 amen to that too! I live in one of the former logging towns in Eaton County so I wholehearty agree!

[@trollacs]

Idea for you: What if the Crusader States had survived?

[@MisterManTheBestMan]

God's Plan. .[T]/

[@TapOnX]

@TVSupersonic Israel is a crusader state

[@TapOnX]

@Red Crown Just like the Crusader States were

[@henry-thepizzaeater-morgan704]

@@NoName-pi7ke the crusaders weren't Jewish

[@Miquelalalaa]

TapOnX No crusaders were Christians.

[@joshpenover3610]

That ending segment message is why I like history so much and to hear someone finally say it is amazing

[@appa609]

I just realized that in all my time in the new world I’ve never lived more than 10 miles from a Great Lake.

[@jdurk]

What if the allies forced the Nazis to get out of the Rhineland, with brute Force if necessary in 1936?

[@Canada1994]

Or if France went further into Germany in 1939 than just a few miles and reached and maybe cross the Rhine after taking the Rhineland. They met little if any resistance because the Germany army was to busy in Poland

[@superkamiguru6856]

@@Canada1994 No. France's army was built for slow trench warfare. They had the numbers and training, but not the strategy or even tanks, which were also built for trench warfare. France could only pose a MAJOR threat with the entire British army backing them. Once France gains a bit of ground, Germany finishes Poland, tells Italy that there's a prime opportunity to attack France in the south and France still falls. There may or may not be a battle of Dunkirk (or at least the alt version) and Hitler gives Italy Southern France since they attacked sooner and I bet would reach Nice before the French Army pushes them back.

[@Canada1994]

@@superkamiguru6856 Mussolini would've stayed neutral still. He went against Hitler's word and refused to join the war when Poland was invaded. He knew that the Italian army was still in poor shape (his experts were telling him that Italy would not be ready until 1941 or 1942). He only joined the war because he thought he would only fight for a few weeks, France falls, Britain negotiates peace, and he gets some spoils of war without really fighting. Italy lacked the economic strength for a long war (they still didn't recover from the invasion of Ethiopia) that's why he waited until France was days from falling

[@zrader1]

i think Hitler told his armies to leave if the Allies showed up

[@Canada1994]

@@zrader1 he did, he told them to retreat if the French showed any resistance since Germany's army was still very small at that time (I don't know if it was still on the 100 thousand limit under Versailles or not). Germany used psychological warfare when they remilitarized the Rhineland by making the German Army look larger by constantly moving troops in and out of the Rhineland to make it look like more were coming when in fact it was the same troops over and over again

[@thomasturner6980]

Chicago: *_exists_* Polar Vortex: *it's free real estate*

[@Canada1994]

I'm a Canadian who lives in the Great Lakes and I remember in Grade 12 history opening my textbook to a random page in my textbook showing the Swedish colony in Delaware and I was so intrigued by it that I made it my class project. Oh and there's also the Welland Canal in Ontario too. Also wouldn't the French have settled and colonized on the Taeys River before the British in this timeline? I would think so. I would also think that if the French still had the Louisiana territory then there still could've been a war like the Seven Year War between Britain and France that could've had the same implications whether the French or British won

[@jeffburke5606]

Prior to the lower four of the Great Lakes existing, there was the ancient Laurentian River, which ran out of the north end of what is now Lake Michigan eastward through the area of Lake Huron and then south to meet a proto version of Lake Ontario near modern day Toronto. There was also the Huronian River, which crossed the state of Michigan northeasterly to join the Laurentian River. I suspect these old river valleys, along with what would have been very broad navigable rivers, would have played a very similar role to the modern Great Lakes in the European settlement of North America.

[@ColonelPeppers]

I think we need to donate money so Cody can see the ocean and fulfill his dreams.

[@Devin_Stromgren]

I've seen both. They basically look the same.

[@isaacfarrell8136]

@@Devin_Stromgren There are more than two oceans to see, and even ignoring that, the Atlantic and Pacific look different enough to tell them apart based on the colour.

[@imonarollagay]

1:13 “North America seems off”. As a Nova Scotian, I agree.

[@richardrasmussen207]

Love this stuff. Keep up the awesome work man.

[@squatin4479]

I think this is the best one you’ve done so far

[@bottlerocket2528]

What if WW1 never happened, and the defining Cold War of the 20th century was England and France, both with nuclear weapons, huge militaries, and proxies all over the world?

[@captainunderpants2816]

Hemet chan you genius with a IQ of 420

[@gotworc]

if WW1 never happened there probably wouldn't have been a Cold War at all and the world would look insanely different than it does now

[@heraadrian7764]

If you look at European history war is a common thing very evident if you look at the combatants and there nation and objectiv goals. Ww 1th to 2th to the Cold War ,these wars were one single war to be sincere.Most of the same.

[@heftyrumble]

Helmet Chan, WW1 was inevitable, based on alliances, goals from nations, Germany, and Nationalism

[@texasrepublic2332]

English 100

[@leaderofthelewishpeople6382]

Michigan shaped like a glove: exists Great Lakes disappearing: I'm about to end this man's whole career.

[@wolfbot2667]

Wait a second

[@samcavanagh7993]

woah the leader of the lewish people, it's a great honor sir

[@imverygerby]

Blasphemy

[@EnzolioLP]

All hail the PC masterrace

[@RealmRabbit]

In school we actually talked about how Samuel de Champlain would basically design his maps around attracting people to New France... We looked at this one map with a ton of pictures of different plants, some animals and also depictions of natives and the point of this was mainly to make those French people at home really interested in seeing the wildlife in New France... There were also various lines and such that could be used to help people navigate...

[@tristenvena6605]

One of your best! Loved it!

[@thekrypticarchive1282]

Alternate History: *Thanos Snaps Great Lakes* Me: *lives near Windsor, Ontario* Me: haha I’m in danger

[@noahdeng9401]

I also live in Windsor, Ontario, and I was a Geography Contest Finalist!

[@Urlocallordandsavior]

More like the whole concept of Canada is pretty much compromised with this alternate timeline, with Canada becoming this sort of Northern United States-Canada hybrid.

[@emmabean7181]

I live in Michigan so I would be in big danger

[@nochatter7134]

The Kryptic Archive Technically majority of Ontario population lives in southern Ontario adjacent to 3 lakes.... so they would all be in trouble

[@Nova-ge4lp]

The river by me no longer exists, anyway canada and US = nothing

[@Rishi123456789]

I have a suggestion for your next video, Cody: What if the Library of Alexandria was never destroyed?

[@trollege9618]

We would have robots now

[@connorneely3458]

Malaysian Mapper but we already have robots??

[@johanrodriguez7147]

@@connorneely3458 We probably would've explored Mars by now. Who knows.

[@vladprus4019]

Nothing happens, becouse that library was just the biggest and not the only one. Also most of writing there wouldn't be used to do anything practical and overall we would just had more sources on ancient times. Not groung-shattering changes.

[@trollege9618]

@@connorneely3458 no but actually no

[@nutmeggaming11261]

This is cool and impressive. You've earned another subscriber

[@jpotter2086]

I am impressed that you mentioned slavery. Very perceptive a/o you did your homework. Somerset v Stewart had already put the writing on the wall by declaring in 1772 that English common law did not recognize slavery, motivating the American slavers to get the hell out of the British empire so they could preserve their "way of life". This motivation informs the Southrons behavior in the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention, and illuminates the portrayal of their rebellion as a "2nd American Revolution".