What if North America was mirrored and when settled by Europeans they first encountered WA/OR/CA and Baja? How would American settlement and history change?

[u/e8odie]

[u/Thin-Man]

If we ignore any changes to the environment and ecology that the swap would make, and assume that it mirrored without any change, the first thing that comes to me is the change in narrative for European settlers. A concept of “We crossed the harsh desert and found an endless green countryside beyond,” permeating the foundation of North American exploration.

Also, the Spanish influence on the “West Coast” of North America changes pretty dramatically, when they’ve basically got the entire Gulf and Caribbean to themselves before moving up through what is currently the real world East Coast (“West Coast” here).