Since ~1400: Europeans take up more or less regular trade contact with America / Atlantis. While they only import tobacco first (which isn't smoked in TTL first, but burned and inhaled instead, and mostly used as a medicine), the Europeans soon discover the value of beaver and raccoon pelts. Since the natives (called Atlanteans, what else) don't have much gold, the Europeans aren't too keen on extending their discoveries at the moment, only go as far south as OTL Virginia. At the beginning, the trade is in the hands of the Hanseatic League, which helps the princes of Holstein-Holland-Hennegau to become pretty rich.