Map Monday: Dutch's America by Bruce Munro

Last week introduced me to one of the most bizarre, yet still ingenious, scenarios ever crafted by an alternate historian. The year is 1950 and this is the world that Dutch made:

This scenario, originally written by Bob Mumby and turned into a map by Bruce Munro, is actually based off the video game Red Dead Redemption and presents an alternate history of that game's story that seems to center on the game's protagonist, John Marston, making some very different decisions. In this timeline the main bad guy from the game, Dutch van der Linde, led a "anarchist/anti-urban western revolt" that broke the United States and saw much of the west and south become part of the "American Popular Union". This Smith-esque North American Confederacy, however, soon turns into a military dictatorship that uses its ideology to enrich its leaders and punish those who oppose it. Meanwhile the rest of the world becomes divided into various blocs each defined by a different ideology.

Its maps and scenarios like these that really highlight the creativity found among alternate historians. If I had one major complaint, however, its the excessive annotations on the map. I realize that is part of Bruce's style, but even I though it was rather much. Nevertheless, still a really good map that shows no fictional world can't be diverged into something even more fantastical then it already was.

Also if this post looks different to you from when it was first posted, its because it is. I learned on Tuesday that it was actually Bob who came up with the original scenario and I would like to take this time to apologize for not noticing and remarking on his contribution earlier.

Don't forget to check out the map of male circumcisions and the GDP of the Roman Empire from Brilliant Maps. Plus you can check out the most popular cartoon character from each country. If you want to submit a map for the next Map Monday, email me at ahwupdate at gmail dot com with your map attached and a brief description in the body of the email.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.