The Changing Landscape of the North American Nations
The Federated States of America
Following the American Revolution, the former British colonies formed a new government and a new nation. With the signing of the Constitution in 1789, the Federated States of America was born. Following the War of 1812, the FSA expanded south and west, and ultimately claimed all lands south of Kanata and east of the Mississippi.
The northern states made significant advances in manufacturing and their urban centers attracted labor from the more rural states, Europe, and the Tsung Empire. Meanwhile, the southern states formed the agricultural center of the new nation and leaned heavily on mechanical and lightning powered Threshers to work the land.
The northern and southern states continued to develop in markedly different ways, and in 1842, the passage of the Walker Tariff brought these differences to a head. Tensions continued to build until 1861. On April 12th, 1861, the War between the States began with rebel forces firing on Federation forces at Fort Sumter. Ultimately nine states seceded and formed a new government, The League of American States. The remaining states of the Federation include:
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
The League of American States
Between 1842 and 1860, the tensions between the northern manufacturing states and the agrarian southern states became more pronounced. The introduction of the Walker Tariff and its unforeseen impact drove a wedge deeper and deeper between the regions of the fledgling nation. As the political divide grew in Washington, the southern states cultivated a stronger relationship with their key trade partners in Britain and Europe.
In 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Federation. In 1861, the Civil War between the States began with rebel forces firing on Federation forces at Fort Sumter. The following states followed South Carolina’s example and formed a new government, The League of American States. These include:
- Alabama
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
The Territory
In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson traveled to France to negotiate the purchase of New Orleans. Napoleon Bonaparte instead offered to sell the entire Louisiana Territory to the newly formed FSA. Jefferson agreed, but the purchase was blocked by Federalist representatives within congress. They felt that Jefferson was overstepping his presidential authority, in violation of mores he himself had formerly upheld. Napoleon, desperate to finance the ongoing war, sold the Louisiana Territory to a branch of the East India Company.
The Company, as it is known in the Americas, is a mysterious organization with a trade monopoly that spans much of Asia. At its height it ruled India and Hong Kong and most of the lands in between. Their political power in Asia was diminished after the Indian Rebellion in 1857, however the Company retained complete control over the Union of Pyu and the Republic of Bharata until 1874. Even though the company was officially dissolved in 1874 it is rumored that scions of the Company still control the opium trade through the Maharajas of Bharata.
Their American interests became colloquially known as “The Territory”. Unlike most governmental bodies, next to nothing is known about the management of the Company in America beyond the travelling Judges and their Deputies, who are regularly seen meting out justice within The Territory.
The Company took over the French fur trade with the tribes of the northern plains and opened up settlement to folk from the FSA and abroad. Over the next few decades, the Territory’s population grew, small frontier towns sprang up, and eventually the Territory was broken up into the following provinces:
- Arkansas Province
- Colorado Province
- Iowa Province
- Kansas Province
- Missouri Province
- Nebraska Province
- Wyoming Province
The northern part of the Territory was called Dakota, which means “allies” in the language of the northern plains tribes. In 1831, the FSA forced the southeastern tribes from their lands and pushed them across the Mississippi into the Territory. A deal was struck between these tribes and the Company, and the dispossessed were given land to settle in the southern part of the Territory, eventually called Oklahoma.
Since the Calamity, nothing is known of the outcome of the Territory.
The Republic of Texas
Texas was originally part of the Spanish colonization of South and Central America. When France began to expand into the Louisiana Territory, the Spanish responded by building a series of forts and Ohmnian Missions in Texas to counter this aggressive French expansion.
After the East India Company completed the Louisiana Purchase and created the Territory, settlers from both the Territory and the FSA claimed that the land in Texas belonged to their nation and they swarmed to the area. The Spanish government hoped these settlers would reduce the near constant raids by the aggressive southwestern tribes and so did little to stop the influx of immigrants.
In 1821, Mexico won its War of Independence with Spain and it claimed Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California among its territories. Over the next decade, the number of non-Mexican immigrants to Texas overwhelmed the small Mexican population and the government of Mexico took action to prevent further immigration and to bring the current settlers under Mexican governmental control.
In 1835, the Texans led a military revolt against the Mexican government. In 1836, shortly after the Battle of the Alamo, Texas gained its independence from Mexico. Over the next decade, the political debate raged in Texas about whether to remain independent or to join with one of its neighbors, The Territory or the FSA. In 1845, Texas joined the FSA to become the 26th state.
In 1859, Mexico City fell to an overwhelming force, later identified as a new Aztec Empire. Mexico reached out to the FSA for help, only to be ignored by Washington. Texas sent a detachment of Rangers to assess the threat and they validated the Mexican government’s pleas. Texas appealed again to Washington to address the growing threat, but as tensions continued between the North and South, they were ignored.
In 1861, Texas fully recognizing the scope of the Aztec threat, made the decision to secede from the Federation and form The Republic of Texas. In 1862, the Texas – Mexico Treaty was signed and together they have fought the ever encroaching Aztec forces. As more land has fallen to their foe, Texas has expanded west and now encompasses the Arizona Territory and parts of Northern Mexico.