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Frymonmon

President of California
29 Badges
Jul 21, 2010
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As you can tell by the title, I will take hold of the Californian Republic and (hopefully) rise to become the undisputed ruler of the Pacific. I will be using a few modifications to aid me in my quest, nothing game changing, just enough to support my adventure.

1. New Californian Culture
2. All Mexican POPs replaced with Californian POPs
3. Mexican Cores removed, No cores from "Manifest Destiny" on California.
4. California Independent from the start.
5. Enough soldier POPs for a single brigade.

You can download the mod I used: Here

Table of Contents
1825: The Californian Rebellion
Wagner: 1836 - 1841
Wagner 1841 - 1846
Stephens: 1846 - 1851
Giddings 1851 - 1856
Giddings 1856 - 1861
Hensdale: 1861 - 1866
Hensdale: 1866 - 1871
Williams: 1871 - 1876
Williams: 1876 - 1881
Baxton: 1881 - 1886
Harrison: 1886 - 1891
Harrison: 1891 - 1896
Jamous: 1896 - 1901
Jamous: 1901 - 1906
Orleans: 1906 - 1911
Wilcox 1911 - 1916
Wilson: 1916 - 1921
Dawes: 1921 - 1926
Dawes: 1926 - 1931
Arthur: 1931 - 1936
Carr: 1936 - 1941
Carr: 1941 - 1946
Smith: 1946 - 1951

Enough of the logistics, here is the opening history:


1825: The Californian Rebellion

Since Independence in 1821, Mexico had entered a period of severe government instability, by the time the word of a new government had reached the offices in California, it had already been overthrown. From the east, ambitious Americans, dubbed "Californianos" by the local Mexican population, began to settle illegally in the area. Without proper control by the Mexican government, these English-speaking inhabitants of California rose up against the government of Alta California, and established the Californian Republic. Mexico had no choice but to accept the independence movement, soldiers simply couldn't be spared to march across the Mojave and Sonora deserts to subjugate these people. Instead, they opened their doors to American colonization in Tejas, hoping their land ambitions would make Mexico stronger, and they would stay within the country.

Mojave-sonoran_deserts.png

1. The two deserts that are widely claimed to have achieved a bloodless Californian Independence.

However, back on the Pacific Coast, the people of California had a mission to do. They set out to establish a country of yeomen farmers, inspired by the ideals of Thomas Jefferson, who envisioned a Republic of the Pacific. Upon hearing the news of this Republic, the former President could hardly contain the joy he felt from a democratic nation of farmers.

220px-Thomas_Jefferson_Portrait.jpg

2. Thomas Jefferson, one of the most prominent supporters of California

By 1828, the Government was fully formed, a tax structure was set up, and a constitution was established as the supreme law of the land. California would be a land of liberty, content with the abundant land they had, uninterested in eastward expansion. A small army had been raised in the capital of 3,000 men. One of the largest concentration of armed soldiers seen on the West Coast up until this time. Shortly in the Winter of 1834, the garrison of the Californian Army was moved to "Fort California" which was only a few miles away from the port town of San Francisco, which had already begun to receive a small trickle of merchants and immigrants coming to this new country, only nine years old.

800px-Sutter%27s_Fort_colored_engraving_1849.jpg

3. "Fort California" Located along the Pacific Coast.

With the election of John Wagner to the Presidency, the Californian Republic now enters its 11th year of Independence. On January 1st, 1836, President Wagner stepped into the Presidential Office in San Diego, ready to take the reigns of the Empire of the Pacific.

Next Update: Wagner 1836 - 1841


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Authors Note(s)
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Welcome to the AAR! I will try my best to update this as often as I can to bring California to new, and great heights! In updating this AAR, at the bottom of each update I will include a link to the previous update and a link to the next update. This should keep the story flowing forward, and backward, whenever you want, without having to resort to going back the first page to find the next chapter. Enjoy the AAR!
 
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Make that three! Being from California, I wonder what would have happened if they started out independent.
 
Well, you all motivated me to play the first 5-years of the game. So hence, here's the first update;


Wagner 1836 - 1841

cali1.png

1. The Republic of California and her Neighbors.

Upon entering office, President Wagner was taking over from a widely popular President, who had followed the American tradition of only serving two terms and stepping down, now Wagner had a large role to fulfill, he had to take the reigns of this new Republic and let it blossom along the Pacific coast. His first order of business was to bring the budget into order. Unfortunately, the costs of setting up a new government had ran the country into a deficit, and taxes needed to be raised upon the citizens of the Republic.

245px-2_Duval.jpg

2. John Wagner, 2nd President of the Californian Republic.

President Wagner, a Californian first and foremost, did not excessively mind higher taxes upon the population, because the latest government estimates had brought the information that 69% of the Republics 16,980 tax-paying citizens were natives, while the smaller Californian minority payed less of a burden. Another one of President Wagner's goals was to expand immigration to the area, and hopefully, expand the English-speaking population.

cali3.png

3. Population Statistics of the Californian Republic, 1836.

On June 28th, President Wagner declared in a speech to the Californian Congress in San Diego that an official port should be constructed in the Republic, and after much debate, San Diego, being the capital, should be chosen to host this new construction. Government estimates claim the project should only take two years, but a congressmen who worked on the docks of New York more correctly suggested the time would be closer to four years, factoring in the time needed to send merchants across the country and to the United States to buy the needed materials and to haul it back to the Republic.


San_Fran%2C_1822.jpg

4. The proposed site of the Port of San Diego. The only noticeable man-made feature is the army's garrison.

After being approved by the Government, a group of local businessmen from San Francisco and San Diego got together and announced, after a fifteen day meeting, the formation of the Californian Stock Exchange. It would be centered around the twelve major companies in the Republic, most notably being the New York-Pacific Railroad company, based in New York City, which had ambitions to construct and operate a railroad between the capital of San Diego and the other major city of San Francisco. The first shares bought and sold, marking the opening of the exchange, was on January 22nd, 1838. The day was marked by a parade in the streets, headed by President Wagner himself, leading the "California Braves", California's three thousand strong military force.

While southern California seemed to be humming along happily, infrastructure being built, towns and cities being erected, northern California was an uncharted wilderness. Immigrants coming from foreign countries, most notably from the North Italian States and Austrian-held Croatia settled in the north and west, hoping to chart out a new life for themselves. This, however, caused problems with the natives who were used to little to no interference with their day-to-day activities. Once these foreign invaders started to appear, they began to become violent. California had no choice but to protect these immigrants, they had to be seen as the place of liberty and freedom, where all people are protected against aggression, not just the English-speaking Californians. This measure, they hoped, would attract more immigrants and encourage the ones already here to adopt the Californian way of life.

cali4.png

5. The significant Croatian population in California.

One significant even which happened in the otherwise lazy summer of 1838, was the arrival of a diplomat from the Federal Republic of Central America. He claimed he must speak the President Wagner on an issue of national importance for both of their nations. Alarmed at the slight prospect of a war, President Wagner agreed to meet immediately with the diplomat. Much to his surprise, the diplomat personally handed the President a telegram, it was an offer for a mutual military and economic alliance between the Republic and the Federal Republic. President Wagner spent no time waffling over the issue and an official alliance was signed in San Diego on July 26th, 1838, signalling California's first alliance and major foreign affairs issue.

cali5.png

6. The telegram presented to President Wagner.

Although, mostly work on education and infrastructure happened during the next year, another monumental achievement became a reality for the Republic - the first vessel of the Californian Navy was commissioned. The CRS "Bear Flag" was launched on June 18th, 1839 [1]. It was a light, steam powered transportation ship. Its purpose for construction was to ship soldiers and supplies from their garrison in San Diego up to the port of San Francisco or to the northern reaches of California to help protect the immigrants and settlers. In the absence of a railroad, it was the fastest means of transportation for the Californian soldiers.

Great-Eastern-At-Sea-.jpg

7. The CRS "Bear Flag", California's first naval vessel.

As December rolled into California, local population counts began to be consolidated into a single figure to be presented to the Congress and the President for early 1840 [2]. The news was startling, the native population was down, and immigration rates were up. President Wagner's policies of attraction and assimilation were proving to be a complete success. The census office estimated that 50% of the population would be English-speaking Californians by 1841, around the end of Wagner's first term.

On March 5th of 1840, the final nail was driven into the the new customs house of the Port of San Diego. Now fully equipped to handle commercial and military traffic, San Diego was a bustling city of political and economic activity. Congress meet in the downtown, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the newly-constructed port, while trading ships from Asia and European powers sailed into their berths, unloading and loading their goods. In only four years time, San Diego was transformed from a capital with 6 buildings and a military garrison, to a large city with over 500 buildings, a military base, a competent port and a respectable naval base. Not only that, a joint venture by the Californian Government and the New York-Pacific railroad corporation agreed to begin laying track, after months of negotiation, between San Diego and San Francisco.

Building_JK_ORR.jpg

8. Californian workers laying track outside of San Diego.

The summer of 1840 heralded in the fourth National elections. President Wagner naturally choose to stand once again for election as President. Surprisingly, not a soul stood in his way to election. He still gave a few speeches on what he has accomplished and what he would like to accomplish in his next five years as President of the Californian Republic. He sought to being rail lines to connect the southern capital of San Diego to the immigrant town of Eureka in the northern reaches of the Republic.

cali6.png

9. The Telegram sent to San Francisco of President Wagner's unanimous win.

With the election finished and President Wagner re-elected, life in the Californian Republic settled down for the autumn. As the summer began to fade and the weather began to chill, everyone looked back to what has been accomplished over the past few years. The national population has swelled to unimaginable heights. Compared to 16,980 tax-paying citizens in 1836, the Republic boasted 23,910 tax-paying citizens in 1841. Among those where 47.6% Californians, a significant increase over the 5-year period. Even more shocking, were the large South Italian, Croatian, and Ashkenazi communities in the secluded northern section of California.


cali7.png

10. Population Statistics for the Californian Republic, 1841.


Previous Update: 1825: The Californian Rebellion
Next Update: Wagner: 1841 - 1846

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Author's Note(s)
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[1] - CRS stands for Californian Republic Ship
[2] - The Californian Constitution calls for an official census count every 5 years, mandating it be presented to the Congress every January of the year ending in "0" or "5"
 
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I'm no fan of California, in game and real life. Neither am a fan of weird, preposterous aar's. This how ever is so preposterous, odd, weird and Californian that I am, compelled to love it. I love the president being of German background (hopefully as his last name is Wagner) and the fact that the south European, specifically Croatian South Slav that didn't write in the US till the late 19th, early 20th century is already getting to California now. Suggestion is that you mod the California Gold Rush in also I can level in this alternate history that since Cali became independent early enough that they could be a distinct culture as much as Texas' I however would not remove American cores instead just don't enact the Apply for Statehood decision to prevent the US from Jesuit you as they never try to restore order to Cali, Tex or Deseret (trust me I have tested this) the only do it to New England, Manhattan, CSA and Canada if it spawns out of Maine. A fun thing to do would be to try and an keep track of the ethnic groups (Californians would be like Americans, not an ethnic group but a collection of assimilated peoples also it would be hard to but as the US I kept track of largest ethnic groups for fun ingame so it's not hard). Also a Californian manifest destiny would be cool to give cores on Baja California (could even break it off of Sonora region) Oregon, Washington and potentially everything west of the whole Rocky Mtn range (pieces of Alaska, Canada and Mexico) they should also be given the annex Hawaii decision.
 
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@King50000: Thanks, I was surprised at the immigration and assimilation in this game too. Mostly the immigrants are going to San Diego or San Francisco, both large centers of Californian population.

@CesarzPolska: I thank you for your support of this AAR. Moreover, President Wagner is indeed of Germanic background, his parents were full Germans. As of right now, I am looking to mod in about 5-7 events for California, simulating the Gold Rush, Great Fires, Expansion of California as a Pacific Power, Claims on Alta California, Baja California, and eventually the Pacific Coast to the North. I also do plan to have updates on the ethnic communities, they do have a large reason for me to be including them, as it will be seen in an update or two.
 
Should be an interesting AAR; I will follow with great interest!
 
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Very interesting idea here! Would've been really cool as an interactive aar, but I can understand not wanting to be in charge of one of those, haha
 
Interesting concept. I'm following.

Very interesting idea here! Would've been really cool as an interactive aar, but I can understand not wanting to be in charge of one of those, haha

It would undoubtedly be cool to have a Californian Interactive AAR, but it already seems to be gaining a little of a "not enough room in this forum for the two of us" feel for me, with Shadow of the Andes seeming to have more than halved the traffic on The Presidents. :D So maybe it was for the best.
 
Interesting concept. I'm following.



It would undoubtedly be cool to have a Californian Interactive AAR, but it already seems to be gaining a little of a "not enough room in this forum for the two of us" feel for me, with Shadow of the Andes seeming to have more than halved the traffic on The Presidents. :D So maybe it was for the best.

((Maybe we could do that next, BBB. hint, hint, wink, wink.))

Anyway, great AAR already; I give it my full support and I commission you to post the next post at once!
 
@Avindian: Welcome Aboard!

@TKFS: California would be an interesting interactive AAR, but it would just be another democracy, similar to The Presidents and Shadow of the Andes.

@BigBadBob: Glad to have you following.

@Riccardo93: Expect an update later today for this AAR.

@Shep505: It is a possibility.
 

Wagner 1841 - 1846

President Wagner’s second inauguration went off without a single flaw on the first of January, 1841. Over 650 local San Diegans witnessed the event, all crowded in front of the California Congress building to watch him undergo the Oath of Office. Afterwards, he gave a small speech, proclaiming this term; California would witness the opening of the San Diego-San Francisco railroad, as well as an expansion of the Navy. He hinted at the possibility of an armed warship to sail alongside the CRS Bear Flag.

Harrison_inauguration.jpg

1. The Second Inauguration of President John Wagner.

Only a few weeks into his second term, President Wagner was faced with the nation’s first political crisis. A major fight over the implication of a seemingly minor policy brought the members of the President’s cabinet to form two distinct political parties. The Pro-Wagner faction, dubbed the Farmer-Labor Party, was fully supportive of the President and agreed with his views on attraction and assimilation. However, the rival faction, dubbed the Democratic-Republicans, believed that California should be the land of liberty, and to be so, it must be willing to accept other cultures and customs. With these two factions now in a political war with each other, it did not take long for the Congress to get involved. A third faction, aligned with the Farmer-Laborers, called the Ursine Imperialists arose. They mostly agreed with the policy of President Wagner, but insisted that the Californian way of life must be brought to the uncharted lands of the Pacific, and that California should rightfully claim the Pacific Coast as her own.

Overall, the Congress supported President Wagner, and the people were behind him as well. For now, the Democratic-Republicans would only hold about 14.4% of the Congress, and capture only 25% of the voter’s favor.

cali1.png

2. Current makeup of the Upper House, and ideologies of the citizens.

In the small immigrant town of Eureka, constant fighting between the Native Americans and the settlers, mostly southern Italians and Croatians, resulted in an Indian raid upon the house of a wealthy Russian immigrant, resulting in his death. News of this reached San Diego, and President Wagner simply could not allow this news to reach St. Petersburg without the news that California was acting. Only 3 days later, he had a small force of the California Braves loaded onto the CRS Bear Flag, and immediately sent into San Francisco Bay, to begin their march to Eureka. Upon arrival, they were directed to the location of the Indian’s camp, just 2 miles outside of town. Fighting was brief, resulting in the injury of one man from the army, while taking out almost 80% of the Indian’s force. Among the ones not killed in the raid, the two Indian chiefs were taken prisoners. Under threat of death, they were told they would receive a fair trial in the city of San Francisco. When the army entered the city, the captives were rushed to the top of a building, to two awaiting gallows set up by the townspeople. The army hanged these two Indian chiefs on October 17th, 1841.

The reaction from San Diego was fierce. Both the President and the Congress proclaimed this barbaric act could not stand in California. They were promised to be given a fair trial in a San Franciscan courtroom, and that is the fate they should have received. The officer in command of the mission was given a dishonorable discharge, and a new law was passed giving basic rights to the native population.

Lynching-of-casey-and-cora.jpg

3. The hanging of two Native American chiefs by the army.

By the time spring came to southern California, the scandal of the last fall still hung in the air, which tainted the normally glorious mood of the commissioning of the Los Angeles – San Diego rail line. Service between the two towns was now a reality, with the first train leaving the San Diego station at 5:03 PM, April 19th, 1842. Originally President Wagner planned to ride on the train to Los Angeles; he politely declined to appear, claiming to need more time to settle a new agreement with a local business, to provide supplies for the fledgling Californian Navy. Many citizens believed he did not wish to be seen in public, wanting to stay low until the Hanging Scandal faded away. His failure to show up did nothing but hurt his public image. Support for him in San Francisco began to slowly erode, with politicians and citizens openly criticizing his policy decisions and his ability to run the country, and the army.

first_steam_train.jpg

4. The Spirit of California, the first train to offer service between Los Angeles and San Diego.

The summer of 1843 brought yet another pall to the Presidency of John Wagner. An organization, representing the Italian population in northern California, came to San Diego with hopes of gaining regional authority, and asking them to lift the restrictions for all government officials to be fluent in English. President Wagner, already strained over the trails of his second term, expelled the men and proclaimed that “Californians speak English! If you wish to serve in Government, you will speak English!” Naturally, this sparked the attention and criticism of many Californians. The Democratic-Republic Party condoned his actions, and many Italian immigrants throughout the country became outraged at the government. Although hardly a majority, the Italians held a plurality in northern California. 8.5% citizens of the Republic were of Italian decent, by far the largest minority group in the nation. Behind them were the Russians who only numbered 1.9% of the population.

Yet another political scandal mounted upon President Wagner. He had managed to upset almost 10% of the citizenry of his country with a single motion. Among the radicals in Eureka, there was even talk of an Italian state being formed in the north of California, in order to secede from the Californian Republic and be properly represented. To counter this radical view, Sandro Verdini, a native of Naples, Two Sicilies, rose up in support of more immigrant freedoms, while still preserving the idea of an English-speaking California. His ideas were published in the vastly influential L'italiano Californiano [1]. His ability to influence the people away from open rebellion against the Government was noted in San Diego, and Sandro Verdini was appointed the Governor of the Eureka District.

445px-George_Bancroft_United_States_Secretary_of_Navy_c._1860.jpg

5. Sandro Verdini, the man chosen to represent the Californian Italian minority.

A happy mood soon returned to California. President Wagner seemed to be more open to his citizens, and they seemed to be more content with him. Finally, a spirit not seen in San Diego since the late 1830s returned. President Wagner, in a joyous mood, announced, by laying the first part of the keel, the CRS California. This was a momentous occasion, the California would be the first ship, sailing under the flag of the Californian Republic, to have cannons on-board, and be a legitimate force to defend the coast. On November 12, 1843, the first full day of construction was started, and hundreds of San Diegans crowed around the dock to watch the progress.

The jubilee, however, was not to last. Unknown to the public, Government debt was beginning to mount higher and higher. A secret meeting of Congress was held to talk about the staggering debt. With daily income only estimated to be around C$1,000, and the current government debt around C$13,000,000, Congress decided to enact tough legislation against government spending, specifically in subsidizing the railroad construction and construction of the new naval ship. The report was leaked to the public and in the spring of 1844, protests against the government and President Wagner began to grow, this time from the Californians. They demanded that the Government should live within their means, and debt would shackle them to the demands of foreign powers.

cali2l.png

6. Standing Californian debts in the spring of 1844.
On January 1st, 1845, the Census figures were sent to the Californian Congress, with surprising results. Over the past few years from the Italian conflict, their population numbers were down and the number of Californians was once again up. Another interesting note, the Russian population has been on the increase, signalling an increase in Russian immigration. Another surprising undertone of the population was the inclusion of a fairly large community of Basque peoples. Totaling about 1.7% of the population, they are a fairly large minority inside California [2].

Yet another revealing tone, concerning for the Farmer-Labor Party, the Democratic-Republicans were beginning to gain some traction, the Ursine Imperialists also gained with the people, which could prove to be a bad trend for the Farmer-Labor Party, a shunning of their policy due to their recent failures with the national debt and the Italian situation.

cali3.png

7. Population Statistics of the Californian Republic, 1845.

In a near bittersweet occasion, on March 17, 1845, President Wagner pulled the final block out from under the newly christened CRS California. The new ship, outfitted lightly with a few guns and a steam paddle, this ship would be useful for traveling along the coast and providing for the general defense of the ports and the coastal shipping of the Californian Republic. Although, it was slightly slower than the CRS Bear Flag, it was still faster than the ships of most navies of the time. It slipped into the sea with a great cheer, while President Wagner seemed frail and disinterested of the occasion. The ship docked alongside the CRS Bear Flag, forming the two-ship strong Navy of California.

USS_Mississippi_1863.jpg

8. The CRS California, the Republic’s first armed navy vessel.

With the expansion of the navy, President Wagner decided it prudent to replace the current admiral in charge of the fleet. Admiral James Cunningham was relieved of his post in the summer of 1845, and replaced with President Wagner’s cousin, Admiral Reinhard von Oldenburg. Seeing as President Wagner decided not to run for re-election in accordance to the tradition set forth in the Republic, he was believed to be offering favoritism to his family and political friends. Upon further investigation, it was seen that several judges appointed to the Californian Supreme Court were indeed early supporters of Wagner’s presidency. Going into the election, Wagner was the least liked Politician of anytime in the Republic. Candidates from all three parties campaigned overwhelmingly against him and his policies. His political support simply collapsed and by the end of the summer, he was powerless, simply waiting on the election results, to give the new President-elect the tour of the office and the responsibilities they needed to fulfill from day to day.

cali4.png

9. The structure of the Californian Navy after President Wagner’s appointment.

It wasn’t until well after Election Day that the results of the 1845 elections were tallied and announced. As it turns out, the Farmer-Laborer Candidate, Joseph Stephens, was able to distance himself enough from President Wagner that he was victorious in the election, capturing nearly 51% of the vote compared to the Democratic-Republican and Ursine Imperialist candidates [3]. Although President-elect Stephens was in a good mood at being elected President, and now able to run the country how he wished to run it, he was faced with a daunting task ahead of him. The army needed to be expanded, wages were down all across the country, and population was skyrocketing. Due to immigration and natural growth, the Census office estimated that by the time Stephens officially took office on January 1st, 1846, that the national population would be around 42,490 tax-paying citizens and 169,970 citizens overall. Coupled with this rising population, Stephens was left with the unknown burden of a national debt. Interest on the debt was nearing C$1,500 per day, with the overall debt being around C$24,000,000; a staggering amount for such a small nation. It is now up to President-elect Stephens to bring the country back on track, and away from the destructive, corrupt regime that was around with President Wagner.

Previous Update: Wagner 1836 - 1841
Next Update: Stephens: 1846 - 1851

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Author's Note(s)
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[1] – Translated as “The Italian Californian”
[2] – It should be noted that the previous Croatian minority was still a strong community, just not as large as the new immigrants.
[3] – Seeing the weakness of the Farmer-Laborers, the Ursine Imperialists ran their own candidate in the 1845 election.

I hope everyone reading enjoys these updates as much as I enjoy playing/writing them! I try to include a mix of in-game events and my own created ones, suitable for the timeline. I suspect that later on, once I start to expand, that California will be getting much more interesting!
 
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