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I do wonder if the Sons of Liberty will become a major threat. With Britain ejected the old enemy is gone, and with that old certainties
 
Siam should be a primary target, if only to clean up that bordergore.:p

Sphering the South Americans would be ideal. You'd gain access to their markets without having to deal with their militancy and unaccepted cultures.

Calling it that Pacifica is eloping with Teddy Roosevelt. I bet she liked his big stick.
Seconding this notion.
 
where is the princess?
 
Do not besmirch the name of Her Highness good sir >: (

Also, I appreciate the love <3
Eh, if anything, it would be an honor for both Her Highness and Mr. Roosevelt to be in such a pairing. Roosevelt gets more opportunities to...swing his big stick around. Her Highness gets a worthy companion.
 
I'm just done reading through all the chapters, I'm loving this AAR so far, keep it up!

Also, is HFM the only mod you're playing with? Which mods changes the political decisions and such and expanded it? I also love the tiny detail that the upper class in the budget window are actually at the top and not at the bottom.
 
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Maybe there could be a Kaiserreichthing where House Hohenzollern-Roosevelt gets put on the throne of a country America conquers? That country would no longer need an army, the Royal Family alone would be badass enough.
 
Maybe there could be a Kaiserreichthing where House Hohenzollern-Roosevelt gets put on the throne of a country America conquers? That country would no longer need an army, the Royal Family alone would be badass enough.
Why would it need to be a cadet branch? Can't we just put a normal Roosevelt on the throne?

Also, I'm now imagining Alice Roosevelt as a queen of some random European country and her enemies being too terrified of her to do anything.:eek:
 
1. I am legit impressed by the Papal States
2. Use console and clean up Indochina. Please.
3. How does that "take all of Canada" event work? Please tell me.
1. Battle Pope will bring the Kingdom of God to his heretic neighbors. By force, if necessary.:p
2. Yes, Siam must be cleaned up, at least in Cambodia and Laos. That bordergore is unbearable.
3. He wrote a custom event.
 
@Tom D. Thanks for the compliment! :D I'm actually just using HFM; I've always had the upper class be at the top in the UI haha. I have been making minor edits and changes to decisions but nothing too major (except for the event to annex all of Canada)

@HIMDogson I have a bit of a different idea in mind for that actually, but in the meantime, Teddy is about to be a married man and Alice is slated to be born in 1884. She might be an interesting future Queen consort, but I do have another plan in mind too >: )

@Shinkuro Yukinari
1. As am I!
2. Haha not this update, but the next update, perhaps ;)
3. A reddit user made me a custom event that could be triggered so that I could annex Canada instead of taking the huge number of states piece by piece. The logic being that realistically Britain would not be able to maintain Canada without Ontario/Quebec in the face of a hostile America

Also thanks @zenphoenix for providing earlier answers!
 
Link meow?
Unfortunately, the mods don't allow links to Reddit. You can still find it easily by going to Reddit, adding /r/paradoxplaza to the link, and then searching for the title (it's exactly the same as the AAR).
 
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Welcome back folks! It's been a long time in the making, but we are at last back with an update for your favorite American monarchist AAR: The Kings of America!

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Leading up to 1880, many newspapers in late December wondered openly about what the new decade would bring for the Kingdom. Victory over Britain had emboldened many to declare that this might be a golden age for America. However, the kingdom was still young and innocent, and it showed that it could still be rocked to its core by shocking brutality and scandals.

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On January 1st, at three in the morning, a member of the San Francisco Police discovered a horribly mutilated woman. Stabbed multiple times and with much of her blood seemingly drained and her flesh in some areas peeled off. The police officer noticed a small trail of blood though and followed it to discover an abandoned house with several dead bodies hanging inside.

Almost immediately the police commissioner surrounded the house with officers and began transporting the bodies, attempting to hide it from the public. San Francisco newspaper editors and owners, competing in the toughest market in the Kingdom save for New York, were eager to get to the story, but were summoned to a meeting with local business owners, cartel bosses, the San Francisco Mayor, Eric Cunningham, and the police commissioner, and were given a simple message; publish the story, and no business would buy a dime in adverts from them. The papers complied, even the mighty Hearst, knowing that their resources were minuscule compared to the cartels.

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The reason for the suppression was rather convoluted but no less powerful because of it. San Francisco, and indeed, California at large, had an acute labor shortage. Government mandated minimum wages were already high as it was, but many laborers in California were able to get even higher pay due to the shortage. The cartels and smaller businesses had banded together for an advertising campaign in Europe, the East Coast, and Asia in an attempt to attract workers, and in Asia, they succeeded greatly. Thousands of immigrants from China, Vietnam, and Korea flooded in, eager to make money, and many of them spoke reasonably good English. The businesses owners felt relieved, but not everyone was happy with these new arrivals.

Dennis Kearney, an Irish immigrant, had gained a substantial political following due to his anti-Asian diatribes. He had gained huge popularity in 1878 due to his demands to major business owner in California to fire every Asian "lest there be consequences", and even greater notoriety in 1879 due to carrying out his threat and the subsequent trial that eventually found him "Not-Guilty".

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He was preparing a run for governor in 1881 on an anti-immigrant and pro-workers platform, and he would often link crimes, real or imaginary, to the Asian population. Instead, they promoted San Francisco's Mayor Cunningham as a decisive candidate who would protect their interests and win against Kearney, but this murder case could ruin Cunningham's chances; Kearney would, with or without evidence, declare it to be the work of the Chinese, and paint Cunningham as soft on crime and immigration.

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The cartels weren't the only ones who feared what Kearney might do. Wong Chin Foo, a refugee from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, had become one of the most prolific Chinese Americans, having become a well-known writer and activist in San Francisco. He feared that the murder would lead to lynchings and attacks on Chinatowns, and felt that the best way to protect his people would be to unmask the real killer. However, he needed a paper to publish his investigations; specifically, he needed a white paper that would be read by a white audience.

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Enter, John William Barnes. Barnes had gotten his start as a tailor, and made enough to open a bar near San Francisco's rail station. After a few years of penny pinching and some wise business decisions, almost every rail station in California had a bar nearby that was owned by Barnes, making him a wealthy man. However, he did not have the finances, nor the prestige, to enter the ranks of the nobility, even after he married an exiled Russian baroness. In hopes of enhancing his status, he purchased the struggling San Francisco Observer in 1876, but by 1880, even Barnes appeared unable to right the paper's financial ship.

So, with his paper failing, and confident his bars and tailor shops could sustain him, Barnes decided to go all-in; he just needed a writer. Barnes wanted someone prolific, someone who was willing to work for cheap, and perhaps most importantly, someone willing to risk their career. Wong heard through another reporter about Barnes' search, an introduction occurred, a pact between the two men was made, and a story was published.

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The Observer ran with the story by Wong, describing a ghastly, ghoulish man who hunted women for sport. It became a tremendous sensation throughout the city, and was picked up by papers on the East Coast as well. The Observer was selling so well that Barnes ordered a second printing, and it was the most profitable day in the paper's history. Soon after, the Chronicle, the Californian, and the Examiner fell one after another into covering the story, and if anyone talked about San Francisco, it usually had "The Ripper" in the same breath. Countless potential killer profiles were discussed, and due to the efforts of Wong, Asians were not the immediate scapegoat for the crimes.

What sold almost as well was Cunningham's attempted cover-up. The mayor was blasted by the press as heavy-handed, and he was ultimately forced to resign (as was the commissioner), leaving the California election wide open for anyone to challenge Kearney. Wong and Barnes became celebrities overnight, useful to both of their ambitions; Wong, to better protect his people, and Barnes, to better promote his family. Deputy Mayor Robert Hanson took over the mayor's office, and promised to bring the Ripper to justice. Murders would continue on, almost once a fortnight, and San Francisco gained an international reputation. But without a killer, the news would march on, and San Francisco would fade from the headlines until the Ripper was brought to justice.

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As America continued its expansion and control in Canada, Northern Quebec's interior was settled and its land was granted to new settlers. Much of the region was focused on the lumber industry, making it poor for farming, but the Quebecois wanted to prevent an influx of Americans. Local authorities emptied out the poor houses, taverns, and orphanages to create new logging towns and convince McClellan that American settlers were unneeded to ensure the region's governance.

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Despite American development in Mexico, many of the Mexican people did not share in these boons. They often lived in segregated ghettoes and struggled with oppression and poverty. Activists would often spring up, demanding better living conditions, or even, more dangerously, the end of American rule. Dissidents were often arrested rather than executed, in hopes of keeping the peace; it was known that Mexico often supplied arms to dissidents over the American border, and royal authorities wanted to avoid an expensive rebellion. However, the rebellion would, in fact, happen much closer to home.

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On March 3rd, 1880, the Royal Opera House in Columbia welcomed Charles Gounod of France for his first American performance of Polyeucte, and in attendance was much of the American political establishment; the Queen, the Crown Prince, and even Prime Minister McClellan. It was quite the night for high society, and the Sons of Liberty saw it as the perfect opportunity to cause chaos. In one of the main roads, the Sons laid several landmines, believing that after the performance, by tradition it would be the Queen that would leave first. However, McClellan was called away from the performance earlier due to an urgent message (McClellan's staff was not informed of the contents of said message). His carriage quickly departed, and on the road outside the Opera House, the landmines exploded, instantly killing him and his wife.

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In the days after, a state funeral was held for McClellan, with the Queen herself speaking at his funeral. His body laid in state, and thousands of well-wishers poured into the capital to pay their respects; the army performed a 121 gun salute in McClellan's honor, and even the Navy honored his passing.

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After the funeral though, McClellan's death was a political crisis. Many in the Army desired for the Queen to declare martial law, including the Crown Prince, but the Queen feared that it would lead to an outright rebellion. She was even fearful of what message it might send were she to appoint a general as even an interim prime minister. Instead, she asked Royalist congressman Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana, one of the chamber's longest-serving representatives, to serve as a temporary prime minister, an appointment he acc
epted. There was some discontent in the Army over his appointment, but when the Queen addressed a full sitting of Congress on March 9th, the entire chamber gave her a standing ovation; even the Socialists, who were not known for their monarchism. There was increasing discontent, particularly among the Liberals, over how much sway the Army was having over domestic politics, and they saw the appointment of Hendricks as a necessary reminder to the Army that Congress was not their puppet.

With that being said, Hendricks quickly found that while Congress might not be a puppet, he very much was. The Army, the Navy, the Secret Service, the Royal Family, Congress, and even lobbyists sought to have sway over the decisions of Hendricks, and without popularly elected legitimacy, he often found himself bending to that influence more often than not.

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The first example came from the crackdown upon the Sons; the appointment of a civilian to the office of Prime Minister meant that if anything, Hendricks had to prove he would be just as hard on any sign of rebellion in order to keep the support of the Army and Secret Service. Philadelphia had become something of a rallying ground for the sons, and had rioted on the news of McClellan's death, creating two days of anarchy. With coordination from the police, the Secret Service, and the Army, over 3,000 suspected Sons members, rioters, and their families were arrested and deported to labor camps in the West. This scene was repeated in Boston, New York, and Chicago and was considered a major success; several leading Sons members were arrested, and thousands of pamphlets, printing presses, and explosives were seized. The public reaction was mixed; the assassination and rebellion in Philadelphia was widely panned, but the deportations were widely seen as unnecessary and drew widespread opposition. Ironically enough, the South, which had at one time rebelled against the crown, had become much more politically reliable, and cities such as Charleston, Montgomery, and Atlanta were spared the scenes of mass arrest.

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Across the sea, Hendricks faced another challenge. The Kingdom had long been engaged in the African continent via its colony in Liberia. However, with its continued rapid growth and its wars against British and French imperial interests, they were eager to circle the wagons and carve out their own empires in Africa, lest the Americans or Japanese attempt to encroach in the region. They approached Chancellor Bismarck of Germany, America's ally, to organize a conference in hopes of securing their claims in the region.

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Bismarck had little interest in Africa itself, seeing it as mostly a waste of effort to try to develop the region; he did feel it natural that Germany, as a great power, should have some colonies as a matter of prestige. But he saw greater value in pointing Germany's perennial rival, France, south to keep it preoccupied with colonial affairs rather than European matters. He felt that he understood the American political establishment quite well, and was confident on their support based on three points; one, that the American Army and Prime Minister McClellan controlled the government, two, that the Army and McClellan had no interest in Africa, and three, that McClellan and the Army would be passionately anti-British, and would naturally join any scheme to weaken her.

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In Columbia, the invitation to Berlin was greeted with significant confusion; the Americans had not ever been invited to a conference that was not as a part of a peace treaty, and her diplomats were ill-prepared for what claims might be made for the crown. There was of course the holdings in Liberia, which might be expanded inland, but claims to anything else would be tenuous at best. But what America lacked in legitimate claims it made up for in a colonial lobby hungry for new opportunities for status and wealth, and an inexperienced Prime Minister that was susceptible to political pressure.

Henry Morton Stanley was one such figure. He had gained renown for his explorations into Africa, down the Nile River and into the Congo, for both Britain and Belgium. He had gained wealth and fame for his troubles, but he was looking for something even greater. America had long been willing to open the ranks of her nobility to her most accomplished servants, and that was what Henry offered to become.

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Stanley would be the guiding American representative at Berlin per his prestige as one of the world's foremost explorers of Africa. There was some scruples among the diplomatic class, but only Stanley knew the situation on the ground that could be exploited, and America's diplomatic efforts had long ignored Africa. Stanley saw an opening for two allies at the conference; Britain and Belgium.

Stanley had close personal relations with the Belgian King, and was the King's chief explorer of the Congo. It was on his efforts that rested the King's claim, and he asked that the King "merely lend credence to further American expansion". Belgium had no outstanding issues with America (even praising it for attacking the detested Dutch), and agreed to the proposal.

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The British would be a bit more difficult though. The British diplomats were near openly hostile to the Americans, and were generally opposed to American participation in the conference. Further complicating matters, Britain had seized the city of Lagos in early 1863 to shut down the region's slave trade. But Britain was still a pragmatic power, and with the right arguments could be persuaded. And Stanley saw two matters he would be able to extort the British over; the Pink Map and Suez.

The Portuguese, owing to their long-standing hold over Angola and Mozambique, had sought to claim the land between the two colonies, presented on a document that was known as "The Pink Map". Britain, however, saw that region as vital for a "Cape to Cairo" railway, and wanted the lands for herself. Every other power recognized the Portuguese claim, but what Stanley could offer was legitimate diplomatic cover; if America could sponsor her greatest rival, then how could the other powers deny Britain? When Stanley put support for Britain's control over Suez (against French claims) on the negotiating table, as well as "most favored nation" status in the Delta, Britain agreed to strike a deal.

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Bismarck was outraged over the deal, and America's role in the conference. Instead of being a reliable anti-British vote, on almost every issue, Britain was backed by America. Britain and America were even able to push for a larger Spanish sphere of influence in Morocco; even though Germany had excellent relations with Madrid, this was seen by Bismarck as a bridge too far. France left the conference humiliated and defeated.

Bismarck had not realized that in America, a fundamental change had occurred in the Army's politics. With Canada completely secure, the Army saw Britain as a threat to be managed, not destroyed. They felt that so long as good relations with London could be maintained, America would have little care for foreign entanglements, as no power could hope to cut off American trade on a scale that Britain could. The Navy became the primary carrier of the anti-British policy in hopes of gaining the funding to challenge the Royal Navy, but faced with the prospect of Army support for new colonies, agreed to support the conference for the time being.

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The Americans quickly went to work in claiming the Liberian countryside. There had been trade for decades between the American settlements and local chiefs; many agreed to swear fealty to Columbia in foreign policy if they were allowed to rule their own tribes as they saw fit, and if generous financial incentives were provided.

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The Balkans had long been a powder-keg of potential conflict, and the rapid decline of the Ottoman Empire had created a worsening situation. The Romanians had been the first to become independent, and in the late 1870s, Bulgaria had won their own war for independence; the north becoming a Russian influenced state, and the south was the Protectorate of Eastern Rumelia, a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire. Many of the Bulgarian leaders saw the continued Turkish occupation of what they saw as rightful Bulgarian land as an insult, and planned for action. They knew that fighting the Turks head on would be impossible, but believed that a rebellion might attract attention from the European powers. General Ivan Tsonchev, a Bulgarian hero and a former resident of Macedonia, felt that he might be the man to galvanize said rebellion.

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All throughout Macedonia, rebels rose up, but the Turks quickly responded with overwhelming force and unspeakable brutality. Southern Macedonia was subdued by 35,000 Ottoman soldiers, and there was to be an assault on Tsonchev's band in the north, but as the Turks prepared to march, armies from both Bulgaria and Serbia began to mobilize to prepare an invasion of Northern Macedonia, and the Greeks too prepared to attack, outraged at the killings of civilians in territories they claimed.

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With civilian casualties mounting and humanitarian concerns being an issue, the great powers of Europe attempted to mediate. The Kingdom of America declared its complete neutrality in the crisis, but did send an observer to a congress to be held in Munich. The Great Powers were in near universal agreement that the Ottomans should not be allowed to continue their campaign in Northern Macedonia, though Britain, France, and Germany recognized Ottoman control over the southern portion. Instead, the crisis came down to who should take the territory; Bulgaria or Serbia? Russia was the nominal guarantor of both governments, and as such, dithered in making a decision, fearful of offending one or the other.

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It was in this opening that the Austro-Hungarians made their move. They had recently been successful in prying Bosnia from the Ottomans, turning it into a vassal state, and desired further influence in the Balkans. They saw Serbia as a natural next step, and as such, sought to sow conflict between them and their "Slavic brothers" in Bulgaria. Bulgaria eagerly accepted the help, and with no power willing to fight on Serbia's behalf, Bulgaria took the contested territory to great fanfare and celebration from the local populace.

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With the crisis in Europe over, the expeditions in Africa began in earnest. The first expedition would be Warri, a strategic port in West Africa. It was situated to contest British Lagos, and would allow greater access to the densely populated Niger Delta, a highly populated area rich in resources.

The Kingdom of Warri was given an ultimatum, including the allowing of American traders, missionaries, and soldiers to have free access to the Kingdom, as well as the taking of several hostages from the royal family. Naturally, this was refused, and America declared war.


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The main fighting force for the Royal Army would be the newly formed Africa Corps. Made up of black soldiers from the South, Cuba, and Haiti, it was hoped that these soldiers would be able to serve as a positive role-model to the Africans, showing the natives "Civilized, Christian, African Americans" and as what they might aspire to be under American rule. Though some quarters of American society opposed the African Corps, both Prince Frederick and Prince Norton were enthusiastic backers of the corps, with Prince Frederick calling them "our greatest weapon in our mission to civilize Africa".

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The Warri had muskets, rifles, and cannons, benefits of trade with Portugal, but they did not have the gatling guns that the Americans would use to great effect. American commanders were impressed with how long they lasted, but after two months, Warri was forced to accepts Columbia's suzerainty. The African American soldiers acquitted themselves quite well in combat, and the Corps was determined to be an overwhelming success.

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The crown continued to receive strong political support from Protestant churches, as did the Royalist party, and in turn, agreed to give support to the political priorities of the church. Aside from opening new colonies to missionaries, the churches were also eager to gain political support for the prohibition of alcohol. The crown backed anti-drunkenness and pro-temperance campaigns, and some commonwealths passed ordinances against alcohol consumption.

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With the massive Secret Service crackdown in the East, the Sons of Liberty saw a significant decline in their membership, and the assassination of McClellan alienated some of the liberal members. The crackdown allowed for an anarchist faction, led by Benjamin Tucker, to take the leadership of the organization. Tucker decided to move the operation west in hopes of rebuilding the organization's power. Between Texas and California lay an expanse of great opportunity, and regional centers of commerce opened in Denver and Salt Lake City. The Sons felt the region would be perfectly susceptible to their influence, particularly for one reason: the Cartels.

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The West had not emerged from the past decades unscathed by the cartels. Men like Stanford and Carnegie had stolen land and cattle, and kept their mines in deplorable conditions. However, the Cartels had not fully conquered the region. There were independent banks and universities and businesses that, while not republican, could be counted on to resist the cartels at all costs. If the Sons were able to stop them, then the West would be won, and from there, a rebellion that would tear the country in half could be launched. All they needed to do was prove their strength to the people, and converts would be won.

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During the 60's, and 70's, the rail companies often employed mercenary armies who used cattle rustling to impoverish land owners and force them into selling their land. The stolen cattle were seen initially as a means to an end, but overtime cattle barons were created and integrated into various cartels, representing a significant source of wealth. The Sons decided to strike at these barons, stealing away herds of cattle in the dead of night, killing any overseers. The mercenaries were unsuspecting and were not expecting to fight an organized group. Auction houses proved to be extremely uncooperative to the barons, and though some local lawmen could be bribed to take the side of the cartels, the Sons were more than willing to assassinate any who proved to be too successful.

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The Sons recruiting efforts were quite successful. Men who had been wronged by the cartels or who had sympathy for the republican cause congregated near Denver, and were able to be initiated into the order. Others who were simply in it for the adventure, or those who saw a fortune to be made, chose not to directly join the Sons but were given supplies in order to terrorize the royalists and the cartels. Trains were robbed, kidnappings were common, and cartel-affiliated banks were robbed. It quickly became clear that the Sons had almost no control over most bands; in the words of one observer "The West had no Queen or republic; just chaos".

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With crime out of control in the west, government ministers were calling for the deployment of the Secret Service, and its leaders selected Edgar Ross to head a new office based out of Denver. Ross adeptly read the political situation quickly; the region was not yet in open rebellion, but a heavy hand could very well tilt the Rockies in that direction. He had to be careful, and with that in mind, he moved the Secret Service (a hated and feared institution) and instead relied on more traditional law enforcement units.

The Texas Rangers had long been seen as an ideal frontier police force, and by the Decree of Laredo, the Queen greatly expanded the numbers and reach of the Rangers and established a force of mounted police called "The Royal Mounted Police", nicknamed 'Mounties' by locals. The Rangers were more focused on long term build up of policing relations within frontier towns, while the Mounties were seen as a rapid reaction force; with the Secret Service supporting them in the background, these two agencies went to work, bringing both Sons and outlaws alike to the Queen's justice.

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One site of such justice was at the OK Corral in Arizona. A group of famous outlaws known as the Cowboys, allied with the Sons of Liberty, were wanted for crimes including train robbing, extortion, and murder, and were hunted down by legendary ranger Wyatt Earp and his two brothers. 30 shots were fired in 30 seconds, and by the time the smoke cleared, three Cowboys were dead, and in the subsequent days, several others were arrested. The story broke on every paper in America, and Earp became a household name.