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Hooray for the proper British gentlemen! :D Any hopes of colonizing near Alaska?
 
Chapter Three: Land, Liberty, Lockouts and the End of an Era

15th of June, 1869:

Prime Minister Andrew C. Elliot stood in all black during a rainy afternoon in Victoria. He thought back nostalgically to earlier in his term, when life seemed so much more happy and secure. Back when the biggest worries of his were the import of Lord Byron poems and Steam Engines from London. It all changed when the workers began to strike.

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The First Strike - Pocatello, 1866
A former militia leader and sheriff, Prime Minister Elliot never liked socialists. Remembering back to the Victoria Conference, he only recalls drunken workers who sought to overthrow the Crown and establish anarchy across Cascadia. Unable to tolerate them, Elliot smiled at the thought of signing the order of crushing the first strike, now being martyred as "The First Strike", in the machine parts factory in Pocatello. Elliot shuddered at the thought, dirty socialists.

Unfortunately over the next year more problems reared their ugly heads. A flu pandemic struck early 1867, to the dearth of the small population of the Dominion of Cascadia. Some of the more reactionary politicians, and by reactionary Elliot meant the Traditionalist Clique, blamed Chinese immigrants for bringing their sickness to Cascadian shores and began a campaign calling for a head tax to be enforced on the Chinese immigrants. This was aggravated by worker's rallies in Southern British Columbia advocating for the expansion of the franchise to the common worker. These rallies were allowed to occur within police oversight, as these rallies were less socialist then liberal.

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The Flu Pandemic of 1867
Over the course of his first term, Elliot had overseen the advancement of many educational advancements. He has personally proposed legislation that established a national Cascadian curricula, focusing on English, History, Biology and Mathematics. Though this curricula was opposed by the many Indian Tribes across Cascadia, the organised focus of the educational system allowed the schools to teach immigrants and get them to identity with one of the main populations of Cascadia. The establishment of the first public school system not even months later allowed this curriculum to reach a wider audience and further advance the cause of advancement in the dominion.

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The implementation of the Cascadian curricula; 1867
Idaho Socialists continued to cause problems however. Their union being highly prone to agitation, sabotage and strikes, the factory owners of Pocatello, the largest factory in Cascadia, came to decision. On March 29th 1868, workers were told they were no longer welcome at work. This caused a massive uproar to occur within the UWU and nearly caused a riot in Victoria. Balancing the needs of the state with his absolute distaste in socialists, he made a tough choice that year. He had the constubalry escort the workers back to into the factory, and had them inform the factory owners that the lockout was unconstitutional. This resulted with a hard shift to the right by the capitalist groups in Idaho, however the productivity of Cascadia's largest factory was necessary.

It seemed the only good thing to occur during the year was the flood of immigrants to Cascadia. Mostly from China and France, the population doubled by the year of 1869. This caused a number of issues, as Indians started to become radicalised due to ever increasing numbers of immigrants in British Colombia. The most interesting thing Elliot remembers was the Northern British Colombia delegation in 1868, when every elected member of parliament was an immigrant, wither from London, Paris, Kazakia, Ireland, Greece or Catalonia. Truly Cascadia is becoming the Land of Liberty.

With the funeral beginning, the Prime Minister buttoned the top of his high collar coat. The Victoria cold always cut to the bone then soaked those bones in arctic waters. Physically warmer then the Canadian Provinces, it still was a less enjoyable cold. Elliot then heaved the casket up and tried to focus on carrying the large and heavy coffin into the Church. It was always known that Sir Frederick Seymour was a sickly man, but his sudden death while visiting the Indians of Bella Coola and trying to settle land disputes between the Government and the Indians was a shock to everyone.

Head down, he remembered his friend, Sir Frederick Seymour, First Governor General of Cascadia, 6 September 1820 to 10 June 1869. Not only was a friend lost, but a defender of Cascadia itself. Elliot could only hope that the next Governor General will be as good.

 
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Should Seymour be succeeded by Musgrave, I think Cascadia is in for a period of some prosperity.
 
Found this, awesome, especially to a Canadian.
 
Chapter Four: The Beginning of a Legacy

3rd of January, 1871:

Andrew C. Elliot was sitting in his seat, contemplating the last two years since the death of Sir Frederick. Cascadia has greatly changed since then, with thoroughly overwhelming numbers of immigrants flooding into the nation. Over the last six years, for that short period has been the entirety of the current history of the Cascadian Dominion, the population has grown a little to over five times it's size. Many immigrants have come to take a British outlook on life, even though minorities were everywhere in the nation. This combined with a lack of leadership from the Crown resulted in a rather urgent message to Britain regarding the details of the arrival of the next Governor General. Their reply arrived to Prime Minister Elliot in person of Sir Anthony Musgrave, a known liberal and the next Governor General.

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Sir Anthony Musgrave, Second Governor General of the Dominion of Cascadia
Upon his arrival, he announced that the Whig party of the United Kingdom has fallen into disuse as the Whigs and free trade elements of both the Radicals and the Tories announced the creation of the Liberal Party. It was quickly decided that the Cascadian Liberal Party would be formed out of similar elements. The Whig Party was formally disestablished on the first of January, 1870.

This new party, well essentially the old party with a name change Andrew reminded himself, was quickly faced with the second Cascadian elections. With the parties now well entrenched and an ever changing voting base, some argued that the Liberals would face a greater threat then ever. Andrew would have none of that though, a whiny politician can be just as dangerous as a scared trooper, and is twice as annoying. Some said it was undue confidence, but he had faith that the Liberal party would win in the coming elections. Looking back, his opinion was almost laughable.

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The second Cascadian Elections were exceptionally calm, as voters took to the ballot stations in record numbers.
The election advanced smoothly throughout the beginning Elliot remembered. The only interesting bit of news was the denial of Dominion status to the Canadian Provinces, with British ultranationalists heading the government since the release of Cascadia no other freedoms were given to colonies or former colonies. Frankly, these ultranationalists scared Elliot, as they have proven time and again that they thought Cascadia as nothing more then a leech and a mistake.

The most interesting issue during the elections was actually concerning the franchise again. Unhappy with the weighted voting towards more landed citizens of the Dominion. Intermittent during this time were arguments between state capitalists and lassiez faire activists, open armed socialists and head tax reactionaries. However the main issue of the election remained the franchise. It was then that Elliot pulled something out of his hat, one which he knew would be controversial for the rest of his career. He motioned the remaining MPs to expand the franchise midelection. Passing by a thin margin as most of the Conservative and Reactionary MPs had gone home, Elliot in one swoop declared the middle class and landed aristocrats being the same when it came to the ballot box.

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The biggest issue of the 1870 elections
The middle class, small but politically active, was overjoyed. They swept into the polling stations in record numbers, and not just due to the exponential increase of population. With all this occurring, the ever present socialist strikes in Pocatello and Southern BC were largely ignore, much to the happiness of Elliot. He enjoyed it when he could order strikes to break up without impromptu accusations of police states, dictatorships and repressions by that thoroughly overengorged socialist faction of Cascadian politics.

He didn't actually understand at first the repercussions of his action. As the reports came in, the entire House of Commons began to become quiet. Vancouver Island, Liberal victory. Okanogan, Seattle, Spokane, Portland, Prince Rupert, Baker City, Klamath Falls, the list went on and on and on. The only Conservative victory ironically was in Pocatello, where the local populace were tired of the endless parade of socialist strikes. There was recount after recount, but all declared the same. The Liberals won with a 95.5% of the vote.

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The 1870 Election result; Liberal domination
Prime Minister Andrew C. Elliot, the first second termer in Cascadian history rose to swear his oath. A dynasty was being formed, a legacy of his own creation. The Cascadian Liberal Party will come to dominate, to represent Cascadian politics. He knows it.

_____________________________________

((Note: I have a question to all of you, should I stay the course with this British primary culture, or should I try again in creating a Cascadian culture? Thanks))
 
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Great update as always. :) On the culture issue: I would like a Cascadian culture, but if it's too much or it doesn't work, than I'm fine with British-but Cascadian would be fun. ;)
 
The Liberals didn't form until 1870? That's incredibly late! Glad to see a victory for the left, in any case. Liberals in power are always a good thing. ;)

As for culture, do have a go if you feel up to it, though don't feel a special culture is a necessity should efforts prove fruitless.
 
Great update.

And what are the consequences of creating a Cascadian culture as opposed to remaining British?

It'd mean if I had a Residency right after I switched to Cascadian I would have 0 voters. Other then that it would simply create a melting pot culture for all the minorities (a fifth of the nation abouts) to enter.
 
Where did you get landed aristocracy? :p

The Aristocracy is made up primarily of Anglicised First Nations, other then that it's mostly a capitalist vote.
 
Chapter Five: A Change in the Wind

August 6th, 1876:

The Prime Minister waited patiently as the rambunctious House of Commons continued to argue and shout about items of both important and farcical in nature. He sighed, something he noticed the late Sir Frederick do alot, at the actions of the red bench, an engorged organ of uppity illiterate workers and drunken students who think that by stealing from the communal wallet of Cascadia that all miseries will go away. Ironic, since that bench has been a large source of his misery for quite a few years. Indeed, the establishment of their more radical wing, the Revolutionary Worker's Front, and giving the Communist wing a vote did nothing more then make him irritated at his predicament. The third most powerful position in Cascadia, behind Her Majesty the Queen and Governor General Musgrave, he could still not convince these idiots of their follies.

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Formation of the Communists Faction in Cascadia; 1872
Indeed, the entirety of 1872 was marked with discontent. The Oregon and Northern British Columbia factories failed, leaving thousands unemployed across Cascadia. Strikes in Idaho and a newly created suffragette movement in Southern British Columbia only added to the discontent with the government. It wasn't loud and it didn't strike suddenly, as that was not the proper British and Cascadian way. This discontent with the liberals was slow and deliberate, like a flood. It continued throughout the years, even past the first major crackdown of Communists in Portland.

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The crackdown on Communists in Portland; 1872
Over the course of his first term, Elliot had overseen the advancement of many educational advancements. He has personally proposed legislation that established a national Cascadian curricula, focusing on English, History, Biology and Mathematics. Though this curricula was opposed by the many Indian Tribes across Cascadia, the organised focus of the educational system allowed the schools to teach immigrants and get them to identity with one of the main populations of Cascadia. The establishment of the first public school system not even months later allowed this curriculum to reach a wider audience and further advance the cause of advancement in the dominion.

The years up to the '75 elections were marked by a quiet change in the wind. He could feel it, but couldn't put his finger on what it was. Except for a minor expansion in the Cascadian Navy and the Cascadian Militia, expanding the navy to add another commerce raider and bringing the standing armed forces of Cascadia from three thousand to six thousand not much was exceptional. Minor debts and the failure of the Washington factory notwithstanding. The only major occurrence was another wave of reaction in the Yankee electorate, as capitalists saw the free trade and lassiez faire attitudes of the Liberal Party not enough to defend the factories and their investments.

The 1875 elections were not as rowdy as they usually turned out to be. The establishment of the Liberal Party and the people's loyalty to it meant that truly everyone understood who was going to win before the ballot boxes returned. The only notice of interest was the first growth in Conservative and Reactionary votes since the first election in 1865. The most important, and most damning, was the simmering discontent felt earlier. Liberal backbenchers openly whispered at his decisions and began to speak against the British ideals that the Liberal Party espoused, those primarily of free trade, lassiez faire and pro military. Andrew remembered trying to calm them down by investing in a stronger education system and by investing time and effort into bringing commercial ideas of business from the continent to Cascadia. Andrew did feel confident at that time, after all he was on his third term at the head of the most powerful and dominant party in Cascadia.

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Ad placed in the British cartoon Punch! over the split in their dominion, names of all parties seemed to be mistaken due to lack of communication between Cascadia and the Crown during this time
This divide grew until the early morning of Feburary 8th, 1876 when fifty two members backbenchers, disgusted at the closure of the last factory in Cascadia, none other then the Pocatello Machine Parts Factory, declared the formation of the National Democratic Party. It would espouse truly Cascadian ideals, and rely on the strength of this new dominion and not on the ideals of the Old Country. They were to be Cascadians, no longer British only! This scandal combined with the release of the Dominion of Canada at long last convinced the new National Democrats that they were no longer the favourite child of the Crown and as such must be self sustaining on their own.

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The National Democratic Party and it's ideals
Taking a deep breath, and noticing the National Democrats and the Socialists have finally shut their gob, Andrew stood up to address the lower house.

Gentlemen, I have failed. As a leader, as a Briton and as a member of this Dominion. Truly the discontent with my rule over the last few years has boiled into nothing less then a split in the Liberal Party. I am sad that such an occurrence had been blessed enough to happen during my administration. I am hear to announce my immediate retirement from politics and my stepping down as Prime Minister of the Dominion of Cascadia. The introduction of this "Cascadian" culture is too new for an old man like me, and it is now being viewed as my fault that Cascadian industry has failed.

....

Well now the people will have a new choice not available before. I have spoken to Governor General Musgrave and he has agreed to begin new elections. I thank you.
Portion of the resignation address of Prime Minister Elliot; 1865-1876
Andrew stepped down, both physically and metaphorically, at that moment and felt a weight off his chest. No longer badgered by fools, he looked forward to going home. He wondered idly what the next Prime Minister will face as he pushed towards his carriage.
 
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