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The Kings of America (1844-1848)
Despite being dismissed initially as a "Catholic power", the Kingdom of America did look to create some closer ties with Brazil. American efforts at forging closer ties with Brazilian nobility eventually led to an alliance, and Brazil being added into the American sphere of influence.
The election of 1844 turned into a crisis for the Knights of Columbia. The party was riveted by internal divisions; there were many who supported Manifest Destiny, but others were worried that the North would push for only including new free commonwealths. Others became increasingly frustrated at the higher tariffs, and wanted them to be lowered. Others felt that with the expansion of the vote, the Knights were de facto unelectable. Polk argued that expansion of the Kingdom should come at all costs, and found allies within the Grand Party; after several defections of Knights to the cause of the Whigs, Polk threw his lot in with the Grand Party and lead their candidates in the South.
After significant preparations, and quite a bit of expense, the long awaited coronation arrived. On July 4th, 1844 at 12 PM, Charlotte was proclaimed Her Royal Majesty, Charlotte Augusta von Hohenzollern, By Grace of God, Queen of America, Lady of Columbia, and Defender of the Faith. Thousands of American subjects came to wish her well. Many newspapers noted the fact that Charlotte was America's first native born Queen, and the first to speak unaccented English.
Upon taking the throne, Queen Charlotte and Prince Julius had initially planned to take a tour of the Kingdom after their coronation, but due to ongoing elections, the government advised the couple to remain in Columbia. This was a source of some frustration for the Queen; Columbia was only a city of some 50,000 people, and was rather spartan, comparable more to Berlin than Paris. As Crown Princess, Charlotte had spent a good amount of time in New York and Charleston,; cities with modern architecture, a thriving social scene, and treasured cultural institutions such as orchestras and ballets.
Determined to make Columbia a capital worthy of America's imperial ambitions, the Queen asked Congress for funds for three major improvements. First, was the White Palace; King Augustus II had invested some resources after the original palace had been sacked by the British, but it was much smaller than contemporary European palaces, a fact the Queen wished to remedy. The second would be the construction of several monuments. Prince Julius had toured Bavaria before coming to America, and was highly impressed by King Ludwig's Walhalla pantheon to German heroes. The first proposed memorial would be to America's first King, Henry. Finally, funds would be needed to create the staples of a modern capital; opera houses, theaters, and parks. Congress approved a large budget for the projects, and the Queen would supplement these with her own incomes from plantations and factories she owned; she would also use her funds to encourage artists, dancers, and singers from England, Germany, and France to emigrate to her court.
Aside from cultural immigrants, America attracted thousands of craftsmen, farmers, and laborers who were seeking new lives across the Atlantic. In particular, Ireland became a major source of migrants as they dealt with longstanding British oppression. Jobs were plentiful, but many were forced to deal with the anti-Catholic sentiment that was prevalent in the Kingdom.
As a part of Polk's shift in policies, tariffs were lowered significantly, and the government looked to remove itself from meddling directly in industrial policy. Though some factories were shut down due to lack of government subsidies, many others began to thrive. The rich and politically well connected were able to benefit greatly from these policies, and the lower tariffs served as a reprieve for many artisans who had previously suffered. However, the situation meant that daily income was in the negative, and would eat away at government reserves for some time.
One major ask that several captains of industry had were the rollback of union rights. Polk, notoriously pro-slavery, was amenable to the cause of rolling back workers rights. The cabinet was divided though, between the Southern faction (led by Polk) who supported the rollback and the Northern faction (led by Deputy Prime Minister Dallas) who was sympathetic to the cause of the capitalists but feared that an outright rollback would see mass defections to the Whigs. Dallas appealed to the Queen behind the scenes, who made it clear that she would veto any outright ban on unions, and so the government decided to pass the version Dallas advocated instead.
The election of 1844 was a stunning victory for The Grand Party, but a personally weakening one for Polk. The division of the Knights of Columbia had delivered most of the Deep South to the Whigs, though thankfully for his own prospects, Virginia (and to an extent, North Carolina) was saved. However, Polk doubted he would be able to win a vote of confidence; Dallas had been his most reliable ambassador for the Northern faction, and made it clear he wanted to serve as Prime Minister. Without enough votes, Polk relayed to the Queen that she would likely need to form a new government from one of the Grand Party's Northern Congressmen.
The Queen invited several Congressmen to the White Palace what sort of government could potentially take form. Aside from Polk, there were three major players; Stephen Douglas of Illinois, James Buchanan of Pennsylvania, and George Dallas, also of Pennsylvania. Each of the three were significant (and bitter) enough rivals that even though they had dominated the election of 1840, Polk was able to become Prime Minister due to their unwillingness to compromise.
Stephen Douglas was a leader in the rising "Young America" movement and had significant support in the West due to his stance on low tariffs. He supported the policy of American expansion, kept quiet on slavery, and most importantly, did not have However, the movement also had anti-aristocratic undertones; undertones the Queen worried could spill over into republicanism. Douglas was invited to the White Palace for an audience with the Queen but the "Little Giant" (as he was known) made a poor impression of the Queen, who preferred the deference Polk and Dallas typically showed.
James Buchanan emerged as a likely compromise pick for the Queen. He was in Pennsylvania and a major rival for power to Dallas. He had served as Polk's Foreign Secretary, and was known to be highly sympathetic to the institution of slavery. He had strong monarchist credentials, and many Southerners (even those who had defected to the Whigs) privately signaled that Buchanan would be preferable to Dallas or Douglas.
However, personal rivalries between Dallas and Buchanan would come into play. The two men disliked one another, and they lead rival factions in Pennsylvania's local parliament. Buchanan controlled the western portion of the commonwealth, while Dallas controlled the eastern. Dallas felt that Buchanan taking power would swing the balance of power decisively in Buchanan's favor, and reached out to Polk, offering to serve again as Deputy Prime Minister. Polk reached out to Buchanan, who was willing to support Polk again, so long as this would be his last term and that he would retain low tariffs. Congressmen from Virginia and the South were more than willing to support Polk, and with all of Pennsylvania supporting him, the rest of the Grand Party quickly coalesced behind him. Polk relayed that a new coalition could be formed, and the Queen formally asked him to make a government on January 8th.
A major fire broke out in New York City, burning away several colonial era buildings. Queen Charlotte and Prince Julius earned high marks in the press for organizing a quick response, donating $35,000 to the rebuilding efforts and working with Congress to sponsor further efforts to rebuild America's largest city.
Queen Charlotte would soon after take her first overseas visit. Frederick Wilhelm IV of Prussia, a Romanticist, was only four years into his reign, and had rebuilt relations with America; he felt the destinies of their two countries were linked through the family that ruled them both. For her part, Queen Charlotte hoped to continue maintaining positive relations with the European Great Powers, and was hopeful that in Prussia she might be able to entice some musicians to move to her court.
A major moment in American history came with the Republic of Texas seeking annexation into America. For nearly a decade, many Americans had actually emigrated to Texas, idolizing its republican government and cheap land. However, the Texan government had to content with the dangerous Mexican army on the Nueces, and by maintaining enough forces to counter them, Texas had descended into bankruptcy twice. Many settlers became increasingly worried, and anti-monarchist voices were drowned out by the pragmatists; better to be ruled by a Protestant Queen than occupied by a Catholic dictator. They offered oaths of loyalty to Queen Charlotte Augusta, and she accepted them on the 25th of February.
The move created a massive crisis in diplomatic relations with Mexico. The Queen had long been hearing from her advisers that a war with Mexico was necessary, and she agreed. She ordered troops to Texas under the command of Winfield Scott and Daniel von Ziegler to stave off any Mexican attack. Foreign Minister Buchanan delivered an ultimatum for the immediate handover of several Mexican territories to American authorities. After receiving three refusals from the Mexican government, Buchanan delivered the Queen's declaration of war.
Even as America engaged in one war, another crisis emerged to the North. Britain and America were locked in confrontation over Oregon county (called Columbia by the British). Both nations had claims that overlapped with the other, and tense negotiations had followed. However, the Queen knew that war with Mexico and Britain would be too much for America and ordered negotiations with Britain. Buchanan and Polk worked with their opposite numbers, drowning out calls for "54 40 or Fight!" and instead settled a compromise that would bring the Puget Sound under American rule.
Early March and April were quiet on the war front, with minor occupations taking up much of the time. However, a response was needed when Mexican forces under General Joaquin Corona launched an invasion of Texas. General Scott and von Ziegler met the Mexican forces at the Second Battle of San Antonio.
General Corona had invaded from the west, while American forces were forced to pull back from Laredo to fight the invasion. The Americans had the superiority in numbers, however, Corona was able to use the Nueces river to his advantage. Further, Mexican artillery crews had superior training, and modern equipment, while the American equipment was generally a bit more dated.
The battle lasted for nearly a week, and ultimately, Scott and von Ziegler were successful in repelling the Mexican forces, and immediately launched a counter attack on Corona's retreating forces.
The election of 1844 was a stunning victory for The Grand Party, but a personally weakening one for Polk. The division of the Knights of Columbia had delivered most of the Deep South to the Whigs, though thankfully for his own prospects, Virginia (and to an extent, North Carolina) was saved. However, Polk doubted he would be able to win a vote of confidence; Dallas had been his most reliable ambassador for the Northern faction, and made it clear he wanted to serve as Prime Minister. Without enough votes, Polk relayed to the Queen that she would likely need to form a new government from one of the Grand Party's Northern Congressmen.
The Queen invited several Congressmen to the White Palace what sort of government could potentially take form. Aside from Polk, there were three major players; Stephen Douglas of Illinois, James Buchanan of Pennsylvania, and George Dallas, also of Pennsylvania. Each of the three were significant (and bitter) enough rivals that even though they had dominated the election of 1840, Polk was able to become Prime Minister due to their unwillingness to compromise.
Stephen Douglas was a leader in the rising "Young America" movement and had significant support in the West due to his stance on low tariffs. He supported the policy of American expansion, kept quiet on slavery, and most importantly, did not have However, the movement also had anti-aristocratic undertones; undertones the Queen worried could spill over into republicanism. Douglas was invited to the White Palace for an audience with the Queen but the "Little Giant" (as he was known) made a poor impression of the Queen, who preferred the deference Polk and Dallas typically showed.
James Buchanan emerged as a likely compromise pick for the Queen. He was in Pennsylvania and a major rival for power to Dallas. He had served as Polk's Foreign Secretary, and was known to be highly sympathetic to the institution of slavery. He had strong monarchist credentials, and many Southerners (even those who had defected to the Whigs) privately signaled that Buchanan would be preferable to Dallas or Douglas.
However, personal rivalries between Dallas and Buchanan would come into play. The two men disliked one another, and they lead rival factions in Pennsylvania's local parliament. Buchanan controlled the western portion of the commonwealth, while Dallas controlled the eastern. Dallas felt that Buchanan taking power would swing the balance of power decisively in Buchanan's favor, and reached out to Polk, offering to serve again as Deputy Prime Minister. Polk reached out to Buchanan, who was willing to support Polk again, so long as this would be his last term and that he would retain low tariffs. Congressmen from Virginia and the South were more than willing to support Polk, and with all of Pennsylvania supporting him, the rest of the Grand Party quickly coalesced behind him. Polk relayed that a new coalition could be formed, and the Queen formally asked him to make a government on January 8th.
A major fire broke out in New York City, burning away several colonial era buildings. Queen Charlotte and Prince Julius earned high marks in the press for organizing a quick response, donating $35,000 to the rebuilding efforts and working with Congress to sponsor further efforts to rebuild America's largest city.
Queen Charlotte would soon after take her first overseas visit. Frederick Wilhelm IV of Prussia, a Romanticist, was only four years into his reign, and had rebuilt relations with America; he felt the destinies of their two countries were linked through the family that ruled them both. For her part, Queen Charlotte hoped to continue maintaining positive relations with the European Great Powers, and was hopeful that in Prussia she might be able to entice some musicians to move to her court.
A major moment in American history came with the Republic of Texas seeking annexation into America. For nearly a decade, many Americans had actually emigrated to Texas, idolizing its republican government and cheap land. However, the Texan government had to content with the dangerous Mexican army on the Nueces, and by maintaining enough forces to counter them, Texas had descended into bankruptcy twice. Many settlers became increasingly worried, and anti-monarchist voices were drowned out by the pragmatists; better to be ruled by a Protestant Queen than occupied by a Catholic dictator. They offered oaths of loyalty to Queen Charlotte Augusta, and she accepted them on the 25th of February.
The move created a massive crisis in diplomatic relations with Mexico. The Queen had long been hearing from her advisers that a war with Mexico was necessary, and she agreed. She ordered troops to Texas under the command of Winfield Scott and Daniel von Ziegler to stave off any Mexican attack. Foreign Minister Buchanan delivered an ultimatum for the immediate handover of several Mexican territories to American authorities. After receiving three refusals from the Mexican government, Buchanan delivered the Queen's declaration of war.
Even as America engaged in one war, another crisis emerged to the North. Britain and America were locked in confrontation over Oregon county (called Columbia by the British). Both nations had claims that overlapped with the other, and tense negotiations had followed. However, the Queen knew that war with Mexico and Britain would be too much for America and ordered negotiations with Britain. Buchanan and Polk worked with their opposite numbers, drowning out calls for "54 40 or Fight!" and instead settled a compromise that would bring the Puget Sound under American rule.
Early March and April were quiet on the war front, with minor occupations taking up much of the time. However, a response was needed when Mexican forces under General Joaquin Corona launched an invasion of Texas. General Scott and von Ziegler met the Mexican forces at the Second Battle of San Antonio.
General Corona had invaded from the west, while American forces were forced to pull back from Laredo to fight the invasion. The Americans had the superiority in numbers, however, Corona was able to use the Nueces river to his advantage. Further, Mexican artillery crews had superior training, and modern equipment, while the American equipment was generally a bit more dated.
The battle lasted for nearly a week, and ultimately, Scott and von Ziegler were successful in repelling the Mexican forces, and immediately launched a counter attack on Corona's retreating forces.
The Battle of Laredo was successful in breaking much of the Mexican Army, though Corona's skilled tactics caused significant casualties to the American forces. The Queen and the American public were kept aware of the war through war correspondents and telegraphs, and while Scott was noted as a hero, privately many expressed worry of how many casualties he suffered. Von Ziegler though was near universally praised for his bravery, even capturing a standard of the Mexican Army while charging their artillery positions. Scott needed to retreat back to Texas to reinforce his positions, while von Ziegler was sent to reinforce General Taylor.
In the West, it was determined that quick action would be needed to ensure the Mexicans did not look to seize the region. New forts were reinforced, and the region was renamed after one of America's first heroes; Washington. Thankfully, a rebellion in Mexican California ensured that their forces were tied down, giving America enough time to reinforce the region.
At sea, the Royal Navy under Admiral Shubrick was successful in destroying much of Mexico's ramshackle navy. America would for the rest of the war blockade Mexico with impunity.
As Winfield Scott's star suffered some tarnishing, Zachary Taylor's began to shine. Von Ziegler commanded the American cavalry, which led the numerically superior Mexicans into a trap where Taylor's artillery was set up. The Mexican forces, most of which were made of conscripts and had no artillery support, were slaughtered, losing over 15,000 men in the battle.
Corona attempted a second invasion of Texas, again at San Antonio, but General Ambrose Connor was there to check his advance. Corona again inflicted major casualties on the Americans, but without artillery, his invasion again fell flat.
Taylor did suffer significant casualties in the Second Battle of Acuna, and the Mexicans fought incredibly bravely. However, the lack of artillery continued hampering their forces, and Taylor won yet another significant victory, in a major blow to Mexican morale.
The last major battle of the Mexican-American war would be the Battle of Albuquerque. Corona had at this point established himself as a hero of the Mexican side, who had inflicted significant casualties on the Yankee invaders. He was responsible for gathering a large amount of Mexico's newest conscripts and launching a final attack on America. He wanted to swing west to first expel the American forces in New Mexico, where he was met by the inexperienced General Cyrus Banks. However, Corona was completely caught off-guard and Banks was able to hold on to a victory over the Mexican forces. As the California rebellion came to a close, it seemed both sides were ready to make peace.
In the midst of the war, a major court case emerged as Dread Scott, a slave brought into the North, sued for his freedom, arguing that the law of the commonwealth he was in barred slavery. The court was divided narrowly and was subject to intense lobbying from both Polk and Buchanan on behalf of Sandford. The two convinced the court, but the backlash was severe; many in the North were outraged, and Buchanan's political base came under fierce attack from his constituents once his role in the plot was revealed. Many politicians felt that Buchanan, who would likely have succeeded Polk in the next election, was now politically finished.
Much of the worry came over the fact that the North felt that this would be the first step for slavery becoming legal in the entire Kingdom, and as a direct result of the court case, a new political party broke from both the Grand Party and the Whigs called "The Free Soil Party", dedicated to ensuring that slavery would not extend any further.
Massive amounts of land were ceded to America, giving the Kingdom unprecedented access to the Pacific Coast. A small payment was given to Mexico as compensation, and when the treaty went to a vote, only a few rabidly anti-war Whigs were willing to vote against it.
From the American western ports, an expedition was sent to Japan under Commodore Perry, a war hero from the Battle of the Yucatan Sea and one of the highest ranking American flag officers. He forced Japan's opening to American merchants, becoming a major hero in the American press and giving the Kingdom significant amounts of prestige.
Overseas, the Kingdom of France and the German states, led by Austria and Prussia, were engaged in the Rhine Crisis. The French started the war confidently, but without their Russian allies, they found themselves quickly overwhelmed. France was forced to surrender Alsace-Lorraine, and the Austrains continued the war in hopes of further breaking the French and extracting reparations.
American power and prestige seemed to be at such a high point, that many of her subjects began questioning if resistance could ever achieve anything. The governor of Puerto Rico reported that after the Mexican War, the streets of San Juan were much quieter, and it was hoped that this would be a long term trend.
With France's humiliating defeat to Prussia and the war with Austria continuing, many in France were discontent with the monarchy. A revolution occurred, and a Second Republic was established.
The Grand Party suffered greatly with the emergence of the Free Soil Party. There is a palpable fear among many Grand Party partisans that were the anti-slavery Whigs to join with the Free Soil Party, they would likely take the election.
The Great Powers; Austria and France are at war still, and America is considered the second greatest power in the world, though primarily due to our prestige. We have finally surpassed Belgium in terms of economic power, and are close to France, but Prussia is likely to hold the second rank in industry for some time. Military wise, we have free slots, and are close to actually challenging the British.
American population density; New York is our largest city even after the fire.
Our economy; our captialists are rather foolish it seems on where they open their factories (we have an ammunition factory in Montana) but we are seeing quite a bit of profit it seems now, so I'm willing to back off on the industrial control that I had previously exerted.
As the elections are soon to be going underway, Queen Charlotte Augusta I has called the Royal Conference of 1848, to help determine American grand strategy for the coming years. We have achieved our primary goal of taking out Mexico's holdings north of the Rio Grande, and we have a variety of options to go for in the coming years.
As the elections are soon to be going underway, Queen Charlotte Augusta I has called the Royal Conference of 1848, to help determine American grand strategy for the coming years. We have achieved our primary goal of taking out Mexico's holdings north of the Rio Grande, and we have a variety of options to go for in the coming years.
That, and our lack of tariffs I believe. I didn't want to keep appointing my own Prime Ministers and have the militancy rise too high
Nice to see the Kingdom of America is doing well. Lets hope no secessionist, Republicans or any other faction that could start a civil war don’t ruin the fun.
Quick question that isn’t related to the gameplay, but does this guy in particular still exist as part of the royal family?
Here I present our (future hopefully) glorious Emperor of these United States and Protector of Mexico, Emperor Norton.
Seriously though, I kind of want to see him appear in this AAR as the queen’s heir or something. That would be great!
Quick question that isn’t related to the gameplay, but does this guy in particular still exist as part of the royal family?
Here I present our (future hopefully) glorious Emperor of these United States and Protector of Mexico, Emperor Norton.
Seriously though, I kind of want to see him appear in this AAR as the queen’s heir or something. That would be great!
All hail Emperor Norton, Duke of California, Baron of San Francisco!Nice to see the Kingdom of America is doing well. Lets hope no secessionist, Republicans or any other faction that could start a civil war don’t ruin the fun.
Quick question that isn’t related to the gameplay, but does this guy in particular still exist as part of the royal family?
Here I present our (future hopefully) glorious Emperor of these United States and Protector of Mexico, Emperor Norton.
Seriously though, I kind of want to see him appear in this AAR as the queen’s heir or something. That would be great!
Oh god XD I have to admit, I have seen some recreations of his uniform, and it does look rather snazzy...I'll keep it in mind
The Kings of America (1848-1852)
The year started quite positive for America; the birth of a young baby boy, named Frederick Augustus Charles Julius von Hohenzollern-Glücksburg. The country celebrated the birth of the young prince, and the monarchy's popularity increased significantly.
As Polk's term came closer to an end, he did look for additional achievements for his own personal legacy. One such idea was the elimination of the Kingdom's minimum wage laws, which many capitalists and aristocrats saw as "completely unnecessary". The Queen would in fact benefit financially were she to agree to the law, but felt that the political damage to the monarchy would be significant. Despite the bill passing through Congress, the Queen used her royal veto, and the proposed changes were stopped.
Initially, California had been targeted for the opportunity to gain Pacific ports, but in early 1848 gold was discovered in Coloma and then steadily throughout California, bringing a mass rush of people to the region. The gold provided a boost to American funds and was a huge aspect in encouraging people to immigrate to America; between 1848 and 1852, America's population grew by nearly 1 million adult men.
Major anti-French sentiment permeated through the royal court in the 1840s due to their War on the Rhine against Prussia; most American courtiers were actually either born in Prussia or born to Prussian parents, and their sympathies lay with them. But with France falling to revolution once more, it became an ideological crisis as well. There was a strong sentiment that France needed to be expelled from the Caribbean, if not the Americas entirely, especially while their military was weak. Charlotte agreed with her advisers, and instructed Polk to declare war on France. France's allies in the Papacy and San Marino came to France's defense.
However, before funding was fully secured for the Navy (a necessary aspect to ensure America could fight France on even terms), Polk was forced to negotiate with the Northerners, both Whig and Grand Party, who were under pressure back home from abolitionists to end wars for slave soil. Normally against a power like Venezuela or Nicaragua, the navy's funding at peacetime was fine, but now that there was a need for funding, the Northerners were put in a spot where they could force through some demands. They wanted it agreed to that no slave commonwealth aside from Texas would be created from the Mexican cession. Polk, as a slaveholder himself, was reluctant, but was ultimately convinced by General Zachary Taylor; Taylor saw that the cession would not be conductive to a plantation economy, and that slave-holding interests there would often be outvoted, even if slavery was legal in the territory. The war funding bill was tied together with the "Act of 1848" which would prohibit slave states from the Mexican cession and was passed with only three votes to spare. Southerners were outraged, but party whips were able to keep enough of the votes in line to ensure the compromise's ultimate success.
Almost immediately, the French sought to offer half of their Caribbean possessions. America declined the offer though, determined to hold out for an offer of the entire French Caribbean.
The war with France and the Papacy inflamed anti-Catholic sentiments further. Previously, it had been seen a positive aspect of American policy by the crown, but by 1848 it seemed increasingly untenable; 25% of American subjects were Catholic, and thousands more had come to America. On November 20th, a Catholic general strike was called, shutting down several businesses in New York and Central America. Many of the strikers soon turned violent, and even with war against France, she would need to bring an army to quell the violence and force the strikers back to work, lest it turn to outright rebellion.
John Joseph Hughes, a Bishop in New York, had long fought to integrate Catholics both from Europe and Latin America into America during a tense period. And at this moment, he saw that there could be a moment to show Catholic loyalty to the crown. He knew that anti-Papism was running rampant due to the war and called for a "breaking" with "misguided elements in Rome." He acted to diffuse the strike and Catholic leaders in America assured the Queen of their loyalty; in turn, the crown moved to tamper down anti-Catholic laws and government promoted anti-Catholic propaganda (but could not stop private individuals from doing so). Most Catholics refused to serve in the military during the war, and though they returned to work, many did so with an increased recognition of their strength in America.
Thankfully, the war did not last too long. The French offered their entire Caribbean holdings in exchange for peace, and after much deliberation, the Queen decided she wanted to accept. The French remained in Guinea and a small island in Canada, but it was determined that furthering the war for those minor possessions would be foolish. The Treaty of Porto was signed, and America annexed the islands. However, it was rather generous; France was paid for the islands, and some French aristocrats were allowed to keep their lands if they swore allegiance to the American crown (many of whom did, having no desire to return to Republican France). The rest of the lands were divided among the eager Southerners. After six months of conflict, America could proudly have declared to now have bested two world powers in less than 15 years.
The war would have unintended consequences though for France; Louis Napoleon Bonaparte was able to use the military defeats of France to show that the country needed strength, and was able to become President of the Republic with an increase in executive power.
The elections in 1849 were surprisingly calm. The victories over France and Mexico were huge boons to the Grand Party,, and though they lost some voters to the Free Soil Party, the Whigs had lost even more. Most states were easily carried by The Grand Party, who then went into internal negotiations to nominate a Prime Minister.
The party's Northern and Southern wings came into negotiations each feeling wronged under Polk. The Northerners were furious that every Prime Minister since Jackson had been a Southerner, and insisted a Northerner was chosen for the position. For the Southerners, it was absolutely imperative that the Prime Minister would be publicly committed to slavery's expansion; even the slave holding Polk had betrayed them with the Act of 1848 and they were determined to not see that repeated.
A compromise candidate emerged in Lewis Cass of Michigan. He was perhaps America's most well-qualified nominee, having served as a Governor, Congressman, soldier, War Secretary, and Foreign Secretary. He had support of the Western wing due to his experience fighting natives in Michigan, and benefited greatly from the fall of grace of Stephen Douglas. An unabashed monarchist and nationalist, he won support from the Queen. And when he made the 'Rio Grande Declaration' to Southern Congressmen declaring that any new lands added south of Texas would "without exception be slave commonwealths"
One country that noticed America's increasing power was her dynastic kin in Prussia. She offered an alliance, but Queen Charlotte hesitated; the crisis over Schleswig-Holstein had brought Denmark, ruled by the Queen's brother in law, in conflict with Prussia and it ultimately had the effect of placing the region under joint Austro-Prussian control. The situation had infuriated Prince Julius, and he lobbied aggressively against the pact.
Further complicating the idea of an alliance was the political situation in Europe. Austria was suppressing a rebellion in Hungary and Italy, while Prussia's hold over Alscae-Lorraine near guaranteed conflict between she and France in the future. Despite much pro-Prussian sentiment at court, Queen Charlotte rejected the alliance determined (for now) to keep America out of European affairs.
After the election, Prime Minister Cass recognized the need for new slave commonwealths, and with much of Venezuela under American occupation, it seemed only natural that they would be ripe for annexation. War was declared, and Venezuela's resistance quickly crumbled with no allies and only 3,000 men under arms.
As part of the efforts to keep Southerners appeased, Prime Minister Cass made moves to reduce interference from Columbia in the South. Pro-slavery agitators such as the Fire Eaters and the Knights of the Golden Circle were given free reign to operate, in hopes that it might temper Southern thoughts of secession.
After the Second Venezuela War, Venezuela was fully annexed into the Kingdom of America, and reorganized into three slave commonwealths, balancing the addition of Texas and California as free commonwealths.
Catholicism was not the only religion that faced hardship in America. A church whose followers were known as Mormons saw intense backlash to their faith, and they were chased from New York, Ohio, and Illinois. Eventually they decided to move west to Utah, their leader Brigham Young believing that Utah's isolation would ensure the Mormons could practice their faith freely. Most settlers passed by Utah though, determined to make their way to California.
By 1851, California had surpassed over 100,000 people, and gold had completely taken over its economy. Trade was incredibly lucrative, and many fortunes were made overnight. Others decided to make their fortune off of the miners, providing services and trade. It was joked that a new plutocrat ascended in America each week, and that three of every four was from California.
The victory over France was at last celebrated with a grand parade in Columbia in 1851. Captured French flags and standards were proudly displayed, and even though France had not been in its strongest state when it fought, it was still considered a great victory.
At long last, after much insistence by her advisers, Queen Charlotte declared war on Colombia, in hopes of seizing Panama. America called Brazil into the conflict, while Colombia had an alliance with Bolivia.
Landings were conducted in Panama while Colombain and Bolivian forces fought the Brazilian forces to the south. So far, no major battles have happened yet, and America is considering forming another expeditionary force to further support the war for Panama. As 1852 comes to a close, Prime Minister Cass feels strongly that he has an excellent case for re-election so long as the Panama War goes smoothly.
The political situation of America. Secret ballots have been instituted and there is active talk of reducing conscription time from two years to one, or even of eliminating the draft altogether. The political reforms have done much to bring people to America, and we are the most prominent immigration destination!
America's budget plan is looking strong, especially with our large increase in population. Thankfully, we have enough money so that we do not need to tax our capitalists. This ensures they can use their money to invest in factories, allowing the overall productivity of the nation to increase. The aristocracy has used their windfall to become patrons of the growing "American school" of painting.
In technology, we're focusing still on industry, but America is now focused on culture, specifically education related technologies. After we finish those, we'll probably look to focus on the railroad industry.
Detailed look at the scores of the great powers: we are neck and neck with France on economy, but Prussia has pulled ahead considerably on that front. We are behind on military too, but we're actually surprisingly close in strength to Britain!
Population breakdown; New York is by far the most populous state, and the most populated slave state (Hispaniola) does not even break into the top 5. No wonder Freedom of Womb is supported by so many. America is currently locked in a three party struggle between the Free Soil Party, the Whigs, and The Grand Party. The Knights of Columbia are generally a spent force.
Not even China has more slaves than we do!
The divisions between slave and free will surely be getting greater though, with each Carribean acquisition.
The Kings of America (1852-1860)
The Battle of Yaviza was actually the largest of the war. Winfield Scott, battle hardened from Mexico though, was more than prepared to defeat the Colombian forces that were mostly conscripted. With General von Ziegler commanding a devestating cavalry charge, the Colombians were force to retreat to Quibdo, with the Royal Army in rapid pursuit.
After General Scott's victory at Qubido, Colombia's standing armies were mostly in shambles. This would mark the last outright confrontation between the two armies, and Colombia was forced to defend itself for the rest of the war with hit and run tactics to minimal success.
At home, Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was released to critical and popular acclaim. It depicted the horrors of slavery, and galvanized Northern opinion against the Colombian War, with many seeing it as a war to expand this "horrid institution" even further. The Queen herself read the book and actually became increasingly sympathetic towards the anti-slavery cause. She decided to end any break up of families on her own plantations. However, going so far as to free her slaves was out of the question, as many Southerners would see that as an intensely hostile act.
In response to Uncle Tom's Cabin and continued Whig and Free Soil opposition to the war, Prime Minister Cass gave a speech to Parliament, denouncing the "winds of change for the sake of change" and lionized the American military and its continued success. It did not completely stem the anti-war tide, but it did much to hold back some of the flood gates.
By August, Colombia was forced to sue for peace, ceding the very valuable land in Panama. It was lauded as a major victory by the Crown, and following the war, several companies have invested in land speculation in hopes of profiting from a possible canal in the region.
After the war, Panama was immediately granted the status of commonwealth, but in hopes of preventing Northern outrage, the territory of Santa Fe was made into a free commonwealth, in hopes of preserving the Kingdom's peace and status quo.
As the American colonies continued to develop, it was thought that prisoners who could not be readily made into de facto slave labor, it would be more prudent to send them to penal colonies in the American Caribbean. In some of these prisons, the death rate could climb up to 75%.
Southern interests continued to press for the expansion of slavery, and Northern nationalists were still willing to accommodate expansion into the south. George Dallas, the former Deputy Prime Minister, had lost his Congressional seat to a Whig opponent, but was seeking a return to politics. Despite coming from a military background and the nobility, due to his anti-tariff stance during his tenure as Deputy Prime Minister, it would be impossible for him to win an election in his native Pennsylvania. He instead decided to form a lobbying firm in Columbia, drawing from not only his legal education and his close ties not only many sitting members of Congress, but also his past experience working with the Queen herself.
Queen Charlotte had initially not been as supportive of expansion to the south. Aside from Panama and the Mexican cession, most of the lands taken under here rule were just backwater lands that were good for plantations. She saw slavery in particular as a frustrating political flash point between her commonwealths. But Northern Mexico had some significant resources, including gold and dye. The added aspect of new territories to add to the crown appealed to the Queen's nationalism, and she agreed that she would consider a war for the territories.
With royal patronage to the effort, and Dallas pushing forward on the matter, significant traction came over further American expansion into Mexico. Many in the Nationalist movement were swayed by the thought of further expansion, and agreed to support a war.
In mid 1852, the Queen became pregnant and on February 15th, 1853 gave birth to a healthy young daughter, whom she named Charlotte Louisa. Both the Queen and Prince consort were quite fond of their daughter, with Prince Julius saying "If it were another boy, he would have belonged to the state. Instead, she belongs to us." She was given the courtesy title of Princess of Louisiana, an honor the people of the commonwealth appreciated.
By 1853, the Royal Army had consolidated in Texas and American forces staged an incident on the Rio Grande. Officially, a Mexican raiding party had crossed into Texas and attacked a nearby American patrol. Unofficially, that did not happen, at all.
Unofficially, a Mexican patrol had been kidnapped on Mexican soil, spirited away to Texas, and killed by their American captors, but in the initial confusion of the times, American nationalists pressed for a response. Queen Charlotte, herself a supporter of continued American expansion, declared war on Mexico, and Congress provided ample funding for the military, in spite of the opposition of the Whigs.
As immigrants continued pouring into America, flocking to live under a rich, liberal monarchy, many settled in New York, but others sought out cheap land in the frontier. One such area was North Dakota, where a commodity stock market was created in the regional capital of Hohenzollern due to the numerous companies operating in the region.
Much of the early Second Mexican War was doing light skirmishes between American and Mexican forces, with each side invading the other. It was not until October that a significant clash occurred at the Battle of Animas, where American forces under Russel Barstow crushed poorly trained Mexican conscripts.
Barstow would be responsible for repelling the Mexican attacks in California and Nevada while the main American thrust went south to capture Sonora, Chihuahua, and Mexico City. It was an unpopular strategy that forced many Americans to flee in the face of the Mexican forces, but it did much to limit American casualties in Mexico proper, where cities and fortresses fell one after another.
The elections of 1854 were an absolute disaster for The Grand Party, losing a massive amount of votes and just barely keeping Congress. The Grand Party as a whole lost dozens of seats in the West to those who were outraged that the Mexican Army had successfully attacked California. Cass was roundly denounced for his handling of the war effort, but also there was political frustration with Cass, who was seen as out of touch with the common American man.
Of particular note was "The Partridge Letter", an open letter to the Queen from Sheriff Benjamin Franklin Partridge in Michigan which turned into a massive personal attack against Prime Minister Cass. The Whigs made major gains in the North, and though Cass kept his own seat, many in the Grand Party felt that Cass could not continue being an effective leader. Cass decided to resign instead of being relegated to the back benches.
With war in Mexico a clear action for expansion of slave-holding commonwealths, the Grand Party knew they would need to nominate a Northerner. New York in particular wanted a native son for Prime Minister, and as the most populous commonwealth, many agreed that should be the case. A possibility discussed was Thomas Seymour, but he had only been governor of New York for two years. Instead, a more neutral candidate was selected: Matthew Perry.
Perry had become a celebrity for his record in the Navy, but was not tarnished by the failure to defend California like the Generals Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor. He was more remembered for his successful trip to Japan where he succeeded in opening the Japanese market and placing the region in America's sphere. He was from New York, was an expert on military matters, and had no known views on slavery; a perfect compromise candidate.
As a part of a campaign to mollify anti-war factions in both Congress and America, Prime Minister Perry convinced the Queen to reduce conscription times to one year. The Prussian camarilla at court advised the Queen against this, feeling that the army would be ill-prepared for conflict, but she felt that ultimately a strong corps of volunteers would better serve her than a conscript rabble that could be found in Russia.
General Barstow's continued thrashing of the Mexican invasion forced the Mexican government to ultimately sue for peace. Mexico did not agree to renoucne their claims, so the Queen ordered that not a dime be paid to the Mexican treasury; the lands would be American *by right of force of arms *. This was derided by some, particularly in France, Britain, and Whig newspapers, but ultimately no one was willing to challenge it.
After the war, Cohauila, Sonora, and Chihuahua were all admitted as slave commonwealths to the Kingdom. The soil was not at all conductive to plantations and slavery, but Southern interests were promised that a campaign of disenfranchisement and manipulation of the populace would ensure that either the Mexicans wouldn't vote, or that they would be made to vote for pro-slavery Grand Party candidates.
The new borders of the Kingdom of America. The Queen was particularly interested in the idea of connecting an empire from Baffin Bay all the way to Tierra del Fuego, and was quite pleased with the results of the Second Mexican War.
After the war, the Whigs were able to rally enough popular opposition to the constant wars of expansion that the Queen was ultimately convinced to do away with the draft altogether. This was opposed by some in the Army, but ultimately many felt it was the proper decision to ensure there was less animosity to war; if a son was leaving, it was their choice, not the choice of the draft board.
America's continued imperial expansion saw more and more friction with local customs and languages. Oftentimes, it was asked that local interests were considered, but the Queen demanded a policy of full assimilation, and English was made the only law of the land and the economy.
After General Scott's victory at Qubido, Colombia's standing armies were mostly in shambles. This would mark the last outright confrontation between the two armies, and Colombia was forced to defend itself for the rest of the war with hit and run tactics to minimal success.
At home, Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was released to critical and popular acclaim. It depicted the horrors of slavery, and galvanized Northern opinion against the Colombian War, with many seeing it as a war to expand this "horrid institution" even further. The Queen herself read the book and actually became increasingly sympathetic towards the anti-slavery cause. She decided to end any break up of families on her own plantations. However, going so far as to free her slaves was out of the question, as many Southerners would see that as an intensely hostile act.
In response to Uncle Tom's Cabin and continued Whig and Free Soil opposition to the war, Prime Minister Cass gave a speech to Parliament, denouncing the "winds of change for the sake of change" and lionized the American military and its continued success. It did not completely stem the anti-war tide, but it did much to hold back some of the flood gates.
By August, Colombia was forced to sue for peace, ceding the very valuable land in Panama. It was lauded as a major victory by the Crown, and following the war, several companies have invested in land speculation in hopes of profiting from a possible canal in the region.
After the war, Panama was immediately granted the status of commonwealth, but in hopes of preventing Northern outrage, the territory of Santa Fe was made into a free commonwealth, in hopes of preserving the Kingdom's peace and status quo.
As the American colonies continued to develop, it was thought that prisoners who could not be readily made into de facto slave labor, it would be more prudent to send them to penal colonies in the American Caribbean. In some of these prisons, the death rate could climb up to 75%.
Southern interests continued to press for the expansion of slavery, and Northern nationalists were still willing to accommodate expansion into the south. George Dallas, the former Deputy Prime Minister, had lost his Congressional seat to a Whig opponent, but was seeking a return to politics. Despite coming from a military background and the nobility, due to his anti-tariff stance during his tenure as Deputy Prime Minister, it would be impossible for him to win an election in his native Pennsylvania. He instead decided to form a lobbying firm in Columbia, drawing from not only his legal education and his close ties not only many sitting members of Congress, but also his past experience working with the Queen herself.
Queen Charlotte had initially not been as supportive of expansion to the south. Aside from Panama and the Mexican cession, most of the lands taken under here rule were just backwater lands that were good for plantations. She saw slavery in particular as a frustrating political flash point between her commonwealths. But Northern Mexico had some significant resources, including gold and dye. The added aspect of new territories to add to the crown appealed to the Queen's nationalism, and she agreed that she would consider a war for the territories.
With royal patronage to the effort, and Dallas pushing forward on the matter, significant traction came over further American expansion into Mexico. Many in the Nationalist movement were swayed by the thought of further expansion, and agreed to support a war.
In mid 1852, the Queen became pregnant and on February 15th, 1853 gave birth to a healthy young daughter, whom she named Charlotte Louisa. Both the Queen and Prince consort were quite fond of their daughter, with Prince Julius saying "If it were another boy, he would have belonged to the state. Instead, she belongs to us." She was given the courtesy title of Princess of Louisiana, an honor the people of the commonwealth appreciated.
By 1853, the Royal Army had consolidated in Texas and American forces staged an incident on the Rio Grande. Officially, a Mexican raiding party had crossed into Texas and attacked a nearby American patrol. Unofficially, that did not happen, at all.
Unofficially, a Mexican patrol had been kidnapped on Mexican soil, spirited away to Texas, and killed by their American captors, but in the initial confusion of the times, American nationalists pressed for a response. Queen Charlotte, herself a supporter of continued American expansion, declared war on Mexico, and Congress provided ample funding for the military, in spite of the opposition of the Whigs.
As immigrants continued pouring into America, flocking to live under a rich, liberal monarchy, many settled in New York, but others sought out cheap land in the frontier. One such area was North Dakota, where a commodity stock market was created in the regional capital of Hohenzollern due to the numerous companies operating in the region.
Much of the early Second Mexican War was doing light skirmishes between American and Mexican forces, with each side invading the other. It was not until October that a significant clash occurred at the Battle of Animas, where American forces under Russel Barstow crushed poorly trained Mexican conscripts.
Barstow would be responsible for repelling the Mexican attacks in California and Nevada while the main American thrust went south to capture Sonora, Chihuahua, and Mexico City. It was an unpopular strategy that forced many Americans to flee in the face of the Mexican forces, but it did much to limit American casualties in Mexico proper, where cities and fortresses fell one after another.
The elections of 1854 were an absolute disaster for The Grand Party, losing a massive amount of votes and just barely keeping Congress. The Grand Party as a whole lost dozens of seats in the West to those who were outraged that the Mexican Army had successfully attacked California. Cass was roundly denounced for his handling of the war effort, but also there was political frustration with Cass, who was seen as out of touch with the common American man.
Of particular note was "The Partridge Letter", an open letter to the Queen from Sheriff Benjamin Franklin Partridge in Michigan which turned into a massive personal attack against Prime Minister Cass. The Whigs made major gains in the North, and though Cass kept his own seat, many in the Grand Party felt that Cass could not continue being an effective leader. Cass decided to resign instead of being relegated to the back benches.
With war in Mexico a clear action for expansion of slave-holding commonwealths, the Grand Party knew they would need to nominate a Northerner. New York in particular wanted a native son for Prime Minister, and as the most populous commonwealth, many agreed that should be the case. A possibility discussed was Thomas Seymour, but he had only been governor of New York for two years. Instead, a more neutral candidate was selected: Matthew Perry.
Perry had become a celebrity for his record in the Navy, but was not tarnished by the failure to defend California like the Generals Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor. He was more remembered for his successful trip to Japan where he succeeded in opening the Japanese market and placing the region in America's sphere. He was from New York, was an expert on military matters, and had no known views on slavery; a perfect compromise candidate.
As a part of a campaign to mollify anti-war factions in both Congress and America, Prime Minister Perry convinced the Queen to reduce conscription times to one year. The Prussian camarilla at court advised the Queen against this, feeling that the army would be ill-prepared for conflict, but she felt that ultimately a strong corps of volunteers would better serve her than a conscript rabble that could be found in Russia.
General Barstow's continued thrashing of the Mexican invasion forced the Mexican government to ultimately sue for peace. Mexico did not agree to renoucne their claims, so the Queen ordered that not a dime be paid to the Mexican treasury; the lands would be American *by right of force of arms *. This was derided by some, particularly in France, Britain, and Whig newspapers, but ultimately no one was willing to challenge it.
After the war, Cohauila, Sonora, and Chihuahua were all admitted as slave commonwealths to the Kingdom. The soil was not at all conductive to plantations and slavery, but Southern interests were promised that a campaign of disenfranchisement and manipulation of the populace would ensure that either the Mexicans wouldn't vote, or that they would be made to vote for pro-slavery Grand Party candidates.
The new borders of the Kingdom of America. The Queen was particularly interested in the idea of connecting an empire from Baffin Bay all the way to Tierra del Fuego, and was quite pleased with the results of the Second Mexican War.
After the war, the Whigs were able to rally enough popular opposition to the constant wars of expansion that the Queen was ultimately convinced to do away with the draft altogether. This was opposed by some in the Army, but ultimately many felt it was the proper decision to ensure there was less animosity to war; if a son was leaving, it was their choice, not the choice of the draft board.
America's continued imperial expansion saw more and more friction with local customs and languages. Oftentimes, it was asked that local interests were considered, but the Queen demanded a policy of full assimilation, and English was made the only law of the land and the economy.
Not all were happy with America's great victory over Mexico. John Brown, a prominent abolitionist who had been involved in the "Bleeding Kansas" campaigns, was outraged of the continuous wars for slavery, and decided that he would have to take action. He lead a group of 20 men, 8 white men and 12 free black men, to Virginia where they raided an arsenal and planned to incite a rebellion.
Perry met the Queen, and the Queen was in utter disbelief over the riot "This man" she wrote "intends to bring anarchy, destruction, and civil war to my Kingdom. Men like him will topple my throne if they are left to run amok." Perry agreed that this could not go unpunished, and in the end suggested sending a Royal Marine unit stationed at Norfolk. On August 5th, the marines attacked Brown's makeshift fort, and after a forty minute struggle, Brown surrendered.
In Brown v. Virginia, it took all of twenty minutes for the judge to find Brown guilty, despite an eloquent defense in the name of abolition. He was found guilty of treason, inciting a slave rebellion, murder, and theft. Many abolitionist papers begged the Queen to pardon Brown, but the Queen steadfastly refused to pardon "a rebel and a traitor". On August 9th, John Brown would hang.
In Europe, Prussia again asked for an alliance, but the Queen was still steadfast in her refusal. The Prussian King made an offer of a mutual attack against France, where America could gain Guinea, but the Queen was convinced that France could be easily beaten. She did not want to be drawn into Prussia's wars, particularly as she was still upset over their war with Denmark. In Europe, France and Austria were at war once more, over the fate of Italy.
On September 16th, while touring the western commonwealths for the first time, the Queen gave birth in California to another child, a daughter. Though the Queen was proud of the royal family's German roots, there was some pressure that the royal children would have more "Americanized" names. Their second daughter was named Pacifica, in honor of America's success in reaching the Pacific Ocean, and was given the courtesy title "Princess of California". The Puget Commonwealth of the American Northwest renamed itself "Pacifica" in her honor, as did a town in California the Queen visited after.
In Asia, a strange rebellion occurred, with a Chinese peasant named Hong Xiuquan leading a rebellion of "Christian" peasants. Hong was convinced that he was the brother of Jesus Christ, a view that many in America felt was completely untrue. However, his rebellion gained enough followers that he was able to completely crush the Qing dynasty, forcing them to retreat to Formosa. Hong would consolidate his rule over most of China in hopes of starting a new "Heavenly Kingdom".
As the elections of early 1856 concluded, even with Perry as Prime Minister, the Grand Party was in dire straits. The Nationalists were contending for votes with both Free Soilers and Whigs, and often times were losing in the North. The Grand Party did win some votes in the South, but the Knights of Columbia faction saw a resurgence due to their ability to manipulate votes in the new Mexican territories. It was unclear if Perry would be prepared to stand for a general election later as head of the Grand Party.
The American Empire in the Caribbean.
The Grand Party may be in dire straits; only around 25% of the population identifies with them. We may need to prepare for a Whig or Free Soil government.
We continue to be just behind France in economic power, but we have just surpassed them in population!
Our most industrialized states.
America continues to be in the Tier 2 block with Prussia due to our prestige, but we must improve our army and industry if we ever want to contend with the United Kingdom. With your help though, our rule shall spread from Baffin Bay to Tierra del Fuego indeed, and hopefully as the greatest world power the world has ever seen...
-----------
Thanks for reading so far! We're getting pretty close I imagine to the American Civil War so it's definitely going to be *quite* exciting. I'm hoping you're enjoying the AAR so far, and in that vein I want to know what you like about the AAR? Do you like the details on the royal family? The American Congress dealings? What do you want to see more of? I want to ensure that this is enjoyable for you all
Our most industrialized states.
America continues to be in the Tier 2 block with Prussia due to our prestige, but we must improve our army and industry if we ever want to contend with the United Kingdom. With your help though, our rule shall spread from Baffin Bay to Tierra del Fuego indeed, and hopefully as the greatest world power the world has ever seen...
-----------
Thanks for reading so far! We're getting pretty close I imagine to the American Civil War so it's definitely going to be *quite* exciting. I'm hoping you're enjoying the AAR so far, and in that vein I want to know what you like about the AAR? Do you like the details on the royal family? The American Congress dealings? What do you want to see more of? I want to ensure that this is enjoyable for you all
I read your civil war update on Reddit the other day, and I really enjoyed it. I think you struck a good balance between the royal family details and congressional politics, although you contradict yourself at times when describing how Congress is structured (the two houses and their representation among the states) and if the government operates on a parliamentary or somewhat presidential system (appointing cabinets and forming coalitions but also some elements of the modern American system). From a technical standpoint, I think centering all of the text in your posts is a little jarring, and it would be better if you just left it as normal (like this post). Also, you seem to switch between in-universe and out-of-character perspective quite frequently in your posts, and I'd recommend settling on one of them to be consistent. By the way, did you ask a mod about interactivity yet? I saw how a lot of Reddit users were responding to your posts there, and I think we could do something similar here as well (after we catch up to the Reddit posts, that is). Just my two cents.Thanks for reading so far! We're getting pretty close I imagine to the American Civil War so it's definitely going to be *quite* exciting. I'm hoping you're enjoying the AAR so far, and in that vein I want to know what you like about the AAR? Do you like the details on the royal family? The American Congress dealings? What do you want to see more of? I want to ensure that this is enjoyable for you all
By the way, I have an idea for Norton. Maybe he could be the one who declares himself an Emperor of America, elevating the Kingdom of America to the American Empire.
Please please please don't make this interactive. Honestly, it's fun for some AARs, but it just makes the pace so slow and I really like this one.