Rhye's of America: From Sea to Shining Sea

The United States of America’s ancient beginnings saw exploration at the helm, with government agents scrambling to explore deeper into the countryside, knowing great fortune awaited those who surveyed the best land. At the time, America was led by a ruthless, powerful Despot, who hoped his explorers would be able to find new lands to rule over, particularly ones that were rich in resources that he could tax.



The Iroquois to the North knew of various rituals (collectively called Mysticism by analysts of the time) but refused to trade it for a fair price. The Iroquois were ignored for the time being; America had more important matters to see to, such as mapping out the west. America eventually gave the Iroquois a small tribute in return for their religious practices regardless. If nothing else, it would at least deter them from aggressive behavior; as the American business would later put it, “No country accepts ash.”



The Navajo were masters of wheelwork, and thus educated their friendly American visitors when they were encountered. Unfortunately the Navajo were devastated by disease shortly afterward, prompting them to retreat further into the American countryside. At some point in time the tribe vanished entirely, and the only record of their existence is well-preserved ruins.



As American explorers ventured westward towards the California coast and struggled to overcome the treacherous Rocky Mountains, Tallahassee was founded as the gate to Florida. While there were aggressive tribes southeast of the location, the city was nonetheless instrumental in securing America another crucial port. Tallahassee would in later years become an epicenter of American industry, and pave the way for the country to rule the seas.



The Cherokee of California were mighty warriors, who were impressed by the Americans (meaning, they thought the envoy and his escorts were weak) and so instructed them on how to better protect themselves. The American military learned about archery in particular, granting it forces that could be used to keep the sizable hordes of hostile natives under wraps. Prior to the friendship with the Cherokee, native tribes produced soldiers who were too well entrenched with their arrows to be reliably dispersed from their encampments; America’s acquisition of the technology evened the odds.



When it became apparent the Iroquois might try to go through Michigan to access the Great Plains and their fertile farmlands, the Despot had his military form a barrier at chokepoints near Detroit and Philadelphia. The result was the northern neighbors couldn’t move their troops through the area without a declaration of war.



At some point lost to time, an envoy group was startled when a volcano erupted shortly as they were passing by; fortunately the streams of molten lava did not reach them, allowing them to safely pass the eruption zone. Nonetheless, it was a force of nature that reminded America of its subservience to greater powers, and the eruption compelled many Americans to retreat to their homes and pray. America was to remain a religiously-devout society well into the 16th and 17th centuries CE.



The acquisition of the process of pottery from the Caribs of Oregon greatly expanded the power of the United States, as it made it possible to construct granaries. The United States’ food storage facilities had been fairly lacking prior to the discovery of the West Coast, but Americans now had the comfort of facilities engineered specifically to reduce spoilage and keep out pests. Stored in jars and well-salted, grain could last for considerable lengths of time, greatly increasing America’s food supply and thus, growth potential. The Americans honored the Carib tribe by naming the sea to the south of Tallahassee after them.



The Iroquois demanded America end its technological superiority and the Despot rightly refused; the Iroquous Chief Hiawatha responded by issuing a declaration of war. All cities began construction of Barracks specifically to stave off the threat. With the discovery of the Aztecs and Mayans shortly after the war declaration, America had found itself new avenues of trade for technology and goods.

America nonetheless decided that an offensive war was beyond its capabilities, and focus would remain on defense. The American army was too pitiful to possibly penetrate and then occupy the Canadian countryside the Iroquois called home, but could certainly make all who transgressed American territory bleed.

The Battle of Detroit saw the American forces triumph over two Iroquois troops. Despite this defeat, the Iroquois would not accept a peace accord. This was fine by America, which was beefing up its military for defensive purposes, but also so it would be possible to penetrate the Iroquois homeland and tear up its infrastructure projects as punishment.



Taking citizens’ mind off the war was the introduction of Tobacco to the American market. Most of the United States was able to partake in the product harvested just outside Washington, albeit at fairly high prices given its short supply. Nonetheless, the public loved smoking the plant, and many profits were made accordingly. All the while, Iroquois troops approached Detroit yet again… though they’d be dispatched at no losses just as the prior forces were.

What was of great concern was the division of Tomahawk Warriors approaching Philadelphia. They were extremely lethal on the defensive, and thus, it was hoped they’d assault the city’s Archers, where they’d be at a serious disadvantage.



The Iroquois finally opened negotiations but demanded a massive sum for peace. The Despot’s face and palm had a habit of becoming close friends during the duration of the war. They demanded a hefty sum for peace, which was refused given that America had no real threat to fight.

The Iroquois’ first great action of the war was completed in 1475 BCE – they pillaged a lone road north of America’s defensive lines. America was so appalled it didn’t even notice.



It was too busy founding the city of St. Louis to the South to particularly care what the aggressive power to the north was capable of. America did make lucrative use of its rapid-moving government security forces to butter the Tomahawk Warriors up for standard infantry, however.

Total Iroquois losses: 4 Warriors, 2 Tomahawk Warriors
Total American losses: 1 Road, 0 divisions

Despite the one-sided nature of the war and the fact it was grinding the Iroquois’ economy to a halt, even by 1450 BCE the Iroquois were not willing to accept even a white peace. It would have taken the ENTIRE American economy five terms to yield what the Iroquois had lost in terms of manpower, and yet they were too stubborn to accept a peace treaty.



The Iroquois mustered 65 “shields” worth of troops to the west of Michigan, understanding how utterly terrible their troops were and instead trying to go to St. Louis like the cowards they were. The two Tomahawk Warriors were taken care of at the cost of one warrior; a 40 shield for 10 shield trade.



The continued triumphs of America’s military coincided with America’s entry into an “Age of Science,” where research was enormously through the roof.

Oklahoma City’s founding greatly expanded the domain of the United States, while also putting it into direct confrontation with the hostile tribes of the region. Nonetheless, it was apparent America was prospering despite the war, probably to the Iroquois’ chagrin, who kept seeing all their economic efforts to defeat the United Despots increasingly in vain. With the slaughter of a Spearman division that was outside St. Louis, such sentiment was solidified further. The “mighty” Iroquois Confederacy was in no position to make demands of America.



Archers prepared to do battle with the barbarian tribes to the south of Tallahasse in 1300 BCE, seeking to remove their threat to the southern empire’s security. Warriors were brought in to be used as arrow fodder; they would become martyrs for America.



Rather than be doomed, however, the Warrior division fought valiantly and eliminated the barbarian threat. They instead became heroes.



A trade with the Aztecs broke the back of the country but it was decided to ultimately be key if the Iroquois were to be defeated. The wealth paid to the Aztecs was promptly taken back by the sale of literature practices to the Mexican people. Books became a staple of Mexican society as much as American, fostering brotherhood between the two; the fact Mexico had to stay friendly to keep receiving its gold payments was also a good incentive.



The Anasazi of Florida taught the secrets of an organized legal system to the Americans, enabling government to become increasingly more complex, not to mention more tyrannical. Now all the citizens knew the laws they would follow or be punished harshly.



1150 BCE the long American-Iroquois War finally concluded. The Americans had lost but a single warrior whereas the Iroquois had lost throngs more. A small tribute was paid so that if the Iroquois got wise, they would lose their source of revenue.

With the hamfisted Iroquois vanquished, it was decided to engage in a bit of technological sharing to extract their secrets. The Iroquois had demonstrated during the war that they knew of bronze weaponry, something that was a definite edge over the weaker American soldiers. It was only through terrain and superior numbers that America had triumphed in its war of independence, in all actuality. Fortunately, with the trade’s inking, the Iroquois advantage was erased; within 5 years all American troops were armed with bronze weapons.



1100 BCE, America became a great school of Philosophy in the Americas, and as time would tell, the entire world. The American philosophers saw the heavyhanded government management of the economy and society as a whole, and began to question if it was the appropriate course. Philosophers tended to write treatises and leave them in places where people gathered, subtly spreading their ideas. The Despots eventually imprisoned and even executed some philosophers, but those whose strength was mind and not body continued to be dissidents behind the scenes. Before long, their ideas were gaining currency with Americans, who agreed with the idea that the government was excessively limiting people’s personal freedoms, and had no jurisdiction to do so given that it did not give them any say whatsoever. A revolution rapidly followed.



In the midst of the chaos in all major cities, the Despot acquired Iron weapons from the Inca he met near Panama. Crushing the rebels required the best weapons money could buy, but as time wore on, more troops began to defect, granting this superior knowledge to rebels.

1027 BCE, the Despotate was finally overthrown (and the Despot himself executed shortly thereafter) as troops took the capital of Columbia. Renaming it Washington after their esteemed leader, they founded a democratic republic. There was a President who served for five years, elected by the Electoral College, with each state having one vote plus anywhere from one to ten depending on total population. The states themselves had to be at least nominally democratic, but were otherwise granted great freedom, and each also sent a Senator to serve for life until recalled by the state legislature (or at least a minimum of two years). This Senate, composed of five members initially, shared power with the President. The whole system was naturally heavily oligarchic with how concentrated power was; regardless, power was supposedly based on popular sovereignty, which went a long way to curb abuse.

Voting laws reserved power for the landowning males of the country. Regardless, the revolution was a massive step forward, and America’s democratic nature would grow in later years as more groups were enfranchised. For the time being, however, one had to own approximately an acre of land to be able to vote. The new United States, taking its name from the fact the more populous provinces became nominally sovereign states, was dominated by a powerful oligarchy, but the competing ideas certainly did the nation good at the end of the day.



St. Louis’ expansion mitigated the barbarian presence near the city, as the sheer number of settlers displaced the tribes’ villages through skirmishes. As a result, the actual uniformed military only had to deal with the humble Archer forces of the local tribesmen near Oklahoma City. What helped the process of economic expansion (and bribery of villagers) along was the introduction of the American dollar, a metallic coin of varying denominations from one to one hundred. Due to its simplicity, counterfeiting became a large problem; Congress responded by making it punishable by death to devalue the nation’s currency with false coinage.



550 BCE, the Great Lighthouse of Tallahassee was finally completed. It took considerable architectural and seafaring knowledge to make a lighthouse that was not only beautiful and awe-inspiring, but practical. America’s engineers managed to accomplish all three with the new lighthouse; the government’s considerable investment into the project resulted in a spinoff of increased naval technology. The petty scout boats of prior generations could now move three times as fast as they could before, and plans were made to assemble a navy so as to colonise the seas to the south.



Meanwhile, as Florida celebrated its newfound glory, it also received word of a desire to colonise the southern extreme of the state now that the local tribes had been defeated. Modern-day southern Florida was uninhabited as a result of the native wars, barring a garrison of about a thousand men scattered throughout the area to keep order and keep foreign powers out. The city of Miami was planned to be in the far south of the area, which Florida had long-since claimed as part of its rightful territory. Meanwhile, the Louisiana Territory was being mapped out, and it would be wedged equidistant from Tallahassee and Mexican Teotihuacan. The city was built not only to secure the Mississippi River, but to beat back the Mexican settlements that were popping up along the coastline.

Though America’s plans, armed with her knowledge, were far, far greater than just two new settlements…

As the American economy began to roar around the 6th century BCE, the President and legislators were already working together on a plan to expand all the way to the Pacific coast. America had kept a military base in the area since time immemorial, with it taking months to get messages back and forth between the coasts, steadily reduced as American cities encroached westward. To speed up communication, the President would appoint a Viceroy with the consent of the Senate, who served until the President or his successor dismissed him (the Viceroy continued to act in the capacity of the state until his replacement arrived, however, thus preventing a vacancy). The Viceroy was the intermediary between the federal government and the military government in California and Oregon, and thus exercised great influence in his ability to direct those residing far to the West in their affairs.

470 BCE, Spearmen saw their first trial by fire, eliminating a band of barbarian archers with terrifying ease. The government comprehended just how potent these forces could be in the aftermath, and made a note to exploit them.



Speaking of exploitation, the city of Miami’s founding put valuable Dye plantations under American control. While troops and the natives had harvested dyes in small amounts, it was only with the coming of the territorial government that America began widespread commercial development of the region. As laborers worked to cut a path through thick marshlands, they found themselves being paid in brightly-colored clothes more than anything else. As a positive side-effect, the Dyes diffused through America, raising the quality of life and alleviating discontent with the oligarchy.



“Necessity is the mother of invention,” as Benjamin Franklin stated, was no more apparent than in the 450s BCE. Structures were becoming increasingly larger, and all the more suffocating as airflow was obstructed by ever-thicker walls. Architects fumbled with ways of making their structures more comfortable, having to use lighter and simpler materials that hampered construction of the country’s more grandiose buildings. The President would have none of this, however, and offered a large cash reward for erecting a stone structure that had many openings but was also monolithic. The task sounded insane, but some brilliant minds took him up on the challenge; experimenting, they discovered that archways’ use of physics allowed for great support of weight without compromising materials or the openness of buildings. The reward dispensed, America now made increasing use of the arch, allowing such an increase in construction complexity that within a few years, all major rivers had stone bridges that could handle large amounts of traffic without serious deterioration. Trade boomed as a result, with the American economy surging to new heights due to improved communications.



The city of New Orleans was founded in 410 BCE, securing control of the Mississippi River for America. At the same time, a group of Spearmen divisions were fanning out to evict the local tribes from their land; had the natives been peaceful the government may have considered some sort of concession, but as a violent tribe, they were to be given no quarter.



And indeed, they were not given it; by 390 BCE the tribes’ primary lands had been occupied and pillaged by American forces, which then set out West. Once the local tribes were vanquished, the President authorized a series of permanent military garrisons going through the Rockies, to ensure safe passage for future Settlers.



Democrats were filled with fear when there were reports of the government studying the Incan monarchic system far to the south. It turned out, however, that the state was merely collecting information so it could critique monarchy in pamphlets; the Inca charged a steep fee for being able to observe their Empire’s innerworkings, however, requesting in particular the American knowledge of mathematics in exchange. The choice of technology was logical; the Inca required catapults for their frequent wars with the minor tribes of the Andes.



By 190 BCE, the American Republic had established a series of permanent military garrisons that ran through the Rockies, traversed the Mojave, and then pushed into the lush California coast. Planners were already creating layouts for cities, which would be organized from the beginning, unlike the crowded, chaotic mess that was the Eastern metropolitan areas. Eventually the rush to California would yield dividends, allowing the United States to have fleets on every ocean.



Four decade later, America entered what is now called the American Middle Ages. The United States was so far ahead of its competition that it actually began to become complacent. There were reports that the Republic would begin slowing its research efforts, specifically to allow its rivals to catch up; the United States prided itself on the idea that competition produced the best results. This applied to all fields: business, science, politics, and all the rest.

As Christianity, the teachings of a Philadelphian preacher, began to pervade the United States, the city of Guantanamo was founded to the south in Cuba. The island had several valuable resources that the Mayans laid claim to but were in no real position to exploit. The government was so thrilled at the island’s gold and spice plantations that it tasked Settlers with “getting more,” or “Gitmo,” hence the settlement’s nickname.



Around 130 CE, American engineers had the idea of constructing fortifications in the event of another war. By ramming stone and earth together in strategic points, the enemy’s movement could be denied, while defenders would be able to fire their weapons without fear of reprisal at trespassers. Naturally the scientists were sly enough to understand that other nations would have similar ideas, and began immediate research on countermeasures.



Perhaps the place the researchers were thinking of when developing the idea of fortresses to guard key points was the border with the Iroquois. For generations the American troops played a game with the Iroquois settler bands: when the Iroquois neared, American troops would block the path and force a retreat. When the Iroquois were distant, the American military would leave the area open to passage. The result: a large number of Iroquois settlers and troops constantly being tied up going back and forth north of Philadelphia, draining their treasury and setting their progress back.



As St. Louis’ denizens tried to become a religious center, the city was struck by the Bubonic Plague. The President imposed a quarantine in the city, and military troops present there found themselves invested with the power to instate martial law to prevent the spread of infection.



As St. Louis battled with the plague, the city of Philadelphia became known as one of the labor capitals of the United States. Trade workshops made their home in the city, and as soon as someone completed their education they would go elsewhere in the country to build roads, plow fields, and deepen mines. Philadelphia’s growth all but stopped on its face, but in reality, the city was becoming more and more prominent, supplying the muscle that the American civilization needed to stay great.



170 CE, forces reported circumnavigation of South America. The Scouting fleets, while behind the world technological standard for naval vessels, nonetheless were leading the way for American exploration, opening the harbors of Inca and Aztec alike to trade as they sailed along the coast.



As ships neared the California coast, setting the trend that it was quicker to travel overland to California than by sea, the President declared the opening of the Crusaders for Christ Academy. It trained extremely skilled soldiers devoted to spreading the cause of Christ - by any means necessary. The Iroquois became the target of a hate campaign, many Americans calling for a religious war to purge the pagan culture of the north and exact vengeance for attacking God’s chosen nation in the past. While Jesus preached compassion and peace, these messages were lost on politicians who saw the faith as a vehicle for their own personal greed. Plans were being made to attack the Iroquois, but first, the Republic had to arm itself…



Around 310 CE, the army had armed itself with Trebuchets, far more advanced than primitive Catapults. However, the real accomplishment of the period was a large group of Settlers heading westward to found what would later become San Diego (the city was initially founded as St. Jacob, but in later years, Hispanophones became the majority in South California and petitioned to have the city renamed to San Diego). The “Imperial Highway” of the West reflected both America’s long-term planning and its growing desire to be a republican empire. The highway carved through deserts, hills, plains and grasslands, growing the prestige of Oklahoma City as the “gateway to the West.”



The Hagia Sophia loomed as a major Christian church, centered in none other than the old city of Tallahassee. However, it also represented a growing split in the Church – Southern Orthodoxy, as it called itself, felt that the growing militarism was contrary to Jesus’ teachings; they also objected to the politicization of the Church, in particular the attempts to create a “Pope” who would preside over all Christians. Increasingly a group of high priests convened in Washington, though there was no formal Papacy as of yet; the split between Orthodoxists and Catholics would shake the nation and be one of the leading contributors to religious violence in the coming centuries. In the meantime, the Hagia Sophia became the seat of the Orthodox movement.



The Catholic Church established St. Peter’s Basilica as its official seat in 510 CE. The Church now had an official headquarters to duel with the Orthodoxists from, though it was Washington that both factions sought to really hold. The government was partial to the Catholic Church, however, given that the Catholics were nowhere near as vehement about pursuing a peaceful relationship with the pagan Iroquois.



600 CE, despite the Orthodox Church’s best efforts, the Catholic Church was granted permission to make a secondary seat for itself in Washington. Though St. Peters’ Basilica was the official seat of the Church, it was in Washington where the Pope’s bureaucracy spent most of its time, not only reconciling violence with Christianity, but also lobbying to turn America into a theocracy in all but name. While many Catholic values found their way into the lawbooks, the Orthodox South managed to prevent the most extreme proposals of the Church from becoming entrenched in legality. The movement for a formal Constitution was stimulated by this constant bickering between the two major faiths of the United States, as Americans of both creeds became increasingly less concerned about saving the souls of the other half and more on being legally able to save their own.

Whether that rivalry would spill into a civil war, on the other hand, remained a subject of debate for generations to come.

Around 610 CE, a band of settlers in California were horrifically dehydrated trekking through the California desert. The Orthodoxist band had, like many, fled westward to try and avoid the increasing repression of their faith in the eastern cities. Just as all seemed lost, they claimed to have encountered one of God’s angels, who led them to a beautiful location abundant in resources. Called the “City of the Angels,” it would become one of the foremost centers of trade and commerce on the Western coast of the United States; like St. Jacob, it would eventually become populated by immigrants from the Hispanophone countries, leading to its name being changed to “Ciudad de los Angeles,” or Los Angeles for short.

The Los Angeles band was but one of many Settlers heading westward during the Middle Ages. America found itself caught in a fervor of nationalist, religious and imperialist sentiment, that claimed the United States had a divine destiny that was clear as day (“manifest&#8221 to all in the country. The American Republic had the exclusive right to seize the entirety of the North American continent, due to its faith in God. The Republic also had a socioeconomic imperative, according to the various theses, to expand west as well: the growing urban centers not only needed more goods to remain economically stable, while the crowded cities fostered greater bureaucracy and laws that would inevitably curb freedom and democracy. Above all, America had a strategic goal in expanding West: blocking Mexican and Iroquois settlement in the rich lands of California and beyond.



The Catholic settlers of Omaha, as a sharp contrast, were not as easily intoxicated by the promised pastures of California as their Orthodox cousins were. They were interested in acquiring mineral resources instead, forming a town to mine the vast hills and mountains of the west, with access to the Missouri River to ship goods downstream. Their plan ultimately paid off; Omaha eventually became a booming center of American gold mining operations.



The Catholic North saw further expansion in Portland and St. Francis (later renamed San Francisco) around 830 CE. The cities took notice of Iroquois forces growing ever closer, so suspecting they’d try a sneak attack, a wall was rushed with overtime labor by the locals to block any Iroquois aggression. The West Coast was now evenly divided between Catholicism and Orthodoxy, who continued their bitter rivalry for control of the Senate; each tried their best to swing the chamber one way or the other, maintaining a deadlock. It had become practice by this time that, when a territory reached sufficient population (100,000) for statehood, one Catholic and one Orthodox be admitted. In later years, this constant struggle would pave the way for legally-enforced secularism and separate of church and state.



Securing the northerly route to California was the founding of Salt Lake City in 850 CE. The city was Catholic, as was standard for Northern settlements, but in later years Protestantism would take root and alter the city’s religious flavor (before Protestant beliefs themselves were displaced by the even more reformist Mormon teachings). In the meantime, it became a fairly prosperous oasis, serving travelers who wished to go to California without making a massive dip to the South.



Salt Lake City’s founding, however, was overshadowed by America’s first full-fledged colony of Panama. The newfound city was the result of American long-term planning. Ever since the circumnavigation of South America, it had been hypothesized that journeying further north would lead one to California; this theory was proven true mere decades later. And with knowledge of a sea route to California, plans naturally formed to try and shorten said route. It had been known for some time that Panama had water on both sides, but only detailed exploration revealed it to be the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. As such, as soon as the sea route to California was discovered, plans were made for some sort of canal that went through the Isthmus of Panama, which would about halve the journey’s time. Naturally the contemporary engineering made a full-fledged canal infeasible, but with Panama City’s founding, a better alternative developed: ships could sail into port, where they’d be rolled to the other side of the isthmus via an elaborate system of log-powered conveyor belts. It was naturally inefficient and of little use to the largest vessels, but it saved a great deal of travel time regardless, furthering American commercial and military power. In later years, the conveyor belts of Panama would serve as inspiration for the modern assembly line.

America had tamed the West, and soon declared the frontier closed; going further north would require harsh competition with the Iroquois, so Settlers were instead inclined to travel onboard Galleys down the coast to South America. The closure of the frontier, however, simply could not be overstated in the damage it did to Americans’ psyche. For the longest time it had spelled opportunity, and even if there was still plenty of land to claim as one’s own in the West, the mental shock was still there. Americans, even moderate Orthodoxists, increasingly began to call for a long-coming war of vengeance against the Iroquois, now that the United States’ economic power vastly outclassed all of its nearby rivals.

As optimistic Americans built roads, homes and businesses in the great West, pessimists were forging swords and bows for a holy war…

Perhaps sensing that conflict was coming, the Iroquois tried to stave off a war by improving diplomatic relations, opening up a formal embassy in the United States capital. Alas, America was on the warpath… with its last Settler bands en route to what would later become Brazil, there was no turning back. The Iroquois, recently renamed Canada, were already being divided into states in war planners’ maps.

Meanwhile, in 888 CE, a seer claimed to have seen “the Austrians” be destroyed. What this meant was not known at the time, but as later years revealed, this was a central European civilization vanquished by its rivals.



Ft. Vancouver was established on an island connected to the mainland by an isthmus in 975 CE. Serving as a forward base, it would warn the entire western coast of the United States of any threats, barbarian or otherwise. The President requested Settlers not expand any further north than the military outpost; after all, he didn’t want the Iroquois picking off settlers who could be put to better use elsewhere.



America was said to be a feudal society in all but name by the political pamphlets around the year 1000 CE. It was said that it was dominated by a federal government (and President) instead of a King, and by powerful local plutocrats in the state governments instead of an aristocracy; while the President nominally led the country, the Lords held the real power and could abuse their people readily without fear of consequence. Evidence of this was how there were state churches and in many cases restrictions of freedom for those not part of the state church, not to mention the prevalence of police abuse to those resident in most states. There was no habeas corpus, or right to a trial, or any constitutional protections whatsoever. Due to growing discontent however, the government did eventually pass the Protections Act of 1023, which stipulated the right to a trial by jury before one could be imprisoned, while also establishing the need for officers to be granted a warrant to search or seize property. Not only was this a statue easily overturned, but the warrant provision had no limitations on its place or duration, making it perfectly symbolic. As the Act could be suspended in times of war, it was rendered further vulnerable to corruption. As there was no independent judiciary in most states (Florida and Louisiana had apolitical Supreme Courts, but none of the others did), the ability to receive a warrant also was heavily politicized.



Republic Lake was founded around the same time as the legal upheaval, becoming the first American settlement to be entirely within South America. With access to a freshwater lake, it was to serve as a springboard that would facilitate expansion into the South American interior. The town gained its name from the perspective that at the time, it was seen that the democratic republic was a form of government mandated by God himself, enabling men to make full use of their free will and reason and reach their full potential as his children. All of America’s neighbors barring the Despotic Iroquois were theocracies, so caught up in religious kingship that their economies suffered; it was America’s republicanism that allowed it to be the most powerful state on two continents.

The Inca no longer had the monopoly on the continent; fortunately the United States was only interested in resources and not conflict. Nonetheless, plans were made to eventually increase the amount of troops stationed in South America in case the Inca ever got opportunistic.

1011 CE, war was finally declared on Canada. The President declared that by the time the conflict was over, all the Iroquois would refer to themselves as Canadians, speak American, worship the Christian God, and sing the national anthem every day before work.



While perhaps an overly optimistic prediction by the President, the Crusaders made short work of the first Canadian city in 1019, whose name has been lost to history; it was renamed New York eventually once contact had been made with the English, so as to strengthen ties. Forces immediately headed west to harass Toronto, the capital of the Iroquois tribes; they had already lost four divisions in New York, and while there was likely to be many in the capital, seizing Toronto would end the Iroquois threat.



Phoenix was founded in Brazil in 1022 CE; the city gained its name from the fact America had been reborn from the fires of war. With the city’s construction, America became poised to dominate a large chunk of the South American coastline. Since the Inca were ignorant of the existence of the Iroquois, they’d have no reason to fear America’s presence, surely.



As forces prepared to strike Toronto in 1041 CE, it was noticed the Iroquois were deploying large numbers of Swordsmen. Lethal on the offensive, the Canadian troops were poor on the defense; it was here that Spearmen could be deployed to eliminate them efficiently. In the meantime, the strike on Toronto began. 7 Swordsmen, 3 Crusaders, and several auxiliary forces stood ready to fight the city’s garrison.

In the first wave, a brave Crusader division was struck down, but the wave managed to incapacitate the city’s Tomahawk Warriors. With Spearmen taking the defense, the American Swordsmen forces were drastically more deadly. After that, no divisions were lost; Swordsmen cut through the Canadian defenses like a hot knife through butter.



With Toronto’s occupation, the Iroquois were considered all but defeated. What settlements of theirs remained were all extremely low in terms of population and resources, and presumably manpower. Meanwhile, it was determined that the Toronto population were hostile; of the 60,000 resident, only 10,000 were to be allowed to live, preferably children who could be more easily assimilated. The military was issued an order to “process” the population and gradually reduce it by any means necessary. Citizens were given a set amount of rations they could consume; this amount was decreased monthly. The net result was more and more intra-Canadian violence in an attempt to acquire more ration cards and more people killed by occupation forces when they rioted; the American government was engineering one of the first genocides in history in occupied Canada.

1052 CE, the Iroquois pleaded for peace. The offer was rejected out of hand, albeit a letter was sent to the new government of Canada, “How does the shoet fit the other foot?” The President referenced the fact the Iroquois had constantly refused a fair peace during the war centuries ago, and so America was no more inclined to accept one now than the ancient Iroquois were back then. Furthermore, the government felt that since America had given tribute to Canada in the past, it had a stake in the country, as far as investments go. America was simply liquidating its assets. One thing did come of the peace accords though: it was discovered how many cities the Iroquois called their own, and the number was not exactly thrilling.



The needs of the war necessitated the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency, which was tasked with sowing informers among the ranks of America’s foes. They were given other tasks, such as sabotage and inciting rebellions. It was hoped that through subterfuge, the cost of the war would be financial and not human.

As war raged in the North, Albequerque was founded by tolerant settlers, who sought to avoid the religious strife they knew would resume as soon as the war was over; the war on Canada had provided some temporary unity, but it wouldn’t last for long. A fair number of Orthodoxists had become somewhat pro-war, opposing starting wars, but being supportive of the nation’s troops when war had been declared. Nonetheless, a considerable portion of the populated remained in opposition to the continuing war of imperialism, saying that just as it was contrary to democracy to coerce one’s own people, it was anathema to do likewise to those of another country. Unfortunately, pro-war sentiment vastly outweighed anti-war, and the conflict continued without delay.



With spies planted in the Canadian capital of Grand River, the full detail of Iroquois troops was revealed. No less than 34 divisions made up the Canadian military, a hefty number even against the 19 soldiers that had been deployed to take over the country. Spread across 5 settlements, that averaged about 7 per city… hardly a negligible number; fortunately America had its swordsmen and Crusaders to even the odds.



America was also armed with skillful propagandists, who quickly and cheaply turned the city of Quebec over to the hands of the massive army pressing at its gates. The Iroquois lost no less than 5 of their 34 divisions, a massive bloodless (for the Americans) blow to the Canadian forces. If the massive blow could be followed up with others, the war would be over quicker and at significantly less human cost, at least to the American side.



America’s spies were skilled at other fields, as well. They broke into the Iroquois Cartography Office and stole all the maps they’d drawn over the years; America learned of every last Iroquois settlement as a result, and saw that of the 4 cities, 3 were prime targets to be propagandized. For the cities that could not be swayed to join the American nation without a fight, troops now had detailed road maps to lead them into the heart of enemy territory and assist in seizure of the rich lands of the north.



The city of Niagara Falls held another 5 Iroquois warriors, but was convinced to change sides. While it was predicted the Iroquois Swordsmen would manage to retake it, the fact so many enemy troops were slaughtered prior to its acquisition was a victory in and of itself. Indeed, the city would be retaken within the year, but the Iroquois now had to deal with the horrors they’d faced at the hands of their own populace, losing more men by the day simply to keep what they had, not mentioning the thorny issue of reclaiming the east from the Americans.



The war entered a lull in activity 1150 CE, when the city of Salamanca was occupied. After the defenders were torn apart by a mixture of Crusader and Swordsmen, the citizens were convinced to defect, killing the local Iroquois chief in the process. Troops marched on past the city and onward to Allegheny.



As forces marched on towards Allegheny, Pittsburg and Minneapolis were founded, extending American control down most of the Brazilian coastline. Before long America could hope to reach Rio de La Plata, but for now, its cities were building upward, rather than outward: there was a shortage of people willing to go elsewhere to settle; America just had too much opportunity and land as is!



The Battle of Allegheny was initiated by the Iroquois; they were able to kill 2 Archer divisions with their Swordsmen, though they did suffer some heavy injuries themselves. The losses in the early Battle of Allegheny were naturally shaking for the United States, which had prior to that confrontation lost so few troops. Propagandists quickly trumped it up as desperation on the part of America’s enemies, however; after all, the Iroquois had to take the initiative in war lest they be utterly destroyed by the American war machine, which enjoyed the advantage on the offensive.



Regardless, Allegheny and Niagara Falls were both occupied within the span of a year from eachother. The Iroquois were reduced to a humble 10 divisions, 2 of which were in the field. Before long that was slashed to 6, as troops neared both Grand River and Cattaraugus.



The Iroquois being horribly battered, in 1240 CE a trick was deployed against them. The Republic approached them with a peace offer – all their money and their city of Catteraugus would buy peace. The Iroquois, desperate to avoid extinction, naturally accepted. They pulled their forces back to Grand River and gave America all the gold it desired.

…America attacked nonetheless, having backstabbed them, with no one the wiser of the betrayal. The vast majority of the Canadian military was butchered in the surprise attack on Grand River, America making off with not only vast amounts of land and treasure, but countless Iroquois souls.

Meanwhile, in the Antilles, a people known as the Dutch were encountered. They demanded exorbitant rates for their technologies, however, and so, spies in Amsterdam went about stealing their knowledge instead.



First, the concept of banks was acquired from the Lowlanders; the idea was so simple yet so brilliant. The President said that as soon as the Iroquois menace was terminated, every major city should charter a banking firm immediately to supply credit and spur growth. In the meantime he ensured his financial adviser was tarred and feathered for not having thought of banks before foreigners did.

As forces marched on Grand River again, it became apparent that “Babylon” had joined the Dutch against “France.” It was apparent from agents in the Netherlands that there was something chaotic going on in the Dutch homeland, and America was very glad they were across an ocean!



The Iroquois were finally destroyed, everyone in their final settlement put to the sword in an orgy of victory. The Iroquois were considered too dangerous to be allowed to exist, having been the only nation to ever attack the United States. As such, the humiliating victory America had inflicted on it so many ages ago had finally been avenged; all Iroquois were either working for Uncle Sam or the Reaper.

Now, America could finally enjoy a period of peace, while slowly peeking into the mysterious lands across the sea…

With the armies of God having emerged triumphant over the Iroquois threat, the vanquished foes were slowly reorganized into the various territories that would become the region of Canada. As Toronto and New York City led the race towards statehood in the Canadian provinces, cities were busy building up infrastructure that had been neglected due to the demands of the war. America now had an enormous army and no real threat meriting its presence. Regardless, it was decided to maintain the massive standing army of 74 divisions specifically to ward off any opportunists.

One of the first things the Republic did was ink the Treaty of New Orleans with the Mayans, Incans and Aztecs. It was agreed that the two continents would be known as North and South America; refusal to agree, it was implied, would involve massive economic and military confrontation. America being the supreme power in every field besides backwardness, none of the three powers objected. They didn’t mind the fact the treaty implied they were part of the United States, which went by the nickname America itself; it meant the USA would have a vested interest in their self-determination.



To finance the Republic’s grand projects, the tiny but wealthy and advanced Dutch were met with to discuss the sale of military access as well as loosened economic restrictions between America and Dutch merchants. As the Dutch were across the ocean, America didn’t think there’d be any complications, but it certainly didn’t mind the extra funds.



How ironic that the money the Dutch gave to the Americans was actually used to finance another great theft against the Dutch. This time, the Dutch schools were investigated, helping America develop its own education system some to increase critical thinking and logic skills, fostering innovation. In addition, many of the Dutch inventions were also copied, particularly the pike and crossbow; America’s vast archer horde were soon far more deadly as a result. There were also developments in the field of agriculture; America’s food production took off with the discovery.



The great innovator Leonardo da Vinci, having snuck his way into the United States from the Dutch outpost to the southeast, awed all Americans by setting up his workshop in the nation’s capital. A great innovator in art, science and military technology, Leonardo’s legacy was greatly improving the effectiveness of America’s military, having proposed various ideas that drove down the costs of the army immensely without harming its efficiency.




Actual trading with the Dutch began when it became apparent the state couldn’t sustain perpetual theft. The Dutch technologies exhausted, plans were made to refine shipbuilding so it would become possible to investigate the Dutch home continent, where Rome had recently gone to war with France based on intel from the Dutch embassy.



1300 CE, braving the oceans with technology not yet ready to go into such waters, a Caravel managed to encounter the Carthaginian tribe of Africa. Meeting and discussing the best they could with the linguistic barrier, it was decided to head north to locate more lucrative trading opportunities. Various nations were met who’d never been seen before, all of whom were behind America technologically. Though the Dutch found America first, America christened the new region the New World, with the Americas as the Old.



It was also apparent the French were in the midst of a massive dogpile, being hammered from all sides by their neighbors. The state clung to but two cities, and as such, the American leadership pondered sending a few forces overseas to capitalize…

With the advent of modern astronomical techniques in 1339 CE, more accurate maps were able to be made. Cartographers met with other nations’ explorers, and between all the records, were able to slowly piece together a view of the entire world.

The view was rather promising, revealing a deep history that just intrigued the United States further. Germany had conquered the Austrian realm, and with it, central Europe, while the Germans and various other European nations had swarmed over France, with Germany taking the lion’s share. As a result, Germany was a vast empire, stretching from east to west across the center of the continent; it was the foremost power. The country most able to match America’s awesome power was the Arab Kingdom, which controlled a great deal of territories stretching across the Indian Ocean. It was readily apparent that America was not the hegemonic power its people had imagined it to be…

As American caravels explored the world to learn of its peoples and politics, at home there was a great upheaval, with a new financial elite slowly taking root. Whereas America had traditionally been an agrarian nation, the end of mass settlement resulted in the cities becoming crowded, creating an environment of unrest but also immense economic centralization. It was only natural that banks soon began popping up, banks that had nationwide operations. While historically banks had existed, they were limited to local areas, depriving poor regions of the necessary capital they needed to grow barring the government taking an interest. Now, the concept of modern banks had been acquired from Europe, and as such, credit could be easily acquired on one coast, taken to the other, and still be redeemed there. The government assisted development by imposing harsh penalties on debtors, making up for the risk that resulted from the poor communications of the time.

The various bankers made a point to use their newfound wealth to expand their power and image, funding public works and small businesses, greatly accelerating economic growth. In addition, the banks loaned money to the government as was necessary. But perhaps most importantly, all the increased economic growth led to a massive expansion of tax revenues, America’s prosperity growing by the year.

The expanding economy actually outstripped America’s needs more than once, leading the government to adopt a liberal immigration policy. Laborers skilled and unskilled found the floodgates opened, and many seeking to escape the anarchy of Europe’s wars fled across the Atlantic.



One of the greatest arguments for liberal immigration, however, was Sir Isaac Newton of England. A brilliant scientist, he left England for America after the monarchy refused his idea of a publicly-funded university. The peasantry having no funds and the nobles busy squabbling among themselves, Newton had no real choice but to go overseas, where he found both private and public support for his new school, established in Washington and quickly surpassing the local university that had been built prior to his arrival. Newton’s school was first class, enormously stimulating research with all the fine minds it churned out… fine minds the United States made sure to keep on federal payroll.

To stimulate investment, embassies were established in all countries that had considerable wealth. Various treaties were signed that allowed free trade and military access between America and the recipient nation, stimulating the economy of both partners; the Americans’ partners were often willing to pay a handsome lump sum up front for the treaty, given the huge amount of land, labor and resources that were resident to the United States. As such, most of the money spent on the embassies’ startup costs was recouped entirely.

Universities competed with banks for federal privileges, however, and in that pursuit they found an advantage: the United States was behind Scandinavia in cultural influence.



As such, the Cultural Evaluation Bureau was founded specifically to take note of the approximate influence of the world’s nations in regular intervals. Its first year was fruitful, with analysts measuring America’s at 9033 “points” in 1360 CE and Scandinavia’s at 9511, a gap of 478 points. With universities being a source of America’s cultural influence, sending its intellectuals and ideas overseas, they naturally received plenty of government backing in the hopes of being the most influential nation in the world. By 1370 CE, America had 9217 culture to Scandinavia’s 9685. The United States was growing at 184 points per year, and the Scandinavians at 174. While America was stronger, it was not strong enough; funding was stepped up for churches, universities, and courthouses to increase American influence.



1400 CE, the government completed its “Blue Wall” project, which stationed troops between Panama and Brazil. The troops occupied the best landing spots in the region, thus preventing any Europeans from landing there, as it was presumed they surely would otherwise, given the scarce amount of land in their home continent. It also reserved the territories for American settlement in the future.



1410 CE, Israel declared war on Ethiopia due to the machinations of Arabia. It was apparent quite a bit of violence existed overseas, leading America to decline the idea of international trade for the time being; with its abundance of tobacco, spices, Dyes, Furs, and soon Gems, America had no real need for foreign resources.



The Englishman William Shakespeare set up his headquarters in St. Louis in 1416. The Globe Theater was erected by a mixture of private and public investment, serving to entertain the citizens of St. Louis and putting on wonderful shows known throughout America and the world. The boon to St. Louis’ economy actually caused it to resume growth, steadily swelling to become the largest city in the United States for the next two centuries.



Seeking to reduce social spending, the government took the initiative to improve the quality of life of the average American. This was done by meeting with the Mayans, who were impoverished but had an abundance of fine incenses. The Americans being no strangers to religious ceremony, a deal was struck between the two powers, benefitting both countries’ peoples enormously. A main benefit to the deal was that America gained 68 billion dollars in tax revenue on top of its 45 billion that it had already as a result of the slashed social services.

The cultural war continued between Scandinavia and the United States; America had 10374 points to Scandinavia’s 10762 in 1424. In 1432, it was 10591 to 10942. America was gaining 217 points whereas Scandinavia was gaining 180; it was anticipated America would be able to surpass Scandinavia by the year 1500.



As the years went by, more and more news of war declarations reached the United States; it was apparent the New World was falling apart. But peaceful America continued to build up its economy and raw potential; Fernando Magellan, like so many other talented Europeans, defected to the American side years prior and finally circumnavigated the globe in 1448. Or rather, his fleet did. Based on what had been heard, the resident tribes to the West of Chile ate him; he was mourned as a national hero, but otherwise nothing came of it. The President was too occupied ensuring America’s world domination to bother with punitive expeditions. Magellan’s voyage did stimulate shipbuilding, however, greatly reducing travel time due to better navigational tools; American sailors became the most efficient in the world as a result, leading to an economic boon as people turned to the United States for their shipping needs.



Seeing China as a safe haven for trade given its massive size and easy access to the Pacific, trade relations were opened with the Kingdom. The Chinese Emperor made relations somewhat difficult due to his insistence that all foreigners bow before him in order to negotiate, though it was stipulated (on the American side, anyway) that the envoy only represented America’s merchants, not the United States itself, in American law. The Chinese were none the wiser, and happily parted with their valuable fabrics.



China’s silk came in handy for all the funerals that made use of the exotic fabric in the coming years. The Black Death had spread from Catteraugus to Omaha despite the government’s best efforts, and had even spread into Brazil. Fortunately only small cities had been hit by the deadly plague, and it was hoped that it would abate before it could ruin the ability of the United States to best Scandinavia in a building race.



America’s building boom was paying dividends by the 1460s, with the gap between America and Scandinavia narrowed to 156. The gap between Thebes and Washington, at 1808, would be more difficult to close.



The culture of the slave trade most definitely helped with closing the gap between America and its rivals, however. With labor shortages due to America’s extensive empire, the powers of Africa were paid for prisoners. Given the anarchy engulfing East and Central Africa, there was no shortage of prisoners to sell to American slave masters. American trading vessels later became the main thoroughfare for the trade, profiting off other nations’ labor needs as well.



The Germans invaded Holland in 1475, which caused some concern for the Republic. The Netherlands, having used their wealth to bring the entire New World against France earlier, was expected to give Germany the same treatment. However, less in the realm of speculation, the Netherlands was the United States’ most valued technological trading partner, and as such it was debated what the proper approach to the war would be. Cautious neutrality was decided… but it was clear that America, as a great power, couldn’t hide away in the Old World forever.

Most American cities had a bank or university in them by 1480, and the government was working on making sure every major city had both to stimulate production and research. To secure further funding, the government taught many Chinese pupils physics for a generous fee. Whenever a state accumulated a large pool of wealth, it wasn’t long before the United States’ merchants arrived to arrange a technological deal. Americans became known the world around as “Bank Bandits” for how quickly they’d deplete a country’s financial reserves with their trade.

On a less bright note, the situation did not bode well for the Dutch, their disparate empire poised to fragment at the prospect of fighting a unified, powerful Germany. The Germans had 39 Pikemen, 12 Knights, 7 Horse Archers, and 31 Crossbowmen to throw at the Dutch. The Dutch had 18 Musketmen and 37 Swiss Mercenaries. Provided the Dutch stayed on the defensive, the technological disparity would go a long ways to prevent a German incursion.

As the Arabs declared war on Germany in 1482, it became apparent that Eurasia was about to tear itself apart, what with the Arabs already fighting Abyssinia to their southwest.



Germany was dealt a blow by America when its colony of Heidelberg declared its loyalty to the American government. The United States reasoned that while it could not hope to curb the flow of New Worlders entirely, it could still absorb their colonies as they came.



The Leaning Tower of Omaha’s completion in 1495 gave America another economic and cultural victory over the Scandinavians, who now found themselves behind the United States in cultural power according to analysts. The tower was built leaning because the city had a nasty case of the Black Plague to cope with, which ruined the efficiency of workers; many were too busy getting ready to keel over and die it’s no surprise the Tower emulated their stance.



The Alaska Territory was founded in 1509 when the Korean people of Taejong were convinced of the better quality of life they could have as American citizens. Everyone within the city was immediately naturalized, as well as being asked to read some of America’s philosophical books, which taught them that there were no Kings in American society because everyone was equal. Having come from a repressive feudal society, many Koreans couldn’t help but enjoy this new idea.



In 1510, Carthaginian Oea was also taken, albeit at an immense cost. It was from this base that America made its plans to acquire the entirety of the Atlantic South American coastline. And America pursued these plans with extreme determination; within the year Rusicade had also switched allegiances. The vast, fertile plains of Argentina were open to American exploitation. The decision to seize Carthage’s colonies did not come lightly – they were the sole democracy in the world besides America. However, they were also Islamic, which caused the ever-devout United States to overlook the fact there should be political brotherhood between the two. While Carthage and America were brothers in the affairs of man, they were mortal enemies in the affairs of God, which took precedence.



The fall of Persepolis in 1526 let America know how dangerous the world around it was, the Persians having been crippled by constant wars against their Indian and Babylonian neighbors. America fortunately had regional supremacy, not needing to worry about these constant struggles; the natural barriers of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans were greatly appreciated. America also didn’t know any of the parties to the conflict personally, so was indifferent overall.



1539, as Settlers prepared to board ships bound for the large island at the southern end of the Pacific, news arrived of the Dutch recruiting Scandinavia as an ally. Scandinavia was a great power, and would certainly be able to harass the Germans in their pursuit of European domination. Soon after, the Byzantines and Ottomans joined the anti-German war effort, putting immense pressure on Germany’s southeastern flank.



The Great European War had a corollary conflict, in the Iberian War. With the peoples of Europe distracted fighting Germany, peaceful Iberia turned violent when Spain invaded Portugal to capitalize on the situation in 1571. As with the rest of Europe’s insane politics, America remained distant.

Meanwhile, the United States tore up its treaties with the Aztecs. The Mexican government knew what was coming, and prayed to their pagan pantheon…

As America prepared to acquire Mexico for its purposes, the city of Oakland was formed by Protestants who had broken from the Catholic Church. Founded in 1575, it was the first American city in Australia, and was due to become one of the key centers of the American Pacific territories.



It was shortly followed by Tampa Bay in 1582, one of the many cities founded in the settlement rush of the late 1500s. With Tampa Bay, the road was paved for American dominance of southeast Australia. Settlers were already en route to take the rest of the Australian east coast, New Zeeland (named after the province of the Netherlands in honor of America’s Dutch friends), and Tasmania.



Back at home, the Chile Territory was crafted from German Nuremberg and Dutch Arnhem, both of which were seized by armed revolts to prevent the conflict from spilling into America’s backyard. South America was increasingly dominated by the United States, with 43 “units” of citizens living there; the native Inca only had 32 by contrast.

With Rome’s declaration of war on Germany in 1584, the German Empire found itself surrounded by enemies on all sides, and it was predicted it would eventually collapse as the decades wore it down. Of greater importance was the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the United States; the revolution was initiated by the discovery of modern economic theories. Economists theorized that war for religious purposes was ultimately not the best use of resources; the government agreed, but nonetheless kept religious trappings to win public support. The focus of the Mexican War was to be Mexico’s great resources, not the cause for converts.



Orlando, New Zeeland was the first of America’s settlements during the pre-war Industrial Age. Laid down in 1593, the city was bound to become potent, with the abundant raw materials and food of South Island to nourish its growth.



It was followed by the settlement of Tacoma and Santa Fe along the Australian coastline. Eastern Australia was almost entirely the domain of the American Republic, and once suburbs began popping up in later decades, there was no doubt who was the master of Australia. Sapporo would join the Australian Territories soon enough, Australia rapidly rising to become America’s most potent colony apart from Brazil.

The Dutch were given Flintlock at a discount price, thus enabling them to build better weapons with which they could fight the German menace. America was increasingly thinking of itself in global terms, less concerned with colonialism and more making sure the wider world didn’t go to Hell in a handbasket. After all, American creditors couldn’t accept rubble for payment, nor could tobacco merchants for their goods.

The 1600s began with two notable developments: Carthage declared war on Rome, and Ethiopia made peace with the Arabs. While there was concern this would impact the flow of slaves into American plantations, America responded by saying it was open to slaves from any location, not just Africa. A tragic result of this policy was that discrimination was widened against all sorts of cultural and ethnic groups; as the United States gradually moved towards secularization (best seen by the fact the Senate didn’t renew its privileged treaty with the Roman Catholic Church in 1600), being Christian was no longer an exemption from slavery either. A massive underclass in the millions developed over the next few decades, continually fed more members by the conflicts raging across Eurasia and Africa.

1607 brought the Russo-Chinese War, sending silk buyers into a bit of a tailspin. Fortunately, the distance between Russia and China was so great it was presumed there’d be no need for American intervention.



Where there was need for American intervention was the technologies of the Eastern hemisphere; the President arranged to sell America’s advanced naval tactics to the Dutch and Scandinavians in exchange for a sizable sum and their own military innovations, respectively. American Swordsmen found themselves being retrained into the hardened Colonial Infantry, ready to serve as the amphibious assault force of the American Republic.



The assault on Germany’s colonies continued with the taking of Cologne, putting what the British called the Falklands under American administration. Germany continued to remain aloof, not wanting to risk the United States using its growing naval fleet against its vulnerable territories in France, but more than once the German Kaiser voiced his displeasure. The Presidents, naturally, just ignored them. Germany was too far away and too diplomatically isolated to be deemed relevant.

With Portugal’s declaration of war on Carthage in 1609, Congress began allotting funds with the CIA to ensure the defection of Portuguese Ceuta. The United States had always desired the outpost so as to have an eye on Mediterranean trade, but the Protuguese had always refused to sell it, and the inhabitants had been too stubborn. Perhaps a raging Algerian army knocking on their door would make them more open to friendship?

Meanwhile, Scandinavia inked a peace accord with Germany, which was cause for concern. However, Scandinavia having difficulty sending troops across the sea due to its pitiful navy, it was not expected it would save Germany much, barring reducing its need to patrol its northern border.



With the discovery of the steam engine in 1631, American policymakers were positively excited about the implications of the device. Large loads could be carried vast distances at efficient speeds; no longer would horses or other beasts be necessary to haul American labor and goods. The state was approached by several entrepreneurs, who discussed a “railroad” that would traverse the country and be crossed by a mechanical wagon, or as they called it, a train. The government was behind the plan almost fully, and the United States seemed to shrink in the minds of many Americans as locomotives became a common aspect of American culture.

Thomas Edison became one of the leading scientists of the age, using his business knowhow to organize many talented scientists under his leadership. While he’d receive great rancor in later years for taking others’ inventions as his own, one simply could not deny that he was instrumental in America’s scientific leadership, having brought so many great minds together in one place. One of his first ideas was training musketmen to ride on horses, granting them mobility and enormous shock value; the American cavalry divisions were born, and rode southwest to strike at Mexico.

The Dutch finally crushed the last of the French cities 1633, ending the French government in the Urals. They could now focus their full attention on the Germans. Meanwhile, pirates struck at a Galleon in the Caribbean, signaling a trend that would continue for some time. The President authorized that America start its own privateer fleet so as to exact vengeance on other parties.



The city of Springfield was founded in the Australian interior just prior to the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1647. With it, America claimed full dominance of the eastern Australian coast. Between settler communities and seized foreign settlements, the United States had established Australia as its most significant possession outside the Americas.

Soon afterward, President Polk delivered a declaration of war to Mexico, and ships, cavalry, and assorted foot troops began making their way through the Mexican marshlands; they had been improved with roadways by American workers decades prior, showing how long-term American politicians had been thinking with regards to acquiring America’s southern neighbor.

The Mexicans claimed their Emperor to be a god, and that theory was about to be put to the test.

The “Second Crusade” as some historians call it was not as religious as one would assume. By the mid-1600s, America’s religiosity had decreased immensely as a result of the ever-approaching Enlightenment. The state recognized the old foes of Catholicism and Orthodoxy, as well as any religion that could claim 100,000 adherents (this number gradually was reduced as the decades went by), and while there was talk of Christianising pagans in press conferences, the federal government never officially sanctioned religion as part of its justification. Instead, it spoke of spreading democracy to the despotic theocracy that ruled over the Mexican people, racial superiority, and the need for the United States to secure Mexico’s resources as well as open opportunities for American citizens. As such, while the United States had moved past religious beliefs as a casus belli, it instead unfortunately replaced them with racism and a nationalist doctrine that put Americans’ interests above everyone else’s. The idea that only a person’s religious beliefs were incorrect had given way to a far more totalitarian one that prescribed the average non-American’s entire lifestyle and culture as improper and in need of “improvement,” by coercion if necessary.

At the war’s beginning, the Aztec Empire wielded but 16 Eagle Warriors and 17 Archers across its territory, whereas the Americans sent 38 forces against them, including 4 Cavalry and a vast number of Crusaders, who still remained in government employ (their skills could not be denied, and the idea of them becoming rebels or mercenaries was not one that appealed to the state) but no longer saw any federal funding for new recruits. Colonial Infantry were to strike Teotihuacan first from Galleons setting sail from New Orleans, frightening the people of the city into submission.



The city was effortlessly taken, only a few dozen men lost in the assault, whereas approximately 8,000 Aztec soldiers were slaughtered. Unsurprisingly the Aztecs requested peace shortly thereafter, and the First War lasted but a brief period from 1648 to 1649. America made off with the city of Teotihuacan, which would soon find itself adding to the Texas Territory. But it was an appetizer before a meal, and Americans clamored for more. In the meantime American workers (with some Aztec “volunteers&#8221 were tasked with building a road connecting the American heartland with Teotihuacan, so as to facilitate reinforcements in future conflicts.

The Dutch and Germans signed a peace accord in 1650, ending their long, bitter intermittent warfare. However, it was expected the Dutch would soon resume their conflict, given the brutal nature of European politics; peace in Europe was often merely a lull in a wide conflict, as states that remained at war frequently convinced those who had signed peace treaties to rejoin wars.

In 1657, war with Mexico would be declared again, this time with forces marching on Tenochtitlan itself. In addition, the Americans recruited the Mayans as allies, the other civilization of Mesoamerica more than willing to sell their cousins down the river to protect themselves. To guarantee loyalty and efficiency (given the Mayans’ inadequate economy), America sent regular shipments of Iron ore to Chichen Itza.

America did run into a hurdle, however: Tenochtitlan was well-fortified, surrounded by hills and lakes that made easy passage extremely difficult.



It was no surprise the city didn’t fall until the year 1671, but in the meantime American troops made the land around the city effectively theirs. America’s victory came at great cost, however: three Crusader divisions were lost. Every Crusader division killed was another blow to the Roman Catholic Church, which had been steadily declining in favor of Protestant and Orthodox groups over the last century.

The Aztec Emperor retreated to the Iron-rich city of Cihuatlan in the wake of the capital’s fall. There, he was murdered by one of his entourage, leading to his two sons and his brother (saying they had murdered their father and thus were ineligible) all claiming the throne. The Emperor’s firstborn son became the ruler of Cihuatlan, though he was more focused on killing his brother in Tlatelolco to the far northwest than fighting the United States. While peace was made with the fratricides, the Tehuantepec Despot remained ever more stubborn to fight the United States. America would not make any moves against him for several years, however.



When America did go against Tehuantepec, however, it came in full force. A swarm of 8,000 Colonial Infantry struck at the city in 1684, but they failed to subdue it completely. The troops did set fire to considerable amounts of the city’s infrastructure, however, and while one Colonial Infantry division was lost, it was obvious the United States would return eventually.



Tehuantepec was not so fortunate when America returned in 1688, this time swamping the defenders with superior firepower. America’s navy were as accurate with their shots as they were powerful, and it was no surprise that the American troops encountered a better remnant of an army rather than any potent military force.



Ships then swarmed Cihuatlan, with Crusaders soon closing in from the mountains to take the city. The false Emperor soon ordered one of his own soldiers to run him through with a sword rather than die by the heathen Americans’ hands. He achieved both a glorious death while also avoiding giving the privilege of killing him to his enemies.

The last of the previous Aztec Emperor’s claimants had emerged victorious, but not in the way he had figured. As a Crusader band gave their lives to take Cihuatlan, he sent troops southward to try and slow the American advance. Without Cihuatlan, there was nothing between the United States and Tlatelolco, the last great city of the decaying Aztec Empire.



Called the Mexican Thermopylae, the Aztec forces used the narrow land between the mountains and coastline to hold off the American forces for weeks in the Battle of Sonora. However, American forces simply were too numerous and too superior in terms of armaments to defeat. The Aztec forces were crushed, and federal troops continued to push up the coast of Mexico.



As the war with Mexico’s final settlements raged on and off over the years, the city of Ceuta was acquired in an insurrection. Having been battered by Carthaginians, the city was seized, leaving Portugal with Lisbon and a city larger than its own homeland, Guimaraes. The Portuguese expected the latter city to be taken over too, given the trend with America’s “acquisitions,” but no revolt came. While the President negotiated with various American business magnates on the future of Mexico, he sent the Vice President to discuss urgent matters with Portugal; on its face the meeting was to discuss access to the straits of Gibraltar, but there was something more behind closed doors…



1711, the last city of the Aztec Empire fell. The troops torched the city due to its small and insignificant size, looting whatever they could find of value beforehand. The United States issued an international statement that settling in Mexico would be treated as an act of war, and just to make sure that other states listened, the President ordered naval vessels to block any and all traffic into the Gulf of California, where the Aztecs left a large void (inhabited by petty polities in some areas, and being eerily devoid of civilization in others) as a result of their sudden demise.

The Aztecs were, as a first sign of respect, formally renamed the Mexican people by an Act of Congress, more in line with what they called themselves. As time went on, the Nahuatl they spoke would fall out in favor of Spanish, as a result of the great deal of influence Spanish individuals wielded over the country (reinforced by the American policy of paying Hispanophones extra, a measure meant to originally weaken the Spanish in their war on Portugal by encouraging immigration to the United States) in their position as bankers, preachers and administrators. The Mexican people were second-class citizens due to the racism of many parts of the United States, but as time went on, they would gradually be granted the rights they deserved, all the while forming the building blocks of the American West, rapidly rebuilding their declined population and forming a key ethnic group of the country.

But that is a story for another time…