Confucianism has spread to America, arriving in the city of St. Johns. I intend to build a Confucian Monastery there ASAP, so I can spread it to other cities before I get Scientific Method and can no longer build monasteries.
The first attempt to treat economics as a science, rather than a philosophy or political doctrine, was The Wealth of Nations written by the American merchant Pytheas and published in 1504. This ushered in a new era of economic prosperity, as people learned to better manipulate the market to their advantage.
I have developed Economics, granting me a free Great Merchant, and enabling me to use the Free Market civic. I begin to research Gunpowder.
Mansa Musa has offered me Divine Right and 330 gold for Guilds. I accept, more for the gold than for Divine Right.
The philosophy of Divine Right, that the monarch was appointed by the principal deity of the religion of choice, did gain a few adherents among the American monarchists, but was not taken seriously by the populace.
Another product of MIT, gunpowder was invented in 1526. Its military applications were quickly recognized, although it would be some time before guns replaced bows as the principal weapon of the American military.
I have invented Gunpowder. I begin to research Constitution.
It seems the Indians are expanding into Polynesia, which makes sense after I took the good parts of Australia. I should probably get going on that whole New Zealand thing. Oh, and the
Endeavour took out a pirate galley.
In 1546, Pytheas chose to settle in Sydney, bringing his business sense and grasp of economics to enrich the young city.
I have decided to make Pytheas a Great Citizen of Sydney, as he adds an additional food to the city, and Sydney will need it.
Donny Osmond has arrived on the outskirts of Juneau. The mines he will be building should give a boost to the citys economy.
On March 5, 1554, during a royal visit to Boston, King George was met by a mob protesting high taxes on the American people. When a snowball struck the king in the head, he ordered the royal guards to open fire on the mob, killing five. The Boston Massacre produced outrage throughout the nation, leading to the American Revolution. The monarchy was overthrown, replaced by the Constitution of 1556, which established the American democratic system. This system was particularly popular in major cities, which drew power from their massive populations. Scientific research also benefited, particularly as their first president, Thomas Jefferson, was a graduate of MIT and took very seriously the clause in the constitution which made promoting and supporting the pursuits of science a government responsibility.
I have researched Constitution, and adopted the Representation civic. This adds happiness to my major cities (you know, the ones most likely to have unhappiness) and makes all my specialists produce research.
A scientist has been born in New Orleans. Im going to probably found another academy, but Ill wait until after the revolution to determine which city, because right now all my cities are producing no research, so I cant tell where an academy would provide the most benefit.
The anarchy is over! Now I see that New York is the city that would most benefit from an Academy. Which is kinda obvious its only the friggin capital!
Al-Kindi is considered to be one of the most influential political philosophers in American history, and the founder of modern political science. He rose to prominence with his famous 1554 pro-democracy essay, The Science of Democracy, in which he argued that it was illogical for an egalitarian society like America to have a monarchy. He also turned many monarchist arguments about the impracticality of a democracy against them. Drawing on Darwin and his theory of natural selection, he posited that anyone who could reach a leadership position in a volatile democratic government would by definition be competent and politically savvy, otherwise they would not have been able to get there. While a native of New Orleans, Al-Kindi settled in New York, figuring that the best way to study government would be up-close. He founded the Columbia University there to further the development of politics as a science. To this day, it is said that if a politician didnt get his degree at Columbia, his top advisor probably did.
I have established an Academy in New York. Unfortunately, I didnt get the screenshot. Oh, well.
In 1560, Hindu missionaries from Iceland established the first Hindu community in North America, setting up shop in New York itself.
I have spread Hinduism to New York. I begin production of a monastery, so I can later produce Hindu missionaries. The thing is, with Free Religion, its good to spread as many religions as you can to every city in your nation, so you want to get monasteries in high-production cities.
In related news, I have landed a Christian missionary in North America. However, Confucianism suffers the crippling weakness of having its North American base in St. Johns. The chance that Ill be able to complete a Confucian Monastery in St. Johns, train a missionary, send him to a larger city, and build another monastery there before I can no longer delay researching Scientific Method is slim. So I do what seems stupid, and dispatch Imhotep from New York to hurry construction. The thing is, this is important, and I have two Great Engineers.
Christianity has also spread to New York. I will build a monastery once I am done training a Hindu Missionary.
Montezuma demands that I cut off relations with the Romans. Normally, I would refuse, but as Montezuma is my short-tempered neighbor, and the Romans are a distant nation with little power, I accept.
Confucianism in America got a boost in 1578 when the renowned engineer Imhotep converted to Confucianism. Settling in St. Johns, he helped to design and build the first Confucian monastery in North America.
I decided to have Imhotep become a Great Citizen rather than hurry construction. I should still be able to complete the monastery in time with his help, and hell continue to boost production in St. Johns after its done.
Chemistry has been practiced in one form or another for millennia, going back to early smiths and dyemakers. Much of the foundation of modern chemistry was actually laid by medieval alchemists, who produced a great deal of data as well as inventing many common tools of chemistry (though they failed to turn lead into gold). The modern science of chemistry in America arose in the late 1500s, when the first chemistry texts were produced at the University of Washington.
For my next technology, I choose Steam Power.
The city of Halifax was the last city to be founded on the East Coast.
I have founded Halifax. It wont do much, but I had room.
The development of steam power in 1612 had far-reaching implications for the American civilization. Never before had they or anyone else, for that matter had access to such a concentrated source of power. Everything could be produced faster now. Coal provided a superior fuel source to wood. Ships could be built to sail against the winds and currents. And America entered the Industrial Age.
I have developed Steam Power. My next technology will be Democracy. Also, I have discovered multiple coal deposits throughout my territory, including two near New York.
Saladin my rival for Most Advanced Civilization has made a very enticing offer Military Tradition and 780 gold for Chemistry. I accept.
The American military tradition is one of the oldest and proudest in the world. American soldiers prided themselves on their emphasis on merit over birth. In 1620, the American military began to establish a more cohesive training program that took into account new developments in warfare while retaining their traditions including, for some, the ancient war-cult of William Clark.
Aw, crap, the missionary failed to spread Confucianism to New York. Ive got one card left I can use Universal Suffrage to quickly buy another, and accelerate the building of the monastery. The reason I need to do this soon is that I also want to get Scientific Method ASAP, so I can research Physics before Saladin and get a free Great Scientist. But for that, I will need
While America has a long history of egalitarianism, in practice the wealthy and highborn used many means to keep power for themselves. These included laws restricting the franchise to property owners, or poll taxes that the poor couldnt pay.
In the end, it was a combination of popular sentiment and cold-hearted political calculus that led to the establishment of universal suffrage. A few politicians realized that if they could give commoners the vote, those commoners would probably put them into office. They allied with suffrage advocates and began repealing voting restrictions, leading to the 1634 Democracy Proclamation, which declared that all adult citizens of sound mental health, regardless of wealth or property, had the right to vote in all elections in their jurisdiction.
Allowing commoners to vote was change enough, but a few of those forward-thinking politicians also offered women a chance to vote, given the chances of doubling their vote tallies. This change brought yet more chaos, especially when many jurisdictions realized that they had no laws forbidding women from voting. In 1636, Reykjavik shocked the nation when Senator Sharon Marysdotter stepped onto a New York pier.
But there was little that could be done. Just as Al-Kindi predicted, political expediency won out over tradition. By 1642, every state in America had universal suffrage. Three cities (Seattle, Calgary, Reykjavik) had elected female senators.
Well, there you have it. Now for four turns of anarchy
In the midst of this political turmoil, American scientists also discovered a way to smelt coal more effectively. This was put to use at shipyards, improving their production and safety standards.
I chose this option because I intend to use hydroelectric power for all of North America (Three Gorges Dam ftw!) so I will have only four coal plants (Hobart, Sydney, Auckland, Wellington), but many drydocks.
The first city in New Zealand, Wellington was founded in 1638. While many expected that the New Zealanders would find common cause with the Australians, the two regions soon became cordial rivals.
I have founded Wellington. I get their worker, Hamshot (the handle of a New Zealander friend of mine), to build a cottage.
The second city in New Zealand, Auckland became a proud mining town, and the main production center in New Zealand. It is also the southernmost city in America.
I have just noticed that New Zealand and Iceland are very nearly antipodes. My nation spans half the world.
The anarchy is over. Now to hurry that missionary
and spread to New York
and hurry a monastery! Done!
Aw, crap. Turns out I won't be able to research Physics faster than Saladin. Oh, well.
A Great Prophet, St. Peter, has been born in Chicago. I am unsure what to do with him. Start a Golden Age? Put him in a city as a Great Citizen? Maybe use him to help make an island settlement actually viable?