Cascadia

Overview

The Directory of Cascadia (D.C. or D.o.C.), also referred to as the Annuaire de Cascadia (A.d.C.), is a country located within the Creative 1.15 map. The nation consists of 12 Provinces. extending from the shores of the northern Coral Sea in the west, to the Valdez Sea in the east, and San Luis Sea to the north. The country is moderately inhabited and has a population of 18 Million. It's three largest cities are Montmorency, Lennox, and Dixieville.

The capital of Cascadia is Montmorency, a city located northeast of the Creative spawn warp point, near the coordinates of X4620  Y73 Z-14226.

History

First Age 5000BCE-1720AD

From as long ago as 5000BCE, the indigenous peoples of the region had been living in harmony with the earth, and the surrounding environment. Artifacts such as tools, textiles, and human remains have confirmed that the indigenous peoples had full control of the surroundings. Tribes such as the Wendat, Mississauga, and Anishinaabe are still inhabitants of the land, and still share common ancestors with the Ajudige and Durbanian Peoples. Common traditions, including dance, art, and food are now staples amongst most Cascadians. Furthermore, the land Montmorency sits in was known as a historical melting pot of different Tribal cultures and traditions. Peace and isolation had stayed the norm, until the year 1720, when a French exploration mission, consisting of 15 ships, entered the San Luis Sea, but noticed a straight between what is now Valdez National Park, and the Franklin Peninsula of the Valdez Province. (Historically, fog had blocked the straight out of view). Upon the discovery of the straight, the winds of the San Luis had picked up and gifted a blunt strong push for the ships to enter the straight. Of the fifteen ships to enter the straight, only Nine had managed not to sink or run aground. After roughly two hours, many crewmates, intimidated by the terrain, noted that the nearby Salazar Mountains seemed to be "watching" the ships and their every movement. Upon landing on the now Montmorency Peninsula, the explorers had planted the French flag, and rung the ships bell seven times, to see if there would be a response. within moments, a distant percussive boom was heard, followed by six more. The explorers were dumbfounded, as they had passed the isle of Pjaia before entering the straight. Following this, it is said that three boats had tried to flee, but were fired upon by the commanding vessel, Le Republique. It is unknown how many were killed. estimates range from 27-140. Following this initial disaster, a small colony was formed, and not long after, contact with indigenous peoples was established. The colony was referred to as Chateau Republique.

Second Age (1721-1730)

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 In January 1721, roughly four months after the arrival of the French, first contact between the Indigenous Wendat Tribe, and the French had occurred. It is noted that the first exchange was done non-verbally, with lots of body language, and sign language, that the French had learned from previous expeditions to Canada, and the former United States. With hesitant smiles, and the clouds breaking to show the evening sunset, it was safe to say that no one knew how to proceed next. Over the next several years, the original exploratory mission, had contacted the French Mainland, confirming land, people, and resources. The French sent nearly a dozen missions to the region, which introduced the colonists and indigenous peoples to newer innovations, medicines, and foods. The first fusion dish of French and Indigenous Peoples consisted of Maize and Bison Meat on a bread loaf, with a Maple Syrup glaze. It is commonly known in Cascadia as a Mixed Sandwich. The French also adjusted their architectural style to match that of indigenous styles, building brick longhouses, and neutral religious temples. However, this already tense understanding of peace had been shattered several times, as numerous incidents of violence against the Wendat people had commenced, following tragedies that some in the missions saw as being the fault of the Indigenous, when in reality, they were false excuses for violence. While the majority of settlers demanded this was not their intent, they knew that reconciling for these acts would take a very long time.

The arrival of the British(1730)

 In 1730, due to failures in French Intelligence, the British King, George II, had caught word that the French had a new outpost in this hidden land. This knowledge made the already sour king, furious, especially after learning that the French had not introduced mass religious practices among the Indigenous peoples. Fearing this practice would come back to France, and then Britain, George II demanded that thirty ships be sent, as well as a military general, a priest, and two thousand rounds of ammunition. As the way the British saw the situation, the French had been too kind, and were making them much more weak than they appeared. As the British arrived in July of 1730, The French had sent emergency messages to the mainland warning of a British attack, to which the Mainland has brushed off as being a false report, as they were too bold to assume that the British had their secrets. The day the British landed, July 2nd 1730, warning bells across the colony and near several indigenous villages were ringing in unison to alert that an enemy had arrived. With Twenty-three of the Thirty ships surviving the same forceful push into the strait, the British opened fire among everyone they saw. This massacre lasted two hours, and thirty-seven minutes, and saw the complete destruction of Chateau Republique, as well as the nearby villages of Dakib and Onda'ibaan. The British sent a clear message to the region that they were now in charge. Estimates of this massacre range in the thousands, with the near extermination of the Indigenous Peoples on the peninsula. To this day, demographists estimate that 1/3 of any Indigenous Cascadian that could have been born never were. To this day, the British Royal Family has never recognized this act of violence, and the resulting three year genocide.

British Colonization, and The Early Cascadian Revolution (1733-1800)

Years following the Genocide, and with colonization at all speed ahead, the settlement of Chateau Republique had been renamed to Kings Isles, in the name of the ruler George II. By now, the population of the colony had exploded to nearly thirty-thousand, and it was noted that while the French were still sailing in the region, they lay outpost in a nearby swamp off the shores of the inlet named Valdez Bay. This outpost was formed in 1724, and was named Nouvel-Riom. Border clashes between the British and French eventually led to the French being pushed into place at Nouvel-Riom, and its surrounding cliffs.

It is around the year 1750 that expeditions to surrounding shores, and rivers lead to the discovery, and eventual settlement of Lemming Hill, (Lennox), Kaskill Row, (Kazanova), and Portland. Around this time however, with the Indigenous population slowly recovering, and with the British morale beginning to run low among citizens still living with the horrors of witnessing the Massacre of 1730, many felt empathetic for the Indigenous and French, and a growing hatred of their leaders was brewing.

In 1770, a controversial order from the Mainland announced that the King would arrive in Ten Years to tour the settlement and that he would announce the official declaration of the British Cascade Group. This declaration laid out the foundations for a puppet republic, that would be controlled by a company in the British mainland who's expertise was on agriculture and textiles. This had two effects on the British settlers.

A). jubilance, as It stated that the original families in the Upper Class, as well as pure blooded Britons and Religious Families would receive preferential tax treatment, and roles in governance. and

B). Fury. With a vast amount of the population being below the poverty line, the annoyed citizens, in acts of defiance, took it upon themselves to help increase the population of the French, and Indigenous through contact, forming relationships, and also through starting families in an attempt to diversify the populous.

There was rightful resistance among the Indigenous as they had witnessed what the British were capable of, and did not want any repeat actions, so while the French Population grew massively over the few years, the Indigenous population did as well, but at a slower rate, as they adopted this idea, as the citizens would give them shelter, alibies, and money for each new child.

In July 1774, among hearing news of the British loss in the American Revolutionary War, and subsequent cancellation of the eventual Declaration Of The British Cascade Group, being announced in a town square, a French and Indigenous couple, who had recently welcomed a son into the world, rushed back to their home with tears in their eyes. Not sad tears however, but tears of joy, as they saw that anyone who was organized enough against a larger enemy, could end up living in a free nation. This Family, named the Montmorency' had married two years earlier, and had given birth to a son named Pierre. The Montmorency Family lived in what is now the University neighbourhood in Montmorency. Pierre eventually studied law, and statesmanship at a local Anglican hall, and the family moved between Nouvel-Riom, and Kings Isles in secrecy many times to stay with their accepted roots.  

The Twenty-Year War, and eventual Revolution (1800-1820)

Following the decades of successive defiance of the citizens through the population growth, the lower class of King's Isles, and the integrated Indigenous peoples, had made a mark on the settlement. This was through marriages, and very public events of births, and families of mixed races and ethnicities.

By 1800, The British overlords had eventually realized what the populous had years prior. They realized that they were outdated, and that they were the minority now, and to keep their place, contacted the mainland, demanding aid, but as the British were going through many crises at home, these requests were denied over and over again. From 1800-1816, occasional raids from French and Indigenous groups and troop formations against Kings Isles, proved to be much more damaging then expected, as in many cases, citizens did not put up a fight, and rather welcomed the French and Indigenous into the outer districts of the settlement, which now had a population of 90,000.

By 1810, the towns of Lemming Hill and Kaskill Row had been liberated as French protectorate towns, under the names of Lennox, and Kazanova respectively. In 1816 however, the final calls for a revolution were everywhere. Local papers wrote articles on the upper class and their exuberant wealth, which supercharged the populous. Incidents of lower class citizens raiding mansions, and killing inhabitants of the mansions was commonplace. But one event in 1816, spearheaded by a now 30 year old Pierre Montmorency, had taken the Revolution into the mainstream.

The Ballroom Catastrophe (July 2 1816)

After an invitation to speak in Pjaia at the annual ball celebrations, which had only recently been allowed for citizens to travel to, was the perfect opportunity. but an 1808 Declaration from the overlords, closing the Valdez strait from the rest of the colony to prevent mass emigration to Pjaia, and other liberated towns such as Lennox and Kazanova, meant that Montmorency had to secretly leave the colony. This wasn't uncommon for Montmorency, as he would leave the colony almost daily. Upon his arrival at the ball in pjaia, he donned a red and blue cloak his mother had gifted him on his birthday, and a traditional cedar hat, with his family's yellow, gray, and black colouring and patterning. He entered the ballroom to cheers of applause, as he was the first like minded European politician to step foot into Pjaia in centuries. His famous "I Must Complain" speech, transformed the energy in the reigion.

...And while i give thanks to the generous man and woman who helped me get to this event. I must complain... This complaint is no ill will to this ballroom, nor anyone here or in the beautiful city...... But to the organized cycle of hurt, that I have been told was once a cycle of love, for thousands of years. I must complain, because I have witnessed horrors I wished not to. I must complain because I can't understand why my neighbour and the woman down by the well on cherry st are seen as less of a being than myself. Finally, I must complain, because In my home, my privacy, I can not do this-" 

-Pierre Montmorency- as he rushes to a nearby man and embraces him.

The Ballroom caused such a loud cheer, that it is reported the bells on the Cacedrale Geminai belltower, across the city were ringing louder than a cannon firing from 10 feet away. After embracing the man, Montmorency declared "Kings Isles, I Declare A Cascading Revolution Of Love!". The Ballroom had opened it's doors, and the cheering and celebration flowed out onto the street, and a crowd escorted Montmorency to a dock near the Citadela del'Baye. Upon his return to Kings Isles, citizen bulletins across the settlement showed drawings of Montmorency's embrace, and the celebration that followed. Many in Kings Isles had also reported the sound of bells the night before. Once British overlords saw this, they panicked and tried to find Montmorency. 

This was no easy task, as by now, almost 1/3 of Kings Isles was under some sort of French or Indigenous influence, and mass public opinion was unfavorable of the rulers. A local paper, named after the Jacobin club during the 1795 French revolution had also influenced Montmorency to set his middle name as Jacobin, as the ideas that came from that revolution, continued to puzzle him. He kept asking himself if he could make his own works and policy, and eventually he would.

Final Days(1820-1824)

By 1820, with many of the citizens of the now city of Kings Isles now openly writing on paper, walls, roads, and administrative halls, change was no longer an ask, but a demand. Now, at the age of 34, Montmorency had built a chateau in the Salazar Mountains, overlooking the Valdez strait. He was a wanted man, and for the next few years, he wrote in isolation, with protection from local French soldiers, and Indigenous peoples in the vicinity of his chateau. Here, he wrote the national constitution, Le Venir. (The Becoming).

With Seven signatures on the Nine page document, from himself, a French naval general, an Anashinaabe tribal leader, a member of the Ajudigioux, and three other witnesses, Le Venir, became law. Cascadia, was born. It is unknown at what specific time Montmorency wrote Le Venir, but it is assumed he wrote it in April, inspired by the spring across the strait, and in the surrounding region. The Document became law on July 3rd 1820, with one final push.

July 3 1820

 The Citizens in Lennox, Kazanova, Nouvel-Riom, and within Kings Isles, were to flood the Government district in Kings Isles at noon, and demand one last time, for a peaceful switch of power. With the French protectorate group from Lennox picking up Montmorency, and transporting him to Nouvel Riom, where he then boarded a merchant ship, and crossed Valdez Bay wave of fog, to the shores of the Isles. It is estimated, nearly Two-Hundred Thousand citizens flooded the streets, destroying mansions, post offices, government halls, state funded churches, and the Palace of George, which stood where the current Directory building stands. By 15:00, the ruling British ambassador had approached the crowd from a balcony, and asked what they wanted. a resounding "CASCADING LOVE" was heard, and lead to the ambassador to come down to the square, to sign off Le Venir, or face expulsion by force. By 15:10, Britain had lowered their flag on the Palace, and the flag of a free Cascadia, rose above the hall. It was reported that the ambassador was deported within the next few days, and the entire cabinet and governance system was dismantled, and the wealth of the governing families, reallocated to the city that Montmorency loved so much. 

Third Age 2000AD-(1820-1914)---------------------------------------------

Following the creation of Cascadia, it was the first priority for Montmorency to develop the city of Kings Isles, and rename it, so that it would fit with the ideas of the citizens. by 1824, the British had officially recognized Cascadia's Independence, and all of it's naval fleets had left the region, and the greater San Luis region as well. The French had also left, but their mark remained on Nouvel-Riom, which now had Montmorency in a pickle. Cascadian citizens were diverse, and did not have a specific profile to who they were. Montmorency introduced the ideas to his sitting council, named the Directorate of Cascadia, to integrate remaining French citizens into Cascadia, by allowing them to continue speaking in their mother tongue. Cascadia officially adopted a tri-Lingual policy in 1825, around the same time that the new Government District had been created in the city. 1825 also saw Montmorency act as Cascadia's First Director for a term of 10 years. A Residence was also built for Montmorency, as a gesture of goodwill from citizens. At first Montmorency decried it for idolization, which he saw as a British Imperial behavior's, but after much convincing, he eventually folded and resided in the now Residence building, home to current, and previous Cascadian Directors. Upon completion of the Directory Hall, the city was declared Agwamo, after the Ojibwe word for On Water.

Development Of The Nation(1820-1900)

By 1830, Agwamo, Lennox, and Kazanova, as well as a small town named Winndixie, were interconnected by small roads, and Lennox and Kazanova by rail. Agwamo also had developed a local streetcar network, connecting different areas of the city, with different demographics. All lines lead to the Government District, as Montmorency believed that citizens should have direct access to their government, if they had a complaint. This system of streetcars were also implemented in Lennox, and Kazanova, where they increased in popularity. 

With Electricity also becoming common, Montmorency saw that every household should have access to modern luxuries. Healthcare also played an important role, as the British and French had left many recipes for medicines, and constant deliveries and trading with the French, and a group that themselves "Canadians", saw many advancements in medicine and healthcare becoming law in Cascadia. 

With the foundations for a powerful new Nation set, no one could have foretold what the Summer of 1830 had planned for the Cascadians. A drought, with blazing heat in the high 20C' and a wildfire that destroyed many southern parts of Agwamo, and a fire that damaged part of Lennox, rebuilding was the priority for the government. Montmorency was aging, and with that, his spirits slowly started to go, but following the rebuilding of Agwamo and Lennox, and with Cascadia now having three provinces, (Capital, Lennox, and Kazanova), and a population of near 1 Million, Montmorency's change in heart flipped back to the young restless politician who electrified the nation. 

Other Events in this time period include the connection of Agwamo with Lennox and Kazanova by rail, and equity reforms that allowed many in Cascadia, official rights. By the late 1830s, an old man looking upon the Nation he had created, Montmorency started to back away from the spotlight, and rather let his government continue to operate. In 1835, after the announcement of his retirement, Franklin Talbot, Montmorency's second in command assumed office and lead as Cascadia's Second Director, from 1835-1845. Following a stroke in 1843 however, Pierre Jacobin Montmorency had Died at the age of 63.

Following the news of his death, the public rallied to change Agwamo's name to Montmorency to reflect the leader who gave them their freedoms. With a national referendum in 1844, and 93% of the vote in favor of the name change, Montmorency became the name of the Capital of Cascadia. Following the retirement of Franklin Talbot in 1845, Cascadia took a step forward for the word to see, and elected a woman as it's Third Director, Burnadette Munroe. Munroe was one of the longest serving directors, serving from 1845 until 1870, and lead the country through many important world events, including the United States Civil War, and the Confederation of Canada. Munroe ran to implement tri-lingual schooling for all, and at all levels of education, and also implemented social programs for the sick and impoverished. She is also credited with spearheading motions to build several high skill projects such as bridges, early sewers, and clean drinking water systems. She is also credited for the denial of allowing religious internment schools in the nation for Indigenous children, as Canada had been ethnically cleansing for a very long time, and wanted to sell the idea to Cascadia, not knowing the level of restraint that Cascadia would show. By the end of her term, in 1870 she had also passed the nations first Environmental Policy in 1867, which used Indigenous flood-protection techniques, and biosphere preservation across the nation.

The Polowsky Doctorate (1870-1915)

Following her tenure, Cascadia elected it's Fourth Director, William Polowsky. He is Cascadia's longest serving Director, from 1870 until 1915. Polowsky, a polish immigrant who's family was escaping political persecution came to Cascadia at age 10, and he was now at the helm. His top priority was Immigration reform, as the nation's population had risen to nearly 2 Million, and a delayed industrial revolution, mixed with a waning economy, meant that skilled workers and international immigrants who could help, should come. He spoke on how his family faced many hardships including alienation upon arrival, as their English was not strong, nor their French. He aligned with a more conservative stance on financial reforms, as he had seen first hand what a bad economy could do, and the many other rabbit holes that could form from it, but over his term he progressed to a more centrist stance. He is credited with passing the HEART act of 1907, a Universal healthcare act that would serve ALL in Cascadia. He also is credited with passing the 1910 Woman's Place In Society Bill, which lead to women being allowed to officially vote as a whole,  own property as a whole, run for office as a whole, and have the same protections. (Despite The Previous Director being a woman, it is noted that her cabinets throughout her time in office had always been 51/49 on any issue pertaining to woman's rights, despite her being the director.) 

Throughout 1900-1915, Other social policies such as the 1912 Native Peoples And The Land We Stand On Act,  guaranteed total rights. It granted the Indigenous peoples a higher say in public affairs as the original peoples of the land, and also guaranteed tax exemptions, and lowered service fees. 

Leading Up to 1914 and the eventual world war in Europe, Polowsky took a 180 on his immigration stance, and sliced immigration from Germany, Hungary, and Austria to 0. He felt that preventing the spread of chaos was needed, and while the bill was extremley popular among many of his more conservative voter base, he was seen as a fraud, and in the 1915 Election, a resounding 19% Voted in favour of Polowsky continuing as Director, and he was replaced with the Fifth Director of Cascadia, Francis Lowe.

The Fourth Age (1915-1976)------------------------------------------------------

Geography

Government & Politics

Economy

Demographics

Culture

Health

Education

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