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Atlas Occidentia

BritishOccident

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Introduction
Atlas Occidentia is a series of maps and images that documents the great nation of Occidentia. Occidentia is a multiethnic foederal constitutional republic, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the East to the Rocky Mountains (Miistakistsi/Mestakichy) in the West. The northern border is defined by the 49th parallel north, the Nipigon River, The Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, the 45th parallel, the Laurentian divide, and finally by the 48th parallel until it meets the Chaleur Bay; the southern border by the Rio Bravo and the Bay of Mexico.

Climate
The nation has a diverse climate and ecology. In the Gulf of Maine Region, summers are mild, the winters snowy. The mid-Atlantic region has temperate weather, with hot humid summers and cold winters with some snow occurring. On the South and Gulf Coasts, summers are hot and humid, the winters mild. In the state of Trans-Pecos, summers are scorching and arid, with extreme day-night temperature variations, and winters brings with it frost and snow in the mountains - but the winter is brief. On the Great Lakes, summers are mild and humid, and the lakes, although they raise the local temperature in the winter, brings with it a phenomenon called the Lake Effect which creates extreme snowfall events. West of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River is the vast Occidentian Prairies, once called the "Great Occidentian Desert". However, unlike most of the Trans-Pecos, it is not a true desert, but a semiarid steppe conductive to the growth of wild grasses that sustained vast herds of buffalo for millennia. Summers in the Occidentian Prairies can be scorching, with a combination of cold mountain winds and hot gulf winds fueling some of the world's most extreme weather, with vast thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes. However, it is also the region most conductive to the growth of crops, making Occidentia a net food exporter.

Government
Occidentia is a foederal constitutional republic - the oldest extant today. However, historians generally group Occidentia into several 'Republics'. The current Fourth Republic was founded in 1921, as the result of the Second Occidentian Civil War. The Republic is governed by a Lord President, responsible to the Parliament of Occidentia. The Lord President may select ministers to fill their Government, and the Parliament's Rule of Procedure allow for the Lord President to be deposed by a majority of either the Cabinet or Parliament.
If the Parliament deposes the Lord President without selecting a new one, a writ of election is issued by the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission can also issue writs of election every four years in peacetime or at the recommendation of the Lord President.
The Parliament was formerly bicameral, with a House of Burgesses and a Senate. The House of Burgesses was simplified to simply "The House" in the beginning of the Third Republic, and the Senate was completely abolished in the Fourth Republic, and the singular body was renamed the "Parliament of Occidentia".
The Government has its seat in Marquette, an extraterritorial district. Marquette replaced the city of Seawark, first temporarily in 1863, and then permanently with the establishment of the Third Republic at the conclusion of the First Occidentian Civil War in 1866.
Occidentia is subdivided into provinces (although their names may vary), each with its own government. These governments fall into two general types - divided executives, where a separate executive is elected by the province at large - usually going by the name 'governor' with the exception of Trans-Pecos which uses the title 'viceroy'; and united executives where a President of Assembly (PA) is elected by the province's legislature by varying means.

Culture
Occidentia is a trilingual nation. Occidentia's constitution declares the country to "legislate in two common tongues, English and Occidentian French. An office shall be hereby ordained to translate all edicts of Parliament into a third common tongue, Spanish. Efforts shall be pursued by the Government and her provinces to preserve all local indigenous tongues from extinction by appropriate means."
The most widely spoken of all tongues in Occidentia, English, came as a result of the English, British, and Anglo-Dutch colonization of the Americas, spurred on by shipmaking, fishmongering, tobbaco, rice, and indigo trades. Although the English and Huguenot population were close at certain points in history, the English-speaking population benefitted first from a larger natural rate of growth, and then in the later 19th and early 20th century, significant European immigration as well as English-speaking citizens' successful push to settle the Occidentian Frontier.
French first became part of Occidentia as part of the Wabenaki Wars, in which the British Occident captured the province of Acadia as retaliation for their support of Wabenaki raiding parties. However, most French speakers are not found in Acadia, but in the north-center part of the country. This is due to French Huguenot settlement in the Great Lakes Region, formerly called the Pays d'en Haut - a vast region between the Mississippi and the Ohio River. Most French spoken in Occidentia follows the Huguenot pattern, which shares more features with Occitan than modern French. In addition to the French spoken in Acadia and in the Great Lakes, there is also the French spoken by Catholic settlements on the southern fringes of the Mississippi River.
The Spanish language first arrived in Occidentia when the nation purchased Florida from Spain, upon the condition their language would be protected 'in perpetuity'. Later, as Occidentia expanded west, they captured the Brazorian Republic from Mexico. The Brazorian Republic was split into two parts, the Province of Trans-Pecos and the Republic of Baiha. The Trans-Pecos legally protects Spanish alongside English to this day, while the Republic of Baiha abolished such protections in 1935, following protests by migrant farmers from Mexico.
In addition to these three major language groups, there were over a thousand native tongues in Occidentia, several hundred which are still extant. Despite facing genocide, cultural deprivation, and marginalization, the First Nations of Occidentia have preserved their culture and tongue for future generations. In addition, the provinces of Seneca and Mohawk, formed after a split in the Iroquoian confederacy, still possess a First Nations population of 34% and 42%, respectively and their languages enjoy considerable protections at the provincial level.

[Maps and images to follow, just an introduction to let people know what Occidentia is!]
 
The Death of Charles II
One defining event in the course of Occidental history did not happen on the nation's shores, but rather in the Protectorate - the untimely death of Charles II. Charles II had been crowned King by the Scottish Parliament, and he moved south to England to try and overthrow Lord Protector Cromwell. However, Cromwell and his forces defeated the army of Charles II in Worcester, forcing the King to flee.

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Worcester and Immediate Aftermath
On the 3rd of September, 1651, Charles failed to win the battle of Worcester - his men had lost their spirit against Cromwell's forces, and refused to fight more even at Charles' urging. Together with about 60 soldiers, Charles fled north across Kinver Heath, where he was informed by Lord Derby that a safe haven could be found at Boscobel House. The owner of the estate, who was also with the party, Charles Giffard, suggested they instead hide at a house built into an old monastery, called the White Ladies Priory. The priory was owned by Giffard's cousin Frances.

White Ladies and Spring Coppice
In the rainy early hours of September 4th, the party arrived at the Priory. The Penderel brothers met him there, and disguised him as a laborer - but his clothes were too small as he was exceedingly tall at six feet and two inches. Charles slept for just a few hours before Parliamentary forces were sighted near the priory at dawn. Richard Penderel took him to the forest of Spring Coppice, another part of the same estate. The local militia stopped by the White Ladies, and the Penderels claimed that they had already seen Charles pass by. The rain prevented the soldiers from looking in the forest of Spring Coppice, where Charles was hiding.

Hobbel Grange and Evelith Mill
Richard Penderel would later take the King to Hobbel Grange in Tong after darkness had fallen, where Charles rested and had a hot meal before continuing. Richard and Lord Wilmot persuaded all other men in the party to leave, so that the King could travel both quickly and undetected.
The decision was made for the King and company to go to a mill at Evelith. The three arrived there late on the night of September 4th, and the miller was on high alert, having already harbored several royalist soldiers. Richard Penderel noticed the back gate latch was rusted, and he elected to jump the fence instead, coming close enough for the miller to see his face. As a result, the mill-keep was not alarmed, for he knew Penderel. Once Richard explained the situation of the King, the miller invited him to stay the night. The offer was graciously accepted, as by this point the laborer's shoes the King had were cutting into his feet and they had become wet hiding in the forest of Spring Coppice.
Arrangements were made for the king to sleep in the miller's bed, and the miller, himself familiar with the River Severn and its vagrancies, informed Charles the River was closely guarded by Cromwell. However, a hall currently confiscated by Sir John Pryce called Apley was left abandoned by him, as he was governor of Montgomery Castle. Near Apley was a particularly treacherous and narrow bend of the Severn - one the Parliamentarians did not expect Charles to cross.

Apley and the Crossing of the Severn
Charles arrived at Apley by noon on 5th September, and a boat from a common man was furnished to Charles. By evening, it appeared that a local Parliamentarian militia was closing in on Apley.
The weather was wet the day prior, and the Severn was still swollen from the rain. Despite the danger, Charles insisted on crossing, so that he could flee to either Wales to join other Royalists or follow the river south to the Sea. A loyal scout had spotted soldiers moving in the general direction of Apley, after exhausting themselves searching for Charles. It was thought that Apley would become overwhelmed by soldiers desiring to spend the night there and that they would soon find Charles, so it was determined Charles would cross alone. The boat was too small to carry the tall King and any other member of his party, who had planned to meet him in Wales.
Charles began the crossing at 4 p.m. that evening. He came to the middle of the river, when having to adjust himself due to the pain in his feet, he turned over the boat. Although Charles was strong, he was quickly overtaken by the velocity of the river and he perished.
Lord Wilmot would later say "He appeared upright for but a moment, before the current ripped him under the water."

Aftermath of Charles II's Death
Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell would later write to his adopted successor Charles Fleetwood, saying "The Prince's accident was tragic but fortuitous. It showes how Providence has designed himself to strike down the tyrant Prince, and bring lasting peace to the Lande. No ax could dispatch the Prince as efficiently as the ax of Providence Himself - and not one man could point the blame unto us like with his father."
Historians generally agree with Cromwell's interpretation - that Charles II's death had brought peace to the kingdom. The eldest son of the King was dead, and with him died the hopes of succession. James and Henry were in enemy territory - France - and could not be trusted to hold English interests at heart. Since Charles' death at the Severn was accidental, there was no martyr narrative.
After the death of Charles II, Lord Protector Cromwell decided to secure the succession by adopting Charles Fleetwood in the Roman fashion, and designating him successor. Henry Ireton had originally been chosen, but he perished in Ireland before the war ended there. This succession was solidified by Fleetwood taking the hand of Bridget Cromwell in marriage after the mourning period had passed for Ireton. This ensured that the Protectorate would last until the incidents of 1688.
 
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Front page of the Charter, as reprinted on its 350th anniversary by the British Parliament in 2002
Charter of Government
The Charter for Assembling a Government Unto the Dominions of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and all Possessions thereof belonging, more simply known as The Charter of Government was a document passed by the Rump Parliament as its final act on the 11th of May 1652, declaring Cromwell to be Lord Protector "of these Realms", able to nominate his own successor contingent to "the assent of Parliament". This charter is considered one of the precursors to the Occidental Constitution, and is still studied by legal scholars today despite being partially supplanted in 1658, 1677, and 1679 before its final repeal in 1688.

Background
Upon the drowning of Charles II in the Severn, the only option for the succession was the unpopular James York, renowned for his stubbornness. Cromwell, by contrast, had earned the love and respect of his New Model Army, who were loyal only to him. Parliament had relatively little power against Cromwell, and he could have easily usurped the body and declared himself an absolute monarch. To ward off this event, it was seen necessary that a compromise should be brokered, securing Cromwell's position by attaching Parliament to it.
Cromwell for his part was eager to accept compromise - albeit he was 'hideously stubborn' when his mind was made up, he was interested in reducing the differences between his fellow countrymen as the Putney Debates proved. Cromwell also requested - and got - a provision to fund a standing army, fixing the funding issues his New Model Army had faced.

Provisions
Cromwell was granted the title of "His Highness, the Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland, Defender of the Protestant Faith", which entailed with it executive powers with few limitations. He had the power of veto over any legislation, which could only be overridden by a "majority equal or more than three-fifths of the Parliament present" Cromwell was granted the ability to nominate his own successor with the approval of Parliament.
The act dissolved the Rump Parliament and called for the election of a new Parliament, to be convened every three years for a term of at least five months. Although there was a suggestion that the franchise be extended to all 'potwallopers', or male heads of households, the proposal failed to carry the sufficient support, and the decision regarding the franchise was tabled to the next session of Parliament - effectively keeping the franchise the same. Catholics were barred from voting, and Royalists were also barred from either voting or sitting in Parliament for a period of ten years as well.
In addition, Cromwell could nominate members to a Council of State to act in Parliament's absence.
The law ensured that "an army of not more than 30,000 foot and 10,000 horse shall be furnished at Parliament's expense", to be raised by a tax on all alcohols except ale. This tax pleased the Puritan faction, who looked down on excessive drinking, as well as local brewers who desired to reduce the import of wine and liquors, typically made abroad and shipped to Britain. A standing fleet "of a size seen as reasonable" was to be funded as well, in order to protect the predominance of the Navy. In addition, all acts of war and treaties had to be approved by either the Council of State or a majority of those sitting in Parliament.

Impact
The immediate impact was to reconcile the restless New Model Army and Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell with Parliament. Cromwell thought briefly of installing Richard Cromwell, his eldest son, as successor, but John Lambert voiced his concerns to Cromwell that such an event might lead the New Model Army to think the Lord Protector was installing a Kingship in all but name - leading to a revolt. Cromwell listened to Lambert's concerns, and chose his son-in-law Charles Fleetwood instead, nominally to "emulate the happy model of Roman succession, which hath selected many wise leaders". Although a faction believed Fleetwood's religious beliefs to be too extreme, they quickly fell in line when they realized his election as successor was inevitable - and did not wish to provoke the ire of the man who would be their next Lord Protector.
Although the law ended the franchise for Catholics, it was still considered the most progressive constitution of its day, and began the long and proud tradition of a codified British constitution later adopted elsewhere. For instance, it reduced the power of leader from a monarch who could ignore Parliament as long as they had money, to a Lord Protector accountable to Parliament. It was also the first constitution to recognize popular sovereignty in lieu of the divine right of kings.
 
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Wars in the Occident: The Western Design (1654-1655)
The Western Design was an expedition, sent by Cromwell, to seize as many islands as possible from the Spanish. The expedition consisted of two parts, with Sir William Penn leading the fleet and General Robert Venables commanding the land forces. In addition, there were also Vice Admiral William Goodsonn and Colonel James Heane, who were somewhat important military figures.
Background:
Cromwell desired to weaken the Spanish by taking their Caribbean possessions - thought to be lightly defended. Cromwell was bullish that such a seizure would not cause a war to occur in the Old World. One commander, John Lambert, had been worried about the expense it would incur, but Cromwell was confident the Design would lead to the capture of some of Spain's famous riches. With the First Anglo-Dutch War winding down, more troops were available. In addition, the death of Charles II had provided the country with a level of stability not seen before, which enabled Cromwell to embark 9,000 well-trained and disciplined soldiers to the New World.
The army left on 12 November 1654, stopping briefly in the British possessions of Barbados, Montserrat, and St Kitts & Nevis, gaining enough men to create another regiment of 1,000 soldiers. The fleet arrived in the outskirts of Santo Domingo late on the night of March 21, 1655. Venables and his men disembarked, and made a straight march toward the city - arriving before dawn.
Siege of Santo Domingo:
When the sun lit up the ramparts of the city's forts, Venables saw that the fort had recently been renovated. Far from being discouraged, Venables laid siege to the city, with Penn bombarding the walls from the city's harbor. The artillery's discipline was such that by nightfall, the city's walls had been destroyed in certain sections, allowing Venables to make one final charge. Don Bernardino, Count of Peñalva, the city's governor, surrendered when he realized the walls could no longer hold them back.
Fearing disloyalty, the colonial administration was given two weeks to leave. As the center of Hispaniola was not yet pacified, Venables elevated James Heane to Major General, giving him command of four regiments. Edward Winslow was made the island's first civilian administrator, and given a mandate for five years.
With Hispaniola captured, Penn and Venables fought over who would take credit. Penn's bombardment had weakened the walls, but it had been Venables' charge that sealed the fate of the city. The two of them soon fell apart, and barely spoke except for pressing matters. Venables had privately warned his soldiers that Penn may abandon them on the island of Santiago, their next target.
Conquest of Haymaica:
The fleet arrived at Caguaya in Santiago - now called Haymaica, catching the islanders by surprise. Venables marched inland, taking Santiago de la Vega. The city had put together inadequate preparations, and the governor, Juan Ramírez, was forced to surrender. Content with this acquisition, Venables moved his energy to pacifying the interior, where the Spanish had released their slaves in rebellion against the English. These slaves would later become the Maroon people.
However, Penn was not satisfied. He was convinced he could become greater than Venables by capturing the Cuban port of Santiago. He and Goodsonn took 2,000 men, and moved north to take Santiago de Cuba.
War in Cuba:
The port was guarded by the Castle of San Pedro de la Roca, which was still under construction. Goodsonn successfully captured the castle in the twilight hours of 4th June 1655 with a mortar that was in his possession, and plundered the arsenal for gunpowder - the Design was a victim of its own success, and the mission did not have enough gunpowder for all of its objectives.
With the fort taken, the city of Santiago entered a state of high alert. A militia was called, the fortress reinforced. However, the army of Goodsonn and Penn still took the town by surprise with the speed and ferocity of their attacks. After standing for scarcely two days, the city was captured on 6th June. Elated by their successes, Penn and Goodson decided to prepare an attack on the city of Bayamo, north of the Sierra Maestra.
However, as Goodsonn marched north with his men, they were sighted by a rancher, who informed the mayor of Bayamo that a large army of English were headed their way. Enraged, the mayor assembled an army with haste, calling on men as far away as Camaguey to join the cause.
The two armies met at a meeting of rivers, now near the site of a city called La Clarita. The Battle was called the Battle of Quatro Rios. Although Goodsonn's men were brave and highly trained, the militia understood the forested and wet terrain better than their enemy. A company of cavalry encircled the army on its rear, killing Goodsonn. Soon afterwards, the remnant of the army fled, heading to Santiago.
A militiaman, Julian Rodriguo, later would describe the retreat as:
"We were hot on their heels, chasing after them all the way south over the Sierra Maestra. I can say many foul un-Christian things about the English, but the English race is the fastest of any on Earth. We had just scarcely arrived in Santiago when we saw the ships were already on the sea."
The fleet found itself short on provisions, as Penn had expected to acquire more from Cuba. The fleet stopped at Guantánamo Bay, acquiring supplies, before sailing on for the Somers Isles. Twenty men deserted there, and although twelve are confirmed to have died, six have been documented in the historical records.
Legacy
Once Penn's fleet had arrived on the Somers Isles, he discovered that Venables had already returned, and he intended to inform Cromwell that Penn had gone against him and invaded Santiago. Penn also learned the conquest had led to a war between the Protectorate and Spain. He arrived in London, hoping to appeal to Cromwell. However, Cromwell had Penn thrown in the Tower of London, where he remained until Lord Protector Fleetwood pardoned him.
The western part of the island was given to France, partially as a trade for Acadia (which was captured in 1654) and also partially in an attempt to suppress piracy in the area, which had been strategically depopulated by the Spanish to destroy the local tribes. The region was named Arague, after the Jaragua people who had lived there.
The war was also the genesis of British coffee culture, for which the country is well-known today. In an age where most alcohol except ale were taxed heavily, coffee became a luxury, and its stimulant properties were prized. Some Puritans, who disavowed alcohol entirely, promoted the use of 'healthful' coffee as an antidote against 'lethargy, laziness, and general human malaise'. This was helped by the growth of coffee plantations on Cecaya, which sustained the growing appetite for the bean in the Protectorate.
 
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