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Amerikaens Free State: Difference between revisions
Post independence AFS politics
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==== Names of the AFS ====
The country's official name is rendered in three different languages. In the country's official language, Amerikaens, it is known as the ''Amerikaens Vrÿstaet''. In Dutch, it is known as the Amerikaanse Vrijstaat. The English name ''
== Economy ==
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When the Mexico started centralizing their empire and reducing the autonomy of the Amerikaners in the Boer provinces, the Kingdom of the Netherlands used this as one of the pretexts for war: to liberate their kin on the west. The war resulted in a Dutch victory. After the war, the Kingdom of the Netherlands wanted to annex the Boer regions to the Federation of Tussenland (then a Dutch colony). The southern three provinces (New Orange, Goudlandt, and Voorland) outright rejected this proposal, and chose to stay within the Mexican empire, as the inhabitants of the region identified closer to Mexico than the Netherlands (highly Catholicized Amerikaner population).
The Northern Boers identified more with the Dutch than the Mexicans and were invited to join the Federation of Tussenland as two new provinces. They rejected the offer, citing cultural differences as a result of 75 years of Hispanic influence. There was also opposition within Tussenland against their entry. The provinces of Irokesenland and Westerzee feared that two new Amerikaner-dominated provinces would upset the political balance and threaten Tussenland’s cosmopolitan nature. As a compromise, borders were redrawn and the independent Amerikaens Free State was created.
=== 20th Century ===
==== Post Independence Political Situation ====
The political situation after the independence of the AFS was shaky after their independence. It is important to remember that before being a single sovereign state in 1903, what is now the AFS consisted of two distinct semi-autonomous provinces within the Mexican Empire: Westerzee (not to be confused with the province of [[Westerzee|Westerzee, Tussenland]]) hugging the pacific coast, and Kiemoeënim. They both had different legal systems. Westerzee had more democratic institutions like the Algemenhofs (created in 1870, also known as the Cortes-Generales, or the General Courts). Kimoeenim had no democratic legislative apparatus and instead had the Council of the People. Three-fourths of the seats were appointed by the governor and the other fourth by the Mexican resident delegate.
The seeds of independence were sown in 1894 when the separatist coalition party named the Amerikaner Integrity League (Amerikaens: ''Amerikaens Integriteytsbond'') won the majority of seats in the General Courts and denounced the increasing proselytization and encroachment of the Mexican Empire against the Protestant Amerikaners. Meanwhile, in Kimoeenim, the province was led by a pro-Mexican governor despite the majority Protestant population, which led to calls for a more democratic government.
When the Dutch-Spanish War erupted in 1901, the Dutch had secret dealings with the leader of Westerzee, Dirck Goudpaerdt, promising them independence from Mexico if they supported the Dutch during the war. During the war, the central authority of Kimoeenim had disintegrated due to being cut off from the Mexicans. In its place, three regional factions had formed in the population centers of the north, south, and east (which later became the AFS provinces of Kimoeenim (retaining the old name), Bovenlandt, and Centraelia).
After the war, the Dutch facilitated dialogue between the four provinces (plus Westerzee) to draft a new constitution. An initial draft was finished in 1903, but due to conflicting interests between the provinces, a finished constitution would not be adopted until late 1904. Dirck Goudpaerdt became the first President of the AFS, and the country's official legislative body was the Algemenhof.
==== Corruption, controversial policies, and the rift between the AFS and Tussenland ====
By 1905, the independence of the Dutch colony of Tussenland resulted in lessened support from the Dutch. President Dirck Goudpaerdt was quick to come into dialogue with the new government of Tussenland, which had received them warmly. Goudpaerdt's party, the ''Amerikaens Integriteytsbond,'' dominated the AFS politics in the early 20th century. However, Goudpaerdt knew that the rift between the Catholics and Protestants threatened the nation, and consequently, the Algemenhof pursued policies that united both groups and alienated another: the Native Americans. From 1910-1915, thousands of native Americans who refused to be placed in reservations and enroll in the AFS Tax System were killed or deported to Opdamslandt, a move which Tussenland did not oppose due to their government's similar policies in their own country.
===== Rule of President Philippus Goudpaerdt =====
Upon the death of the President in 1914, his son, Philippus Goudpaerdt, won the presidency and was appointed the leader of the Amerikaens Integrity party. Philippus Goudpaerdt was a traditional Venerationist in his beliefs, and abhorred vice and alcohol. He put laws against debauchery in place, and outlawed the sale of alcohol in the AFS, for "the preservation of both Protestant and Catholic" values.
===== Kidnapping of Gertruydt Ubincks, and severed international relations =====
In 1921, in the midst of Philippus Goudpaerdt's second term, shreds of evidence of his father's corruption and embezzlement came to light. The Amerikaens Integrity party was heavily implicated in these pieces of evidence. Incriminating evidence told of the extensive pocketing of AFS tax money and monetary aid by the Goudpaerdts. Philippus Goudpaerdt denounced the accusations as a political smear against his party and the nation. Despite these evidences, the majority of the population was not convinced and continued to support Goudpaerdt.
The party ordered the arrest of Barent Ubincks, a member of the opposition and a known critic of the Goudpaerdt administration, who they believed was behind the accusations. Upon hearing the news, Ubincks fled to Tussenland, which had granted him political asylum. Goudpaerdt was angered by Tussenland's decision to protect Ubincks. He demanded Ubinck's extradition but was rejected by Tussenland. As a response, Goudpaerdt's agents located and kidnapped Ubincks' wife, Gertruydt, which had earlier fled to Nueva Orañe (formerly the Boer Republic of New Orange, now part of the Mexican Empire) and briefly worked as a telephony switchboard operator. The Mexican and Tussenlander governments had no knowledge of this until a month later (March 1923) when Goudpaerdt demanded the extradition of Ubincks and used their capture of Gertruydt as negotiating leverage. The case was highly publicized, and several American governments branded the AFS as a rogue state and Philippus a "barbarian."
Despite his wife taken hostage, Ubincks was advised by Tussenland not to return and cave in to the rogue state's tactics. He would remain in asylum in Tussenland for two years, until 1923 when he finally returned and was arrested. It was reported that Gertruydt Ubincks had been subject to torture, with Goudpaerdt believing she was a spy working for either Tussenland or Mexico. Gertruydt Ubincks was released on the same year, in poor medical condition. The reveal of her poor situation had made the populace disillusioned with the Goudpaerdt government. This resulted in a peaceful protest marches in the capital Tuynswÿck and other parts of the AFS, calling for compensations to the Ubincks and demanded the government to be held accountable. As a result, Goudpaerdt released Barent Ubincks and even allowed him to run for the upcoming 1926 elections.
Throughout the rest of his term, the government of Philippus Goudpaerdt became a pariah among the liberal republican governments of North America. While all of its neighbors were experiencing the benefits of globalization and international ties, the AFS progressed backwards due to their corrupt, repressive, and isolationist government.
==== 1926 General Elections, Electoral Fraud, and the 1926 Electoral Protests ====
In March 1925, Barent Ubincks announced his intention to run as President in the 1926 General Elections. He had garnered more support this time from the public, completely unlike the situation ten years ago when he first released incriminating evidence against the Goudpaerdts in 1914. Two months later, his wife, Gertruydt, died due to the injuries she suffered. This bolstered Barent Ubincks' popularity even more. The elections were held peacefully in February 1926, and was watched by international observers (Tussenland, Mexico, Spain, etc.). When the results were tallied, the official tallying body announced Ubincks as the winner of the elections. His party, the <insert party name> had won half of the seats on the Algemenhof. However, the official state press released contradictory results, declaring Goudpaerdt winning a third term. The government ordered newspapers within the AFS to publish of Goudpaerdt's Victory, while international presses released news of Ubincks' victory. This left the population of the AFS in a state of confusion. As a result, Goudpaerdt was inaugurated in the capital Tuynswyck, while Ubincks held a separate inauguration in his native Centraelia.
This once again resulted in protests against the Goudpaerdt government, this time more violent than the protests earlier in 1923. Supporters of Ubincks stormed the capitol building, forcing Goudpaerdt to Tussenland. Tussenland authorities arrested Goudpaerdt upon setting foot in Tussenland, and was transported to the Daesemus National jail. By September 1926, Barent Ubinck's government was recognized by foreign nations as the legitimate government of the AFS.
Ubincks continued to use the death of his wife as a reminder of the Goudpaerdt family's corruption and cruelty. The constitution was appended to bar presidents from running for a second consecutive term. Despite this legislation, there was no rule made against political families/dynasties. In the 1932 elections, Ubincks' son, Gerald Ubincks won the presidency.
{{Nations of the World}}
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