South Tussenland: Difference between revisions
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|map=Locator SouthTussenland.png
|established=1855
|capital= Elegasthaven (1855-1909) <br/>
Vrÿheidt (1909-present)
|largest_city= {{unbulleted_list | Elegasthaven }}
|population= 23 Million
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|currency=
}}
'''South Tussenland''' ([[Amerikaens]]: ''Suydt-Tussenlandt''), officially the '''Republic of South Tussenland''', is a country located in southern North America centered around the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River_Delta Mississippi Delta]. South Tussenland borders [[Florida]] to the east and [[Mexico]] to the
South Tussenland was a Dutch colony until 1855
Much of the nation's lands were formed from sediment washed down the Mississippi River, leaving enormous deltas and vast areas of coastal marsh and swamp. These contain a rich southern biota; typical examples include birds such as ibises and egrets. There are also many species of tree frogs and fish such as sturgeon and paddlefish.▼
In 1909, the capital was moved from Elegasthaven to Vrÿheidt, a planned city, after the water levels of the Mississippi dropped due to the Atsjafalaja river capturing most of its flow.
▲South Tussenland was a Dutch colony until 1855, and had the highest number of slaves in all Dutch American territorial holdings during the 19th century. This led to the large Afro-Amerikaner population in the present-day. South Tussenland is also the birthplace of the African diaspora religion known as [[Zoekerism]], which was South Tussenland's official state religion after their independence in 1855 until the republican revolution in 1911.
== History ==
=== 17th century ===
Before the arrival of Europeans, the region of what is now the country of South Tussenland was inhabited by Native Americans for many millennia. The first European explorers to visit South Tussenland came in 1528 when a Spanish expedition led by Pánfilo de Narváez located the mouth of the Mississippi River. Two decades later, an expedition by Hernando de Soto skirted the northern region of South Tussenland and followed the Mississippi River arriving at the Gulf of Mexico in 1543.
==== Opdam's Expedition (1674-1679) ====
[[File:RTL Expeditions.png|left|thumb|242x242px|Expeditions into the region.]]
In the late 16th century, Dutch explorer Cornelis Jacobszoon van Duvenvoorde Opdam was hired by the Dutch West India Company to lead an expedition from the Dutch Tussenland Colony to find a route to the Pacific, following the Ohio River and then down the Mississippi River. He claimed the land around the river for the company and named it the Dutch Possessions on the Mississippi (Amerikaens: ''Nederlands Besittingen ter Misisibie'') (although the country of [[Opdamsland]] formed in 1903 would be posthumously named after him). Along the journey halfway into present-day South Tussenland came an escort of Chitimacha Indians
=== 18th century ===
The territory of modern
=== 19th century ===
==== Republic of Anahuac (1812-1817) ====
In 1812, Dutch filibusters started settling the regions west of the official boundaries of Southern Tussenland
==== Royal Tussenland Company Charter (1817) ====
[[File:Southern Tussenland in 1850.png|alt=|thumb|263x263px|Southern Tussenland in 1850 with modern-day borders in red.]]The Royal Tussenland Company (established 1817) was the successor of the defunct Dutch West India Company, which was disbanded in 1815 after financial troubles during the French Revolutionary Wars. The scope of the Royal Tussenland Company was smaller in scope than the Dutch West India Company, focusing only on the North American territory. The Royal Tussenland Company took over the operation of plantations in the South
==== South Tussenland Revolution (1849) and Independence ====
Tensions between the slaves and the Dutch ruling minority
The newly independent Southern Tussenland in 1850 supported the Spanish against the Dutch during the duration of the war.
==== The Plight of the Suyderlings ====
The white Dutch
Most of the surviving Suyderlings ended up in the Irokesenland Province of the Federation of Tussenland, where
=== Post-Independence (1855-present) ===
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===== Reign of Tegbesoe (1855) =====
Immediately after independence, Afro-Amerikaner revolutionary leader, Jan de Bodtsappe, adopted the Fon name of Tegbesoe and installed himself as the ''Protector'' of South Tussenland. With a colonial map of South Tussenland, he divided the country into six parts (called ''gemeentes'', or communities). Each gemeente was given to six of Abajomie van Tussenland's most loyal disciples to lead. Rulers of the gemeentes ordained by Tegbesoe as "Elders"
During this time, the Kingdom of the Netherlands acknowledged that a separate government had formed in the South, as the treaty of the 2nd Dutch-Spanish War had stipulated, but was stubborn to recognize the new nation's government.
===== Foundation of the Church of Second Ascension (1856) =====
[[File:Zoekerism.png|thumb|178x178px|Emblem of the Church of Second Ascension]]
The new government put [[Zoekerism]]'s "three pursuits" at the center of government: the pursuit of truth, freedom, and homeland, resulting in a flourishing culture in philosophy and education that complemented their religious beliefs. Historians often refer to this development as the Zoekerist renaissance. As a result, several South Tussenlander artists and writers rose to prominence during the late 19th century. The intertwining of the government and Zoekerism was further solidified after Tegbesoe established the Zoekerist Church, officially called the Church of Second Ascension, in 1856. Tegbesoe made Zoekerism the official state religion in the same year.
Tegbesoe was wary not to upset South Tussenland's heavily Catholic neighbors, New Spain and
After a few years, Tegbesoe grew dissatisfied with the Church's organization. There were many prospective Zoekerist priests, but Tegbesoe deemed very few spiritually mature enough to become one. Tegbesoe was also dissatisfied with the unstandardized and disuniform teachings of the Zoekerist Church. To combat this, Tegbesoe began writing the Enchiridion of Faith, a religious text summarizing Zoekerist doctrine, principles, and practices. In 1861, he published his writings and reformed the Church to align with the Enchiridion, creating a new church constitution.
===== Tensions between the Salvationists and Exclusionists, and the succession crisis of 1864 =====
However, in a few years, the Theological Council took a radical turn. By 1862, the Theological Council was unevenly split between two factions: (1) the Exclusionists, who wanted to keep Zoekerism within South Tussenland, and (2) the Salvationists, who wanted to "spread Salvation" beyond the borders of South Tussenland. Salvationist theology was dominating the Theological Council, even in direct contradiction with the Enchiridion. With his declining health, Tegbesoe grew worried that the Theological Council might elect a Salvationist elder to succeed him as the new Protector upon his death. He knew he needed to do something to prevent this. In an unprecedented move, Tegbesoe explicitly announced on March 3, 1864, that he selected a successor to succeed him upon his death. He chose Kodjo de Heylig, the Elder of Acola-Pisa, and an exclusionist as his successor. This upset the Theological Council,
A month later, on April 1, 1864, Tegbesoe died in his residence within the temple of Elegasthaven. Several close friends and followers were present during his death. Shortly before his death, he had
===== Piet de Kotter's exile in Virginia, and schism within the Church =====
Disgruntled, Piet de Kotter and his followers condemned the Church of the Second Ascension and Kodjo de Heylig for
===== Massacre at Ampoekoe Banquet (1869
Kodjo de Heylig, at this point, had already ruled South Tussenland for seven years, at the age of fifty-six. His government had become heavily exclusionist over the years
On July 1, 1869, a crowd had already gathered in front of the temple for the banquet. What they didn't know was that within the crowd, a radical mob had already blended themselves in, armed with weapons presumably obtained by the Salvationist church from Irokees merchants. Before the veneration of the Winti (a Zoekerist ceremony before celebration) could commence, crowd members suddenly fired at some of the priests from the Theological Council. Chaos ensued within the crowd. The guards stationed at the event could not identify friends from foe within the crowd, leading some guards to open fire to protect the Theological Council. The event led to the death of seven members of the Theological Council and wounding sixteen other priests. Over a hundred people from the crowd had died. The event catalyzed the shift of public opinion against Kodjo de Heylig and his "ineffective" government, while the Church of Holy Salvation was rapidly gaining followers. The event would be the first of multiple riots and skirmishes that spread from 1869 to 1871. The situation became so terrible that Kodjo de Heylig had fled to New Spain in July 1871, unbeknownst to the public, until a few days later, the Elegastland temple was stormed after a mob demanded to see Kodjo de Heylig.
Piet de Kotter, who was still in Virginia at the time, had learned of the events spiraling out of control in South Tussenland and had decided to return home. Upon arriving in South Tussenland, he was greeted by a crowd elated to see his return. The crowd was made up of both salvationists, Zoekerists disillusioned with the government, and members of the elite. Piet de Kotter had written in his private journals that he was "disgusted" with the actions of the mob while he was away, but did not reveal his true sentiments as that would make him unpopular within the crowd. Instead, he rejoiced the actions of the mob, saying it was "justified". On August 29, 1871, Piet de Kotter was proclaimed as the new Protector of South Tussenland. ▼
===== Return of Piet de Kotter to South Tussenland (1871) =====
After Mexico's independence in 1881, both Mexico and Spain fought over influence in South Tussenland. When Spain's power in the Americas waned in the late 19th century, South Tussenland started to lean to Mexico for support, and later in the 1890s, Britain, who had just recently established a presence in Cuba after helping the Cubans defeat the Spanish in the 1894 Cuban War of Independence. In 1906, the newly independent Federation of Tussenland established ties with the theocratic government of Tussenland. Despite having established basic diplomatic ties, the Emperor of Mexico warned South Tussenland to be wary of Tussenland's intentions, as they were on a position geographically strategic to Tussenland (mouth of the Mississippi River). Despite this, Tussenland and South Tussenland signed a pact of non-aggression.▼
▲Piet de Kotter, who was still in Virginia at the time, had learned of the events
Throughout the 1870s and onwards, the Zoekerist Church (Church of the Second Ascension) as led by Piet de Kotter would eventually shift from its exclusionist nature to a more evangelical one. The churches that split off from the Church of the Second Ascension, like the Church of Holy Salvation, also saw some reforms, but never reunited with the Zoekerist Church. Although the Church of the Second Ascension was still the official church of the state, the new government was not as repressive as the previous ones were.
==== Diplomatic relations in the late 19th and early 20th century ====
After the independence of [[Mexico|the Mexican Empire]] in 1881, Spanish support for South Tussenland started to wane. The Mexican Empire took on the Spanish's role as the primary benefactor of South Tussenland, as they were afraid of it falling back into the hands of the Dutch. Britain, who had just recently established a presence in Cuba after helping the Cubans defeat the Spanish in the 1894 Cuban War of Independence, also started building ties with South Tussenland. South Tussenland officially recognize Cuba's independence, which then soured relations with Spain. Nonetheless, Spain's influence over South Tussenland was irrelevant at this point in time.
▲
==== The Mississippi channel switch, and moving the capital to Vrÿheidt ====
[[File:South Tussenland River Control.png|left|thumb|The switch between the Mississippi and Atsjafalaja rivers.]]
By the 1890s, South Tussenlanders started to become aware of the lowering levels of the Mississippi near the capital Elegasthaven. When the Dutch removed the naturally-occuring log jam in the Atsjafalaja river in the 1820s, the newly opened river started to capture the flow from the Mississippi and slowly changing the course of the river. This threatened the capital, as it had relied on the Mississippi for its water supply and trade. By the 1900s, the water in the Mississippi was still navigable, but was barely deep enough for international shipping to pass. International shipping went through the Atsjafalaja river instead of the Mississippi, completely bypassing the capital. South Tussenland lacked the expertise and resources for building river control structures to alleviate the situation, leading to discussions about moving the capital upstream where the water level was more adequate and where international shipping could pass through.
In 1902, South Tussenland began working on moving the capital upstream. The construction of a new city in the north started in 1903. The planned city was opened for settlement in 1909, and was called Vrÿheidt (Freedom).
==== Republican Reforms of 1911 ====
Throughout the 1890s, several intellectuals in South Tussenland began writing about political freedom, nationalism, and republicanism. However, unlike the former governments of New Netherland and Tussenland, the theocratic government of South Tussenland, now led by Otie II, did not stop these ideas from taking root in South Tussenland. In fact, Otie II had actively encouraged the discussion of these ideas in the spirit of three pursuits. Throughout
==== The New Constitution ====
The new constitution officially separated the Church and State. Otie II was no longer the head of state of government, but would still continue to be the leader of the Zoekerist Church. Under the new constitution, South Tussenland became a unitary presidential state, led by a president who was directly elected by popular vote. This formed the executive branch of the government. A separate bicameral legislature was also established, the South Tussenland senate. The new government of South Tussenland was especially amicable towards New Netherland and the Tussenland Federation. South Tussenland began to distance itself from Mexico and established trade agreements with Tussenland.
During Florida's independence war, South Tussenland's allies, New Netherland and Tussenland, supported Spain against the rebels (in an attempt to prevent Florida from becoming a Mexican puppet state), and urged South Tussenland to do the same. However, South Tussenland refused to aid the Spanish because of their soured relations, and because they were sympathetic to Florida as they had a sizeable Zoekerist population. This strained diplomatic relations for a while between South Tussenland and the rest of the Amerikaner nations.
== Economy ==▼
Historically, South Tussenland was known for their sugarcane and cotton industry, especially during the Dutch colonial times when slaves from the Guineas were imported into the region. A few decades after independence, South Tussenland was still mostly reliant on agriculture, but attempted to expand its manufacturing and production industry with the help of Mexico and Britain. In the 1900s, oil was discovered in South Tussenland. Tussenlander and New Netherlander private companies also entered the South Tussenland petroleum industry, and started building refineries and drilling sites throughout the 1920s to 1950s. ▼
==
▲Much of the nation's lands were formed from sediment washed down the Mississippi River, leaving enormous deltas and vast
== Government and Politics ==
The government of South Tussenland still operates under the republican constitution established in 1909. South Tussenland is a unitary presidential country, led by a president who is popularly elected in a single national constituency every six years. South Tussenland also has a bicameral legislature called the South Tussenland Senate. The Upper House consists of thirty directly elected senators, who could serve up to three consecutive terms, a single term lasting two years. The lower house consists of a mix between departmental (provincial) representatives (10 per department), and party-list representatives. There would be one party-list representative for every two departmental representatives, bringing the total number of seats in the lower house to 90.
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* Suydt-Tussenlandt (Oosterhout)
▲== Economy ==
▲Historically, South Tussenland was known for their sugarcane and cotton industry, especially during the Dutch colonial times when slaves from the Guineas were imported into the region. A few decades after independence, South Tussenland was still mostly reliant on agriculture, but attempted to expand its manufacturing and production industry with the help of Mexico and Britain. In the 1900s, oil was discovered in South Tussenland. Tussenlander and New Netherlander private companies also entered the South Tussenland petroleum industry, and started building refineries and drilling sites throughout the 1920s to 1950s.
== See also ==
* [[Tussenland]]
* [[Zoekerism]]
{{Nations of the World}}
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