Virginia

Virginia
Republic of Virginia
Virginia
Location of Virginia
Established	1606 (London-Virginia Company) 1624 (Crown Colony) 1852 (Republic of Virginia)
Capital	Jamestown
Largest City	Jamestown
Population	48 Million
Government Type	Republic
Languages	English
Currency	Virginian Dollar (VND)

Virginia, officially the Republic of Virginia is a nation in Eastern North America. The nation borders New Netherland to the north, Tussenland to the west and Florida to the south. It is situated between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains and as such the environment of the nation contains much geographic variety. The geography and climate of the Republic are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the republic is Jamestown (part of the Jamestown-Williamsburg metroplex), while Hopewell is the nation's largest city by population.

The area's history begins with several indigenous groups, including the Powhatan. In 1607 the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent English colony in the New World. Slave labor, the relationship with the New Netherland Colony and land acquired from displaced Native American tribes each played a significant role in the colony's early politics and plantation economy. In the mid 19th century Virginia won it's independence in the 2nd Anglo-Virginian War (1852-1854).

History

Colonial Era

Founding of Virginia

The first English charter in what would become Virginia was awarded to the London-Virginia Company in 1606. In 1609, a second charter was made, and expanded further on the claims and boundaries of the first charter. The London-Virginia was one of the two primary companies that England allowed to operate in America (the other being the Plymouth Company of New England).

The London-Virginia company administered the colony from 1606 until the company's dissolution in 1624. Mismanagement and financial loss were the primary reasons for the company's disbandment. However, wanting to keep the claims made James I of England placed the area under direct crown rule.

The neighboring Dutch colony of New Netherland experienced tremendous growth after it was granted its own representative government in 1656. In response, no new charters would be created in Virginia to shore up protection over English claims, and all colonial power was delegated and centralized to a single governor.

The boundaries between Spanish Florida and Virginia remained unclear throughout the rest of the 17th century. It was only in 1700 that the borders were settled in the resulting treaty of the Spanish Succession Crisis .

Attempts at Independence

First Anglo-Virginian War (1833-1834) and the First Virginian Republic

The first Anglo-Virginian war came as a result of the British abolishing slavery in 1833. The slave-owning elite of Virginia resisted this policy change and declared the colony's independence. Britain ultimately crushed the short-lived republic (dubbed the First Virginian Republic) by 1834 and forcefully placed a new set of colonial government members loyal to the crown.

Second Anglo-Virginian War (1852-1854)

While Britain was occupied with fighting the Dutch-Qing alliance in Asia, Virginia once again declared independence in 1852. Virginia quickly extended diplomatic relations to the Dutch (through their colony of Tussenland) and New Netherland. New Netherland was the first nation to recognize Virginia's independence on 12 March 1852, and signed a treaty of friendship and trade. Shortly after, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Tussenland also recognized Virginian independence.

The New Netherland government provided minimal monetary support to Virginia. Virginia prepared its armies in case of invasion by Britain, but this did not come. In 1853, the Virginian navy raided several British ports in the Caribbean and New England, and was met with minimal resistance. Privateering was a common practice by the Virginian sailors during the war. With the situation being more extreme in East Asia, Britain was forced to recognized Virginia's independence on 19 September 1854. This day would be known as Virginian Independence Day and is a national holiday in the modern day.

Independent Virginia (19th Century)

Establishment of Salvatia (Virginian Colony)

By the time of independence, 26 percent of the entire population were either former slaves or descendants of former slaves, mostly of African origin. Although there was no official data, it was believed that a huge majority of the former slave population were adherents to the Zoekerist ideology, a quasi-religious philosophy originating in South Tussenland that centers around the idea of African empowerment and slave emancipation.

Throughout the 1800s, Zoekerism had thrived in South Tussenland. The philosophy gradually spread throughout North America, especially in Virginia. In the Republic of Virginia, despite slavery being abolished in the 1830s (during British rule), the government saw Zoekerism as a threat to order. In order to accommodate the rise of Zoekerism in Virginia and also to satiate their colonial ambitions, the colony of Virginian colony of Salvatia was established on the African West Coast. Salvatia was portrayed as the "Promised Land", an escape from slavery, the land of universal emancipation, among others. While the government did not force the Afro-American population to emigrate, they encouraged this by providing monetary incentives to would-be emigrants. Salvatia had attracted mostly English-speaking followers of Zoekerism (as South Tussenland predominantly spoke Amerikaens). However, despite the encouragement by the Virginian government, less than 20 percent of the Afro-Virginian population would attempt emigration to Salvatia, and only 6 percent of that portion would stay permanently.

3rd Anglo-Virginian War (1874)

Throughout the early 1870s, Britain expressed concern over the growing Zoekerist influence in East Africa. In March 1874, Lord Belmont of Britain allegedly sent the Virginian government an ultimatum to stop sending colonists to Salvatia. Receiving no response from the Virginian government by the end of the month, British ships started attacking Virginian ships en route to Africa. In July of 1874, British forces from the Gambia marched south to Salvatia. They occupied the Salvatian outposts of Clarke and Grandchurch after a minor skirmish with Virginian soldiers. British troops attacked and occupied the fort in Victoria. In September of 1874, Virginia conceded defeat and ceded Salvatia to the British. Salvatia was annexed as a British protectorate, and would be one of the colonies in what would become British West Africa.

20th Century

Prohibitionist Rule and Increased Segregation

(WIP - Prohibitionist party comes into power.)