The History of the North Star Republic

[MN.Gruber06]

Originally Posted by Unknown

To paraphrase someone..."It's on!!!"

Good start to part 3. How ironic is it that Jackson causes the creation of the North Star Republic?

Waiting for the next update.

I don't sense the irony, but it is was a very obvious butterfly that I couldn't help but capitalize on.

[MN.Gruber06]

The lack of readership and comments are pretty discouraging, but I'll continue unabated regardless. Expect Chapter II of Part III tonight.

[Unknown]

This is a good TL.

Don't get depressed. You have nearly 2,700 views.

[lord caedus]

Originally Posted by MN.Gruber06

The lack of readership and comments are pretty discouraging, but I'll continue unabated regardless. Expect Chapter II of Part III tonight.

Don't get discouraged. I'm sure that there are more people like me, who are reading this excellent TL.

Keep up the good work and long live the North Star Republic!

[TaylorS]

Originally Posted by MN.Gruber06

The lack of readership and comments are pretty discouraging, but I'll continue unabated regardless. Expect Chapter II of Part III tonight.

Don't worry, it will pick up eventually. Just keep chugging!

[MN.Gruber06]

Table of Contents
Part III, Chapter I: The Tariff Rebellion

The History of the North Star Republic
1554 - 2013
Part III: The War for a Nation
Chapter II: The North Star Republic

The death of the fur trade in the Upper Midwest during the mid-1820's had ushered in a new era of economic opportunity throughout the Minnesota and Wisconsin frontiers following its rapid demise at the hands of American taxation, mostly through the adoption of agriculture. However, the establishment of several printing presses throughout Duluth, Saint Anthony Falls and Lake Pepin from 1826 to 1828 consequentially saw the arrival of paper based media and reporting, which had long been absent in the region in part due to its remoteness. The introduction of this business to domestic opportunity had seen a significant investment, and the most prominent paper in the region, the Minnesota Voyager, had been established in the early months of 1826 and served both the Fort Pike and Saint Anthony Falls population as well as the majority of Lake Pepin, and by 1828 had become the popular choice for most American settlers in the greater Upper Mississippi River Valley. Its Wisconsin counterpart, The Bay Herald, based out of Green Bay, had been established in 1822 and likewise serviced a large portion of American colonists throughout the eastern portion of the Wisconsin region. Even French speaking colonists (of which only 4,000 remained) had seen the arrival of their own type of media with the establishment of several locally based French-only papers in Sault Sainte Marie and Prarie du Chien.

The death of the fur trade in the Upper Midwest had seen the establishment of several printing presses throughout Duluth, Saint Anthony Falls and Lake Pepin from 1826 to 1828.

Stephen Carver, a descendant of Jonathan Carver and the de facto "mayor" of the settlement of Duluth, had been a pioneer in establishing the first printing presses that eventually constituted the Minnesota Voyager on Lake Superior, and eventually expanded his growing enterprise south to include Lake Pepin and Saint Anthony Falls. As the sole editor of the paper, his personal correspondence with Pike during his expedition into the territory in the early 1800's and the continued correspondence after Pike's departure had credited Pike to even return to the area to settle after his retirement and last military duty assignment, and the paper's writings eventually (in part) lead him to be nominated for governance of the Michigan Territory, due to his popularity. As the sole newspaper and only source of credible information for many settlers in the Upper Midwest, Carver, a personal friend, did much to ensure that Pike was always portrayed positively. The Tariff of 1828, however, and its overarching negative fiscal effects had finally reached the shores of Lake Superior and spread inland to the Mississippi by the spring of 1829. The Minnesota and Wisconsin printing presses, of which almost all were locally owned and operated, immediately set out to work in order to paint a positive light of both John C. Calhoun and Zebulon Pike, who both voiced vehement opposition to the tariff, and to likewise paint a negative picture on the tariff, as it had produced obvious declining effects on the now agrarian based Upper Midwestern economy. The wide dissatisfaction with the Tariff in both the Upper Midwest and the South, combined with the uncompromising refusal of Washington and Jackson to even give Pike and Calhoun an audience, had stirred the printing presses of the Michigan Territory into a near frenzy. The Saint Anthony Falls incident and the dozens of other riots and protests that resulted from the usually malicious and obviously biased articles from Northwoods papers in the summer of 1829 had only added fuel to the media's growing fire.

The wide dissatisfaction with the Tariff in both the Upper Midwest and the South, combined with the uncompromising refusal of Washington and Jackson to even give Pike and Calhoun an audience, had stirred the printing presses of the Michigan Territory into a near frenzy.

In June, following the "Falls Massacre" as it was coined by the Voyager, Carver had advocated for every settler who wished to voice open discontent concerning the Tariff to join the ongoing protest in Saint Anthony Falls, as it was the only settlement that laid in close proximity to the sole focus of many of the settlers' frustrations, Fort Pike. By August, Carver himself had printed the paper's "temporarily final issue," as he personally prepared to make the voyage himself to join the growing numbers, which had swelled to over 7,000 men. Upon his arrival in the town, he stayed at the Pike residence under personal invitation, and the growing public upheaval had even caused the United States' 5th Infantry Regiment to seek solace inside Fort Pike's walls, which only laid 8 miles downriver. Pike's revocation of his governorship by the hands of Jackson in September followed by the simultaneous forced closure of both the Mississippi and Lake Superior had been regarded as the "last final insult" by the colonists, and Carver immediately began to work on the Voyager's final indefinite issue from his new temporary residency in the Falls, which still maintained three separate Voyager printing presses. Consulting with Pike, who still advocated a peaceful solution to the Tariff problem, Carver grew frustrated - as a peaceful solution had, in many colonists' opinions, long been discarded as evidenced by the Falls "Massacre" - and instead implored Pike to consult with John C. Calhoun, who had likewise voluntarily stepped down from his Vice Presidency following Pike's removal, and now resided in South Carolina in order to appease the growing masses of his angry countrymen, who were also growing in anger and frustration, but were regarded as far less volatile as a result of a distinct absence of federal representation through military presence in their state, as opposed to Minnesota, which housed an entire regiment. Their exchanged letters would nonetheless change the fate of the entire continent.

Carver advocated for every settler who wished to voice open discontent concerning the Tariff to join the ongoing protest in Saint Anthony Falls, which had reached over 8,500 men by September.

Pike's letters detailed both the fury and the lack of suitable options of his countrymen, who were short only of open rebellion, and Calhoun responded in kind. As nullification was not a legal or viable option, secession, he wrote, was necessary. The words had shocked Pike, who had never been in favor of a hostile or lethal rebellion, much less an open revolution. Pike simply wrote back that he had much to consider, and instead chose to deliberate with Carver. Upon mentioning the possibility of secession, Carver had attempted to convince Pike that this, too, was the only alternative left, but was unable to change the former governor's mind. Carver, with permission from Pike, instead chose to bring together a council of mayors, representatives and distinguished leaders of the Upper Midwest to the home of Pike in Saint Anthony Falls, where a clearer decision about the fate of the colonists and the riots could be made and debated through a favorable action decided by the majority. The problem, however, lied in that as the Upper Midwest was federal territory, they lacked internal organization and representation beyond their governor, who was presidentially appointed, and most towns had not yet bothered to elect a mayor or provide themselves with local representation, as most frontier town and city charters had not yet been drafted or finalized. Thus, Carver, using his Minnesota Voyager, announced elections to be held for a "First Council of the Northwoods." Despite the growing publicity, however, Pike and Carver both agreed that secrecy of the Council's true intentions was paramount, as any mention of secession of territory regarded as federal land would provoke a massive military response from the United States government, who still remained stubborn and unresponsive. Likewise, this had been demonstrated towards South Carolina and Calhoun, as his public mention of southern secession should the Tariff remain in place had ultimately lead to the resignation of his Vice Presidency, and as a result had drawn out a long political battle on Capitol Hill between himself and Jackson. As a result, the Voyager called only for major settlements across the Upper Midwest's frontier to hold local elections, and to send these winning representatives of said elections in due haste to Saint Anthony Falls to discuss "solutions to the overwhelmingly troubling Tariff rebellion with the former Michigan Territory governor, Zebulon Pike." Pike, worried that the invitation would go unnoticed and would be quickly disregarded, was surprised at the response, and received acknowledgement that an elected representative would soon be en route from every territory and settlement throughout the Upper Mississippi River Valley. This was due in great credit to Pike's still remaining popularity, and the work of Carver, who had spent years unintentionally reporting the governor's actions as continually favorable throughout his tenure as governor of the Michigan Territory. Due to the territory's expansive landmass, the larger settlements of the frontier were only called to be represented at the Council, and as a result many of the voting sites also allowed many rural settlers who resided outside but in relative proximity to the larger "towns" across the Upper Midwest to vote for a candidate to represent them in a form of early "metropolitan area" coverage. The criteria for voting requirements, however, differed exponentially from settlement to settlement. Regardless, most listed the qualifications as male, white landowners over the age of 16 years who owned 150 acres or more. As the "Council Elections" started and consequentially ended throughout the Upper Midwest, the general public excitement and anticipation of the Council's resulting discussion in Saint Anthony Falls had reached an all-time high by the end of October of 1829.

Pike and Calhoun's exchanged letters ultimately lead to Calhoun recommending secession from the Union, which would in turn invoke the First Council of the Northwoods, under recommendation from Stephen Carver.

In November of 1829, the First Council's elected members had all finally arrived in Saint Anthony Falls to discuss "solutions" - but more secretly, the possibility of secession. Most of the Minnesota region representatives had already taken up metaphorical arms in the Saint Anthony Falls region and were thus already in close proximity to the proposed location of the Council, and thus their arrival took only a few short days upon the announcement of their victory, but some Wisconsin and Michigan territory representatives delayed the process, as Pike had refused to initiate discussion until their arrival. Stephen Carver represented Duluth, while Pike had chosen to remain neutral and "moderated" the council, and Nicholas Chosin, a prominent American farmer and the largest (and wealthiest) landowner in the region, was instead elected to represent the Lake Pepin and Saint Anthony Falls settlements. Franklin Berros also represented the Grand Portage settlement, hailing from the far reaching northeast corner of Minnesota. Jean Baptiste Rouchelle, a third generation French fur trader, was also nominated to represent the French speaking minority of the Minnesota region. Nicholas Chandler, the wealthiest landowner and the chief editor of "The Bay Herald" comprised of the Green Bay settlement's representation, and also was elected as the head of the "Wisconsin Delegation," which comprised of other representatives from the territory's most prominent settlements, including Prarie du Chien, represented by Bernard Fenderson, Saint Anthony (formerly Fort Saint Antoine and Fort Perrot) represented by Paul Yule, and its French speaking populace, represented by Gerard de la Porteaux. Likewise, the much smaller regions of Madison in the Iowa territory and Bellevue in the Nebraska frontier were also represented by Quentin Jacobs and Harold Degard, respectfully, while Sault Saint Marie in the Michigan territory was represented by John Johnston, Jr., the son of the famed John Johnston. The initial "elected" council, upon every member's arrival, had also elected to summon seven other prominent and wealthy landowners throughout the territories in order to foster further intellectual debate, including Isaac Campbell, the famed early frontier settler, Maurice Blondeau and Samuel Muir, both French traders, Benjamin Baker, a prominent Iowa landowner, Jesse Shull, the founder of Shullsburg, Wisconsin, Christian Hellicksen, a prominent Norwegian immigrant, and Jean Rolette, the most famed and wealthiest fur trader in the entire Upper Midwest. Thus, the delegations and respective representatives of these territories was dictated as such:

- Zebulon Pike, Mediator
Minnesota Delegation
- Stephen Carver, Duluth
- Nicholas Chosin, Lake Pepin and Saint Anthony Falls
- Franklin Berros, Grand Portage
- Jean Baptiste Rouchelle, French Speaking Minority
Wisconsin Delegation
- Nicholas Chandler, Green Bay
- Bernard Fenderson, Prarie du Chien
- Paul Yule, Saint Anthony
- Gerard de la Porteaux, French Speaking Minority
"Frontier" Delegation
- Quentin Jacobs, Madison, Iowa
- Harold Degard, Bellevue, Nebraska
- John Johnston, Junior, Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan
Unelected Delegation
- Isaac Campbell
- Maurice Blondeau
- Samuel Muir
- Benjamin Baker
- Jesse Shull
- Christian Hellicksen
- Jean Rolette

By November 14th, debate began in quick stride, immediately invoking the act of secession from the United States in order to establish an independent republic. Carver, at the head of those representatives in favor of secession, quickly advocated for its immediate action. Other members, however, including John Johnston, Jr., were quick to renounce it, and explained that the frontier had neither the means to sustain an independent republic, nor the manpower to overcome the insurmountable odds that the region would surely face by the hands of a swift and angry United States government, especially with Jackson at its helm, who had already demonstrated disfavor to those supporting the idea (Calhoun, in particular) and would likely receive even more support from other states should the territories at hand go through with actual separation, as the territories involved in the mentioned secession were not yet viewed as independent states in a union of several other states, but federal territory, and would likely be regulated as such. Quentin Jacobs even mentioned vacating the entirety of the territories, and moving its entire population base northwest into British Columbia in order to mitigate further taxation and unpopular tariffs, but the idea was quickly regarded as impractical. After three days of intense debate, the council resumed on November 20th, and had at last exhausted all of its communicable means to reach a final unanimous settlement. On November 21st, it was decided a vote would be held, in which each representative would be given two choices: yes, in favor of secession, or no, in favor of the status quo. Pike delegated whichever option received more than two-thirds of a vote would receive his full support, and the representatives voting in opposition of the majority option were thus expected to do likewise. Thus, on candlelight in Saint Anthony Falls on November 21st, 1829, a Republic had been born: 14 - 4, in favor of secession from the Union.

On candelight in Saint Anthony Falls on November 21st, 1829, a Republic had been born: the First Council of the Northwoods had voted 14 - 4, in favor of secession from the Union.

On November 22nd, 1829, a document, entitled A Declaration of a Liberated Republic, drafted by Carver, concerning secession from the Union had been signed by the members of the Council, and was dispatched in due haste to Washington by courier. The name of the Republic, emboldened on the document, had also been a matter of debate. Ultimately, it was decided as the "North Star Republic," a formal title at first mentioned by Nicholas Chosin, which received unanimous approval, as it detailed both the region's location (northerly) and highlighted its frontier origins, as the north star, Polaris, had often been used by explorers and expeditionary leaders (Pike included) to find a sense of direction, and also metaphorically applied to many of the current American settlers in the region, who were without a "sense of direction," and the proclaimed Republic now wished to provide them with one. Fearing immediate reprisal, Pike immediately ordered Carver and Nicholas Chandler to publicize the secession throughout the Upper Midwest by way of newsprint, and by November 24th, the indefinitely final issues of both the Bay Herald and the Minnesota Voyager had proclaimed the creation of the Republic in Saint Anthony Falls, even going so far as to list the representatives and council members present in order to legitimize the new claim. Throughout the last few days of November, the fires of independence - and revolution - had begun to spread.

"Whereas in the course of human affairs history has shown that it may become necessary for a people to resolve the political affiliations which have connected them with another people and to assume amongst other nations the separate and equal status to which they are entitled.

And Whereas in such event a respect for the opinions of mankind requires them to declare to other nations the causes which impel them to assume full responsibility for their own affairs.

Now Therefore, We, An Educated, Elected and Good Will Council of these Proclaimed Territories of the Upper Midwest and Representatives of The People of Its Territories Therein, Do Hereby Declare:

That it is an indisputable and accepted historic fact that since the 17th century the population of our own territories have exercised the powers of self-government and have been responsible for the progress, development and welfare of its people;

That the people of the Upper Midwest having demonstrated their loyalty to the Union now see all that they have cherished about to be shattered on the rocks of expediency and taxation.

That the people of the Upper Midwest have witnessed a process which is destructive of even its daily interchanges, and have seen the principles of Western democracy, responsible government and moral standards crumble elsewhere; nevertheless they have remained steadfast;

That the people of the Upper Midwest fully support the requests of their people for repeal of taxation and tariffs but have witnessed the consistent refusal of the Government of the United States to accede to their entreaties;

That the Government of the United States have thus demonstrated that they are not prepared to grant sovereign independence nor fiscal independence on terms acceptable to the people of the Upper Midwest, thereby persisting in maintaining an unwarrantable jurisdiction over the Upper Mississippi River Valley, obstructing laws and treaties with other states and the conduct of affairs with other nations and refusing assent to laws necessary for the public good; all this to the detriment to the future peace, prosperity and economic feasibility of the Upper Midwest;

That the people of the Upper Midwest have for a long period patiently and in good faith negotiated with the Government of the United States for the removal of the remaining limitations placed upon them and for the grant of sovereign economic independence;

That in the belief that procrastination and delay strike at and injure the very life of its people, the people of the Upper Midwest consider it essential that the Upper Midwest should attain, without delay, sovereign independence, the justice of which is beyond question;

Now Therefore, We, An Educated, Elected and Good Will Council of these Proclaimed Territories of the Upper Midwest and Representatives of The People of Its Territories Therein, Do Hereby Declare, in humble submission to Almighty God who controls the destinies of nations, the foundation of a sovereign and independent North Star Republic.

Given under Our Hand at Saint Anthony Falls, this Twenty second day of November in the Year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine."

Part III, Chapter III: The Northwoods Revolution (I)

[Color-Copycat]

I've just spent a week away from the board (was trying to get a lot of course work done before the hurricane threatened power outages in the area), so rest assured I'll get caught up with the story over the weekend and share my thoughts.

[MN.Gruber06]

Great, looking forward to your feedback. Hopefully the next chapter answers a lot of questions the last chapter I just posted left open. Expect it by Friday at the latest.

[Solroc]

Originally Posted by MN.Gruber06

The lack of readership and comments are pretty discouraging, but I'll continue unabated regardless. Expect Chapter II of Part III tonight.

I've been reading this since you first advertised it. It's really good so far, I just didn't know what else to say. Your POD sounds belivable and the butterflies are appearing everywhere.

Do not be discouraged, there are others like me who read this but feel they can't comment because they feel they might not contribute. Keep it up, you might win a Turtledove award!

And keep us guessing, please! We like being surprised!

[MN.Gruber06]

I wouldn't say that my objective for writing this is a Turtledove by any means, but I have put a lot of work and research into it. Finding the names of prominent or wealthy settlers in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan during the late 1820's (or even finding names of settlers during that timeframe at all) has eaten hours of my time in order to make this timeline as authentic as possible. Unfortunately, however, I have had to create some fictional characters, like Stephen Carver (who is just a buttlerfly'd descendant of the famous Jonathan Carver, who was real, as mentioned in Part I) and the majority of the Minnesota and Wisconsin delegations, with the obvious exception of Pike, as his survival of the War of 1812 has so far been the major, but not only point of divergence. However, the Frontier and Unelected delegations are almost all made up of real historical figures in the Minnesota and Wisconsin frontier. And it was a bitch finding them.

[Mac Gregor]

Originally Posted by MN.Gruber06

Bump to gain more readership.

You got my support. Keep it coming.

[MN.Gruber06]

Hey guys, just did some quick editing to the last chapter in order to make up for a major continuity error I noticed. I encourage you to reread the chapter in order to mitigate further confusion, as a pretty sizable amount of information has been added to a couple paragraphs. Thanks.

[Color-Copycat]

Originally Posted by MN.Gruber06

I wouldn't say that my objective for writing this is a Turtledove by any means, but I have put a lot of work and research into it. Finding the names of prominent or wealthy settlers in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan during the late 1820's (or even finding names of settlers during that timeframe at all) has eaten hours of my time in order to make this timeline as authentic as possible. Unfortunately, however, I have had to create some fictional characters, like Stephen Carver (who is just a buttlerfly'd descendant of the famous Jonathan Carver, who was real, as mentioned in Part I) and the majority of the Minnesota and Wisconsin delegations, with the obvious exception of Pike, as his survival of the War of 1812 has so far been the major, but not only point of divergence. However, the Frontier and Unelected delegations are almost all made up of real historical figures in the Minnesota and Wisconsin frontier. And it was a bitch finding them.

Damn, dude, that's a pretty admirable effort! I don't think that many people around here go to such lengths in regards to allohistorical verisimilitude.

[Unknown]

Good research.

Keep up the good work!!!

[MN.Gruber06]

Thank you. Chapter III of Part III will be coming tonight.

[TaylorS]

Keep it coming!!!

[Strategos' Risk]

So, was this made possible by greater settlement of the region? And of course, a greater region being American instead of British? And is the discontent present in the eastern former British areas?

[MN.Gruber06]

Table of Contents
Part III, Chapter II: The North Star Republic

The History of the North Star Republic
1554 - 2013
Part III: The War for a Nation
Chapter III: The Northwoods Revolution (I)

The proclamation of the newly created "North Star Republic" by the First Council of the Northwoods and the subsequently drafted "Declaration of a Liberated Republic" (later referred to colloquially as the Declaration of the Republic) had been, for lack of a better term, a shot in the dark by the council members who had signed it. Pike and the fellow members of the elected council realized that their advocacy of secession of federal territory from the Union would be regarded as treason and rebellion by both the American Supreme Court and the American Congress, and the President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, would respond with harsh and sweeping consequences for those who had been responsible for its introduction, primarily by trying and at worst executing those responsible for the secession. The resignation of John C. Calhoun's Vice Presidency in the fall of 1829 had further demonstrated the decisive fracture in the United States government concerning nullification and the Tariff of 1828, and it was determined by Pike and his fellow council members that the proclaimed secession would only add to this fracture, but would also give Jackson a unique opportunity to quell any future thoughts concerning secession and nullification (which had mostly originated from the South) and would reinforce his popularly upheld idea of a strong, centralized federal government and a perpetually unbroken union of independent states. Thus, the only chance for the North Star Republic's survival was, according to Pike, through political and cultural alliances throughout the Upper Mississippi River Valley, but more importantly the secession would require widespread public approval throughout the Upper Midwest in order for the secession and the Republic to succeed, regardless of the American response, which was predicted to be overwhelmingly hostile, both through legislation, judiciary measure and, eventually, military presence.

Pike and the fellow members of the elected council realized that their advocacy of secession of federal territory from the Union would be regarded as treason and rebellion by both the American Supreme Court and the American Congress, and the President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, would respond with harsh and sweeping consequences for those who had been responsible for its introduction, primarily by trying and at worst executing those responsible for the secession.

The published account of the creation of the North Star Republic through the Minnesota Voyager and The Bay Herald immediately after the conclusion of the First Council and the public's approval or disapproval would ultimately determine the fate of the proposed nation, which was in every way questionable. Although the majority of the members of the council had been directly elected to represent every settlement throughout the frontier of the Republic, the secrecy involving the actual topic at hand that would be discussed at the council had remained a mystery in a (successful) attempt to disguise the true intentions of the meeting from the United States government, and as a result had shielded this same truth from the Upper Midwest public. Few voters, if any, had realized the implication for the region when they had cast their ballots to elect a representative of their settlement or demographic to meet in a council at Saint Anthony Falls, which had been titled as a "discussion for a solution regarding the Tariff," and as a result had not foreseen that they had indirectly elected for eventual secession. This misrepresentation or conversely exact representation of popular thought and sentiment would ultimately determine the fate of the young nation. Nonetheless, the news of the creation of the Republic had been published and spread, and by December, word had reached every corner of the continent that a great part of the federal Michigan Territory had declared independence, and had thus seceded from the Union.

Few voters, if any, had realized the implication for the region when they had cast their ballots to elect a representative of their settlement or demographic to meet in a council at Saint Anthony Falls, which had been titled as a "discussion for a solution regarding the Tariff," and as a result had not foreseen that they had indirectly elected for eventual secession. This misrepresentation or conversely exact representation of popular thought and sentiment would ultimately determine the fate of the young nation.

Public perception, however, had finally answered the troubling questions of many of the Council members, and throughout December of 1829, widespread approval of the Council and its proposed secession had emerged, as evidenced by great celebration. Relieved that his countrymen had approved of the First Council and its Declaration, Pike immediately called for a Second Council, this time to determine the direction of the Republic's fight for independence. The declaration in itself had been left purposely ambiguous, and had not defined the borders of the self-proclaimed "North Star Republic," as the borders of the Wisconsin and Minnesota territories had likewise not yet been defined. As the Second Council began in mid-December of 1829, it was revealed that Pike and Carver's reasoning for this was to also provide the Republic the opportunity to expand its ideals and borders, which would benefit it economically in great fashion over the long-term should it live to see the signing of an eventual peace treaty with the United States. It also provided an opportunity for incorporation of other waterways, and as a result hopefully allow the Republic to gain international recognition from Great Britain and France, who had been removed from the continent, and thus would provide the powerful nations with a vetted interest and an obvious strategic benefit if they contributed and invested into the Republic's cause of independence from the United States, if solely due to its territorial ownership to massively profitable waterways. This support would, however, undoubtedly require a decisive military victory, a victory that Pike was unsure if the Republic could deliver due to one giant hole in the Republic's ambitions.

Proprietorial ownership of the Upper Mississippi and the Great Lakes would provide the powerful nations of Great Britain and France with a vetted interest and an obvious strategic benefit if they contributed and invested into the Republic's cause of independence from the United States, if solely due to its territorial ownership to massively profitable waterways.

This giant hole in the Republic's ambitions was armed manpower. As a military response from the United States was deemed as inevitable, Pike and the Council members had realized that wartime control of Wisconsin, who had already invited armed combat through interception of American supplies and provisions headed to Fort Pike at the hands of local militia in its frontier in the fall of 1829, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Iowa would prove to be impossible, as they provided no natural bottleneck to the continental border with the United States, unlike Minnesota, whose border was dictated by the Mississippi River (which had strong currents) and Lake Superior (which was greatly expansive,) and the former only contained one passable bridge, which was controlled inherently by whomever occupied Fort Pike. Nonetheless, a defense of the Mississippi crossing from an imminent rush of American military presence resided solely on the assembled crowd at Saint Anthony Falls, but the 9,000 able bodied rioters who had assembled at the small town which laid only 8 miles upriver of Fort Pike were far from experienced in military tactics, nor did they have the capability to be fully armed, as only an estimated quarter had brought with them their personally owned firearms, many of which dated to antiquity and lacked suitable ammunition. Likewise, the entire region of the Upper Midwest excluding the unorganized "mob" that had assembled at Saint Anthony Falls only contained roughly 37,000 settlers, and only a third of this was estimated to be male and able bodied, and they were spread throughout the far reaches of the Upper Midwest. The inherent problem in equipping these remaining scattered settlers for the Republic's cause, assuming they even supported the secession with such fervor as the assembled Saint Anthony Falls protesters, training them, and subsequently transporting them in an orderly fashion to the Upper Mississippi River to hold off a likely American advance into the "seat" of the Republic's "government" only added to the multitude of problems that the Council faced, and these problems were only proved to be significantly insurmountable by the Council's inability to provide no clear answer or solution.

Armed combat through interception of American supplies and provisions headed to Fort Pike in the Wisconsin frontier had already begun as late as fall of 1829. Nonetheless, a defense of the Mississippi crossing from an imminent rush of American military presence resided solely on the assembled crowd at Saint Anthony Falls, but the 9,000 able bodied rioters who had assembled at the small town which laid only 8 miles upriver of Fort Pike were far from experienced in military tactics, nor did they have the capability to be fully armed, as only an estimated quarter had brought with them their personally owned firearms, many of which dated to antiquity and lacked suitable ammunition.

In Washington, the response to the "secession" had proved harsh, as predicted. An unwavering Congress quickly moved to place the Territories under martial law, which Jackson approved in due haste, and immediately consulted with various military leaders in order to expedite eventual relocation of United States Army regulars to the Upper Mississippi to quell the supposed and unrecognized "revolution." The United States, however, was not without its own problems. The financial crisis resulting from secession of nearly 3/4 of the Michigan Territory had once again sparked interest in finding unique solutions to pay off the nation's growing debt, which due to the Midwestern rebellion was only estimated to increase, as arming and transporting federal troops to the Wisconsin frontier or Fort Pike itself was deemed as extremely costly. Jackson's response to simply raise the Tariff of 1828's fees, however, gained widespread approval in the Northern dominated Congress, but as a result received sharp backlash from Southern representatives and senators. Calhoun, emboldened by Pike and the now widely regarded agriculturally impractical "Tariff of Abominations," (which had only become more intolerable) had, as a direct result, introduced a bill into the state legislature of South Carolina that, if passed, would also announce the state's secession from the Union. This simultaneous act of dissent, however novel, inadvertently forced the United States to divert further assets to quell rising southern unrest, which it deemed as a much bigger threat than the rebellious Michigan Territory, although South Carolina, under direction of Calhoun, was the only state to have introduced such radical legislation, and it was not expected to be pushed to a vote. However, in essence, Calhoun's act had bought the Council and the Republic valuable time, as America was forced to delay its attempts to crush the Northwoods Revolution by force.

The simultaneous act of southern dissent in late 1829, however novel, inadvertently forced the United States to divert further assets to quell the rising unrest, which it deemed as a much bigger threat than the rebellious Michigan Territory, although South Carolina, under direction of Calhoun, was the only state to have introduced such radical secessionist legislation, and it was not expected to be pushed to a vote. However, in essence, Calhoun's act had bought the Council and the Republic valuable time, as America was forced to delay its attempts to crush the Northwoods Revolution by force.

The Second Council of the Northwoods had defined the strategic goals of the independent Republic in order to achieve its sovereignty, and had concluded by the end of December, although it had also decided that both the elected and unelected members of the Council would have to relocate to the Saint Anthony Falls settlement out of necessity in order to expedite further decision making and for the security of its members. Carver, as the de facto leader of the Council, outlined several key goals that the Republic had to meet by the end of 1830 in order for him and his countrymen to avoid the American gallows. These included, but were not limited to, firstly, the immediate taking of Fort Pike and thus the forced closure to inland Minnesota. This would force future American efforts to cross the Mississippi and take Saint Anthony Falls to become bottlenecked on the only bridge spanning the Mississippi, which was exclusively controlled by the massive overwatch position that the Fort provided. Secondly, the Republic required immediate international recognition from both Great Britain and France, and would use its currently controlled waterways of the Mississippi River, Lake Superior and Lake Ontario and its "claimed" waterways of the Missouri River and the Hudson Bay watershed to bribe the nations into investing into its independence, even if physical control of the two latter waterways were absent, as a future promise to control these waterways after eventual development would lead to promising economic results for all nations involved, and as an added bonus, all of the waterways would be free of oppressive American taxation and tariffs, which had proved to be unpopular. Thirdly, most importantly and most difficultly, although not within the same time constraint as the two former points, the Republic would eventually require a major decisive military victory.

The Republic required immediate international recognition from both Great Britain and France, and would use its currently controlled waterways of the Mississippi River, Lake Superior and Lake Ontario and its "claimed" waterways of the Missouri River and the Hudson Bay watershed to bribe the nations into investing into its independence.

The Republic had not, however, defined a government, as opposed to the once fledgling United States, whose Continental Congress had implemented one through the obsolete Articles of Confederation during their similar war of independence. Carver regarded that the government of the Republic would instead be defined after the war's end (should it survive,) but several institutions were granted as necessary in order to continue a prolonged war against the United States. A treasury in order to collect revenue that would further finance a competitive military force, which had to be built from the ground up, and likewise finance efforts towards international recognition through emissaries and diplomats was deemed as one of these necessities. The Council had wisely acknowledged that the gathering of some 9,000 disgruntled Northwood settlers in Saint Anthony Falls would not continue on patriotic fervor and discontent alone, and thus allowed for the creation of the First Federal Bank, headquartered in Saint Anthony Falls and lead by Jean Rolette, who was widely regarded as the most financially savvy member of the council, and would answer directly to the Council itself. Rolette was authorized by the Council to issue bonds in order to finance the Republic's revolution, which were simply loans from private investors who exchanged currency for paper statements that guaranteed a repayment of their loan to the Council with interest following the war's conclusion. The Republic had also chose to continue with the use of the United States Dollar, as providing the Republic with its own form of currency was unfeasible given the current situation, but was acknowledged as a necessary asset that would also be developed at the war's conclusion. The Second Council had also elected Pike to lead the Republic's military ambitions, which most Northwood settlers had regarded as an obvious choice. Pike was authorized by the Council to immediately begin to recruit able bodied men for a single regiment of 3,000 soldiers, which the Council intended to field by summer of 1830, in accordance with a predicted positive sale trend of bonds being granted by private investment to the Federal Bank.

The Council had wisely acknowledged that the gathering of some 9,000 disgruntled Northwood settlers in Saint Anthony Falls would not continue on patriotic fervor and discontent alone, and thus allowed for the creation of the First Federal Bank, headquartered in Saint Anthony Falls as pictured above, and lead by Jean Rolette. Rolette was authorized by the Council to issue bonds in order to finance the Republic's revolution, which were simply loans from private investors who exchanged currency for paper statements that guaranteed a repayment of their loan to the Council with interest following the war's conclusion.

In Washington, the concerted efforts by the Republic to maintain its independence and its growing facilitated effort through the Second Council of the Northwoods to sustain this idea had lead to political unrest by the spring of 1830. Jackson had yet to quiet the growing upheaval of Calhoun and the South, and at a lack of alternatives, instead chose to introduce legislation to repeal the Tariff of 1828, as the situation in South Carolina had proved politically untenable. Congress, with Jackson's urging, regrettably passed the repeal, and dissent in the South slowly faded as agricultural economics at the hands of "King Cotton" returned to normal levels. This inadvertently freed many American military assets who were otherwise busy dealing with growing rural discontent, and the United States Army slowly began to churn towards the Northwestern portions of the rebellious Michigan Territory in an effort to finally bring "justice" to the secessionist rebels. The lack of supply lines, their inaccessibility and interception of payment and provisions at the hands of Wisconsin militia, however, had also forced American military leaders to abandon their foothold in Minnesota at Fort Pike, and voluntarily withdrew from the Fort in April of 1830 to the delight of the secessionists in order to gain a more favorable foothold in Wisconsin, where they could better consolidate their efforts. Thus, by the spring of 1830, the efforts of the Second Council's meeting finally began to take fruition. Carver's Minnesota Voyager had once again called for a mass migration of all able bodied Northwoods male settlers to converge on Saint Anthony Falls in order to prevent the inevitable lethal response from the American government, and the growing multitude had swelled to nearly 10,000 men by March as a result. Pike, upon learning of the Fort which held his namesake's abandonment, swiftly lead his first company of professionally organized regulars to capture the abandoned military installation, and on April 12th, 1830, raised an unofficial flag at the Fort's banister, which had been created by and sewn by Sara Degard, Harold Degard's wife. The red hash on the flag's free running end was later added to denote the imminent blood that would be necessarily shed in defense of the newly founded Republic, and quickly became a popular symbol of the new nation.

Pike, upon learning of the Fort which held his namesake's abandonment, swiftly lead his first company of professionally organized regulars to capture the abandoned military installation, and on April 12th, 1830, raised an unofficial flag at the Fort's banister, which had been created by and sewn by Sara Degard, Harold Degard's wife. The red hash on the flag's free running end was later added to denote the imminent blood that would be necessarily shed in defense of the newly founded Republic, and quickly became a popular symbol of the new nation.

Part III, Chapter IV: The Northwoods Revolution (II)

[MN.Gruber06]

Originally Posted by Strategos' Risk

So, was this made possible by greater settlement of the region? And of course, a greater region being American instead of British? And is the discontent present in the eastern former British areas?

Earlier original settlement and as a result earlier greater settlement, yes. And yes, a greater region being American instead of British has in part credited all of this to being possible. The discontent is still present in eastern Canada but is minimal and not as widely covered due to the majority of its population base voluntarily removing itself from the region as per the amended 1815 Treaty of Ghent and because the upheaval as a result of the Tariff of 1828 is much more volatile in the South and Upper Midwest in comparison.

EDIT: The most important point of divergence in this timeline so far has not actually been the survival of Pike during the War of 1812, but occurred in Part I with Sieur du Lhut. In our timeline, du Lhut never returned to Minnesota after rescuing Hennepin from captivity at the hands of Sioux natives. He instead died of gout in Montreal in 1710. In this timeline, however, du Lhut wins his early battle with gout in 1700 and, realizing his time was coming to an end as he did in OTL, instead returns to Minnesota rather than staying in Montreal, and establishes the trading post of "Fort Dakota" before he passes to gout in 1710, which is later renamed to "Fort du Lhut" in his honor and eventually becomes Anglicized to the modern day name of Duluth. It is worth mentioning that aside from Pike, Duluth and Hennepin are probably the two most important early explorers in the entire history of New France, as their negotiations with Natives fostered and started ongoing (usually) friendly relations with the Natives for the French during their entire tenure in North America before being removed after the French-Indian War.

[Unknown]

Good update.

This is a pretty good TL.

Wonder how this will affect the Mexican-American War and the Texas Revolution (six years away)?