Dschibuti is perhaps the most awesomely unpronounceable rendering of Djibouti I have ever seen. I wouldn't be surprised if the port falls into disuse because no one wants to say its name!
Union and Liberty: An American TL
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Dschibuti is perhaps the most awesomely unpronounceable rendering of Djibouti I have ever seen. I wouldn't be surprised if the port falls into disuse because no one wants to say its name!
Bismarcksee. Lake Tanganyika is called Sachsensee ITTL. Or maybe it was the other way around?
It's pronounced the same way, just that since the Germans and not the French colonised the area it's spelled differently.
Should have the next update by the weekend. Had one section planned for a while but couldn't think of anything to add to it. Finally thought of something yesterday.
Part Seventy-Four: Iberian Shifts
Hooray! Update time! Footnotes will come later.
Part Seventy-Four: Iberian Shifts
The Alfonsine Reforms in Spain:
Spain's defeat in the Second Napoleonic War was an even larger defeat in prestige for the regime of Queen Isabella II. Spain had suffered many losses in the war for nothing and had been forced to cede Minorca, considered an integral part of the country as one of the Belaeric Islands, to France. Additionally, the balanced system in the Cortes Generales between the Partido Moderado and the Partido Progresivo that had endured for all of Isabella's reign had begun to break down. The Carlists had been experiencing a resurgence in the north as part of a resistance against French occupation while in other regions of the country, the monarchy and both old parties had lost much of their legitimacy after the Second Napoleonic War.
Dissatisfaction with the political status quo in Spain grew quickly and by 1871 many Carlists were openly calling for the abdication of Isabella. Along with the Carlists, many liberal politicians started calling for her abdication and in 1872 Leopoldo O'Donnell[1] of the Union Liberal was elected as Prime Minister. O'Donnell was an advocate for the Queen's abdication and brought much of the Cortes against the Queen. With this much weight behind the call, Queen Isabella relented and abdicated in favor of her son Alfonso, who was crowned Alfonso XII in July of 1872[2].
Upon Alfonso's coronation, he began collaborating with Prime Minister O'Donnell in embarking on liberal reforms. Alfonso granted further governing functions to the Cortes Generales and moved the role of the king further toward that of a figurehead. During the 1870s and 1880s, Alfonso also used the royal treasury to fund the construction of factories to improve the Spanish economy after the European Wars. These factories were accompanied by a nationalized royal railroad system spanning all of Spain. Alfonso also brought Spain back into the colonial game, expanding Spanish interests in Morocco, Camaroon[3], and consolidating Spanish control over the Philippines.
Morelian Collectivism:
In Ibero-America, the struggle between the conservatives and liberals in many countries continued through much of the 19th century. However, in the latter half of the century a new ideology arose and was thrown into the mix. Based around the socialist ideals gaining popularity in Europe, the movement that would become Morelian collectivism started in the Mexican states with Benito Juarez.
Juarez had become the leader of the Mexican state of Oaxaca and crafted his presidency around the beliefs of Mexican Revolution leader Jose Maria Morelos. As the first mestizo leader in Oaxaca, Juarez enacted land reform legislation in Oaxaca that gave the many landless peasants a means to make a living. Juarez also incorporated Christian teachings into the basis for his reforms to appeal to the clergy, using references from the Bible as a justification for advancing socialist ideas. Juarez was a popular president in Oaxaca, but also became a popular leader abroad with his pushes for a united Mesoamerican country.
Beginning in the 1870s, the discovery of Mayan temples by explorers and the need for economic cooperation created a resurgence in a unifying nationalism in Mesoamaerica. With the recreation of Gran Colombia, several of the smaller nations became worried about imperial expansion of Gran Colombia to the north. Juarez, who dreamed of a united Mesoamerican state, brought the Central American countries together in the Conference of Tehuantepec in 1887. Most of the attendees of the conference agreed to the formation of a united federal republic. The Federal Union of Meso-American Republics, was formed in 1888 and consisted of the countries stretching from Oaxaca to Nicaragua. The only refusals to join came from Veracruz and Costa Rica; the more Anglo elite in Veracruz were worried about the Ibero influence on the port, while Costa Rica declined due to Nicaragua's refusal to give up territorial disputes and had already secured protection from the United States and felt the FUMAR would not serve its interests. Since Juarez declined the Mesoamerican presidency due to his age, Porfirio Diaz, also of Oaxaca, was elected to the position.
During the presidencies of Porfirio Diaz and his successor Justo Rufino Barrios[4], Morelian collectivism was spread to the constituent republics beginning with agrarian reforms in the other provinces of the country. Outside the FUMAR, Morelian collectivism became popular in other Ibero-American countries with large mestizo and indigenous populations such as Bolivia. Morelian political movements were formed in most Ibero countries and contributed to the spread of nascent socialism from Europe to the Americas.
[1] Leopoldo O'Donnell was actually a Prime Minister of Spain in OTL. Those Irish-Spaniards sure do get around. :O
[2] After Alfonso was crowned, there was a brief Carlist War, but it was too minor to be mentioned.
[3] The Rio Muni colony that became Equatorial Guinea. It's expanded a bit.
[4] OTL President of Guatemala who had visions of reuniting Central America.
Part Seventy-Four: Iberian Shifts
The Alfonsine Reforms in Spain:
Spain's defeat in the Second Napoleonic War was an even larger defeat in prestige for the regime of Queen Isabella II. Spain had suffered many losses in the war for nothing and had been forced to cede Minorca, considered an integral part of the country as one of the Belaeric Islands, to France. Additionally, the balanced system in the Cortes Generales between the Partido Moderado and the Partido Progresivo that had endured for all of Isabella's reign had begun to break down. The Carlists had been experiencing a resurgence in the north as part of a resistance against French occupation while in other regions of the country, the monarchy and both old parties had lost much of their legitimacy after the Second Napoleonic War.
Dissatisfaction with the political status quo in Spain grew quickly and by 1871 many Carlists were openly calling for the abdication of Isabella. Along with the Carlists, many liberal politicians started calling for her abdication and in 1872 Leopoldo O'Donnell[1] of the Union Liberal was elected as Prime Minister. O'Donnell was an advocate for the Queen's abdication and brought much of the Cortes against the Queen. With this much weight behind the call, Queen Isabella relented and abdicated in favor of her son Alfonso, who was crowned Alfonso XII in July of 1872[2].
Upon Alfonso's coronation, he began collaborating with Prime Minister O'Donnell in embarking on liberal reforms. Alfonso granted further governing functions to the Cortes Generales and moved the role of the king further toward that of a figurehead. During the 1870s and 1880s, Alfonso also used the royal treasury to fund the construction of factories to improve the Spanish economy after the European Wars. These factories were accompanied by a nationalized royal railroad system spanning all of Spain. Alfonso also brought Spain back into the colonial game, expanding Spanish interests in Morocco, Camaroon[3], and consolidating Spanish control over the Philippines.
Morelian Collectivism:
In Ibero-America, the struggle between the conservatives and liberals in many countries continued through much of the 19th century. However, in the latter half of the century a new ideology arose and was thrown into the mix. Based around the socialist ideals gaining popularity in Europe, the movement that would become Morelian collectivism started in the Mexican states with Benito Juarez.
Juarez had become the leader of the Mexican state of Oaxaca and crafted his presidency around the beliefs of Mexican Revolution leader Jose Maria Morelos. As the first mestizo leader in Oaxaca, Juarez enacted land reform legislation in Oaxaca that gave the many landless peasants a means to make a living. Juarez also incorporated Christian teachings into the basis for his reforms to appeal to the clergy, using references from the Bible as a justification for advancing socialist ideas. Juarez was a popular president in Oaxaca, but also became a popular leader abroad with his pushes for a united Mesoamerican country.
Beginning in the 1870s, the discovery of Mayan temples by explorers and the need for economic cooperation created a resurgence in a unifying nationalism in Mesoamaerica. With the recreation of Gran Colombia, several of the smaller nations became worried about imperial expansion of Gran Colombia to the north. Juarez, who dreamed of a united Mesoamerican state, brought the Central American countries together in the Conference of Tehuantepec in 1887. Most of the attendees of the conference agreed to the formation of a united federal republic. The Federal Union of Meso-American Republics, was formed in 1888 and consisted of the countries stretching from Oaxaca to Nicaragua. The only refusals to join came from Veracruz and Costa Rica; the more Anglo elite in Veracruz were worried about the Ibero influence on the port, while Costa Rica declined due to Nicaragua's refusal to give up territorial disputes and had already secured protection from the United States and felt the FUMAR would not serve its interests. Since Juarez declined the Mesoamerican presidency due to his age, Porfirio Diaz, also of Oaxaca, was elected to the position.
During the presidencies of Porfirio Diaz and his successor Justo Rufino Barrios[4], Morelian collectivism was spread to the constituent republics beginning with agrarian reforms in the other provinces of the country. Outside the FUMAR, Morelian collectivism became popular in other Ibero-American countries with large mestizo and indigenous populations such as Bolivia. Morelian political movements were formed in most Ibero countries and contributed to the spread of nascent socialism from Europe to the Americas.
[1] Leopoldo O'Donnell was actually a Prime Minister of Spain in OTL. Those Irish-Spaniards sure do get around. :O
[2] After Alfonso was crowned, there was a brief Carlist War, but it was too minor to be mentioned.
[3] The Rio Muni colony that became Equatorial Guinea. It's expanded a bit.
[4] OTL President of Guatemala who had visions of reuniting Central America.
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Juarez is one of the most fascinating figures in Mexican history. Great update. I wonder if this Mesoamerican union will survive, unlike the OTL one. And it's interesting that Costa Rica refused to join; they might become the base for American adventurism in South and Central America henceforth.
Wilcox great update on Spain, and I love where you are taking Meso-America. But I do have two irks about the Meso-American Union. Firstly, by 1888 Juarez was long dead. He died in 1872, and 1888 would make him 80 year's old by the time of his election as President. It would be most logical to change him for Porfirio Diaz, I know there is the stigma that he became dictator of by reelecting himself for 30 years but if the system is working he should not be compelled to do so. He is also the type of pragmatic leader that would push to fulfill Juarez's vision (and extend his influence).
Also the abbreviation FUMAR, that means to smoke in Spanish is read phonetically. I am guessing La Union Federal de Republicas Meso Americanas (UFRMA) would be used in Spanish, although that still sounds a little bit too baroque.
But besides that it is all quite an interesting twist. How many of the Mexican states joined the Union? A map of the Union would be very useful. I'm assuming the ones north of Oxaca stayed out. Mexico and Jalisco are probably too proud to do so. Chihuahua has been annexed by Rio Bravo and Puebla/Tlaxcala was probably not even considered due to its conservatism and alliance to the anti-Pope. I would suggest Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada, who was born in Jalapa (which was in Veracruz iOTL but Puebla/Tlaxcala in TTL) to lead a pro Juarist revolution there.
Also the abbreviation FUMAR, that means to smoke in Spanish is read phonetically. I am guessing La Union Federal de Republicas Meso Americanas (UFRMA) would be used in Spanish, although that still sounds a little bit too baroque.
But besides that it is all quite an interesting twist. How many of the Mexican states joined the Union? A map of the Union would be very useful. I'm assuming the ones north of Oxaca stayed out. Mexico and Jalisco are probably too proud to do so. Chihuahua has been annexed by Rio Bravo and Puebla/Tlaxcala was probably not even considered due to its conservatism and alliance to the anti-Pope. I would suggest Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada, who was born in Jalapa (which was in Veracruz iOTL but Puebla/Tlaxcala in TTL) to lead a pro Juarist revolution there.
Hehe, I completely understand if you've missed some things. I keep having to look back through the TL as well to keep track of everything, like while working on the next update today, I had to go back and see who I'd said were presidents of France because I couldn't remember.
Italy does exist in TTL. Hungary does have a bit of a navy since they have (most of) Dalmatia, although they have a bit of an issue with ports since Italy is supporting the Adriatic League. And I was actually thinking of a Hungarian colony in Libya.
Hmmm, so the candidates for Hungarian colonies right now are a section of Libya or a small section in West Africa (probably in OTL Mauritania). And Brazil does sound like an interesting place for a Croat enclave.
The problem with Libya is Italy, have a Hungarian colony here put the italian penisula in a worse strategic position and frankly Rome surely want that zone for herself...if Tunisia is not in French hand as in OTL (and the italian economic and political penetration of Tunisia is still on par with our timeline) in that case this will be the preferred zone and a Magyar colony in Cirenaica can prompt the italian government to make the same move of French in 1881. Italy can easily stop the Magyar Navy ( the best port on the former A-H Empire are the one of the Adriatic League, leaving Hungary with the very secondary one, so it will need time to upgrade that and frankly the A-H navy was not very developted from the beginning and some of their remains will surely be taken by the league). Hungary can do as Italy in OTL for Libya, an intense diplomatic work before take action (sure Italy invaded Libya but nevertheless) to obtain permission and neutrality from the other power when the times is right.
I might get a map up sometime soon, but I don't have my main laptop with me at the moment. Should have it back in a couple weeks.
Shoot, didn't see when Juarez died and I actually didn't know he was born that early. I originally had the creation of the union in the 1870s, but moved it back a decade and forgot to check his age.
Diaz would probably be a better founder to continue on Juarez's ideas. I'll rework the update later today.Also, FUMAR is meant to be an in-universe unintentionally comical translation of the long form, so that was on purpose on my part. Colloquially it will probably be referred to as Mesoamerica or the Mesoamerican Union in English.
Of the Mexican states, just Oaxaca and Yucatan joined. In Central America, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua joined.
Added some footnotes. Wanted to have another update done by today, but work and laziness has intervened. Should have it done in the next few days though.
The recent thread about Argentina being majority Italian (plurality Piedmontese) speaking made me wonder if it is possible Argentina becomes an Italian nation instead of a Spanish ITTL. The butterflies are far back enough (no education reform) that it could easily happen. Could make Argentine-Tucuman relations more interesting as Italian Argentina has irridentist dreams of taking Spanish Tucuman. Ultimately I suspect Tucuman would become annexed by Bolivia in this scenario though.
Part Seventy-Five: The American Worker
Next update is finally done! Footnotes will come tonight or tomorrow.
Part Seventy-Five: The American Worker
Census of 1880:
During the 1870s, the United States continued its recovery from the National War and experienced a period of growth in the country's population and industry unseen in previous decades. This time of expansion is greatly reflected in the 1880 census. For the first time, the United States reached a population of over 60 million. This was a result of the large amount of immigration to the United States from Europe after the wars on the continent in the late 1860s and the chaos afterward. Many American cities saw a large period of growth between 1870 and 1880. In particular, New York became the first city in the United states to surpass one million people.
One of the main reasons for the large population increase in the country in the 1870s was the continuing recovery of the former Confederate States during that decade. Increased manufacturing along the Gulf Coast and along the Mississippi River attracted freed slaves as well as European immigrants. In particular, the cities of Shreveport, Memphis, Mobile, and Gadsden saw a large jump in their populations during the 1870s. Cuba also experienced a large increase going from just over 1 million inhabitants to over 1.5 million people in the decade. The large Irish influx to Havana in the latter 19th century led to the city one of the largest Gaelic communities in North America outside of Laurentine countries[1].
The 1870s also continued the gradual movement of people to the west. The populations of cities along the northern Pacific coast, the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and the Rio Grande continued to rise as people trekked west. However, the 1870s saw more towns in the Great Plains booming as the railroads were laid across the country. Cattle towns such as Chisholm in Houston and Laramie in Pahsapa grew as ranchers were more easily able to deliver the cattle to the burgeoning meat packing districts in Saint Louis, Memphis, and Chicago. The Colorado Silver Boom also created boom towns in the Rockies in Colorado and New Mexico, but many of these were short-lived and became ghost towns after the minerals ran dry.
The Rise of Labor:
As large-scale manufacturing began to develop in the 19th century with the Industrial Revolution, skilled laborers in various professions began organizing to push for better conditions in the factories. From this base, the labor movement was born. Early in the 1800s, smaller groups of workers focused on individual professions combined with similar groups in other cities or similar industries to create the first large-scale trade unions in the United States. After attempts at unified labor organizations in 1835 and 1842 failed due to economic troubles, the National Federation of Labor was created in the 1850s combining several northeastern trade unions. The NFL was primarily a loose coalition of craftsman unions, but developed quickly as many people gained employment during the National War. After the war, the NFL continued to become a force as it began politically pushing for labor reforms such as a shorter workday, guaranteed pay, and government enforcement of working conditions.
Shortly after the National War, many former slaves and other African-Americans began working in factories in prominent Southern cities, particularly in Louisiana and Houston. In order to protect the rights of these workers, Norris Wright Cuney[2] founded the National Federation of Colored Labor in 1873 as an offshoot of the National Federation of Labor. The NFCL fought for the rights of employment and education for blacks and organized many black groups in factories in Southern cities. While the NFCL received some support at the outset from larger labor groups, the support dwindled soon after. The dominance of Democratic politicnas in the South during this era made bringing black labor issues to the attention of Congress very difficult and the NFCL struggled for much of its early history.
The unions had achieved some success in getting better factory conditions during the intial Republican presidencies in the 1860s and 1870s. However, the rise of the Bourbon Democrats as the dominant wing in the Democratic Party and the victory of Winfield Scott Hancock in 1880 led to a relaxation of these laws. The main sectors affected by Hancock's legislation were western mining companies, which had been imposing harsh working conditions on the miners to extract ore as quickly as possible. In retaliation, miners began organizing and holding strikes in the 1880s. The first major strikes, the 1883 Raton strike and the Carbondale Miners' Strike in 1886[3], were against poor and dangerous working conditions in the mines. These early strikes were put down by the companies and local police forces, but led to greater political activity by laborers and particularly miners around the country.
[1] The Laurentine countries refers to the countries north of the United States, so Canada, Acadia, etc.
[2] Cuney was an OTL African-American activist and union leader in the 19th century.
[3] In Raton, New Mexico and Carbondale, Illinois.
Part Seventy-Five: The American Worker
Census of 1880:
During the 1870s, the United States continued its recovery from the National War and experienced a period of growth in the country's population and industry unseen in previous decades. This time of expansion is greatly reflected in the 1880 census. For the first time, the United States reached a population of over 60 million. This was a result of the large amount of immigration to the United States from Europe after the wars on the continent in the late 1860s and the chaos afterward. Many American cities saw a large period of growth between 1870 and 1880. In particular, New York became the first city in the United states to surpass one million people.
One of the main reasons for the large population increase in the country in the 1870s was the continuing recovery of the former Confederate States during that decade. Increased manufacturing along the Gulf Coast and along the Mississippi River attracted freed slaves as well as European immigrants. In particular, the cities of Shreveport, Memphis, Mobile, and Gadsden saw a large jump in their populations during the 1870s. Cuba also experienced a large increase going from just over 1 million inhabitants to over 1.5 million people in the decade. The large Irish influx to Havana in the latter 19th century led to the city one of the largest Gaelic communities in North America outside of Laurentine countries[1].
The 1870s also continued the gradual movement of people to the west. The populations of cities along the northern Pacific coast, the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and the Rio Grande continued to rise as people trekked west. However, the 1870s saw more towns in the Great Plains booming as the railroads were laid across the country. Cattle towns such as Chisholm in Houston and Laramie in Pahsapa grew as ranchers were more easily able to deliver the cattle to the burgeoning meat packing districts in Saint Louis, Memphis, and Chicago. The Colorado Silver Boom also created boom towns in the Rockies in Colorado and New Mexico, but many of these were short-lived and became ghost towns after the minerals ran dry.
The Rise of Labor:
As large-scale manufacturing began to develop in the 19th century with the Industrial Revolution, skilled laborers in various professions began organizing to push for better conditions in the factories. From this base, the labor movement was born. Early in the 1800s, smaller groups of workers focused on individual professions combined with similar groups in other cities or similar industries to create the first large-scale trade unions in the United States. After attempts at unified labor organizations in 1835 and 1842 failed due to economic troubles, the National Federation of Labor was created in the 1850s combining several northeastern trade unions. The NFL was primarily a loose coalition of craftsman unions, but developed quickly as many people gained employment during the National War. After the war, the NFL continued to become a force as it began politically pushing for labor reforms such as a shorter workday, guaranteed pay, and government enforcement of working conditions.
Shortly after the National War, many former slaves and other African-Americans began working in factories in prominent Southern cities, particularly in Louisiana and Houston. In order to protect the rights of these workers, Norris Wright Cuney[2] founded the National Federation of Colored Labor in 1873 as an offshoot of the National Federation of Labor. The NFCL fought for the rights of employment and education for blacks and organized many black groups in factories in Southern cities. While the NFCL received some support at the outset from larger labor groups, the support dwindled soon after. The dominance of Democratic politicnas in the South during this era made bringing black labor issues to the attention of Congress very difficult and the NFCL struggled for much of its early history.
The unions had achieved some success in getting better factory conditions during the intial Republican presidencies in the 1860s and 1870s. However, the rise of the Bourbon Democrats as the dominant wing in the Democratic Party and the victory of Winfield Scott Hancock in 1880 led to a relaxation of these laws. The main sectors affected by Hancock's legislation were western mining companies, which had been imposing harsh working conditions on the miners to extract ore as quickly as possible. In retaliation, miners began organizing and holding strikes in the 1880s. The first major strikes, the 1883 Raton strike and the Carbondale Miners' Strike in 1886[3], were against poor and dangerous working conditions in the mines. These early strikes were put down by the companies and local police forces, but led to greater political activity by laborers and particularly miners around the country.
[1] The Laurentine countries refers to the countries north of the United States, so Canada, Acadia, etc.
[2] Cuney was an OTL African-American activist and union leader in the 19th century.
[3] In Raton, New Mexico and Carbondale, Illinois.
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Very nice update. So labor is proceeding much as OTL, though I was surprised by the census. You put the population of the US 10 million people higher than OTL (20% or so) and I couldn't think of a particular reason why, even with Cuba, since most of the West is gone. Keep up the great wok!
I guess it is the larger influx from Ireland (and possibly Italy). There is also some immigration from Ibero-America (although my guess is most would go to California. But even without the west, it is not impossible, the whole west (iTTL's California) was less that half a million at this point.
Anyway excellent update Wilcox.
jycee has it mostly right. More immigration from Ibero-America, southern European migrants coming earlier, the huge increase in Irish immigrants, and the addition of Cuba are all factors into the increased population.
There's a map from the 1880 election a few pages back here. That's the latest map I have at the moment. Next map will probably be for the 1884 election.
A couple more things. First, the 10 most populous cities in the United States from the 1880 census.
Code:
Top Ten Cities, 1880 Census
1. New York, NY 1,365,290
2. Philadelphia, PA 954,711
3. Brooklyn, NY 730,144
4. Saint Louis, MO 602,100
5. Baltimore, MD 577,336
6. Chicago, IL 572,181
7. New Orleans, LA 424,550
8. Havana, CU 377,691
9. Boston, MA 342,715
10. Indianapolis, IN 284,154Third, I'm considering making the 1884 election another user poll. I am again having trouble deciding who should win, so I might bring it to you all to decide.
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