America - Albion's Orphan - A history of the conquest of Britain - 1760
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Chapter 326
1869
Lisbon
Though the public protested, the King of Portugal would proceed with his sale of the Azores, Madeira (Macronesia), Sao Tome and Princip. The resistance was primarily regarding Madeira, which, unlike the other islands, possessed a large Portuguese population. It was one thing to sell some island largely occupied by Africans but quite another to sell Portuguese.
In truth, First Lord of the Treasury Abraham Lincoln and his old rival/ally Foreign Secretary Seward shared some of these concerns. How would the Portuguese, African and other denizens of these lands react to American sovereignty? It was possible that the nation was just creating problems for itself.
Similarly, the King of Spain would object though he had no legal reason to expect right of first refusal on any territory Portugal opted to sell. Portuguese resentment towards Spain remained deep seeded and there was no way that His Majesty would sell to the Spanish.
Eventually, the American Ambassador eased tension with both the Portuguese people and the King of Spain by backing away from purchasing Madeira, the location of the highest number of Portuguese subjects.
In an effort to establish goodwill, Catholics were dispatched as the Colonial governors to some islands and orders were issued to increase the amount of democracy in the region regarding local issues (given that Portugal had never possessed anything resembling democracy, this wasn't hard to improve upon). Local mayors and councils received additional powers, the franchise expanded to all landowners, etc, etc.
While there was a large degree of sullen resentment, there was no wide-scale rebellion. Only a small number of the Portuguese residents opted to return to Portugal and many would, in the coming years, find the political and economic opportunities beneficial.
What DID change radically was that the rebellious African contract workers of Sao Tome and Princip were paid in full by the American government and returned home. America hadn't acquired these islands for their agricultural potential but as naval bases. Without the African workforce (which consisted of half the island's population), many of the Portuguese bureaucrats and landowners resentfully departed. It would not be until generations later when machinery greatly reduced the labor for agriculture that Sao Tome and Princip returned as significant exporters.
Southern Africa
By 1869, the East India Company armies had pushed the assorted tribes hundreds of miles eastwards and northwards. Initially, these were seen moves in conjunction with their native allies but eventually it was obvious to all that the Africans were merely being shoved TOWARDS the Company ally lands. Violence would become every more common as warfare devolved into tribal slaughter. When the situation deteriorated, the Company simply moved further east, now dislodging THOSE peoples.
The Company hierarchy, now having dozens of reports of mineral wealth discovered in the region, would press the Company armies further and further east. In the meantime, wildcat miners were already panning along the riverbeds. Only years later would it be determined that the gold of the region was, in fact, very, VERY deep and very, VERY abundant.
The Company, seeing that the panning could hardly be stopped, would agree to take a tax on it instead. Later, when deeper mines were built, private permits were not granted and the huge deposits of gold and diamonds below would be owned entirely by the government. As most of these lands had never been controlled by the Cape Colony, the EIC would fairly ignored the Dutch protests. By 1869, the Jews greatly outnumbered the Dutch in the East and by a small amount overall. New ports to the east allowed the Company to deliver soldiers, suppliers and migrants directly to the region they actually cared about.
An attempt by the Dutch to cancel the contract was dispatched to an arbitrator...which would take place years later when the political situation had deteriorated beyond all recognition.
New regiments of Americans, Europeans, Marathas, Javans, Sumatrans and remote African hirelings would arrive to ensure the frontier. While some partisan activity among the Africans would continue for years, even decades, the superior weaponry of the EIC would ensure their superiority.
Another shift in power led to dissention between the Company and the Jewish settlers. initially, the Jews had been ecstatic with the idea of a Jewish-majority homeland. However, the prospect of mines to the east and northeast would lead the EIC to invite mining experts from Europe, mainly Silesian and Poland, to open mines. Not willing to attempt to coerce Africans into the mines (this had been failing dismally in the Congo), the Company prepared a campaign to lure experienced miners to South Africa, mostly Polish or German. This could not have been received more poorly by the Jews, who travelled to Southern Africa to get away from those people.
Eventually a compromise was reached: the Company would continue to favor Jewish migration to the region (including significant subsidies) provided that the Jewish labor force could meet company demands as the industry developed. As it so happened, the Jews of Poland tended to be more apt to physical labor than Jews of other regions due to Poland's relatively permissive laws over the centuries regarding Jews (though not so much recently).
Between the subsidies offered by Poland and other nations to get the Jews out of their countries and that of the East India Company, most Jews arrived in Africa without any debt and were happy to get to work. By 1840, nearly 40,000 a year were arriving from Europe, Most preferred farming or two life to settling the remote and dangerous northeastern plains but enough Jews were willing to enter the mines throughout the 1870's that the Company repeatedly put off plans to entice Poles, Germans, Italians, Javans, Sumatrans or others to work the mines. Not desiring to be demographically overwhelmed by anyone, the Jews would negotiate with the company to prevent any settlement of foreign women (largely the East Indian soldiers) which may lead to a permanent community. While some Dutch, other European, American, Asian and Africans would eventually reside in the region, the Jews would never feel demographically threatened for generations. Though only a small percentage of the Jews would work in the mining industry itself, there were few major labor shortages throughout the late 19th century Southern African mining industry.
However, there remained a steady outflow of deserters from the EIC army who sought to pan the rivers for gold or set up their own shallow wildcat diamond mines. Among these were the Earp brothers, who effectively wandered off from the army and opened what they called a "saloon" in the Witswatersrand. Though they would mine a bit themselves, most of the family money would be gleaned from alcohol and prostitution.
Despite Jewish protests, the Company did hedge its bets and allowed non-Jewish migration to the region, these European or American Christians making up nearly 20% of the population of the Jewish majority districts (Africans and Asians making up another 10-15% depending on region).
Still, the worsening political conditions in Eastern Europe for the Jews (mainly Poland, Hungary and Russia) and a general refusal of the rest of Europe to take in more than token Jewish migrations would see nearly 100,000 Jews per year departing the continent (half to South Africa, the rest to the Levant, North Africa and the Americas), a stunning 2% of the overall estimated Jewish population. Of course, the Jewish population was rising with the rest of Europe (and most of the world) at about 1% increase per year thus this emigration barely reduced the quantity of Jews in Europe on an annual basis.
Lisbon
Though the public protested, the King of Portugal would proceed with his sale of the Azores, Madeira (Macronesia), Sao Tome and Princip. The resistance was primarily regarding Madeira, which, unlike the other islands, possessed a large Portuguese population. It was one thing to sell some island largely occupied by Africans but quite another to sell Portuguese.
In truth, First Lord of the Treasury Abraham Lincoln and his old rival/ally Foreign Secretary Seward shared some of these concerns. How would the Portuguese, African and other denizens of these lands react to American sovereignty? It was possible that the nation was just creating problems for itself.
Similarly, the King of Spain would object though he had no legal reason to expect right of first refusal on any territory Portugal opted to sell. Portuguese resentment towards Spain remained deep seeded and there was no way that His Majesty would sell to the Spanish.
Eventually, the American Ambassador eased tension with both the Portuguese people and the King of Spain by backing away from purchasing Madeira, the location of the highest number of Portuguese subjects.
In an effort to establish goodwill, Catholics were dispatched as the Colonial governors to some islands and orders were issued to increase the amount of democracy in the region regarding local issues (given that Portugal had never possessed anything resembling democracy, this wasn't hard to improve upon). Local mayors and councils received additional powers, the franchise expanded to all landowners, etc, etc.
While there was a large degree of sullen resentment, there was no wide-scale rebellion. Only a small number of the Portuguese residents opted to return to Portugal and many would, in the coming years, find the political and economic opportunities beneficial.
What DID change radically was that the rebellious African contract workers of Sao Tome and Princip were paid in full by the American government and returned home. America hadn't acquired these islands for their agricultural potential but as naval bases. Without the African workforce (which consisted of half the island's population), many of the Portuguese bureaucrats and landowners resentfully departed. It would not be until generations later when machinery greatly reduced the labor for agriculture that Sao Tome and Princip returned as significant exporters.
Southern Africa
By 1869, the East India Company armies had pushed the assorted tribes hundreds of miles eastwards and northwards. Initially, these were seen moves in conjunction with their native allies but eventually it was obvious to all that the Africans were merely being shoved TOWARDS the Company ally lands. Violence would become every more common as warfare devolved into tribal slaughter. When the situation deteriorated, the Company simply moved further east, now dislodging THOSE peoples.
The Company hierarchy, now having dozens of reports of mineral wealth discovered in the region, would press the Company armies further and further east. In the meantime, wildcat miners were already panning along the riverbeds. Only years later would it be determined that the gold of the region was, in fact, very, VERY deep and very, VERY abundant.
The Company, seeing that the panning could hardly be stopped, would agree to take a tax on it instead. Later, when deeper mines were built, private permits were not granted and the huge deposits of gold and diamonds below would be owned entirely by the government. As most of these lands had never been controlled by the Cape Colony, the EIC would fairly ignored the Dutch protests. By 1869, the Jews greatly outnumbered the Dutch in the East and by a small amount overall. New ports to the east allowed the Company to deliver soldiers, suppliers and migrants directly to the region they actually cared about.
An attempt by the Dutch to cancel the contract was dispatched to an arbitrator...which would take place years later when the political situation had deteriorated beyond all recognition.
New regiments of Americans, Europeans, Marathas, Javans, Sumatrans and remote African hirelings would arrive to ensure the frontier. While some partisan activity among the Africans would continue for years, even decades, the superior weaponry of the EIC would ensure their superiority.
Another shift in power led to dissention between the Company and the Jewish settlers. initially, the Jews had been ecstatic with the idea of a Jewish-majority homeland. However, the prospect of mines to the east and northeast would lead the EIC to invite mining experts from Europe, mainly Silesian and Poland, to open mines. Not willing to attempt to coerce Africans into the mines (this had been failing dismally in the Congo), the Company prepared a campaign to lure experienced miners to South Africa, mostly Polish or German. This could not have been received more poorly by the Jews, who travelled to Southern Africa to get away from those people.
Eventually a compromise was reached: the Company would continue to favor Jewish migration to the region (including significant subsidies) provided that the Jewish labor force could meet company demands as the industry developed. As it so happened, the Jews of Poland tended to be more apt to physical labor than Jews of other regions due to Poland's relatively permissive laws over the centuries regarding Jews (though not so much recently).
Between the subsidies offered by Poland and other nations to get the Jews out of their countries and that of the East India Company, most Jews arrived in Africa without any debt and were happy to get to work. By 1840, nearly 40,000 a year were arriving from Europe, Most preferred farming or two life to settling the remote and dangerous northeastern plains but enough Jews were willing to enter the mines throughout the 1870's that the Company repeatedly put off plans to entice Poles, Germans, Italians, Javans, Sumatrans or others to work the mines. Not desiring to be demographically overwhelmed by anyone, the Jews would negotiate with the company to prevent any settlement of foreign women (largely the East Indian soldiers) which may lead to a permanent community. While some Dutch, other European, American, Asian and Africans would eventually reside in the region, the Jews would never feel demographically threatened for generations. Though only a small percentage of the Jews would work in the mining industry itself, there were few major labor shortages throughout the late 19th century Southern African mining industry.
However, there remained a steady outflow of deserters from the EIC army who sought to pan the rivers for gold or set up their own shallow wildcat diamond mines. Among these were the Earp brothers, who effectively wandered off from the army and opened what they called a "saloon" in the Witswatersrand. Though they would mine a bit themselves, most of the family money would be gleaned from alcohol and prostitution.
Despite Jewish protests, the Company did hedge its bets and allowed non-Jewish migration to the region, these European or American Christians making up nearly 20% of the population of the Jewish majority districts (Africans and Asians making up another 10-15% depending on region).
Still, the worsening political conditions in Eastern Europe for the Jews (mainly Poland, Hungary and Russia) and a general refusal of the rest of Europe to take in more than token Jewish migrations would see nearly 100,000 Jews per year departing the continent (half to South Africa, the rest to the Levant, North Africa and the Americas), a stunning 2% of the overall estimated Jewish population. Of course, the Jewish population was rising with the rest of Europe (and most of the world) at about 1% increase per year thus this emigration barely reduced the quantity of Jews in Europe on an annual basis.
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I am curious what do the other European powers think about America getting naval bases so close to Europe?
France I think would be indifferent.
I intended to add a blurb about Spain's opinion on this but forgot. I'll probably add another paragraph showing that Portugal's King refused to sell to the Spanish after conquering Brazil and the Algarve.
I don't know anyone else that would care or had the power to intervene (Russia and Austria were probably too remote)
Chapter 327
1869
Manhattan
After years of bitter arm-twisting, the Lincoln Ministry would manage to pass the Suffrage Equality Act in which it became national, not Dominion, law that expressly forbade utilizing race as a consideration for Suffrage. Perhaps more importantly, the Law explicitly laid out the consequences of what should have should a Dominion government fail to carry through with this national mandate. Observers were to be dispatched throughout the country to ensure that the law was being followed. If not, any local elections would be declared null and void and the national government....even the army....would assume direct control over coming elections. This was a considered abhorrent to the government-phobic Americans who inherited the genetic British loathing of standing armies. But Lincoln felt it was a necessary evil and the culmination of over a decade in office.
The 1870 election would be the first test of this new law. As many as 2/3rd's of the American Dominions were already held to have no real restriction of the franchise to blacks or other races. Most of the others were not expected to challenge this new law. But a few local governors and politicians were already stating they would in implement this new policy and vowed to resist.
This was all Lincoln needed and he announced that the observers in these Dominions would be armed. While technically this was not an Act of Parliament, Lincoln covered his flank by speaking on the matter before Parliament already in 1869, a full year before the election.
An American playwright would compose a play over the episode in 1870 and, while not a massive success, it played upon Broad Street for several years, at one point the notable actor John Wilkes Booth portraying Lincoln.
South Africa
Despite repeated incursions of resentful African tribes into newly claimed Company-controlled territory (by 1869, the company wasn't even pretending that the lands east of Cape Colony belonged to the Dutch), Prince Felix of Salm-Salm would finally manage to get rid of his annoying second in command, George McClellan. For years now, McClellan had whinged and postured for greater command. While McClellan was an able officer in many respects, including the training of the diverse army and considerable improvement of the supply system, the man simply was not worth the hastle.
Finally, Felix managed to get McClellan "promoted" to the senior command in Zanzibar where he was "needed" to help calm the chaotic situation inland. Several regiments with experience in Africa, all African (mostly Indian (mainly Topass), Javan or Sumatran, were dispatched with him. While Felix would miss these experienced men, the fact was that the increase in Jewish and other migrants to the region had provided a population base large enough for the militia to credibly augment the handful of remaining professional regiments.
New projects would speed European settlement. Three new railroads from the coast inland were in various stages of construction. This would carry settlers inland and assorted goods to the coast. These projects also provided a ready source of employment for many men arriving penniless in Africa.
Felix did have to get used to having so many Jews about. As a German, he was familiar with many in his native land and always got along with them. However, it was surprising to see so many Jews in manual labor. In Germany (and much of Europe), Jews had so long been forbidden from certain professions that it was almost axiomatic that they were consigned to merchant business or banking.....that was all they were allowed.
However, Polish Jews, while certainly facing a half century of repression, had long been granted great freedoms and their communities largely resembled those of their Polish neighbors. Most were farmers, or craftsmen, or merchants, etc. That was certainly better than hundreds of thousands of bankers arriving in Africa.
Another primary difference was that Jews in Poland had, after so much oppression in recent decades, begun to return to an ultra-orthodox sect called Hasidic Jewry. It called for greater separation from others and returned control of the word of God (once commonly available to ALL Jews) and concentrated its study to the Rabbis. To Felix, this would be akin to half the Lutherans of Germany voluntarily converting back to Catholicism, an unthinkable idea. As best Felix could tell, these Hasidic Rabbis (and there were A LOT of them) did nothing else but quibble all day over pedantic and esoteric bits of scripture which had no real application to real life. There seemed a visible wall coming up between the Hasidic Jews and what were coming to be called "Reformed" Jews. A civil war between people was always more vicious than with a foreign foe and riots between rival Jewish factions greatly exceeded any violence with non-Jews. Felix was certain the Company sensed this and smiled upon the development. The EIC was a master of dividing and conquering.
As it happened, the racial demographics would skew ever more back to Europeans. This was a demand by the Dutch, who never again wanted large African tribes anywhere near the Cape Colony. They didn't seem to like the Jews (or the fact that the Company Army they'd hired to protect them had effectively taken over the lands to the east facing the Zulu Empire) but could live with them. The Dutch wanted the Africans pushed out and the Company was willing to do so. The Asiatic and African regiments had largely been withdrawn (back home or to Zanzibar or the Congo) leaving only a handful of European regiments and a now-minority of largely Topass (mixed race Catholics of India) soldiers.
Cattle were already being raised in abundance (Felix didn't know if there was a kosher way to raise cattle) while grains, hides and other goods were already being shipped to the coast for export or supply to passing ships working the global trade lanes. Of course, the mineral strikes of the north and northeast were truly prompting the Company policy. Gold was flowing in though actually taxing it was less profitable than accepting it into Company vaults for protection (apparently few people wanted to carry around huge amounts of gold on their person). Most of the early gold strikes were alluvial deposits and panned by individual prospectors. The company was less interested in this than in the deep mines which they could control. Most alluvial deposits (those formed by rivers) would dry up sooner or later (as they did in California and Russian America) but the deep mines would endure for generations. Eventually the wildcatters panning for gold would give up (mostly having failed to get rich) and be forced to enter Company employment.
The Diamond mines were similar. Many diamonds were discovered near the surface and individuals did get rich. However, the sustained diamond production would come from deep mines including one called far to the north later to be dubbed the "BIG HOLE" on a farm owned by the De Beers brothers. The Company representative sensed the opportunity and, without waiting for permission, purchased the land from the De Beers (who moved back to Cape Town as wealthy men) and promptly purchased up all local farms as well. Eventually, an army unit would be situated on site where the bored soldiers would "earn extra money" by digging in the mine several days a week (the actual duties were mild to say the least). Eventually, thousands of miners from around the world arrived.
It was also at the "BIG HOLE" that the Company and the Dutch colonial officials would come to loggerheads for the first time. The Dutch not only protested the Company purchasing the land but the Dutch miners (who usually worked the mine for a share of the proceeds rather than a salary) nearly rioted when they learned of a Company project to recruit thousands of Africans for the labor. Years of conflict with the Zulu (and, well, most other tribes) had led to a permanent sense of fear of dependence on Africans for their safety. The Dutch miners also didn't want any more competition.
In a moment of irony, many of the local Jewish miners and the EIC soldiers themselves backed the Dutch. The East India Company was forced to back down at least for the moment. This was something of a rarity and the Company Directors would significantly reconsider their strategy in the region over the coming months and years.
Persia
The year of 1869 would also have severe consequences in Persian history. The Russian onslaught of the past decade against the Turkic peoples of the Asian Steppe had resulted in the forced migration of millions of people south, mainly into the mountain regions of Iran and the Durrani Empire. This cause great social upheaval in Persia which resulted in anti-Russian feeling to the point that the Shah, an ambitious young man, wanted to excise any Russian influence over his country. He demanded that all Russian administrators and advisors depart without delay. Those few who protested would be shackled (and a few killed). Several were taken hostage by patriotic Persian students in the capital, Teheran.
Hardly a Shi'a radical, the King saw himself as a modernizer beloved by the young for his policy of industrialization and religious tolerance. The purge was purely political and not ethnically based.
By 1870, the Russian army would already been marching upon the Persian Empire in retaliation.
For many decades, the Czar had taken the role of arbitrator over the Near East, playing one group against the others. Alexander III could not allow the Persians to upset this harmony achieved by he and his predecessors. If this was allowed in Persia, then who knew what would happen to the Ottoman, Alevistand, Azeristan, Armenia, Kurdistan, Assyria, Mesopotamia, Syria and Palestine?
It was possible that the fragile peace in the region may tear itself apart.
Manhattan
After years of bitter arm-twisting, the Lincoln Ministry would manage to pass the Suffrage Equality Act in which it became national, not Dominion, law that expressly forbade utilizing race as a consideration for Suffrage. Perhaps more importantly, the Law explicitly laid out the consequences of what should have should a Dominion government fail to carry through with this national mandate. Observers were to be dispatched throughout the country to ensure that the law was being followed. If not, any local elections would be declared null and void and the national government....even the army....would assume direct control over coming elections. This was a considered abhorrent to the government-phobic Americans who inherited the genetic British loathing of standing armies. But Lincoln felt it was a necessary evil and the culmination of over a decade in office.
The 1870 election would be the first test of this new law. As many as 2/3rd's of the American Dominions were already held to have no real restriction of the franchise to blacks or other races. Most of the others were not expected to challenge this new law. But a few local governors and politicians were already stating they would in implement this new policy and vowed to resist.
This was all Lincoln needed and he announced that the observers in these Dominions would be armed. While technically this was not an Act of Parliament, Lincoln covered his flank by speaking on the matter before Parliament already in 1869, a full year before the election.
An American playwright would compose a play over the episode in 1870 and, while not a massive success, it played upon Broad Street for several years, at one point the notable actor John Wilkes Booth portraying Lincoln.
South Africa
Despite repeated incursions of resentful African tribes into newly claimed Company-controlled territory (by 1869, the company wasn't even pretending that the lands east of Cape Colony belonged to the Dutch), Prince Felix of Salm-Salm would finally manage to get rid of his annoying second in command, George McClellan. For years now, McClellan had whinged and postured for greater command. While McClellan was an able officer in many respects, including the training of the diverse army and considerable improvement of the supply system, the man simply was not worth the hastle.
Finally, Felix managed to get McClellan "promoted" to the senior command in Zanzibar where he was "needed" to help calm the chaotic situation inland. Several regiments with experience in Africa, all African (mostly Indian (mainly Topass), Javan or Sumatran, were dispatched with him. While Felix would miss these experienced men, the fact was that the increase in Jewish and other migrants to the region had provided a population base large enough for the militia to credibly augment the handful of remaining professional regiments.
New projects would speed European settlement. Three new railroads from the coast inland were in various stages of construction. This would carry settlers inland and assorted goods to the coast. These projects also provided a ready source of employment for many men arriving penniless in Africa.
Felix did have to get used to having so many Jews about. As a German, he was familiar with many in his native land and always got along with them. However, it was surprising to see so many Jews in manual labor. In Germany (and much of Europe), Jews had so long been forbidden from certain professions that it was almost axiomatic that they were consigned to merchant business or banking.....that was all they were allowed.
However, Polish Jews, while certainly facing a half century of repression, had long been granted great freedoms and their communities largely resembled those of their Polish neighbors. Most were farmers, or craftsmen, or merchants, etc. That was certainly better than hundreds of thousands of bankers arriving in Africa.
Another primary difference was that Jews in Poland had, after so much oppression in recent decades, begun to return to an ultra-orthodox sect called Hasidic Jewry. It called for greater separation from others and returned control of the word of God (once commonly available to ALL Jews) and concentrated its study to the Rabbis. To Felix, this would be akin to half the Lutherans of Germany voluntarily converting back to Catholicism, an unthinkable idea. As best Felix could tell, these Hasidic Rabbis (and there were A LOT of them) did nothing else but quibble all day over pedantic and esoteric bits of scripture which had no real application to real life. There seemed a visible wall coming up between the Hasidic Jews and what were coming to be called "Reformed" Jews. A civil war between people was always more vicious than with a foreign foe and riots between rival Jewish factions greatly exceeded any violence with non-Jews. Felix was certain the Company sensed this and smiled upon the development. The EIC was a master of dividing and conquering.
As it happened, the racial demographics would skew ever more back to Europeans. This was a demand by the Dutch, who never again wanted large African tribes anywhere near the Cape Colony. They didn't seem to like the Jews (or the fact that the Company Army they'd hired to protect them had effectively taken over the lands to the east facing the Zulu Empire) but could live with them. The Dutch wanted the Africans pushed out and the Company was willing to do so. The Asiatic and African regiments had largely been withdrawn (back home or to Zanzibar or the Congo) leaving only a handful of European regiments and a now-minority of largely Topass (mixed race Catholics of India) soldiers.
Cattle were already being raised in abundance (Felix didn't know if there was a kosher way to raise cattle) while grains, hides and other goods were already being shipped to the coast for export or supply to passing ships working the global trade lanes. Of course, the mineral strikes of the north and northeast were truly prompting the Company policy. Gold was flowing in though actually taxing it was less profitable than accepting it into Company vaults for protection (apparently few people wanted to carry around huge amounts of gold on their person). Most of the early gold strikes were alluvial deposits and panned by individual prospectors. The company was less interested in this than in the deep mines which they could control. Most alluvial deposits (those formed by rivers) would dry up sooner or later (as they did in California and Russian America) but the deep mines would endure for generations. Eventually the wildcatters panning for gold would give up (mostly having failed to get rich) and be forced to enter Company employment.
The Diamond mines were similar. Many diamonds were discovered near the surface and individuals did get rich. However, the sustained diamond production would come from deep mines including one called far to the north later to be dubbed the "BIG HOLE" on a farm owned by the De Beers brothers. The Company representative sensed the opportunity and, without waiting for permission, purchased the land from the De Beers (who moved back to Cape Town as wealthy men) and promptly purchased up all local farms as well. Eventually, an army unit would be situated on site where the bored soldiers would "earn extra money" by digging in the mine several days a week (the actual duties were mild to say the least). Eventually, thousands of miners from around the world arrived.
It was also at the "BIG HOLE" that the Company and the Dutch colonial officials would come to loggerheads for the first time. The Dutch not only protested the Company purchasing the land but the Dutch miners (who usually worked the mine for a share of the proceeds rather than a salary) nearly rioted when they learned of a Company project to recruit thousands of Africans for the labor. Years of conflict with the Zulu (and, well, most other tribes) had led to a permanent sense of fear of dependence on Africans for their safety. The Dutch miners also didn't want any more competition.
In a moment of irony, many of the local Jewish miners and the EIC soldiers themselves backed the Dutch. The East India Company was forced to back down at least for the moment. This was something of a rarity and the Company Directors would significantly reconsider their strategy in the region over the coming months and years.
Persia
The year of 1869 would also have severe consequences in Persian history. The Russian onslaught of the past decade against the Turkic peoples of the Asian Steppe had resulted in the forced migration of millions of people south, mainly into the mountain regions of Iran and the Durrani Empire. This cause great social upheaval in Persia which resulted in anti-Russian feeling to the point that the Shah, an ambitious young man, wanted to excise any Russian influence over his country. He demanded that all Russian administrators and advisors depart without delay. Those few who protested would be shackled (and a few killed). Several were taken hostage by patriotic Persian students in the capital, Teheran.
Hardly a Shi'a radical, the King saw himself as a modernizer beloved by the young for his policy of industrialization and religious tolerance. The purge was purely political and not ethnically based.
By 1870, the Russian army would already been marching upon the Persian Empire in retaliation.
For many decades, the Czar had taken the role of arbitrator over the Near East, playing one group against the others. Alexander III could not allow the Persians to upset this harmony achieved by he and his predecessors. If this was allowed in Persia, then who knew what would happen to the Ottoman, Alevistand, Azeristan, Armenia, Kurdistan, Assyria, Mesopotamia, Syria and Palestine?
It was possible that the fragile peace in the region may tear itself apart.
It'll be interesting if the Turkish migration of millions of people gives Iran a population boost.
That said, Russia will still kick their ass.
That said, Russia will still kick their ass.
I know it probably will not happen but it would be interesting to see if an American prince married a princess from one of the successor states in the UK and due to unforeseen circumstances an American king was monarch of that nation
Chapter 328
1870
Yeah, I don't have any plans of that happening in the UK (though Henry II did marry a Welsh princess, I don't plan on his descendants inheriting). Instead, I opted for Oldenburg instead, creating a parallel with Britain-Hanover.
Yeah, I don't have any plans of that happening in the UK (though Henry II did marry a Welsh princess, I don't plan on his descendants inheriting). Instead, I opted for Oldenburg instead, creating a parallel with Britain-Hanover.
Chapter 328
1870
America
Lincoln was fortunate that his second full term in office (it had been nearly 11 years since he ascended to the post of First Lord) had been relatively uneventful. The economy, despite the occasional bump, had remained solid and consistent, thus eliminating any great threat to his Ministry. While past First Lords might have been compelled to resign (a rarity in the early British American Kingdom), the alternation of the electoral law had ensured a five year tenure for First Lords. However, any particular economic crash may have made his remaining years in office a terrible ordeal. Sometimes, Lincoln questioned the wisdom of effectively mandating five year terms. If a First Lord could not control Parliament, SHOULD he remain? Of course, the opposite was that a single setback could force a change in ministry. There was logic to both arguements.
As it was, Lincoln's cherished Suffrage Act of 1869 had promised to end racial discrimination in Suffrage. However, the actual EFFECTIVENESS of this Act would only be seen after a major election, namely 1870.
In truth, Lincoln was ready to retire. He was exhausted and his wife Sarah was in poor health. However, he could not retire from the Ministry without ensuring that the Suffrage Act was actually being enforced. Most regions of the nation did not seem likely to cause trouble but others may.
Less than surprisingly, it was the old "Slave Dominions" (Lincoln thought that moniker unfair as slavery had been legal for most of the colonial history in most Dominions, not just the last few which gave it up by force) which held back. Though these Dominions may have once held up to 40% of their population as black slaves, these ratios had fallen greatly since manumission decades ago as most Freedmen opted to find their fortunes elsewhere in the nation, particularly the west where land was granted by the King or very, very cheap.
South Carolina, which once held the highest per capita black population in the nation, had seen this figure drop from 40% to 12% in just two generations (and dropping).
Why would a Dominion which held only a nominal number of black and mulatto citizens fight so hard against this?
The question vexed Lincoln to no end. But he was unwilling to let local office holders prevent these people from voting. He would throw every effort to ensuring a fair....but peaceful....election in 1870.
Zanzibar
While happy to have been promoted to full General, George McClellan was more than a little lost with the local population in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Eastern Africa. The East India Company was seeking to expand control of the inland regions, including those of the Masai and Kukaya to the north. Exactly WHY, the General did not know. There seemed to be no mineral wealth akin to southern Africa or wildly valuable agricultural exports like in the Congo.
But orders were order, McClellan would eventually march inland on a "goodwill" tour, effectively an excuse to display EIC firepower to the natives.
Persia
As the Persia Empire had fallen significantly behind the Russian Empire in technology, the war between Russia and Persia ended quickly. By winter of 1869, Teheran had fallen and by summer of 1870, most of the rest of the country fell directly to the Russians.
In short order, the regions dominated by the Azeri (northwest), Kurdish (west) and Lurs (southwest) people were carved off and merged with Azeristand, Kurdistan and, in the case of the Lurs, an independent nation under a compliant chieftain.
Persia would see a quarter of her territory shorn off while the Russians, by 1871, would accede to northeast Persia forming a new Turkic Kingdom (which, ironically, would be formed largely of peoples forced from the south Asia Steppe by Russia) and southeast Persia would be annexed by the dysfunctional Durrani Empire (mainly Sunni Balochs).
When all was said and done, the Persian Empire had been reduced by 40% and a new Shah was placed in office, this one properly beholden to and terrified of the Russians.
Southeast Asia
Over the past years, the Maratha Empire and the Empire of China had begun centralizing their own regions and seeking to expand their influence over Southeast Asia's assorted Kingdoms. Most of these had been tributary states to China, mainly Buddhist, but granted effective self-government provided they did not act contrary to Chinese interests.
However, the suddenly aggressive and confident Maratha Empire was looking to expand its own influence over western Southeast Asia, including the by now largely Christian regions east of Bengal (the Nagas, for example). Exactly WHY the Maratha Peshwa cared about such a remote and poor region was up for debate.
What DID matter was that the power center in Pune was looking to influence these regions greatly and this was swiftly realized by China, which had long maintained a distant control over Southeast Asia.
The Marathas would sign treaties with the Khmer, who had long been preyed upon by the Siamese and Annamites (southern Viets) as well as the Burmese Dynasty. It was hoped that the Burmese would help the Marathas agianst the Assam Christians but, in all reality, the Marathas became beholden to helping the Burmese against the Siamese.
The inland Kingdoms (the Laotians) would immediately ask for aid from the Chinese as would the Viets.
Caught in the middle was the other powers of the region, French Bourbonia and the East India Company based in Java and Sumatra.
America
Lincoln was fortunate that his second full term in office (it had been nearly 11 years since he ascended to the post of First Lord) had been relatively uneventful. The economy, despite the occasional bump, had remained solid and consistent, thus eliminating any great threat to his Ministry. While past First Lords might have been compelled to resign (a rarity in the early British American Kingdom), the alternation of the electoral law had ensured a five year tenure for First Lords. However, any particular economic crash may have made his remaining years in office a terrible ordeal. Sometimes, Lincoln questioned the wisdom of effectively mandating five year terms. If a First Lord could not control Parliament, SHOULD he remain? Of course, the opposite was that a single setback could force a change in ministry. There was logic to both arguements.
As it was, Lincoln's cherished Suffrage Act of 1869 had promised to end racial discrimination in Suffrage. However, the actual EFFECTIVENESS of this Act would only be seen after a major election, namely 1870.
In truth, Lincoln was ready to retire. He was exhausted and his wife Sarah was in poor health. However, he could not retire from the Ministry without ensuring that the Suffrage Act was actually being enforced. Most regions of the nation did not seem likely to cause trouble but others may.
Less than surprisingly, it was the old "Slave Dominions" (Lincoln thought that moniker unfair as slavery had been legal for most of the colonial history in most Dominions, not just the last few which gave it up by force) which held back. Though these Dominions may have once held up to 40% of their population as black slaves, these ratios had fallen greatly since manumission decades ago as most Freedmen opted to find their fortunes elsewhere in the nation, particularly the west where land was granted by the King or very, very cheap.
South Carolina, which once held the highest per capita black population in the nation, had seen this figure drop from 40% to 12% in just two generations (and dropping).
Why would a Dominion which held only a nominal number of black and mulatto citizens fight so hard against this?
The question vexed Lincoln to no end. But he was unwilling to let local office holders prevent these people from voting. He would throw every effort to ensuring a fair....but peaceful....election in 1870.
Zanzibar
While happy to have been promoted to full General, George McClellan was more than a little lost with the local population in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Eastern Africa. The East India Company was seeking to expand control of the inland regions, including those of the Masai and Kukaya to the north. Exactly WHY, the General did not know. There seemed to be no mineral wealth akin to southern Africa or wildly valuable agricultural exports like in the Congo.
But orders were order, McClellan would eventually march inland on a "goodwill" tour, effectively an excuse to display EIC firepower to the natives.
Persia
As the Persia Empire had fallen significantly behind the Russian Empire in technology, the war between Russia and Persia ended quickly. By winter of 1869, Teheran had fallen and by summer of 1870, most of the rest of the country fell directly to the Russians.
In short order, the regions dominated by the Azeri (northwest), Kurdish (west) and Lurs (southwest) people were carved off and merged with Azeristand, Kurdistan and, in the case of the Lurs, an independent nation under a compliant chieftain.
Persia would see a quarter of her territory shorn off while the Russians, by 1871, would accede to northeast Persia forming a new Turkic Kingdom (which, ironically, would be formed largely of peoples forced from the south Asia Steppe by Russia) and southeast Persia would be annexed by the dysfunctional Durrani Empire (mainly Sunni Balochs).
When all was said and done, the Persian Empire had been reduced by 40% and a new Shah was placed in office, this one properly beholden to and terrified of the Russians.
Southeast Asia
Over the past years, the Maratha Empire and the Empire of China had begun centralizing their own regions and seeking to expand their influence over Southeast Asia's assorted Kingdoms. Most of these had been tributary states to China, mainly Buddhist, but granted effective self-government provided they did not act contrary to Chinese interests.
However, the suddenly aggressive and confident Maratha Empire was looking to expand its own influence over western Southeast Asia, including the by now largely Christian regions east of Bengal (the Nagas, for example). Exactly WHY the Maratha Peshwa cared about such a remote and poor region was up for debate.
What DID matter was that the power center in Pune was looking to influence these regions greatly and this was swiftly realized by China, which had long maintained a distant control over Southeast Asia.
The Marathas would sign treaties with the Khmer, who had long been preyed upon by the Siamese and Annamites (southern Viets) as well as the Burmese Dynasty. It was hoped that the Burmese would help the Marathas agianst the Assam Christians but, in all reality, the Marathas became beholden to helping the Burmese against the Siamese.
The inland Kingdoms (the Laotians) would immediately ask for aid from the Chinese as would the Viets.
Caught in the middle was the other powers of the region, French Bourbonia and the East India Company based in Java and Sumatra.
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How Assam was Christianized? Also how much of canon northeast India under Maratha control?
Protestant Missionaries had spent time in the area over the past 100 years.
Virtually all of Canon India is under Maratha control with the exception of the lands east of Bengal.
However, this India is controls Bengal, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and parts of Pakistan.
So Maratha now interested in conquering Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Nagaland? Are those under their control?
I am surprised Russia and China experienced so much growth population-wise but not India?
Is there any attempt by Sikh from their end towards canon Pakistan?
What is the situation of Islam in India? Any reform happen in case of Hinduism?
I am surprised Russia and China experienced so much growth population-wise but not India?
Is there any attempt by Sikh from their end towards canon Pakistan?
What is the situation of Islam in India? Any reform happen in case of Hinduism?
Chapter 329
1870 (November)
Manhattan
The 1870 election would see a surprisingly number of Parliamentarians defeated though there seemed to be no identifiable pattern. Men of all stripes were cast out, nearly a fifty of Parliament who stood for election (an unusually high number). Many of First Lord of the Treasury's allies...and enemies....were evicted from office. Political commentators were somewhat at a loss to explain the odd divergence in the trend.
But Lincoln's priority was ensuring that the Suffrage Act of 1869 was followed. Thousands of observers were dispatched across the Kingdom in a show of equanimity but, in all reality, only a few Dominions were expected to cause problems. On the whole, only eight Dominions were reported to have either "widespread" resistance to the Act (usually directly by public officials or indirectly by mobs or various violent actions of intimidation) or "partial" resistance (less obvious resistance including intimidation from voting or systematic bureaucratic methods like "losing" voting forms or refusing to accept property deeds from black or mulattos to certify their right to vote).
It truth, Lincoln was surprised it went so well. Only 4 "Widespread" and 4 "Partial" examples of failure to follow the law. But now, what would he do about it?
Lincoln had vowed that he would not allow any such votes to stand. However, the limited scale of this resistance was considered a victory and no one wanted to break precedent and declare whole dominion ballots to be fraudulent. Indeed, many of Lincoln's cabinet Ministers begged Lincoln not to invalidate the votes. It would bring the entire country to an uproar. Previously, only local votes, usually on city basis, had been publicly thrown out and new elections ordered. The city of Chicago was notorious for having dead people apparently climb out of their graves to cast a vote (if the vote tallies were to be believed). But ordering a revote across eight FULL dominions would only make enemies of those men who had already spent months and thousands of dollars on a campaign. Few even believed that even a fully fair revote would alter many, if any, of the Parliamentary victors.
So why bother?
But Lincoln was certain that failing to enforce the Act on the first vote after its passage would send a terrible message. No doubt the next vote would see even more fraud. No, it must be done.
Several of the Cabinet Ministers whispered of refusing to add their names to the formal legislation to the King, a rare event which usually ended with those Ministers refusing. However, the top men in the Ministry, Lincoln and Seward especially, were supportive and there were no actual rebels.
Thus, the formal cancellation of all the votes in these eight Dominions were sent to the King, who signed without hesitation. King Henry II had never failed to support the First Lord and apparently had no desire to do so now.
And so February 28th was determined to be the new voting date for these eight dominions: South Carolina, North Carolina, Indiana, Miami (these previous four the "Widespread" Dominions), Shawnee, Wautaga, West Florida and Mauretania (the four "Partials").
There were some surprise names and omissions on this list. Neither Virginia nor Maryland apparently saw significant resistance to black Suffrage.
Similarly, no one expected West Florida or Mauretania to possess any particular resistance to the idea yet there was some discovered.
Lincoln ordered General Lee to march soldiers to the polls. Huge numbers of "volunteer observers" were sent to every district, often interviewing every black and mulatto in the Dominion as to their experience in the November election. While there was some grumbling of violence, seeing a large numbers of steely-eyed soldiers with repeating rifles was enough to forestall most of this.
Most of the resistance was on a national level as some accused the Lincoln administration of attempting to cancel out votes for their own majority. In all reality, the Dominions in question were largely a mix of Ministry supporters or opponents and few doubted that the inhibiting of black votes had occurred.
By February, the second vote had completed and the resulted returned all but three of the same Parliamentarians which had been voted into office in November. One of the newly elected was a mulatto man from Mauretania. The other two were actually Lincoln opponents who lost in 1870 (but were not known to oppose the Suffrage Act) but rode into office on a wave of irritation of Dominion voters having to suffer through a second vote on Lincoln's orders.
Though there remained some minor problems, the votes were generally deemed fair. Lincoln managed to pass through an amendment which would ensure that voting observers would be present for the following several votes after having discovered impropriety. Therefore, these eight Dominions would have the pleasure of voting observers around the polls in 1872 and 1874 as well.
This Lincoln could live with and he opted to retire of public office in April despite having been elected for another two year term to Parliament by his Maumee constituents. A special election would be held and Lincoln's son Samuel (named after his former commanding officer, the late Sam Houston) would be easily elected in his place despite having only recently taken up residence in the Dominion after spending most of his life in Manhattan (Lincoln had recommended such so Sam may be able to assume his seat in Parliament, there being a year long residence requirement in order to be eligible to stand in individual districts).
Though he was an old man of 68 years, William Seward was voted in by Parliament as their preferred choice to present to the King as First Lord. While Seward was something of an ass, Henry II had dealt with worse and the Seals of Office were formally handed to Seward in May.
Naturally, in retirement, Lincoln was knighted by the King and granted a modest pension.
Seward's tenure would turn out to be short-lived, unsurprising given his age. However, it would not be unimportant as Seward would pass the first official Pension Law in the nation: the Veterans Pension Act which granted a stepped pension based upon years of service and injuries sustained during active service for Soldiers and Sailors of the Crown.
Seward would also expand the railroads, national parks and canals.
Foreign policy would be quietly effective as he improved relations with their Russian, California, Anahuacan and Spanish neighbors by lowering trade barriers. Seward was also the first American First Lord to visit a foreign country while in office by visiting Wessex, France and Spain (a side trip to Portugal was cancelled based on conflict within the nation and ill-feeling towards America after purchasing the Azores, Sao Tome and Princip).
Seward would also diligently prepare for the 1872 election by preparing observers for every eventuality in the eight "problem Dominions". While overall number of soldiers stationed at the polls were less than in 1870, the observers were prepared for the assorted tricks than recalcitrant office-holders or instigators would play to prevent black suffrage (which was odd given that most of these Dominions only had a modest number of black and mulattos in 1872). Even South Carolina' black population failed to reach double digits.
However, this did not lead to electoral peace. The Suffragette Movement was formed to grant female voting rights and non-property owning males denied the vote were demanding that the franchise would be extended to all. This would be among the greatest debates of the next several decades.
Manhattan
The 1870 election would see a surprisingly number of Parliamentarians defeated though there seemed to be no identifiable pattern. Men of all stripes were cast out, nearly a fifty of Parliament who stood for election (an unusually high number). Many of First Lord of the Treasury's allies...and enemies....were evicted from office. Political commentators were somewhat at a loss to explain the odd divergence in the trend.
But Lincoln's priority was ensuring that the Suffrage Act of 1869 was followed. Thousands of observers were dispatched across the Kingdom in a show of equanimity but, in all reality, only a few Dominions were expected to cause problems. On the whole, only eight Dominions were reported to have either "widespread" resistance to the Act (usually directly by public officials or indirectly by mobs or various violent actions of intimidation) or "partial" resistance (less obvious resistance including intimidation from voting or systematic bureaucratic methods like "losing" voting forms or refusing to accept property deeds from black or mulattos to certify their right to vote).
It truth, Lincoln was surprised it went so well. Only 4 "Widespread" and 4 "Partial" examples of failure to follow the law. But now, what would he do about it?
Lincoln had vowed that he would not allow any such votes to stand. However, the limited scale of this resistance was considered a victory and no one wanted to break precedent and declare whole dominion ballots to be fraudulent. Indeed, many of Lincoln's cabinet Ministers begged Lincoln not to invalidate the votes. It would bring the entire country to an uproar. Previously, only local votes, usually on city basis, had been publicly thrown out and new elections ordered. The city of Chicago was notorious for having dead people apparently climb out of their graves to cast a vote (if the vote tallies were to be believed). But ordering a revote across eight FULL dominions would only make enemies of those men who had already spent months and thousands of dollars on a campaign. Few even believed that even a fully fair revote would alter many, if any, of the Parliamentary victors.
So why bother?
But Lincoln was certain that failing to enforce the Act on the first vote after its passage would send a terrible message. No doubt the next vote would see even more fraud. No, it must be done.
Several of the Cabinet Ministers whispered of refusing to add their names to the formal legislation to the King, a rare event which usually ended with those Ministers refusing. However, the top men in the Ministry, Lincoln and Seward especially, were supportive and there were no actual rebels.
Thus, the formal cancellation of all the votes in these eight Dominions were sent to the King, who signed without hesitation. King Henry II had never failed to support the First Lord and apparently had no desire to do so now.
And so February 28th was determined to be the new voting date for these eight dominions: South Carolina, North Carolina, Indiana, Miami (these previous four the "Widespread" Dominions), Shawnee, Wautaga, West Florida and Mauretania (the four "Partials").
There were some surprise names and omissions on this list. Neither Virginia nor Maryland apparently saw significant resistance to black Suffrage.
Similarly, no one expected West Florida or Mauretania to possess any particular resistance to the idea yet there was some discovered.
Lincoln ordered General Lee to march soldiers to the polls. Huge numbers of "volunteer observers" were sent to every district, often interviewing every black and mulatto in the Dominion as to their experience in the November election. While there was some grumbling of violence, seeing a large numbers of steely-eyed soldiers with repeating rifles was enough to forestall most of this.
Most of the resistance was on a national level as some accused the Lincoln administration of attempting to cancel out votes for their own majority. In all reality, the Dominions in question were largely a mix of Ministry supporters or opponents and few doubted that the inhibiting of black votes had occurred.
By February, the second vote had completed and the resulted returned all but three of the same Parliamentarians which had been voted into office in November. One of the newly elected was a mulatto man from Mauretania. The other two were actually Lincoln opponents who lost in 1870 (but were not known to oppose the Suffrage Act) but rode into office on a wave of irritation of Dominion voters having to suffer through a second vote on Lincoln's orders.
Though there remained some minor problems, the votes were generally deemed fair. Lincoln managed to pass through an amendment which would ensure that voting observers would be present for the following several votes after having discovered impropriety. Therefore, these eight Dominions would have the pleasure of voting observers around the polls in 1872 and 1874 as well.
This Lincoln could live with and he opted to retire of public office in April despite having been elected for another two year term to Parliament by his Maumee constituents. A special election would be held and Lincoln's son Samuel (named after his former commanding officer, the late Sam Houston) would be easily elected in his place despite having only recently taken up residence in the Dominion after spending most of his life in Manhattan (Lincoln had recommended such so Sam may be able to assume his seat in Parliament, there being a year long residence requirement in order to be eligible to stand in individual districts).
Though he was an old man of 68 years, William Seward was voted in by Parliament as their preferred choice to present to the King as First Lord. While Seward was something of an ass, Henry II had dealt with worse and the Seals of Office were formally handed to Seward in May.
Naturally, in retirement, Lincoln was knighted by the King and granted a modest pension.
Seward's tenure would turn out to be short-lived, unsurprising given his age. However, it would not be unimportant as Seward would pass the first official Pension Law in the nation: the Veterans Pension Act which granted a stepped pension based upon years of service and injuries sustained during active service for Soldiers and Sailors of the Crown.
Seward would also expand the railroads, national parks and canals.
Foreign policy would be quietly effective as he improved relations with their Russian, California, Anahuacan and Spanish neighbors by lowering trade barriers. Seward was also the first American First Lord to visit a foreign country while in office by visiting Wessex, France and Spain (a side trip to Portugal was cancelled based on conflict within the nation and ill-feeling towards America after purchasing the Azores, Sao Tome and Princip).
Seward would also diligently prepare for the 1872 election by preparing observers for every eventuality in the eight "problem Dominions". While overall number of soldiers stationed at the polls were less than in 1870, the observers were prepared for the assorted tricks than recalcitrant office-holders or instigators would play to prevent black suffrage (which was odd given that most of these Dominions only had a modest number of black and mulattos in 1872). Even South Carolina' black population failed to reach double digits.
However, this did not lead to electoral peace. The Suffragette Movement was formed to grant female voting rights and non-property owning males denied the vote were demanding that the franchise would be extended to all. This would be among the greatest debates of the next several decades.
Chapter 330
1871
Cape Colony
Seeing the Jewish population to the east of Cape Colony (land which had once been controlled by the Dutch and theoretically still should) grow exponentially, the Dutch governors would encourage Dutch migration to the Cape and sought the Republic's aid in funding the migration. The decentralized government of the Dutch Republic was unlikely to be willing to fund this as the assorted Provinces ferociously guarded their privileges and rarely surrendered power even for the military and common projects like dykes and canals (usually funded by individual provinces or in cooperation by province governments). This also meant that the Dutch rarely paid for anything despite it being a relatively prosperous nation. Thus few funds were made available by the Provinces and the Cape Colony was on its own. However, the Cape-funded advertising campaign nevertheless paid SOME dividends and various schemes subsidizing migration would bring in nearly 10,000 Dutch or Protestant colonists per year to the Cape.
However, this was dwarfed by the Jewish migration (nearly 80,000 per year alone in 1871) as well as "Other" migrants, mainly from Europe but also so Javans, Indians, etc would reach over 40,000 a year.
The Indians were disproportionately Topass (Catholic mixed-race Portuguese and Indians) and, in a surprising twist, Zoroastrians of Persia and their cousins, the Parsi of India.
Over the past years, the minorities of Persia - Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians and others - would face violence and many would flee the nation. Most would initially go to Armenia, Palestine or, most often, Mesopotamia. But several hundred Jews of Persia would join the Ashkenazi (Jews of Eastern European origin) migration to Southern Africa where they were welcomed by the East India Company. By happenstance, several dozen Zoroastrians, Yazidis, Yarsans and other middle Eastern minority religious groups would opt to travel to South Africa as well. Seeing a bountiful land and a government which did not care about religion, each group would form a small community along the coastal cities of the region.
Over the past years, despite Dutch objections, the entirely East India Company controlled region east of the Cape Colony would form new coastal cities including Salm (OTL Port Elizabeth), Godoy (OTL East London, named after the new governor, the grandson of Manuel de Godoy, a former Director of the East India Company) and Freeport (OTL Durban). From these three ports, the rail lines snaked northwards.
The Dutch were willing to put up with some of this provided they were protected by the Company. However, an event in 1871 would cause a permanent break between the Dutch and EIC.
The huge diamond mine "Big Hole" was on land considered by the Dutch to be part of the Cape. However, the EIC would disagree and pronounced that THEY seized the land so why the hell were the Dutch complaining.
By this point, the Dutch Republic and the Cape Colony had had quite enough and now seeing the EIC as more of a threat than what was left of the Zulu Empire would decide to end the subsidy contract between the two. Of course, by 1871, there were many more people in the Company-controlled region than in the Cape and the EIC forces, augmented by Jewish militia, were considerably stronger.
Still, the Dutch Governor would march northwards to assume control over the "Big Hole". While the EIC forces would retreat from the mine, the Company was already preparing for a fight. Instead of marching to the mine, 2000 Company soldiers and 4000 militia (mostly Jewish) would march straight on Cape Town and, after a short, fierce battle, would seize the town.
The following day, a Dutch relief fleet arrive of six warships and a dozen troop transports and supply ships. However, the EIC Navy was already in Cape Town's harbor. Within an hour, three of the six warships had been sunk and two others forced to strike their colors. Most of the troops transports and supply ships were able to slip away north but would be harassed by Company ships based in Luanda and the mouth of the Congo river (a fast EIC courier would reach these ports and inform the local governors of the hostilities). Indeed, throughout the Indian Ocean and Southern Atlantic, Dutch merchant traders would face seizure by EIC ships.
By 1872, the Dutch, whose Navy was pitifully outdated relative to the EIC, were begging for aid from France, Spain, America, Russia....ANYONE.
The King of France, the aging Louis XVIII, would agree to "request" an armistice and settle the matter. This the EIC was more than happy to do and even quietly agreed in private to the French that they would abandon all Dutch territory....with the obvious exception of the northern region which was in dispute.
France's Ministers, who didn't want to get involved in such a remote region but knew that they could not allow the sea lanes to Bourbonia to be threatened by war, already had their orders regarding the peace.
Thus by Fall of 1872, the Dutch were already ceding the region of the "Big Hole" and firm borders were drawn up which most of Europe found eminently fair. In truth, global trade benefited from the Company expansion into Africa in a way it seldom had with the Dutch or other colonizers. Resources were being extracted and sold without preference on an international market and individual powers need not feel jealous of one another. The Dutch had done little to develop even southern Africa. Plus, the formation of new EIC ports (open to all) like the Congo, Luanda, Salm, Godoy and Freeport would provide harbors for international traders now needing coal in addition to victuals.
In the Treaty of Paris 1873, the Dutch Republic and EIC would agree to new borders between the Cape Colony and EIC administered Southern Africa (deciding upon a name took the EIC longer than it did to militarily defeat the Dutch).
The Treaty of Paris underscored two things:
1. The Dutch Republic was but a shell of her former glory and couldn't even be considered a secondary power in Europe in 1872. It was tertiary at best.
2. The rapid destruction of the flower of the Dutch fleet in less than an hour proved that possessing even modestly more advanced naval technology would grant a nearly unassailable advantage. The naval arms race would rachet up another notch.
Cape Colony
Seeing the Jewish population to the east of Cape Colony (land which had once been controlled by the Dutch and theoretically still should) grow exponentially, the Dutch governors would encourage Dutch migration to the Cape and sought the Republic's aid in funding the migration. The decentralized government of the Dutch Republic was unlikely to be willing to fund this as the assorted Provinces ferociously guarded their privileges and rarely surrendered power even for the military and common projects like dykes and canals (usually funded by individual provinces or in cooperation by province governments). This also meant that the Dutch rarely paid for anything despite it being a relatively prosperous nation. Thus few funds were made available by the Provinces and the Cape Colony was on its own. However, the Cape-funded advertising campaign nevertheless paid SOME dividends and various schemes subsidizing migration would bring in nearly 10,000 Dutch or Protestant colonists per year to the Cape.
However, this was dwarfed by the Jewish migration (nearly 80,000 per year alone in 1871) as well as "Other" migrants, mainly from Europe but also so Javans, Indians, etc would reach over 40,000 a year.
The Indians were disproportionately Topass (Catholic mixed-race Portuguese and Indians) and, in a surprising twist, Zoroastrians of Persia and their cousins, the Parsi of India.
Over the past years, the minorities of Persia - Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians and others - would face violence and many would flee the nation. Most would initially go to Armenia, Palestine or, most often, Mesopotamia. But several hundred Jews of Persia would join the Ashkenazi (Jews of Eastern European origin) migration to Southern Africa where they were welcomed by the East India Company. By happenstance, several dozen Zoroastrians, Yazidis, Yarsans and other middle Eastern minority religious groups would opt to travel to South Africa as well. Seeing a bountiful land and a government which did not care about religion, each group would form a small community along the coastal cities of the region.
Over the past years, despite Dutch objections, the entirely East India Company controlled region east of the Cape Colony would form new coastal cities including Salm (OTL Port Elizabeth), Godoy (OTL East London, named after the new governor, the grandson of Manuel de Godoy, a former Director of the East India Company) and Freeport (OTL Durban). From these three ports, the rail lines snaked northwards.
The Dutch were willing to put up with some of this provided they were protected by the Company. However, an event in 1871 would cause a permanent break between the Dutch and EIC.
The huge diamond mine "Big Hole" was on land considered by the Dutch to be part of the Cape. However, the EIC would disagree and pronounced that THEY seized the land so why the hell were the Dutch complaining.
By this point, the Dutch Republic and the Cape Colony had had quite enough and now seeing the EIC as more of a threat than what was left of the Zulu Empire would decide to end the subsidy contract between the two. Of course, by 1871, there were many more people in the Company-controlled region than in the Cape and the EIC forces, augmented by Jewish militia, were considerably stronger.
Still, the Dutch Governor would march northwards to assume control over the "Big Hole". While the EIC forces would retreat from the mine, the Company was already preparing for a fight. Instead of marching to the mine, 2000 Company soldiers and 4000 militia (mostly Jewish) would march straight on Cape Town and, after a short, fierce battle, would seize the town.
The following day, a Dutch relief fleet arrive of six warships and a dozen troop transports and supply ships. However, the EIC Navy was already in Cape Town's harbor. Within an hour, three of the six warships had been sunk and two others forced to strike their colors. Most of the troops transports and supply ships were able to slip away north but would be harassed by Company ships based in Luanda and the mouth of the Congo river (a fast EIC courier would reach these ports and inform the local governors of the hostilities). Indeed, throughout the Indian Ocean and Southern Atlantic, Dutch merchant traders would face seizure by EIC ships.
By 1872, the Dutch, whose Navy was pitifully outdated relative to the EIC, were begging for aid from France, Spain, America, Russia....ANYONE.
The King of France, the aging Louis XVIII, would agree to "request" an armistice and settle the matter. This the EIC was more than happy to do and even quietly agreed in private to the French that they would abandon all Dutch territory....with the obvious exception of the northern region which was in dispute.
France's Ministers, who didn't want to get involved in such a remote region but knew that they could not allow the sea lanes to Bourbonia to be threatened by war, already had their orders regarding the peace.
Thus by Fall of 1872, the Dutch were already ceding the region of the "Big Hole" and firm borders were drawn up which most of Europe found eminently fair. In truth, global trade benefited from the Company expansion into Africa in a way it seldom had with the Dutch or other colonizers. Resources were being extracted and sold without preference on an international market and individual powers need not feel jealous of one another. The Dutch had done little to develop even southern Africa. Plus, the formation of new EIC ports (open to all) like the Congo, Luanda, Salm, Godoy and Freeport would provide harbors for international traders now needing coal in addition to victuals.
In the Treaty of Paris 1873, the Dutch Republic and EIC would agree to new borders between the Cape Colony and EIC administered Southern Africa (deciding upon a name took the EIC longer than it did to militarily defeat the Dutch).
The Treaty of Paris underscored two things:
1. The Dutch Republic was but a shell of her former glory and couldn't even be considered a secondary power in Europe in 1872. It was tertiary at best.
2. The rapid destruction of the flower of the Dutch fleet in less than an hour proved that possessing even modestly more advanced naval technology would grant a nearly unassailable advantage. The naval arms race would rachet up another notch.
Well, he WAS kind of an arrogant jerk but I get what you are saying.