Empire of the Pacific | California Empire TL

[Alpha_North]

V. Rising From Nothing

Mayor Henry Durant


​

1869

• 15th of April - Mayor John B. Felton of Oakland is killed in his home during a house fire.

• 17th of April - The Oakland City Council chooses Henry Durant, founder of the newly-made University of California and a supporter of Emperor Norton.

• 20th of April - Oakland newspapers begin to question if Emperor Norton was involved with Felton's death, but "loyalist" newspapers in California soon crush these arguments.

• 10th of May - Emperor Norton would be appointed U.S Foreign Minister of Hawaii, but has to be confirmed by the Senate.

• 14th of May - Norton would refuse an offer to join the Republican Party. However, as some Republicans denounce Norton, calling him a mad man, the beginnings of loyalist newspapers in the Northeastern Coast would soon defend the Senator of the West.

• 6th of July - Henry Durant would publish his novel "The Snake In Reeds" a commentary on the Republican Party and it's dealings of the Reconstruction Era. He would be disliked by the Republicans, but with the support of Norton, news would not report on any negativity of the book, and many citizens in California and even parts of Nevada would know about this book in a positive manner.

• July - September - Deadfish outlaws soon begin a slow migration from California, seeping into the New Mexico Territory and in some parts of Confederate Texas.

• 10th of December - Norton is not confirmed as Foreign Minister of Hawaii, leaving the Emperor enraged.

• 24th of December - Emperor Norton would be spending Christmas Eve with Newton Booth, an American entrepreneur, Lewis R. Bradley, Governor of Nevada, and Stephan F. Chadwick, a Connecticut politician living in Oregon.

Oregon Candidate Stephan F. Chadwick

Oregon Candidate William V. Rinehart​

1870

• January - April - After many months, these men, as well as a few other new faces, combined with long-time allies of Norton, would form an inner circle.

• 16th of April - Norton and his supporters begin setting up Chadwick's election for the Governor of Oregon.

• 27th of July - Emperor Norton and his supporters successfully place in false information in Norton's loyal news service about Chadwick's opponent, William V. Rinehart, veteran of the Civil War. Although small in the state of California, Oregon newspapers soon spread the same information.

• 6th of August - The Portland Shooting occurs, as a man equipped with a military-grade Union rifle would attack ten citizens, killing four. He was eventually taken down by a group of young men seeing the event, being captured and taken by the police.

• 15th of August - Rinehart would do a public speech about the Portland Shooting, eventually doing a moment of silence, but he was interrupted by a man yelling at the Governor candidate, claiming he was involved with the shooting.

• 18th of August - The Letters of Portland are sent to local newspapers, showing that Chadwick's opponent had conspired with this killer in hopes to make Chadwick look bad. The news flared up with this seemingly undeniable proof, and Rinehart's popularity dropped.

• 14th of September - Chadwick is elected Governor of Oregon.

 

[Herr Frage]

Why is Norton tyrying to overthrow the US government now? He seemed to be doing well growing a base in the West Coast.

 

[Alpha_North]

Why is Norton tyrying to overthrow the US government now? He seemed to be doing well growing a base in the West Coast.

This is less of a chance to start an overthrow, and more of a chance to try to kick out those unloyal to Norton's cause and try to replace them with more helpful commanders with the help of those already loyal to his cause. A power move if you will.

 

[Herr Frage]

And what;s to keep his involvement coming out? He has a lot to lose, a foreigner stirring up trouble as many would say.

How has he won over these officers conspiring with him anyway? Wasn't Grant popular with the officer corp as president?

 

[Alpha_North]

And what;s to keep his involvement coming out? He has a lot to lose, a foreigner stirring up trouble as many would say.

How has he won over these officers conspiring with him anyway? Wasn't Grant popular with the officer corp as president?

You make good points. Would you think these issues would be lesser if Ulysses didn't become President? Like, Horatio winning or something "bad" happening to Ulysses.

 

[Herr Frage]

I suppose, its just hard to think the union military fresh on crushing a rebellion would be quick to rebel against the very establishment they fought to uphold. And Norton I don't see how an outsider like him would win people over as quickly as this describes. I could see him maybe winning over people back West where his influence and reputation has grown but he has not it seems been a presence enough in the East that men of power would let him into their plots, much less follow his lead.

 

[Alpha_North]

I suppose, its just hard to think the union military fresh on crushing a rebellion would be quick to rebel against the very establishment they fought to uphold. And Norton I don't see how an outsider like him would win people over as quickly as this describes. I could see him maybe winning over people back West where his influence and reputation has grown but he has not it seems been a presence enough in the East that men of power would let him into their plots, much less follow his lead.

So what if the Confederacy won their independence and Norton focused more to the West coast?

 

[Alpha_North]

Okay, so I edited a lot. Mostly the fact that the Confederacy won the Civil War and the revising of Chapter V. So you guys can just check it out and tell me what you think!

 

[Herr Frage]

Okay, so I edited a lot. Mostly the fact that the Confederacy won the Civil War and the revising of Chapter V. So you guys can just check it out and tell me what you think!

That, that is quite a retcon.

 

[Alpha_North]

That, that is quite a retcon.

Retcon in a positive or negative manner? Sorry for being confused.

 

[Herr Frage]

Retcon just as a statement of fact. Ut is qyuite the change to see this become a Confederate victory TL.

To be clear Norton building up his powerbase in the West by getting a supporter elected as Governor of Oregon through shady dealings seems far more reasonable than the previous conspiracy. Though having read it again I didn't see mention of the Confederate victory, which chapter had that?

 

[Alpha_North]

Retcon just as a statement of fact. Ut is qyuite the change to see this become a Confederate victory TL.

To be clear Norton building up his powerbase in the West by getting a supporter elected as Governor of Oregon through shady dealings seems far more reasonable than the previous conspiracy. Though having read it again I didn't see mention of the Confederate victory, which chapter had that?

In Chapter 2. This is mostly done so America doesn't steam roll Norton's empire later on. The Confederate victory is not the main focus though.

 

[Alpha_North]

VI. The Golden Emperor

Newton Booth
​

1870

• September - November - Deadfish outlaws get a boom in numbers and run rampant across the New Mexico territory.

• 12th of December - President Grant allows the military to take care of the issue in the New Mexico territory. Volunteers are called up in California to help.

• 28th of December - A unit of California volunteers are shot down at by Deadfish outlaws in Growler Valley. These Californians be forced to flee, and half of their unit would've been killed or left behind to die. Newspapers would call this the "Battle of Growler Valley".

1871

• 7th of January - The Edgewood Shootouts occur, as Edgewood settlements become an area for two Deadfish gangs to fight in. This is the first piece of proof that the Deadfish Brotherhood is now more fractured, as gang wars begin to pop up in the area. This is also where a mysterious figure known as "Blackjack" is talked about, said to be one of the first Deadfish outlaws.

• 16th of January - Union soldiers meet a large gang of Deadfish outlaws at Monument Valley. Soon, the army drove off the bandits. It was said that Blackjack was among of them, with few saying he wore an eye-patch.

• 20th of February - Newton Booth announces his nomination for the governorship of California.

• 17th of March - Emperor Norton organizes assistance drives in California to help with the criminal-suppression effort.

• March - May - Deadfish gangs begin to get pushed back by U.S soldiers, and soon, these gangs are pushed down to the southern New Mexico territory.

• 19th of June - Newton Booth does a short speech at Sacramento called "Give Me Hope". It becomes greatly popular.

"...Oh brothers and sisters,
as the hell-spawn creep upon our great Golden State,
we must bind our hands together,
to fend off the tyranny of man,
and be truly the subject of god.
Give me hope,
that when our lives are done,
and the world is decided upon the Lord to be swept away,
let us keep the purity,
the order,
the faith when we unite and are free of the curses of man.
Give me hope,
that when dictators and tyrants,
rule this land without the guidance of God,
that we fight for the right,
to be the true subjects of the Lord!"​

• 26th of August - The Battle of the Gila Hideout occurs, as California volunteers and U.S soldiers attack a large hideout near the Gila River. The Deadfish criminals are caught off guard, and soon scatter. Blackjack was said to have been killed there. This is where the army sees the end to the Deadfish, seeing them just becoming common crooks, and the army pulls of the area.

Spoiler: The Battle of the Gila Hideout

The Death of Blackjack

• 8th of December - Newton Booth becomes Governor of California.

 

[Alpha_North]

Sorry for the shortness of this entry. But now that all the dominoes are all set up, get ready for the next update!

 

[Alpha_North]

VII. The Time Is Now

Joshua Abraham Norton, Emperor of America

"The Emperor" Statue
​

1872

• 15th of February - Cornelius Cole, Senator of California with Emperor Norton, would be killed near the New Mexico Territory-California border. It is assumed remnants of the Deadfish gangs killed him.

• 20th of February - Governor Newton Booth would be forced to take on the role as Senator for the remaining term or choose a replacement. He would take on the role as Senator.

• 4th of March - Norton's puppet mayors & governors begin starting the "Arms Project", where mayors begin having young men in the cities training in common weaponry to make it more easier to form up militias.

• March - Oregon & Nevada anti-Norton newspapers begin to prop up, trying to be without the influence of Norton and his puppet newspapers.

• 17th - 25th of April - The "Western Press Purge", as it is called in later years, occurs, as many anti-Norton newspapers are shutdown due to them "avoiding taxes". West coast governors, mayors, and newspapers, under the influence of Norton, strengthen this claim. Soon, this action only has limited reaction.

• 12th of July - Governor Booth and Californian mayors organize a parade on Fell Street, San Francisco as an acknowledgement of "Norton's Parade" that was done twelve years ago. The event lasts for an entire day and becomes wild, as men and women drink much alcohol and begin to cause chaos. Soon, police are forced to end the parade, but there is no bitter feeling about the event.

• August - September - Norton finalizes his influence across California and some parts of Oregon and Nevada.

• 5th of November - Ulysses S. Grant is reelected.

• 15th of November - A statue of Emperor Norton is finished and is placed in the City Hall of San Francisco. It becomes called "The Emperor" statue.

The Transcontinental Railroad Attacks

The Great Depression (Panic of 1873)​

1873

• 7th of January - James H. Carleton dies taking a walk around the San Francisco City Hall near "The Emperor" statue.

• 12th of January - James's funeral is done in San Jose, and Emperor Norton would recite the Lord's Prayer at his funeral. It was said afterwards, maids could hear the Emperor crying in his room.

Emperor Norton reciting the Lord's Prayer (9:35 - 10:09)​

• 16th of February - A portion of the transcontinental railroad in Nevada is destroyed. Governor Lewis R. Bradley of Nevada promises to hunt down the culprits and help fix the railroad.

• 5th of March - As the transcontinental railroad is fixed, another attack occurs and a portion of the railroad in the Utah area is destroyed.

• March - June - A back and forth of attacks and reconstructing occurs on the transcontinental railroad. Investigators try to catch these culprits, but with no use. Soon, the attacks suddenly stop on June.

• 24th - 30th of July - The first militias in California are made to help police patrol the streets.

• 18th of September - Jay Cooke & Company files for bankruptcy, with many other factors, start a chain reaction that starts what is called the Great Depression (Panic of 1873). This quickly effects cities like New York, but in places like San Francisco, the effect was slow to come.

• 30th of September - California secedes from the United States.

• 1st of October - Oregon and Nevada secede from the United States. The Western War of Secession, also known as the Western Uprising begins.

Credit for video: Austin McConnell

 

[jennysnooper87]

And so begins the rise of the Empire of California. Let's see how long it will last this time; if it lasts up to the present day, awesome.

 

[Herr Frage]

So it begins. What are the reasons presented to the people and the US Government for this Western Secession?

 

[Alpha_North]

So it begins. What are the reasons presented to the people and the US Government for this Western Secession?

Guess we'll have to see.

 

[Kaiser of Brazil]

I guess this is the dawn of the Empire of Pacific.




...what ? It is a good name.

 

[Stretch]

I wonder whether the AH.com member called Emperor Norton (yes there is one) has heard of this thread. Maybe he could give it some support?