Affiliated States of Boreoamerica thread

ninel

Banned
Mühlenberg is of course dominated by the Japanese just kidding
Just like the whole of Ohayo.

After looking at name “Scioto” I thought it’s gonna be some kind of province where Italians had settled, but no, apparently it’s name of a real river in Ohio.
 
Tsochar's posts on currency are absolutely amazing. I can't love it enough. I don't have much more to say than that, other than someone needs to start designing these coins and notes.

I *may* have gone a little overboard.

Is there a higher resolution version of that chart? Or could you make the source sheet a shareable file? Even at full size, it strains legibility.

Since Boreoamerican is really a mouthful, I prefer "Boreal", but that's just me.

I agree. I think I've used "Borean" at some point; Boreal sounds to me like the Tundra. It's a good name for the currency, of course.

I maybe went overboard too. This is a lot more text than I planned. Here's the Ohio provinces. I'll repost the map because it's stuck on the previous page.

ohio provinces.jpg


Ohio Provinces

1. Forks: Like several of Ohio's provinces, Forks began its existence as a Mixed republic in the late 18th century. The Forks of the Ohio was a strategic spot, and it drew traders from nearly every commercial power in the region. When it first was organized as a province of the Ohio Alliance, Forks included land across the river, including the growing metropolis of Two Forts. Later treaties transferred that land to the state of Allegheny, and the provincial center moved to North Fork, a suburb. Like the adjacent parts of Allegheny, Forks remains a melting pot of cultures and peoples. French and English function as the two official languages.

2. Youngstown: The city of Youngstown was settled as part of Upper Connecticut. French and Virginian forces occupied it during the war of 1802, and the bulk of the population scattered. The town remained occupied at war's end, and it became something of a bargaining chip. Upper Connecticut was forced to give it up in order to win general recognition of its independence as a state. The town's citizens were allowed to return and were compensated with rather generous allotments of land. The province's New England character changed somewhat as non-Yankees settled in the area. This demographic shift was one reason the province never tried to secede from Ohio to rejoin Upper Connecticut, something that many had feared. Despite much immigration and intermarriage from different groups, English remains the main language. Youngstown is Ohio's smallest province.

3. Mühlenberg: These lands were given to citizens of Pennsylvania after 1810 to compensate them for lost claims and property elsewhere in Ohio, not unlike what had been agreed to in Youngstown. The new Pennamite settlements joined with some older villages to incorporate a new province c. 1820. They named it after Peter Mühlenberg, a pastor-soldier-statesman who had become a hero of Pennsylvania and its German community in particular. By 1800, Mühlenberg had become active in Pennsylvania's western project and was living near Coshocton. He did not return to military service when war broke out, but he opened his home to care for wounded soldiers. A disease that broke out among the wounded took his life. Thereafter several militia units named themselves in his honor, and it was natural to apply his name to the new province. The Pennamite community, both English and German, dominated the province in the early years and their descendants define it still today.

4. The Ranges: This region was Virginia's most extensive settlement project north of the Ohio River. The Ranges take their name from the process of surveying the land to be parceled out into townships and homesteads. The final border was drawn so that the province mainly included lands fully under the control of the Virginian farmers; where the settlements were of a more mixed character, they were generally given to the Muskingum or Chalacatha provinces. Even after surrendering the territory, Virginia remained in control of numerous forts, ferries, and toll roads in the province; these were relinquished or purchased over the course of the 19th century.

5. East Muskingum: The Muskingum River region was a loosely organized republic at the end of the 18th century. The bustling center of activity was the town of Coshocton. It was the western capital of the Lenape people; the eastern Lenape were mainly based in the emerging state of Christiana, which was still a dependency of Pennsylvania. Together, Pennsylvania, Christiana, and the Lenape formed a powerful bloc. Pennamite leaders hoped to make Coshocton the seat of a great western alliance, as Montreal had been. But other factions within the Muskingum community favored neutrality, in particular the growing numbers of Moravian converts. Leaders from the Muskingum were early members of the Ohio Alliance. In the early years it was Ohio's largest province; later it was split into east and west. English, German, and Lenape are the primary languages.

6. Silvana: West Muskingum changed its name to Silvana in the 1850s, partly a nod to Pennsylvania's historic role, but mostly named after the province's forests. The division of Muskingum came after new population centers arose in the western end of the province. English, French, Wyandot, and Shawnee are the main languages.

7. Chalacatha: The province is named for a Shawnee regional capital on the Scioto River. In the late 18th century Chalacatha drew many newcomers from the Penn-Christiana-Lenape alliance. Christiana built a fort outside the town that became the seat of power for the forces of Sweden, whose king had only recently regained control over the old colony. The fort was mostly manned by local militia, but units from Europe strengthened it, most famously a battalion of Polish cavalry. The winged hussars of Chalacatha ranged across Ohio and Illinois for only a few years, but they left a permanent mark on the memory and folklore of the region. After 1808 some of the European troops chose to settle in the new Chalacatha province rather than return home. The Swedish langauge is still spoken here, together with Shawnee and English.

8. Scioto: The Scioto Habitations were a settlement project launched by France in the 1780s and 90s. New habitants were recruited in Canada and France. They were given generous grants of land around the mouth of the Scioto River. France's geopolitical motive was to block Virginia from gaining control of the full length of the Ohio River - a sign of mistrust between the two allies. The province has kept its largely French character to the present day, though of course many people besides the original habitants moved in over the years.

9. Losanti: Losanti is the second "Virginian province", though Virginia never directly controlled nearly as much land here as in the Ranges. A surveyor named the main city Losantiville in a convoluted blend of word roots from four languages; while the city's name quickly shortened to Losanville, Losanti remained the name of the province. As the population of Upper Virginia increased, many of the Virginia Cherokee settlements faced pressure and discrimination. They found an inviting destination in Losanti, creating a vibrant Cherokee community that has lasted to the present. Cherokee is still spoken in the province, even though it died out in most parts of Upper Virginia.

10. Miami: Miami is named for the Great Miami River as well as the Miami nation. Located in the center of the state, it is home to the capital Pekoui, which has grown into a large metropolis. French is the only official language owing the large number of Indian langagues that are spoken.

11. Upper Wabash: The Upper Wabash was the cradle of the Ohio Alliance. Ohio's founder Tecumseh was based here. In 1802 he began the war as an English ally, but over the next few years was converted to the neutrality movement and became its leading advocate. In 1806 he led the Grand Council of Mississinewa, which formed the Ohio Alliance and laid out a plan for ending the war. Tecumseh's council was the first predecessor to the modern State of Ohio. Shawnee, Miami, and Anishinaabe are the most widely spoken among Upper Wabash's many indigenous languages; they have official status along with French.

12. White River: The White River republic was one of the leading local powers in Ohio in the late 18th century, and among all the republics it was possibly the most independent-minded. The villages of White River rebuffed Virginian, French, and English attempts to establish posts in their territory. It remains largely indigenous today, with most of its people descending from multiple tribal groups: Dhegiha, Shawnee, Miami, Iroquois, and others. French is the lingua franca and the language of government.

13. Ankwasakwa: This is the Miami name for the largest tributary of the White River. At the time that the provinces were formed, the land had hardly anyone living on it - it was the last vacant piece of Ohio. Iroquoia in fact made one last attempt to claim jurisdiction over it, based on its earlier claims to suzerainty over Ohio since the wars of the 17th century. Instead, it became an unorganized territory subject directly to the state government, gaining provincial status in later decades. Most of the settlers came from neighboring provinces and Upper Virginia; other areas were conceded to immigrating groups from Iroquoia and elsewhere.

14. General Clark: The third "Virginian province", General Clark was largely settled after the wars by veterans. They are responsible for the province's bellicose name; the General's rank has been part of the name from the start.

15. Vincennes: Ohio's largest province was the seat of French power in the Ohio Country. Many of its people would have been just as happy ending up part of Illinois, with whom they share many cultural ties; but the treaties gave Vincennes to the Ohio Alliance. In the Bonapartist era France continued to administer the fort and many other properties within the province; when this system ended, the state took control of these properties. Vincennes is mostly Francophone today, though like Illinois it cherishes its Indian heritage and culture.

16. Wea: The Wea nation was an important French ally on the middle Wabash. Its capital Ouiatenon was also the site of a major French fort. The Wea increasingly became a Métis ethnic group similar to the Illinois due to intermarriage and cultural exchange over a the course of a century. The indigenous language of the Wea is Miami, and that language is still official in the province, though it is mainly spoken only in rural areas.
 
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I made a few minor fixes and transferred the ASB's currency list to a Google spreadsheet.

The differences:

The Republican New England states share their own New England Dollar. Although the New England Dollar and the New England Pound are technically a single united currency, with the same denominations and the same colors and designs, there are a few differences: First, the text on the Dollar reads "x Dollars" or "x Cents" while the text on the Pound reads "x Pounds" or "x Pence." NEP says "Royal Bank of New England" on it while NED says "Bank of Massachusetts Bay" and in smaller print "Approved by the New England Monetary Authority" Lastly, where the Monarch of England is printed somewhere on every denomination of NEP, that same face is replaced by one of the republican founding fathers of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or Vermont, generally in the same pose.

-The currency name of Pennsylvania was switched to the Dollar.
-The currency names of Lower and Upper Virginia were switched to the Continental.
 
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I maybe went overboard too. This is a lot more text than I planned. Here's the Ohio provinces. I'll repost the map because it's stuck on the previous page.

View attachment 364112

Ohio Provinces

1. Forks: Like several of Ohio's provinces, Forks began its existence as a Mixed republic in the late 18th century. The Forks of the Ohio was a strategic spot, and it drew traders from nearly every commercial power in the region. When it first was organized as a province of the Ohio Alliance, Forks included land across the river, including the growing metropolis of Two Forts. Later treaties transferred that land to the state of Allegheny, and the provincial center moved to North Fork, a suburb. Like the adjacent parts of Allegheny, Forks remains a melting pot of cultures and peoples. French and English function as the two official languages.

2. Youngstown: The city of Youngstown was settled as part of Upper Connecticut. French and Virginian forces occupied it during the war of 1802, and the bulk of the population scattered. The town remained occupied at war's end, and it became something of a bargaining chip. Upper Connecticut was forced to give it up in order to win general recognition of its independence as a state. The town's citizens were allowed to return and were compensated with rather generous allotments of land. The province's New England character changed somewhat as non-Yankees settled in the area. This demographic shift was one reason the province never tried to secede from Ohio to rejoin Upper Connecticut, something that many had feared. Despite much immigration and intermarriage from different groups, English remains the main language. Youngstown is Ohio's smallest province.

3. Mühlenberg: These lands were given to citizens of Pennsylvania after 1810 to compensate them for lost claims and property elsewhere in Ohio, not unlike what had been agreed to in Youngstown. The new Pennamite settlements joined with some older villages to incorporate a new province c. 1820. They named it after Peter Mühlenberg, a pastor-soldier-statesman who had become a hero of Pennsylvania and its German community in particular. By 1800, Mühlenberg had become active in Pennsylvania's western project and was living near Coshocton. He did not return to military service when war broke out, but he opened his home to care for wounded soldiers. A disease that broke out among the wounded took his life. Thereafter several militia units named themselves in his honor, and it was natural to apply his name to the new province. The Pennamite community, both English and German, dominated the province in the early years and their descendants define it still today.

4. The Ranges: This region was Virginia's most extensive settlement project north of the Ohio River. The Ranges take their name from the process of surveying the land to be parceled out into townships and homesteads. The final border was drawn so that the province mainly included lands fully under the control of the Virginian farmers; where the settlements were of a more mixed character, they were generally given to the Muskingum or Chalacatha provinces. Even after surrendering the territory, Virginia remained in control of numerous forts, ferries, and toll roads in the province; these were relinquished or purchased over the course of the 19th century.

5. East Muskingum: The Muskingum River region was a loosely organized republic at the end of the 18th century. The bustling center of activity was the town of Coshocton. It was the western capital of the Lenape people; the eastern Lenape were mainly based in the emerging state of Christiana, which was still a dependency of Pennsylvania. Together, Pennsylvania, Christiana, and the Lenape formed a powerful bloc. Pennamite leaders hoped to make Coshocton the seat of a great western alliance, as Montreal had been. But other factions within the Muskingum community favored neutrality, in particular the growing numbers of Moravian converts. Leaders from the Muskingum were early members of the Ohio Alliance. In the early years it was Ohio's largest province; later it was split into east and west. English, German, and Lenape are the primary languages.

6. Silvana: West Muskingum changed its name to Silvana in the 1850s, partly a nod to Pennsylvania's historic role, but mostly named after the province's forests. The division of Muskingum came after new population centers arose in the western end of the province. English, French, Wyandot, and Shawnee are the main languages.

7. Chalacatha: The province is named for a Shawnee regional capital on the Scioto River. In the late 18th century Chalacatha drew many newcomers from the Penn-Christiana-Lenape alliance. Christiana built a fort outside the town that became the seat of power for the forces of Sweden, whose king had only recently regained control over the old colony. The fort was mostly manned by local militia, but units from Europe strengthened it, most famously a battalion of Polish cavalry. The winged hussars of Chalacatha ranged across Ohio and Illinois for only a few years, but they left a permanent mark on the memory and folklore of the region. After 1808 some of the European troops chose to settle in the new Chalacatha province rather than return home. The Swedish langauge is still spoken here, together with Shawnee and English.

8. Scioto: The Scioto Habitations were a settlement project launched by France in the 1780s and 90s. New habitants were recruited in Canada and France. They were given generous grants of land around the mouth of the Scioto River. France's geopolitical motive was to block Virginia from gaining control of the full length of the Ohio River - a sign of mistrust between the two allies. The province has kept its largely French character to the present day, though of course many people besides the original habitants moved in over the years.

9. Losanti: Losanti is the second "Virginian province", though Virginia never directly controlled nearly as much land here as in the Ranges. A surveyor named the main city Losantiville in a convoluted blend of word roots from four languages; while the city's name quickly shortened to Losanville, Losanti remained the name of the province. As the population of Upper Virginia increased, many of the Virginia Cherokee settlements faced pressure and discrimination. They found an inviting destination in Losanti, creating a vibrant Cherokee community that has lasted to the present. Cherokee is still spoken in the province, even though it died out in most parts of Upper Virginia.

10. Miami: Miami is named for the Great Miami River as well as the Miami nation. Located in the center of the state, it is home to the capital Pekoui, which has grown into a large metropolis. French is the only official language owing the large number of Indian langagues that are spoken.

11. Upper Wabash: The Upper Wabash was the cradle of the Ohio Alliance. Ohio's founder Tecumseh was based here. In 1802 he began the war as an English ally, but over the next few years was converted to the neutrality movement and became its leading advocate. In 1806 he led the Grand Council of Mississinewa, which formed the Ohio Alliance and laid out a plan for ending the war. Tecumseh's council was the first predecessor to the modern State of Ohio. Shawnee, Miami, and Anishinaabe are the most widely spoken among Upper Wabash's many indigenous languages; they have official status along with French.

12. White River: The White River republic was one of the leading local powers in Ohio in the late 18th century, and among all the republics it was possibly the most independent-minded. The villages of White River rebuffed Virginian, French, and English attempts to establish posts in their territory. It remains largely indigenous today, with most of its people descending from multiple tribal groups: Dhegiha, Shawnee, Miami, Iroquois, and others. French is the lingua franca and the language of government.

13. Ankwasakwa: This is the Miami name for the largest tributary of the White River. At the time that the provinces were formed, the land had hardly anyone living on it - it was the last vacant piece of Ohio. Iroquoia in fact made one last attempt to claim jurisdiction over it, based on its earlier claims to suzerainty over Ohio since the wars of the 17th century. Instead, it became an unorganized territory subject directly to the state government, gaining provincial status in later decades. Most of the settlers came from neighboring provinces and Upper Virginia; other areas were conceded to immigrating groups from Iroquoia and elsewhere.

14. General Clark: The third "Virginian province", General Clark was largely settled after the wars by veterans. They are responsible for the province's bellicose name; the General's rank has been part of the name from the start.

15. Vincennes: Ohio's largest province was the seat of French power in the Ohio Country. Many of its people would have been just as happy ending up part of Illinois, with whom they share many cultural ties; but the treaties gave Vincennes to the Ohio Alliance. In the Bonapartist era France continued to administer the fort and many other properties within the province; when this system ended, the state took control of these properties. Vincennes is mostly Francophone today, though like Illinois it cherishes its Indian heritage and culture.

16. Wea: The Wea nation was an important French ally on the middle Wabash. Its capital Ouiatenon was also the site of a major French fort. The Wea increasingly became a Métis ethnic group similar to the Illinois due to intermarriage and cultural exchange over a the course of a century. The indigenous language of the Wea is Miami, and that language is still official in the province, though it is mainly spoken only in rural areas.

Interesting stuff! So is it fair to say that the provinces function more like oversized counties than actual provinces/states? And are the provinces divided further into counties/whatever?

Also, any chance we'll see a language map for Ohio in the near future? Bet it would be fascinating. :)
 
Oh, tsochar, I never expressed my love for the name Continental. So cool.

Interesting stuff! So is it fair to say that the provinces function more like oversized counties than actual provinces/states? And are the provinces divided further into counties/whatever?

Oversized counties is about right. Obviously plus the cultural component, which most counties do not have. As for how they are subdivided, I would think that municipalities of various sizes would make the most sense, including rather large townships for sparsely settled rural areas. Counties would seem like an unnecessary layer of government... then again, government structures do not always follow what makes the most sense.

Also, any chance we'll see a language map for Ohio in the near future? Bet it would be fascinating. :)

Oof. Yes it would, but I wouldn't want to do it without a rather in-depth map showing major towns and villages in the present day. Multilingualism is the norm in bigger towns, and outside the towns the language varies on a village to village level, at least in some areas. And honestly I don't think I have the OTL knowledge to go off speculating on such a granular level, at least at the moment. I would want to learn a lot more about rural demographics in places like Mexico, which is sort of the model here.


ASBs Muhlenberg is far removed from OTLs Muhlenberg County but whatever

The music of the upper Ohio Valley probably isn't so unlike that. Just change county to province and you have yourself a great song for TTL.

I actually have an ASB playlist. It started out as songs for specific states, then I started adding various things from folk traditions within the ASB. It's always going to be a work in progress and honestly I never intended to share it, but there you are. Paradise has been added, thank you :)
 
Thank @Venusian Si, it was his idea.

Oops, yes, I'm sorry I missed that. Also, please excuse me for not responding to your TV post yet.

There's one other thing in the currency that I'd like to discuss -

Christianan Krona (CRK): Christiania uses both the Swedish Krona and the Christianan Krona, which are not freely interchangeable; additionally, the significant Imperial Commonwealth population informally uses Commonwealth Rubles, which are pegged to the Krona at a rate of 7.1 rubles per Krona. This dizzyingly complex situation has led the Riksråd to propose ceasing production of Kronas and mandating the use of NND instead. The Krona features the Boreoamerican Turtle and the Pseudodemetrian Eagle side-by-side, the only ASB currency to do so.

So the full history of Christiana hasn't been posted yet. My Weebly has an outline version only. But the direction that it's heading doesn't square very well with this bit on the currency. Briefly, Christiana was a dependency of Pennsylvania from c. 1690 to c. 1780. Nominally it belonged to England for most of that time, but Pennsylvania controlled it in fact, and Pennsylvania was mostly able to avoid a lot of direct English interference in its own affairs and in Christiana. Christiana re-connected with the Swedish crown only after Independence. It was part of Pennsylvania's search for allies and Christiana's process of state formation. Other states were alarmed at Pennsylvania's "deal with the devil." But for the next several decades, Christiana was more or less a condominium with a balance of power between Pennsylvania, Sweden, and the local elected assembly. Later the king's powers were greatly curtailed, but Sweden never had the ability to directly govern Christiana; it was always a case of limited power and ruling with the consent of Christiana's citizens and neighbors.

Given that history, I don't think there would be a point where Christiana would separate from Pennsylvania's currency. The Christianers would have been using English currency until whenever Pennsylvania switched to the dollar, and at that point, even if they weren't compelled to adopt the PND, most people would want to because the economic links between the two states was so strong. Now I can imagine the Swedish crown wanting to issue its own coins with the king's picture and so forth; but to be acceptable to the people they would probably be called Dollars and be interchangeable with the PND.

Now Christiana's continued participation in the Imperial Commonwealth does complicate matters, like you say. I am certain that Christiana's membership has lots of asterisks around it, not just because it is part of a separate confederation, but also because of the complex history of the relationship between it and Sweden... but at minimum, you're right that there must be some agreement for free(-ish) movement between Christiana and other Imperial countries, and so there must be some sort of provision to accept foreign currency or currencies. Can our ideas be harmonized?
 
Oops, yes, I'm sorry I missed that. Also, please excuse me for not responding to your TV post yet.

There's one other thing in the currency that I'd like to discuss -



So the full history of Christiana hasn't been posted yet. My Weebly has an outline version only. But the direction that it's heading doesn't square very well with this bit on the currency. Briefly, Christiana was a dependency of Pennsylvania from c. 1690 to c. 1780. Nominally it belonged to England for most of that time, but Pennsylvania controlled it in fact, and Pennsylvania was mostly able to avoid a lot of direct English interference in its own affairs and in Christiana. Christiana re-connected with the Swedish crown only after Independence. It was part of Pennsylvania's search for allies and Christiana's process of state formation. Other states were alarmed at Pennsylvania's "deal with the devil." But for the next several decades, Christiana was more or less a condominium with a balance of power between Pennsylvania, Sweden, and the local elected assembly. Later the king's powers were greatly curtailed, but Sweden never had the ability to directly govern Christiana; it was always a case of limited power and ruling with the consent of Christiana's citizens and neighbors.

Given that history, I don't think there would be a point where Christiana would separate from Pennsylvania's currency. The Christianers would have been using English currency until whenever Pennsylvania switched to the dollar, and at that point, even if they weren't compelled to adopt the PND, most people would want to because the economic links between the two states was so strong. Now I can imagine the Swedish crown wanting to issue its own coins with the king's picture and so forth; but to be acceptable to the people they would probably be called Dollars and be interchangeable with the PND.

Now Christiana's continued participation in the Imperial Commonwealth does complicate matters, like you say. I am certain that Christiana's membership has lots of asterisks around it, not just because it is part of a separate confederation, but also because of the complex history of the relationship between it and Sweden... but at minimum, you're right that there must be some agreement for free(-ish) movement between Christiana and other Imperial countries, and so there must be some sort of provision to accept foreign currency or currencies. Can our ideas be harmonized?

Hm, yeah, I definitely didn't read the Christiana page as closely as I should have.

Re-reading it, it seems to me that the state is mostly English with a large Swedish minority. If that's the case, then I would guess that *maybe* Christiana started minting its own Kronas in the 1980s to celebrate closer ties with the Commonwealth, originally as a commemorative coin series but eventually becoming a regularly-printed currency. That would mean that today they still mostly use PND, but CRKs also circulate in limited denominations (maybe just $1 coins, maybe half-kronas and $5 coins as well) with somewhat more frequency in the more patriotic Swedish-speaking towns.

Could Christiana from 1960-1980 have held a large population of Commonwealth emigrants seeking to escape the political climate back home? If this were the case, it might justify the use of Imperial money on an informal basis within emigrant neighborhoods. On the other hand, the ASB has a stable economy so there's not much practical reason to use two sets of money. Unless, of course, there's a seedy underbelly in Christiana where money laundering and tax avoidance schemes involving under-the-table currency exchanges.
 
Hm, yeah, I definitely didn't read the Christiana page as closely as I should have.
Ha, no need to apologize, it's pretty well hidden and a huge WIP.

Re-reading it, it seems to me that the state is mostly English with a large Swedish minority.

In terms of population, the English do not have a majority. If you try to split the population into English, Swedes, and Lenape, the English have the most numerically. If you try to split it into English and "ethnic Christianer" or "Swedo-Lenape", than the English would be the smaller of the two. But plenty of intermarriage between English and Swedes, and English and Swedo-Lenape, means that such sharp lines can't really be drawn. There are three languages, two quite common (English and Swedish) and one quite small (Lenape). Most people with deep roots in Christiana consider themselves "ethnic Christianer" and are likely to have ancestry from all three groups.

If that's the case, then I would guess that *maybe* Christiana started minting its own Kronas in the 1980s to celebrate closer ties with the Commonwealth, originally as a commemorative coin series but eventually becoming a regularly-printed currency. That would mean that today they still mostly use PND, but CRKs also circulate in limited denominations (maybe just $1 coins, maybe half-kronas and $5 coins as well) with somewhat more frequency in the more patriotic Swedish-speaking towns.

I can see that. I suggested the 80s as an era when Christianer people started to appreciate their Swedish connections a little more. How about this: that was when Christiana's state currency changed from "1 dollar" to "1 dollar / 1 krona". I think that the state was probably making its own coins and notes with royal/imperial symbolism all the way back to the start of Swedish control, but in the 80s adopted the name krona alongside dollar. For 30 or so years before that, maybe the coins had even scrubbed most references to the Sovereign; and part of the rehabilitation process involved changing the money.

Could Christiana from 1960-1980 have held a large population of Commonwealth emigrants seeking to escape the political climate back home? If this were the case, it might justify the use of Imperial money on an informal basis within emigrant neighborhoods. On the other hand, the ASB has a stable economy so there's not much practical reason to use two sets of money. Unless, of course, there's a seedy underbelly in Christiana where money laundering and tax avoidance schemes involving under-the-table currency exchanges.

Oo, I like that idea. The entire Russia-Poland-Sweden agglomeration is still so unexplored, especially its history. An influx of immigrants would certainly explain a shift toward better relations with the Imperial Commonwealth as a whole.

And really, Christiana's double status likely does open the door for various kinds of shenanigans.
 
Huh. This is surprisingly a very informative bit of insight into life in ASB's Ohio. Any plans to do similar maps for other states?

Yes, thanks. I was surprised how much I learned by making it. Stereotypes can teach you a lot... None of the other states immediately come to mind for a map like this, but maybe. There are plenty of states that are quite regionalized. The Upper Country, Carolina, and New Hampshire for sure... others as well.
 
Your maps on party times and alcohol type reminded me of boating down the Ohio river in 2006, where there were quite a few Dry Counties(once sadly on both sides of the river). Have you thought about any ASB Temperance movements/laws? I would imagine that like OTL, localities that are predominately Indian would discourage booze?
 
Have you thought about any ASB Temperance movements/laws? I would imagine that like OTL, localities that are predominately Indian would discourage booze?

Not necessarily I would think. When one considers the Anglo-Protestant origins of the OTL Temperance movement, it's much more likely that the areas of the ASB that might be "ripe" for a similar movement would be those places either directly or indirectly under the influence of English Protestant thought.

So for example, the states of Upper Connecticut, Cherokee, and the Protestant portions of Ohio might potentially see an ATL temperance movement, but the various French states or the portions of mixed states (such as Western Ohio) that are predominately Franco-Catholic probably won't see an ATL Temperance movement.
 
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Your maps on party times and alcohol type reminded me of boating down the Ohio river in 2006, where there were quite a few Dry Counties(once sadly on both sides of the river). Have you thought about any ASB Temperance movements/laws? I would imagine that like OTL, localities that are predominately Indian would discourage booze?

@Venusian Si basically sums up my thoughts on it. I would add the prominence of German culture in certain places; the Germans were generally opposed to temperance and prohibition laws, and in some places, restricting liquor sales was a dog-whistle issue, a sneaky way to stick it to the Germans.

On the other hand, it might be interesting to explore partial prohibition laws, for example banning distilled liquors but not beer and wine. I've read one anecdote where the German community of some state tried to argue in court that lager beer was not.an intoxicant, with one man testifying that he drank several dozen beers a day with no ill effects. In TTL I would rather like to see a court put that to the test. "Let the record show that my client has just consumed his thirteenth glass of lager beer."

I also agree that the English Protestant states are the likeliest ones to have experimented with prohibition. I was going to name Cherokee as top contender for driest state. The Mormon west also... but with Mormons not forming a majority in any one state, they would not be able to pass statewide.prohibition if the Gentiles were united against them. But in those areas we probably have restrictive local ordinances on making and selling alcohol.

I normally don't like these kinds of maps but you managed to make this one super interesting and really eye opening into your ASB world
Thanks :)
 
Languages of Long Island
So I'm not 100% satisfied by this (need to add stuff about indigenous and modern immigrant languages in the future), but here's a spur of the moment post about language in the New English portions of Long Island.

Languages of English Long Island

The dominant tongue in what is commonly known as English (Among Others [1]) Long Island is unsurprisingly the dialect known as Long Island English. The origins of said dialect can be traced to the early years of settlement by the people of Lower Connecticut and Saybrook. While the Long Island portions of LC and SB at first spoke the same English as their brethren on the "Mainland," geographical isolation (Boat rides across the Sound not withstanding) led to a strong divergence after a few decades. Indeed, the push of geographical isolation was further exasperated by the presence of New Netherland - whose economic influence in the form of New Amsterdam controlled trade and whose families intermarried with the Long Island Yankees led to a Dutch influence on the local English perhaps stronger than any other English dialect in the ASB.

It should be noted that the Dutch influence wasn't 100 percent universal. Naturally, it was strongest in the communities on the New Netherland-Lower Connecticut border and weakest in the communities on the Island's far eastern shores. [2] Over the years though, the differences in the Long Island English continuum have become subtle to the point that even people from modern day New Amasterdam can't tell the difference - though a lifelong local with a sharp ear can still tell where another local was raised based on the very slight differences of accent.

Despite the Dutch influence not being completely overwhelming, there was still unfortunately a nasty reaction to said influence. Many Yankee leaders in the towns of Long Island began to irrationally fear becoming culturally New Netherlandish in all but name. As such, a policy of using the "Queen/King's English" in schools/local government became widespread in the second half of the 19th century and early years of the 20th century. Of course, with fears of New Dutch domination proven unfounded and government policy ineffective at changing how Anglo-Dutch and AD friendly families spoke at home, the policy was universally dropped by the 1920s.

By the modern day, Long Island English remains a fun and unique dialect of ASB English that proudly embraces its distinct Dutch-influenced sound (even jokingly embracing the nickname of "East Dutch").

Of course, English isn't the only language in English Long Island. Unsurprisingly, the number of Dutch speakers both native and as a second or third language is quite large. Indeed, the vast majority schools have an extensive/excellent Dutch language program - although "Dutch Only" immersions schools are essentially non-existent.

Other major European languages of note include Yiddish and (Long Island) Italian [3] - both languages whose presence can be traced to immigrants to New Amsterdam who found themselves pushed East for various reasons. With distinct religious/cultural traditions from their neighbors, both Yiddish and Italian speakers have managed to keep their languages and distinct cultural identities alive in English Long Island - and while the number of total speakers for each language is down from its peak in the early 20th century, the existence of multiple immersion schools and the lasting contribution of slang by each language to Long Island English will make sure that the presence of Yiddish and Italian won't vanish from the Island. [4]

Besides various European languages, English Long Island's is also home to the surviving languges of it's indigenous people. Before the arrival of English colonists, English Long Island was home to the Shinnecock and Montauk tribes. Intermarriage/assimilation into Saybrook English colonizers shrunk the Tribal lands of the two groups until each only had their own autonomous town (based on the Massachusetts model) in the Hamptons. While assimilation into the Long Island English majority nearly led to the extinction of the Shinnecock and Montauk languages in the mid-20th century, a major language revitalization program with the backing of the Saybrook government was stared to save the languages. In the present, both the Shinnecock and Montauk are filled with bilingual signs and other markers showing pride in the preservation of their languages. Admittedly, some are still pessimistic and fear that the small population and lack of economic opportunities within the community proper still threaten the existence of their languages (and even their existence as a distinct people), but others are more optimistic and are sure that their language and identity will last for years to come.

And of course, one must not forget the more recent arrival of immigrant languages over the last few decades. While it's most pronounced in the western half L.C.'s portion of Long Island, communities of immigrants speaking their own language can now be found across English Long Island. Besides the presence of "external" immigrant languages from places like Mesoamerica and West Africa, there also exists significant communities of "Internal" immigrants from the rest of the ASB - groups that before the second half of the 20th century didn't ever live in English Long Island in significant numbers. Speaking a diverse collection of languages such as Spanish, French, Cherokee, Miami, etc., these newcomers will surely shape English Long Island in ways that can't be guessed.

[1] Other popular names include Royal/Anglo Long Island. Yankee/New English Long Island have also been historically used, but these two have fallen out of popular use. The locals themselves just call their home Long Island (While considering the N.N. portions of the Island simply an extension of New Amsterdam), but some proponents of the Long Island statehood movement have proposed using Eli (E.L.I.) as a possible name for any future state.

[2] A popular 18th/19th century stereotype of the English found in the Saybrook portions of the Island is that it had a very "Old-Fashioned" sound to it. For better or worse, this stereotype had completely died out in the first few years of the 20th century.

[3] With the strong Dutch/English influence and some reforms by an alliance of educators/community leaders in the 20th century, the Italian spoken on English Long Island (and in Metro New Amsterdam) is distinct enough to give anyone who speaks only Standard Italian trouble understanding it. Some Long Island Italian speakers even consider it a distinct language from Standard Italian, Sicilian, and Neapolitan. Whether if it is or not is a matter of debate among in-universe linguists.

[4] Mind you, these groups aren't the only late 19th/early 20th century immigrant groups, but they were the most successful at keeping their identies distinct from the broader Long Island English group.
 
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