Cali to San Antonio. They are part of the El Norte region secessionist republic that did not ratify the 2nd Constitution of Roble and decided to their own way.
Bahia de Todos los Santos: Spanish Colonization of the Mid-Atlantic
- Thread starter Malta
- Start date
Cali to San Antonio. They are part of the El Norte region secessionist republic that did not ratify the 2nd Constitution of Roble and decided to their own way.
@Malta What's the European-descended population of both Carolina and Bravo even Joseana?
I'd say around a million.
That would be hard to say. As all three have different ethnic backgrounds.
Carolina was the site of the most European migration so it would have the majority, but most of it is heavily influenced by intermixing with native populations who while many aren't as many as there were in say Mexico but the oldest families in Carolina have Native blood in them.
Joseana I would say has the least number. The rural countryside is most African/Mulatto with Indios in second. Urban wise though there are certainly a good number of European descended or even recent immigrants. So in Joseana Europeans are a mostly urban phenomenon, primarily in Nuevo Cadiz, Mabila, and Galveston Bay Area.
Bravo has the most stratified society I would say, so they have the most number of Creole Europeans, with the least number of Africans-the second most populous being Indios. However they are also the least populated. Where Carolina, Joseana, and such have at this point millions of persons, Bravo just has several hundred thousand. Most of which are concentrated around the Rio Bravo.
I’m not happy with the name for a Carolina and Joseana republic being the Republic of Carolina. So trying to come up with a new name that isn’t United Estados Americana.
How about simply La República? The Spanish weren't exactly the best at naming, what with most of them once translated only really describing what they saw.
Simplemente Republica o Federacion/Union de las carolinas, Mancomunidad/Commonwealth is such an english term there is not direct translation, Mancomunidad means ManCommunity(like massive or united community) as Commonwealth would be Riqueza Comun(Common Wealth separated) or Errario Comun(Common Exchequer) in direct translation.
Plus spanish prefer both simple and long names...Something la Union de estados de la republica de carolina and short republica de carolina make sense too
Yeah that Work(Union too is how USA aka the north was refered during the war of secession)
What think you about these variants:
Federación de Norteamérica/ Federación Norteamericana, Repúblicas Norteamericanas Unidas, Unión de Repúblicas de Norteamérica o (La) Federación de (las) Repúblicas Norteamericanas...
Federation of North America /American Federation, United American Republics, Union of the Republics of North America or perhaps Federation of North American Republics.
Those would probably be good too.
The nature of the new Republic is that it is an amneable federation between Carolina, Hispaniola and Joseana, but regionalization develops separatism in other regions. We see The “Republic” of Bravo which does a Colombia and goes its own way but then we would have developing communities in the Midwest that are a mix of Carolina and Joseana, we have the Bahamas and Hispaniola which are their own cultural identities but want the ties and security of the greater republic.
The Collapse of Bravo
República Norteamericanas Unidas
The Collapse of Bravo
Nueva Extremadura, Bravo and the Alta Americana were all names for the region that was referred to by many in the United North as “El Arido Medio” or “The Dry Middle”. A play also on the Rio Medio which was a center of trade and agriculture. The Dry Medio had always been the borderlands or the edge of what was Hispanic America, wedged against the mountains of the west, the great llanos that gave way to the woodland of the east, and the semi-arid hills and tropical regions of central Mexico. Unlike its cousins to the south and east the Medio had been perhaps the least developed of Spain’s colonies in North America. The trickle of Hispanic settlers that had entered the region were always linked to either the series of monastic church-forts and military outposts that were established by the viceroys that governed from far away holdings. Despite facing numerous threats from repeated violence committed to and received from the Indios of the Medio the settlers developed the area and tied its people to the greater Spanish empire that had stretched across the vast majority of the Western Hemisphere.
With given more freedom Spanish settlers accumulated vast tracts of arid land which they transformed into large ranches, the few urban centers along the Rio Medio became centers for manufacturing and artistry for the entire region. Indios such as the Pueblo who revolted against Spanish rule all too often found that despite their desire for independence from Spanish tax collectors found that they had been caught in the web of trade and culture that had united the Americas under Spanish rule. After chasing away Spanish settlers they would feel the crunch of materialistic desire as very suddenly they did not have the Spanish goods that had transformed their societies, and all too often made peace with the Spanish soon after.
When Pancho Naravez came into power in Santa Fe much of society in the region continued as normal, Nueva Extremadura was no more and instead Pancho declared an “Alta Americana” that would rule the west of continent, though this was to be a dream as even people in his own administration often referred to their Republic as “Bravo” or “Medio”. The Peninsular were kicked out of power and much of their land taken. What had changed however was the economic system that had started with the Hapsburgs and been reformed by the Wittelsbach had been shattered, the previous system of open markets between Spanish ports had been replaced with a series of independent markets that while now open to non-Spanish trade were often enough blocked by tariffs and operating on different exchange systems. This was further complicated by wars and power struggles within each of the individual nations as power groups sought to gain control. Bravo was perhaps fortunate that in its closest neighbors, the United Republic of North America (URNA) and the Mexican Federal States, both remained relatively stable following their struggles of independence-while more devastating for Mexico throughout much of its struggle-this was flip sided by the fact that both countries had very cool relations to Pancho’s government.
Whereas the United Republic and the Mexican Federales had both come out of their wars for independence with representative republican governments, Bravo was nothing more than a Vaquero Republic-Pancho was a strong man who ruled by twisting popular opinion and the use of his loyal army of retainers. As such Pancho was not shy to blame ongoing problems within his country on outsiders from either of his neighbors. When the Comanche and Ute began to raid border ranches and tribal lands of the Navajo and Apache who had aligned with Pancho he was quick to blame it on ‘those land hungry Nortenos’ rather than that with the disrupted trade network Bravo was importing much less goods from abroad as such the supplies of goods that the Comanche and Ute had enjoyed trading for had disappeared leading to more direct attempts to take said goods.
Despite these growing tensions and the tightening of belts across Bravo Naravez was able to have an efficient reign over territory that stretched from the Gulf to the Pacific, and he was fairly popular as he had the charisma and knowledge on how to play the various interest groups within his country. The only notable defeat he faced during his tenure as Jefe was the secession of the California Republic, but he was able to play it off as a mutually beneficial affair. Even if he had needed California geography would have been very much against his attempt to reclaim it and he was happy to let it go so long as he could spin it off well for himself.
With his death in 1822 the façade of his dream of an Alta Americana shattered quite spectacularly. Had he died of the heart attack in a private setting such as his own villa his direct subordinate, Joaquin Palau, may have been able to hide it long enough to secure his own succession from his rivals and other interest groups in the country. That Pancho had died in full view of Santa Fe during celebrations of Good Friday when he had collapsed on his viewing stand would not be in Palau’s favor. As news spread from the city there was already fighting as Palau panicked and attempted to arrest several of his rivals that had been in the city for the celebration-this turned into an open violence as the soldiers sent out came under fire from their counter-parts. Within days the drama had spiraled out of control as Indios tribes rose up to assert their authority, rival ranchers raided one another to strong arm their support, and even Pancho’s villa had been attacked and assailants made off with his son.
It was geography that prevented the affair from ending quickly at all. The region was large and thinly populated except along the Rio Medio and while the news took time to spread the factions that emerged were isolated enough from each other to prepare their own strongholds of support before expanding. Navajo leaders expanded into Hopi territory, different Apache tribes attacked each other or ranchers that had encroached on their lands. Small towns took land from their neighbors. The larger rancher factions gathered their supporters. Bandits and Comanche went where they wanted to largely unopposed. It was a bonfire of a hundred small fires that together blazed bright enough to burn Bravo to the ground, metaphorically speaking.
Reaction from the United Republic and the Mexican Federales fortunately were much more united than the situation in Bravo. One man in the United Republic had waited for the inevitable death of Pancho to happen and he was very quick to act, he was Felipe Naravez, Pancho’s younger brother. Felipe who had split with his brother over Pancho’s authoritarian mindset had continued to gain prominence in the Republican Riders – the cavalry wing of the Republic’s Legion – becoming the lieutenant general for the Legion. Felipe despite having settled in the United Republic’s capital of Colombia was determined to counter any expansionist aims of his brother and as such had advised on construction of series of forts along the Trinidad river (Trinity River, Texas) that had become the center for settlement primarily from Joseana. As soon as news reached him he had already begun to mobilize a vanguard force south to the border.
While he had made it clear he was ready to ride into Bravo at a moment’s notice he was not alone, diplomatic contingencies between the Nortenos and Mexicanos were already falling into place. Given Pancho’s rabble rousing politicians from both countries had signed a secret treaty where if it seemed that Pancho would be a threat to their security they would act together against him. With violence erupting in Bravo and threatening to spill over it appeared that despite Pancho’s death there was still a threat to both nations. In this treaty they agreed to enact allied military action which would see Bravo split between the two nations, Bravo territory south of the 37th parallel would be granted to Mexico while everything north of it would be given to the United Republic. This would give Mexico the old city of Santa Fe while at the same time making provisions for ample territory around the Trinidad river for the United Republic.
Thus, when Felipe began his Rio Medio campaign by attacking the port city of Villa del Refugio it was with assistance from Mexicano gunboats that broke the port’s defenses. Replaying in reverse his original campaign to free the region from Spanish rule Felipe lead the Mexicano-Norteno contingent to sweep up the river and bring down the opposing factions all the way to Santa Fe. During the course he would also free his nephew from captivity and participate in a Lepan Apache festival that would see his forces bolstered by the Apache and begin negotiations for a post-war relationship with the Mexican Federales.
With the end to Alta Americana the drive into the western heartland of North America would begin and settlers from the United Republic would not be alone in fighting for it.
The Collapse of Bravo
Nueva Extremadura, Bravo and the Alta Americana were all names for the region that was referred to by many in the United North as “El Arido Medio” or “The Dry Middle”. A play also on the Rio Medio which was a center of trade and agriculture. The Dry Medio had always been the borderlands or the edge of what was Hispanic America, wedged against the mountains of the west, the great llanos that gave way to the woodland of the east, and the semi-arid hills and tropical regions of central Mexico. Unlike its cousins to the south and east the Medio had been perhaps the least developed of Spain’s colonies in North America. The trickle of Hispanic settlers that had entered the region were always linked to either the series of monastic church-forts and military outposts that were established by the viceroys that governed from far away holdings. Despite facing numerous threats from repeated violence committed to and received from the Indios of the Medio the settlers developed the area and tied its people to the greater Spanish empire that had stretched across the vast majority of the Western Hemisphere.
With given more freedom Spanish settlers accumulated vast tracts of arid land which they transformed into large ranches, the few urban centers along the Rio Medio became centers for manufacturing and artistry for the entire region. Indios such as the Pueblo who revolted against Spanish rule all too often found that despite their desire for independence from Spanish tax collectors found that they had been caught in the web of trade and culture that had united the Americas under Spanish rule. After chasing away Spanish settlers they would feel the crunch of materialistic desire as very suddenly they did not have the Spanish goods that had transformed their societies, and all too often made peace with the Spanish soon after.
When Pancho Naravez came into power in Santa Fe much of society in the region continued as normal, Nueva Extremadura was no more and instead Pancho declared an “Alta Americana” that would rule the west of continent, though this was to be a dream as even people in his own administration often referred to their Republic as “Bravo” or “Medio”. The Peninsular were kicked out of power and much of their land taken. What had changed however was the economic system that had started with the Hapsburgs and been reformed by the Wittelsbach had been shattered, the previous system of open markets between Spanish ports had been replaced with a series of independent markets that while now open to non-Spanish trade were often enough blocked by tariffs and operating on different exchange systems. This was further complicated by wars and power struggles within each of the individual nations as power groups sought to gain control. Bravo was perhaps fortunate that in its closest neighbors, the United Republic of North America (URNA) and the Mexican Federal States, both remained relatively stable following their struggles of independence-while more devastating for Mexico throughout much of its struggle-this was flip sided by the fact that both countries had very cool relations to Pancho’s government.
Whereas the United Republic and the Mexican Federales had both come out of their wars for independence with representative republican governments, Bravo was nothing more than a Vaquero Republic-Pancho was a strong man who ruled by twisting popular opinion and the use of his loyal army of retainers. As such Pancho was not shy to blame ongoing problems within his country on outsiders from either of his neighbors. When the Comanche and Ute began to raid border ranches and tribal lands of the Navajo and Apache who had aligned with Pancho he was quick to blame it on ‘those land hungry Nortenos’ rather than that with the disrupted trade network Bravo was importing much less goods from abroad as such the supplies of goods that the Comanche and Ute had enjoyed trading for had disappeared leading to more direct attempts to take said goods.
Despite these growing tensions and the tightening of belts across Bravo Naravez was able to have an efficient reign over territory that stretched from the Gulf to the Pacific, and he was fairly popular as he had the charisma and knowledge on how to play the various interest groups within his country. The only notable defeat he faced during his tenure as Jefe was the secession of the California Republic, but he was able to play it off as a mutually beneficial affair. Even if he had needed California geography would have been very much against his attempt to reclaim it and he was happy to let it go so long as he could spin it off well for himself.
With his death in 1822 the façade of his dream of an Alta Americana shattered quite spectacularly. Had he died of the heart attack in a private setting such as his own villa his direct subordinate, Joaquin Palau, may have been able to hide it long enough to secure his own succession from his rivals and other interest groups in the country. That Pancho had died in full view of Santa Fe during celebrations of Good Friday when he had collapsed on his viewing stand would not be in Palau’s favor. As news spread from the city there was already fighting as Palau panicked and attempted to arrest several of his rivals that had been in the city for the celebration-this turned into an open violence as the soldiers sent out came under fire from their counter-parts. Within days the drama had spiraled out of control as Indios tribes rose up to assert their authority, rival ranchers raided one another to strong arm their support, and even Pancho’s villa had been attacked and assailants made off with his son.
It was geography that prevented the affair from ending quickly at all. The region was large and thinly populated except along the Rio Medio and while the news took time to spread the factions that emerged were isolated enough from each other to prepare their own strongholds of support before expanding. Navajo leaders expanded into Hopi territory, different Apache tribes attacked each other or ranchers that had encroached on their lands. Small towns took land from their neighbors. The larger rancher factions gathered their supporters. Bandits and Comanche went where they wanted to largely unopposed. It was a bonfire of a hundred small fires that together blazed bright enough to burn Bravo to the ground, metaphorically speaking.
Reaction from the United Republic and the Mexican Federales fortunately were much more united than the situation in Bravo. One man in the United Republic had waited for the inevitable death of Pancho to happen and he was very quick to act, he was Felipe Naravez, Pancho’s younger brother. Felipe who had split with his brother over Pancho’s authoritarian mindset had continued to gain prominence in the Republican Riders – the cavalry wing of the Republic’s Legion – becoming the lieutenant general for the Legion. Felipe despite having settled in the United Republic’s capital of Colombia was determined to counter any expansionist aims of his brother and as such had advised on construction of series of forts along the Trinidad river (Trinity River, Texas) that had become the center for settlement primarily from Joseana. As soon as news reached him he had already begun to mobilize a vanguard force south to the border.
While he had made it clear he was ready to ride into Bravo at a moment’s notice he was not alone, diplomatic contingencies between the Nortenos and Mexicanos were already falling into place. Given Pancho’s rabble rousing politicians from both countries had signed a secret treaty where if it seemed that Pancho would be a threat to their security they would act together against him. With violence erupting in Bravo and threatening to spill over it appeared that despite Pancho’s death there was still a threat to both nations. In this treaty they agreed to enact allied military action which would see Bravo split between the two nations, Bravo territory south of the 37th parallel would be granted to Mexico while everything north of it would be given to the United Republic. This would give Mexico the old city of Santa Fe while at the same time making provisions for ample territory around the Trinidad river for the United Republic.
Thus, when Felipe began his Rio Medio campaign by attacking the port city of Villa del Refugio it was with assistance from Mexicano gunboats that broke the port’s defenses. Replaying in reverse his original campaign to free the region from Spanish rule Felipe lead the Mexicano-Norteno contingent to sweep up the river and bring down the opposing factions all the way to Santa Fe. During the course he would also free his nephew from captivity and participate in a Lepan Apache festival that would see his forces bolstered by the Apache and begin negotiations for a post-war relationship with the Mexican Federales.
With the end to Alta Americana the drive into the western heartland of North America would begin and settlers from the United Republic would not be alone in fighting for it.
I'll touch on that next. I can say though as with many of the frontier nations its borders are more claimed than defined. Santa Barbara is the center of the region and Ranch culture got a bit of an earlier start in the region as it is another Vaquero Republic.
I will also likely go back through the thread and Threadmark updates that are officially canon.
Edit: Threadmarks are up. Though I think I have to put an interlude somewhere explaining how Carolinos shifted to Nortenos.
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The Two-State System / California Confederacy
*Inspired from a recent map created by B_Munro which featured a potential future for the TL. Granted I have planned for Mexico and the Norteamericanos to unite in a Federation at somepoint...
Republica Norteamericanas Unidas: The Two-State System
One of the first major hurdles of the federal government or “Unidades” as the popular term came to be called for the unity government (much like how the Mexicano people called their central government the “Federales”) was the fact that the administration between Carolina and Joseana were by the large acting separate from each other. The Guarantees had established for every Norteamericano equal rights under the Unity Government which would not allow bias based on race or origin, but on the ground the facts were that representatives from both regions were still very wary of losing their power and interest to the other. The regional framework had established much of the Post-Independence and Post-Misipi War republic as under affiliated administration between the two. Which as one can imagine was gradually leading to increased head butting (so to speak) over resources that would favor citizens of their respective regions - again coming to head with the annexation of much of Bravo. This would also include important government posts in the Unity Government itself, with the first elections the members of the Unity Government faced constant criticism on appointments.
Given the racial makeup of Carolina and Joseana favoring European-descendent vs African descendent people this was also an important dimension as groups that were not as favorable to the Unity Government took this as a race card to further criticize.
The decision to move the capital to Colombia on the Misipi was one of the first steps by Unidades to bridge the gap between Carolina and Joseana, as a shared and new capital would lead away from the thoughts of total domination by the Carolinos - it also made practical sense as the republic looked to expand into its newly won territories in the heart of the North American continent. The city’s planner was a Spanish immigrant Juan Pablo Vera (for which Vera Plaza is the namesake for), who was influenced by ongoing French renaissance in city planning and architectural design which meant that Colombia would be one of the first cities in the republic not designed off of the age old “Spanish Template” or plaza system. Vera imagined for the city to be thoroughfare of traffic for which “All roads would lead to the city...like ancient Rome before…” and also chiefly pushed the layout for the Assembly Building for the legislature making sure that it was placed on the highest point of the city - a legacy that still stands to modern day.
It would be the delegate Lucian Indiano who would lead important legislation which would put in more practical power sharing between the two regions. The Two-To-One-State Committees as they would be known was the creation of several Unity Government bodies made of an equal number of representatives from Carolina and Joseana, the split in these committees made it mandatory for those who sat on them to come to compromise and go around any regional thinking when it came to decision making. Keyly most of the committees oversaw the settlement of the Ohio River Valley and the course of the Missouri River Valley as both regions were becoming increasingly targeted for settlement. Many of the committees oversaw the approval of land grants and the structure of local governments that would be formed eventually leading to state governments. Gradually these committees were designed to lose their power overtime as their original scope of governance became obsolete as representatives from the newly settled territories were elected and sent to Colombia.
It was the organic growth of the third region in the republic, Los Llanos, that saw the original sharing of power balance break but by the time the last of the Two-State committees had been quietly disbanded much of the regional divide - at least in the Unity Government - had been eliminated as the combination of a unified government and increasing developments in trade and travel. Along with a friendly sort of derision for those “cornfield upstarts” in Los Llanos.
---------------
California Confederacy
With the collapse of Bravo in 1822 the Dry Middle was quickly divided between the Norteamericanos and the Mexicanos - a fate that many predicted would be shared by the Californios further west on the edge of the Pacific.
California, like much of Bravo, had been initially founded through the Spanish Method of Colonization, first the establishment of Church run settlements that would convert the local Indios (and make use of their labor) followed by the gradual parcelment of the territory to wealthy landowners who made their wealth through mining and cattle raising. San Michel being the principal center of government and trade but gradually the center of the territory would shift north into the California Valley itself. The initially established Republic ceded San Michel to Mexico for independence, but unlike Bravo no central charismatic figure would emerge to run roughshod over the entire territory. Instead an oligarchy of sorts was established in a power sharing move which would see the territory reorganized as a Confederacy whose administrative lines unsurprisingly would be molded around certain land holding families.
The Unity Fever that had seen Bravo gobbled up had waned in Mexico and the Union as both nations settled down into governing their territories the headaches that came with the region quickly grew. Negotiating with established local government and magnates, dealing with Indios who would recognize them and fight with those who did not, building new infrastructure and fact finding the worth of natural resources and so forth. While much of North and Eastern Bravo would be integrated into the Norteamericano region of Los Llanos the desert and mountain regions would continue to be governed through direct Unidades oversight for some time. This would give the Californians valuable breathing space to establish themselves.
What contributed to the fateful stalling over the annexation of California was the debate itself. It was debated back and forth in Colombia if the Confederacy should be annexed peacefully or by force which split even the die-hards who still envisioned a single Hispanic Federation that encompassed the entire Western Hemisphere. Of course there were also those who did not wish to annex the territory on principal or over more practical concerns over governance. Of course many viewed any such measure should be discussed with the Mexicano Federales as trying to annex the territory without their approval could lead to war (Debate in that country also similarly being muddled). There was also the Virginian threat with many convinced that should the Norteamericanos over stretch themselves the Virginians would sail down the river with a vengeance.
As the debate stretched into the 1830s developments were also changing within the Union and abroad across the Atlantic. The alliance with Great Britain had been seen as very beneficial to securing their original independence but increasingly there were voices wary of the British as they exerted economic influence throughout Latin American. Indeed British banking interests seem to have been at the forefront of investment and loans throughout the newly independent countries of Latin America which of course lead to influencing of domestic affairs, such as the focus of one national product over the negligence of others. The Free Trade that many of these countries had yearned for during their years of being yoked to Spain was coming back to haunt them in the spectre of a new form of European colonialism.
The introduction of economic policies such as tariffs and a national bank was a hard fought battle in the Union itself as interests that favored open trade fought back. Gradually the two sides each got their own way, leading to a mixed economic policy which stood up to rampant foreign investment while encouraging a stronger and diversified domestic economy. However during the course of this fight the opinion on Great Britain gradually soured, likewise across the ocean when the Union would not become an easy economic puppet. This would all eventually lead to the British looking to what could be a buffer to the Union: California.
British diplomats approached the Confederacy which eventually agreed to a series of ‘mutual’ treaties giving the British greater economic sway in the country while also helping to secure British support in the event of any attempted annexation by the Union and Mexico.
Republica Norteamericanas Unidas: The Two-State System
One of the first major hurdles of the federal government or “Unidades” as the popular term came to be called for the unity government (much like how the Mexicano people called their central government the “Federales”) was the fact that the administration between Carolina and Joseana were by the large acting separate from each other. The Guarantees had established for every Norteamericano equal rights under the Unity Government which would not allow bias based on race or origin, but on the ground the facts were that representatives from both regions were still very wary of losing their power and interest to the other. The regional framework had established much of the Post-Independence and Post-Misipi War republic as under affiliated administration between the two. Which as one can imagine was gradually leading to increased head butting (so to speak) over resources that would favor citizens of their respective regions - again coming to head with the annexation of much of Bravo. This would also include important government posts in the Unity Government itself, with the first elections the members of the Unity Government faced constant criticism on appointments.
Given the racial makeup of Carolina and Joseana favoring European-descendent vs African descendent people this was also an important dimension as groups that were not as favorable to the Unity Government took this as a race card to further criticize.
The decision to move the capital to Colombia on the Misipi was one of the first steps by Unidades to bridge the gap between Carolina and Joseana, as a shared and new capital would lead away from the thoughts of total domination by the Carolinos - it also made practical sense as the republic looked to expand into its newly won territories in the heart of the North American continent. The city’s planner was a Spanish immigrant Juan Pablo Vera (for which Vera Plaza is the namesake for), who was influenced by ongoing French renaissance in city planning and architectural design which meant that Colombia would be one of the first cities in the republic not designed off of the age old “Spanish Template” or plaza system. Vera imagined for the city to be thoroughfare of traffic for which “All roads would lead to the city...like ancient Rome before…” and also chiefly pushed the layout for the Assembly Building for the legislature making sure that it was placed on the highest point of the city - a legacy that still stands to modern day.
It would be the delegate Lucian Indiano who would lead important legislation which would put in more practical power sharing between the two regions. The Two-To-One-State Committees as they would be known was the creation of several Unity Government bodies made of an equal number of representatives from Carolina and Joseana, the split in these committees made it mandatory for those who sat on them to come to compromise and go around any regional thinking when it came to decision making. Keyly most of the committees oversaw the settlement of the Ohio River Valley and the course of the Missouri River Valley as both regions were becoming increasingly targeted for settlement. Many of the committees oversaw the approval of land grants and the structure of local governments that would be formed eventually leading to state governments. Gradually these committees were designed to lose their power overtime as their original scope of governance became obsolete as representatives from the newly settled territories were elected and sent to Colombia.
It was the organic growth of the third region in the republic, Los Llanos, that saw the original sharing of power balance break but by the time the last of the Two-State committees had been quietly disbanded much of the regional divide - at least in the Unity Government - had been eliminated as the combination of a unified government and increasing developments in trade and travel. Along with a friendly sort of derision for those “cornfield upstarts” in Los Llanos.
---------------
California Confederacy
With the collapse of Bravo in 1822 the Dry Middle was quickly divided between the Norteamericanos and the Mexicanos - a fate that many predicted would be shared by the Californios further west on the edge of the Pacific.
California, like much of Bravo, had been initially founded through the Spanish Method of Colonization, first the establishment of Church run settlements that would convert the local Indios (and make use of their labor) followed by the gradual parcelment of the territory to wealthy landowners who made their wealth through mining and cattle raising. San Michel being the principal center of government and trade but gradually the center of the territory would shift north into the California Valley itself. The initially established Republic ceded San Michel to Mexico for independence, but unlike Bravo no central charismatic figure would emerge to run roughshod over the entire territory. Instead an oligarchy of sorts was established in a power sharing move which would see the territory reorganized as a Confederacy whose administrative lines unsurprisingly would be molded around certain land holding families.
The Unity Fever that had seen Bravo gobbled up had waned in Mexico and the Union as both nations settled down into governing their territories the headaches that came with the region quickly grew. Negotiating with established local government and magnates, dealing with Indios who would recognize them and fight with those who did not, building new infrastructure and fact finding the worth of natural resources and so forth. While much of North and Eastern Bravo would be integrated into the Norteamericano region of Los Llanos the desert and mountain regions would continue to be governed through direct Unidades oversight for some time. This would give the Californians valuable breathing space to establish themselves.
What contributed to the fateful stalling over the annexation of California was the debate itself. It was debated back and forth in Colombia if the Confederacy should be annexed peacefully or by force which split even the die-hards who still envisioned a single Hispanic Federation that encompassed the entire Western Hemisphere. Of course there were also those who did not wish to annex the territory on principal or over more practical concerns over governance. Of course many viewed any such measure should be discussed with the Mexicano Federales as trying to annex the territory without their approval could lead to war (Debate in that country also similarly being muddled). There was also the Virginian threat with many convinced that should the Norteamericanos over stretch themselves the Virginians would sail down the river with a vengeance.
As the debate stretched into the 1830s developments were also changing within the Union and abroad across the Atlantic. The alliance with Great Britain had been seen as very beneficial to securing their original independence but increasingly there were voices wary of the British as they exerted economic influence throughout Latin American. Indeed British banking interests seem to have been at the forefront of investment and loans throughout the newly independent countries of Latin America which of course lead to influencing of domestic affairs, such as the focus of one national product over the negligence of others. The Free Trade that many of these countries had yearned for during their years of being yoked to Spain was coming back to haunt them in the spectre of a new form of European colonialism.
The introduction of economic policies such as tariffs and a national bank was a hard fought battle in the Union itself as interests that favored open trade fought back. Gradually the two sides each got their own way, leading to a mixed economic policy which stood up to rampant foreign investment while encouraging a stronger and diversified domestic economy. However during the course of this fight the opinion on Great Britain gradually soured, likewise across the ocean when the Union would not become an easy economic puppet. This would all eventually lead to the British looking to what could be a buffer to the Union: California.
British diplomats approached the Confederacy which eventually agreed to a series of ‘mutual’ treaties giving the British greater economic sway in the country while also helping to secure British support in the event of any attempted annexation by the Union and Mexico.