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1656 James Stuart, younger brother to the exiled King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland, quarrels with Charles over the decision to ally with Spain, turning away from their current patrons in France. Since he is nonetheless expelled from France, James travels to the Spanish Netherlands where the youngest Stuart brother, Henry, is already fighting under Louis, Prince of Conde, for the Spanish. Henry, a fervent protestant and no longer on speaking terms with their mother, Henrietta Maria of France, also quarrels with the Catholic leaning James and James departs the army, writing to Cardinal Mazarin requesting permission to return to France. Mazarin undiplomatically responded that James could go to New France (Quebec) if he converted to Roman Catholicism, that being a requirement under the seigneurial system. Much to Mazarin's chagrin, James wrote back with an attestation by the catholic Bishop Carolus Van den Bosch of Bruges that James had taken the Roman Catholic mass and forsworn the Anglican Church. Mazarin fulfulled his own word, appointing James Stuart and permitting him to emigrate to New France.

1657 James sails for New France, leaving letters to his mother and brothers to be delievered only after his departure. He arrives simultaneous with instructions from Mazarin to assign him somewhere as far out of the way as possible and he was sent to Ville-Marie to administer the lands around the fort there. Against expectations, he proves a highly capable official and rises high in the estimation of local soldiery. He writes to his remaining contacts in Europe, suggesting that they settle out on the frontier with him rather than continuing to contest Cromwell's grip on England.

1658 Oliver Cromwell dies. Although this initially seems like an opportunity for the royalists, Richard Cromwells's appointment seems to indicate that the regieme will continue. Small numbers of English Catholics take up James' invitation to join him in New France.

1659 Richard Cromwell is removed as Lord Protector.

1660 James distingushes himself in the renewed Iroquois raids, in particular leading a defense alongside Adam Dollard des Ormeaux against a powerful raiding party in May. In the same month, Charles II returns for England with Henry Stuart. By the terms of his restoration it was agreed that James, as a declared Catholic, was removed from the succession, although his exact whereabouts were not known and there was fear that he would be returned by France from the New World as a threat against Charles if necessary. Henry Stuart is appointed Lord High Admiral and Duke of Gloucester.

1661 James learns of the restoration and writes to Charles, Henry and Parliament, formally supporting Henry as the heir over his own claim. Parliament, on the advice of Charles, declares that James should retain his title as Duke of York.

1663 Louis XIV declares New France to be a royal province and reforms its government.

1665 James and his fellow English settlers are instructed to leave New France by the newly arrived Intendant, Jean Talon. Incensed, James convinces the settlers to depart westwards and establish their own colony. Drawing on his contacts with the Ojibwe, who had been his allies against the Iroquois, James is able to arrange for them to settle land on the Keweenaw Peninsula (part of Michigan's Upper Pennisula). Contact with England is limited to rare letters carried by sympathetic French officials, who value James and the Ojibwe as allies against the Iroquois more than they do the unpopular Talon's dictates, although James does not trust them enough to commit important information to them.

1666 James names the island tip of the colony Copper Island after deposits are found and establishes a trade of metalwork to the Ojibwe in exchange for their support in surviving on the pennisula. He marries the sister of an Ojibwe leader.

1670 Charles II grants a Royal Charter to the 'Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay' with the condition that they try to establish a route to reach his brother.

1671 James's colonists locate iron mines in the Marquette Range. A second settlement, this one known as Fort Iron, is established there.

1673 Hudson Bay factors at Fort Nelson meet Ojibwe fur traders who have metal tools marked YORK. They determine that the source is James' colony on Lake Superior and are able to arrange correspondence. The first letter delivered by this means to King Charles is the notification that James is father to two sons, Rupert and Charles. James also offers his colony, which the Ojibwe simply call Metal Land (anglicised as Metalland), as a refuge for English Catholics.

1675 The first trickle of new colonists arrive via Hudson Bay, mostly from Cornwall and Yorkshire. This bolsters the number of white men in the settlements, which have been noticeably diluted over the last decade by intermarriage with the Ojibwe.

1676 Gold is discovered near Fort Iron. James keeps this relatively quiet.

1685 King Charles dies without a legitimate son. The throne passes to Henry IX, the youngest of the Stuart brothers.

1688 The Nine Years War breaks out between France and the Grand Alliance. Although fighting temporarily leaves James out of contact with England, Metalland is largely untouched by the war.

1694 James Stuart, Duke of York, dies on Copper Island. Leadership of Metalland falls to his eldest son, Rupert.

1697 The Treaty of Ryswick ends the Nine Years War. King Henry of England persuades Louis XIV to concede an English colony of Metalland occupying the entire pennisula between Lakes Superior and Michigan. Henry also confirms Rupert Stuart as Duke of York.

1701 Henry IX of England, Scotland and Ireland dies.
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