alternatehistory.com

This is the first part of the timeline. I’ve named it the Perfect Society. There will never be a perfect society but I liked the name. This is my first serious attempt at this. I have not used any native amerian names for places or names for better understanding of the story.

Feedback is appreciated be honest but gentle....

The Perfect Society

780 The first Norse land on Greenland and establish a colony. (100 years before OTL)

c787 Norse lands on what is current Long Island and attempt to establish third colony. The second is in current Nova Scotia.

c788 - 815 Long Island colonists meet Native Americans, One day a Norse hunting party helps several Shinnecock Tribesmen during a fight against a rival tribe. The Norse and Shinnecock become trading partners for several years and the Shinnecock learn various trade and skills. The natives learn farming, better house building and animal husbandry. For the first time the tribe is not dependant solely on hunting as it raises sheep and use the milk for butter and cheese. They learn to plant grain and corn.

c822 - 838 Due to the new skills and better living conditions the Shinnecocks become the strongest tribe on the Island. They eventually overrun the other tribes and form a loose confederation. The Norse colony slowly becomes part of the Shinnecock confederation. The appearance of light skinned or red headed children show the intermarriage between the two groups. An amalgamation of the two languages, Mahican and Old Norse becomes the norm as well as a written language that no other tribe had.

The Shinnecocks learn better boat building and build the first native built craft to ply the coastal waters.

c841 - 843 The Shinnecocks meet the Unami (Delaware Lenni Lenape) of Northern New Jersey and the Munsee and Quiripic tribes of Connecticut and develop trade agreements. The Shinnecock learn to send an old man and women to first meet tribes. This lessens the chance of a violent encounter.

c868 The Shinnecock Confederation now includes all of what would be Long Island, West to what is now Easton Pa (The Delaware River) north to the Catskills Mountains and south to current day Trenton and Northeast to Connecticut River with a population of 425,000. Each Tribal “state” has a representative in council which meets once a month. Only a Shinnecock is elected Chieftain of the Confederation.

The first school is founded with tribal approval and it is required of all children to attend between the ages of 8 to 12 during the winter months. After writing has been handed down in a hap-hazard manner over the generations, an elderly women starts teaching the children how to write and do math. .

c895 - 907 The Shinnecock Confederation meets its first encounter with what would be rival tribes of the Susquehannock and Iroquois in present day Pennsylvania and the Seneca in New York. The 5 year war starts after the deaths of a diplomatic envoy and rages with heavy loss to the Iroquois and Seneca. The Shinnecock had the better arms and ability to supply their armies while the Susquehannock, Iroquois and Seneca had to rely on traditional hunting. The eventual loss of the war meant second class citizenship in the confederation for the three tribes that would last for almost 50 years. No will be sent to Council for over 25 years to represent any of the 3 tribes.

c911 School is expanded to those 16 years and females for the first time. They must be Shinnecock or one the original Long Island tribes or their tribe is a member of the confederation for 10 years. Women are taught everything except weapon and home building.

c912 The art of salting fish reduces the interior tribe’s dependence on hunting as well as increases the influence of the Shinnecock proper to provide the product.

c919 The Shinnecock Confederation reaches the Ohio River to the west and Rappahannock River to the South.

The first city on North American is realized when the capital of the Shinnecock Confederation reaches a population of 25,000

c931 – 936 a plague ravishes the Shinnecock Confederation. Almost 25% of the population dies. More would have died except for the discovery of a mold that when chewed with other herbs can heal the sick.

c950 – 979 The Shinnecock rebuild after the loss of so many people. The Confederation is still strong but is still plagued with aggressive tribes to the south, Powhaten and Erie to the west that try to take advantage of the plague.

The first college is founded that teaches medicine, math, astronomy, war and several building crafts.

c980-1000 The second war for the Confederation develops between the Erie. Even with less developed weapons the Erie fight a strong battle and almost defeat the Confederation because of a rebellion of several Seneca tribes until they were able to finally take the attack to the Erie by boat from the Great Lakes. This is the first naval assault in North American and changes the way wars are fought.

Because of the Seneca rebellion they are displaced and sent westward on what will become known as the Trail of Tears. They will eventually settle in what is Wisconsin. The Erie become the first truly enslaved race. The children are taken to Confederation schools and the women are dispersed among the confederation. Some leave with the Seneca. Many men become labors in the salt mines of central New York. To be called Seneca is to be called a traitor.

c1000 – 1100 The first Golden Era for the Confederation. There was exploration along the coast to the Florida Peninsula and the Great Lakes to Superior. Mining in Canada produces metals for weapons and tools. Homes of the upper class start becoming a stone mix with limestone, sand and water to produce the first primitive concrete. The capital is moved from Long Island to Central New York. Government is decentralized with the tribal council still meeting in the old capital. Medicine as advanced leading to less child birth and longer life expectancy of 65 years compared to 50 in Europe. The road system is expanded to include the whole confederation. This reduces travel from one end of the confederation to another from 3 weeks to a week. The beginning of the great canal is started will take another 50 years to be completed.
Top