The Partial History and Background of Erehwon (Written by Fusu, Updated for Mortlock)

[Samiel]

Author’s Note: This is not the real Earth. It is just an alternate Earth, so the ability to add landmasses and change world history mildly to suit our needs is at our discretion.

P.S. None of this is set in stone, yet. This is all subject to change and will be under constant revision. If you have any ideas towards helping flesh out Erehwon as a country, please address them to Fusu, but not in this thread.


Erehwon, a country equivalent to the size of about Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri combined, is set in the North Atlantic Ocean about 145 miles off the coast of Massachusetts. It was one of the first territories settled in The New World by the French in 1610 and was eventually taken by the British in 1642 after The Battle of Konridge and would later hold some major outposts for Britain during the American Revolutionary War.

Following the Seven Years War, Britain had accrued expenses that it needed to pay off, and it sought to do so through use of Colonial powers. Erehwon, a colony developed as a means to control the American East Coast, found itself as a refuge for Tories and disillusioned New Englanders who felt that the mounting tensions would result in War. Ultimately, those fears would be realized. When the Americans revolted against England, Erehwon was an unwilling follower of its father country, Britain. The location of Erehwon made it a place of high strategic value, and it was quickly militarized. Its capture by the French navy allowed the Americans to finally force the surrender of the British forces. When the English and the Americans negotiated the withdrawal of British forces and presence from New England, Erehwon would continue to be controlled by the French. While many Erehwon colonists opposed British rule and the utilization of their colony as a naval base first and a colony second, they found themselves in a strange state under the French. Under British control, a governor appointed by Parliament was sent to keep Order. Under the French, they were granted no such luxury: the Naval ports were demilitarized, the government structure was dismantled, and only a symbolic French Authority figure was sent to keep the peace, obviously someone who had fallen out of favor with the crown, It would be under this period that Erehwon would begin to handle its own affairs, ultimately ignoring the French Crown. During the French Revolution, Erehwon took the opportunity to declare independence, which was formally recognized by Napoleon, who had limited to no ambitions for the Western Hemisphere.

Erehwon has, for the most part, been fairly neutral toward American development until the American Civil War, when it was the first non-American country to actively refuse Confederate courtship. Union Senator William Bradley secured diplomatic relations with Erehwon shortly after the capture of Sumter. It was Erehwon that set the trend for European nations refusing to recognize the Confederacy, and this diplomatic precedent aided in the Union's eventual reformation. Depending on one's school of thought, it is argued that Erehwon had no reason to support the South's slave economy. Another school of thought is that Erehwon felt that it needed to establish positive relations with America as neither France nor England were particularly 'useful' to them, especially with the nature of American foreign policy.

Their major foray into world affairs would be in the First World War, where it aided the Allied powers with man-power on the Western Front, and later in the Second World War, where many Erehwoni men fought alongside the British against the German Afrika Korp. During the Cold War, Erehwon became an active member of NATO, sending troops as needed to Korea, and kept political pressure on Cuba. Tensions flared between America and Erehwon over two major points: Erehwon accepting large numbers of Asian Americans suspect or otherwise during the Asian American Internment period, and an absence of presence during Vietnam, motivated by long-standing heavy anti-French sentiment. Ultimately, Erehwon finds itself in a position where it is either over-credited or under-credited in its involvement.

Erehwon is split into 5 subsections and then furthermore split up into 50 districts. The total amount of districts is 250. The capital is located in the inmost central district called, “Anyda” in the town of Anyda. (Yes, the town is named after the district.) Erehwon’s democratic system is built on the same principles of America’s. A House Representative comes from each of the districts, totaling 250 representatives. The way the Senator districts are set-up are more complicated than just that, but the total amount of senators adds up to 100. Each district and subsection has its own governor.

Then, once every 4 years, the presidential elections take place, with each district being worth a certain amount of points. Whoever gets the most points by getting majority vote in the districts is named President of Erehwon. This is pretty much like America’s way of doing things. However, there is one difference. A president can serve for a total of three terms (12 years), instead of two, before he can no longer run for president. So far, only one president has been able to serve for 3 terms. It was during and after World War II.

Erehwon’s current population: 205,009,202
Rank on the list of countries by population: 5th
Instead of The Fourth of July, Erehwon has "The Third of March" where it celebrates its independence.
The town where Mortlock House is located is called "Salarta," which is located in the district "Maplewood."
Salarta has a population of about 13,923 people.

[Fusu]

Updated because I said so! D:<