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ap-kinda-lit · 3 years

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Macabre Latin-American Legends

1. La Llorona (Mexico)

La Llorona (aka, the Weeping Woman) is one of the best known ghost legends of Hispanic origin. Like many legends, there are various differing origin stories behind her, but they all center around the same thing: a young, beautiful mother whose spirit roams the land of the living in search of her deceased children, wailing non-stop and crying out, "Aye, mis hijos!" ("Oh, my children!"). She is most commonly sighted in urban areas, rivers or lakes, and highways. Although many agree that la Llorona's legend has deep roots in Mexican territory and has been around prior to the Spanish Conquest, her story has great significance in just about all Hispanic/Latin countries. People from all over the globe have claimed to have seen the spirit of la Llorona or heard her cries. La Llorona is a tragic figure but is also feared. Many who have grown up hearing her story remember her as a childhood bogeyman. From generation to generation, elders have warned youngsters to respect adults and not stay out after dark or wander near bodies of water, because if they do otherwise they will become targets to la Llorona. It is said that if la Llorona encounters a lone child, she will abduct them and drown them to take the place of her lost children, hence adults and children being very wary of her.

2. El Silbón (Venezuela, Columbia)

The Whistler is a tall, thin man who wears a large hat. Just like la Llorona, his origin story is retold in a number of variations. But in each version of it, he is the wandering lost soul of a young man who committed the horrible crime of killing his own father. As punishment for his patricide, he was tied to a post and his bare back was lashed repeatedly then had a pack of vicious dogs sicced on him. He was also forced to carry a sack containing his father's bones over his destroyed back and was condemned to do so for all eternity. El Silbón got his moniker from his habit of whistling one particular tune constantly. This tune he whistles lets people know he's present and acts as an omen of impending death. He's usually non-discriminate with his victims but he's been said to sometimes prey on womanizers and drunks. With drunks, he sucks the alcohol out of their navels like a vampire; with womanizers, he violently tears them apart and and takes their bones to put them into the sack containing his father's and other victims' bones. Fortunately, el Silbón can be warded off and his death curse can be prevented. All that is required to do this is the mere sound of a dog barking or a whip, either of which will scare him off.

This is what El Silbón's whistle sounds like:

3. El Coco (Portugal, Galicia, Spain, Mexico)

El Coco is a bogeyman-type, shape-shifting monster who preys on misbehaving children. If a child stays up past their bedtime or disobey their parents, el Coco will come and abduct and devour them. It dwells under beds and in closets or just about any part of a room shrouded in darkness. Some versions say that el Coco was once a man but became the kidnapping, child-eating monster. One version is that he became ill with tuberculosis in a time where it was a death sentence so he turned to drinking children's blood to cure himself but ended up transforming into the monster he is known as now.

4. Chupacabra (Puerto Rico, Mexico, America)

El Chupacabra is one of the most famous cryptids in the world. The creature is a vampiric predator that attacks livestock and sucks them dry of their blood. It is described as having glowing red eyes and being canine-like or as a reptilian humanoid. Chupacabra attacks and sightings have been reported all over, from the United States to Chile (sometimes even in Europe and parts of Asia).

5. Nueve Veces Veronica (Spain, Mexico)

Nueve Veces Veronica is a spiritual ritual similar to Bloody Mary. The ritual includes a pair of scissors, a red ribbon/string, a Bible, and takes place in a dark room with a mirror. The entity summoned in this game is none other than the spirit of a girl named Veronica. She will act as a fortune-teller, but if a person taking part in the game doesn't take her seriously, she will kill them. This game surrounding Veronica is said to be her punishment. She was once a teenage girl who played the exact same game with some friends one night. Veronica made the terrible mistake of not taking the ritual seriously and, as a result, the scissors used in the ritual went flying through the air and stabbed Veronica in the neck. Her friends ran to get help and when they returned they found Veronica lying in a pool of blood, one hand holding the Bible and the other grasping the scissors embedded in her neck.

6. La Pisadeira (Brazil)

A creepy hag with claws and red eyes who preys on people who go to bed with a full stomach. La Pisadeira creeps into their bedroom and is able to climb onto her intended victim's chest as they are induced with sleep paralysis. She does nothing but sit on the immobilized victim's chest and bask in their sheer terror, which she feeds off of and becomes stronger with. Sometimes the victim will survive the encounter only to be visited by her again and reliving to the experience, but sometimes she will instead suffocate them to death.

7. La Sayona (Venezuela)

La Sayona is a fearsome spirit who appears as an attractive woman and targets unfaithful men. She was once a beautiful woman who was married with a baby boy. She liked to go swimming in a nearby lake and it was there she attracted the admiration of a man. The man was so taken with her that he hatched a scheme to get her to himself. He told her that her husband was cheating on her...with her mother. She was so angered by this allegation that she went home and killed her husband and baby then attacked her mother with a machete. With her dying breath, the mother professed there was no affair going on and she cursed her daughter to become a supernatural entity that lived to take revenge on those who are unfaithful to their partners. La Sayona will roam on highways or jungles where work is being done and when she encounters a lustful man she will seduce him, get him alone, then reveal her true colors and attack. She will either turn into an animal and tear off their genitals or give them an STD that will cause their genitals to shrink and blister, indicating to their wives or girlfriends that they have been unfaithful.

8. Maria Angula (Ecuador)

Maria Angula was the daughter of a Cayambe landowner and she loved to gossip, which often got her into trouble. She spent so much time gossiping that she didn't learn how to cook. So, when she married and her husband would ask for a meal, she faced a problem. Maria went to her neighbor, Dona Mercedes, who was an excellent cook, and she told her how to make certain recipes. When Maria did what she was told, she would pass it off as her own and acted as if she knew what her neighbor was talking about when she explained recipes to her. Dona Mercedes became fed up with Maria's arrogance and ingratitude and decided to teach her a lesson. When Maria came to her for help yet again, Dona Mercedes took advantage of the girl's ignorance. Maria's husband had requested a meal that consisted of a Puzun (stomach) from a goat but Dona Mercedes told Maria that a Puzun from a human was tastier. Mercedes told Maria what to do, thus Maria went to the cemetery that night and looked for the most recently buried coffin there. Then, she dug it up, opened it, and cut out the deceased's stomach and took it home to cook it exactly as Dona Mercedes had directed. Like Dona Mercedes had said, her husband loved the meal Maria had cooked. That night, after the married couple went to bed and fell asleep, Maria awoke to a bony specter that demanded its guts back from her. When it didn't get what it requested, it dragged Maria out from her bed and took her away into the night, never to be seen or heard from again.

#urban legends #supernatural #legends #scary #latin america #hispanic #ghost stories #el silbon #veronica #maria angula #la llorona #la pisadeira #chupacabra #cryptid #ghosts #la sayona #el coco #el cucuy

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kuramirocket · 3 years

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On July 10, 1520, Aztec forces vanquished the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and his men, driving them from Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec empire. The Spanish soldiers were wounded and killed as they fled, trying in vain to drag stolen gold and jewels with them.

By September, an unexpected ally of the would-be conquerors had reached the city: the variola virus, which causes smallpox.

How the Aztecs responded to this threat would prove critical.

The Aztecs were no strangers to plagues. Among the speeches recorded in their rhetoric and moral philosophy, we find a warning to new kings concerning their divinely ordained role in the event of contagion:

Sickness will arrive during your time. How will it be when the city becomes, is made, a place of desolation? Just how will it be when everything lies in darkness, despair? You will also go rushing to your death right then and there. In an instant, you will be over.

Facing a plague, it was vital that the king respond with grace. They warned:

Do not be a fool. Do not rush your words, do not interrupt or confuse people. Instead find, grasp, arrive at the truth. Make no one weep. Cause no sadness. Injure no one. Do not show rage or frighten folks. Do not create a scandal or speak with vanity. Do not ridicule. For vain words and mockery are no longer your office. Never, of your own will, make yourself less, diminished. Bring no scorn upon the nation, its leadership, the government.

Retract your teeth and claws. Gladden your people. Unite them, humor them, please them. Make your nation happy. Help each find their proper place. That way you’ll be esteemed, renowned. And when our Lord extinguishes you, the old ones will weep and sigh.

If a king did not follow this advice, if his rule caused more suffering than it abated, then the people prayed to Tezcatlipoca for any number of consequences, including his death:

May he be made an example of. Let him receive some reprimand, whatever you choose. Perhaps punishment. Disease. Perhaps you’ll let your honor and glory fall to another of your friends, those who weep in sorrow now. For they do exist. They live. You have no want of friends. They are sighing before you, humble. Choose one of them.

Perhaps he [the bad ruler] will experience what the common folk do: suffering, anguish, lack of food and clothing. And perhaps you will give him the greatest punishments: paralysis, blindness, rotting infection.

Or will he instead soon depart this world? Will you bring about his death? Will he get to know our future home, the place with no exits, no smoke holes? Maybe he will meet the Lord of Death, Mictlanteuctli, mother and father of us all.

Clearly, the Aztecs took the responsibilities of leadership very seriously. Beyond uplifting morale, a king’s principal duty in times of contagion was deploying his subjects to “their proper place” so that the kingdom could continue to function. This included mobilizing the titicih, doctor-healers with vast herbal knowledge, most of them women pledged to the primal mother goddess Teteoh Innan.

What about the rest of the people? As with our own modern call for “thoughts and prayers,” the Aztecs believed their principal collective tool for fending off epidemics was a humble appeal to Tezcatlipoca. The very first speech of their text of rhetoric and moral philosophy was a supplication to destroy plague. After admitting how much they might deserve this scourge and recognizing the divine right of Tezcatlipoca to punish them however he sees fit, the desperate Aztecs tried to get their powerful god to consider the worst-case outcome of his vengeance:

O Master, how in truth can your heart desire this? How can you wish it? Have you abandoned your subjects? Is this all? Is this how it is now? Will the common folk just go away, be destroyed? Will the governed perish? Will emptiness and darkness prevail? Will your cities become choked with trees and vines, filled with fallen stones? Will the pyramids in your sacred places crumble to the ground?

Will your anger never be reversed? Will you look no more upon the common folk? For—ah!—this plague is destroying them! Darkness has fallen! Let this be enough. Stop amusing yourself, O Master, O Lord. Let the earth be at rest! I fall before you. I throw myself before you, casting myself into the place from which no one rises, the place of terror and fear, crying out: O Master, perform your office … do your job!

Smallpox arrived in Mesoamerica with a second wave of Spaniards who joined forces with Cortés. According to one account, they had with them an enslaved African man known as Francisco Eguía, who was suffering from smallpox. He, like many others on the continent of his birth, had no immunity to the disease carried there by the slave traders.

Eguía died in the care of Totonac people near Veracruz, the port city established by the Spanish some 250 miles east of the Aztec capital. His caretakers became infected. Smallpox spreads easily: not only blood and saliva, but also skin-to-skin contact (handshakes, hugs) and airborne respiratory droplets. It raced through a population with no herd immunity at all: along the coast, over the mountains, across the waters of Lake Texcoco, into the very heart of the populous empire.

The epidemic lasted 70 days in the city of Tenochtitlan. It killed 40 percent of the inhabitants, including the emperor, Cuitlahuac. Had he found it increasingly difficult to keep his people’s spirits up as tradition commanded? Had his leadership faltered? Did his subjects pray for his death?

Whatever the case, the memory of that devastation would echo for centuries. Some Nahuas—mostly the sons and grandsons of Aztec nobility—described the devastation decades after the conquest.

Their account harrows the soul:

It started during Tepeilhuitl [the 13th month of the solar calendar], when a vast human devastation spread over everyone. Some were covered in pustules, which spread everywhere, on people’s faces, heads, chests, etc. There was great loss of life; many people died of it.

They could not walk anymore. They just lay in bed in their homes. They could not move anymore, could not shift themselves, could not sit up or stretch out on their sides. They could not lay flat on their backs or even face down. If they even stirred, they screamed out in pain.

Many died of hunger, too. They starved because no one was left to care for the others; no one could attend to anyone else. On some people, the pustules were few and far between. They caused little discomfort, and those folks did not die. Still others had their faces marred.

By Panquetzaliztli [the 15th month of the solar year], it began to fade. At that time the brave warriors of the Mexica managed to recover.

But a hard lesson had been learned. None of the old remedies had worked. Entire families were gone. Funeral pyres effaced the sun.

The epidemic was only the beginning of the unexpected forces working in tandem to bring down the Aztec empire. On May 22, 1521—just as Tenochtitlan was beginning to recover, trying to rebuild trade routes, restock its supplies, replant its fields and aquatic chinampa gardens—Cortés returned.

This time he commanded more Spanish troops, men from the same second wave that had brought the smallpox. With them marched tens of thousands of Tlaxcaltecah warriors, the sworn enemies of the Aztecs. Smallpox had reached Tlaxcallan first, but its people—not as densely packed in urban areas like the Mexica—had fared better and were now ready to finish off their rivals.

The massive military force laid siege to the Aztec capital. Even with more than half the population dead or disabled, with little food or water or supplies, the Mexica held the city for three months.

Then, on August 13, 1521, it fell. Emptiness and darkness indeed prevailed.

Lines from a song composed by an unknown Mexica not long afterward sums up the emotions of the survivors:

It is our God who brings down

His wrath, His awesome might

upon our heads.

So friends, weep at the realization—

we abandon the Mexica Way.

Now the water is bitter,

the food is bitter: that

is what the Giver of Life

has wrought.

Without the smallpox, it’s much less likely Cortés and his allies could have taken Tenochtitlan.

The plague—cocoliztli—was the most devastating post-conquest epidemic in large parts of Mexico, wiping out somewhere around 80 percent of the native population.

“Somewhere around” because population estimates are difficult to come by, with extrapolations made from incomplete colonial sources that date back to precolonial times. For the ethnohistorian Charles Gibson, there is no “sure method for determining whether the later [colonial era] counts were more accurate or less accurate than the earlier ones,” so that “the magnitude of the unrecorded population seems unrecoverable.”

Nevertheless, Gibson’s best estimate is a population of 1,500,000 inhabitants of the Valley of Mexico at the time of first contact with Europeans. There was a sharp fall of about 325,000 by 1570; a drastic fall to about 70,000 by the mid-seventeenth century; followed by slow growth to about 275,000 by 1800. Gibson’s figures are simply staggering. They give us a rough impression, but tell us little about the suffering and massive social upheaval caused by these catastrophes.

Slavery, forced labor, wars, and large-scale resettlements all worked together to make indigenous communities more vulnerable to disease.

According to the “Virgin Soil” theory, the epidemics were so desctructive because “the populations at risk have had no previous contact with the diseases that strike them and are therefore immunologically… defenceless,” as the psychiatrist David Jones writes in the William & Mary Quarterly. The theory is still widespread, often devolving into vague claims that indigenous people had “no immunity” to the new epidemics. By now we know that the lack of immunity played a role, but mostly early on. Current research instead emphasizes an interplay of influences, for the most part triggered by Europeans: slavery, forced labor, wars, and large-scale resettlements all worked together to make indigenous communities more vulnerable to disease.

According to a group of scholars writing in the journal Latin American Antiquity, in colonial Mexico, “by the mid-17th century, many… communities had failed, victims of massive population decline, environmental degradation, and economic collapse.” This is why it’s crucial for today’s scholars to emphasize the influence of colonial policies—as opposed to the Virgin Soil theory, which shifts responsibility away from Europeans.

One peak of the epidemic occurred in the 1570s. The exact pathogen that caused that epidemic is not yet known. Some scholars have speculated that, since it struck mostly younger people, it might have been something unique to the New World and reminiscent of the Spanish Influenza outbreak, possibly a tropical hemorrhagic fever. Other recent theories include Salmonella, or a combination of diseases. Native communities were the main victims of this epidemic due to their poverty, malnourishment, and harsh working conditions compared to the Spanish population.

Three Circles in the Sun

Aztec authors from central Mexico noted their reactions to the epidemics in fascinating detail. Writing 100 years after the Spanish military takeover, they were painfully aware of the consequences of epidemics and colonization: epidemics had taken place before, but the unprecedented scale of the disasters caused widespread incomprehension, sadness, and anger.

Much of the extant writing by Aztec authors dates to the turn of the seventeenth century. Many of the authors had experienced the plague themselves, its effects still fresh in their memories. I want to focus on two pieces of writing: a report by the well-known historian Diego Muñoz Camargo from Tlaxcala, written in Spanish; and an anonymous text in the indigenous language, Nahuatl, from the Puebla region.

As Diego Muñoz Camargo, the famous historian from the era, wrote:

In 1576, another great pestilence struck this land, bringing death and destruction to the native population. It lasted over a year and brought ruin and decay to most of New Spain [the Spanish Viceroyalty covering today’s Mexico], as the native population was then almost extinct. One month before the outbreak of the disease, an obvious sign had been seen in the sky: three circles in the sun, resembling bleeding or exploding suns, in which the colours merged. The colours of those three circles were those of the rainbow and could be seen from eight o’clock until almost one o’clock at noon.

This passage demonstrates the great importance of omens for the Aztecs.

It is not surprising that the second report, from the smaller community of Tecamachalco, also links diseases with the appearance of a comet. Probably written by the native noble Don Mateo Sánchez, the text shows the extent of the catastrophe in words quite similar to Diego Muñoz Camargo’s:

On the first day of August [of 1576] the great sickness began here in Techamachalco. It was really strong; there was no resisting. At the end of August began the processions because of the sickness. They finished on the ninth day. Because of it, many people died, young men and women, those who were old men and women, or children… When the month of October began, thirty people had been buried. In just two or three days they would die… They lost their senses. They thought of just anything and would die.

Several of Don Mateo’s family members also died, including his wife and the alcalde (mayor) of his quarter. Don Mateo then took over the post of alcalde. One can sense his incomprehension and anguish. The decimation of the indigenous elites is evident throughout his account.

This decimation contributed to the transformation of native societies well into the seventeenth century, including forced native labor and resettlements, the introduction of hierarchical Spanish laws and government, Christianity, and the alphabet. Together with increasing European immigration, the epidemic led to a massive upheaval of indigenous sociopolitical organization and ways of life, especially in the Valley of Mexico.

Don Mateo’s is not the only surviving account of the epidemic from an indigenous perspective. Other anonymous annals from Puebla and Tlaxcala from the era discuss earlier waves of disease, which remained firmly rooted in collective memory more than 100 years after the events. Like Mateo, these sources do not try to account for the origin of the disease, but they provide an idea of the scale and horror of the epidemic and the personal tragedies involved, the uprooting of families, of whole towns.

Meanwhile, the Spaniards’ narratives tried to explain the catastrophic effect the disease had on the indigenous population by pointing to difficult living conditions. But they also interpreted it as divine punishment for paganism and a sign of the native peoples’ alleged inferiority to Europeans. Of course, European remedies such as bloodletting, used in hospitals to treat indigenous patients, worsened conditions instead of healing them. Ultimately, the Spanish Crown feared above all a further loss of cheap or unpaid labour; the priests a loss of souls to be converted.

Holding Off Oblivion

Despite the harsh conditions, the descendants of the Aztecs did not give up—as has long been claimed in traditional scholarship. As the historian Camilla Townsend has argued, the demographic collapse lent urgency to the projects of major native historians—including the authors I’ve cited in this essay. Nearly all pre-Hispanic sources were destroyed by the Spanish, with some lost over time. The Chalca scholar Domingo de Chimalpahin commented on this confluence of factors: the destruction of sources and abandonment of communities strengthened his sense of responsibility to future generations. By writing history, he attempted to save his ancestors’ past from looming oblivion. Drawing on pre-Hispanic faith, continuing political participation, and recording the histories of their people: these are some of the ways in which Aztecs proactively shaped their lives following colonial devastation.

Centuries of colonial exploitation and violence have made the indigenous peoples of both Americas disproportionately vulnerable to current epidemics. This makes the resilience of indigenous peoples and cultures all the more incredible. Such resilience has developed over more than 500 years, in the face of continual adversity and disregard. Native American peoples provide varied and remarkable testimonies on weathering existential crises. The least we can do, in the midst of the current pandemic, is listen.

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nxmuzluv · 3 years

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mexican empire — trivia

The empire (that is more formally known as the Second Mexican Empire) was started in 1864 by Emperor Armando, Jacqueline’s great-great-great-great grandfather. He was a lieutenant general within the Mexican army, and after he forced French forces out of Mexico and ordered their surrender, due to his wealth and influence (as he hailed from a Cuban-Mexican old money family), he declared himself emperor of Mexico due to his desire for the Mexican empire’s restoration.

During the reign of Jacqueline’s great-great grandfather—Emperor Gustavo Hernando—a socialist and wannabe dictator named Álvaro Angel Hernandez created an anti-monarchy “party” that wished to abolish the Mexican empire due to seeing the (then current) imperial family as corrupt. The party gained members, notoriety, and infamy throughout Mexico, and Álvaro had even gained some power over Mexico City and its neighboring territories. Álvaro seemingly went mad and randomly decided to storm the palace in an attempt to overthrow Emperor Gustavo. That attempt was unsuccessful, and Álvaro was tried with heavy treason and sentenced to death by hanging. His execution sparked the Guerra del Palacio (the War of the Palace), and the conflict lasted for three and a half years.

With the empire’s power, and with the help of Brazilian, Cuban, and later American troops, the Mexican empire defeated Álvaro’s party and prevented being replaced with an authoritarian, socialist regime. Since then, the War of the Palace has been the only civil war that the imperial family has had to face.

Mexico has one of the wealthiest imperial families in the world, having a net worth of $10.5 billion, and placing them at 5th on the list of wealthiest monarchs in the world. All of that money belongs to the emperor, and it stems from Mexico’s investments in the oil industry and agriculture, their various exports (such as beer, chocolate, chilis, and tomatoes), the support from the Mexican citizens, and from the emperor’s own investments into large scale banks around the world. The $10.5 billion will be split between the emperor’s immediate family (his daughters and his eldest daughter’s three children) upon his death.

Mexico became the first monarchy in the world to implement absolute primogeniture (meaning any child can assume the role of heir apparent to the throne regardless of their gender) in 1914. It was proposed by Emperor Gustavo after the birth of his three daughters after the birth of his eldest son. He was worried about the potential extinction of the dynasty if his son either died or was unable to marry or produce a male heir, and Gustavo’s own lack of another male heir only increased his worries. To ensure that the dynasty would live on, he proposed the idea of absolute primogeniture to the Mexican government.

His proposal was taken into question, as back then, women were seen as “unfit” monarchs and were seen as incapable of ruling a country. However, due to much pushing by the emperor over the course of eight months, by a vote of 71–63, absolute primogeniture was officially adopted in Mexico in regards to the empire’s line of succession. The empire received its first female heir apparent upon the birth of Crown Princess (now Empress) Victoria in 1967.

Since 1873, the empire of Mexico has also been known as the United Empire of Mexico (or the Imperio Unido de México) due to the numerous conquests ordered by Emperor Armando. Countries under the United Empire of Mexico include the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama. From 1891 to 1959 (68 years), Cuba was also a part of the United Empire, and monarchs and their consorts held the titles of Emperor and Empress of Cuba.

The Second Mexican empire started off with a rather large amount of wealth, as its founder, Lieutenant General Armando José Enrique Velasco, hailed from a Mexican-Cuban old money family that was worth $16.4 billion ($302.5 billion in today’s money) by Armando’s father’s death in 1867. Upon his father’s death, the money was split between Armando and his brother, with both of them receiving $8.2 billion ($151.2 billion in today’s money). That fortune has been slightly diminished and restored over the years.

The Second Mexican Empire is an absolute, hereditary, and self-proclaimed monarchy. It was originally a semi-constitutional monarchy during Emperor Alphons’ reign, and during Emperor Fernando’s reign, it became a complete constitutional monarchy. The empire only became an absolute monarchy after its restoration. It is a self-proclaimed monarchy due to Emperor Armando declaring himself the emperor of Mexico after defeating the French.

Emperor Alphons—Armando’s eldest son—had the shortest reign of any Mexican monarch ever, as he only reigned for 11 years. He was known to be somewhat sickly from birth, and his sickness worsened later in his life, resulting in his early-ish death. Alphons was also said to be attractive during his youth and was quite the notorious playboy before he met his wife and consort, Josefina Ivette Isabel Correia, Lady Salvaterra, to whom he was distantly related to.

In his youth, Emperor Gustavo had quite the large selection of noble and royal ladies to choose from for marriage (or rather, for his parents to choose from). From that selection, he had wed Princess Helena Dorothea Maria Anna of Greece and Denmark, Viscountess Württemberg, a member of the Greek royal family and of the German noble House of Württemberg. However, they’re relationship was rocky and they seemed more like acquaintances than husband and wife, and just a year later, Gustavo and Princess Helena divorced. However, their marriage did bring the Mexican, Greek, and Danish royal/imperial families closer together, and it solidified their relationship for the next four generations. Princess Helena was never given the title of empress. A few months later, Gustavo married Agustina Natalia Sophia, Baroness of San Luis de la Paz, and the daughter of the Duke of Guanajuato.

Emperor José Manuel established the most international connections for the Mexican empire, ranking just below his son, Fernando. His marriage to Yoo Hyeryun, a middle class Korean native, was one of them, as well as his ally-ship with India, his friendships with the British, Greek, and Spanish royal families, and his push for exports and the offering of support to foreign allies. José Manuel also has the second longest reign of any monarch in Mexico, placing behind his son.

Emperor Fernando became the first Korean-Mexican to ascend to the imperial throne after his father’s death in 1960. He also has the longest reign of any Mexican monarch, and will uphold that title until his daughter can manage to surpass him.

Empress Victoria became Mexico’s first female regent in all its 139-year history, which caused her to also have the most viewed coronation since her father’s in 1960, amassing a total of 81.5 million people in Mexico and 24 million people worldwide. Meaning, a total of 105.5 million people had watched Victoria’s coronation. She also became the second mixed Korean to ascend to the Mexican throne.

Empress Agustina was known for introducing a lot of foreign customs to Mexico during her husband’s reign. She was known for her love of travel and for her interest in other (specifically European) cultures. She introduced the Scottish Lomond waltz to the Mexican imperial court, and had also introduced the concept of debutante balls to the country, as she established Empress Agustina’s Debutante Ball (Baile de Debutante de la Emperatriz Agustina) after attending Queen Charlotte’s Ball in London.

Dowager Empress Consuelo Teresa (or Yoo Hyeryun) became the first Korean woman to assume the title of empress (consort) of Mexico upon her husband’s ascension to the throne in 1928. She achieved massive notoriety due to this (and also due to her beauty), and further established positive connections between Mexico and South Korea. She also became known as the first commoner to marry into the imperial family, and became the first commoner to assume the title of empress consort. She is also the longest living empress in the empire’s history, being 102 years old by the events of Trigger Happy Havoc.

There had actually been a empress regent of Mexico prior to Victoria, although she wasn’t officially counted as a reigning empress like Victoria. Her name was Princess Josefina Maria Lupita, and she was Emperor Alphons’ older sister, and Emperor Armando’s first born child. Due to Mexico’s male preference primogeniture at the time, Josefina was misplaced at heir to the throne once her brother was born. She didn’t see it as an issue until she was in her thirties. Just a few months after Alphons was crowned, Josefina secretly mobilized a part of Mexico’s military, and had ordered them to storm her brother’s apartments within Chapultepec Castle

A few dozen were injured during that attempt of a “coup,” and two had died due to their injuries. Alphons originally thought that the attack was ordered by anti-royalists, but he later found out that it was ordered by his own sister. He was quick to declare war on Josefina, who was forced to flee to Costa Rica with the remainder of her troops. The war—which was named the “War of the Chrysanthemum”—lasted for only seven months, before it eventually came to a stalemate due to the intervention of the siblings’ mother. Alphons wanted to keep Josefina in Costa Rica, but was advised not to. After the war, the siblings never even looked at each other again, and Josefina moved out of Chapultepec Castle and into a separate estate

During the war, Josefina had triumphed over her brother for a short period of time (about a month or two) and had become Empress Josefina, and was “ruling” from Costa Rica. However, as she had never had a formal coronation and as she had an incredibly short reign, historians do not count Josefina as a true sovereign, and the title of “first empress regent of Mexico” officially goes to Victoria. Technically, however, it goes to Josefina

Emperor José Manuel’s brother, José Ramón, Jacqueline’s great-great uncle, had married Princess Alexandra-Beatrice of Battenberg, the youngest daughter of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, and of Prince Louis of Battenberg. Alexandra-Beatrice—Jacqueline’s great-great aunt—was the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, making the former queen of the United Kingdom Jacqueline’s great-great-great-great-great grandaunt.

Jacqueline’s great-aunt—Princess Valentina of Spain—is married to Prince Georgios of Greece and Denmark, Jacqueline’s uncle, and her title upon her marriage became Crown Princess Victoria of Greece and Spain. Crown Prince Georgios was formerly King George III of Greece, while Princess Valentina was Queen Valentina of Greece, the country’s first Spanish queen consort. However, Georgios only ruled for two years, and he abdicated the throne in favor of his younger brother, the now King Constantine II of Greece. Due to the marriage between Valentina and Georgios, however, that makes the Mexican imperial family relatives to the Greek royal family.

King Constantine II is Jacqueline’s great-uncle and his wife, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and Denmark, is her great-aunt. Crown Prince Pavlos is Jacqueline’s second cousin, once removed/uncle, and his wife—Crown Princess Marie-Chantal—is her aunt. Pavlos and Marie-Chantal’s five children are all Jacqueline’s second cousins. Furthermore, that makes Crystal Bienvenu (Jacqueline’s classmate) and her siblings Jacqueline’s third cousins (and they had no idea that they were that closely related).

The Mexican imperial family is incredibly popular among its citizens, and is said to be well loved. They are known to be a very progressive, casual, down-to-earth, and friendly family to the Mexican public, royal watchers, and to foreigners. They are also known for their close relationship despite their large number of members.

Despite their close relationship now, the Mexican imperial family was known as very rigid, somewhat cold, and had a nearly distant family life up until Emperor Gustavo’s marriage to Baroness Agustina Natalia Sophia.

Although the empire was previously abolished in 2003, after society was restored following the events of The Tragedy, Mexico was significantly affected by the world’s societal collapse and by a devastating war between the country and Cuba caused by The Tragedy, and in an overwhelming 125–9 vote, the Mexican empire was restored, the imperial family was allowed back, and Emperor Fernando got his political power restored. However, six months later, he abdicated the throne in favor of his eldest daughter and Jacqueline’s mother, Victoria.

During the holiday season and before Christmas, the imperial family sends out cards with a portrait of the entire family—both the Mexican imperial family and the extended Bourbon-Perez/Spanish royal family—on the front. 1,000 cards are sent out to random households in Mexico and around the world every year, and all of them are personally signed by the emperor and empress. Only 50 cards are signed by other members of the family. This tradition started during the reign of Emperor Alphons in the late 1800s, and had increased in popularity during the reign of Emperor José Manuel.

Christmas portraits of the emperor’s immediate family and individual portraits of members of the imperial family are also released before Christmas, as well.

The children of the family also make Christmas cards, write messages in them, and sign them for the palace staff. The messages usually thank the staff for their hard work throughout the year. Jacqueline is known for tying each of her cards with gold, red, or green ribbons, and she’s known for gifting the staff with homemade cookies, as well.

There is a Christmas tree located in one of the imperial family’s winter residences, and before Christmas, the family makes decorations to hang from the tree, and they also hang home baked cookies—that are mainly baked by Jacqueline—from it, as well. Additionally, the oldest or youngest child gets to place the star/angel on top (it depends on the year).

On Christmas Eve, a formal dinner is held at the family’s winter residence and includes only the family members and their close guests (such as friends and government officials with close connections to the imperial family).

Also on Christmas Eve, the imperial family usually plays soccer/football on the grounds of their winter residence. This tradition was started by Emperor Gustavo in the early 1900s. Currently, Prince Alejandro and Empress Victoria have won the most games. The imperial family also plays Monopoly on Christmas Eve, which was started by Prince Alejandro.

Alejandro and Jacqueline also skate on the pond on the grounds of the family’s winter residence on Christmas Eve, which was turned into an ice skating rink at Emperor Daniel’s request when his children were young. Additionally, the imperial family also plays ice hockey. In regards to that, Jacqueline and her teams have won the most games.

The Mexican imperial family usually attends church service at the Catedral Metropolitana on a Sunday before Christmas. On Christmas Day, they attend church again, no matter what day it is, and that service is a much more public event due to it taking place on Christmas Day. During service, the emperor and empress’s Christmas speeches are broadcasted throughout the country, and tens of millions of Mexican citizens either watch or listen in. After service, the imperial family has a carriage procession through Mexico City, and that night, a final Christmas ball is held. Following the ball, the family usually watches Christmas movies at their winter residence, as well as a late night rerun of the emperor and empress’s Christmas broadcast.

Christmas is one of the imperial family’s favorite holidays, along with Independence Day, Day of the Dead, and Chuseok.

The imperial family combines a lot of Christmas traditions from different countries during the holiday season. Of course, there are mainly Mexican, Spanish, Korean, and British traditions, but there are also German and Scottish traditions mixed in, as well.

Mexico is known for sending numerous equestrians, sailors, surfers, soccer players, and runners to the Olympics, most of which have medaled. Members of the imperial family who have competed in the Olympics include: Emperor Alphons’ second son, who competed in equestrianism and won bronze, Emperor Gustavo’s youngest son, who competed in sailing and placed fourth, Empress Victoria, who competed in equestrianism and tennis and won silver and gold, Princess Luisa, Victoria’s younger sister, who competed in swimming and won gold, Prince Alejandro, Victoria’s eldest son, who competed at both the summer and winter Olympics and won gold in figure skating and gold in equestrianism, Princess Jacqueline, who competed in figure skating and won gold, as well, Princess Isabel, Victoria’s other younger sister, who competed in snowboarding and won bronze, and Princess Catalina Anita, who competed in gymnastics and track and won gold and bronze.

Like the United Kingdom, the Mexican empire has an established social season as well. It starts on February 1st with the state opening of Parliament, and it ends on December 9th with Empress Agustina’s Debutante Ball. In between, events like flower shows, opera performances, sports tournaments, society galas, a dog show, and an imperial derby are held. A five month break also occurs in between July and December. The social season was also introduced by Empress Agustina, but it didn’t become widespread until Emperor José Manuel’s reign.

Mexico is also known for its classic original operas, productions, and various opera singers. The annual opera performance at the Gran Teatro Nacional is one of the most anticipated events during the social season, and it is one of Dowager Empress Consuelo Teresa, Emperor Fernando, Empress Catalina-Beatriz, Empress Victoria, and Victoria’s children’s favorite event during the season.

Mexico also has quite the large amount of painters and photographers. Two of the most renowned painters and photographers are Lady Magdalena de la Cerda, a member of the aristocratic la Cerda family and a famous landscape, surrealist, and portrait artist, and Guillermo Hernandez-Mendez, a photographer famous for his landscape shots and creativity. Both of them work for the imperial family, and they usually create the family’s portraits.

Mexico is also known for its incredibly strong military. It’s head is, of course, the current monarch of the empire. Emperor José Manuel had extensive military knowledge and training, which he passed on to his sons, the future Emperor Fernando included. Fernando passed that military knowledge onto his eldest daughter and heir apparent, the future Empress Victoria, who further strengthened Mexico’s military just like her father and grandfather had done.

Dowager Empress Consuelo Teresa introduced the Korean holiday of Chuseok and the celebration of doljanchi to the imperial family upon her marriage to Emperor José Manuel. Since Emperor Fernando’s doljanchi in 1937, almost every member of the imperial family has also had one. Unlike other holidays, banquets are not held for Chuseok. Instead, smaller family dinners/potlucks are held in the family’s summer palaces, and they also get the chance to speak to their extended family in Korea.

The family’s main residence—Chapultepec Castle—is lit up with colored lights for various occasions. Some of those occasions include Independence Day, the birthdays of members of the imperial family, the births of members of the imperial family, and coronations. The lighting of Chapultepec Castle was introduced by Empress Catalina-Beatriz and started after the birth of Empress Victoria in 1967, and it has been done ever since.

Other traditions include the public lighting of the Christmas tree in front of Chapultepec Castle, and the ringing of the Catedral Metropolitana bells once an imperial baby has been born and during an imperial wedding.

The title of Prince/Princess of Tijuana is a title given to the heirs to the throne of Mexico. It was created in the early 1900s by Emperor Alphons as an 18th birthday gift for his eldest son, the future Emperor Gustavo. Since then, there have been five Princes of Tijuana and two Princesses of Tijuana. The title of Duke/Duchess of Bourbon-Perez is a title given to the current monarch and their spouse, and it was created by Dowager Empress Consuelo Teresa upon her eldest son’s ascension to the imperial throne. The title of Earl/Countess of Bourbon-Perez was created by Emperor Fernando upon his eldest daughter’s marriage in 1988.

Upon Victoria's ascension to the Mexican throne, Prince Alejandro—Jacqueline’s older brother—became the new crown prince of Mexico, and he also received the titles of Prince of Tijuana (a title given to the heirs to the imperial throne) and Earl of Bourbon-Perez. Jacqueline also moved up a spot in the line of succession, going from fourth to third.

Most of the members of the imperial family have married/have been engaged to people with noble/aristocratic titles. Only five members have not done so, with those being: Emperor José Manuel, who married Yoo Hyeryun, a Korean woman hailing from a middle class family, Crown Prince Alejandro, who got engaged to Vivienne Young, a woman hailing from an old moneyed Peranakan family, Princess Isabel, who married Stephanos Alexander Onasis, a Greek commoner, Prince Maximilliano, Emperor Fernando’s younger brother, who married Bianca Rosalia Rodriguez, a Cuban commoner, and Princess Alejandra of Spain, who married Hernando Enrique Torres, an Ecuadorian commoner hailing from a wealthy oil family.

The Mexican imperial family has a total of 19 residences. They have nine residences in Mexico, and 10 residences in other countries (such as Cuba, the United Kingdom, and Spain).

#here it is !! a lil list of some things i came up with for the fictional mexican empire !!#i might add more in the future tbh !!#later on tho i’m gonna make a list of the past monarchs & a list of the family’s xmas traditions !!#n e ways i’m gonna go disappear for another couple weeks lol #monarchy #empire #fictional monarchy #fictional empire #royalty #royal family #imperial family #fake royal family #fake imperial family #royal family oc #royalty oc #cece writes :)#cece speaks :)

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admelioraii · 3 years

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Al Andalus: The dawn of one of the worlds greatest civilizations.

Other Parts:

Al Andalus I: The dawn of one of the world’s greatest civilizations.

Al Andalus II: One of the world’s greatest civilizations; Times of Glory, Part 1.

Al Andalus II: One of the world’s greatest civilizations; Times of Glory, Part 2.

Al Andalus III: One of the world’s greatest civilizations; The Downfall and end, Part 1.

Al Andalus III: One of the world’s greatest civilizations; The Downfall and end, Part 2.

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The beginning:

The name al Andalus is used to describe Spain and Portugal or the Iberian “peninsula” in the time when the Muslims dominated the region. Today it is the name of a province in southern Spain. The word Andalucía originates from some Viking tribes that populated south of Spain in the Visigothic times. This tribe was called Vandal that later changed into Andal, Vandalucia > Andalucía. Vandalism originates from this word.

In the years leading up to the time the Muslims entered Spain, the situation was miserable, to say the least! The Visigothic King Witiza had recently passed away and according to their customs the throne was not inherited but rather elected. The fruitless attempt to to make the crown inheritable had failed miserably because of the opposition of the nobles. In the election Rodericus (Rodrigo) won the most votes which according to their law automatically meant that Rodrigo was to be the new legitimate king, but not without a fight!

His rival, Agila II also had big support from fractions of the nobles, the fight almost resulted in a civil war.

In the middle of this instability, end of the year 710 AC. Rodrigo became the new king.

As if this was not enough, alongside the country’s bad economic situation, the late king Witiza had confiscated the Jews properties which led to an uprising.

Added to this, there were serious problems with the church and the previous decade was filled with several famines and the bubonic plague had claimed a significant portion of the population.

Instability, both political and economic, as well as injustice, famine, and death, this was the state of the country just before the arrival of the Muslims to the Iberian peninsula.

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The two leading figures:

Mousa ibn Nysayr contributed greatly to the unification of Northern Africa, with Morocco being the last country to be taken, further to the west was nothing but the Atlantic Ocean.

Now, the caliphate army looked north, towards Spain.

Mousa ibn Nysayr was born in Syria (640-716 AC.), his father, Nysayr, was a converted Muslim born Christian.

Mousa served as a general in the Ummayan caliphate, he ruled over provinces in North Africa.

Tariq ibn Zijad, was also a general, but from Berber origins.

He was tall, blond, with blue eyes, he was handsome and very enthusiastic, and he spoke both Berber and Arabic.

Photo

The preparation:

General Mousa left his general, Tariq, to govern Tangier in his place for a period of time.

When the thought finally came, to continue their conquest further into Spain, they faced several problems.

The first problem was that they did not have enough ships to cross over the Mediterranean Sea, from Morocco to Spain.

Therefore, general Mousa ordered the construction of ships at Kairouan city (tunisia), as many of them as possible.

Nonetheless, the construction took time and he had to find an alternate solution besides the already ordered construction.

At that time , the governor of Septa, was an exiled man called Julian. He had been a close ally to the late King Witiza but he was hostile to the new King Rodrigo, who according to Julian was illegitimate because he ascended to the throne through a military coup.Enemies as they were , Rodrigo confiscated Julians and his sons properties in Spain after sending him into exile to Septa.

Julian, who wanted his possessions back in addition to the hatred he had for Rodrigo, started negotiations with General Musa, as a solution for himself. He offered to hand over Septa to the Caliphate and to lend them the ships they needed; lastly he would provide them with inside information of the situation in Spain at the time. In return he wanted his and his family’s possessions in Spain returned to him if the Muslims were to win the battle.

With Julian , now an ally, General Musa wanted to eliminate another potential threat in the future “the Balearic Islands”. These islands were independent from the rest of Spain and were still under Roman rule. General Musa decided to conquer the Balearic island before going further to al Andalus. General Musa won the battle and lost an enemy.

With two new allies, sufficient ships, an army of 7,000 men and after having studied Spanish geography for one year general Musa was ready to start the war!

General Tarif ibn Malik was send in first with 500 men in a reconnaissance mission, that was successful.

Finally, after all the preparations, general Tariq and his men crossed the Mediterranean and landed in a part of Spain, now known as Gibraltar. Named after general Tariq ( gibl= mountain in Arabic + Tariq) = Tariq’s mountain.

Rock of Gibraltar

The battle of Guadalete:

The battle started in a place that Tariq carefully had chosen, a place called Guadalete. The reason for choosing this place was that it was surrounded by mountains on one side and a lake on the other side, leaving only the north open for the enemy to enter. In this way general Tariq was in control of the battle. This was especially important as al Andalus was rich in mountains, rivers and rough terrain that made the advances difficult. The Visigothic army consisted of 100,000 men against the caliphate army that counted 7,000 men, mainly Berber soldiers with general Tariq ibn Ziyad as their commander.

The caliphate army lost 2,000 men in the battle but surprisingly King Rodrigo’s army lost much more and in the end he was either killed in battle or he had to escape, there are various narrations to the story.

However the case, the Caliphate’s army (as they arrived on ships) came without horses, in the aftermath of the battle they ceased their enemies horses and kept marching to Seville, Jaén, Cordoba and Mérida, most of these cities gave up without a fight, they simply opened the gates to the city. During the whole advancement into Spain, the most surprising fact was the lack of resistance. The reason therefore, as mentioned earlier, was the poor living conditions that the population had experienced during the Visigothic rule. They had hope in the new country, as it could not possibly get any worse.

In that time Toledo being the capital of Spain or Hispana( as it was called before the Muslim rule) general Tariq and his army continued marching north towards Toledo. Simultaneously the rest of the troops opened up further pockets as well as assuring the peace in the already occupied territories.when general Tariq and the army arrived in Toledo, they were surprised to discover that the gates of the city were opened, they entered and took control of the city without any resistance.

Guadalete river

As a result of the quick progress general Musa sent a message telling general Tariq and the troops to halt further advances and to wait in Toledo for further instructions.

General Musa wanted to stabilize the country before any further advance, he had learned from his mistakes in North Africa in earlier years.Spain was as the rest of Europe in this time in the dark ages, poor, unsanitary and under-educated, and general Musa understood that education was of essential importance to stabilize the country.

During this time Portugal surrendered to general Musa’s son general Abdelaziz Musa ibn Nysayr.

The last push:

After approximately a year of pause the advances continued and this time general Musa brought with him 18,000 new recruits, these recruits were mainly Arabs unlike the first army that consisted of Berbers,and joined general Tariq for the last push.

Heading north they entered cities like Zaragoza and Barcelona before reaching the Pyrenees, this whole operation took 3.5 years . With just a small area left, Asturias, they received an order from the Caliphate or Amir il mohmeneen, commanding them to return to Damascus without delay, as the Amir thought the situation was escalating far too quickly!

This is the reason the small piece of Asturias never became a part of al Andalus, contrary to what some people claim that the resistance there was too fierce for the Caliphate’s army! Al Andalus was now under the Caliphate of Damascus rule!!!

#spain #al andalus #history #toledo #andalucía #battle of guadalete #guadalete river #granada #vicegothics #khalifates #ummayah #giblartar #musa ibn nysayr #tariq ibn zijad

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cincinnatusvirtue · 3 years

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Battles of Mackinac Island (1812) & (1814): Fights for control of the Old Northwest of America and Great Lakes during the War of 1812.

The War of 1812 (1812-1815) between the US and UK is sometimes cited as a “forgotten” war. However, that would be an inaccurate description and depends on the participants you ask. Remembered in the United States as a “Second War of Independence” it was treated as sort of a victory due to the lack of territorial change and the major victories such as the Battles of Lake Erie, Baltimore, Plattsburgh and New Orleans. In Canada, at the time a British colony, its remembered for its role in forging an Canadian national identity and the repelling of repeated American invasions. In Britain, its little remembered other than as a sideshow for the Napoleonic Wars. Meanwhile, for the Native American tribes that fought on the side of the British its largely remembered as a devastating loss that lead to permanent displacement and the consolidation of American expansion east of the Mississippi River. The war was in fact a military and political stalemate and had multiple causes and was fought by participants who were ill prepared for the management of executing a war at that time and was marked by repeated blunders and tended to favor a defensive over offensive strategy between both sides.

Background:

-1781 with the American victory at the Battle of Yorktown in Virginia saw an end to major combat in the American Revolution. 1783 saw Britain finally recognize America’s independence. Anticipating America as a major commercial trading partner. It sought to offer generous and lenient terms to the 1783 Treaty of Paris which included granting the US all territory east of the Mississippi River and south of the Great Lakes, an area sparsely populated by Europeans at the time and held a variety of many Native American tribes. This territory was considered the Northwest of the United States at the time and from 1787-1803 was referred to the as the (US) Northwest Territory and encompassed all of the modern US states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois & Wisconsin.

-The area was important to the Europeans and later European Americans for its role in the fur trade Great Lakes fishing and geopolitical control over North American continent.

-Following the 1780′s until the time of the War of 1812, American settlement in the area grew but remained sparse and relegated to a few scattered settlements with Native American tribes sometimes friendly and sometimes hostile to the United States residing alongside the new settlers. The fur trade remained dominant in terms of economic interest. The British also maintained a military presence in the area despite the Treaty of Paris handing over the territory to the Americans.

-Tensions with the British backed Native Americans and European American settlers boiled over into the Northwest Indian War (1785-1795) which resulted in an US victory at the 1794 Battle of Fallen Timbers. American settlement into Ohio Country was ascertained after this point and the British withdrew their minimal forces in the area (Ohio). Though tensions remained, due in part to some British presence remaining in the sparsely settled Northwest.

-The other major development of the 1790′s and onward was the French Revolution and later Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century which grew out of that. The United States had to determine its course of action relative to the greater European conflict between France and the various older monarchies they fought, namely Britain.

-Under President George Washington, the US adopted a stance of neutrality that sought trade with both Britain and France. The Jay Treaty he had signed with Britain was very controversial but Washington saw economic prosperity for America rather than war as its ultimate goal. Neither France nor Britain responded well to neutral American trade with its rival. The French Republic and the US fought a limited low level conflict called the Quasi War (1798-1800) which ultimately ended in no victory for either side and the old Franco-American alliance of the Revolutionary period gave way to a new one based more on free-trade. Coupled with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 which expanded American owned territory to the Trans-Mississippi, the British saw these developments as undesirable.

-From 1792-1815 aside from a previous 14 month peace Britain and France remained at war. For the most part Britain dominated the seas with the Royal Navy while France under Napoleon Bonaparte dominated the European continent. Britain maintained blockades of France as well as providing mostly subsidies to its Continental partners in Austria, Prussia, Russia and others rather than provide many ground troops since Britain possessed a small but professional army.

-Only after Napoleon’s invasion of Portugal and subsequent betrayal and conquest of Spanish ally did Britain provide a large long term ground troop presence on the continent, fighting in the Iberian theater’s Peninsular War (1807-1814).

-During the course of these events America’s merchant fleet doubled and became the world’s largest neutral merchant fleet. This caused resentment in Britain who felt it might be eclipsed by the US eventually in terms of trade.

-The US was not untested during this time having fought the First Barbary War against Tripoli (Libya) by using a naval bombardment combined with a US Marine and Arab-Greek mercenary force to defeat the Barbary pirates at the Battle of Derna. A treaty was signed freeing all American sailors taken as prisoner and made slaves by the Muslim pirates of Tripoli. The war demonstrated American power projection overseas for the first time and was noted by the European powers of the day.

-However, the French rivalry with Britain drove most events in and around America’s relations with Europe and the practice of impressment by both the French and British navies caused real ire in the US. Impressment was the force pressing into service of sailors to work aboard British or French ships and it included the stopping and seizure of neutral American military and merchant vessels and their crews. The British practiced it more than the French and Britain argued that any trade that benefitted France in war time was not to be permitted. This angered the American government and public at large.

-Additionally, Britain argued they were looking for either runaway British subjects on the ship or refused to recognize British citizenship being renounced in favor of American citizenship and in their eyes were simply fulfilling Admiral Horatio Nelson’s famous quip “England expects that every man will do his duty.”

-America saw this as a clear violation and illegal of the rights of neutral nations. President Thomas Jefferson responded with the Embargo Act to in his mind hurt European trade to the point they would ease up on America and cease impressment. It did not work and in the end hurt American trade more.

-By 1812, under President James Madison, the push for war in the US reached fever pitch in some quarters (outside of New England). The US could no longer stand for British impressment which included taking Americans who were never British subjects along with the continued British support for Native American aggression in the Northwest territory now known as the Michigan & Indiana Territories. Britain had promised to sponsor a Native American buffer state in these territories in the event of a successful war with America. They would also provide weapons, men and goods to support this effort as they had in the past. To answer this support was Tecumseh’s Confederacy, a mix of Native American tribes under the leadership of a Shawnee leader named Tecumseh.

1812: War is declared and the Capture of Fort Mackinac.

-In June 1812, the US declared war and indeed war might have been avoided on Britain’s side had their Prime Minister Spencer Perceval not been assassinated at the same time in May 1812. Perceval had hoped for a diplomatic resolution to tensions with America, knowing Britain could ill afford war in the Americas.

-America declared war but had a small regular army due to a longstanding reliance on the militia system which had existed since colonial times in the 17th century. Their plans involved invading Canada but due to the understanding that militias in some states might only operate locally were not well coordinated and faced many logistical issues to coordinate.

-News of the war’s outbreak reached Britain’s Canadian colonies prior to Britain itself so it required the small number of British troops supported by local Canadian militias Native American auxiliaries to fight the war on Britain’s behalf.

-Issac Brock, a Major General in charge of the defense of Upper Canada (Ontario) sought to make early gains to offset the American plans at the war’s outset, one plan involved capturing Mackinac Island in the Great Lakes due to its strategic location.

-Mackinac Island is a relatively small island located near the Straits of Mackinac where Lakes Michigan and Huron meet in the Great Lakes chain. Today it is located between off the lake shore southeast of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and near the Lower Peninsula.

-Mackinac was a place of spiritual significance to the Ojibwe and other Algonquian speaking peoples of the Great Lakes region. Said to be the home of Gitche Manitou or creator spirit. It also became a vital trading center for the French and later British fur traders in the region. It was ceded to the Americans following the 1783 Treaty of Paris and held a small fur trading outpost and fort by the time of war’s outbreak in 1812.

-Brock dispatched a force of 600 regular British troops, Canadian militiamen, frontiersmen and Native Americans to surprise the American force on Mackinac. Due to Mackinac’s remoteness and other more pressing factors, news of war’s declaration in June 1812 had not yet made it to the island by the following month.

-Fort Mackinac occupied a limestone ridge overlooking the harbor on the southern end of Mackinac Island. It faced several deficiencies despite holding a commanding view. The force was small to begin with and only had seven cannons for its defense with only one capable of reaching attacking ships in the harbor. To make matters worse, they acquired their water supply from a spring fed on higher ground above the fort which meant their water supply was easy to cutoff in the event of siege

-Roberts having captured a fur trader named Michael Dousman who had been dispatched by American commander Porter Hanks to investigate reports of unusual activity at nearby St. Joseph’s Island was able to get valued information from his new captured informant on the condition of Mackinac’s defenses. Having learned the Americans were unaware of war’s declaration and now having a layout of their defenses Roberts implemented a plan.

-On early morning July 17th The British/Native American force would land on the northwest side of the island at a spot to be aptly called later, British Landing, some two miles from the fort. They landed on the shoreline and marched through the small road and woods through the island’s center taking high ground above the fort. Awaking the few villagers on the island they removed them from harms way and placed a cannon on the ridge above the fort at dawn and fired a single shot to warn the Americans of their presence. They sent a flag of truce to Hanks demanding surrender of the fort or face a siege. Hanks complied without firing a single shot and surrendered the whole garrison as he feared resistance would lead to a massacre from the Native American contingent. Having captured the fort without a fight, the British now controlled the whole island and the area around it.

-Roberts released the American garrison on the promise it would not fight for duration of the war. The permanent residents-fur traders and a few farmers were offered the choice to swear an oath of allegiance to the British Crown or they would be allowed to leave, most took up the oath and carried on with their business. The British did not loot any homes, resided in the fort and paid for some food to their Native American allies while the regular soldiers were fed on rations intended for the US garrison kept in government storehouses.

-Most of the Native Americans contingent left, returning to either Wisconsin or to help Tecumseh fight the Americans elsewhere. Meanwhile, the British consolidated their position on the island.

1814: Battle of Mackinac Island

-The British also captured Fort Detroit and it with that fort captured, the Americans could not attempt to retake Mackinac Island. In 1813, the Americans had a change in fortune from the disasters of 1812. They won the definitive naval battle on the Great Lakes, defeating the Royal Navy in the Battle of Lake Erie. They also recaptured Detroit and pursued the retreating British into Canada catching up with them at the Battle of the Thames where they killed Tecumseh and shattered his Native American coalition as a threat once and for all.

-Meanwhile, the British garrison on Mackinac remained in place without event for the next two years since its capture by them but the retaking of Detroit and the victory at Lake Erie and the Thames all in 1813 cut off fresh British supplies. The British garrison was forced to cut rations in half over the winter of 1813-14 to stagger their supplies, they also stored locally grown corn and took to fishing to supplement their food supplies.

-The British decided to open a new supply route from the eastern Great Lakes since the route from Lake Erie was no longer possible. Robert McDouall of the Glengarry Light Infantry, a Canadian raised regiment known for their green jackets was ordered to assist in this in early February 1814. The Glengarries were made of Catholic Scottish emigrants to Canada. Joined by men of the Royal Newfoundland Fencibles who helped serve as marines along with some sailors and artillerymen, McDouall arrived on May 18th with fresh provisions of food, munitions and other supplies to the half-starved garrison. Days later 200 Native American reinforcements came under command of Robert Dickson, a Canadian fur trader and Indian Agent for the British colonial government’s Indian Department.

-McDouall immediately took charge and ordered a stockade and blockhouse be built on the ridge above the current fort, they named it Fort George, it gave a more commanding view of the island’s harbor and placed them more out of reach from ship cannons from any attacking force. The British force that summer numbered 150-200 Native American warriors, 125-150 British regulars and 25-30 militiamen.

-Meanwhile, America aware of the resupply of Mackinac sought to retake the island for its strategic location. The plan called for leaving from Detroit for the island and to attack it with a superior force just as the British had down.

-McDouall also built breastworks and entrenchments along a ridgeline overlooking a farm to the north of the fort in the center of the island. This was in the line of the British advance two years before.

-The American force consisted of five ships under Arthur Sinclair and 700 ground troops under George Croghan. The American squadron did not have detailed knowledge of the island or region and attacked and burnt the old British post on St. Joseph island in their search for Mackinac.

-Due to their delay, McDouall was aware of their approach and upped his defenses calling in nearby British companies for support and finalizing his defenses.

-July 26th saw the Americans bombard the island from the harbor on its southern shore but the guns missed their mark as Fort George stood too high for their guns to do damage. Famously, the cannonballs only landed in the vegetable gardens below the fort. After two days they called off the attack

-Faced with developing heavy fog, the Americans withdrew from the island for almost a week. They decided to rethink their plan and approach from the northwest of the island as the British had two years before. In fact landing right at the same spot (British Landing).

-The American landing force would follow the same route as the British up the center of the island and storm the fort from the high ground on the north.

-However, unlike the British the American force gave no element of surprise. They would attack in the middle of day after having bombarded the woods near British Landing in the misguided belief Native Americans were in the area waiting to ambush. All this did was alert the British to inevitable American approach. McDouall left 25 men to man Fort Mackinac and another 25 Fort George on the high ground. The rest of his British/Canadian/Native American force would man the earthworks to the north, lining the crest of the ridge facing north where the Americans would be approaching. The Americans would have to approach through a farm in the island’s center giving a clear line of their approach.

-Though outnumbered, the British defenses, holding the high ground and the clear line of shot gave them considerable advantages to the Americans. Not to mention the crucial loss of surprise the Americans had foregone in favor of superior numbers.

-Both sides maintained two cannons each to start the battle (afternoon August 4th) with an inaccurate artillery duel firing at each other, neither doing any real damage. The American force consisted of some regulars and large number of Ohio volunteer militia which Croghan used to outflank the British left while some regulars would flank their right but found the dense woods to slow their advance.

-Meanwhile, McDouall dispatched a number of troops to island’s west on the false report that another American landing was taking place.

-American regulars were ambushed by Native Americans in the woods leading to the death of their immediate commanding officer Major Andrew Holmes.

-in the confusion of the ambush the American troops lost heart and retreated, this in turn

-Croghan’s main force did advance toward the British line but just as some Americans reached the top of the ridge, the British line was reinforced by the British regulars who went to investigate the false report of the 2nd American landing. This combined with the Native force’s ambush demoralized the Americans and Croghan called a retreat, falling back through the woods they reached the shore and rowed back to their ships. The British had won the day but just barely.

-Casualties were light with only member of the British force dead and another wounded. The Americans suffered 13 dead mostly from the ambush of Holmes’ men in the woods, they also had 51-55 wounded to varying degrees, two of the wounded were taken prisoner.

Aftermath:

-The War of 1812 was a back and forth affair with early upsets for the Americans in 1812, then numerous victories in 1813 such as Lake Erie, Thames and even the burning of York (Toronto) provincial capital of Upper Canada.

-1814 was a in turn a disaster for both sides, the British extended a blockade of the American Atlantic seaboard which hurt the economy. They also managed to defeat American efforts in the Northwest Territory, winning not only Mackinac Island but another small victory on the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien in Wisconsin. They also most famously invaded and captured Washington DC, burning both the US Capitol building and the White House. However, their attempt to take Baltimore, Maryland ended in sound defeat as was a major defeat at Plattsburgh in land-naval battle on Lake Champlain in upstate New York. These American victories frustrated the British invasions just as American invasions into Canada had been repelled.

-Combined failures on both sides, strained economies and the seeming end of Napoleonic Wars by late 1814 dropped the need for impressment by the Royal Navy, ending an American cause for war. Additionally, the British sponsored Native American confederacy was irrevocably shattered following Tecumseh’s death. So negotiations began on both sides taking place in Ghent (modern Belgium) then part of the Netherlands. The Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24th, 1814 marking a stalemate. Neither side would gain or lose territory and peace would be made. The British would drop their support for a Native American buffer state, abandoning almost once and for all any hope of slowing American permanent settlement into area south of the Great Lakes.

-Since news took weeks to travel by sea from Europe to America the treaty’s signing did not yet reach the US and a British invasion force of New Orleans was under way in December 1814 in the hopes of using the city as a bargaining chip for negotiations. However, like Baltimore & Plattsburgh, it turned into a disaster when in January 1815. A then relatively unknown Andrew Jackson, lead a successful defense against the British invasion in the Battle of New Orleans, the victory was the most one sided of the war and its infamy propelled Andrew Jackson to nationwide fame to later become 7th President of the United States. The US Congress ratified the peace treaty less than two months later.

-Mackinac Island was returned the Americans peacefully in 1815 and has remained part of the United States ever since. The fortifications still stand, the island is a Michigan state park, the island is a major tourist destination, artist colony and resort location with the Governor of Michigan maintaining a summer residence there. The battlefield today is mostly a golf course in the center of the island.

-The Battles of Mackinac Island are not the best known events of the War of 1812 and the two battles that took place there were relatively small in scale with light casualties and numbers of troops involved but they serve to show the importance the Great Lakes and then Northwest Territory held for the Americans, British and the Native Americans at the time. They also serve as a microcosm of the war’s frustrating character, a mix of all its combatants: Americans, Canadians, British & Native Americans all with vested interest in the war’s outcome and a location changing hands but by war’s end going right back to its start.

#military history #war of 1812 #michigan #mackinac island #usa #british empire #canada #1814 #native americans #lake huron #lake michigan #great lakes #wisconsin #upper peninsula #fort mackinac

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esckeyes · 4 years

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My Quetzal Story

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you probably saw a lot of pictures of this bird called the “quetzal” recently. I am having a hard time describing why it was such a big deal for me. So I will try a longer post.

I read a history of Hernan Cortes’ conquest of Mexico once. I felt like the book itself was too kind to Cortes. But the one thing I vividly remember (and perhaps even problematic books can have glimpses of beauty) was a description of the native peoples trying to save quetzal feathers instead of gold and jewels on “La Noche Triste” (needs new name?).

I had never heard of this bird called the quetzal (or the Resplendent Quetzal, more properly). I googled quetzal feathers and found some lovely looking—but probably fake—headdresses said to belong to Aztec nobility. I also found out that the quetzal is mostly extinct in Mexico, which made me sad. The feathers were such a beautiful color and they were a great symbol of the Mexica people.

Cut to my sister (who travels a lot because she does a job that pays her actual money and gives her vacation time. Weird!), planning a trip to Costa Rica. I was super bummed because I was the one who took Spanish in school. She took French. I knew very little about Costa Rica from my textbooks (my Spanish IV textbook had cultural pages with history and information about various Spanish speaking countries. They usually were about how some asshole treated the people like shit). Costa Rica was a nice change because it didn’t have a lot of war or upheaval--there was a lot about colorful animals and their focus on saving them. Mostly I remember that they abolished the army and I thought that was cool. I wanted to go.

I don’t remember exactly when, during my sister’s time researching her trip that I learned there are still a few quetzals alive in the wild of Costa Rica. That is all fuzzy. But the point is: she was going to the country with these Mexica quetzals I wanted to see AND the eco-friendly Spanish-speaking nation without me? I was a big ball of pout.

So for Christmas, my dad said he would pay for me to accompany my sister. (My parents don’t like that she travels alone anyhow, I don’t think.)

I kept showing people videos on YouTube and gifs on Twitter. (Not everyone liked that I did this) I also learned some random quetzal facts from the internet. But I was worried I wouldn’t actually get to see one because they are nearly extinct and, well, you have to be lucky. I am not a bird-watcher or an experienced naturalist. I just like stories and the myths surrounding the quetzal. Symbols greatly intrigue me.

— The quetzal was considered sacred to many indigenous peoples. It is associated with the Mesoamerican god Quetzalcoatl. Notice the similarity in the names. (You have probably heard of Quetzalcoatl as the god the Aztecs were said to have thought Cortes was. I was taught this in Spanish class. But it is an exaggeration at best and the purpose of this story seems to be “these natives are dumb” even though their society was so advanced and awestruck the Spanish.)

— Quetzal feathers were worth a great deal (obviously more than gold to the Aztecs). It is still the name of the currency of Guatemala, though they are sadly paper now not actual feathers. And this got me thinking about the arbitrary nature of “wealth” and why shiny rocks are worth more than shells, feathers, or other parts of nature. It seems like putting a higher value on life itself.

— The quetzal also is supposed to represent liberty. I read online that one would “kill itself” in captivity (more on this below) and hearing its song before battle meant victory over the Spanish. THIS IS ALL COOL STUFF THAT COULD BE USED AS A METAPHOR IN A BOOK AND WHY HAVEN’T I READ THIS BOOK.

Anyway, back to my trip to Costa Rica. We looked online for the best places to see a Resplendent !uetzal, because, again it is hard and there are only a few places they live now.

My sister already planned a visit to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve so that was a possibility. But our guide there said, when I asked him about it, that thousands of people go into that forest but that maybe only 10% get to see a quetzal.

The cloud forest itself is very cool. I learned about rainforests in school but not cloud forests. It’s wet and green everywhere. I found it a bit overwhelming. Our guide would say, look at that [insert species] over there” and I would be like, “I see trees.” There was just so much. We actually did pass by a female quetzal at one point (the female is not as brightly colored as the male) but I saw movement and that was about it.

If I am honest, I was a bit disappointed. But I kept telling myself that I was lucky to see one at all.

However, the next day we went to the Curi-Cancha reserve. (Take a moment to appreciate how great it is that Costa Rica has so many nature reserves.) I told our guide there that I would like to get a picture of a quetzal if possible but I had seen one the day before.

He knew a lot about birds. I asked him if there were any that he’d love to see and he mentioned an endangered bird he needed to go to South America to see. (I had meant in the park itself so I was thrown that he was talking about taking a trip to see a bird. But I guess that is what I was doing, wasn’t it?)

So when he heard through the grapevine of guides (if you go to Costa Rica and you should, keep an eye out for how all the tour guides alert each other if they saw anything cool down the way—it’s like an animal whisper network) that a male quetzal had been spotted in an avocado tree, he made me and the other family on the tour RUN to the tree. I appreciated this but felt bad for the other family because maybe they didn’t care.

The guide took SO MANY pictures for me. I wanted to cry.

Here is Mr. Quetzal sittin’ and showing off his long tail feathers.

This photo (and others) were taken for me by my guide through a scope. Then he made us RUN to another side of the tree because he wanted us to see that the quetzal feathers look different colors in different light. Most describe them as green or blue but—FUN FACT—they are actually mostly brown but iridescent for better camouflage. (The red spot is said to be blood from the Conquistador Pedro de Alvarado. More fun mythology!)

Look how fuzzy his silly head is. I love him so much.

Our guide also talked about the myths around the quetzal. I may have stepped on his toes there some. (Sorry!) But he cleared up the whole “They kill themselves” thing. He said they are easily stressed—aren’t we all; I feel ya, bird bro—and being caged can cause them the have heart attacks.

He also said there are fewer of them every year, so if you want to see one, go soon. This is because the female quetzal can only lay two eggs during a small window of nesting period, and said eggs are vulnerable to predators. Also the nesting period, formerly March to June, is getting thrown out of whack by global warming making it warmer earlier. This is probably why I was able to see one in February since the nesting period is when they usually come out and about.

But, possible good news, he said zoologists have successfully hatched one in captivity in Mexico recently. The only articles I can find on this are in Spanish and it sucky because I want to know everything. Can someone please let me know?

Especially considering one of the myths I read was that the quetzal would not sing in Mexico until the Invaders were defeated. Like, is it revolution time now? Should I get a weapon? And what does it mean that scientists engineered this revolution? I have questions about how this fits into the mythology, damnit!

I have a lot of thoughts.

#quetzal #quetzalbird #resplendent quetzal #costa rica #quetzalcoatl #mesoamerica #hernan cortes #monteverde #curi cancha #birds #aztec #nahuatl

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svlene · 6 years

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SELENE KIM ( CIS FEMALE & SHE/HERS )? oh, aren’t they the TWENTY-FIVE (510) year old VAMPIRE who works as a BARTENDER at ELSWOOD’S? word on the streets is that they are INDEPENDENT & ASTUTE, but they can also be CALCULATING & RETICENT. by the way, they look eerily similar to LEE SUNG-KYUNG, don’t they? ( izzie / 21 / pst / she/hers )

give this a like if you want to plot and i’ll hit you up!

FULL NAME: selene kim / kim seol-hee AGE: 25 ( 510 ) PRONOUNS / GENDER: cis female / she/hers SPECIES: vampire HOUSING: she lives in halkirk, because as much as she likes mansions, she lives alone and such a large house like the ones in rosehill would be too empty. she has a nice apartment in one of the wealthier complexes, and it’s very well-furnished ( read: expensive furniture ). FAMILY: she has no surviving family that she knows of because she’s a vampire and lost contact with her mother centuries ago. she’s never been pregnant, either, so she doesn’t have descendants from one of her previous relationships back when she was human. if she has any living relatives, she doesn’t know about them. she’s fine that way. it’s less attachments to worry about. BACKSTORY:

in 1508, kim seol-hee was born in the honam region, inheriting her mother’s beauty and grace. she would later show she had taken after her father’s ruthlessness and ambition, though she would never meet him — he was a nobleman and her mother, his lover and a kisaeng ( an entertainer & courtesan )

because seol-hee’s mother was a kisaeng, she was to become one too. she was educated in various disciplines, including prose, poetry, music, dance, medicine, and needlework. by the age of 18, she had surpassed her mother in skill and popularity, and became renowned for her poetry and singing voice. she went from entertaining in the honam region to the courts seoul because of her talents, and though the training was stricter, it was a better opportunity.

she took several lovers over the years, scholars and former soldiers and government officials, and while men wanted her, none would really have her. not until she met jong-yul, a very rich, very charismatic scholar. they spent a significant amount of time together, and he promised her something better than wealth and prosperity—immortality. seol-hee agreed; ever opportunistic, she knew she wasn’t getting any younger. and then what would she do? retire and run a tavern like her mother? become a concubine like her friend? ( if she wanted that, she would’ve done it already. )

so he turned her into a vampire, and that was that. in an ideal situation, they would’ve traveled together, but life wasn’t a dream and he wasn’t her savior—nor did she need one. he said he’d meet her again someday, and so they parted ways. three years later, she faked her death, left kim seol-hee to only be remembered by her poems and talents, and resurfaced in another city under a new name.

she did this for several decades, doing what she did best: entertaining and seducing, though with the added occupations of political informant and occasional murderess. with her clientele, ~important~ people she socialized with, and her tendency to frequent guest houses and taverns, she had a wealth of information at her fingertips that was all too easy to collect. as for the killings—it was also too easy to bleed choice victims dry ( ie, japanese generals during the japanese invasions of 1592 - 1598 ).

at the turn of the 17th century, she traveled to china with a dignitary; it was time to leave korea for somewhere new. she grew tired of the chinese official, and traveled through china, sometimes as the lover of a nobleman or scholar. some years later, she met jong-yul again, and they began to travel together. there’s something to be said about having a constant in a world where everyone around you grows old, and jong-yul would become that for her.

they set their sights on europe, and hitched a ride on the ship of portuguese merchants. she befriended an astronomer, who taught her portuguese. she would go on collecting several languages over the centuries to come, including mandarin and cantonese chinese, english, spanish, french, german, japanese, and italian. she has since smoothed the accent from her voice.

at this point, she’d amassed more than a fair amount of wealth from her conquests. she and jong-yul spent their travels pretending to be visiting nobles or whatever they needed to be; they took and shared lovers; she immersed herself in the art movements of the years, becoming a singer, a dancer, a writer, a muse; she did whatever she wanted because she could. she continued to trade information for favors and money. she took different names with different cities. she slipped into new roles as easily as slipping into a new dress.

in the middle of the 19th century, jong-yul disappeared. of course, she was angry and despondent, but still, she carried on. perhaps they would meet again, like he promised ( or perhaps he was dead. there were vampire hunters out there, no? ) she went from milan to paris just as the belle epoque began, where she was once again a performer and courtesan. it was what she loved, after all.

during wwii, she was a spy for the allies because of her intelligence, fluency in several languages, and inability to die ( though as if any humans knew this ). she traveled across europe, collecting intel through her own methods as well as her many connections. for a centuries-old vampire, it was a quick, though devastating, four years, watching the world pass through cruel hands yet again. she was glad when korea is liberated from the japanese, though the aftermath still broke her heart when her country was torn in two.

she continued moving around the world, changing names as easily as she changes clothes, settling in california for a few years before moving back to france, then to portugal, germany, singapore, then in south korea. she went back and forth to avoid suspicion that she looked the same after ten or so years ( she’s just effortlessly youthful, you know ). her occupations range from translator to dancer to informant to socialite to anything she wishes. she has a lot of time and money on hand to develop skills, after all.

somehow, she ends up in fairview. it’s full of small town charm and perhaps something more interesting, and it makes a good place to lie low for a while. she’s not part of the elswood coven, she just kinda works at the bar because she needs something to do.

PERSONALITY:

she’s vivacious, independent, and charming, chasing after thrill and indulgence, but also selfish, vain, and calculating. generally an outgoing & lovely woman until you cross her, and is particularly ruthless when it comes to getting what she wants. knows a lot of secrets about a lot of people. tries her best not to raise suspicion, and lives life as a seemingly normal, but very rich and rather flippant human. gets her blood through various…connections, whether that’s a hospital or somewhere else. the red wine in her glass is most definitely not a nice merlot.

flirty as hell, but also knows not to get attached since, y’know, immortality and her partner disappeared without a word decades ago so she’s still kind of bitter about that!! enjoys attention and companionship, basically. here for a good time and a long time. she also likes ~the art of conversation~ and learning about people. definitely into a good story, though it takes a lot to fully get her attention since she’s not easily impressed.

she has seen a lot. been through a lot. lived through a lot of history, so has zero time for bullshit. she’s also terribly, terribly bored, always looking for something new and interesting to take up her time. immortality can truly drag on.

MISC.

Does your character have any nicknames? not really tbh. she’s not one for nicknames. she has a lot of names though from over the years (-:

Does your character have any distinguishing features such as tattoos, scars, piercings, etc? she has two piercings on both her earlobes. no tattoos.

What is your character like in relationships? Are they clingy? Faithful or unfaithful? Do they jump from one relationship to the other? Do they even have an interest in something romantic? faithful in the sense she’ll end the relationship once she’s bored rather than hang on and cheat behind their back ( though she’s certainly been unfaithful in the past ). she’s much fonder of arrangements that have no strings attached, so she can be with who she likes, when she likes. it doesn’t matter if a relationship lasted ten years or two months---once she’s grown tired of it, she’ll end it and move onto the next one. or be single for a while. it depends. romance does interest her to an extent, but she hasn’t been as in love as she was with jong-yul in a very long time. it’d take a very special being for her to give so much of herself to someone else again.

What kind of things does your character like? What do they dislike? she enjoys the finer things in life, like art, beautiful clothing, and jewelry. she has penchants for designer labels and vintage clothing, as well as obscure art spanning centuries. she loves traveling and exploring new cities; she likes architecture, languages, gambling, and reading; she still loves dancing and singing. she also likes technology for how innovative it is. she dislikes boredom, staying in one place for too long, and people getting too close to her. she hates nosy people, but she wouldn’t ever let someone know that.

How does your character treat their friends and family? How about strangers? Enemies? treats her friends very well. will give them gifts, will help them in their times of need, would kill for them. literally. she’s a very good friend ( and ally ) to have. she’s friendly and seemingly open to strangers, and is generally a vibrant, outgoing woman. you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, after all. as for enemies, she’s rather ruthless when dealing with them. if you’re on her bad side, you’ll know. also pretty fond of snide comments.

Where does your character go when they are angry? it’s a mystery

What is your character’s biggest fear? Who have they told this to? Who would they never tell this to? Why? she’s not really scared of much at this point. being killed would really suck, but she’s lived so long that death doesn’t particularly scare her either. fearlessness isn’t necessarily always a good thing, though.

Does your character have a secret? If so, what is it? what secrets doesn’t she have? one, her real name is kim seol-hee. she has spied for governments, spied for criminals. she has blackmailed numerous people and sold secrets and information to the highest bidder without regard for the consequences of the parties involved. she has killed not only to feed, but for money, for revenge, and she is not sorry for some of it. her wealth is certainly not built on virtue and taking the high road, and, well, she’s a vampire. depending on who she’s talking to, that might be the biggest secret of all.

Has your character ever been in love? Have they ever had a broken heart? she was in love with the vampire who turned her, as they spent numerous years together and formed an unbreakable bond---until he disappeared and broke her heart. she got over it. mostly. sometimes she gets angry at him for disappearing, and other times she grows despondent, afraid that he was killed by a hunter.

Does your character have any flaws? What are they? she’s self-serving, vain, selfish, ruthless, fickle. she’s a liar, and won’t hesitate to deceive someone to save herself. she’s not the most trustworthy, either, and her loyalty can sometimes only last so long. she’s awfully cynical, though she doesn’t show it.

What is one strong memory that has stuck with your character from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting? 500 years has blurred memories, but sometimes, she’ll remember singing with her mother as a little girl. everyone starts somewhere, and despite their circumstances, her mother truly loved her and tried to give her the best she could.

WANTED CONNECTIONS / PLOTS:

vampire friends/allies --- as much as she keeps others at a certain length, it’d actually be nice to have friends who won’t die in a few decades. these could be vampires she’s known for a very, very long time, those she’s just recently struck up a friendship with, a new vampire she’s mentoring because sometimes she does nice things, etc. these could also be varying degrees of trust---maybe they’re proven loyal till the end, or they’re just around each other because it’s fun. or they relate to each on some vampiric level.

acquaintances / friends --- she’s not trying to make her life difficult, so she’s a pretty friendly person until you piss her off. so these would be people she gets along with for whatever reason. also, human friends who think she’s human and she’s not doing a thing to correct them would be fun!!

interests --- she thinks you’re interesting/amusing and hangs around you for that reason.

enemies --- you got on her bad side for some reason, or she got on yours. or you just hate each other. also here for love/hate relationships with all that tension and ‘i hate you but i can’t stay away from you and arguing with you is really fun and also you’re kind of hot???’

other supernatural being shenanigans

she hasn’t been in town as long as some other people ( i haven’t really figured it out yet, but she’s only been around for a few years, or maybe it’s one of those things where she pops in every couple decades ), and you don’t trust her. you think she’s hiding something and you aim to find out what’s behind the charming facade, and you’re sure all she’s feeding you are lies ( which is true ).

you’re at elswood’s and she’s bartending that night and now you’re drunkenly spilling all her problems to her. and you’d think all this years she’d get good at comforting people, but she’s not. she’s just good at faking it!

anything else!!! pls come to me w any ideas!!!

#THIS IS REALLY LONG and i'm sorry #honestly if you read all this....props to u #but if u feel like skimming that's ok!! come to me and we can work out details!!#sacrilegeintro

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helloimnotawesome · 6 years

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The Wolves in the North

Just a little something that came to my mind inspired by a song .The original is in Spanish so a lot is lost in translation, but still ;)

I have to know what you think, when you think of me.

In the intimacy she convinces me not to regret the things that she does to me.

And her hair that reaches the ground. A look that betrays no fear. A desire that holds me captive.

I want to lie to her, but I stay honest.

Racking my mind, I’ve been patient when you’re late.

I’ve been wanting to see you for a while and today, luckily, I’m the the one who devours you.

She gives no damns, she is a bad girl.

Much was said about the two eldest Stark brothers. Daenerys and Margaery had heard enough rumours; they wanted first-hand experience.

They came up with a plan and travelled to Winterfell. Why the fuck not. They were young and eager to know the world. The North seemed like a good place to start.

They approached Sansa, their sister, and they made her their friend. At first it was only to get information about the two men they fancied but then, they discovered Sansa was a sweet soul and started considering her a true friend. Yet, she was very helpful. Margaery and Daenerys had only wanted to have some fun, but after Sansa had talked about her brothers extensively, referring to them with such love, the two girls had fallen hard for Eddard Stark’s boys. Margaery decided Robb was her dream boy, Daenerys thought the same of Jon. Thank the gods each had noticed a different Stark.

Sansa told them the brothers worked at the family company and that every Thursday night they went out to have a drink. She knew the place they frequented and pointed it out to them on Google Maps.

Daenerys and Margaery made it their mission to conquest Jon and Robb one of those Thursdays.

Sansa found out about their plans and, weirdly, approved of them. She even helped them choose make-up and clothes she knew her brothers wouldn’t be able to resist.

Sansa said Jon and Robb appreciated long and abundant hair. So, the girls decided to leave their hair down that night. Margaery’s brown curls matched nicely with the green of her dress. Daenerys' platinum blonde ones contrasted with the black of hers. Red lips were key. Sansa took out of her purse a bottle of perfume. She put some drops on each girl. “Winter roses. That is something northmen are fond of, especially them”.

Daenerys and Margaery entered the club and found Robb and Jon in a VIP table. How would they reach them there? Margaery noticed the table had a perfect view of the dancefloor so she and Daenerys made their way there and started dancing. They would see them. They had to see them.

Seven hells, they were both so handsome. Margaery believed Robb’s auburn curls matched her brown ones perfectly, just like Jon’s black ones contrasted Daenerys’ blonde ones perfectly. It was like the gods had created those two specimens specifically for them. They were sure of it and no other women in the world would take them away.

Although the girls had always liked to make their own money, getting married and having children were also part of their plans. After some weeks in the North, Daenerys was sure she wanted to bear Jon’s children and no one else’s. Margaery was sure she wanted to bear Robb’s children and no one else’s. Their mission became even more important then.

They looked up and… finally, a pair of grey eyes were ogling at Daenerys and a pair of blue ones at Margaery.

The men staring at them were smirking and the girls could tell why people thought of them as wolves. Their stares were penetrating and animalistic, like when wild predators stalked their preys. Instead of feeling intimidated or fearful, Daenerys and Margaery only felt excited and hot, so very hot. Yes, those men were meant to be theirs.

The girls made sure Jon and Robb admired each and every one of their curves on the dance floor. Two other guys that were dancing approached and tried to talk to them. That had not been their objective but Margaery and Daenerys understood their moves had caught other males’ attention.

Just when they were about to dance with them, a man in a suit approached them and told them some gentlemen requested their presence. Of course, they had acted when seeing their catches could be stolen away. The girls grinned and followed the man. He let them in the VIP area and soon enough Marge and Dany made their way to the future fathers of their children.

Margaery sat next to Robb and Daenerys did the same with Jon. The guys complemented their outfits and offered to buy them a drink. The atmosphere was heavy in a good way. It smelled of men’s cologne, alcohol and sweat. A heat between their legs exploded.

“What are two southern girls up to this far north?”, asked Robb.

“They told us Winterfell City is the most beautiful place to see during the winter”, answered Daenerys.

“We wanted to witness it for ourselves”, completed Margaery.

“So you will be staying for a while”, intervened Jon. Winter was predicted to arrive next month, the girls were aware. Enough time to make them fall for them.

“Yes, we will”. Daenerys answered for both of them.

The guys had not stopped smirking the whole time. Marge and Dany knew they almost had them. They only needed to continue charming them and then they would be the ones wanting them, asking them on dates and eventually, asking them to stay in their lives forever.

“So, tell us your names”, said Jon.

“Margaery”.

“Daenerys”. Dany turned seductively to Jon asking him with her eyes the same question pretending to be unaware of everything.

“Jon”.

“Robb”, answered the auburn haired guy after Marge did the same with him. “Well, to new friends”, he said when their drinks arrived and they all clashed their glasses.

“To new friends”, replied the girls.

The men told them about their jobs and they told them about theirs.

“We both live in the capital”, said Daenerys.

“I design jewellery”, said Marge. “I have my own brand and my company is going nicely”.

Robb smiled and seemed to approve of her job.

“I am an interior designer. I work in an architecture firm”, Daenerys finished. Jon, too, approved.

After a while, the conversation divided. Robb was only paying attention to Margaery and Jon was only paying attention to Daenerys.

The couples continued talking for some time. Daenerys discovered Jon was the sweetest, smartest and most interesting man she had ever met. Margaery, for her part, found out Robb was the funniest, cleverest and most captivating man she had ever met.

At one point, Jon intertwined his hand with Daenerys and she felt her heart beat faster. He had been getting closer since she first sat next to him.

Robb placed his hand on Margaery’s leg and caressed it softly making her blush.

Daenerys felt brave and, after one more gin and tonic, she dared to kiss Jon. He was a bit taken by her enthusiasm, but responded the kiss just as passionately. Daenerys broke it and Jon simply pulled her in for another, this time bringing her closer by putting his arms around her waist. “Where have you been all this time?", he whispered in between kisses with his deep northern accent. Daenerys felt in the heavens.

When Margaery saw how Daenerys had been successful, she got the courage to kiss Robb as well. She grabbed him by the shirt and brought his lips to hers. Robb immediately responded to her closeness and placed her on his lap. “How is it I only met you today?”, he said gasping. Margaery gave him an innocent smile.

After their first kisses, the two pairs continued talking, holding hands, caressing skin and laughing out the night. It seemed like the perfect double date already. Margaery and Daenerys noticed many girls looked at them angrily. Sorry, not sorry, girls.

Everything was going smooth just like the girls had wanted, but, secretly, they feared the guys only wanted a one-night distraction. So, to make sure they didn't, they said they wanted to go to sleep early because tomorrow they would be taking a city tour very early. Robb and Jon seemed disappointed, but accepted their reasons and offered to take them to their hotel.

Each brother had brought their own car so each girl got in one. Jon couldn't stop gawking at Daenerys and Robb couldn't stop gawking at Margaery. When they reached the hotel, they stepped down and opened the door for them.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Jon”, Dany told the grey-eyed man in front of her. “I had a really nice time”.

“The pleasure is all mine”, he answered placing his hands dangerously close to her bum. “I had never met a woman like you”.

Daenerys blushed. “An interior designer from Dragonstone?”

“Precisely". They stayed looking at each other without saying a word.

“You are great company, Robb. Thanks for the night”, Marge said grabbing Robb’s curls. He took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles.

“I should be the one thanking you. I spent an amazing time; you are one remarkable woman”.

“You are one remarkable man”.

Robb had now both her hands in his and was gently playing with her fingers. “I want to see you again. I refuse to let you go”.

Margaery smirked and she knew. She knew Robb stark was starting to feel a deeper connection to her.

“Can I see you again?”, Jon asked Daenerys. “I can't bear the idea that this is the only time I will get to talk to you”.

Daenerys smirked and she knew. She knew Jon Stark was starting to feel a deeper connection to her.

The boys told the girls to drop the city tour. They would be their guides during their stay in Winterfell. Only they had to wait till Saturday because they worked tomorrow. However, they offered them to spend the morning at a spa and then to pick them up at 7 to go have dinner. After a while of convincing, Daenerys and Margaery accepted their propositions.

“See you around, gorgeous”, Jon said to Dany and kissed her one last time. “I can't wait to see you tomorrow”.

“Good night, beautiful”, Robb told Margaery and kissed her. “I will be thinking about you”.

The girls started walking, but stopped just after passing the entrance. Margaery looked at Daenerys, and Daenerys looked at Margaery. They had agreed they would not look for sex that night but… ugh, who were they kidding? They wanted to bang those studs yesterday.

They turned and began their way back to them. Jon noticed and told Robb.

The animalistic smirk the girls had seen at the club reappeared. As on cue, the brothers walked to their cars and opened the passenger door.

Margaery and Daenerys didn't care who could see them so, before entering the cars, they kissed their men ardently.

“I want you”, said Dany. Jon's eyes turned black and Daenerys swore she heard him growl.

“Take me”, Marge whispered. Robb regarded her with a glow in his eyes Margaery had never seen in any man before.

The moon was up and bright. A big round full moon that illuminated everything. The men's features looked wilder in its light. They got in the cars and the guys started driving. Where? Margaery and Daenerys didn't know, and they didn't care.

They had made it. They had got themselves the eldest Stark brothers, the wolves in the North.

#modern jonerys #modern-jonerys #jonerys #jon x dany fanfic #robbaery #robb x margaery #Robb Stark #margaery tyrell #jon snow #daenerys targaryen

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highsocietyhq · 6 years

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☾ ° › THERE ARE TWO METHODS OF FIGHTING

Equanimity’s troops had not advanced from Vyborg, the conquest of the city had been enough for now. It was time to reconsider their approach. When the ruckus in Karelia died down for a brief period of time, another one started in Finland. Some fights don’t require guns or bombs, sometimes the worst damage can be done with something as simple as zeros and ones. The cyber attack Russia launched against their western neighbour created chaos. It caused a complete blackout in the ICT network of the country. Communicating by normal means was impossible, which made it harder to contain the situation. Plane and car crashes, and jumbled electrical grids were just a fraction of the mayhem the attack had caused. The attack was much more extensive and malicious than the one that had occurred in Denmark months ago, but it wasn’t shrouded in mystery. Both Denmark and Germany had worked hard to catch the culprit. One lead after another, they were led to Iceland. Iceland’s officials denied every accusation but there was no doubt about who was to blame --- the country that had so well stayed away from the mainland’s conflicts had just become the center of one.

☾ ° › THE ONE BY LAW

Egypt had been laying low. They had been unwilling to make haste decisions. The inertness came to an end when Turkey required their help. The Aegean dispute between Greece and Turkey had finally exploded, the current international climate having been too much for the situation. When the discussions halted, both countries made a move to prepare for a possible hostile attack. Turkey acquired Egypt’s aid, Greece made the decision to take care of the situation by themselves. Things weren’t much better north of Greece either. The pact Croatia had made with Italy wasn’t quite as strong as they had believed. When Brazil’s forces invaded the small country, the help Croatia received from their neighbour wasn’t quite enough to keep the invaders from clearing a path for their allies. With Brazil’s help, Hungary could move their troops to the Mediterranean as they had planned originally. Spain finally received some of the very needed help.

☾ ° › THE OTHER BY FORCE

The Andorran situation was still a hot topic but it was peaceful. The UN had sent troops to oversee the situation, which helped to keep things from escalating. Switzerland on the other hand had made their view own the issue blatantly clear: they would never condone their ally’s actions. Switzerland, while a bigger country than Andorra, still had to consider what France could do to them. The tension between France and Switzerland led to two things. First, thousands of French people living in Switzerland had their visas taken away. In a matter of days, the French became undocumented immigrants. The other thing was that to make sure their military could hold off any hostile forces, Switzerland acquired China’s help. China send three-hundred-thousand men to the alpine country. France however did not have much time to pay attention to their eastern neighbour. France had been holding against Spain successfully and it as no wonder since the southern border was of utmost importance. The whole country was shaken when it came to their attention that Saudi Arabia was considering an attack. The news caused an uproar among the French. Such threats were exactly the reason why France had come to help their ally, Andorra, in the first place. South Arabia had no right to get involved in France’s and Andorra’s business in the first place. Weeks passed but nothing seemed to happen --- aside from Saudi Arabia moving troops form one place to another. The tension in France urged other countries to reconsider their relationship with the country. Monaco was one these countries: the two things that separated them from Andorra was the access to the sea and money.

☾ ° › THE FIRST METHOD IS THAT OF MEN

While Spain struggled to keep order in their duchy, they knew it would take a lot of more than just force to keep the duchy under their control. The Spanish royal family started campaigning for an unified Spain. They promised asylum for every person living in Catalonia who wasn’t a separatist, Catalonian or just simply did not care enough for the cause to stay in a place that might end up being ravaged by war. It was such a small gesture but in some people’s eyes, the royal family seemed like a benevolent and caring family --- and every citizen was part of it. The Spanish family wasn’t the only family trying to redeem themselves: the English government was now convinced that it was in their bet interest to make up for the former king’s transgressions against the Netherlands. The English government decided to forgive the debt owed to them by the Netherlands. The sum was trivial, its effect on the countries’ economies was nonexistent but it was a gesture, one the English wished the other country would accept politely.

☾ ° › THE SECOND OF BEASTS

Do not beat anyone to the ground unless you are sure they are going to stay down. South Korea was to learn that the hard way. North Korea could be barely called a nation: the damage South Korea had done to it was extensive and terrible. Yet, North Korea took a chance and set up bombs at the Incheon International Airport and the Kunsan Air Base. The attacks took many lives but it was a small number compared to the North Koreans who had died at the hands of Confluence.

ooc information under the read more

this is the may plot drop !

if you have a particular plot in mind, or something you really do not want to happen, please don’t hesitate to tell us because nothing is etched in stone and your wishes will be taken into account ! we’d also really appreciate it if you could tell give us some direction in regards to what you’d like to see happen next (regarding your charas / their countries / involvement in the war). we love receiving feedback, so please shoot us an im, inbox, or message us on our chara accounts if you have any suggestions in regards to anything. and don’t forget to take advantage of the ooc groups !

click here for an in-depth look at our previous plot drops and here for a quick summary.

in case you need to freshen up on which countries are allied with which, click here.

finally, MEMBERS, please like this post once you’ve seen it !

#hshqplot

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everythingtimeless · 7 years

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Historical Hour With Hilary: 1x11

You know the drill -- earlier installments are here. Otherwise let’s head to the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893, as Wyatt and Rufus attempt to catch up with Flynn and Lucy, and run afoul of the Devil in the White City.

This installment ended up, by accident, perfectly timed, landing right as the USA is marking Columbus Day weekend. Christopher Columbus (and his legacy) are in fact central to our discussion, as while it is usually known as the “World’s Fair,” the real name of the setpiece event in 1893, scheduled for 1892 and intended to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the “discovery” of the New World, was the World’s Columbian Exposition. It was an absolutely massive event that impacted every level of American society at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, and its cultural, physical, and mental effects on the collective American psyche cannot possibly be overstated. It’s going to be hard for me to get everything I want to say into a single relatively brief intro to this event, so I’m going to have to pick and choose. But of all the places and times the show has visited thus far, I’m inclined to say that none of them have matched this for sheer long-lasting significance. It encompasses a history from the fifteenth century until this very minute in the twenty-first, and is a perfect (and unsettling) synecdoche for how that history has been deployed and used.

It may make the most sense to start, therefore, with Christopher Columbus. When he set sail in 1492, he was -- as most people know -- attempting to find a new passage to the wealth of the Indies. Why was he doing it? Well, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, as you might also know, were Catholic. Very, very Catholic. Therefore, as Columbus’ own journals record:

[I hope to find] those things [money and gold] in such quantity that the sovereigns, before three years [are over], will undertake and prepare to go conquer the Holy Sepulcher; for thus I urged your Highnesses [Ferdinand and Isabella] to spend all the profits of this my enterprise on the conquest of Jerusalem, and Your Highnesses laughed and said that it would please them and even without this profit they had that desire. (see p. 51)

Yes. Let’s start there. Columbus was sent to raise money for a new crusade, which had preoccupied the Christian world incessantly since their inception in 1095. The last “official” crusade had taken place in the late thirteenth century, but the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 had sharply revived interest in crusading plans. 1492 was also notable as the year that the Islamic kingdom of Granada in Spain was finally destroyed, the Inquisition against Jews and non-Catholics was at its peak, and Spanish observers -- upon receiving word of Columbus’ “discoveries” and that of a new people, the Native Americans -- immediately made the connection that it was time to conquer the Indians instead. Ferdinand and Isabella quickly asked Pope Alexander VI (aka Rodrigo Borgia, who you have probably heard of) to ecclesiastically sanction their possession of the new world. Alexander obliged in short order with three papal bulls known as the Bulls of Donation: Inter caetera, Eximiae devotionis, and Dudum siquidem. These papal documents formed the theological and legal basis for the immediate and overwhelming Spanish (and soon French, English, and Portuguese) extortion and exploitation that was to follow.

I would have to write a much longer post, as noted, to get in everything I want to say about Columbus. I cannot overstate how terrible he was, how much he contributed to the legalization and establishment of centuries of native genocide, and the way in which he was reinvented as a towering American hero. Not coincidentally, the American love affair with Columbus was at its peak in the 19th century, as the fledgling American government was applying all-out extermination policies to its own Indians. In 1823, the Supreme Court ruled on Johnson vs. M’Intosh, which is still cited today as the legal precedent that allows the United States to exist on former Indian land, and was in fact the entire reason it was issued. Chief Justice John Marshall referred directly to the “doctrine of discovery” set out in the Alexandrine papal bulls, and his friend and associate justice, Joseph Story, made the link explicit: America in its modern state existed because of the papal bulls given to legitimize Columbus’ conquest. (see pp. 82-84). Nobody would have denied this, either. Idealization and adoration of Columbus was everywhere. The big festival to celebrate the quad-centennial was no accident. And nor was the White City.

The White City of the Columbian Exposition was literally intended to represent American exceptionalism, the triumph of the invading whites over the last of the Indians, and the pursuing of colonization and imperialism at the turn of the century. In 1890, L. Frank Baum, better known as the author of The Wizard of Oz, wrote a famous celebration of the Wounded Knee Massacre:

The nobility of the Redskin is extinguished [. . .] the Whites, by law of conquest, by justice of civilization, are masters of the American continent, and the best safety of the frontier settlements will be secured by the total annihilation of the few remaining Indians. Why not annihilation? Their glory has fled, their spirit broken, their manhood effaced; better that they should die than live the miserable wretches that they are. (see p. 111).

Excuse me, I just gotta go.... scream really loudly for a second.

Okay, I’m back. The World’s Fair! It’s one of the best-documented cultural events of probably the entire 19th century. It cemented the groundwork for modern capitalist consumer society and the celebration of American racism alike. It attracted acts from Harry Houdini to Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show with Annie Oakley, to the world’s first Ferris wheel, to more. It was intended to awe and surprise the average paying customer and to celebrate their feeling of exceptional patriotism, and boy, did it do that. Major forerunners of famous brands got their start at the fair. Like so:

The cultural legacy of the Fair is [...] still as pervasive, today, coloring every aspect of daily modern life--from museums to the Pledge of Allegiance to hamburgers and Disney World.

The Columbian Exposition was the venue for the debut of consumer products which are so familiar today--including Cream of Wheat, Shredded Wheat, Pabst Beer, Aunt Jemima syrup, and Juicy Fruit gum. The Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building was a showcase for American products, and showed them to advantage. [...] The Fair also introduced picture postcards to the American public, as well as two staples of the late-twentieth century diet--carbonated soda and hamburgers.

But it was not merely the Fair's product introductions which had an impact on the face of modern America. The Exposition provided the United States with a new holiday, Columbus Day, and a new method of inculcating patriotism in schoolchildren-- the Pledge of Allegiance. Yet nothing "says more about the power of the White City than that it inspired the Emerald City. Children's writer L. Frank Baum never forgot the fair and transmuted it into Oz.”

Yep. Good ol’ L. Frank Baum again. Man, I’m depressed.

Given all this, it’s perhaps not too surprising that there was a Devil in the White City, which is the title of Erik Larson’s fascinating (and terrifying) 2004 book about the fair, its immense cultural impact, and two men involved with it: one, Daniel Burnham, who designed it, and the other, H.H. Holmes, the man behind the “Murder Castle,” which was set up as a hotel for guests at the fair, and where he became one of the most notorious serial killers in American history (and perhaps even first popularized the idea among the public). If you don’t feel like sleeping tonight, you can check out the details, but Holmes (born Herman Mudgett) was just as sick as presented in the episode, if not more so. (Oh, and they literally just exhumed his grave in Philadelphia a month ago, in September 2017, to find out that he was still mostly preserved. So that’s definitely not going to loose a terrifying poltergeist on the world or anything.) That is one historical figure that We Do Not At All Object to Wyatt offing earlier than scheduled.

Whoof. This was intense. Let’s uh... drink a Coke or something. Chill out.

In expanding the field of the culture that would produce McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, the exposition helped to popularize and legitimize the mix of diet and political economy that were converging to transform the United States into what Eric Schlosser has described as the “fast food nation.”

GOD DAMMIT.

Next week: We head to 1882 and the Murder of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford... or perhaps not quite.

#nbc timeless #timeless #timeless rewatch #timeless meta #historical hour with hilary #1x11

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rahabs · 7 years

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Glory Be

“Dance with me. Rule with me. Stay by my side, and only mine, as I will stay by yours,” Spain whispered fiercely, feeling his husband’s hands move to cradle his head, cold lips meeting his forehead like a benediction.

I’m alive, and have officially started my Masters in medieval history. To celebrate, and because I’ve been feeling like Death run over the past few days, have a terrible SpAus fic that was originally an outtake from a larger (and much better written) historical longfic that I’ve been absently piecing together for years. I may not write as many fics as quickly as I used to, but I’ve long since resigned myself to being in Hetalia for as long as my love of history endures.

READ IT ON ( AO3 ) OR ( FF.NET )

OR UNDER THE CUT.

note: for best results, read on AO3.

Austria’s hands were smaller than his.

It was something Spain had known since the beginning—one of the first things he’d noticed when he’d taken Austria’s hand all those years ago and slid on the ring that would bind them inexorably to one another—but always came back to, marvelling at the difference, knowing that, despite the slender, delicate look of them, Austria’s hands were capable of bearing great weights, and clutching at tremendous burdens.

He wouldn’t have guessed that at first, not truly. They all had war in their pasts, blood on their hands, but Austria, young and frightened for all that he’d tried to hide it behind a mask of cold determination, hadn’t looked as though he’d spent his early childhood with his body encased in armour, a sword in his hands, for all that Spain had felt the calluses on his pale hands, and for all that Austria’s elevation to archduchy had proven that there was more to him than what met the eye.

Now, as the music bade Austria to turn to him once more, the room warm and full with the sound of laughter and the movement of bodies, he thought he knew the man at his side better than anyone else.

And he liked, craved, what he saw; the potential inherent in such a union, in such a partner.

The things we can do, he thought as Austria’s hand rested in his own, the calluses still there, and if Spain looked hard enough, he almost thought he could see the blood of the Turks staining the lily-white skin.

“Dance with me,” he breathed as Austria turned his face towards him, the marks of the Spanish court shallowly etched into the careful, but still incomplete, mask he wore as his expression.

“Dance with me,” Spain repeated again, and Austria raised an eyebrow as they were swept up by the music.

“I am dancing with you, schatz,” he said dryly as their hands met, German sounding strange alongside the Spanish words, feet moving in the intricate patterns of the pavaniglia. Spain grinned widely at the term, knowing how rare they were from the nation he had called husband these past decades, and his hand squeezed Austria’s lightly.

“No,” Spain said, his grin softening as he watched the light play across Austria’s face, their hands releasing so that they faced one another before they turned away, moving with the other dancers to face one another on the diagonal. Austria’s footsteps were graceful and sure now, but Spain could remember a time when that grace had been conscious and forced, not second nature like it was surely becoming. He matched Austria with confidence, flashing another grin. They glided closer before drifting away again, awash in a sea of expertly crafted skirts and careful finery. Spain turned once, and when he looked back Austria was there and they began the steps forward, teasing and light. Another turn and more distance, but then the music changed its pace as they slid together, Austria executing a graceful turn of his own before their hands met again, Spain pulling Austria perhaps closer than was strictly appropriate.

“I meant only with me,” he said, lowering his head so Austria could hear him over the music. “Dance with me forever, hold my hand in yours, and together Europe will not be able to stand against us. They tremble even now,” he said, the words soft but full of dark promise, even as he dismissed the formidable fight France and the others were always putting up against him while England switched his allegiances too often to keep track of.

Austria didn’t reply at first, his focus divided between Spain’s words and the remaining steps of the dance, but Spain knew, with the certainty of someone who had lived and grown with the still-young archduchy for decades and decades, that the red flush on his face wasn’t solely because of the heat generated by fine wine and dance. When the music finished Spain pressed a finger to Austria’s lips, lightly pulling him to the side, bending his head to rest against the other’s hair, concealing them in one of the many shadows of the court.

“Even now,” he whispered into Austria’s hair, “Europe looks on us warily. France, England, Portugal, they push at our defences and ally themselves with one another out of wariness, and yet they have not managed to take us down, for God has given us these lands, this fortune,” he finished fiercely, and if he closed his eyes he could almost see their empire stretching out before them, war and marriage and conquest and discovery bringing even more territories under his control. He could see this golden world where God’s light shined always, an empire of the true faith, the one faith, all in His name. This Spain could give in return for God’s grace, for delivering unto him all that was his, for allowing him to champion in His name, for no greater honour was there. The excitement coursed through him at the thought and he laughed, joyous and unabashed, letting his arms slip around Austria’s slim waist before he kissed him soundly, without shame, for nations were not men and women, not truly, and God would not punish him for the love he felt for Austria, for were they not His most devoted servants in all things? Had it not been God who had brought them together, who had bestowed upon them this fortune?

He felt Austria’s arms drape loosely around his neck, heard the barely audible intake of air, all these things that only Spain got to see because Austria was his, and not his like South Italy was his, or how the charming childlike Italy was Austria’s, their wards to rule over and protect. No, Austria was his equal in all things.

In the shadows of the Great Hall, shrouded by the bright tapestries that cast shadows in all the right places, Spain grinned. Austria’s eyes were heavy on him, languidly curious, and Spain pulled them into one of the adjoining passages before he could protest, their twin rings glinting in the vanishing light. There he pushed Austria lightly against one of the walls where the stone gave way to brilliant painted glass, and he easily lifted Austria towards the little alcove, seating him there with no protest. Austria’s legs wrapped loosely around the backs of Spain’s thighs as Spain leaned in for another kiss, his hands resting lightly on Spain’s shoulders, and he regarded Spain with an inscrutable expression before be reached up to brush a strand of Spain’s hair back. Spain grinned at that, and he leaned up with a small laugh, wordlessly demanding another kiss. He laughed as Austria tried to pretend he wasn’t smiling.

“Dance with me. Rule with me. Stay by my side, and only mine, as I will stay by yours,” he whispered fiercely, feeling his husband’s hands move to cradle his head, cold lips meeting his forehead like a benediction. “Only with me." There was a rush of possessiveness, his hands tightening their grip, but never hard enough to bruise. “Please.”

“Oh, Spain,” Austria said, voice unreadable, but face softening. He didn’t try to hide the small smile this time, eyes warm in a way they so rarely were, glinting with dangerous promise. “Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.”

“Amen,” Spain whispered, burying his head in the crook of Austria’s neck as the moonlight trickled in through the windows, bathing them in God’s approval. “Amen.”

notes

- Ad maiorem Dei gloriam (also written ad majorem Dei gloriam, but I learned Roman Latin and there was no “j” in the original Latin alphabet) is the shorthand version of the official motto of the Jesuits, meaning “for the greater glory of God.” Though it is the motto of the Jesuits, I’m having Austria use it in a more general sense. Still, to those who know the early history of the Jesuits and their geographical origin, it can be considered a little nod. - The pavaniglia was a sixteenth century dance and, according to Oxford Reference, "a subtype of the pavan and the galliard." I actually did watch a video in order to get a sense of the movements, and you can find it here. Alongside Spain's offhanded thought about the Turks, you can likely guess the general time period of this fic. - What language are they speaking? Primarily Spanish. Both of them are, quite obviously, fluent in many languages, but they switch depending on their geographical location, and I wrote Austria's schatz in German (instead of the English darling) to specifically highlight that he was switching from their conversational language to something else. Why schatz instead of liebling? Because it's such a mushy word that I could just hear Austria saying is as dryly as humanly possible. - The hints of religious blasphemy entirely my fault, I assure you. As for some of Spain's internal dialogue, I am firmly in the camp of human conventions not applying in their entirety to the countries, as they are concepts subject to the will of their people and monarchs. It's why they are canonically married at a time when, obviously, this would not be the norm. All this to say: I don't care if men kissing men openly was Bad Bad Not Very Good; it's done.

#APH Spain #APH Austria #SpAus #spaustria #Hetalia #Historical Hetalia #this is a right mess but i do not care because it's complete #and i have been unable to complete something for far too long.#otp: bella gerant alii #my fics #is that the correct use of the word benediction? i don't care about that either.

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blamingslaveryon · 6 years

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Slavery: Who is to Blame?

At a recent social event I got the opportunity to chat with a teenager who is taking a US history class. As an ancient historian whose research over the last ten years has mostly focused on slavery, I decided to ask her what she had learned about the topic. Knowing that little effort is made to fit it into the big picture, that is, into the global history of slavery, I shouldn’t have been too surprised to hear her say that the British were unfamiliar with slavery until the time of the American colonies (untrue), that slavery was invented in the 17th century (also untrue), and that there had never been slaves in North America (also untrue; I will get back to all of this later in my blog). I felt it was my duty to enlighten the girl, so I spent some time lecturing her before finally letting her go back to being a teenager and gluing her eyes and fingers to her smartphone. The very next day I got my hands on a high school textbook and read, among other things, that before the trans-Atlantic slave-trade began, Africans practiced slavery but it was a “mild” kind, that it was more like European feudalism, and that all slaves were treated like “family.” I was also able to confirm the source of most of the teenager’s misinformation. All this inspired me to write a blog on the history of the institution of slavery which, although no longer legal in most parts of the modern world, is still practiced. As always, it follows the law of supply and demand. And although exact statistics are hard to come by, estimates made by the Polaris Project indicate there may be 21 million enslaved persons world-wide. But those are just estimates. *************************** Slavery is at least 5,000 years old, or perhaps more than twice that old. According to some scholars, the origins of this institution can be traced back 12,000 years, to the time when (many) humans made the transition from nomadism to sedentism, in other words, when they no longer moved about nearly all the time, hunting and gathering, and settled down, usually to become farmers. That’s when accumulating goods on a larger scale became an option. And it was a small step from being the proud owner of a goat or two, a hut, and a spare pair of sandals, to owning other human beings. Other scholars, such as Gerda Lerner (The Creation of Patriarchy, 1986), tell us that, some 5,000 years ago, women became a sort of slave “prototypes.” It was around this time that many ancient societies created patriarchy, and women became commodities, exchanged or given in marriage to men from other tribes. It was also around this time that it became customary in wars to kill enemy males and enslave their women, that is, to turn them into property (they would include the women’s young children too). Eventually it dawned on those people that males could and should also be enslaved as a source of income and/or free labor. We don’t need to agree one hundred percent with either one of these views. But we have evidence of slavery going back thousands of years and being practiced all over the globe. In trying to organize my thoughts I ran into several difficulties. I could not write about “ancient slavery” and then about “modern slavery” (meaning roughly from the 15th century onward) because the institution has followed an unbroken line. “Ancient slavery” didn’t disappear, only to be replaced by “modern slavery” later on. Also, in an attempt at dealing with, and staying within, geographical regions, I realized that slaves were not always supplied locally. The slave trade network has always had numerous and far-reaching tentacles. But around the 3rd century BC, humans began to be enslaved, owned, and traded in previously unheard-of numbers. With that in mind, I will begin in the “Old World” with the long period that preceded the mid- to late-Roman Republic before writing about the 3rd century changes. Sumer’s Code of Ur-Nammu (22nd century BC) regulates various aspects of slavery. No written code appears out of nowhere and simply “invents” a practice. Rather, a practice (in this case, slavery) can be around for centuries and be regulated by unwritten customs before the need arises to carve them in stone. Exactly how far back it went in the region of Sumer is not clear. And we do not know what percentage of the population was made up of slaves. Babylonia’s Code of Hammurabi (18th century BC) also regulates slavery, as do texts from the nearby Hittites, but again we have no statistics. And the warlike Assyrians left behind reliefs showing them taking slaves, something they did in rather large numbers after their victories. In Ancient Egypt, during the Middle Kingdom (which started in the 21st century BC), Asian slaves were being imported, but slavery was hardly new among the Egyptians of that era. From the New Kingdom on (starting in the 16th century BC) it became widespread, until about 10% of the population consisted of slaves, many of them Africans coming from south of the Sahara through the kingdom of Nubia. And one must not forget the time when the Hebrews (Habiru) were enslaved in Egypt until their departure traditionally thought to have taken place in the 15th century BC. The Hebrews were not only the victims of enslavement at some point, but they also owned both Hebrew and foreign slaves. Some evidence for that is found in the book of Exodus. In the Hellenic world (which we incorrectly refer to as “Greece”) there are records of slavery among the Myceneans of the 12th century BC. And in the city-state of Athens of the 5th century BC, somewhere between 7 and 20% of the population was made up of slaves. Although many of them came from Thrace, Scythia, and Asia Minor, they may have simply been purchased there but had their origins farther away. Ancient African cultures south of the Sahara owned slaves, usually taken as prisoners in war. And while some were kept, others were sold elsewhere, for example, Egypt (see above). Starting in the 5th century BC the Greeks and later the Romans began taking slaves in North Africa. Farther to the east, in ancient China of the Qin and Han dynasties (starting in the 3rd century BC) some men were sentenced to become public slaves, after being castrated, and sometimes their families were also enslaved. In ancient Rome, the second king, Numa Pompilius (8th century BC), regulated what jobs should be performed by slaves. That was three centuries before the Laws of the Twelve Tables (5th century BC) provide us with written evidence about slavery. Although initially the numbers of slaves in Rome were small, they quickly increased with the wars of conquest, beginning in the 3rd century BC. Soon aristocrats were acquiring and using large numbers to work their land. By the 1st century BC, about 30% of the population was made up of slaves, and in the 1st century AD there were perhaps 10 million slaves empire-wide. Although for many reasons the percentages dropped over the next couple of hundred years, in the 5th century AD we still find individuals, such as a noblewoman named Melania, who owned more than 30,000 slaves. *************************** In the 5th century AD, even as the leftovers of the Western Roman Empire fragmented and turned into many Germanic kingdoms, slavery and the far-reaching slave trade continued throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa, and even expanded. New land routes were added to previous ones (like the old trans-Saharan route), and ships carried slaves across the Mediterranean, the Aegean, the Black Sea, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean, usually in both directions. In the 8th century AD the Vikings and the Arabs began playing an ever more active role, both in ownership and the trade, and later other Muslims would join them. Some cities and towns became famous for their slave markets: Zawila south of the Sahara in the 8th century, Dublin in the 9th century, Prague in the 10th century, Verdun in the 11th century, Novgorod in the 12th century, Venice and Genoa in the 12th through the 15th centuries, and Lagos in Portugal in the 15th century. It is probably hard for nearly every person living in the 21st century accurately to say: “I know who all my ancestors were” or “I’m Danish or Irish or Spanish or whatever.” Here are a few examples to illustrate that: English slaves went to Italy and Spain, Irish slaves to Iceland and the Islamic empire, African slaves to Arabia and India, Slavic slaves to Byzantium, Korean slaves to China, Chinese slaves to Portugal and India, Portuguese slaves to Muslim Spain, Franks, Anglo-Saxons, and Russians to markets all over Europe and the Near East to be resold elsewhere. (See Note 1 at the end of this blog.) **************************** So far I have focused on the “Old World,” but slavery also existed in the “New World.” Yet, the dynamics changed after Columbus’ voyages. The Maya peoples of Mesoamerica owned slaves, often those who had been captured in war, although we have no statistics about percentages of the entire population. The same can be said about the Aztecs to the north, the Inca, the Tupanimbá (in Brazil), and the Tehuelche (in Patagonia) to the south, and the Caribs (in the Caribbean), among others. And what about the Americas farther north? Slaves were owned by many cultures in what are currently the United States and Canada. A few examples include the Comanche of Texas, the Creek of Georgia, the Yurok that lived along the coast from California to Alaska, the Pawnee, the Klamath, the Haida and the Tlingit of Alaska, and the Nootka of Vancouver Island. It is estimated that among some tribes in the Pacific Northwest, 25% of the population was made up of slaves. When the European voyages of exploration began in the 15th century, the dynamics of the slave trade and slavery itself changed. Not only did Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, and Dutch ships, among others, create new routes, but most of the slaves taken to the “New World” came from the African continent south of the Sahara. But it was not the Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, and Dutch themselves who went into the heart of Africa to take slaves. They merely acquired them at markets along the coast and transported them elsewhere. There were plenty of nations with slaves to sell: 30% of the population of Senegambia was made up of slaves, in the Islamic states of Mali and Ghana also 30%, in Bornu (in central Africa) about 40%, perhaps 90% in Arab Zanzibar (which, due to its location, was a convenient place for the creation of its large slave market; it is estimated that 80,000 Africans died each year before reaching that market). Other peoples with large numbers of slaves were the Ashanti, the Yoruba, and the people of the Kingdom of Kongo. But even those nations that had fewer slaves participated actively in the slave trade. Many of them waged war for the sole purpose of acquiring slaves, or else they organized raids: the Oyo Empire, the Kingdom of Benin, the Imamate of Futa Toro, the Kingdhom of Kaabu, the Ashanti Confederacy, the Kingdom of Dahomey, and many others. Then they sold their slaves to the Europeans, and most of them were taken to the Americas (somewhere between 12 and 20 million). Trading in slaves was not seen as something wrong, and statements have survived, made by African rulers, one of whom said the trade had been ordained by God himself (king of Bonny in present-day Nigeria), while another one said the trade was the source and glory of his people’s wealth (king of Dahomey But while this was going on, the Muslims continued buying slaves and sometimes capturing them themselves, then taking them overland (across the Sahara) or on ships crossing the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Including the ones they sold to Europeans, they benefited from the sale of 25 to 35 million Africans. They also continued enslaving others, including Christians during the Ottoman wars. And Muslim pirates raided coastal cities in addition to taking ships, for the purpose of taking captives and selling them into slavery. In the 19th century, one country after another abolished the slave-trade, and then slavery itself. However, it took some African countries until the 20th century to follow suit. By then, countless individuals had been enslaved and sold, and used and abused, all over the world. Many still are, although outside of the context of legal slavery. **************************** Now I come back to the question which I posed in the title of my blog: Who is to blame for slavery? My readers will probably agree that there is no simple answer. Blame the Sumerians? The Egyptians? Slavery was hardly new when they began leaving evidence of slave-holding and trading more than 4,000 years ago. The Romans bought, sold, and used them on a much larger scale than other peoples, but they did not come up with the institution of slavery. Whether it was a byproduct of private property or of patriarchy, it had been around for a long time. We cannot blame the Mongols, the Arabs, the English, the French, or the Spanish either, despite the changes they made to trade and/or ownership. The same goes for all the individuals all over the globe who have participated in a system that was perceived to be OK. But we can blame those who, despite the fact that they operate outside the law, enslave and sell human beings in the 21st century. And I want to encourage all those who are aware of trafficking to speak up. **************************** Note 1. Being forcefully transported from one’s place of origin is, of course, not the only reason why our ancestors moved. The search for better land or opportunities, as well as the need to escape persecution, religious or of another nature, are a few other reasons that account for that. Note 2. As the reader may have noticed, no attempt has been made to describe the many ways in which a person could become a slave, or about how slaves were treated in different parts of the world at different times, and even in the same part of the world depending on a number of factors. But there are some excellent books that go into a lot of detail, including the following: Five Thousand Years of Slavery (Marjorie Gann and Janet Willen; 2011), and Slavery and Social Death (Orlando Patterson; 1982).

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jurakan · 7 years

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I made this post basically because @andasideofpanache told me to.

So there’s a bit of a kerfuffle going around because the makers of Game of Thrones announced that they want to do an alternate history show about what life would be like if the Confederacy had won the American Civil War. And I don’t know how I feel about it, exactly, other than I think it’s...kind of boring? As far as alternate histories go, it’s pretty standard. “If the Confederacy won the American Civil War” and “If the Nazis won World War II” are the two alternate histories I see all too often and that’s horrible because the answer is that life would suck.

I think it’d be much better if you took some other point in history and took something that was pretty much neutral and said what if it’d gone the other way? So for the viewing pleasure of the followers of this blog:

A BUNCH OF ALTERNATE HISTORY IDEAS THAT ARE MORE INTERESTING:

-What if Christianity was not the dominant religion of Western Civilization: Look as a Roman Catholic I don’t know if I can conceive of the idea of Christianity just not existing so that’s not what I’m suggesting here. But i am suggesting that it’d be interesting to design a world where it didn’t become the dominant theological viewpoint in Europe. How would the medieval world look? What would make the art different? What would our modern world look like? What would be considered “traditional values” in that world? What would our calendar look like?

And I’m curious as to what different people would put to replace it; my first instinct is Mithraic religion, but as that was a mystery cult I don’t think it’d pick up much steam. Islam’s still a big contender for that, but if you wanted to do something more out there you could pick Zoroastrianism or the official Roman state pantheon of gods. I mean could you imagine PETA freaking out over augurs reading animal guts? There’s a fun picture.

-What if Spain had controlled North America until it had become independent?

As a Hispanic person I get a bigger feel for how much English culture still influences American society today. I’m still baffled by people’s fetishization of the English royal family (especially Anglo Catholics, considering that whole Church of England thing but whatevs), given that a King of Spain actually told Hugo Chavez to shut up to his face in 2007. Really guys, the Spanish-speaking world is where it’s at.

So to see the US as a country more culturally influenced by Spain than England would be a great thought experiment, especially considering that Spain came to the New World first, and fully expected that that new land was all theirs for the taking. The obvious changes would be the dominance of Spanish as the spoken language and probably Catholicism would be more common than Protestantism. But what cultural values would be more common? What would the US’s government turn out to be without the direct influence of English Enlightenment thinkers? Which thinkers would be influential? How would the relationships between countries change in that setting (do we eventually become BFFs with Spain like the US did with Britain or with Spain instead and what’s up with France)? What would the State names be like? Would religious freedom have been such a big thing in our country? Would all the Neo-Pagans be less inclined to British Celtic and Germanic mythologies as much as Roman, Ibero-Celtic, Basque and Mesoamerican mythologies? How would the architecture look different? And so on and so forth.

-What if China colonized North America first?

There’s a conspiracy theory that floats around every now and then that China actually found the west coast of the North America long before Columbus set sail. So...what if they did? What if they set up a colony there? How would that completely change the game?

For starters, the capital would be on the West Coast, and European culture wouldn’t be the dominant one in the country. Even after independence Mandarin Chinese would remain the biggest language in the world, Chinese philosophers would be the important ones people in the country studied and I strongly suspect that democracy and republicanism wouldn’t be as popular given that the Chinese government was imperial until 1911--and not in the same sense of having a Parliament or representative body like England or France. All our urban legends would be more like Chinese ones, and...I don’t know what the opposite of Yellow Peril stereotypes would be, but that’d be something interesting to explore.

Also, would slavery had been a thing? I mean, not that the Chinese never had slaves, but would it be so racialized as it was under a European model of colonialism? I have my doubts, especially considering that there’s not an Africa right there for them to exploit.

-What if Alexander the Great had an heir that held his empire together?

Very famously when Alexander the Great died his empire was divvied up between his generals and became several different nations that all eventually fell to Rome. But what if it hadn’t? What if Alexander had named an heir (a son or general or whatever) who’d been able to hold everything together until Rome came along?

What would the empire be called? And would it be able to hold against Rome? Would the two become allies? Or, more likely, would they duke it out and become bitter enemies? And who’d win? How would that change the world today? How would that effect Greek and Roman philosophy/language/culture and the place they held in Western Civilization today? Would we still have Hanukkah?

-What if Napoleon hadn’t been defeated?

What if Napoleon had been lifelong emperor? Whether that means succeeding in escaping from that island prison, or just never being defeated in the first place, it’s an interesting thought? How long would his empire have lasted? Would it last into the modern day? And if so how different would it be from the EU? Would Britain join or always be in conflict?

And what about his descendants? Would they hold his empire or lose it bit by bit? Or would they expand it and take even more land? Would the French Empire be THE superpower and dominant society on the world stage in modern day?

-What if Antony and Cleopatra defeated Octavian?

Oh hey, what if Octavian was defeated and Egypt didn’t get as Romanized? What if he was killed and the Roman Empire got stopped before it really got started? Suddenly we don’t have an emperor. Does that mean Rome goes back to a (decadent and corrupt) republic? Would Egypt conquer them (and then the repercussions for the world stage after that)? Or would they be in a sort of cold war?

If Rome did endure as a country, what would be the opinion of the Roman Empire? Would we still glorify the “old days” of the Roman Republic if they’d endured, given they were corrupt and lasted? Or would we think of the good ol’ days of Rome being the Empire that never really lasted?

-What if El Dorado was a real place?

And the Spanish found it? And they were able to hold on to that gold, meaning that they remained the dominant superpower in the Age of Exploration/Colonization? Or what if El Dorado was able to defend itself and remained an oasis against Spanish colonization and European influence in Mesoamerica?

Or what if the Spanish didn’t find it but someone else did much later? And how would that discovery be taken by the world?

-What if Mesoamerica repelled the Spanish invasion?

Does that mean Spain wouldn’t have become a major power at all? Does that mean that it’d also be able to resist Anglo American settlers trying to expand the US? How long would the Aztec Triple Alliance last considering it was pretty crappy to its neighbors, and what would happen to replace it? A new Mayan empire, or something else entirely? How long would the practice of human sacrifice last?

Would Latin America be primarily indigenous then? Would Mesoamerica help other nations of indigenous peoples in the Americas and the Caribbean fight against European colonizers? Would Mesoamerican mythology be a more common religion in the modern day?

-What if the Eastern Crusades didn’t happen?

What if the Pope didn’t answer Constantinople’s call for aid against Muslim conquest? Or what if things had just gone peacefully in the meeting between Islam and Christianity? Alright that’s unlikely, but what if some sort of agreement and territorial difference was settled not through armed pilgrimage but by any other means?

But by the Crusades Europeans got a bunch of information about places beyond Europe and preserved Greek and Roman texts from their occupation of the Holy Land (and arguably, this helped contribute to the Renaissance). So does this mean that the Renaissance wouldn’t have happened? Or that certain military and cultural developments wouldn’t have happened?

If the West never went to official war with Islam in such a way would their be the same level of Islamaphobia around today? And what would the status of Israel be, considering that it was taken by Islamic forces in the Crusades? Would Islamic/Christian tensions be assuaged by Jewish people still be screwed by having their lands still not be in their own hands?

-What if the Reconquista never succeeded?

What would happen if Spain never became a Catholic nation again, and continued into the modern day to be dominantly Islamic? It would lead to their being an Islamic country in mainland Europe for one, but what would that entail? Would Portugal exist? Would the relationship with the rest of Europe be good or bad? What would it be like to be Christian, Jewish or atheist in a primarily Islamic modern day Spain?

And of course, what would that mean for Latin America? It wouldn’t be ‘Latin’ at all if it was colonized by an Islamic power rather than a Catholic one. How would that conquest go anyhow? Would African slavery be a thing on the scale it was under Christian Europeans? Would most of Central and South America be Muslim? Would the language be Spanish or Arabic? Or would there be an in-between language?

Would prejudice against Mexican immigrants be based in Islamaphobia? Or would Islam be more accepted in mainstream American society considering that there are tons of immigrants from Mexico?

-What if World War II just didn’t happen?

I don’t know what to do with this one other than suggest that question.

-What if the US had invaded Japan instead of dropping the atomic bomb?

Alright so a bunch of people on Tumblr always like to claim that the US was dickish because it dropped the atom bomb. Which, okay, it’s hard not to construe dropping an atom bomb as a dick move, but what if we’d gone with the other option, which was invading Japan with infantry? That would have sucked, because it’d result in more deaths of both Japanese and Americans.

So you know, think about how that’d turn out?

-What if the Mongols has conquered Europe?

The Mongols tried to take Europe one time. What if they succeeded? How long would that have lasted? What would the cultural influences of a Mongol Empire, connecting Europe and Asia? Cross-cultural exchange existed then, of course, but it’d be even more prominent. We’d also have Western religions being more common in the East and Eastern religions more common in the West.

And THEN think about what would happen when that Europe or Asia goes out colonizing the world.

Some other ideas that I don’t have time to write about: -What if Buddhism hadn’t caught on? -What if there hadn’t been a Bronze Age Collapse? -What if Italy had funded Columbus’s voyage instead of Spain? -What if Italy never united? -What if the Saxons couldn’t conquer Britain?

#AU #history #alternate history #ramblings

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hazienda-de-novales · 5 years

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NUEVA ESPAÑA: 🇲🇽🇵🇭 Filipinas de Hispana Mexico! Viva! Mabuhay!

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PRESENT day Mexico & The Philippines are basically similar countries separated by a vast ocean. Both spent 400 years together as sister nations in a shared colonial legacy. Almost over a combined total of 850 years these nations became forcibly invaded and under Spanish colonial rule. You think similar last names and world class champion boxers is all Filipinos and Mexicans share in common?

Filipinos have forgotten that they were administered by the Vice-Royalty of New Spain, present-day Mexico. In Mexico’s view, the Captain General in Manila actually reported to the Viceroy in Mexico City, not to Spain. Hence, the Manila colony was a dependency of the Vice-Royalty of New Spain. This arrangement was to stand until Mexico declared its independence from Spain in 1815.

Filipino influence on Mexican culture and vice versa is very apparent. Especially, on Mexico’s Pacific coast, where people today continue to imbibe tuba, a drink derived from the coconut tree. Filipinos revolutionary contribution to the Mexican Revolution, Independence and Mexican traditions is highly ignored by most historians but like this video says you can’t deny history. As our contributions is invaluable.

How did Mexico & the Philippines romantic international relationship begin?

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DE MANILA-ACAPULCO GALLEON TRADE (1565-1815)

In the late 17th century to the 18th century, the Manila-Acapulco was a galleon trade that extensively began as Europe’s largest important and historical cash crop investment deal and the very first stage of modern Globalisation. Every year the galleon connected the Mollucas (Malaysia, India, Burma, Philippines, Siam, Indonesia etc) to Europe and the New World (Hispaniola & The America’s) via her connection with the Spice Route that continued to supply riches, spices and prized luxury items that gave immense untold fortune and wealth to fuedal Europe and the greater West for over 250 years.

Over two hundred centuries, about a hundred galleons were built in the Philippines. Most of them built by expert craftsmen the Spanish knew as Cagayans in the provinces of Pangasinan, Albay, Mindoro, Marinduque and Iloilo. Actually, due to our strong maritime culture. The Spanish galleon ships were influenced by the sleek and swift design of the Visayan Karakoa, (the archetype modeled boats our Polynesian cousins voyaged on - and a identical upsized version of the outriggers in Disney’s “Moana”.) These karakoa, or proa or “balangai” ships could travel 5 x’s faster than anything European at the time. Intimidating and more durable too.

FACT: One of every five members of these galleons fleet were Filipino natives…it went as high as 50 to 80 percent Filipinos annually. The other crew members were Spanish insulates, Mexican mestizos/creoles like the Salcedos and Aztec Indios and Portuguese.

With so many Mexicans sent to the Philippines within a period of 250 years, it is not surprising then that Mexican language, culture and norms have become integral part of the Philippine consciousness, and this dispersal of mixed native interbreeding explains why some Mexicans and Filipinos look-alike.

LAS PIÑAS & MĒXIHCO

Mexico, for their part, with the Manila-Acapulco Galleons believed that they were directly trading with China. Many Mexicans today think that the galleons sailed directly to Chinese ports. This wrong perception is even reflected in the official marker in Fort San Diego in Acapulco commemorating the La Nao de China. The marker wrongly depicts the galleons as directly sailing to China, not to the Philippines.

What is clear is that the Philippine Colony would not have survived through the centuries without the assistance of Mexico. When Miguel Lopez de Legazpi sailed from Mexico in 1564 to settle the Philippines, he found the living conditions there very difficult.

The farm animals and horses brought from Mexico did not acclimate well with the tropical heat. Legazpi’s soldiers and sailors had to scrounge food from one island to survive. Chroniclers described living in the Philippines as “cuatro meses de polvo, cuatro meses de lodo, y cuatro meses de todo.” (Translation: Four months of dust, four months of mud, and four months of everything). Todo, in this instance, refers to anything that killed the White Man, including tropical diseases, typhoons, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

Legazpi’s luck turned when he stumbled upon Cebu. This is the same island where Ferdinand Magellan met his fate in 1521. There he learned of the existence of a large Muslim settlement in nearby Luzon called Amanillah. (Or Maynilad, depending on which book one choses to believe). He sent Juan de Salcedo and Martin de Goiti to reconnoiter the Malay community for interpreters and translators. See: ( “Enrique de Mallacca” ).

FACT: Despite, Western-Eurocentric histories inaccurate account of truths proclaiming Europeans as the first to circumnavigate the globe. Enrique de Malacca or Henry The Black, was a dark-skinned ‘Malayan’ (rumoured to be a Cebuano) who in fact, contrary to belief had become the worlds very first circumnavigator of the globe.

Salcedo and de Goiti found Chinese traders (and sea pirates) in Amanillah (or Maynilad). This discovery became the key for the survival of the nascent Spanish colony. The discovery of the Chinese traders, the subsequent discovery of the tornavuelta or the return route to Mexico by Fray Andres de Urdaneta, and the establishment of the Spanish settlement in Manila became the foundation of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade that was to last for 250 years.