the-unspoken-history-of-panem

[the-unspoken-history-of-panem]

The Birth of the Games 

With the war wrapped up President Conrad set Grand Junction to reestablishing its control over the twelve remaining districts. Panem rebuilt the factories, constructed barracks in place of most houses, and forced everyone to work under bare sustenance conditions. Two-way televisions were to be placed in every structure to pour forth Panem propaganda. No one could object to this Conrad said. Had they not committed treason against Panem? Did not their own Constitution allow the enslavement of people convicted of treason for their crimes? Still, he said in private to the Cabinet, this was not enough. It was only an extension of the policies in place before the war, and people could get used to it over time. Besides, in a generation or so, who would remember that it was in place because of their treasonous revolt? No, Panem must lay something new on the Districts which would be freshly outrageous every year and eternally remind everyone of their- or their ancestors’- treason. 

#TheHungerGames

[the-unspoken-history-of-panem]

Moves and Counter Moves 

By President Milan’s death, Panem had conquered everything from Yellowstone to Four Corners, and from the Salt lake to the Continental Divide. This was decidedly the most Panem’s military to effectively control; except for a decision Milan had made almost as an afterthought, where it would have stayed until it broke apart from old age. However, there was University of Panem at Grand Junction. In Milan’s last years the University turned to weapons research; under his successors, it bore fruit. Armed with poison gas and specially bred monsters, the armies of Panem swept from sea to shining sea. Thanks to Barker, they bore not only the weapons but the Constitution of the United States of America. Most people still valued the ideas of the Constitution. Thus Milan used it to gain the loyalties of his people promising to restore America to what it once was. What Panem actually did was quite different. Thirteen Districts were established and were each assigned to focus on a certain aspect of production. This was meant to aid centralized control and discourage rebellion; however, it is dubious whether it actually helped any atop Panem’s other repressive methods.  Not holding true to promises of restoring America, inevitably having began the Dark War.

#PresidentSnow TheHungerGames Mockingjay

[the-unspoken-history-of-panem]

City Born Out Of Ashes 

Panem rose out of the ashes following the War of Global Devastation. Washington City was radioactive ruins; the Desolation of Bohr stretched from Sacramento to San Diego; the Desolation of Fermi paralleled the Atlantic from New Haven to Newport News. Static blanketed the airwaves; shock waves had snapped almost every power and telephone line. Most government bodies had simply slid away into nothingness. One of the few states which continued to keep records was Maine; we can track the daily meetings of the State Legislature futilely passing resolutions, striving to contact first the country, and the the state, finally surrendering their expectation and tying to preserve order in the city of Augusta, and the finally adjourning sine die when food supplies run out without hopes of getting more. Their last words echo through the ages wherever their Journal is read.  

Into this chaos stepped Arnold Milan of Grand Junction, Colorado. Like every other local strongman, he dreamed of reuniting the United States. Like many others, he had enough force to control his town and surrounding farmland but little else. Unlike his competitors, he had beside him Frederick Barker, former graduate in political science at the University of Colorado-one of the few scholars who’d managed to survive the chaos. “Panem at circuses,” Barker kept repeating to Milan. “That’s what the Romans did, and everyone else agrees: give people bread and circuses, and they won’t care what your governments’ like. Of course, in times like this, all you really need to give them is bread.”

So after several years, Milan was able to spare enough force to cross the mountains and conquer the ranches of Wyoming. To his chagrin, the moment he announced they were now apart of the restored United States, the ranchers challenged, “If these here are the United States, when do we get to elect people?”

Milan’s first impulse was to kill them, but Barker’s repeated advice stayed in mind. “Then I won’t call this the United States anymore,” he said later that day. “Barker what’s that maxim you keep saying I should give the people?”

“ ‘Bread and circuses’? But bread alone-“

“Bread. Great. What’s that other language you use?”

“ ‘Bread’ in Latin? “ ‘Panem.’ ” 

“Perfect! Forget about the United States; I am now the president of the Nation of Panem!” 

#Panem TheHungerGames KatnissEverdeen