History of Sequoyah
Sequoyah is a nation located on the Southern part of Sur, with human history dating back over 5,000 years. Sequoyan History is dominated largely by inter-tribal warfare as the various tribes attempted to exert their influence over the others. Before the Agricultural Period, the Sequoyan tribe only made up 5% of the Sequoyan population. Over time, the Sequoyan tribe's quick development of agriculture allowed it to dominate the other 12 tribes and has become the most populous tribe in Sequoyah
Contents
- 1 Periods of History
- 2 Prehistory
- 3 Agricultural Period
- 4 Tribal States Period
- 5 Imperial Period
- 6 Isolationist Period
- 7 Modern Period
Periods of History
Sequoyan History is divided into 7 periods
- Prehistory - (2,000+ BC-1500 BC)
- Agricultural Period - (1500 BC-1000 BCE)
- Tribal States Period - (1000 BC-1367 AD)
- Imperial Period - (1367 AD-1833 AD)
- Isolationist Period - (1833 AD-1999 AD)
- Modern Period - (1999 AD-Present)
Prehistory
Agricultural Period
Tribal States Period
Imperial Period
Arrival of Creeperian Missionaries
In 1431, A Creeperian Expedition explored Northeastern Sequoyah and founded Mission San Juan Diego, which would eventually grow into a Creeperian settlement. The Expedition was charged with exploring Northern Sequoyah in hopes of future conquest and conversions. In 1433, a group of 100 conquistadors and missionaries led by Gonzalo Vázquez Luján started heading to western Sequoyah, traveling through Navaja and Caprican lands to reach the Promethian Canyon in modern-day Itse Ulagohisdi. However, Caprican natives attacked the Expedition and 53 men were killed. The Expedition quickly returned to San Juan Diego to regroup before attempting another expedition. In 1435, Vázquez Luján led another expedition of 300 men through Western Sequoyah in hopes of reaching the western Southern Ocean. The last report from the expedition reached San Juan Diego in July of 1435, confirming that the expedition had reached the Promethian Canyon. San Juan Diego received no further communications from the expedition and sent out a search party of 100 men to search for the expedition. The expedition was never found and the search party returned home. To this day, the fate of Vázquez Luján's expedition is unknown, although modern historians hypothesize that it was destroyed by Caprican attacks.
Monarchy of Sequoyah I
In 1500, Sequoyah I, Chief of the Sequoyan Tribe, declared himself King of Sequoyah and all of its tribes. Sequoyah I made Catholicism the official religion of the Sequoyan government. He also founded the Imperial Sequoyan Army and announced that the archangel Micheal had appeared in him to a vision and told him it was his destiny to unify Sequoyah under his rule. To achieve this goal, Sequoyah I began constructing roads between Asequi and the outlying villages, and creating a tribute system where villages paid a quarter of their profits to the Monarchy in exchange for protection from the tribals. In 1509, the Imperial Sequoyan Army pushed the Cheyall and Navaja out of Eastern Sequoyah entirely. In 1512, the Imperial Sequoyan Army marched to the Western Coast of Sequoyah, creating a path to the west coast for future settlers. Evantually, they settled alongside the Western Coast and founded Kalgaduv in 1513. Sequoyah I began constructing a palace in Asequi and established de facto control over all of eastern Sequoyah and Kalgaduv in 1514. Sequoyah I is credited with unifying the Sequoyan peoples under one leader. Sequoyan technology advanced significantly under Sequoyah I's rule, as firearms and steel were introduced to the Sequoyan military, and paved roads were built from Asequi to San Juan Diego.
War with Creeperopolis
In 1516, King Sequoyah I claimed the Captaincy General of San Juan (present-day San Juan Diego) as Sequoyan land and marched there with a force of 2,000 cavalry and 20,000 footmen, beginning the Final War of Sequoyan Unification. They marched from Asequi to San Juan Diego, successfully launching a surprise attack and faced moderate resistance from a force of 2,500 Creeperian soldiers, beginning the Siege of San Juan. After two years of being besieged, the remaining Creeperian forces surrendered and were taken prisoner. The Creeperian Government responded by refusing to acknowledge the Sequoyan claim to San Juan but did not engage Sequoyan forces again until the Five Years War.
Declaration of Sequoyan Empire
Following the capture of San Juan, King Sequoyah I proclaimed himself Emperor of Sequoyah and declared the Sequoyan Empire, claiming all lands from the Southern coast of Sur to the northern boundaries of Arapaho. Sequoyah I ultimately passed away on July 3rd, 1519, being succeeded by his son, Emperor Sequoyah II.
Reign of Emperor Sequoyah II
Five Years War
In 1527, a group of Sequoyan protestants known as the Samaritans gain favor among Sequoyans in Kalgaduv. The Samaritans objected to the close association between the King and the Church. This angered King Sequoyah, who declared harsh penalties would be enacted for anyone who preached "doctrines contrary to those of the Creeperian Catholic Church." The Imperial Sequoyan Army was ordered to go to Kalgaduv and arrest and execute any Samaritans. When the Imperial Sequoyan Army reached Kalgaduv, they were met by an army of protestants under the command of Sequoyah I's cousin, Odysseus I. The Imperial Sequoyan Army was decimated by the Samaritan's cavalry and use of blunderbuss rifles. Odysseus surrounded the Imperial forces, and stated that the survivors could join the Samaritan cause, or be destroyed. 5,000 men ultimately joined the Samaritan forces, with 1,000 men being massacred. After the loss at Kalgaduv, King Sequoyah instituted conscription and raised an army of 20,000 men by June 1528. Sequoyah's forces marched west in a second attempt to take Kalgaduv.
Second Battle of Kalgaduv
Monarchy of Odysseus I
Annihilation of the Manca
Isolationist Period
Beginning of the Isolationist Period
In 1833, the Union Railroad Company dominated Sequoyan Affairs, with a 12-man council known as the Board of Overseers coordinating business and political efforts. The Board had no authority to levy taxes or overrule Provincial Law, and New Board Members were chosen by existing Board Members. Almost all seats on the board were occupied by wealthy businessmen who had significant stakes either in the Union Railroad Company, the Central Railroad Company, or large plantations around Asequi and San Juan Diego. In 1833, the Board voted to end foreign trade and place Sequoyah in complete isolation. This decision was to protect their business interests from foreign competition, and to prevent foriegn influence from tainting Sequoyan culture. The Sequoyan Church endorsed the decision, stating that it was necessary to protect Sequoyah from threats growing abroad like Marxism and Atheism. Anyone born outside of Sequoyah, except for Creeperans, were deported and no foreigner could enter Sequoyah without express position from the Government. This policy of isolation continued through the rule of the Republic of Sequoyah due to the Sequoyan political culture placing a high emphasis on respecting precedent and tradition. Sequoyah's technological advancement would stall due to this isolation, as Sequoyah developed new technologies independently. The lack of foreign materials caused new technologies to develop far slower in Sequoyah than in any other country. Some schematics and blueprints would be smuggled into the country, but these instances were rare. Historians now view the decision to isolate Sequoyah as one of the worst decisions in Sequoyan History, as Sequoyah was on track to develop into a potential regional power. However, without foreign products or technology, Sequoyah's development stalled, and many of the socioeconomic problems that Sequoyans faced in 1833 are still present today.
The First Republic of Sequoyah
In 1876, the Union Railroad Company and Central Railroad Company began their work on the Sequoyan Transcontinental Railroad to make trade between Kalgaduv and Asequi cheaper, faster, and safer. When construction started in January of 1876, almost 400 men were killed by Cheyall raiding parties in response to the railroad violating their borders. However, the oligarchal government lacked the power to levy taxes to fund military operations to protect railroad construction. Thier mercenary forces were stretched thin and taking heavy casualties. In Febuary of 1876, the Council voted to write a Republican Constitution to be approved by a 2/3 vote. The Council also agreed that any constitution would limit the franchise only to Sequoyan land-owners, thus disqualifying the vast majority of Sequoyans from voting. The First Sequoyan Constitutional Convention met in Asequi in March of 1876. On March 31st, the convention ratified the First Sequoyan Constitution and created the Republic of Sequoyah, a federal government with territorial governments overseen by a national bicameral legislature and a President of Sequoyah that would act as Chief Executive and Commander-in-Chief of Sequoyah. A snap election was held on April 5 1876, and Leland Johannson was elected and sworn in as President of Sequoyah on April 20 1876.
Presidency of Leland Johannson
Johannson's presidency is known for the creation of the Sequoyan Armed Forces and the beginning of the Sequoyan Frontier Wars. Johannson campaigned on the creation of a tax-funded federal Army to protect the Sequoyan Transcontinental Railroad. On July 9 1876, the Sequoyan Congress approved the Sequoyan Armed Forces Act, which authorized the creation of the Sequoyan Armed Forces, to be funded by a 20% tax on tobacco sales. The Johannson adminastration quickly promoted members of the Western Sequoyah Territorial Militia to officer's ranks of the newly created Sequoyan Armed Forces and authorized the use of military funds to construct Kalgaduv Military College for the training of new officers. By the end of 1876, 10,000 men had enlisted in the Sequoyan Armed Forces and began engaging the Cheyall and Navaja to protect the railroad builders. In 1877, fighting between the Armed Forces and the Cheyall intensified, with 327 Sequoyan soldiers killed in action by the end of 1877. Johannson responded by offering large subsidies to firearm manufacturers and raising barley taxes by 5% to cover additional recruitment costs. Johannson was becoming increasingly unpopular among the railroad barons due to his inability to prevent Cheyall attacks from stalling railroad development. At the end of 1877, Johannson announced that he would not be running for another term and stated he would support his Vice-President, Andrew Erickson in the 1881 elections. Johannson's political power declined and he was unable to enact any major policy changes from that point onward. However, he regained some lost popularity after he caught and executed several prominent Cheyall War Chiefs in 1879. Beginning in 1881, Johannson devoted his time to promoting Erickson's candidacy by giving speeches in his favor in Asequi and San Juan Diego. Thanks to Johannson's campaigning, Erickson won with 73% of the vote, defeating Whig leader and plantation owner Phillip DeClare.
Presidency of Andrew Erickson
As President of Sequoyah, Erickson strongly aligned the Federalist Party (Sequoyah) with the manufacturing sector, promising subsidies for firearm, steel, and railroad companies to be paid for by taxes on corn, rice, and barley. The Sequoyan Congress passed the 1882 Manufacturing Bill, which levied a 7% tax on income generated from corn, rice, and barley sales and used the money generated to subsidize manufacturers in Kalgaduv and San Juan Diego. However, by 1884, the bill had led to economic collapse as rising agricultural prices prevented many working-class Sequoyans from being able to afford food. Although provided government subsidies, manufacturers did not raise the pay of their workers or cut prices, instead using the subsidies to maximize profits. This led to the Kalgaduv Insurrection in 1885, when nearly 2,000 factory workers gathered weapons and took over several key steel plants in the central part of Kalgaduv. Erickson responded by ordering 2,500 Western Sequoyah Territorial Militiamen to surround the factories and starve the men out. The Insurrection continued for nearly 7 months before a fire swept through the manufacturing sector of the city. The Militiamen were ordered to shoot any Insurrectionists that attempted to escape the fire, leading to the deaths of every single insurrectionist. The event was called the "Kalgaduv Massacre" by the Asequi Expositor and Erickson was blamed for it. In the 1887 elections, Erickson lost by a narrow margin to Whig Phillip Redoubt, a former Brigadier General and plantation owner. Redoubt campaigned on repealing the 1882 Manufacturing Bill and promised to lower the prices on foodstuffs by eliminating agricultural regulation.
Presidency of Phillip Redoubt
Redoubt was popular with both the planter class and the working class of Sequoyah when he was elected President. In July of 1888, The 1882 Manufacturing Bill was repealed and food prices declined sharply. However, as Redoubt's popularity grew, the issue of enslaving captured tribals was being debated in the political arena. The practice of tribes enslaving eachother had existed since the Tribal States Period, but Sequoyans enslaved other tribals far more than any other tribe did since the Imperial Period. In the year 1888, it was estimated that 3% of Sequoyah's population was made up of enslaved tribals. A new faction of the Federalist Party, known as the Unionists, left the Federalist Party over the issue of slavery and formed the Union Party (Sequoyah), an abolitionist and populist party. Redoubt, determined to keep agricultural costs low, campaigned on protecting tribal slavery and passed the 1889 Agricultural Bill, which declared slavery to be an "essential institution of the Republic of Sequoyah" and offered large-scale plantations tax credits. Food prices reached a record low due to the increase of enslaved plantation workers and the tax credits offered to corn and wheat producing plantations. The Sequoyan Army captured thousands of tribal warriors and began selling them to the plantations. By 1891, many Sequoyans believed that Sequoyah would defeat the other tribes entirely and complete the transcontinental railroad. Under the intense offensive championed by Redoubt, tribal warriors were unable to prevent railroad construction, and an average of 5 miles of track were being laid each day. Redoubt had a 65% approval rating among voting Sequoyans and won the 1894 election in a landslide. However, in July of 1894, thousands of Sequoyan farmhands lost work as plantations preferred to purchase tribal slaves. The low prices of food led to rapid deflation in the manufacturing sector, and nearly 15,000 workers in Kalgaduv lost their jobs by December of 1894. The Sequoyan Economy's growth declined by 9% by January of 1895. Redount responded to the crisis by eliminating taxes on manufacturing goods. This only contributed to the economy's deflation and another 20,000 Sequoyans were out of work by June of 1895. Many working-class Sequoyans couldn't afford the incredibly cheap food and manufactured materials on the market. By August of 1895, the Central Railroad Company announced it would be laying off 2,000 railroad workers and replacing them with tribal slaves. Plantations reduced the number of overseers among their slaves, falsely believing a revolt was impossible.
Winds Fly's Slave Rebellion
In January 1896, an enslaved Cheyall Medicine Man named Winds Fly claimed that the First Bison and the First Horse, the Gods of the Cheyall religion, had appeared to him in a vision and told him that they would aid him in freeing his people. Winds Fly was held captive on a plantation 15 miles west of Asequi where nearly 4,000 Cheyall warriors were enslaved. Winds Fly preached about his vision in secret to the other slaves and coordinated a revolt against their overseers. On 21 January 1896, Winds Fly executed his plan. Once the sun began to set, the slaves began heading back to the shoddy barracks where they slept. However, they suddenly turned on their overseers and beat them to death with rocks and farming tools. They then lit the fields on fire and ran to the plantation house, where they beheaded the plantation owner and his family. Almost all 4,000 slaves had escaped the plantation under Winds Fly's leadership. Although many in Winds Fly's army wanted to return home to the Cheyall Tribe, Winds Fly decided he would march on every plantation and free as many slaves as he could. By 31 January 1896, Winds Fly had liberated 3 plantations and commanded a force of 8,000 freed slaves. They only faced resistance from municipal militias. Winds Fly's men brutally executed any overseers and plantation families they came upon. On 1 Febuary 1896, President Redoubt ordered the Eastern Sequoyah Territorial Miltia and the 1st and 3rd Legions of the Sequoyan Army into Asequi to put down the revolt. The 1st and 3rd Legions marched east from patrolling the Transcontinental Railroad, while the Territorial Miltia mustered 6,000 able-bodied men in Asequi and armed them with lever-action rifles, giving them an advantage over Winds Fly's army, which was limited to few rifles and mostly used improvised weapons. The Militia was ordered to hold Winds Fly's army until the 1st and 3rd Legions could arrive. On 26 Febuary 1896, the Militia began patrolling the plantations surrounding Asequi. On 1 March 1896, they located Winds Fly's army heading towards the largest plantation in Sequoyah, Pelennor Fields, 30 miles north of Asequi. The Militia, using horses and wagons, were able to beat Winds Fly's army to the plantation by half a day. The Militia recieved further orders stating they had to hold Winds Fly's army for 3 days before they would recieve reinforcements. Rathern than fortify the plantation, the Militia decided to cut off the rebelling slaves on the road to the plantation, so as to prevent large property damage. The militia formed lines along the road and prepared to annihilate the freed slaves through the use of traditional line-firing tactics. At midnight on 3 March 1896, the Militia spotted Winds Fly's army and opened fire on them, beginning the Battle of Pelennor. Winds Fly ordered his men into a frantic retreat out of range of the rifles, taking heavy losses. Rather than pursue the fleeing army, the Miltia held their positions. At around 2 AM, a heavy fog rolled in and a heavy rainstorm began, severely limiting the visibility of the Militia. Winds Fly used the fog as a diversion and ordered 200 of his men to make silent advances on the militia's left flank and engage them in a melee. At 3 AM, the 200 freed slaves charged the militia's flank and engaged them in a melee. The confused militia ordered their men to turn, incorrectly assuming the main force was along the flank. Once the militia began turning, Winds Fly ordered his main force to charge from along the road. His men were able to reach the Militia's lines without heavy fire and engaged in a savage melee battle. By dawn, the remaining militiamen surrendered, having taken heavy losses to the highly skilled Cheyall warriors. Nearly 3,000 militiamen were captured by the freed slaves and executed. Winds Fly, however, lost over 1,500 men in the battle. But they were able to succesfully liberate the plantation, freeing nearly 11,000 slaves. Winds Fly burned the plantation, destroying a major food source for Eastern Sequoyah. Now, armed with captured weapons and horses from the Territorial Militia, Winds Fly had created a formidable fighting force. He announced that his new army would march West and destroy the transcontinental railroad. However, news of the militia's defeat quickly reached Asequi. President Redoubt sent a telegram to the entire Sequoyan Army patrolling the transcontinental railroad (made up of over 30,000 men) and ordered them to engage and destroy Winds Fly's army. The 1st and 3rd Legion were joined by 20,000 additional troops as they marched to face Winds Fly's army. On 12 April 1876, the Sequoyan Army engaged Winds Fly's army in Isiah's Pass, beginning the Battle of the Pass. Recognizing that he was faced by a superior force, Winds Fly took command of 1000 of his best warriors, armed with captured rifles and placed on horses, and ordered the rest of his army to flee towards Cheyall lands. Winds Fly and his warriors used the pass to bottle the approaching Sequoyan army and began firing at the approaching army relentlessly, sending their first 3 advances into retreat. As the sun began to set on 12 April, most of Winds Fly's army had escaped north to Navaja lands. However, Winds Fly and his men were running out of ammunition. Noting that some of his men could still be reached by Sequoyan forces before they were able to escape into the wilderness, Winds Fly ordered his men to charge the Sequoyan forces to buy the retreating slaves additional time. Winds Fly and his warriors led a cavalry charge into the Sequoyan ranks, with nearly half of the riders being killed by rifle fire before they reached Sequoyan lines. The cavalry charge allowed the remaining slaves to escape. Ultimately, none of Winds Fly's riders survived the charge. However, their charge allowed over 17,000 slaves to escape to freedom. Although it is widely agreed that Winds Fly was killed in battle, his body was never positively identified, leading to Cheyall legends that Winds Fly was pulled from the battle by the First Bison and would return to the Cheyall in their most desperate hour of need. The Slave Rebellion of 1896 is widely considered the only succesful slave rebellion in Terraconserva history. Furthermore, the rebellion destroyed several key plantations and caused a famine in Eastern Sequoyah and fueled economic collapse. Ultimately, the rebellion destroyed the popularity of the once-powerful President Redoubt and led to thousands of famine-related deaths. Redoubt had little political power for the remainder of his term and spent the rest of his term using government funds to rebuild private plantations. Although this alleviated some of the food insecurity Sequoyans faced, the burnt fields were leeched of nutrients and it took a decade for Eastern Sequoyah to once again have adequate food stores.
Brunt Presidency
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Federalist Jackson Brunt won the 1899 elections in a landslide, taking command of a scarred Sequoyah. Brunt passed the Manufacturing Protection Act, which stated that tribal slaves could only be used in agricultural jobs and railroad construction. This protected manufacturing workers from having their jobs taken by slaves. Brunt also created the Bank of Sequoyah to loan money to plantations that had been destroyed by 1896 Slave Rebellion. Brunt's presidency was incredibly promising. He was the youngest President of Sequoyah, elected at age 41, and was mildly popular due to his manufacturing and banking reforms. Under his Presidency, the intial famine was being alleviated. Brunt also provided subsidies for firearms manufacturers, making Sequoyah's primitive percussion cap revolvers and repeaters available to the general public. These subsidies allowed average Sequoyans to protect themselves from tribal attacks. However, on 23 July 1903, Brunt suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism. His Vice-President, Romson Phillips became President. Newspapers referred to Brunt's death as the "fall of the kingdom," as many mourned the sudden death of the promising, intelligent, and youthful President.
Phillips Presidency
Phillips presided over the growth of the Union Party as abolitionist sentiment grew among Sequoyan citizens as many needed jobs and felt slavery was limiting their access to work. Populist sentiment also grew under Phillips presidency as thousands of Sequoyans marched in Asequi for Universal White Male suffrage. After several delays of food rations to Asequi and San Juan Diego, this populist movement grew. Fearing a widespread rebellion, the land-owning class decided to elect a Union party President to appease the masses. They threw their support behind former Supreme Commander of the Sequoyan Armed Forces Julius Hamlin, hoping that his military record in wars against the Tribals indicated a conservative idealogical streak. Hamlin was relatively popular among abolitionists, however, due to his refusal to sell tribal POWs into slavery which led to his resignation from the military under Brunt's presidency. Ultimately, faced with crushing defeat from Hamlin, Phillips announced he wouldn't run for a second term.
Hamlin Presidency
Julius Hamlin became, by far, the most succesful and popular President in Sequoyan history. Modern historians rank him as the best President in Sequoyan history and as the second best Sequoyan head of state, after Chief Sequoyah I. After taking office in 1906, Hamlin began aggresively campaigning for universal white male suffrage in the Sequoyan congress. Fearing the high regard the lower classes held for Hamlin, congress grudgingly passed the 1906 Voting Rights Act, which extended the franchise to every male Sequoyan citizen over the age of 16. Hamlin's victory led to his popularity ballooning. After political pressure from the newly enfranchised lower classes in 1906, Hamlin committed to abolishing tribal slavery to protect paying Sequoyan jobs. In January 1907, Hamlin ordered all Sequoyan Military Units to halt the sale of tribal prisoners of war to plantation owners. By June, Abolitionist sentiment grew popular enough that some Congressmen feared losing their positions if they didn't change positions. In January of 1908, Congress officially abolished the Sequoyan Slave Trade and declared that all slaves would be freed. Hamlin happily approved the bill. Every tribal slave in Sequoyah was freed and most returned to their nomadic lifestyles, although some moved to Kalgaduv and Asequi to campaign for the extension of the franchise to tribals. Hamlin took the stance that any tribal who renounced tribal citizenship and became a Sequyoan citizen should have the ability to vote, but this stance was considered radical by those in congress and never recieved widespread support. However, the abolition of slavery led to the creation of thousands of new good-paying agricultural and construction jobs. Now that Hamlin no longer had to appeal to land-owning voters to win elections, he promised a series of wide reforms, including the establishment of a minimum wage, a job garuntee, the creation of an income tax for the top 10% of Sequoyan earners, increased pensions for veterans, and the discussion of peace talks with the Cheyall and Navaja tribes. Hamlin's platform became incredibly popular and he won the 1911 election with 67% of the vote. The Union Party had gained a slim majority in congress, and no Union politicians defected against Hamlin, fearing his intense political prowess.
Second Term
By July 1912, Hamlin had succeeded in creating a national minimum wage and offered full wages for veterans. By the beginning of 1913, Hamlin succeeded in levying a 40% income tax on the top 10% of Sequoyan earners. He used the money to fund food distribution and to subsidize small-scale farmers. Rather than continue the Federalist's policy of subsidizing plantations to overcome the famine, Hamlin eliminated all loans to plantations and used the money to purchase farms in Eastern Sequoyah and distribute them, free of charge, to Veterans who were willing to farm the land for a period of 5 years. Ultimately, this policy eliminated the famine caused by the 1896 slave rebellion and led to an increase in consumers, which bolstered the sale of manufactured goods in Kalgaduv, creating more jobs there. Experts saw a 15% decline in poverty rates from 1906 to 1912 and economic growth increased by 25%. However, Hamlin still faced the prospect of continous war with the Cheyall and Navaja. In January 1913, Hamlin met with a group of Cheyall and Navaja chiefs and agreed on a temporary ceasefire, stating that so long as the Railroad Companies didn't establish any permanent towns or cities along the railroad routes, major Cheyall and Navaja Warbands wouldn't attack them.
In exchange, the Military agreed to arrest and prosecute slavers that illegally captured and trafficked tribals. Although the peace agreement led to a period of relative stability, small-scale skirmishes between municipal militias and warbands continued through Hamlin's presidency as caravans repeatedly violated Cheyall and Navaja borders. However, only around 1-2 miles of track were laid a day under Hamlin's presidency due to malaria epidemics that swept through the workforce and intense winters that swept through Jehova's plains. Hamlin's popularity continued to grow, and he was re-elected with 72% of the popular vote in the 1917 elections.
Third Term
At the beginning of his third term, Hamlin declared he would totally eliminate unemployment for all who were willing and able to work. He used the increased funding he recieved from the income tax to create the Telegraph Communications Authority, a government-run corporation that was directed to establish telegraph lines to every major city in the nation. This created thousands of more jobs as workers were required to make wire, operate telegraph stations, and construct telegraph poles. The TCA completed telegraph lines between Kalgaduv and Asequi by August of 1920.
Creation of Itse Gadu
In 1921, wealthy Sequoyan businessman Rick House approached Hamlin and discussed his idea to build an autonamous city in the Desert to the south of Asequi. Hamlin supported the idea and promised support for the city. House would go on to found Itse Gadu and established House Technologies, which would evantually become the largest technology company in Sequoyah. House Technologies worked with the Telegraph Communications Authority and produced hundreds of miles of cheap telegraph wire in exchange for Itse Gadu to be granted a relative level of autonamy, including freedom regarding gambling, prostitution, and sodomy laws. In 1923, Congress passed the Itse Gadu Autonamy Act, which extended significant levels of autonamy towards Itse Gadu and recognizing it as an autonamous territory of Sequoyah. House responded by constructing several dozen casinos and brothels in Sequoyah, establishing Sequoyah's tourism industry. Hamlin stated that he would continue to respect House's autonamy regarding Sequoyah's prostitution laws so long as the casinos paid a 20% revenue tax. House paid the tax and announced he would legalize homosexuality, drawing thousands of closeted Sequoyans to the area to work as performers, manufacturers, and prostitutes. The creation of the tourism industry provided work for Sequoyan women as hostesses, waitresses, maids, and prostitutes. With more women employed, markets for consumer goods continued to grow. The continued economic growth earned Hamlin a victory in the 1924 election.
Fourth Term
In 1925, House announced the production of new radios, allegedly with the use of stolen Creeperan schematics. In 1926, Radio Itse Gadu was established, and it would become the first radio station to broadcast across all of Sequoyah by 1930. Hamlin's last full term was defined by his campaign to extend the franchise to women and Creeperans. However, rumors that he supported Itse Gadu' legalization of prostitution so that he could hire sex workers damaged his moral reputation and hampered his legislative agenda. Ultimately, he was able to extend the franchise to Creeperans, but fears of the expansion of prostitution outside of Itse Gadu kept Congress from supporting the extension of the franchise to women. Extending the franchise to Creeperans lead to increased Creeperan immigration into San Juan Diego. By 1929, Hamlin's popularity began to wane. Although he still had an approval rating over 60%, rumors began to circulate that the unmarried Hamlin was secretly a homosexual. These rumors put Hamlin on the defensive. He responded by publicly disavowing homosexuality and sodomy. (Modern historians believe Hamlin was, in fact, a homosexual after discovering journal entries where he reported sexual encounters with his inferior officers during his tenure as a military officer. Hamlin's continued popularity, even after his death, prevents most modern Sequoyans from accepting this reality due to their hatred for homosexuality.) Hamlin's health also began to decline, limiting his public appearances. By September of 1929, Hamlin was bound to a wheelchair. He chose not to publically campaign for the 1929 elections. Although he won with 59% of the vote, the Union Party lost its majority in Congress.
Fifth Term
Hamlin spent his last term in office delegating authority to his Vice-President, Lyndon Knight, as his death loomed. At 8:09 AM on 12 June 1931, Hamlin died of a brain anuerysm. He remains the longest-serving President of Sequoyah, and most historians believe no President has come close to matching his political, economic, and military success.
Knight Presidency
Knight succeeded Hamlin after Hamlin's death, serving out the remaining four-and-a-half years in Hamlin's term. Knight's legislative agenda dealt largely with Sequoyan Foriegn Policy and the Creeperian Civil War. Although Sequoyah was in isolation, Sequoyah retained relations with Creeperopolis. For the first year of his presidency, Knight was hampered by a hostile Congress and unable to pass any substantive policy. However, after the Creeperian Civil War began in 1933, Knight demanded a massive increase in funding for the Sequoyan Armed Forces to prevent any spillover of the conflict into Sequoyah. The Congress complied, authorizing a 400 Million Seqan (equivalent to 5 billion dollars in Quebecshirite dollars today) increase in funds for the Sequoyan Armed Forces. Knight responded by demanding an increase in recruitment, bringing 350,000 new men into the military. The Troops were deployed along the Creeperian Border. However, the increased troop movements were percieved as an attack by the Cheyall and Navaja tribes, leading to an increase in fighting between the Sequoyan Armed Forces and the Tribals.
While Knight was President, Creeperian Malaria swept through the workforce on the Sequoyan Transcontinental Railroad. Over 15,000 workers were killed by the epidemic. The increase in fighting also stalled railroad development, so that railroad construction came to a near halt from 1933 to 1936. Only about .5 miles of track were laid each day, far below the expected construction rate.
Election of 1935
The Presidential Election of 1935 was contentious, as the Whigs and Federalists advocated decreasing militarization along the Creeperian border to prevent escalation of the conflict. However, Knight ran on a platform of peace, stating that his militarization "Kept Sequoyah out of the war." Knight won with 51% of the vote, but faced an increasingly hostile congress that prevented him from implementing any domestic policies.
Second Term
Senvarian Incursion into Sequoyah
In July 1937, a scouting party of 200 Senvarian Soldiers travelled into Northeastern Sequoyah near San Juan Diego. The Senvarian soldiers were ordered to investigate unfounded rumors that Sequoyah was preparing to enter the Creeperian Civil War. The Senvarian Troops were spotted by Cheyall scouts that had been contracted to the Sequoyan Armed Forces. President Knight ordered the 3rd Sequoyan Battallion, which was stationed in San Juan Diego, to destroy the Senvarian Troops. On 1 August 1937, Sequoyan troops located the Senvarians camping along the Chattahoochee River. The Sequoyans divided their forces in half, sending a force of 100 men to attack the Senvarians from the river on rafts, with the remaining 800 troops would attack the Senvarians from land. On 6 August 1937, the Sequoyans began their attack on the Senvarian camp. 100 Troops sailed down the river, firing from their rafts into the Senvarian camp. Although the Senvarians were surprised by the attack, they inflicted heavy losses on the Sequoyans using submachineguns and semi-automatic rifles, which outmatched the Sequoyan's lever-action rifles. However, the Sequoyan forces on land caught the Senvarians in a cross fire, leading to complete annihilation of the Senvarian forces. The battle is considered by some to be a phyrric victory, as nearly 300 Sequoyan soldiers were killed by the more advanced Senvarian weapons.
Political Implications
Although many in the Sequoyan congress believed the Senvarian incursion into Sequoyah to be an act of war, President Knight refused to take action. He recognized that the Senvarian's weapons were so far advanced that they would destroy any Sequoyan forces that attempted to engage them. Instead, Knight declared that Sequoyah would remain neutral despite the attack. However, He increased Sequoyan patrols along the Creeperian border by 50,000 men and commissioned new bolt-action rifles for the Sequoyan Infantry, believing that those weapons would fare better against potential Senvarian attacks. However, the stress of constantly monitering the Creeperian border was damaging Knight's health, and he announced that he would retire from politics when his term ended.
