History of Louisianne
Early Colonization Efforts
In the 1670's & 80's, French Catholic Priests and Traders from the colony of Ville-Marie began probing the inland areas of the North American continent, culminating in Robert Cavalier, the Sieur de La Salle who lead a mixed party of French and Indian Allies down the Mississippi to the coast in 1682. In a blatant act of flattery, La Salle named the region Louisianne, and was granted a right to colonize.
Louis XIV realized that he needed to act quickly and prevent the Brittanic and Iberian governments from overtaking his claim on the lands La Salle brought to his attention. He sought among the nobles of his kingdom to find trustworthy leaders, strongly allied to him, and laid the groundwork for a plan of colonization, a plan that many historians say changed the course of modern history.
In 1684 La Salle returned to Louisianne from France with a colonial detachment. Realizing that he could possibly encounter difficulty in finding the great river that was an umbilicus of sorts to the Northern Colony. La Salle realized the imperative of maintaining ties to support in the largely unknown lands. He thus hugged the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, but finally gave up his search for the river mouth after two months of searching, and settled in the Gulf Coast on the Bay of Borgne, just north of his intended destination.
A few months later, his search parties discovered how close he'd been to the mouth of the river and that the great river flowed only a matter of miles to the west of the settlement which had been named La Salle. Unfortunately for La Salle, his days in Louisianne were numbered, and in dispute with local Indians was killed in 1687. It fell then to a series of poor leaders under whose guidance the colony neither flourished nor greatly floundered.
The Consolidation of d'Iberville and de Bienville's Power
In 1697 Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville further explored the Gulf Coast around Louisianne and charted more fully the mouth of the Mississippi, establishing in the process the colonies of Biloxi Bay in 1698, and Mobile Bay in 1700. He returned home to his native France, and entrusted the colonies to his brother, returning in 1704. While d'Iberville was away, de Bienville was left second in command, and the Sieur de Sauvole lead. While Sauvole maintained the original fort of Baie de Mobile on the lower part of the bay, de Bienville was commanded to establish a fort at 26-Mile Bluff. While fortifying the stronghold, Sauvole and the others were attacked and killed by local indians, and command fell to de Bienville.
In an attack of Chickasaw Indians in 1706 d'Iberville was saved by a visiting investor, who later died of arrow wounds, though the crown continued to give its support to the fledgling colony. In 1710 de Bienville held both forts of Biloxi and Mobile, and strengthened them, while d'Iberville strengthened the growing capitol of La Salle.
In 1711 the Sieur de Cadillac arrived in Mobile et Biloxi to replace de Bienville, but was killed in a raid by indians, though modern historians wonder if it was truly a raiding party, or a carefully staged assassination on the part of de Bienville.
Growth under d'Iberville and de Bienville
In 1713 Le Sieur de Bienville went to Québec to recruit habitants to come and live in Louisianne. Following a less than satisfactory response, de Bienville went to France to appeal to the King to allow him to recruit French colonists to enlarge the hold on Louisianne.
While the Sieur was in France, word came of the Ozarks and the Arkansas trading post. He read the update and renewed his efforts to find colonists. He was moved to recruit the sons and seconds of nobles who would not otherwise have an inheritance, and found a great response.
Soon de Bienville was welcoming shiploads of colonists and was recalled to France by the King and was bestowed with a Seigneurie of Louisianne, and his brother, Pierre d'Iberville, the Vice-Seigneurie.
By this time also the construction of the Louisiannan Loire Castles had begun, a move partially to secure against native attacks, but also to insure the position of the newly-landed gentry. While the captial of the colony remained at New Orleans, the executive power moved north into the Loire valley where in the upper regions in the Ozarks, husbandry was taking root after a large group of Côte-d'Oriens had settled in 1717. In 1719, Pensacola was twice captured by de Bienville, and held it for the better part of a decade before the Floridians recaptured it.
By 1720 the Loire and Arkansas River valleys were populated by 30,000 colonists and 10,000 soldiers, and the cities of Vienne-le-Port, Doulon, Baton Rouge, and Nouvelle Orléans had been founded. The total population of French holdings had increased to almost 75,000 population (Louisianne and New Francy). The capitol of the colony was moved in 1722 to Nouvelle Orléans.
Fearing an uprising of the more populous slaves, de Bienville developed the Code Noir in 1724. For the times, the stipulations of the Code were humane, and regulated the entirety of slave life. These codes remained actively enforced by the government until the Revolution released all slaves, and was informally practiced until the complete abolition of slavery in the mid-19th century.
In late 1722 d'Iberville took it upon himself to seek more colonists, however he chose to send his brother, Jean-Baptiste to Paris, while he visited the French colonies in the West Indies to negotiate continued trade.
Jean-Baptiste's visit to Paris proved more fruitful than was orignally planned. After arriving early in 1723, Jean-Baptiste went about recruiting the uninherited gentry, and in 1725, was preparing to return to Louisianne when approached by the king. The Regent, Philippe II, Duke of Orleans had decided that the time had come to secure a regal hold upon the colony, and in order to solidify the desired hold, Philippe II initiated and achieved a marriage of one of his uncle's daughters with Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne. Louise, Mademoiselle du Maine (1704-1755), legitimized by Philippe II while regent, and de Bienville were married in the cathedral of St-Denis, and then returned to Louisianne as Prince of Louisianne.
While he was away, Pierre d'Iberville lead a successful campaign against the Natchez indians (1723), whom his brother had previously subdued (1717).
Declared a French Crown colony in 1731, Louisianne continued to grow by leaps and bounds, and new crops were introduced on the plantations. Indigo, rice and tobacco grew quite successfully, though trade was primarily by the waterways. The few roads that existed ran along the levees. Evidence of the parceled lands of the colony shows today in the property lines running from the streams, land parceled in arpents, an old French measure, roughly 0.35 ha.
In 1735 d'Iberville voluntarly abdicated his leadership of Louisianne to his brother, Jean-Baptiste who began his reign as Prince of Louisianne, a colony of almost 100,000 persons, 35,000 active soldiers and 15,000 slaves. He was granted the duchy of the Côte des Ozarques for his great work in increasing the colony, though he lived to appreciate it for only three years before he died at the hands of Native American attackers. He was interred at his nearly completed château near modern Acadia on the Loire river.
Through this time exportation was slow in growth, but within a short time the colony had become self-sufficient, even beginning to export grain (corn & wheat) and wine, as well as more valuable crops, Indigo, rice and tobacco.
Feudal Growth & Increased Self-Sufficiency
In 1743, Marquis de Vandruil was enstated as the first governor of the Louisiannan duchy of St. Onge. The Marquis de Seaugais was enstated as the Governer of the Nord later in that year.
After securing a charter from the aging Prince Jean-Baptiste, St. Louis was established by a group of Monks in 1762, establishing L'Ordre de Pureté. This was only the first of many religious establishments.
In the same year, war brought an influx of citizens from Nova Scotia, as they were driven out by the Mueva Sefardim. These citizens had chosen relocation to Louisianne instead of New Francy for a perceived difference in religious tolerance. These Acadians, or 'Cajuns' as they are now known settled predominantly on the Eastern plains and on Bayou Lafourche.
Early in 1768, Colonists of Louisianne chafed under the rule of the Aristocracy in the Provinces of St. Louis and Nouvelle Orléans. Minor uprisings were quelled quickly by the despotic son of Jean-Baptiste, Alphonse-Robert.
Forays to France to recruit new colonists continued with growing success as time passed and Louis XV's and XVI's reigns wore on. By 1770 the colony of Louisianne had grown and the chain of trading posts along the Mississippi had blossomed into a string of towns, and total population had burgeoned through both natural reproduction and immigration to almost 200,000 persons with 50,000 full time soldiers to bolster the local militias that had been developped to protect against Indian Forays. The 70,000 African slaves were kept largely in the south, where the population of whites was heaviest to prevent a joint uprising of Les Petites-Nations and Slaves.
Revolution and Motions For Independence
In 1790, however, the yoke of feudalism chaged at the necks of the 250,000 colonists, as Henri le Moyne, Prince of Louisianne, son of Alphonse-Robert, grandson of Jean-Baptiste, ruled with an iron fist.
When news of the Revolution and the subsequent abolition of the Feudal System by the National Assembly in France, Revolutionary spirit rocked the people of Louisianne in early 1791.
By late summer, all rulers aside the monarchy are exiled to France, where the revolutionary government was expected to deal with them (though most were set free), and a Colonial Committee was established.
The news of the Reign of Terror in the revolution did not reach Louisianne, as many of Robespierre's decrees did not reach Louisianne until long past their issue if they ever arrived. The Revolutionaries in France paid little attention to their "backwater" cousins.
While there was no purge of Louisiannan nobility as Robespierre effected in France, they were disposessed of most of their lands as they were nationalized and awarded to the citizens of the Republic who tended them. Any who were found to be supporters of the the Aristocracy were also disenfranchised.
Faced with the loss of their noble way of life many fled by ship to the royalist Intendency of New Francy, however the Prince and his family were forced, under Guard of the People to retain an existence as a humble farmer.
12 Nivôse an 1 (1 January, 1793), Germinal or Republican Calendar was instituted. Louisiannan compliance came on 1 Vendémiaire, II (22 September, 1793)
23 Ventôse an 2 (13 March 1794) - Louisianne ratified the Constitution in absentia as a colony.
11 Nivôse an 4 (1 Jan. 1796) - Slavery is abolished. Compliance is slow to come in some areas of the territory, as plantation owners release their slaves in front of government officials only, and quickly re-assert themselves after official departure.
1 Vendémiaire, an 5, (22 September, 1796) - Great Celebration in Nouvelle Orléans for the Republic.
30 Ventôse, an 7 (20 March, 1799) - Attempted Royalist re-instatement, as a preparation to a New World Royal Exile as the Dauphin was to be brought from his European Exile. The rally of the populace and ensuing battle caused the would be invaders to turn tail and return to Hayti before returning back to Europe.
18 Germinal, an 8 (8 April, 1800) - News of the Napoleonic Coup reaches the Louisianne, and reactions are mixed. No violence ensues, but the government fractures for a time.
With the advent of Napoleon's reign and the death of Henri, the le Moyne family gained a bit of favor, though no political clout, and very minor holdings throughout Louisianne.
De Facto Freedom
12 Prairial, an 11 (1 June, 1803) - Local government realizes that Napoleon is more concerned about European conquest and Romae Novum. With a lack of direction, a referendum is called, and a Republican government is enstated by popular vote and all Napoleonic decrees are disregarded.
36 Fructidor, an 11 (23 September, 1803) - End of a week of festival in true Republican spirit. The new (temporary) government offices were established at St. Louis to allow for the now expanding population of the Territory to remain close to the center of government with the influx of Cornouaillains settling in the upper Missouri watershed. Word from the Napoleonic government is rare and infrequent. The Louisiannan Committees took de facto control of the country.
16 Messidor, an 17 (July 5, 1809). Arrest of Pope Pius VII by Napoleon. When news of this reached the still largely religious Louisianne, public outrage reached an all-time high, and many began seeking more than de factofreedom from the yoke of Napoleonic France.
Under Le Directoire Louisiannais, slavery was slow to be relinquished. Once Jacques-Dion Astier and Adolphe Brideau were retired from the Directory, Lucien Vavasseur was the sole plantation owner, and through his intermediary he had spread the ideas of a gradual emancipation. The abolitionist group La Liberté Humaine had pushed for this idea to ease the slaves out of the plantation system. Slavery lost its favor more and more as further tales of Haÿti reached the plantations of Saint-Onge, and the results of the bloody slave rebellion there. Between La Liberté Humaine and individual plantation owners, many of the slaves (30%-40% by modern estimates) chose to return to Africa, and were resettled in French Congo largely in what was to become Gabon. Of those that remained in Louisianne, some emigrated eventually to Haÿti, about 5%-10% of those freed. Because of the gradual transition they were able to find more of a place in society. Over time, these freed slaves migrated northward, eventually homesteading some small villages on the plains of Nouvelle Cournouaille.
15 Germinal, an 33. (April 5, 1825) Word arrived from the mainland that Napoleon had died and that his son has taken over. The government, while at first displeased with the news of a continued Imperium, also realized that it meant that France would continue to take a Laissez-faire attitude, and thus Louisianne's semi-autonomy was preserved.
War was declared by the NAL-SLC on 23 Nivôse, an 36 (January 14, 1828), after Louisiannan border incursions. The mis-guided government of St. Louis thought to aggrandize the territories of Louisianne by moving into the Ouisconsin, but after a very short and brutal war Louisianne was a shattered country, deprived of all land east of the Mizouri river, and much of the territory of St. Onge, although St. Onge was receded to Louisianne in an 39 (1831).
Henri le Moyne's granddaughter, Marie-Josephine married Karl Fuersten zu Solms--Braunfels. Shortly following their marriage, an invasion force was raised from among the remaining decendence of nobility, and control of the Tejan government was taken.
The Mormon Story
1 Thermidor, an 39, (July 20, 1831) Joseph Smith and a number of other Mormon church leaders arrive in Paris-sur-Mizouri and begin meeting with the Comité De Développement De Territoire Louisannais. After suffering great persecution in the NAL-SLC in their settlements of KIrtland and Palmyra in Aquanishuonigy, and later the Les Plaines territories that had been newly-wrested from Louisianne, the Mormons desired a land of peace.
11 Thermidor, an 39 (July 30, 1831) Decision was decreed that the incoming Mormons would settle in the Territory du Nord in the region of "Nouvelle Cournouaille." Smith and his 'Saints' were displeased with the decision, but accepted it following the persecution they had recieved in the North American League.
1 Brumaire, an 47 (October 21, 1838). In the Comté Doniphan of Osage, bordering on Nouvelle Gaulle and Nouvelle Cornouaille, a brutal slaughter of 30 Mormon men, women and children took place. The attack was led by plantation owners from Nearby Osage and Nouvelle Gaulle who felt threated by the Mormons and their fervor against slavery.
From that day forward until 5 Messidor, an 53 (June 23, 1845), the Slave Plantations increased in their violence toward the Mormons who seemed a threat to their way of life. On the 5th of Messidor Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum and two others, Willard Richards and Jean Taylor, (émigré from L'Intendance de Nouvelle-Francie) were all shot by three attackers upon the steps of the National Assembly in Paris-sur-Mizouri. Joseph and his brother Hyrum were dead within moments of the attack. Jean Taylor recieved four balls, but was not killed. Willard Richards had only holes in his coat. It had been the intention of Smith and those with him to seek redress and protection from the government.
The assassination resulted in a governmental change, causing not only the ousting of the current committee president, but lead to a constitutional convention, and with the installation of the new popularly elected President and committee members, a program of liberation was begun. All slave owners were stripped of their slaves if they did not volunarily release them, and government officials visited on a much more regular and frequent basis to ensure that the slaves were indeed released. Retribution against the Mormons was prevented and peace restored to Cornouaille.
Brigham Young took over after Smith's untimely death, and continued to guide the fledgeling religion, organizing groups of hardy 'Saints' as they called themselves to go to the mountains of an area he called Deseret to mine for Silver, Zinc, Copper and other metallic ores and still others to establish communes in the Southern areas of Nouvelle Navarre. It is estimated at the current day that Mormons comprise 75% of the population in West Nouvelle Cornouaille, and amount to 10% or less in the surrounding areas. Approximately 100,000 Mormons or ex-mormons live, mine, and manipulate AC and Tejas in the disputed territory of Deseret. Communes of Mormons are also found in the *here* Snake River Valley* in Oregon, though they are 25,000 persons or less spread over 20 communities.
On 1 Vendémiaire, an 105 (23 September, 1896), the Territoire du Nord was divided into Nouvelle Navarre, and Nouvelle Cournouaille, bringing the final count of Louisiannan préfectures to a total of six, profoundly reducing deadlock in the governmental decisions.
Today's Louisiannan Government
Each Préfecture has a bicameral legislature, of senators and representatives of population. These elect a Préfect to represent them in the Council.
The Council is lead by the Premier President, who is popularly elected by the peoples of Louisianne. A Unicameral legislature that is popularly elected by the peoples of Louisianne to support their Prefectoral Presidents prepares national laws and these laws, once passed through the Unicameral Legislature (a glorified committee, actually) are voted on by the Council. A majority vote (4 to 3 minimum) is sufficient to pass a bill into law.
The Préfects elected by the Préfectural Legislatures are subject to votes of no confidence by the electorate, and can be replaced at anytime, though they typically serve for 5 years, with a mandatory seventh year re-election scheduled by the Constitution. The First President is elected each 7 years.
