Freeman
The Territory, and later State, of Freeman is an American state centralized in the nation, bordering the states of Kansas to the east, Arizona to the west, Utah to the south, and Wyoming and Nebraska to the north.
Government
In 1853, Freeman voted in favor of statehood. Prominent rights advocate Frederick Douglass became the state's first Governor, becoming the first black politician in America, though the politicians on the federal level remained white men.
Infrastructure
Freeman includes many rail hubs that assist in connecting the East Coast to regions such as Colorado and California.
History
Much of what would become Freeman came from the acquisition of the Louisiana Conquest. The territory was allocated to freed slaves in 1810 by King Augustus II and Chancellor Elbridge Gerry following the pro-slavery rebellion against partial abolition. The territory became a place for freed slaves to establish their own plantations on granted land.
During the Texas Rebellion, Freeman saw a vast amount of African American volunteers in support of the Federal Government. Chancellor Henry Clay proclaimed the volunteers valuable assets to the cause, with King Augustus awarding the units distinguished citations.
With the gold rushes in Colorado and California bringing prospectors to the west coast, politicians and business owners planned to create a railway through the territory. However, the governor of the territory refused to allow the development unless Freeman was granted statehood. In order to do so, the African American residents of the territory would have had to be granted citizenship and the right to vote. This became a dividing issue as the nation, with refusing to do so seen as an infliction on the territory's sovereignty and a violation of the accords declaring the territory.
In 1850, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the territory, and King William I deciding to abide by the decision. In 1852, two Constituional Amendments, one granting citizenship to all free-persons, and the other granting universal male suffrage, were ratified against substantial opposition from the Whig and to a lesser extent Republican Party. However, this issue saw little more than local protests, and did not lead to mass conflict like previous amendments.
In 1858, Freeman entered its own gold rush. The Governor of Freeman used his position to ensure much of the mines were black owned, making a significant wealthy African American community.
Comments