WEF 3.0 19th-Century Iteration Planning Thread

[Barry Goldwater]

And the last of the Trans-Appalachian families for this cycle, now from Alabama to balance out the Indianans. The next four families to go up starting tomorrow will again be from the Eastern Seaboard.

McKean of Alabama

Much like their neighbors to the west, the McKeans were a long and undistinguished line of faceless Scots-Irish field laborers in service to their Tuckahoe betters until recently. Originally from South Carolina, they worked alongside Negro slaves and fellow poor white field hands for hours under the hot sun while their Benteen overlords watched and sipped mint juleps from afar - until Tilghman McKean came along. Growing up on his mother's stories (for his father had died before his second birthday from a wasting disease) of how good would always defeat evil and Bible passages concerning God's rewards the meek & lowly, Tilghman came to believe that one day all of his hard labor would be rewarded, he'd eclipse the Tuckahoes who looked down on him, and even find himself a bride from their elite class. All of that came crashing down hard in 1817 when, hopelessly infatuated with his then-overlord James Benteen's elder daughter Catherine (who in all likelihood didn't even know his name), Tilghman exploded into a rage upon learning that she'd been engaged to William Maiden, the second son of esteemed planter Robert Maiden, and challenged the gentleman to a duel for her hand; feeling 'sporting', Maiden agreed instead of just shooting Tilghman in the face right there as many of his peers told him to. Like many Scots-Irish Cohees, Tilghman was a born scrapper and had taken part in more than his fair share of brawls, but Maiden was an experienced duelist and after the younger Cohee's bullet flew well past him, retaliated with a gutshot specifically intended to give Tilghman a drawn-out, painful and humiliating death, his 'just desserts' for having the gall to challenge a man who was a god in comparison to him. To add insult to injury, the outraged Richard kicked the McKeans off of the Benteen plantation, and Tilghman's mother died of a fever on the same day he managed a miraculous recovery from his stomach wound. Bitterly disillusioned and boiling with a new hatred for the upper class, Tilghman made his way to what was then eastern Mississippi Territory to make a new fortune and plot his revenge. Pawning off his mother's keepsakes to buy himself a plot of land that turned out to be excellent ground for cotton-growing, he steadily bought out his fellow Cohees' turf (and, usually, acquired their services as sharecroppers on their old land, or field hands on Tilghman's growing plantation), amassed a good number of slaves, and defended himself from 'surveyors' hired by local Tuckahoe planters to drive him away. Starting in the mid-1830s he also began to involve himself in Democratic Party politics, where his superficially friendly and sensible 'good ol' boy' persona in addition to his humble origins & sob story won him much sympathy with the Alabaman Cohees. His first run at the Governor's Mansion in 1837 ended in disaster when the Tuckahoe 'establishment faction' manipulated their ballots to ensure a resounding victory for their candidate, Rufus Bagby, and publicly humiliated him at a supposedly 'conciliatory' banquet, but Tilghman grinned and bore it. Fast forward four years later, he defeated Bagby in a landslide election after his own militia of fellow Cohees (the so-called 'Cockerels') stormed polling stations all across the state to force a fair count of the ballots - or counts favorable to him, according to the Tuckahoe planters - then publicly declared that he forgave the Tuckahoes who trespassed against him before privately implying to them that he may have knocked up their daughters, and arranged a tragic accident for his predecessor in 1843 when virtually everybody else had forgotten him. At present, Tilghman McKean's first term in office is approaching its end, and he expects to handily win reelection with the help of his 'Cockerels'. His administration has been marked by rampant populism, with the Governor himself issuing many inflammatory speeches to crank up Cohee resentment towards both the Tuckahoe class (for obvious reasons, with a few exceptions who McKean has praised as 'good true gentlemen' in exchange for their support behind closed doors) and the slaves (whom they could at least look down on), and the McKeans in general have stubbornly refused to behave themselves as proper members of the upper class, retaliating against Tuckahoe attacks painting them as uncivilized boors with calls of elitism and mockery of the upper class for everything from their manners & their arrogance to their supposed effeminacy and for taking 'too many' baths a day. All this said, though most of his supporters will have none of it, Tilghman himself has been justifiably accused by outside critics of having a 'style over substance' approach to governing - for all his posturing about how he's still one of the Cohees and totally has their best interests at heart, he's done precious little in the way of actually improving their situation, and his opponents are always quick to paint him as a cynical hypocrite who cares far more about humiliating the traditional planter aristocracy than helping his fellow poor whites. Governor Tilghman McKean, AL Name: Tilghman McKean Date of Birth: April 1st, 1801 (age 44) Ethnicity: Cohee Religion: Southern Baptist Occupation: Gentleman Position: Governor Home State: Alabama Allegiance: USA Faction: Democratic Party Personality: One would be forgiven for thinking Good Ol' Tilghman McKean to be an exemplar of the Cohees at their best - outgoing, upbeat, down-to-earth, humble, never one to look down on other Southerners (Northerners, immigrants and Negroes are a whole different matter), pious but not ostentatiously so, and completely approachable to the poor whites with whom he once stood on equal ground, though he is so much higher in stature than them now; quite an appealing contrast to his Western neighbors the Hoggs, to say the least. The truth is, the propaganda of his Tuckahoe enemies are actually dead-on: far from the idealistic boy he once had been, he is now a ruthless, amoral powermonger who uses populism and his manufactured 'gentle-pauper' demeanor to manipulate his fellow Cohees into routinely voting for him, uses his power to subtly humiliate the Tuckahoes whenever he can get away with it, and keeps his rivals intimidated with his 'Cockerel' paramilitaries. McKean is keenly aware of the possibility that (with his first term nearing its conclusion) most Alabaman Cohees will realize their lot in life won't improve much under his governance anytime soon, but as his Tuckahoe enemies are even less likely to pretend to try their hand at welfare for these poor whites than South Carolina is to legalize miscegenation & abolish the Peculiar Institution, he's calculated an optimal outcome for himself - they'll keep voting him in anyway since he at least seems friendly to them and can provide them with an illusion of empowerment, however fake and hollow it might be, and he doesn't have to actually spend a cent on them, nor does he have to even try to paint his Tuckahoe enemies as evil elitists when they're already doing such a good job of that themselves. At his root, Tilghman is not so dissimilar from his fellow 'upjumped Cohee' Brutus Hogg after all - both are bitterly disillusioned wrecks of their former selves, filled with loathing for a world that appears to have gone out of its way to screw them over, and both have adopted their own ways to get back at both the Tuckahoe plantocrats who previously tyrannized them & their fellow Cohees who remained unsympathetic to them in their darkest hours. Issues: Central Government: Weak federal government, except to defend/expand slavery Religious relations: Active discrimination against non-Protestants Tariffs: No tariffs Slavery: Expansion of slavery into the territories Immigration: Shut down immigration entirely Military: Reliance on state militias & volunteers Social welfare: All men must stand on their own feet National Bank: The Bank must die Foreign relations: Expansion for slave states Other McKeans Tilghman's family: Jane McKean (née Bowes), b. 19 June 1809 (age 36). Tilghman's wife and daughter of a Tuckahoe planter who (very grudgingly) arranged her marriage to him in exchange for help in digging himself out of debt. A stunning woman with pale skin, waist-length hair the color of spun gold, bright blue eyes and a short, slender frame. Upbeat and pleasant even to her slaves & very much in love with her husband, who she still fully believes is a good man who holds her interests at heart - though in truth he feels no real love for her and is only humoring her by acting the part of a good husband to stay on her good side. Harriet McKean, b. May 5 1831 (age 14). A girl with her mother's blonde hair and blue eyes, but her father's lean frame and facial structure. A tough tomboy who's had to work on her father's fields in her childhood, before he became Governor, who's chased away suitors before (giving her scheming father no end of grief) for not being sufficiently manly in her eyes, and who remains both unable & unwilling to imitate the Southern belles of the Tuckahoe class whom she considers big-headed idiots, dishonest harpies far more vicious than her, or both. Joan McKean, b. October 28 1833 (age 12). A dark-haired and brown-eyed girl who greatly resembles her father. Unlike most of her siblings, she is reserved and intellectually inclined, and considers them all fools for failing to appreciate the value of an education. Andrew McKean, b. February 16 1836 (age 9). A scrawny kid with a perpetually messy mop of jet hair and dark brown eyes. Hyperactive and aggressive, he is known for getting into rather brutal fights with other children and for brawling with his younger brother when there's no other available 'partners'. John McKean, b. November 15 1837 (age 8). Light-haired like his mother, but brown-eyed and lean like his father. Every bit as much of a scrapper as his older brother Andrew, and always happy to oblige whenever he wants a fight. Kenneth McKean: B. 7 August 1808 (age 37). Tilghman's only surviving brother; three of their siblings died from illnesses after their expulsion from the Benteen Hall plantation, and the rest were killed during a failed robbery. A grizzled, wild-eyed man with fittingly wild dark hair, heavily callused feet from walking around so much and a tough, lean & mean frame. Having turned to religion to cope with the hard times that befell his family in the past, he has since become an overzealous Southern Baptist pastor who believes every word that comes from his own mouth, whether he's praising the greatness of slavery or issuing thunderous warnings to his flock to fear & grovel before the Lord lest they burn in hellfire for all eternity. Now lives in a modest home granted to him by his brother - Tilghman had offered him a nicer property, but he turned it down out of a belief that it was an unnecessary and un-Godly extravagance. Grace McKean (née Donelson), b. 13 December 1812 (age 33). Youngest daughter of a Calvinist firebrand whose preaching directly influenced her husband's - indeed, they first met at one of her old man's sermons. A gaunt and unsmiling woman with ratty brown hair, wild gray eyes to match her husband's that stand out even more in her emaciated face, and tough callused hands. Another stern religious fanatic who routinely starves herself to 'stave off Beelzebub' or so she can 'hear the voice of God', and who has no problem with (rather brutally) disciplining her children whenever they sin or 'sin' in her eyes - whether it be by eating 'too much', talking 'too loudly', or coming into contact with the 'cursed spawn of Ham'. Chastity McKean, b. 8 July 1838 (age 7). A mousy little girl with dull eyes and her mother's brown hair. Lives a decidedly unhappy life in mortal terror of her overbearing parents, and thinks every moment spent in the company of her uncle than them absolutely precious, as he treats her well and has shown her no indication of being a ruthless borderline sociopath. Charity McKean, b. 10 May 1840 (age 5). Too young to be notable in any regard. Temperance McKean, b. 16 April 1841 (age 4). Too young to be notable in any regard. Theodore McKean: B. 8 March 1827 (age 18). Tilghman's oldest son and heir-apparent. A short, burly man with his father's dark hair, his mother's light blue eyes and a five-o'-clock shadow. A rude, aggressive and self-righteously anti-intellectual young man who is proud of his Cohee roots and has made no attempt to fit in with the upper class of Southern society, to the point of actually boasting about his illiteracy because clearly only beardless effete eggheads read books!

[Pericles of Athens]

@Barry Damn, I'm really digging these Governor families and backgrounds my friend. +rep to you good sir.

@Everyone I know no one will want to be married into the Bohannon family, not that it would make much sense with most of your families anyways, after all they've remained a redneck Cohee family of rebellious, obstinate, and heavily militant thugs going on four generations since the revolution now. But if anyone's interested it might be funny.

[Xion]

Well, here's the von Wolfe family for 1845 :

von Wolfe

The von Wolfes are not known for their political deeds, economic prowess, or being leaders of Americans who have settled further west. They are solely known for their military deeds, beginning with Isidore von Wolfe's tenure as Inspector-General of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, serving as a land general in the Barbary War, and defeating the Indians at Tippecanoe, and for their relationship with Legionville, commonly serving in some manner of the staff there. Considered to be one of the few purely military families of the United States, descended from a German mercenary who in turn was descended from displaced nobility who became mercenaries, so they may be looked down upon by the Planters and other aristocratic groups. Isidore von Wolfe Age : 43 Rank : Superintendent of Legionville, Brigadier-General in the U.S. Army Occupation : Officer Ethnicity : German-American Religion : Lutheran Home State : Pennsylvania Allegiance : USA Children : 3(Wilhelm, Louise, and Dietrich) The sole son of Claus von Wolfe and grandson of Inspector-General Isidore von Wolfe, Isidore has followed in his father and grandfather's footsteps, serving in the U.S. Army from the age of 12 as a drummer boy and rising in the ranks to be a Brigadier General(primarily just for rank of running Legionville, is truly a Colonel) and in charge of running the U.S. Military Academy at Legionville, instilling strict German discipline or attempting to into each class of cadets. Fought in the Texan Revolution as Inspector-General of the Texan Army, as a mercenary hired by Eggers to improve the Texan army, not that it was truly necessary given the buffoon of a general Emperor Augustin had running the front.

[Barry Goldwater]

@Perry Thanks, have some rep right back. Now, as I said before we're going back to the Eastern Seaboard for the next four-family cycle, starting with New York.

Fanning of New York

The Fannings are among America's very rare high-ranking Catholic political families, and the only Irish Catholic family to have held a Governorship besides the occasional Shannon in Ohio. Their roots go a little deeper than most recent arrivals from the Emerald Isle - James Fanning Sr was the first of his family to land on American shores in 1770 and served as one of many lowly Irish sailors aboard Cato Armsby's ship the Messenger during the Revolutionary War, and his heirs started up a modestly successful business in New York City's Five Points slum, which is more than most of their people can say - but the fact of the matter remains that they are total parvenus on the American political and social scene, having only become relevant in the mid-1830s, and considered upstarts by most of the country's more established political dynasties, even a good number of their fellow Federalists who tend to try & pretend they don't exist whenever they aren't pointing to them as the party's token minority. It doesn't help that Charles Fanning, the family's current head, began as the owner & manager of the family liquor store - after his father was murdered and their shop was ransacked by nativist gangsters in his youth, driving him to closely associate himself with an Irish immigrant gang called the 'Roach Guards', who counted one of his childhood friends (a first-generation Irish immigrant, Aidan Vallon) in their ranks and with whom he routinely shared his profits with in exchange for their protection. In 1834, angered at the Roach Guards' demands for a higher tribute and knowing that Vallon, by then the second-in-command of the Roach Guards, had a tumultuous relationship with his boss Ewan McCarthy - who, as an ally of the Whig Party and the powerful Van Rensselaer family, he felt wasn't doing enough to look out for their people - Fanning talked his friend into launching a revolt and battling his former comrades for control of the streets. The result was that Vallon did indeed break with McCarthy later that year to found his own, even more vicious gang, the 'Dead Rabbits' (a corruption of the Irish term 'dead raibead' or 'very fearsome men', identified by the red stripes on their pants and their rabbit-on-a-pike 'battle standard' to distinguish themselves from the blue-striped Roach Guards), with predictable results for the city. While the Roach Guards and Dead Rabbits fought for supremacy in the Five Points, the then-waning Federalist Party's bosses saw an opportunity; they had been locked out of New York since the defection of William Van Rensselaer to the Whigs in 1824 and the alignment of the state's great gangs to either the Van Rensselaers (as was the case with the Roach Guards) or their Democratic rivals the Lloyds (who nativist gangs such as the Bowery Boys fought for), but these new Dead Rabbits provided them with a batch of willing pawns with which to take back control of the Big Apple, and Fanning himself was an Irish success story they could use as part of their plan to secure an immigrant base. As the 1836 gubernatorial and presidential elections rolled around, the Dead Rabbits were afforded a discreet influx of cash and arms from Federalist Party bigwigs such as the Sakers and Dowds, with which they emerged triumphant at the head of a coalition of lesser Five Points & waterfront gangs in a three-way war with the Whig-aligned Roach Guards and the pro-Democratic alliance of nativist gangs led by the Bowery Boys - just in time to secure control of the ballot-counting process for the Federalists. Between his instant popularity with the Irish immigrants who saw him as their best hope of stopping the unofficially-sanctioned discrimination they were facing under then-Governor Damian Lloyd, the Dead Rabbits and his party's black base in the NY countryside, Fanning handily cruised to victory in the 1836 gubernatorial election, and the Federalists also took this crucial state in that year's presidential election. Since becoming Governor, Fanning has done his best to simultaneously accommodate his black & Irish bases as well as the Federalists while browbeating his opposition into submission. His administration is hideously corrupt; the Federalists' political machine in Manhattan, 'The Pearl', handled most of his patronage appointments, and those positions which they 'generously' allowed him to pick for himself are staffed entirely by fellow Irish, Germans, blacks or the occasional middle or upper-class white Protestant whom he owes a favor to - few of whom have much experience running anything bigger than a gang or a small store, a farm or a household, respectively. When nativist riots erupted upon his election, far from panicking, Fanning capitalized on the opportunity as an excuse to found the New York Police Department shortly afterwards; the force is popularly known as the 'Paddy Wagon' due to being stuffed with Dead Rabbits or their allies and counts Aidan Vallon himself as its Superintendent, so to absolutely nobody's surprise they focus overwhelmingly on raiding the territories of rival gangs while turning a blind eye to the activities of other Dead Rabbits or at most giving them a slap on the wrist, and whenever they don't just straight up fight together with their less-than-lawful comrades in their police uniforms, Vallon & friends have no problem with pulling on their red-striped pants while off-duty to openly serve as Dead Rabbits. Businesses with Federalist affiliations prosper, while those owned by overly loud Whigs & Democrats (or just anybody who crosses the Fannings, period) have developed a mysterious tendency to literally go up in flames. Nativist Whigs and the Democrats outside the state, in turn, have pointed to New York as an example of what happens should their bases allow immigrants to gain the upper hand anywhere. Nevertheless, Fanning's administration has genuinely improved the lot of many Irish immigrants, who can now get decent (for this time, anyway) jobs at the state's fast-growing industries now that Federalist businessmen can safely invest in the state - before, it was they whose businesses would routinely get torched & workers murdered by Whig or Democrat gangs - or in government while for once being mostly safe from the reign of terror visited upon them by nativists with the approval of the preceding Lloyd administrations, as well as the state's African-Americans, who have his party to thank for their similarly surging fortunes in the countryside & smaller towns and who similarly enjoy the protection of police forces staffed by Fanning men. Even nativists and other non-Irish/blacks who manage to keep their heads down are prospering more-so than they did in the Lloyd & Van Rensselaer years, largely because all the nativist gangs that used to demand protection money from them have been suppressed. Thus, despite his rather obvious alliance with ruthless criminals, as long as the Whig and Democrat gangs don't regain their power, Charles Fanning can still expect to cruise to victory with their help & that of Federalist-aligned middle and upper-class whites every time a gubernatorial election rolls around. Governor Charles Fanning, NY Name: Charles Fanning Date of Birth: March 16th, 1802 (age 43) Ethnicity: Irish-American Religion: Catholic Occupation: Business Tycoon Position: Governor Home State: New York Allegiance: USA Faction: Federalist Party Personality: Loud, boisterous and flamboyant, especially when drunk, Charles Fanning is a flashy showman first and foremost, which goes a long way to explain how he became a popular politician in the first place. He's quite fond of his newfound wealth & power and thus will not hesitate to show it all off at every possible opportunity, always wearing emerald-studded rings and goose brooches to the lavish parties he throws for New York's elite and fellow important Federalists, just as he is of his Irish roots - he's also thrown good amounts of money at Irish aid organizations such as the Hibernian Society and the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick as well as the construction of new Catholic churches, installed a green-dyed fountain in his green-roofed Manhattan mansion, and always takes a leading place in Saint Patrick's Day parades (where he is a common target for nativist/Roach Guard assassins that totally aren't working for the Lloyds & other Democrats or the Whigs). Whenever he isn't showing off the Irish spirit, he has been known to herald his coming to Federalist Party conventions with the flying of massive American flags by at least one Protestant, one other Irishman and an African-American in his company to show his undying all-American patriotism instead. All this said, Fanning does have some measure of self-awareness and knows full well that not only is he definitely not the cleanest of politicians but that in the grand scheme of things he's also little more than a Federalist pawn, though he's quick to pretend otherwise in the public eye and to privately admit that he feels the corruption of his own administration is 'only fair' given what nativists have put him & his people through in the past, not to mention it's the only way he could've gotten to where he is now anyway - after all, pawns are the only piece that can be promoted. Also zealously committed to his family, Fanning has no problem with aggressively using his influence to place them in high positions they may not be entirely qualified for, to indulge their every whim and to see to it that the NYPD (or just plain Dead Rabbits) pay a visit to anyone who dares wrong them. Issues: Central Government: Sweeping federal powers, commitment to fight slavery Religious relations: Harmonious religious mosaic Tariffs: High tariffs Slavery: Total, uncompensated abolition Immigration: Open immigration Military: Strong standing military Social welfare: Limited welfare networks are acceptable National Bank: The Bank must survive Foreign relations: Expansion for free states Other Fannings Charles's family: Caitlin Fanning (née Collins), b. 9 October 1804 (age 41). Charles's wife and one of the many children of a butcher who became a founding member of the Dead Rabbits. A tall woman with fiery red hair, blazing green eyes and a tough aura to her, once beautiful but her age and the toll of nine births is clearly wearing on her. Combative and gregarious as befits a former tomboy - quick to anger, and especially quick to defend her heritage, with little of the social grace expected of an upper-class lady - and also an aggressive promoter of her own family's fortunes, having pressed her husband into giving her brothers jobs in the New York Police Department or patronage appointments in his government and dragging her sisters with her into New York's new elite. John Fanning, b. 14 May 1830 (age 15). A scrawny, heavily freckled red-haired lad. Unlike his more combative kin, he's an aspiring artist, albeit a terrible one. Owen Fanning, b. 6 August 1834 (age 11). A fat red-haired and red-faced boy with ham hands. Notoriously gluttonous and lazy, and especially fond of barbecued ribs ever since he got his first taste of the stuff while accompanying his father to North Carolina. Garret Fanning, b. 17 May 1836 (age 9). A wiry boy with a shock of his mother's bright red hair and his father's blue eyes. A born fighter like his oldest brothers, he idolizes Darragh and hopes to follow in his footsteps by attending Legionville when he's older. Heber Fanning, b. 9 December 1837 (age 8). Small and wiry in stature like his brother Garret, but with his genetic features reversed - he has his father's auburn hair and his mother's green eyes. An intellectually inclined lad who is especially interested in Irish and Catholic history. Deirdre Fanning, b. 11 August 1839 (age 6). Too young to be notable in any regard. Eliza Fanning: B. August 24 1800 (age 45). Charles's older sister. A short, skinny woman with the family's traditional auburn hair and blue eyes. Quiet and mild-mannered, which is especially jarring given how her siblings are prone to acting, but no less cunning; she's taken to life as an upper-class lady like a fish to water, and is often the brains behind her brothers' intrigues. Married to 'Red' Thomas O'Connell, one of the NYPD's Commissioners and 'former' founder/leader of the Dead Rabbit-allied 'O'Connell Guard' gang who distinguish themselves by wearing red berets; why yes, he has totally resigned from his command of the Guards as she claims and isn't running it through his cousin Sean, how could anyone possibly think that. Bran Fanning: B. 19 March 1807 (age 38). Charles's younger brother. A tall, burly man with his mother's vivid green eyes, who's only recently started caring for his once-wild auburn hair and has shaved his beard back to more manageable proportions. An rough-'n-tumble street fighter and partisan of the Roach Guards before defecting to become a founding member of the Dead Rabbits in his youth, and 'going legitimate' in 1839 in preparation for a political career that started with his clearly non-rigged election to the New York City Council. Elected Mayor of New York City in 1844 thanks to his brother's influence and his old comrades in both the NYPD and the Dead Rabbits, and has also recently married up the social ladder. Rebecca Fanning (née Woodhull), b. 12 July 1816 (age 29). Second daughter of David Woodhull, a local industrial baron and unquestioned Boss of 'the Pearl' - the Federalist Party's political machine at Pearl Street (from which it got its name) west of the Five Points, and rival to both the Democratic 'Tammany Hall' at the corner of Nassau & Frankfort Streets and the Whig 'Pell-Mell' on Pell Street. A pretty, 'swan-necked' woman with soft golden curls and softer brown eyes. Also a keen politician and born socialite, who basically anybody who wants a patronage appointment takes care to approach first in hopes that she will intercede on their behalf before her husband and brother-in-law. Thomas Fanning, b. 15 June 1836 (age 9). A slim, beautiful boy with flawless blond curls inherited from his mother and his father's bright green eyes, often mistaken for a girl even by other Federalists and called 'Silken Thomas' behind his back by his siblings and cousins. Don't let his girly looks fool you, though - he is a vain, stubborn boy who, as the aforementioned cousins in particular have found out, has definitely inherited the traditional Fanning temper & flanboyancy. Alasdair Fanning, b. 6 April 1841 (age 4). Too young to be notable in any regard. Lucy Fanning, b. 10 December 1843 (age 2). Too young to be notable in any regard. Darragh Fanning: B. 29 June 1826 (age 19). Eldest son of Charles Fanning. A tall, tough, muscular young man with fiery red hair like his mother, his father's blue eyes and a rough yet handsome countenance. A blunt and loud-mouthed brawler with a mighty short temper, he was the first of his family to attend Legionville and is currently a cadet there. Fiona Fanning (née Vallon), b. 11 August 1825 (age 20). Wife to Darragh and elder daughter of Charles's oldest & most important friend Aidan Vallon, leader of the Dead Rabbits and Superintendent of the NYPD. A tall, lean and long-legged woman with jet hair and pale blue eyes, just like her father. A tough, spirited and uncultured young woman who just so happens to be an honorary niece of one 'Hell-Cat Maggie', a woman who is one of her father's most dreaded enforcers. Aidan Fanning: B. 14 December 1827 (age 18). Second son of Charles Fanning. A red-haired, green-eyed young man with a lean frame who's only slightly shorter than his older brother. Also slightly less inclined to fighting than most of his kin, he has taken up a job as a desk jockey for the NYPD. Erin Fanning: B. 8 January 1810 (age 35). Younger sister of Charles Fanning. A weathered woman with often-plaited auburn hair and dark green eyes. Ever the dutiful daughter and sister, she does whatever is asked of her by Charles in the spirit of family loyalty, rarely so much as complaining even at the less pleasant tasks thrown her way. Wife to Brian O'Reilly, another of the NYPD's six Commissioners and brother of Hugh O'Reilly, who still leads the Dead Rabbit-allied Shirt Tail gang.

[Barry Goldwater]

And to balance out the Fannings, here are the North Carolinians.

Simons of North Carolina

Many Southern planter houses absolutely love to put on airs and imitate the aristocracy of Europe to the best of their ability - but not the Simonses, who prefer a plain and no-nonsense approach with little in the way of decoration or fanfare, even though they're a good deal older and more powerful than most such families. Dating back to the 1650s, when Sir William A. Simons first washed up at Albemarle Sound as a Cavalier refugee from Cromwellian England and later founded Sable Plantation, the family has gained a reputation as ruthless, utterly unfeeling tyrants addicted to power, who bribed & bullied their way to the top and left those who would defy them with slashed throats or otherwise arrange 'tragic accidents' for them to send a message to the rest. Not every Simons was like this, of course - but the ones who clawed their way into the history books generally are. Walter Simons I, the family's most famous representative to date, opportunistically sided with the Patriots in hopes of maintaining his family's iron-fisted rule over North Carolina, for he had been informed by his spies that the British were planning to depose them; in that he succeeded gloriously, as he was able to purge his remaining enemies in the state after the Revolution under the banner of first 'anti-Loyalist operations', then by accusing them of privately supporting the Waxhaws & Whiskey Rebellions. His son Edmund, a veteran leader of the North Carolina militia who took support in the suppression of the Waxhaws Rebellion and would have done so for the Whiskey Rebellion had that revolt not petered out quickly, succeeded him, and like his old man the new boss maintained power through bribery and intimidation of the North Carolina state legislature for his entire life, stubbornly trying to avoid extending the franchise to the poor whites all the while. When Edmund jumped ship from the Federalists to the Whigs in 1824, absolutely nothing changed except the colors and the name of the party that ruled the Tar Heels. When Edmund's eldest son, Walter II ascended to the throne succeeded him as Governor in 1830, it seemed that things would finally start looking up. He was no less cold and aloof than his forefathers before him, but he at least finally issued universal manhood suffrage to the whites of the state. A few years into his reign term however, it soon became clear that Walter was uninterested in making anything beyond cosmetic changes to the way things were run. He organized a political machine, the New Bern-based 'Sable House', which controlled all patronage throughout the state; anybody who wanted a job, some financial help, food or coal or new tools could go to a local representative of the machine, who'd be glad to offer it for the low, low price of eternally voting for Simons in every gubernatorial election, and for the Whig Party candidates in every election after that. As state authorities across the South began to lean hard on their presses and read even private mail to shut down the expression of abolitionist sentiment, Simons took advantage of the situation to also make sure any local uprisings against his authoritarian rule would be silenced swiftly and decisively while no news of it would spread beyond county borders at the most; any survivors who weren't outright mowed down by the state militia would 'disappear' and, if they were lucky, resurface as bloated corpses in the Atlantic several months later, with nothing to directly link Simons to their deaths. And in 1841, the man proved exactly how much he valued family relative to power when he did nothing to stop his (admittedly psychopathic) oldest son and then-heir-apparent, John Simons, from being executed after he was indeed found to be the 'Butcher of Wilmington', a serial killer who raped and murdered some 17 women between 1839 and 1841; he was able to spin the incident to portray himself as an utterly just man who wouldn't allow even blood ties to get in the way of the law, with the result that the 1842 gubernatorial election was the first one that he would fairly win in his life, but his famously meek and submissive wife Joan threw herself into the sea on the same night of his election victory and left a lengthy letter attacking him for caring more about his career than his family. In true Simons fashion, Walter immediately burned the letter and attributed her death to 'a swimming accident', though his surviving children have privately noted that it was the first time they had ever seen him express even a tinge of remorse. All this said, life for the folks who manage to keep their heads down and not cause any trouble is actually not too bad in North Carolina, especially relative to the other Southern states. The fruits of Simons' political machine has left many Cohees better-off than their brethren in the neighboring states, even if they do have to basically sell their souls (well, votes) to him in exchange. Other Tuckahoe planters have found that it's much easier to just go with the flow and side with Simons, which is a great way to get lucrative jobs in his administration or to secure seats in the North Carolina legislature for as long as they're willing to back him, instead of actively opposing him, hence why the state's Democratic Party is an atrophied and chaotic mess made up mostly of either infiltrators on Simons' payroll, or Cohees who don't believe he's giving them enough to stay loyal to him. The state can boast of a public school system, an advanced infrastructure with multiple railroads and canals, and the South's second fastest-growing industrial sector, behind only Virginia, all thanks to generous investments from Sable House and Simons' own pocket (there's a difference?) - as a result, business interests routinely donate generously to the Governor's campaigns. Finally, uniquely to the South, North Carolina still boasts a ~30,000-strong class of relatively well-off free blacks; true, they can't vote, but many are modestly prosperous artisans or factory workers (in the east) or small yeoman farmers (out west), and can expect a much fairer deal under the ruthlessly pragmatic Simons (whose racism seems limited to the campaign season) than the avowedly, genuinely racist lords of the rest of the South. Today, Walter Simons II remains in power as Governor of North Carolina, as he has been for the past 15 years. The state is still firmly under his iron fist, with the only real opposition coming from a motley crew of disgruntled Cohees who he hasn't offered a sufficient bribe to yet and infiltrators who ultimately answer to him anyway, and the mere name of Simons still commands fear and respect even outside of his state's boundaries - there's more than a few planters, and some upjumped Cohees too, who'd kill to wield the same degree of control over their people that he does. Ever the calculating politician, Simons has been able to avoid major scandals or spin them to his advantage (see: the trial, conviction and eventual execution of his mad eldest son, followed by his wife's suicide), and it remains to be seen whether anyone can break the infernal machine he's set up. Governor Walter Simons II, NC Name: Walter Simons II Date of Birth: January 5th, 1795 (age 50) Ethnicity: Tuckahoe Religion: Episcopalian Occupation: Gentleman Position: Governor Home State: North Carolina Allegiance: USA Faction: Whig Party Personality: Born a sociopath, the second Walter Simons cannot empathize with others - not won't, but can't. He is utterly cold and unapproachable, his expression almost never changing from the traditional Simons dead stare with his head tilted down and eyes up (unless he's just succeeded gloriously at something, in which case he has been known to grin 'like a shark', something supporters and enemies alike find even more terrifying than his usual expression) and never speaking unless he needs to, and as quite the control freak, is always on the lookout for opportunities to hoard yet more power. Even when someone manages to truly anger him, a very difficult task to pull off, Simons can maintain his icy composure and yet still make the object of his wrath cower with a sustained, wordless death glare. His sociopathy doesn't mean he can't tell what others want from just a few seconds' analysis, though; the Governor has been known to quickly size up any situation he finds himself in, accurately predict most if not all of the desires and hatreds of those involved, from just spending a few minutes to an hour with them, and calculate a risk/benefit ratio to all the options he can think of pretty much on the spot, which has gone a long way to keeping him in charge. Above all, he's ruthlessly pragmatic, aware of his own limitations, ready to make alliances as necessary to overcome said limitations and then shamelessly break them whenever he cannot see any more use to them, determined to utterly destroy his enemies but leave anyone who doesn't actually obstruct his path alone, merciless towards dissenters but willing to turn an open ear to genuinely constructive criticism (and NOT kill the critic afterwards) - this is why, for example, he's fine with elevating Cohees to government positions they're actually good at over incompetent Tuckahoes, and why he's taken no action towards the prosperous free blacks of his state, though no doubt many paranoid Tuckahoes and envious Cohees would have; he genuinely feels no hatred, or anything else for that matter, towards them just as he does towards everything and everyone else, though he can identify and convincingly mimic the racism of other whites come election season. Ultimately, this ready mixture of ruthless cunning, pragmatism, surprising self-restraint, almost total emotionlessness, and analytical abilities all add up to one of the most powerful allies a man can have, as long as they're of some benefit to him - or an utterly implacable, and utterly terrifying, opponent should they choose to inconvenience him instead. Issues: Central Government: Weak federal government Religious relations: Strict neutrality Tariffs: Low tariffs Slavery: Expansion of slavery into the territories Immigration: Lightly limited immigration Military: Reliance on state militias & volunteers Social welfare: Limited welfare networks are acceptable National Bank: The Bank must survive Foreign relations: Expansion for slave states Other Simonses Winifred Simons: B. 15 December 1797 (age 48). Walter's younger and only full sister, wife to Theodosius Dowd of New Jersey. For more information, see the Dowd family profile. William Peter Simons: B. 6 October 1807 (age 38). Walter and Winifred's younger half-brother, born of their father's second marriage. A superficially uninteresting man of average height with the classic Simons black hair, pale gray eyes, plain face and stocky build. Seemingly boisterous and jovial if more than a bit arrogant, especially quick to laugh, drink and be merry - but like his half-brother he was born an unfeeling psychopath, though he can observe and mimic others very accurately, meaning that he's effectively 'learned' most of the emotional spectrum. Unlike his brother, he's also a sadist who gets his jollies from hurting others physically and emotionally, and Walter has had to repeatedly threaten him with death to get him to keep things on the down-low. A mad scientist who graduated with a PhD in chemistry but who, like his archrival Marcus Saker, is 'a genius at everything' in his own words, and when stowed away in his remote Appalachian laboratory/cabin, rumored (outside of any Simons' earshot, of course) to experiment on condemned prisoners and unruly slaves sent to him by his brother as a release valve for his less than socially acceptable urges. Joseph Simons: B. 17 May 1816 (age 29). Second son of Walter Simons II, though also the Governor's heir on account of his older brother's execution in 1841. Taller than most Simonses, with a long plain face topped by neatly combed jet hair, a thin handlebar mustache and steely gray eyes. A lawyer & an avid reader of Hobbes who's almost as ruthless and conniving as his old man, whom he considers an ideal leader capable of making hard decisions regardless of his personal feelings (or lack thereof) on the spot and is thus firmly obedient to, though he shows a greater spectrum of emotions on a regular basis and has been known to actually get angry or laugh on occasion. Presently one of North Carolina's Representatives to Congress, with his eye on a Senatorial seat for next year. Laura Simons (née Pitt), b. 4 May 1820 (age 25). Daughter of Thomas Pitt, another North Carolinian planter and descendant of Continental Congressman Albert Pitt. A graceful woman with wavy golden hair, fair skin, and amber eyes. A friendly socialite and obedient housewife to the public, but in truth a cunning partner to her husband and in-laws' schemes behind closed doors. Julia Simons, b. 14 February 1840 (age 5). Too young to be notable in any regard. Arthur Simons, b. 17 December 1841 (age 4). Too young to be notable in any regard. Richard Simons: B. 8 July 1819 (age 26). Third son of Walter Simons II. Short and brawny, with hard gray eyes and a short black beard & mustache. Not nearly as intellectually inclined as his brother, he is a simple brute treated by his family as little more than a living brick to throw at their problems. That said, he is quite good at following orders, just not at thinking for himself. Presently a Cavalry Lieutenant in the US Army. Diana Simons (née Thatcher), b. 4 May 1823 (age 22). Third daughter of Justus Thatcher, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and brother of planter Julius Thatcher and descendant of Continental Congressman Constantine Thatcher. A reedy woman with dark brown hair, matching brown eyes and pale skin. Intellectually inclined like her father, she keeps to her books and stays out of public life (as well as her in-laws' way) as much as she can. William Bartholomew Simons, b. 19 August 1842 (age 3). Too young to be notable in any regard. Henrietta Simons: B. 19 September 1822 (age 23). Youngest child and sole daughter of Walter Simons II. Has inherited the best of her father and mother, being a slim and beautiful young woman with long flowing raven locks, ivory skin, and a heart-shaped face with full red lips & cool gray eyes. Cynically aware of her future as a family pawn likely to be married off to whoever her father needs an alliance with and grudgingly accepting of it, being used to the luxuries of a Tuckahoe's life and knowing that her family's power will make even cruel husbands think twice about mistreating her.

[jacb547]

I have a lot of catching up to do before writing something of my own, Watercress I would accept the second federalist presidency as one of my chars.

[Agamemnon]

I'd be alright with some random offshoot of the Eggers family marrying a Bohannon and running off into the wilderness, but the character would probably never show up.

Unless he did...

[Barry Goldwater]

And now, back to the North.

Stark of Pennsylvania

Like the Quakers with whom they helped found Pennsylvania, the Starks are supposed to be pacifists. And to be fair, for the most part, they are, sometimes to ridiculous extents - Henry Stark, the family's first politically relevant figure and a sitting member of the Pennsylvania colonial government from 1697 onward, was so opposed to warfare that he continued to press for negotiations with Indians and blocked the sending of arms to frontier settlers in response to Lenape raids; future Starks had a perfect record of reaching fair agreements with Indians and then actually keeping them, while also calling out (as harshly as a Quaker can, anyway) their fellows who failed to do the same; during the Yankee-Pennamite War, as his people fought settlers from Connecticut Benjamin Stark never stopped calling for peace and arranging negotiations with the opposition, which cost him the Governorship in 1796; and during the War of 1812, this same Benjamin exhorted his fellow Pennsylvanians not to fight 'this pointless war, driven by bloodthirsty cowards who wish to see everyone but themselves bleed and die for their goals' at all from his place in the opposition, and while he was branded an unpatriotic traitor and his advice ignored entirely by then-Governor William Brandon, he would be vindicated after the crushing American defeat and reelected as part of the 1812 Federalist surge before dying in office in 1815. In keeping with the Quaker principles on which Pennsylvania was founded, the Starks are also highly accepting of those belonging to other faiths - Presbyterians, Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, even minor sects like the Millerites or Amish all lived side by side in relative harmony within the state's borders - and other races as well, as blacks work and mingle with their white coworkers and neighbors for fair (for this era, anyway) wages. Though Pennsylvania is not free from nativism and racism, the Starks have never failed to at least try to mediate in such situations to get the aggressors to stand down, and failing that, they have a good record when it comes to dispersing angry mobs and providing fair compensation to the victims. But, all this said, one would still have to be a fool to think the Starks are weak - in fact, it arguably takes great strength to hold on to convictions like theirs when the going gets tough. When push comes to shove and all their words fail, they tend to put up an even fiercer fight than others who'd be quicker to strike first. Henry Stark's son Thomas went to war against the Lenape while he was still busy denying frontier settlers new arms & ammunition, and destroyed half a dozen villages in addition to commanding colonial troops in the slaughter of 300 Lenape warriors in six separate skirmishes; Benjamin Stark, the same man who risked political suicide to negotiate a peaceful settlement in the Pennamite-Yankee War and vigorously opposed the War of 1812 even despite the threat of being tarred & feathered at his old age, threw his lot in with the Patriots and sat on the Continental Congress when he came to feel that Britain had truly become deaf to the colonists' cries; two past Starks in history fought the family's only recorded duels, and utterly demolished their opponents both times; and more recently, starting in 1824 the family has noticeably hardened their line on slavery, remaining loyal to the Federalist Party out of fear that the Whigs would not oppose the Peculiar Institution fiercely enough and generously funding, if not leading, abolitionist associations across the nation. As befits a bunch of Quakers, the Starks are committed to not just ending slavery, but actually giving the black man a fair shake, and thus stand squarely in opposition to both Pennsylvanian racists and those beyond their state's borders. While the eldest generation of Starks still alive, represented by Benjamin's grandson and current Governor of Pennsylvania John Stark, remain committed to the idea of a peaceful (though unilateral and uncompensated) abolition of slavery, the younger generations are more aggressive about their abolitionism. Many are active members of the American Anti-Slavery Society who routinely issue mail or hold conferences to broadcast their message in addition to juggling their social and political roles, while the one son who has become a preacher spreads abolitionism alongside Quaker teachings wherever he goes. Even those Starks who stay at home have taken to sheltering runaway slaves from further South and helping them settle down in Pennsylvania under new identities, or arranging for their passage further north to the even more fiercely anti-slavery strongholds of New England and Canada. Though more than a few Southerners grumble that these new generations of Starks are 'but wolves in sheep's skins', they defend their actions as something made necessary by the innate injustice of slavery and the actions Southerners themselves have taken to safeguard & advance the Peculiar Institution, and so long as they avoid physically striking or killing slavers, even Grandpa John has done precious little to actually stop them besides the occasional harsh word. At present, John Stark remains Pennsylvania's Governor, having defeated Democrat John Porter and Whig Thomas Reigart in 1844. He continues to promote internal development in close cooperation with federal institutions such as the Bank of the United States, while also advancing the abolitionist cause through his funding of and membership in the AASA, while keeping his children in check so they don't do anything too reckless in their crusade against the Peculiar Institution. He is an old man however, and looking to retire from politics soon; after that, what happens when his sons and later, grandsons ascend is still up in the air. Governor John Stark, PA Name: John Stark Date of Birth: January 17th, 1788 (age 57) Ethnicity: Middle American Religion: Quaker (Liberal Christian) Occupation: Scholar Position: Governor Home State: Pennsylvania Allegiance: USA Faction: Federalist Party Personality: A mild-mannered and reserved intellectual who prefers plain clothing that allows him to pass unnoticed, Governor Stark makes for quite the contrast with his New Yorker neighbor & fellow Federalist Charles Fanning. This former professor of theology at the University of Pennsylvania is best known for his lengthy screeds on the evils of slavery, the need for more and greater philanthropic exercises on the part of the wealthy and powerful, and other progressive causes - but unlike many other 'ivory tower intellectuals', he has both the power and the will to enact his utopian plans, and besides heavily investing the Stark family fortune in the state's railroads and factories and declaring that he will turn over most of his money to the American Anti-Slavery Society upon his death so as to leave his heirs (most of whom are, to be fair, already quite wealthy in their own right) with enough to 'get by comfortably' but not enough to spoil them rotten, he has fought hard along with his traditionally Federalist coalition of immigrants, Negroes and middle to upper-class WASP liberals to maintain religious and racial harmony within his state's borders, and lobbied hard for the preservation of peace along America's borders as well. That said, he has always been one to insist that all reform is carried out speedily and peacefully, and condemned the 1831 Boxley Rebellion in Virginia; his children do not have any such compunctions, and one can only guess at what will happen once he dies or retires and they take over. Issues: Central Government: Sweeping federal powers, commitment to fight slavery Religious relations: Harmonious religious mosaic Tariffs: High tariffs Slavery: Total, uncompensated abolition Immigration: Open immigration Military: Mix of federal & volunteer forces/state militias Social welfare: Limited welfare networks are acceptable National Bank: The Bank must survive Foreign relations: Peaceful coexistence Other Starks John's family: Felicity Stark (née Bonham), b. 7 August 1794 (age 51). John's wife and sister of Lawrence Bonham, a prominent member of the American Anti-Slavery Society's Pennsylvanian chapter. A handsome woman with graying brown hair and soft brown eyes, rather thin and taller than her husband. Also like her husband, not much of a talker, but a deep thinker and prolific writer who regularly exhorts other women to join the fight against slavery. Thaddeus Stark: B. 10 May 1810 (age 35). John's eldest son and heir-apparent. A gruff man with light brown hair, a pointed beard and hazel eyes on a long face. A more outspoken opponent of slavery than his father, he did not speak out against Boxley's Rebellion, having privately confided in his father that he believed 'the oppressed...have every right to defend themselves from their oppressors with force', and he is rumored to have given aid and shelter to over 50 escaping slaves on their way north. Also a long-time politician, having worked his way up from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to the state's junior Senator's seat in Congress. Gertrude Stark (née Baum), b. 12 February 1813 (age 32). Only daughter of Gunther Baum, a successful German immigrant turned merchant prince and owner of one of the state's major textile mills. A brown-haired and blue-eyed woman with a heart-shaped face whose motherhood shows off quite nicely, being rather rotund but not unattractively so. Known to be quite cheerful, loud and fond of alcoholic drinks, to the equal amusement and embarassment of her in-laws. Rupert Stark, b. 19 March 1832 (age 13). A brown-haired and brown-eyed boy who's growing tall like his father but with his mother's stout figure. Gluttonous, rather loudmouthed and quite ill-tempered for a Quaker child, but a firm believer that slavery is evil and a friend to both black & immigrant children (the latter may be less than surprising, as his mother is only a second-generation German American) like the rest of his kin all the same. Anne Stark, b. 7 July 1835 (age 10). A slim girl with soft brown curls and eyes. A kind and outgoing girl, but also an almost certainly overoptimistic romantic dreamer who looks forward to living in a harmoniously integrated United States with her dream husband. Pauline Stark, b. 9 February 1838 (age 7). A slight brown-haired girl with her mother's blue eyes. A reserved bookworm who shies away from most contact with other people. Marietta Stark, b. 16 December 1842 (age 3). Too young to be notable in any regard. Abner Stark: B. 16 July 1812 (age 33). John's second son. Tall, dark-haired and devilishly handsome with chiseled features, a handlebar mustache and a confident air to him. Bold, gregarious and frank, he is never one to back down from a challenge - even violent ones, despite being a Quaker - and is blunt about everything, from how certain women's dresses make them look fat to his undying opposition to the Peculiar Existence. A veteran Representative of Pennsylvania in Congress. Mary Stark (née Rogers), b. 5 August 1817 (age 28). A younger sister of Ananias Rogers, recently-elected Governor of Rhode Island since the death of their father two years ago. A tall, thin woman with black hair usually done up in an elegant bun, cool gray eyes and high cheekbones. Quiet and aloof to the point of seeming antisocial, quite unlike most of her infamously combative fellow Rogerses. Ashley Stark, b. 24 December 1838 (age 7). A skinny boy with his father's dark brown hair and blue eyes. Reserved like his mother, he has few friends outside of his extended family but is known to have a wildly imaginative streak and a penchant for painting. Elizabeth Stark, b. 4 June 1840 (age 5). Too young to be notable in any regard. George Stark, b. 19 March 1841 (age 4). Too young to be notable in any regard. Job Stark: B. 29 April 1815 (age 30). Third son of John Stark. Tall like his brothers with the Stark long pointed face, a wispy mustache and beard, impeccably combed brown hair and glasses. A bombastic philosopher who believes that he's formulated the perfect society based on Federalist and socialist principles - and the eradication of slavery, which he sees as the greatest sin of all, equal to blaspheming against the Lord for were not even Negroes created in His image? Currently angling for a philosophy professor's seat at the University of Pennsylvania and also works for the American Anti-Slavery Society's as the chief writer of its children's magazine, The Slave's Friend. Hepzibah Stark (née Goodman), b. 26 April 1817 (age 28). Daughter of Obadiah Goodman, a prominent Quaker preacher. A plain-faced and rather heavyset woman with dark red hair and green eyes. Every bit as much of an intellectual as her husband, though her passion is theology rather than political science. Christine Stark, b. 11 August 1840 (age 5). Too young to be notable in any regard. Deborah Stark, b. 14 May 1842 (age 3). Too young to be notable in any regard. Esther Stark: B. 6 August 1819 (age 26). Only daughter of John Stark. A shapely woman with wavy brown hair, light brown eyes, creamy skin and soft hands. A highly gifted pianist who performs often to entertain visting abolitionists and is active in high society, encouraging other women to join the crusade against slavery. Married to Asher Tappan, an AASA bigwig and philanthropist from New York. Samuel Stark: B. 20 May 1821 (age 24). Fourth and youngest son of John Stark. A tall, clean-shaven man with curly dark brown hair and twinkling blue eyes. A Quaker missionary who wanders from state to state, always living modestly, caring for the poor and spreading the Good Word - as well as abolitionist pamphlets, in addition to making sure to slip at least a few harsh jabs at slavery into every sermon he ever holds. Alfred Stark: B. 4 July 1829 (age 16). Eldest son of Thaddeus Stark. A reedy young man with neatly combed brown hair, his mother's eyes and a growing mustache. Like many intellectually inclined Sakers, though he is an avid reader and writer, he is reasonably comfortable dealing with large numbers of people and especially fond of discussing the evils of slavery with his friends. Currently studying classics at Yale.

[Pericles of Athens]

Would you mind much if in the WEF verse the song Dixie was written four states further south and fourteen years early by a member of the Wallace family?

[Barry Goldwater]

@Perry The song actually may have been written as early as 1843 or as late as 1859, so it's possible. However, due to its cultural importance I'll leave that slot open to competition for now, and roll for it later in the interests of fairness.

And now to finish this Eastern Seaboard cycle, the Georgian family.

Anderson of Georgia

The Andersons of Georgia are best known as that state's more liberal ruling family - and given exactly what brand of politics they adhere to, that's really saying something. Their first ancestor to reach American soil in the 1650s, John Anderson, was a Cavalier trooper fleeing the victorious Parliamentarian forces; he originally set up shop in Virginia and became one of its many planters, but some 80 years later when his heirs tried to play at the game of politics, they lost hard and ended up losing the family manor to the Maiden family. Fortunately, around this time James Oglethorpe had just rescinded Georgia's bans on slavery and liquor, and so Henry Anderson II raced south to rebuild his family's fortunes down south. The Andersons lucked out, grabbing a highly fertile piece of land on the shore, and had not only regained but actually eclipsed their former glory by the time of the American Revolution. Roger Anderson sat as one of Georgia's delegates to the Continental Congress and attracted no small measure of infamy for his suggestion that the USA immediately enslave the recently-liberated Jamaican Maroons once they outlived their usefulness with the end of the Revolutionary War, which ended up being shot down under heavy Northern and Mid-Atlantic pressure (and even some of his fellow Southerners, such as the Drummonds of Virginia). After the Treaty of Paris, the Andersons retained their role as one of Georgia's most powerful families, sharing the Governorship with a number of other families; their second most famous/infamous Governor to date, Peter Anderson I, was one of the biggest pushers of the War of 1812, leading to his wipeout defeat at the hands of George Wilson after the American defeat. As the state has no Whig or Federalist Party, the Georgia Democrats are traditionally divided into the 'Andersonian' and 'Wilsonian' camps, the latter (as one may have guessed from the name) led by the Andersons' chief rivals the Wilsons; they are also nicknamed after the color of each family's heraldic dragon, the Andersonians being referred to as 'Gold Dragons' and the Wilsonians 'White Dragons'. The Andersons are the more 'conventional' of the two, 'merely' believing that the Negro is an inferior creature in need of the whip and chain to attain a measure of civilization, that Yankees are as a rule deceitful scheming merchant princes, and that the Cohees are barbaric backwoods rabble who can be ignored; they are traditionally apathetic to the plight of the poor white man, and at most have said things that amount to 'hey, at least you aren't a slave right? Now shut up and get back to work' The Wilsons, on the other hand, have gone the extra mile to declare that slavery is a positive institution even for whites, and unlike many other politicians who hold the same belief, have absolutely no problem informing Cohees of this to their face, in addition to not only displaying the expected Tuckahoe contempt for those beneath them but believing that they're an entirely different 'sub-race' of whites akin to the Irish immigrants they hate just as much. Despite these considerable differences, the Andersons and Wilsons actually get along fairly well, especially by the standards of America's rival political families (it probably helps that outside of their slight difference of opinion over whether or not Cohees are 'true' white Anglo-Saxons, they're both heavily prejudiced against basically everyone else and have zero problem with employing authoritarian measures to defend & expand slavery), and have married quite heavily into each other over the course of their history. At present, James Anderson is currently serving out his fourth non-consecutive term as the state's Governor, having just defeated Andrew Wilson in 1843. His conservative regime is best known for accomplishing...well, basically nothing. Indeed, this Anderson government (like the past three) does as little as possible in order to leave the masses to sink or swim on their own, only intervening in cases of outright violence (against planters anyway, they'd rather the judicial process handle less than pleasant disputes between the lowly Cohees). And most Georgians wouldn't have it any other way - the Tuckahoes can hardly feel like local barons should Anderson act like a petty king after all, while the Cohees know exactly how the overwhelming majority of the upper class feel towards them and largely don't want any more contact with them than necessary. Governor James Anderson IV, GA Name: James Anderson IV Date of Birth: March 16th, 1790 (age 55) Ethnicity: Tuckahoe Religion: Episcopalian Occupation: Gentleman Position: Governor Home State: Georgia Allegiance: USA Faction: Democratic Party Personality: A flamboyant and lustful drunkard who's not at all like the stereotypical image of the composed, dignified and steely-eyed Southern gentleman, the fourth James Anderson is one who's quick to refer to the licentious Cavaliers (such as the 1st Earl of Rochester or even Charles II himself) whom his ancestors fought for. Having been bored out of his skull by the tedious niceties of Southern upper-class culture in his youth, the moment he gained a modicum of independence from his overbearing and puritanical parents James opted to live life to fullest - to play hard, love hard, hate hard and as his time on this Earth nears its end, die hard. After the death of his wife Caroline (whom Anderson never loved, their match having been arranged by their parents, but who he did at least make some effort to care for) Anderson's appetites have not at all died down, as he indulged himself with the slave women under his thumb and more recently, picked up a Cohee mistress, scandalizing the Tuckahoe class but breathing new hope for some improvement to their condition into Georgia's poor whites. Nevertheless, despite the endless scandals surrounding him, James is considerably kinder than his predecessors toward the lowly, donating much money to charitable causes and being at least willing to talk to Cohees like they're actual people, instead of annoying ants to be humored for the bare minimum of time needed to win their vote (or worse). None of this has in any way stopped him from remaining fast friends with his political rival Robert Wilson, oddly enough; in their early days at the University of Georgia the prim and uptight Wilson would often have to play the 'straight man' to Anderson's often-drunk, skirt-chasing 'funny man', and as demonstrated by every run-in between the two during campaign season, this dynamic has clearly not changed at all even as the men enter their waning years. Issues: Central Government: Weak federal government, except to defend/expand slavery Religious relations: Strict neutrality Tariffs: No tariffs Slavery: Expansion of slavery into the territories Immigration: Lightly limited immigration Military: Reliance on state militias & volunteers Social welfare: All men must stand on their own feet National Bank: The Bank must die Foreign relations: Expansion for slave states Other Andersons James's family: Verity Beatty, b. 17 May 1819 (age 26). James's live-in mistress and fourth (out of eleven) children of a Cohee miner in western Georgia. A curvaceous woman with shoulder-length flaxen hair that she normally leaves unbound, blazing green eyes and a few freckles. A passionate, strong-willed and highly aggressive social climber resented by the Tuckahoes for her low birth (which combined with his widower status all but ensures that James can never formally marry her), sinful position and for taking advantage of her relationship to goad James into giving her people a fairer shake. Rupert Beatty, b. 23 November 1838 (age 7). James's first recognized illegitimate child, treated reasonably well and made a part of his household on his own order as a sop to his mistress (it also probably helps that he and his sister are 'fully' white, unlike many other planters' bastards). A skinny boy with his mother's light blond hair and the traditional Anderson blue eyes. Kind and mild-mannered, even to other Cohees and Negroes, but despite his efforts he cannot help but resent his older half-siblings for constantly reminding him that he's not and never will be truly one of them. Still scarred by the time he witnessed one of his father's slaves being whipped half to death when he was five, though at least he no longer becomes catatonic at the sight of blood. Annabella Beatty, b. 6 June 1842 (age 3). Too young to be notable in any regard outside of her bastard status. Augusta Anderson: B. 12 April 1809 (age 36). James' eldest child and only legitimate daughter. A tall, slender woman with rich golden hair, darker than the light flaxen color of her half-siblings' hair, and dark blue eyes. An ambitious conniver out to secure her family's power forever, who has ingratiated herself into the elite circles of Georgia's high society and is now rarely found without her own posse of fellow scheming Southern belles. Grudgingly tolerates the existence of her half-siblings at her father's order but readily sheds her Southern belle persona around their mother to openly display her hatred of the woman, who in turns despises her right back. Married to John Miller, another prominent Georgia planter. Peter Anderson II: B. 19 September 1812 (age 33). James's oldest legitimate son and heir-apparent, named after his grandfather. A man of average height with dark gold hair in a 'Harvard Cut', a pointed beard to go with his mustache and a long face. Another ruthless plotter who has much in common with his older sister, right down to neither liking to spend a cent nor caring a jot for the 'little guy' unlike their father, and indeed works closely with her to advance the Anderson family's interests while flawlessly playacting the part of a courteous gentleman in the public eye. However, he is a bit more openly accepting of his youngest siblings (who he knows full well can never threaten his position, anyway) than her, and despite his stinginess still willing to work with Cohees as long as he's sure it can net him even more power. Currently owns his own smaller plantation and has recently won one of Georgia's Senate seats in Congress. Jacqueline Anderson (née Wilson), b. 7 May 1815 (age 30). A younger daughter of Robert Wilson, her father-in-law's best friend. A graceful woman with curly back-length brown hair, a long neck and long fingers. A born politician who is good friends with her sister-in-law and often party to her husband's schemes. James Anderson V, b. 18 June 1835 (age 10). A thin, fox-faced boy with his father's dark golden hair and blue eyes. Also wily like the fox he resembles so much, but not nearly as malicious as his parents and usually concerned with pranking his cousins over studying, much to his mother's chagrin. Jonathan Anderson: B. 7 June 1818 (age 27). Youngest legitimate son of James Anderson. Taller and brawnier than his brother, with a broader chest and more of both fat & muscle on his bones, but the same style of blond hair (sans the beard, he only has a 'horseshoe' style mustache) and identical dark blue eyes. A stern, calculating and self-disciplined born warrior who considers both his mind and physical appendages to be equally valuable weapons, he graduated at the top of his class at Legionville eight years ago and is an accomplished duelist equally skilled with swords & pistols, but is also a talented pianist to the surprise of even his own family and genuinely interested in the welfare of his illegitimate younger siblings, definitely unlike his older sister and brother. Currently a Cavalry Captain in the US Army. Judith Anderson (née Miller), b. 30 August 1821 (age 24). Daughter of Joseph Miller, a major Georgian planter and brother-in-law to James Anderson, making her her husband's cousin. A petite, curvy woman with golden hair that falls to her shoulders and soft brown eyes. Kind and soft-spoken but uncomfortable around her husband, who is in turn uncomfortable around her, as the two saw their relationship as that of a brother and sister rather than lovers before their arranged marriage, and still do now. Eleanor Anderson, b. 10 February 1841 (age 4). Too young to be notable in any regard. George Anderson, b. 5 July 1842 (age 3). Too young to be notable in any regard. Catherine Anderson: B. 19 May 1793 (age 52). James's first sister. A tall, slim woman, more handsome than beautiful now, with streaks of gray in her fading blonde hair but a fire still burning in her blue eyes. A staunch abolitionist and prohibitionist, which puts her at odds with her elder brother, though they are known to still exchange letters. Married to Theodore Van Rensselaer, present patriarch of the powerful Van Rensselaer family and leader of the New York Whigs. Emily Anderson: B. 10 August 1795 (age 50). James's youngest sister. A slightly shorter woman than her sister with knee-length blonde hair that has begun to gray, long fingers and a still-gentle look to her face. A committed abolitionist and suffragette who wrote letters condemning slavery to the Liberator and who fled North with her older sister to escape their father's wrath in 1835; needless to say she is at odds with her brother, but both James and Emily have defended each other from both fellow Southerners and Northerners who attack the other's character, which combined with his open invitation to her to return home have shown that despite being on opposite sides, there is still some love between the estranged brother & sister. Married to John Hakeswill, a former soldier from North Carolina who moved to upstate New York after retiring.

[Xion]

For anyone interested, here is my present draft of the Rondelles.

Rondelle of Louisiana, Canada, and Maryland

One of the rare Catholic influential families in American politics, perhaps the first to rise to power as well, the Rondelles' over two centuries long story begins with Vincent Rondelle, a minor French nobleman who, after the razing of his and subsequent razing of a Huguenot nobleman's manor in retaliation, left France proper in 1570 to attempt to strike it rich in Quebec as a relatively affluent Siegneur owning land outside of Montreal. His descendants would count among their number one Governor-General of Quebec, several generals successful against and forming ties with the natives, and others who would cement the Rondelles a place in the fur trade of North America, even if a miniscule piece of the lucrative trade as middle men for the natives and French merchants. This likely raises the question of why the Rondelles are not exclusively of the Quebecois aristocracy, joining the United States in 1841, becoming the state of Canada in the following year. The answer lies in the service of Octavien Rondelle, and his probably more famous son Sebastian in several Anglo-French colonial wars, predominantly the French and Indian War that would see the latter's inheritance of the Rondelle estate seized for meager compensation by the incoming British provincial government at gunpoint as Vicomte Rondelle would state. Incapable of affording passage to France, Rondelle was forced to settle in the Thirteen Colonies, purchasing a small estate with the remaining compensation in Maryland. Becoming a planter who practiced an early form of sharecropping over outright slavery, Sebastian would swear an oath to avenge the disgrace his family suffered by the British. Little did he know he would soon get his chance with the American Revolution beginning. Rondelle's service in the Revolution is not as glorious as many other families' forefathers was, but nonetheless it was a vital role. Serving as Commissioner to France, Rondelle successfully arranged for French(and by association Spanish) trade and intervention in the Revolution, along with a trade agreement with the Dutch. He would also be present at the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Following the war, Rondelle returned to his plantation, managing to turn it into a moderately successful one that in combination with his son Octavien's newly-minted mercantile operation, would serve as the basis for the Rondelle Navigation Company and the family's fortune to this day. Sebastian Rondelle's crowning achievement however would be serving as the Chief Architect of Concordia, designing several of the governmental buildings with influences learned from his time in France and other sources. He would also serve as a Senator from Maryland at this time, residing first from his personal estate but upon the completion of Concordia, a small estate granted to his family by the government as a payment for his work. At this time in the 1790s, Rondelle's two sons would also make their mark in history - Octavien, appointed to be Admiral of the Second Continental Navy and Commodore of the U.S. Marine Corps would lead the expedition to the Barbary Coast with Inspector-General von Wolfe as a second in command in the Barbary War, decisively defeating the Corsairs at the Battle of Derne with minimal loss of life on the American side along with razing the citadel of Pasha Karamanli and liberating all the captives present in Tripoli prior. Laurent would take a different path, initially being slated to serve alongside his brother, he would instead seek passage to Italy with a few of his friends and join the Armee du Roi, serving as a officer in the infantry under the Comte d'Artois. At this point, it could be said the Rondelles divided into a French and American branch. The 'American' branch of the family would remain Maryland politics and the navy until the latter being scrapped by President Eggers as part of disarmament despite any action on part of the Federalists to prevent such a notion, and the former until 1812, where most of the Rondelles would relocate to New Orleans, with Sebastian Rondelle serving as the first governor of the state from 1812-16, passing away in late 1816 in his sleep. The remaining Rondelles in Maryland would inherit the estate, while Octavien moved the young Rondelle Navigation Company to it's present location in New Orleans, purchasing docks and warehouses in New Orleans and Baltimore to use to expand the company. As one of the few naval officers who did not command a "rowboat with guns", Octavien would be appointed Head of the Naval Department and Admiral of the United States Navy once again in 1817, overseeing the reconstruction of the fleet, re-establishment of the Marine Corps, two actions that have some considering him one of the two founders of the U.S. Navy, the other being the first President and Commodore of the Navy during the Revolution, Hammit Poole. Meanwhile in Europe, Laurent would be present at nearly every major battle of the Napoleonic Wars alongside Louis XVII and the Comte d'Artois. Rising in the ranks from an officer to Marechal of France after several successful actions against Napoleonic French forces(even if they were temporal or had little effect on the battle), Laurent would serve as neutral commander, not as aggressive or bold as his king, nor as overly cautious as Artois. He would marry a emigre noblewoman to present himself more like a French nobleman over a American, being granted the title of Comte after Fontainebleau, already having been granted the now-honorific title of Vicomte Rondelle after leading one of the charges at Borodino. Proceeding to fight under Louis XVII in the Hundred Days, Rondelle would take part in the Chevaliers de la Garde charge against the Napoleonic French. Granted a moderately sized estate outside Marsaille and a seat in the Chamber of Peers. The now Baltimore branch of the Rondelles is far less memorable than the other two, losing the two elder brothers of Emmanuel Rondelle to British Arms during the ill-fated invasion of Canada and the rest of the family doing nothing of note, remaining in Maryland's legislative body as Senators and being planters. In 1820, Octavien unsuccessfully ran for governorship of New Orleans as a Federalist, the Baltimore branch lost their seat in the House that they earned last election, and in France Laurent arranged marriages for his two eldest sons. The rest of the early 20's would be of little interest, with the RNC expanding their markets in the Gulf of Mexico and further north, opening a small outpost in Montreal that is still open today under the supervision of Octavien's son Alexander, Laurent and his eldest sons taking part in the French intervention in Spain before being appointed Ambassador to the United States several weeks after the campaign's completion. In 1824, running as one of the first Whigs, Octavien would win the governorship of Louisiana while Emmanuel failed to reclaim his lost seat, and Laurent arrived as Ambassador, spending a fair portion of his time in Louisiana visiting his brother, reigniting fears of a Genet-like ambassador from France again, but those were disproven quickly as the Comte did not visit his relatives until later in the year, introducing himself to the President, speaking to members of Congress and a few other notables, then going to New Orleans for two months after his brother's victory in the election. With him came his son Charles due to his older brother being in the French Army as a Lieutenant in a Cuirassier regiment. However, in 1827, Laurent would resign his commission as Ambassador to return to France as a Marshal to command a portion of the forces sent into Algeria, defeating a portion of the Corsair forces in battle outside Oran, ironically fulfilling the initial reason he was to be sent overseas roughly three decades ago. He had attempted to convince his brother to come with him to fight the corsairs, but due to his position and preparing to support a Le Loutre candidate in the 1828 election, he declined. In 1828, Octavien won a seat in the Senate, his son Alexander in the House, and Emmanuel failed yet again to reclaim his seat, but as a consolation, won a seat in the Maryland state government. Having returned to his manor in southern France to live in relative peace until five BTS agents, his son and daughter amongst them arrive with word of suspicion of revolt in Paris, Laurent would take command of several local regiments and rush to Paris, arriving shortly after the initial fighting began of the Three Days. While uninvolved in the more notable fighting, what he is known for is an incident revolving around musicians. Knowing he was advancing on a Bonapartist-held section of the city, Rondelle ordered several musicians in his command to play La Victoire est à nous, the march of the Grande Armee of Napoleon I to mock their cause and unintentionally sow confusion in the ranks, resulting in a near friendly fire incident until the order to fire on the Bonapartists who fell for the ruse. Laurent's four eldest children would be involved in the fighting as well, Sebastian and Charles as officers in the cavalry and artillery respectively, while Felicia and Raphael went around either scouting for Royalist forces, sniping enemy officers, or chasing down any attempting escapees after the battle, similar to what the rest of the Bureau was doing post-Three Days. In 1832's election, the Rondelles successfully held their positions in government, Emmanuel failed(again), Felicia Rondelle was assigned to the American cell of the BTS on a rumor Charles-Napoleon may be hiding in the country, likely due to the fact the Rondelles are from America. She and two other agents would be responsible for the final attempt on Charles-Napoleon's life with poisoned tea, while serving a secondary role by scouting the route for the carriage bombing attempt. Her brothers would serve under their father in the intervention for the Carlist cause in 1833, of which would be Laurent's final command in the French army. After several incidents involving Mexican soldiers and several RNC employees in Galveston, Octavien's son Maximilian would temporarily resign his commission in the U.S. Marine Corps to fight in the Texan Revolution as a mercenary under the hired Inspector-General of the Texan Army, Isidore von Wolfe while his father sent some covert support to the Texan cause as revenge for the Mexicans harassing his company's shipments purely because they are Americans. In 1841, the Quebec branch of the Rondelles would be founded as Laurent, now officially on reserve duty in the French Army and a member of the Chamber of Peers while unofficially retired, officially would retire and pass his titles onto his eldest son Sebastian with the consent of Louis XVII to return to his original homeland with Charles and Isabella, while Raphael and Sebastian remained in France upon receiving word the United States had obtained Canada, specifically Quebec. His daughter in the United States quickly moved northwards to first find the ancestral Rondelle estate by breaking into the Provincial Archives of the government while it was still British, then forcefully chasing off the descendants of the man the estate had been sold to in 1766, killing at least two of them in the process before her father's arrival and purchase of the manor after the owners put it up for relatively cheap, eager to leave the country for England after the ruling it was a bandit attack was given. Laurent and his children have spent the last four years becoming part of the upper class society in the area, with Charles successfully winning a seat in Congress from Quebec as a Federalist. In 1844, after the death of the last ambassador due to natural causes at the age of 81, Sebastian Rondelle would be appointed ambassador to the United States, and while privately complaining his embassy wasn't in Montreal or New Orleans, he set out for his new mission that he presently holds. Further south, the Baltimore Rondelles have done little of note in comparison to their kin, only notable thing they have done in the past twenty-five years is probably Emmanuel's dismal political career and dumping animal waste on a nativist mob before chasing them off with various armaments(It is worth noting a nativist mob did attempt to attack the New Orleans Rondelles, but after some ill-chosen words insulting a certain monarch and country, was quickly scattered by some Creole militiamen, several RNC-hired mercenaries, two women, and three men). In New Orleans, the Rondelles remain a moderately influential Whig family whose fortune is made from the RNC, which has operations across the Atlantic seaboard of the U.S. and in the Gulf of Mexico, although the majority of these operations are in the Gulf for the time being. Alexander has succeeded his father as head of the Company and Senator in Congress, winning a term handily in 1844 while his brother has transferred to the Navy in hopes of becoming an admiral to equal or surpass his father's achievements in the navy. Family members Octavien Rondelle (b. May 11th, 1768) - Former U.S. Admiral(1795-1807, 1814-1821) and Commodore(Barbary War), Governor of Louisiana, Senator. Spends most of his time on his family's estate in New Orleans. Laurent Rondelle (b. October 6th, 1771) -Veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, Marshal of France(1807-1838), Orde du Lys recipient. Like his brother, usually is found on his family's estate, the reclaimed ancestral estate of the Rondelles in Sorel, outside of Montreal. Emmanuel Rondelle (b. June 8th, 1792) - The head of the Baltimore Rondelles and a unsuccessful politician, only winning election to legislative bodies twice and losing them in the next election. Charles Rondelle (b. July 14th, 1798) - Head of the Quebec/Canada branch of the family, a former French military officer and diplomat. Seeks election as Governor of Canada or a seat in Congress(if he is not already a Senator) Alexander Rondelle (b. January 11th, 1800) - Head of the New Orleans branch, head of the RNC, a Senator from Louisiana and former officer in the Navy. Maximilian Rondelle (b. September 1st, 1802) - A officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, formerly a mercenary who fought in Texas along with von Wolfe. May seek transfer to the Navy with the aspiration to become an Admiral. Felicia Rondelle (b. November 7th, 1806) - Charles' younger sister and a officer in the BTS. Gaston Rondelle (b. April 19th, 1811) - Emmanuel's eldest son. Seeks to get his family out of the shadow of the other two branches through some course of action. Jean-Phillipe Rondelle (b. March 12th, 1814) - Emmanuel's second son. Outside of the U.S. - Sebastian Rondelle, 2e Comte Rondelle, 17e Vicomte d'Sorel (b. December 18th, 1794) - Member of the Chamber of Peers and current French Ambassador to the United States. Formerly a Colonel in the French Army. Raphael Rondelle (b.August 3rd, 1808) - A agent of the BTS, formerly under his sister, now part of the Marsailles section of the BTS. Still a wip.

[Pericles of Athens]

@Barry Interesting, it was my understanding that the song was written in Ohio in 1859, I guess you learn something new every day. Sounds fair enough to me, democracy is the best policy, I'll at least put up my candidacy.

Here's what I got for the Bohannons and the Wallaces. Most of the Wallace family marriages are place holder for the time being, in the hopes of marriage alliances with a couple PC and NPC families.

Wallace of Georgia

The Wallaces were among the first to come from across the sea and settle the fertile lands of coastal Georgia. Originally a family of planters with strong ties to the royal army, they have since branched out into politics and the arts. The first man to head the Wallaces in America was Fredrick H. Wallace, unwitting father to two founding fathers of the Revolution, the Revolutionary General William F. Wallace I and the original populist Henry Wallace who began his career in the Continental Congress. Despite the pains the family suffered during the war they rose from the ashes of battle stronger than ever, with perhaps the largest plantations in the greater south let alone the state of Georgia, going on to birth powerful Senators, Representatives, and Governors. As one of, if not the, most powerful planter families in the state of Georgia the Wallace have made a habit of marrying into other powerful Southern families. They have made natural friends and allies to their fellow Georgians the Andersons and the Wilsons, though they disagree fundamentally with the latter on enslaving poor whites, and have strong connections to numerous other Democrat and Whig leaning families across the Old South. Scandal makes a habit of following the Wallace line, luckily the scandals are rather harmless instances of adultery and Casanovaism from the families more "rambunctious" young men and not murder, rape, or other unspeakable crimes. Members of the family have traditionally been politically, if not socially, conservative Southern Gentleman and perhaps ironically hardliner populists committed to giving those (whites) less fortunate a fair shack at life. Wallaces tend to be a caring sort, albeit with short tempers to offset that, strong in their beliefs and commitments. Currently the family holds well to its aristocratic roots, as every off shoot of the family continues to maintain a large and well run plantation within state borders, a number of its young men have found their way into the armed service, and only naturally many have gone into the safer (if only slightly so in this day and age) realm of Government (at both the national and states levels), with a number of odd balls having found their way into the realms of art, history, and even science. John Wallace Name: John Wallace Date of Birth: October 31st 1776 (age 69) Ethnicity: Tuckahoe Religion: Episcopalian Occupation: Gentlemen Position: Georgian Senator Home State: Georgia Allegiance: USA Faction: Democrat Party Personality: Boisterous, prideful, and stubborn to no end John is a frank man who makes no attempts to hide his personal beliefs or tastes. Hotheaded and contemptuous of his political enemies in Concordia, John has earned himself the long time nickname "The Cast-Iron Man" for his inability and unwillingness to adapt. He has gone to great lengths to portray himself as the quintessential Southern Gentleman his father was outside the political arena, an endless fount of courteously to his fellow planters and their bells (even to the wealthy Yankees he shares Concordia with) and a seemingly unlikely friend to the poverty stricken Cohee across the South; a certain amount of kindness is even extended to the Negros. He is an unshakable and uncompromising supporter of slavery, vehement in his defense of the Peculiar Institution as a positive good, and a true believer in his own rhetoric that slaves need the master to guide and teach them. Though he doesn't support its inclusion of any whites or other non-Negros, as he has many close friends among the Cohee and can periodically come to respect Yankees, Immigrants, and even Papists to a lesser extent. If John is anything he's sincere and as such he sticks to his beliefs, expressing no sexual interest in his slaves, unlike many of his more dubious counterparts. Issues: Central Government: Weak Federal Government Except to Defend/Expand slavery Religious Relations: Strict Neutrality Tariffs: No Tariffs Slavery: Expansion of Slavery into the Frontier Immigration: Heavily Restricted Immigration Military: Mix of Federal, Volunteer, and State Forces National Bank: The Bank Must Die Foreign Relations: Expansion for Slave States Andrew Wallace Name: Andrew Wallace Date of Birth: August 10th 1808 (age 37) Ethnicity: Tuckahoe Religion: Episcopalian Occupation: Lawyer Position: President (tentatively) Home State: Georgia Allegiance: USA Faction: Democrat Party Personality: In his youth Andrew was a charming and seductive young lad, his fellows envied him and the dames loved him, and even as he enters his later years he can still play the part of the dashing Southern Cavalier when he wishes to. Light hearted and spirited, Andrew sees himself as a gentleman, minus some of the more monotonous formalities that go along with that title. His marriage was one of necessity, not love, and Andrew makes no secret of his distaste for the arrangement. Rumors abound that he rarely passes up on the opportunity to break his marital vows, be they married or unmarried, rich or poor, even engaging in relations with Papists. Like his uncle Andrew fancies himself a populist and despite his high birth and current wealth his down to earth manner and lack of formality has endeared him to many of the more common folk around the country, particularly the rural poor of the South and Mid-West. Unlike many in his family before him he generally tries to find middle ground in most political issue. But when it comes to getting his way when he truly believes in something, like slavery or expansion, he has a tendency to unilaterally disregard the political opposition if at all possible. Issues: Central Government: Sweeping Federal Powers, Commitment to Defend and Expand Slavery Religious Relations: Strict Neutrality Tariffs: Low Tariffs Slavery: Expansion of Slavery to the Territories Immigration: Lightly Restricted Immigration Military: Mix of Federal, Volunteer, and State Forces National Bank: The Bank Must Die Foreign Relations: Expansion for Manifest Destiny's Sake Other Notable Wallaces (William Wallace II's Line) Andrew's Family: Olivia Wallace (Curtis), b. August 20th 1816 wip Adam Wallace, b. September 12th 1831 wip Diana Wallace, b. June 5th 1835 wip Alexis Wallace, b. December 11th 1838 wip William F. Wallace III: b. April 4th 1800 (age 45) Eldest son of the late William Wallace II, whom died tragically in the war of 1812 long before his time, and by that virtue Andrew's eldest brother. A hard military man with steely determination and a professional military man's pure grit, he isn't one who attends social events by personal choice but he is well versed in the finer points of polite society. A Legionville graduate he joined the military out of familial-commitment, after all every other William F. Wallace served, and died, in one of America's great wars and he cant very well be the first to disregard tradition. He's of a regal height with hard green eyes, a lean build, and a handsome well-kept handle-bar mustache goatee combo. Currently serving as a Colonel in the United States Army. Magdalene Wallace (Bannermen), b. January 12th 1809 wip William F. Wallace IV, b. June 6th 1835 wip Richard Wallace: b.June 8th 1804 (age 41) Second eldest of William Wallace II's four sons. A lanky man with dark brown hair and bright green eyes that shift to a pale blue in the correct lighting. A graduate from the University of South Carolina and self-proclaimed political philosopher, Richard is a firm believer in slavery, justifying the Peculiar Institution in his own uniquely Richardian way. Richard is most notably an accomplished musician and playwright having penned a great many musical hits and plays that have made their way across Dixie and even across the sea. Augusta Wallace (Thomas), b. August 25th 1805 wip Charles Wallace, b. November 1st 1825 (age 20) Uncharacteristically stocky for a Wallace and barrel-chested Charles is equal parts fat and muscle, with short kept military hair and unimaginative green eyes. Mean as he is un-lean Charles is overly aggressive with friends and family alike, to a degree strange even for a young man his age. Sadly he isn't as caring as most of his family, but more unfortunately he's just as short tempered as them. A Legionville graduate like his uncle before him, currently serving as a Major in the US Cavalry. Kevin Wallace, b. April 14th 1827 (age 18) A much smaller man than his older brother Charles, with perpetually messy dark hair and bright imaginative green eyes. Extremely liberal by nature Kevin is friendly but introverted and disorganized, at times he can even seem scatter brained. An intellectual at heart Kevin can spend days at a time simply reading, losing himself in the pages. An Oxford graduate with a PhD in Cultural and Archaeological studies Kevin is fluent in over a dozen langues, never mind that nearly half of those are dead. Currently travelling to the far corners of the world, in order to study these distant and (he believes) misunderstood peoples, taking a bit of their history back in the form of texts or artifacts of any kind. Along his travels he has visited the original homeland of the Negros, and he claims that though primitive in their natural state they aren't as animalistic and self destructive as the slavocrates would have their fellow southerners believe, these letters are of course quickly discarded and their words forgotten by his highly conservative and authoritarian father. Alexander Wallace: b. July 19th 1806 (age 39) Closest brother in age to Andrew, if still the elder one, and the younger of the two middle Wallace boys. Barrel-chested and muscular with a regal stature, Alexander keeps his dark distinctly-Wallace hair perfectly coiffed and his face clean shaven, handsomely complimenting his fierce leaf-green eyes. He isn't much of a thinker, in fact he's mentally little more than a living wall, but he is one of the greatest duelists (both sword and pistol) in the entire state of Georgia, and perhaps even the greater South as a whole. He's become a high profile enforcer of sorts for the Wallace family, horribly mangling and/or killing those who've offended the family on the field of honor. Jane Wallace (Jackson), b. June 15th 1819 wip Julia Wallace, b. October 31st 1842 Too young to be notable in any regard Kenneth Wallace, b. September 13th 1842 Too young to be notable in any regard Abaddon Wallace: b. January 1st 1808 (age 37) Andrew's twin sister and the only daughter of the late William Wallace II. A tall slender women with porcelain skin and huge almond shaped green eyes, she might look the perfect southern Belle but in truth she's really a wily temptress. To date she's had three husbands, all of which have died within two years of marrying her. Outside of her short term and unhappy marriages she's a free spirited and free loving women, despised by Southern Clergy and quietly questioned by the Planter elites across the Old South, always out of Wallace earshot of course. Other Notable Wallaces (John's Line) John's Family: Alexa Wallace (Brown), b. July 8th 1795 wip ​ Aaron Wallace: b. November 21st 1813 (age 32) First born son and heir-apparent to John Wallace, the unspoken patriarch of the Wallace family. A tall handsome man with brown hair and cool green eyes. An avid world traveler Aaron has seen over three dozen nations across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and even Asia. Due in equal parts to his wanderlust and his free spirit Aaron has remained unmarried despite his aging father's protests. He, like many Wallaces, lives by a strict code of honor, making a point to treat everyone he meets politely, even the poor, the powerless, and the genetically undesirable. Ramsey Wallace: b. September 1st 1817 (age 28) John Wallace's second son is an uninteresting young man of average height with a plain beardless face, and eerie pale gray eyes distinctly Un-Wallace in nature. His voice is soft as a spider and his skin a pasty white. The man is a certified genius, graduating top of his class with a PhD in Chemistry. Seemingly a cold and aloof man Ramsey is in truth a bonafide psychopath, not only unwilling but unable to feel pain, love, or emotion of any kind for others. This doesn't keep him from mimicking the emotions displayed by others, and to that point he's put up a rather convincing facade of genuine care for his immediate family. Eudoxia Wallace (Ambrosia), b. March 6th 1820 wip Gabriel Wallace, b. September 1st 1834 wip Thomas Wallace, b. August 10th 1839 Too young to be notable in any regard

Bohannon of Kentucky

(Looking for a good picture of a burning Celtic cross) The Bohannons are decedents of a presumably long, if not at all illustrious, line of faceless Scots-Irish farmhands. That is until Shawn Bohannon changed everything, the first man in the family to learn how to read and write, a slave driver by occupation he left the farm to fight in the Revolution. He led a wildly successful Guerrilla campaign against Wily Willy after the fall of Charleston, earning himself a nasty reputation in the process and the hatred of his planter "betters". After the war ended Shawn moved out west to Kentucky where the elitist Tuckahoe could no long oppress him or his kin. He intended to start a new life for himself and his people, likewise he welcomed any who'd served in the Southern campaigns to the minor settlement he founded in the deep dark hills of eastern Kentucky. But even then he couldn't find peace, enraged by the mistreatment of his people Shawn marched to war again, he led the Whiskey Boys against the government and lost. The Mad Hound was hung for treason alongside his men, he only ever regretted having helped create the United States, this rebellion would brand the Bohannon family for years to come. His son Willy Bohannon would be the next member of the family of any note, a soldier in the War of 1812 and the man who led the United States to one of only a precious few victories in the war, that being the victory at Wildcat Creek. Though the nature of the attack and its brutality earned him the name the "Mad Cat", a play on the name "Wildcat Creek" and his father's nickname the "Mad Hound". Bohannons tend to be stereotypical Red Necks, rebellious, isolationist, ornery, spiteful, ill-mannered, obnoxiously loud, and vehemently racist. They also tend to have large families and don't welcome marriages with outsiders. Bohannons tend to be extremely defensive of their families and the rest of their Scots-Irish kin, since the death of the first William F. Wallace they have been no friends to the tide Water Planters and are likewise unsympathetic toward Yankees and Immigrants. The Bohannons have stuck to their traditional warrior roots even four generations removed from the Revolution, and many more from their Scots-Irish heritage. Even now that they have become small time farmers in Appalachia with enough land to sustain themselves they continue to serve in the United States and Kentucky Armed Forces by choice. Brandon Bohannon Name: Brandon Bohannon Date of Birth: September 1st 1809 (age 36) Ethnicity: Cohee Religion: Southern Baptist Occupation: Soldier Position: Brigadier General Home State: Kentucky Allegiance: USA Faction: (Nominally) Democrat Party Personality: Spiteful, loud, ill-mannered, ornery, and vehemently racist Brandon is a Bohannon's Bohannon, even known to carry two revolvers on his person at all times, and the definition of a stereotypical "Red-Neck" Cohee. Born the second son of the 1812 War Hero/Villain Willy Bohannon, himself the second son of the Revolutionary War Hero/Villain Shawn "the Butcher" Bohannon, Brandon inherited his father's collection of rifles, revolvers, and simple explosives (as his elder brother inherited his father's land) and was forced to enter the military, like his father and his father before him, in order to make ends meet. He don't like Jews much or native folk, Catholics, Muslims, Homosexuals, Yankees, Foreigners, and Immigrants neither, but above all the rest he cant stand the . He also doesn't like reading, writing, mathematics, science, acting, bathing, or other eggheaded activities better suited to the effeminate upper ups and their ilk. Despite this unhealthy amount of hate he holds for most everyone and everything he does love his family and his kin, going to great lengths to empower and protect those people he deems "like him". He's an avid drinker, storyteller, strategist, banjo player, brawler, marksmen, and hunter. Brandon is a tall lean man, weathered and rough around the edges with a thick mop of dark hair atop his head and a matching beard to compliment it. Issues: Central Government: Weak Federal Government Religious Relations: Active Discrimination Against non-Protestants Tariffs: No Tariffs Slavery: No Abolition Immigration: No Immigration Military: Reliance on State Militias and Volunteers National Bank: The Bank Must Die Foreign Relations: Expansion for Manifest Destiny's Sake Others Bohannons Brandon's Family: Kaylee (Cohee), b. June 9th 1811(age 34) Kaylee is a tall, full-lipped and curvaceous woman in her early thirties, with thick auburn hair and big dark eyes. A tomboy by nature years of hard Kentucky living have turned her into the women she is today. She is never afraid to speak what's on her mind, much to the chagrin of the polite society of the Tide Water Planters and Yankee Tycoons alike. Even after all these years Brandon is still deeply in love with his darling girl, having killed a number of men in duels over her honor. Shawn(y) Bohannon, b. September 19th 1826 (age 19) The eldest of the Bohannon boys is a brawny barrel chested man with his mother's thick auburn hair and a matching unruly beard. He is currently serving as a ranking officer in the Kentucky Militia. Crude in mannerisms and speech Shawn is, for all intensive purposes, illiterate in fact he is barely able to sign his own name. A scrapper by nature when he was younger he fought his brothers and the neighboring children regularly, as a young adult Shawn is always spoiling for a fight. Cullen Bohannon, b. June 17th 1827 (age 18) Cullen is taller and leaner than his older brother, with his father's dark hair and thick five-o-clock shadow in place of the traditional Bohannon beard. Cullen is a military man just like his father before him, serving as a Sergeant in the US infantry. He is a boisterous "Red Neck" who takes great pride in his Cohee blood and social status, always willing and able to fight, drink, hunt, or dance an entire evening away. Diana Bohannon, b. December 21st 1829 (age 16) A shapely girl with fiery red hair, she is the spiting image of her mother at her age. Unlike the rest of her siblings Diana is intellectually inclined, an introverted person and an unproductive worker with "her nose in them damn books" as her father often says. Tillie Bohannon, b. January 3rd 1832 (age 13) Inheriting her mother's facial structure but her father's lean frame and hair, Tillie is an unusually happy girl. A tomboy by nature she equally enjoys working the fields and wrestling with her younger brothers. Dicky Bohannon, b. August 8th 1833 (age 12) Unusually tall for his age, scrawny with a wiry strength to him, and seemingly too young to exhibit the trademark Bohannon beard. The elder of the Bohannon twins is infinitely more laid back than his younger half, though he is often dragged along for the ride despite his numerous protests. He is a skilled musician, particularly adapt at signing. Dixon Bohannon, b. August 8th 1833 (age 12) Like his older twin Dixon is unusually tall for his age, scrawny with a wiry strength to him, and seemingly too young to exhibit the trademark Bohannon beard. The younger of the Bohannon twins is a hyperactive and, some say, overly aggressive prankster-scrapper-adventurer, with a passion for all things chaotic. Fun loving and spirited his jokes have a mean streak to them but he isn't one to hold grudges without cause and he usually doesn't mean anything by it. He shares his brother's musical talents, being a particularly adapt banjo player. Mary Bohannon, b. May 17th 1836 (age 9) The youngest of the Bohannon siblings, in a nut shell Mary is a younger and far more content version of her older sister Diana. Though a big mouthed girl who enjoys to hear herself speak above all else, Mary is actually quite sweet and lovable at times, but she can really get on her siblings nerves after an hour of nonstop chit chat about everything from the weather to the latest gossip.

[Barry Goldwater]

And now back to the West, starting with the Michiganders.

Church of Michigan

The Churches of Michigan, like most of the Midwest's political families, lack the aristocratic lineage - and all too often, hauteur - of many of the Eastern Seaboard's dynasties. Their first ancestor to set foot on American soil, Amos Church, washed up on the shores of New York after an enlightening meeting with a visiting Congregationalist preacher in 1773. Amos' sons Joseph and Levi secretly provided shelter and supplies to the Patriot resistance during the British occupation of New York City, and following the war and their father's death they traveled to what is now Ohio as itinerant preachers in their own right. Joseph's sons Hosea and Levi in turn moved to Michigan in 1828, where the former bought himself a modest farm to support himself and the latter became a writer. Both brothers were heavily involved with the ascendant American Anti-Slavery Society throughout the 1830s, with the former vigorously denouncing the Peculiar Institution in his sermons and the latter writing for The Liberator, and in 1841 Hosea was elected President of the organization's Michigan chapter. Barely a year later, to his own surprise he was drafted by the state's Whig Party as their candidate in the 1842 gubernatorial election, where he would square off with notorious Northern doughface (pro-slavery activist) and nativist Jeremiah Burton of the Democratic Party; though Hosea was reluctant, his brother and friends eventually convinced him to accept the Whig nomination in the name of the abolitionist agenda and he went on to impress many Michiganders with his humility, piety and honesty, thereby narrowly defeating Burton. As a firm abolitionist - if also one who believes that popular sovereignty is the way to go, and that the American people would surely make the right choice if given the vote - Church's term has been a rocky one, even despite Michigan being one of the furthest Northern states. Like most liberal Whigs, he is backed by an alliance of middle and upper-class whites, blacks (in this case, the African-American community in Detroit, primarily descended from Maroons and the second largest of its kind in the Midwest) and immigrants; despite being a devout Protestant preacher in his own right and distrustful of other Christian sects, Church is at least willing to tolerate them under the Golden Rule, which is more than can be said of his rivals. Notably for such a Whig however, he does have a greater degree of support among the poorer whites of the state's western districts who are sufficiently impressed by his piety and sermons to vote for him, though said districts still mostly align with the Michigan Democrats anyway. Church is also good friends with fellow Whig Governor Benjamin Pugh to the south, and though the men differ over how to combat slavery - Pugh believes it must be destroyed unilaterally by government fiat, Church believes he can talk the American people into abolishing it themselves through the doctrine of popular sovereignty - they regularly visit each other with their families and (behind closed doors of course) trade tips on how to shore up their position. At present, Church is entering the third year of his four-year term. His administration has overseen the expansion of the state's industries with the construction of new lumber & paper mills, a new railroad linking Detroit to Indianapolis built with loans from the Bank of the United States, and the extension of the franchise to all of the state's blacks, not just those descended from Maroons who provably fought in the Revolution. His opponent Jeremiah Burton is still waiting in the wings to unseat him, and early polls have indicated that despite the state's economic improvement, the election would be too close to call if it were to be held right now. Time will tell if Church can hold on to his Governorship of the Great Lake State come next year... Governor Hosea Church, MI Name: Hosea Church Date of Birth: May 6th, 1807 (age 38) Ethnicity: Midwesterner Religion: Congregationalist Occupation: Clergyman Position: Governor Home State: Michigan Allegiance: USA Faction: Whig Party Personality: A modest and refreshingly friendly man, Church provides the Midwest with its one pillar of moderation in a maelstrom otherwise dominated by the staunchly nativist Trimbles of Ohio, ultra-radical Pughs of Indiana, and vicious doughface Chivingtons of Illinois. Though a firm abolitionist, Church believes that the Peculiar Institution is best combated with an energetic education of white Americans to its evils and appeals to their common humanity with blacks instead of the use of simple government fiat to abolish it by force, and so he is a backer of the doctrine of popular sovereignty - what he won't compromise on, however, is the granting of civil rights to blacks post-abolition, as proven by his push for total African-American suffrage in Michigan after winning the Governorship, a move that finally bore its fruit in late 1844. And while a staunchly devout Congregationalist who will not hesitate to preach to all those willing to hear, Church similarly does not believe one can force others to follow his message and that (as per the Golden Rule of Christ) he must do unto others only what he would have them do unto him, nor does he flaunt his faith to the public constantly, which explains how he's managed to secure support among Catholics, Episcopalians and liturgical Christians, particular German or Irish immigrants, despite his party's schizophrenic stance (or lack thereof) on religion & immigration and the conservative credentials of Presbyterianism. All this said, Church does have a problem with overestimating the decency of his fellow man, especially when it comes to believing that they will surely understand his arguments & make whatever he believes to be the right choice irregardless of any ingrained racism or religious zealotry, and being too trusting of his fellow Whigs. Issues: Central Government: Balance of powers Religious relations: Strict neutrality Tariffs: Medium tariffs Slavery: Popular sovereignty Immigration: Lightly limited immigration Military: Mix of federal & volunteer forces/state militias Social welfare: Limited welfare networks are acceptable National Bank: The Bank must survive Foreign relations: Peaceful coexistence Other Churches Hosea's family: Charlotte Church (née Hopewell), b. 24 March 1810 (age 35). Hosea's wife and daughter of an Ohioan paper mill manager. A petite woman with back-length black hair usually left loose, bright green eyes and creamy skin. A devout Presbyterian who supports her husband in both religious and social matters & is involved with the American Anti-Slavery Society as well, where she is known to be a more aggressive abolitionist than Hosea who does not believe popular sovereignty is workable and has instead committed herself to the unilateral abolition of slavery. Frances Church, b. 6 July 1836 (age 9). Hosea's eldest child. A vivacious girl with black hair that she has begun to grow long and her father's blue eyes. Very much a 'girly girl' in contrast to her younger sister, she has grown up on romantic stories and dreams of the day her righteous Prince Charming will sweep her off her feet. Lucy Church, b. 11 November 1837 (age 8). Hosea's middle child. A tough tomboy with short black hair and bright green eyes. Helps out on her father's farm and enjoys pulling pranks on other children to her parents' chagrin, but has a (very well-)hidden girlish side to herself and like her older sister, also yearns for the day the perfect gentleman will come strolling up to her door. Christabel Church, b. 9 May 1840 (age 5). Too young to be notable in any regard. Levi Church: B. 14 April 1811 (age 34). Hosea's younger brother and a writer for the American Anti-Slavery Society's primary paper, The Liberator. Just as tall as his older brother but a tad thinner, with the same brown hair and blue eyes. Rather more cynical towards his fellow man, he does not support popular sovereignty and instead writes in support of immediate total abolition. Edna Church (née Nelson), b. 17 July 1815 (age 30). Moses' wife and daughter of Thomas Nelson, a Presbyterian pastor and friend to Moses's own father. A skinny, homely woman with dark brown hair and dull brown eyes. Despite her looks, she and her husband are fiercely in love, and while she defends him from rumors of relations with Detroit's black women he has brought several men who dared slander her to financial ruin through a chain of lawsuits. Jonathan Church, b. 7 January 1836 (age 9). A double-jointed boy with a mop of brown hair and matching eyes inherited from his mother. Has exhibited an interest in following his old man into writing. James Church, b. 29 August 1840 (age 5). Too young to be notable in any regard. Andrew Church, b. 4 May 1842 (age 3). Too young to be notable in any regard.

[EmperorBatman999]

The Amsel Family of New York

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The first Amsel in the New World was Friedrich Amsel, an indentured servant from Hanover who came to New York around the year 1723. He had a son named Johannes Amsel who married the English woman Elizabeth Pearce in 1749. Together they bore six children all given English names. Two of Johannes's sons were James Amsel and Frederick Amsel. James would become a military commander in the American Revolution and then later on in the Whiskey Rebellion and in Little Turtle's War. Frederick was a prominent politician in New York serving many terms as Senator and then becoming President of the United States in 1824.

James Amsel passed away in 1826 from a heart condition. He has two living sons, Charles and Arthur. Charles is an army captain and Arthur is the captain of a merchant ship. A third son, James Jr, died in Texas fighting against the Mexicans. The James branch of the Amsels have since been removed from political life for the most part, except that Charles in a War Hawk and if you get him in the mood, he often talks about wanting to fight a war against Mexico, France, Britain, Spain, China or anything for whatever reason. Meanwhile, Arthur does trade with Mexico, France, Britain, Spain and China and so doesn't want a war. The brothers often don't talk because of their distance away.

Frederick Amsel would have two sons and a daughter - Peter, Jacob and Lucy. Peter also has military ambitions but isn't nearly as aggressive as Charles. He is a major as well. Jacob followed in the footsteps of his father and is also a Senator. Charles also served as governor of New York for two terms.

[Agamemnon]

Could Isaac by any chance marry a Pugh?


Or, if Perry would consent, he could marry a Bohannon instead, but that might not work out since now they've split pretty far.

[Barry Goldwater]

Could Isaac by any chance marry a Pugh?


Or, if Perry would consent, he could marry a Bohannon instead, but that might not work out since now they've split pretty far.

Not at the start of the game, Benjamin Pugh has no sisters and his only daughter of age is unmarried as of the start of the game. I can swap out the faceless husbands of certain NPC women, but unmarried ones you'll have to actively court throughout the course of the game.

Remind me again who & how old Isaac Eggers is, btw? I thought Samuel Eggers was the Sam Houston of WEF.

[Pericles of Athens]

@Barry Any chance Augusta Anderson's 'face less' husband could be swapped out for a Wallace?

Or, if Perry would consent, he could marry a Bohannon instead, but that might not work out since now they've split pretty far.

You'll need to refresh my memory, which one is Isaac?

[Agamemnon]

I'm dumb, his name is Samuel Isaac Eggers. Same person.

[Barry Goldwater]

I have returned from that dreary dimension called reality, friends. Now, back to the Trans-Mississippi:

McNair of Louisiana

The McNairs, like many of the Trans-Mississippi's rising stars, are a very new family that have only recently clawed their way out of obscurity. Formerly a gaggle of Cohee cotton-pickers who worked alongside slaves under the (rather unforgiving) Shields family of Virginia, this Scots-Irish clan's fortunes began to change when Andrew McNair fled the Aegis Plantation in 1809. Stealing away from state to state as a beggar, a thief and occasionally a hired thug - though of course nobody dares accuse him of this in front of his descendants - McNair eventually worked up enough money and connections to buy himself a modest farm in upstate Louisiana around 1814. He was lucky enough to grab a fertile lot on the banks of the Red River, already putting him miles ahead of many fellow Cohees on the ladder to economic & political prosperity; in time, McNair's farm would evolve into a bustling cotton plantation worked by hundreds of white laborers and slaves. Portraying himself as a hero to the Cohee worker, indeed the only man who could reliably protect them from both the 'parasitic Papist planters of the coast' and ' uprisings' due to his great wealth, Andrew was able to secure a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1830 (the home of his bitterest enemies, the Berthelots, went up in flames a week later under mysterious circumstances), thereby opening the door for his line to go into politics. By the time of his death (due to a heart attack, no doubt because of his notorious gluttony) in August of 1840 McNair was already widely expected to seek the Governorship under the Democratic Party banner. Andrew's son John inherited his legion of poor white voters, and to keep them he played hard to his strengths even before the 1843 election. Vigorously appealing to their racism and envy, John lambasted his opponents as an 'elite cabal' of uncaring Tuckahoes who were content to run roughshod over their white laborers forever, cunning city businessmen who prioritized their profit margins over the people's welfare, eggheaded scholars in ivory towers who were hopelessly out of touch with reality, effete Papist aristocrats who were plotting to sell the country out to the Pope and the Winter King in Paris, and/or 'unnatural abominations' (referring to the Creoles) who were no doubt planning on opening the door to a Negro takeover of the entire state; that last attack stung especially deeply, as the state's Creole community has long had an uncomfortable relationship with more recent white American immigrants - though largely of mixed race, with many families having at least one black ancestor in the 1600s or 1700s, Louisianan Creoles have long prospered as educated artisans, business owners or even planters in their own right with none of the restrictions imposed on blacks & mixed-race slaves - and past attempts had been made to impose the binary Anglo-American classification of race (under which one is either white or black, free or slave - and even one distant black ancestor was sufficient to qualify anyone for the latter category) on the state. For their part, the state Whigs (who did not oppose slavery, for their candidate & many of their leaders were among the state's biggest slaveowners, but did not care for the extreme racism of the lower-class whites) redoubled their aristocratic condescension and warned the Cohees that if they wanted qualified leadership instead of an inexperienced populist who cannot improve their lot, they had best vote for bigwig white-Creole planter and incumbent Governor Adrien Le Loutre. In the end however, McNair's coalition of poor white farmers and a few especially racist and/or anti-Catholic Tuckahoes defeated Le Loutre's alliance of Catholics, Creoles, free blacks, industrialists and other WASP gentlemen. Now halfway through his first term as Governor, John McNair has worked to accomplish exactly what he has promised his constituents, and nothing more. This naturally means he's invested a lot of work into trying to disenfranchise the state's free blacks and as many Creoles as he can reasonably accuse of having black ancestors, making English the only official language of the state, and shutting down educational facilities for non-white Protestants - while doing next to nothing to economically improve the lot of the poor white workers who make up most of his base, and in fact staying out of the state economy almost entirely. McNair has justified this laissez-faire policy by claiming that it is not the government's role to pull its subjects upwards, that they must do it themselves and that if he did help them he'd just encourage them to leech off of his resources; his enemies, and the more cynical Cohees, say that he unsurprisingly does not actually care about their welfare and has only ever been after their votes. Either way, this has not stopped many Cohees from still preferring him over his Whig rivals, the Le Loutres - sure it's a good possibility that he doesn't care about them any more than his enemies but hey, at least he's English! And a Protestant! Behind closed doors, both the Democrats & the Whigs have determined that if an election were to be held today it'd be impossible to accurately predict who wins, and so much will hang on future developments in the lead-up to the 1847 election. Governor John McNair, LA Name: John McNair Date of Birth: April 16th, 1799 (age 46) Ethnicity: Cohee Religion: Southern Baptist Occupation: Gentleman Position: Governor Home State: Louisiana Allegiance: USA Faction: Democratic Party Personality: A populist showman to the core, McNair has always been one to concern himself with pleasing others since his childhood - and as a result he is very, very good at it. Though he can talk for hours on end, the Governor is more than capable of keeping his audience attentive - if not wholly enraptured - the entire time, and needs at most a few minutes to figure out exactly what he needs to say or bring out to please the crowd. Needless to say, this charisma and social canny has gone a long way to propelling him to the Governor's seat in the 1843 election, where he stroked the fires of racism, nativism and resentment to portray himself as a righteous defender of all things American & thereby shore up Cohee support while also wooing a Tuckahoe planter's daughter to secure their aid on the side. Unfortunately, anyone looking for actual substance to this man is in for a disappointment; McNair can promise anyone the world in such a way that they'd believe him, but his track record when it comes to actually following through with such promises (unless they happen to cost him nothing, like say, his efforts to disenfranchise free blacks and Creoles who were never going to vote for him anyway) is less than stellar. Above all, McNair is a cynical politician who is willing to say anything and do nothing (or at least, as little as possible) to win elections and keep power, though he is still notably better-adjusted than his eastern neighbors, Brutus Hogg of Mississippi and Tilghman McKean of Alabama. Issues: Central Government: Weak federal government, except to defend/expand slavery Religious relations: Active discrimination against non-Protestants Tariffs: No tariffs Slavery: Expansion of slavery into the territories Immigration: Shut down immigration entirely Military: Reliance on state militias & volunteers Social welfare: All men must stand on their own feet National Bank: The Bank must die Foreign relations: Expansion for slave states Other McNairs John's family: Joan McNair (née Landry), b. 4 July 1821 (age 24). John's wife and daughter of Abraham Hazel, another powerful planter in the Red River area and first-generation transplant to Louisiana from North Carolina. A pretty young woman with wavy dark-gold hair, hazel eyes and the snow-white skin expected of a stereotypical Southern belle. Pleasant enough company, but dangerously naive and prone to thinking her romance novels are a perfect mirror of reality on top of accepting whatever her superficially charming husband tells her without question, which has led her to view blacks with well-meaning condescension and to genuinely worry about a Catholic plot to sell the States to Rome. Laura McNair, b. 11 July 1844 (age 1). Too young to be notable in any regard outside of her bastard status. Eliza McNair: B. 6 May 1802 (age 43). John's first sister. A handsome woman with dark hair usually done up in an elaborate bun, piercing gray eyes and a haughty air about her most of the time. Absolutely loves her family's newfound wealth & power and is also a big fan of the Tuckahoe lifestyle & mannerisms, but by the same token also absolutely reviles her Cohee roots, which prevented her from securing a favorable marriage until she was in her 30s. This has made her the best blood-related agent her brother has for courting the other Tuckahoes (even if many of them still believe she, like others of 'her kind', are merely upjumped white trash). Presently married to Lawrence Fish, a Louisianan planter and leading Democrat. Hepzibah McNair: B. 15 January 1805 (age 40). John's second sister. A hard-faced, scrawny woman with perpetually messy dark hair who does not at all fit the lavish gowns gifted to her by her father and brother. Unlike her elder sister, she remembers where she came from and has aggressively defended her fellow Cohees from the aristocratic condescension of Louisiana's more traditional upper class, in addition to pressing her brother into cutting as many breaks for them as possible. For this reason, John considers her his unofficial ambassador to other Cohees who have yet to climb the social ladder as he did. Presently married to Buck Emery, a Cohee infantry sergeant in the US Army. Jane McNair: B. 9 June 1807 (age 38). Youngest sister of John McNair. A short, curvy woman with curly dark hair and softer gray eyes than her siblings. A clumsy, airheaded gossip who prefers the company of her cats and the creature-comforts of her luxurious new mansion - except for one little thing that she is best remembered for, namely accidentally spreading the rumor that her brother was a homosexual (due to his then-bachelor status, as he was hoping for a Tuckahoe marriage) in the leadup to the 1843 election, only narrowly quashed by his timely marriage to Joan Landry. Married to Joseph Willmott, a small-time planter whose estates neighbor (and are dwarfed by) her brother's.

Also, @Perry. I suppose so for now, but if anyone else claims Augusta in the future we'll have to roll to decide who ends up with her; in the meantime, which Wallace do you have in mind for her husband? Also added Anderson's younger sisters, Georgian expies of the historical Grimke sisters mentioned in 1835 over in the timeline (page 4, I believe).

[Pericles of Athens]

@Barry Alright, sounds fair to me. I was thinking Alexander Wallace, a brute unconventional-gentlemen who spends most of his available time beating those who affront the family in duels, or Andrew Wallace, lawyer-politician whom I've put forward for Presidency.