Lionel Harrison |
Lionel Harrison in full military attire, shortly after his promotion to Major General. ca. 1783.
Age: 54 (b. 1735)
Spouse: Meredith (Mary), née Johnson (b. 1746)
+2 Charisma
+2 Artillery Command
+1 Wealth
Heritage
Anglo-American: You are, like the majority of the new nation’s inhabitants, descended from English and likely (but not always) Protestant settlers, whether they came aboard the Mayflower in 1620 or were refugees from the English Civil War or came here peacefully in much more recent days. The English have a reputation as cunning traders and are also more likely to have enjoyed leadership positions of prominence in the years leading up to the American Revolution, as well as afterwards. +1 Infantry Command, Wealth or Charisma.
Religion
Deist: You are a Deist. You believe in a vaguely defined Supreme Being which the Christians call God, but only as a creator: as far as you’re concerned, the First Cause does not interact with its creations at all and is content to let them operate as they will. Deists tend to be the most radical embracers of the Enlightenment and all the liberal ideologies it brings. Thomas Jefferson was an example of a historical American Deist.
Idolized philosopher
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: In your younger years, the political philosopher you looked up to most was Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His belief that humans were fundamentally good and that direct democracy, whereby all are free even as they impose their will on each other because their own will was taken into account within the general collective, was the best sort of democracy rubbed off on you as a result, leaving you with radically liberal and populistic inclinations. +1 Charisma.
Early Life
Officer: Prior to entering politics, you secured a commission in the British (or if you’re still especially young, Continental) Army and took part in the mid-to-late 18th-century ‘cabinet wars’ between the Great Powers, from King George’s War to the French and Indian War, culminating in the American Revolution. You bring to the table your military experience and fame, or infamy, from your years at war. +1 Infantry, Cavalry, or Artillery Command.
Role in the Revolution
General Officer: You were a general officer in the Continental Army, likely far removed from the front lines. Instead your role was at the war table, planning out operations, measuring resources and wrangling with the Continental Congress and your fellow generals over the direction of the war. At most, on the field you were likely directing artillery fire from the rear. If the Infantry and Cavalry Officers were the arms of the Continental forces, you were one of its brain cells. +1 Artillery Command or Logistician.
Role in the Confederation Period
Congressman: Whether a newcomer or already a member of the wartime Continental Congress, you became a member of the post-Revolutionary War Congress of the Confederation, the feeble and virtually powerless nominal legislature of the USA under the original Articles of Confederation. With no military, no means of acquiring revenue, and little credence in the eyes of foreign powers, you and the rest of this Congress may as well not have existed - but you and it did, and despite your overall powerlessness, you still learned valuable political lessons & forged connections with the other Congressmen while you were there. +1 Charisma or Espionage. |
Robert III Harrison |
Commodore Robert III Harrison, commander of the frigate, Dover. ca. 1780
Age: 37 (b. 1752)
Spouse: Joy-Again (Joy), née Prynne (b. 1769)
+2 Naval Command
+1 Charisma
+1 Wealth
+1 Personal Combat
Heritage
Anglo-American: You are, like the majority of the new nation’s inhabitants, descended from English and likely (but not always) Protestant settlers, whether they came aboard the Mayflower in 1620 or were refugees from the English Civil War or came here peacefully in much more recent days. The English have a reputation as cunning traders and are also more likely to have enjoyed leadership positions of prominence in the years leading up to the American Revolution, as well as afterwards. +1 Infantry Command, Wealth or Charisma.
Religion
Congregationalist: You belong to one of many Congregationalist churches, typically concentrated in the Northeast of the country. The Congregational Presbyterians are successors of the old Puritans, being staunch Calvinists who believe that God has predetermined the fates of all men toward either salvation or damnation without any human agency in the matter: they’re insular, are most likely to be distrustful of or outright hostile toward other sects, and combine a dead-serious take on the Protestant work-ethic with a zealous drive for spiritual and moral purity in all spheres of life. Dutch-descended Calvinists also fall under the Congregationalist umbrella.
Idolized philosopher
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: In your younger years, the political philosopher you looked up to most was Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His belief that humans were fundamentally good and that direct democracy, whereby all are free even as they impose their will on each other because their own will was taken into account within the general collective, was the best sort of democracy rubbed off on you as a result, leaving you with radically liberal and populistic inclinations. +1 Charisma.
Early Life
Sailor: Prior to entering politics, you were a sailor on the high seas. Perhaps you were a captain in the Royal and/or Continental Navies, just a civilian mariner involved in the fishing or shipping industries, or even a privateer who settled down after the Revolution. Being used to the dangers of sailing for long periods of time, you’re keenly aware of how to ration your supplies and pick out the quickest and safest routes of travel. +1 Naval Command.
Role in the Revolution
Naval Officer: You captained a ship or commanded squadrons of multiple ships in the Continental Navy during the war. In this capacity, in addition to maintaining discipline among your crew and maximizing usage of the talents of your specialists (navigator, bosun, etc) you had the unenviable task of battling the mightiest sea power in the world - the Royal Navy - on its home ‘turf’. Still, you proved (as historical US naval commanders, such as John Paul Jones, did) that it could be done. +1 Naval Command or Scout.
Role in the Confederation Period
Planter: Following the Patriot victory in the Revolutionary War, the dissolution of the armed forces and the ascent of the Articles of Confederation, you retired to life on your country estate until the time came to get more involved in public life. As a planter, you would have been busy managing your estate - whether it was worked by slaves, free tenants, or a mix of both - and keeping up with other socialites in peacetime, which may have also involved getting into duels over honor. +1 Charisma or Personal Combat. |
Benjamin Harrison |
Benjamin Harrison as the Mayor of Dover. ca. 1774
Age: 32 (b. 1757)
Spouse: Anne, née Sanford (b. 1765)
+2 Wealth
+1 Espionage
+1 Charisma
+1 Personal Combat
Heritage
Anglo-American: You are, like the majority of the new nation’s inhabitants, descended from English and likely (but not always) Protestant settlers, whether they came aboard the Mayflower in 1620 or were refugees from the English Civil War or came here peacefully in much more recent days. The English have a reputation as cunning traders and are also more likely to have enjoyed leadership positions of prominence in the years leading up to the American Revolution, as well as afterwards. +1 Infantry Command, Wealth or Charisma.
Religion
Deist: You are a Deist. You believe in a vaguely defined Supreme Being which the Christians call God, but only as a creator: as far as you’re concerned, the First Cause does not interact with its creations at all and is content to let them operate as they will. Deists tend to be the most radical embracers of the Enlightenment and all the liberal ideologies it brings. Thomas Jefferson was an example of a historical American Deist.
Idolized philosopher
John Locke: In your younger years, the political philosopher you looked up to most was John Locke. His belief that there existed a moral Law-of-Nature forbidding men from harming one another’s lives or possessions without cause and that a night-watchman state whose role was limited to protecting the lives, liberty and property of its citizens was ideal rubbed off on you as a result, leaving you with moderately liberal inclinations. +1 Wealth.
Early Life
Merchant: Prior to entering politics, you ran your own business as a merchant of at least local note. In this role you not only crunched numbers but also learned to buy low and sell high, to efficiently manage not only accounts but also your workers, to spot and plan for both opportunities and risks, and to deal with both competitors and tough customers - all skills that should serve you well in the realm of politics. +1 Wealth.
Role in the Revolution
Congressman: During the war, you were part of the Continental Congress. You did not fight in the field but instead politically represented the American states & people, presenting their demands to the British Crown at the Revolution’s eve and providing civilian leadership to revolutionary forces which foreign countries could negotiate with. As a delegate of the Congress, you also likely wrangled with overambitious generals from time to time, and may have even fought a duel or several over honor in clashes with prickly fellow Congressmen. +1 Wealth, Personal Combat or Charisma.
Role in the Confederation Period
Tycoon: Following the Patriot victory in the Revolutionary War, the dissolution of the armed forces and the ascent of the Articles of Confederation, you retired to civilian life as a merchant prince until the time came to get more involved in public life. As a business tycoon, your primary concern would obviously have been trying to make more money than ever before, whether as a shipping magnate, a large proto-retailer, a mail delivery boss, etc. +1 Wealth or Espionage. |
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