Timeline, Part 1 (An Absolute Turn for the Worst)

This is the timeline page for An Absolute Turn for the Worst.

No One Ever Expects
By the 18th century the once infamous Inquisition was nothing but a boogeyman to many, but a force still powerful enough to move under the government and act independently on their own. However, the very foundation and power of the Inquisition came under threat after the death of João V. His son, Jose I, had no intentions to keep the Inquisition in such a high power in Portugal, and neither did many other politics in Portugal. One such politician was Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo. Melo heavily criticized the power of the Inquisition in Portugal's politics and the threat they loomed over everyone's head.

His outspoken personality would be his ultimate undoing however, as he was prone to be "too honest" and "too blunt" for many in king's cabinet, and many of the upper class of Portugal. When he was not picked as Chief Minister by Jose I, he was appalled and shocked. Though it never stopped him from speaking his mind and creating many debates amongst the upper echelon of Portugal. By the end of the decade Melo would die at only 59, under suspicious circumstances.

With one of the most critical members of the remaining Inquisition ousted and no longer in a higher position of power. The Inquisition would continue to not only operate in Portugal, but reemerge in Spain. With more power than ever thought of by the middle of the 1750s

Crisis in North America
The Thirteen Colonies under the control of the British Empire had suffered dramatic blows to itself. The most horrific blow to the people of the English colonies was the loss of their most brilliant minds. A man who had given many of ideas and plans to help progress their lives on this new continent, Benjamin Franklin.

On June 15th, 1752, Benjamin Franklin was set to conduct a scientific experiment to prove the case that lightning is actually a form of concentrated electricity. In his experiment he was using a kite that was set to float high in the skies, with a metal key tied between Franklin's position and the kite's position. In the experiment, a high powered thunder storm rolled in during Franklin's experiment. He did not however expect it to rain during his experiment. So when he finally saw the lightning flash and strike his key, it was the last thing he ever saw in his life. In his experiment though he proved the lethality of electricity itself, the conductivity of soaked instruments, and that lightning was actually a form of conducted electricity.

If it was not enough for those in the English colonies in North America, by the end of spring of 1754, the French and Indian War would break out across the continent. This war brought the Thirteen Colonies of the Atlantic Coast into the conflict. A impromptu congress of the northern colonies (Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island) met in Albany, New York to discuss better relations with the Native American tribes and common defensive measures against the French threat from Canada in the opening stage of the French and Indian War. One of the largest proposals that stood out to the representatives at the congress, was the idea of a union between the states that attended the congress in Albany. The idea was to form a united colony with the smaller colonies currently forming the subdivisions. Along with the idea of a united militia or defense force, instead of individual militias fighting for their own defense instead of the whole colony. The proposal was approved by all the representatives in the congress and approved of the raising of a formal militia to defend themselves from attacks or invading forces.

Though not even the newly united Northern Colonies, officially called New England, was not able to help turn the tides of the war. As in the span of a single year they lost two key commanding officers, which permanently put the nail in the coffin for not only the New England colony, but all British colonies in North America. After the deaths of George Washington at the Battle of Fort Necessity, after a stray Indian struck Washington who died later due to blood loss. The other fatal blow was the disastrous Braddock Invasion, in which Braddock was killed, along with a vast majority of his forces, in an ambushed made by French and Indian forces.

The Second Age of Pirates
On February 24, 1754, a Guatemalan Sergeant Major by the name of Melchor de Mencos y Varón departed the city of Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala with an infantry battalion to fight British pirates that were reported to be sacking towns on the coasts of Petén. Many including the Spanish Empire believed it would be the final end of piracy in the new world with this blow to the pirates. Though when Varon finally arrived to do battle with the pirates his entire battalion was ambushed by the pirates. Varon and his forces had chased down the pirates to the coastline, but were ambushed by flanking forces and were later fired upon by two ships just off the coast. What was later known as the Massacre of San Felipe, would refuel the age of piracy in the New World.

With pirate bands popping back up seemingly overnight to not only the Caribbean, but also the coastal towns of the Gulf of Mexico and these coastlines of Colombia, Venezuela, and even Brazil. One such pirate was known other than the proclaimed "Pirate King," Captain Aidan Walker. His frigate, The Fallen Buccaneer, consisted of a fleet of 12 other captured ships. Each boasting a crew ranging from 40-50 crew members, which equated to a personal army of 480-600 able-bodied pirates. And nearly 480 cannons. Walker had a intricate system of alliances which would later lead to him being officially crowned "King of the Pirates." His "kingdom" ruled many Caribbean islands and many coastal towns. Truly the Second Age of Pirates had come.

Um Verdadeiro Reino Sob Deus
On November 1st, 1755, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake occurred of the coast of Portugal. The result earthquake would produce a large tsunami that would flood and devastate much of the Portuguese coast. Lisbon, the capital, was hit the worst of all. The entire city was leveled, with hundreds of thousands dead in the streets of Lisbon. Along with the many of injured and dead, was none other than the king and queen of Portugal themselves, dead. The only surviving member of the royal family was Dona Maria. Whom was to marry her uncle, Pedro, the younger brother to King Jose I.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, Dona Maria was proclaimed as the new Queen of Portugal, but with no suitor she had very little power or a secure throne. The worst came to be when members of the Inquisition began to spread the word of "the wrath of god." They preached that the destruction of Lisbon was the result of the peasants worshipping their kings and queens instead of their "true king." The fear among the peasants quickly grew and many began to follow the Inquisition's path and ideals, to save themselves. A quick shift in power from the monarchy back to the church. Mainly those church members affiliated with the Inquisition.

By 1758, the Inquisition had amassed its own private army. Though the Inquisition's ambition for power had not gone unnoticed, as by the time the Inquisition had stormed the royal estate in the countryside, Dona Maria, her advisors, loyal nobility, and her own personal army had fled to Brazil. In total 20,000 people were transported all at once to the colony of Brazil. In her absence the Inquisition had taken power. With Grand Inquisitor Felipe Beltrán Serrano as their leader in an elective theocratic nation.