Aviva, Florida Española

POD / Senario
In 1792 Europe was on fire. The French Revolution had occured and killed the King of France. Some Spanish leaders saw the new Republican France as a potentialy powerful ally. Others including the most of the Royal Familia, wtih the notable exception of the Duke of Valencia, agreed that the powers of Great Britain, Austria and Russia would be overwelmingly powerful, even if not at first but there population and industrial capacity would eventually destroy the French. But they where still Spanish and would never ally with the vile English. As a result of the Royal Familia not agreeing with allying with France nor Great Britain's Legions, as the Spanish people called the Coalition, Spain decided to stay neutral... possibley through hell or high water.But the threat of revolution still hung in the air, so to assure niether side would destroy Spain, the Royal Familia signed the Spanish Bill of Rights wich assured all its citizens equal human rights, from white men to free black men, from white woman to free black women, this move proved to be an excellent deterent against revolution, exspecialy when the words of peace and non-revolution were backed up with the army's bayonet points as the King could suspend Habaeus Corpus in times of great crisis, such as a revolution. But they did not stop there, in secret from the other side they signed non-agression pacts with both the Coalition and France in return for trading rights.The decision to be neutral proved decisive. The Spanish armies in the New World, the Orient, and in Spain herself grew from white and freed black men enlisting to nearly the time of Elisabeth I, but unfortunantley they still couldn't bring thier men to the fighting prowess of that time, thus they adopted a Russian aproach to the military and had the military tax exempt to encourage growth. But the Spanish Navy is where the power of the Spanish truly lie, they trained the naval men for a longer time then nearly any other nation in the world, some ships such as the HRHS Valencia was rumored to be able to hit a any window in London from a mile outside of its port, and although obviously an exageration it did show how much the new navy was feared. The navy and army kept Spain as a (somewhat) decisive player in the Americas. But the 400 Line Infantry arriving in East Florida from Cuba changed everything. Andrew Jackson destroyed Indian settlements in retaliation for them attacking settlements in Georgia. The West Florida Colony was de facto under US control. But the extra division of infantry kept Spanish control in the East a very good possibility.

Adams–Onís Treaty
The signing of the Adams-Onis Treaty goes awry when the American President declares that West Florida is already under American control. He demands that the amount of money being paid to the Spanish for Florida be cut by 4/5 to only 1,000,000 dollars. The Spanish imeadatly respond that the United States is being unreason able and threatens to walk out of the treaty all together. The Secretary of State urges the President to change his mind but he doesn't falter and refuses to give anymore then that. The Spanish then send a proposal that Spain would except the 1,000,000 in return that East Florida stay a Spanish Colony. The President escepts along with Congress and the Treaty is signed.

Florida after the signing of the Adams-Onis Treaty
The Spanish in La Florida, as it was now called since there was no East any more, set to work making the colony mor prosperous and perhaps even counted among its wealthy colonies. Inspectors went along the coast of Florida to find a good place to create a puerto and eventualy they came to Tampa. The area was realativley back-water and very under-populated but it seemed it was the perfect spot to found a city with its almost perfect natural harbor. Thus they founded Puerto de Tampa. The city was almost as soon as its port was built a boom town. The city called home many who were in the shipping bussissness, from harbor workers to merchants and everything inbetween seemed to live there. The Crown was immensily pleased that the harbor was bringing in mucho pesos, but unfortunantley thier exact letter of approval was heavily damaged during the Spanish Civil War so we may never no exactly what they said.

West Florida was admitted to the Union in 1822 as the State of Pensacola with its capital in Pesacola City. The state was the first state to be founded with a significant portion of the population not speaking English. Almost 50% spoke only Spanish wich was a whopping statistic at that time.

The city that was the colony's capital was still very much defined but some saw the potential of Tampa with its ever increasing population and said it should be the capital of the colony, while others said it should be St.Augustine the historic capital of La Florida. Even some American settlers in North Florida got into the argument. It eventually got so bad riots occurred in both Tampa and St. Augustine over the issue. Again the records where lost of what exactly the Spanish Crown said but the list of it can be made out from the records of speeches from politicians in La Florida. The Crown had decided to have the governor of the colony, José Juárez to found a capitol. He was personally chosen by the Crown to lead La Florida, and was a signer of the Spanish Bill of Rights as well as a major force behind its writing and approval. José Juárez, reportedly after arguing heavily with his wife and daughter over the issue to the point where he lost his voice, chose to found the city on the St.John's River. Initially the city was set to be called St.John or St.Thomas Aquinas, no one is quite sure, but he eventually decided to name the city Juárez (in OTL Jacksonville area).

Meanwhile while this was happening President Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine which is still in use today. The Doctrine basically states that European colonization of America would cease or it would be taken as a declaration of war. Monroe governed over a relatively peaceful time in US history and the rest of his tern was rather uneventful except for the celebrations of his birthday, which to many Americans made them glad that he had to pay out of pocket for those expenses (if you get what I mean).

Unfortunately for La Florida the Era of Good Feelings didn't go very far south of the border. Tampa though very operational, saw a fall in trade after the creation of Juárez. Many just attributed this to statistical chance. Others said it was because the Eastlians (even though they live pretty close to the same line of longitude the people in Juárez and St.Augustine were technicaly east) as they called them where poorer and sucking up there resources. The second idea began to catch fire in Tampa. On February 12, 1824 Tampa seceded from La Florida and Spain. Unfortunately their city-state was crushed in a matter of weeks when Spanish grenadiers entered city-limits the rebells almost literally fled for the hills which where a very long ways away from the flat Florida turf. The grenadiers where ordered not to destroy the city or harm the population. But as grenadiers and wanting the spoils of war they did anyway. When Jackson heard of there actions wich included burning churches and home, looting, and raping women and children he had the commander court-marshaled and the unit disbanded and ,in a way, banish from La Florida and forced over the Appilachicola into the wetlands of lousiana and west florida, they're never heard from again. The people of the colony and even the President of the United States commended the Governor for decisively acting against an obviously horrible crime.

The Governor was riding a high tide of support from not only the people but the Crown as well. Records that where not damaged show that Governor Juárez was even widely liked in the Spanish Royal Family Some records,mainly letters later found in a secret compartment in the Royal Palace of Madrid, show that he and the Queen of Spain Maria Josepha were even where having an affair at the time as he visited Spain every 2-3 years, but only once did she come to La Florida, in the Spring of 1827 and stayed until the following Spring. Although her letters to her husband said that she was trying to get well from the clean and reputedly healing airs of La Florida it is widely believed that they where deceitful or just out right lies, as during this time Jackson's wife was in a hospital in Pensacola recovering from a high fever and dysentery, whilst he and Maria stayed at the Governors Estate in Juárez.

The citizens of La Florida had prosperous years under Governor Juárez. Although he began to crack down more violently after the death of Maria Josepha, and he also created a memorial to the Queen in the center of the city, as well as 9 statues of her in the Governor's Estate. Juárez grew tremendously under the Governor but this is not all that helped spur its growth. The position it was in on the St.John's River gave it substantial income from the citrus farms in East Florida.Tampa did except the Easterners eventually even electing one to be their Mayor in 1832.

But all things must come to end. On December 26, 1834 he died after battling yellow fever and tuberculosis. Governor Juárez was given a state funeral in La Florida, the proceedings lasted almost four days. Flags all across the colony where at half staff to commemorate him and his life. The Crown even was involved in mourning his death, the entire city of Madrid was ordered to be silent for half an hour out of respect for the Governor. The only other person ever to received this honor besides the Royal Family was General Franco for his involvement in restoring the monarchy and being the leading general in the Spanish Civil War.

Like Father, Like Son
The colony was put into the hands of his son Pedro Juárez. The people extremely doubted his abilities because of his intense stutter and young age of 21. Soon though a problem arose to challenge his prowess. The American settlers in the Northern region began to speak out against the monarchy and called for the colony to be annexed by America. Although no one knows why the Americans chose this time to speak out against the Crown and the colony many believe it is because of the new Governor's disabilities created an opportunity for them.

Whatever the reason Governor Pedro Juárez acted almost immediately. He sent a battalion of militia from Juárez to the region. The commanding officer told the Americans that if they would not end the speech against the crown they would be forced out of the country. Seminole Natives in the area joined the militia as the settlers often tried to push them off their lands. Anit-American setiment ran high in the Spanish camps.

The Americans, with the rememberences of a bloody war against another crown, refused to stop critising the Spanish Monarchy. Colonel Jose, following orders, attacked American settlements and drove them across the US-Spanish border. Bloody conflicts continued in the wooded areas but the white settlers where no match for trained Spanish grenadiers and Cherokee warriors. Many met a horrible fate with all there possessions burned and thier family killed. The horror of the event was not fully relised until the records were realesed in 1902.

Governor Pedro was hailed as a hero in La Florida for expelling the Americans who were constantly plauging the people and were viewed pretty much like illegal-imigrants in the 21rst century America. The American President critisized his actions, what he said exactly remians unknown but the responces to his speech show that it was something between a critisizment to nearly a declaration of war against Spain. But whatever he said many officials in La Florida to New Spain where out-raged by his speech. Not surprisingly many records show that the citizens of La Florida began to exhibit many anti-american sentiments to the point of hate-crimes against merchants from the US.

The Natives were rewarded for thier bravery by issuing Declaración de los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas de la Florida wich garenteed that Natives in La Florida where to have the same rights as a Spaniard. The Declaración de los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas de la Florida was met with great controversey as no document like it was ever issued by the Spanish or any European power in North America. The official reaction by the crown was lost during the Spanish Civil War but it wasn't good. From what we can tell by Gonernor Pedro Juárez's responce is that his Governorship was threatened and apparently very seriously as the issue didn't come up again until 1844.

The Wars of Hispanic Independence 1838-1844
The Spanish Crown soon after the Mississippi Event had much larger problems then annoying Americanos. Many colonies in the New World were rebelling. The armies in the New World weren't prepared for all out rebellion beacuse of the new Spanish King's dissovlment of the Spanish Bill of Rights on October 31, 1838, he did this beacuse he said that the bill of rights went against the divine right of the king who was supposedly chosen by the church. Thankfuly (or unfortunantley according to your view) acording to records almost all of the colonies had a significant amount of soliders who weren't wishing to renounce thier loyalty to the King though many questioned his actions, so they stayed with the Crown. Fighting seemed to be going in favor of the Spanish Loyalist initaly. one such example of this was at the Battle of Tijuana where the Loyalist and Rebel armies fought 3 miles out-side of the city and fought ferociously. Although the records of many of the battles were sent to Spain for presevation they were lost in the Spanish Civil War, but we can get a picture of what happened from a Loyalist journal.

''We saw the enemy and formed battle-ranks. The noise of the shots are deafening, yet seeing the enemy's head severed from his shoulders or his gut thrown towards the sky always seems to out-way the pain in my ears. About half ways through the battle we readied our bayonets. Its a joke realy, only a third of us realy have bayonets, some in desparation had melted sharp pieces of metal to the gun's barrel, others only needed a yell and they would if they had to rip the others throat out with ther thier teeth. Thank God for the calvary though, they hit them in thier unawares and tore through them, and with a shout of strength we charged. The fighting lasted till dawn of the next day and we stood with blood in our face and hair, victourious.''

But all this changed with Fernando Bolivar, nephew of Simon Bolivar. Records of his ascent to power in the rebellion were lost during the Bolivarian Civil War after his death. But however it happend he became the Washington of the South. In the Guyanas he organized the rebels into 10 divisions. The Spanish military never even saw it coming, 4 division on both sides of the army hiding in the jungle while 2 where plainly seen and vunerable. The Spanish fell into thier hands as the engaged the supossedly small army 7 dvisions fell onto thier flanks while 1 hit them in the back. Within 2 hours the entire Spanish army was eigther captured or slaughtered. Bolivar's army soon secured the rest of the Guyanas and his men marched into Venezuela. The First Venezuelan Division of the Crown was already neck high in debt and thier soliders had been not payed for almost 5 months and morale was worse then a rabbit becoming stuck with fifteen dogs on thier back. Needless to say the army didn't even need to employ any deception methods as the entire army almost entirely surrendered when they saw the extra troops supporting the rebel's flanks. Venezuela fell in 3 weeks. Bolivar's men entered Central America in 14 weeks with the Colombian's Spanish army falling after the Battle of Carepa destroying any supply rout from New Spain. Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, Argentina and Ecuador had already fallen to extremley violent guriella warfare.

Panama was one of the few areas that were nearly 80-90% Loyalist beacuse of the Atlántico al Pacífico a la Autopista wich connected two ports, one on the Atlantic and the other on the Pacific, wich was gaurded by Spanish troops to keep the highway clear and safe. This employed nearly 57% of the population of Panama. Thus Panama would not be as easy to destroy as the Guyanas or Venezuela.

Bolivar's men entered the province largley un-opposed. But this quickly changed as they neared the capital. The city was heavily defended and would be suicide to attack head on, thus Bolivar decided to do the first and last major siege of the Wars of Hispanic Independence. He surrounded the city for almost 5 months from 1843-1844, before the city fell to Bolivar, leaving the rout to Mexico City wide open. Within 4 weeks Mexico City fell as the de-moralized army, under-funded, under-equipted army fell nearly as soon as they saw them and on September 22, 1844 all Spanish colonies in the New World were recognized as independent by Spain, France, the USA, Sweden, Russia, and Switzerland with the signing of the Peace Accords of Madrid.

Vive la Revolucion!
La Florida didn't stay silent during this time of great upheavel. The people of the colony rose against the Crown with the disovlving of the bill of rights.Tampa, St.Augustine, Juárez, and most of East Florida was in revolt as soon as word of the Bill of Rights being re-pealed was brought over. Govenor Pedro who was very devoted to Spain throughout his entire life was torn. His father was the driving force behind writing the Spanish Bill of Rights but he was born and raised to respect and serve the crown. Many first-hand accounts say that he was fericley arguing with his wife to the point that servants where afraid to enter his room. But on December 15, 1838 22 delegates from all over La Florida sent the Declaración de secesión del Reino de España to the Governor and on the same day it arrived (December 22, 1838) after reading it he signed the document and had the document read in the main plaza of Juárez.

The people accepted the document with tremendous joy. But unfortunantley the grenadiers did not and they declared the Governor a traitor and attempted to storm the Governor's Estate but the people over-welmed the grenadiers and they were killed and not a single one made past the statues of Maria Josepha who was said to be watching with joy. The day after the attempted storming of the Governor's Estate, Pedro Juárez declared himself President-for-Life and he said that he would hold the osition until the end of the crisis.

The colony was in a unique position as nearly all of its military copacity was in its navy and the army was comprised in the navy. The naval ships fired opon the city that it was situated in Tampa, St.Augustine, and Juárez where soon under heavy bombardment. St.Augustine's Catillio de San Marcos was under fire again for the first time since the French and Indian War. But this did not last as the ships were forced out to sea by costal guns. This effectivley ended the revolution on land in La Florida.

La Florida during the War of Hispanic Indepedence was in a constant state of naval warfare around the entire peninsula. Several warships were created in Tampa after lumber was cut down in the surrounding territory. The Floridians were very good sailors and were so good that one Seminole tribe refused to call them anything other then 'the men who learn to sail before they can walk'. But there sailing skills, wich were prided upon by nearly all Floridians, were no match for the trained Spanish sailors. Even though the Floridians could sail faster then them, even circles around them but that ment nearly nothing until real naval guns were purchased from the Americans.

But this did not happen for a few years. During this time the Floridian Navy was reduced to hit and run tactics using very fast sloop-class vessels. The President-for-Life Juárez meets with the American President Martin Van Buren, who had protested the Spanish Bill of Rights being removed as a "...nearly demonic and extremley vile thing.". President-for-Life Juárez and President Van Buren agree to a deal of somethig similar to the Lend-Lease Act in the late 1930s-early 1940s, basically what is signed is that America "lending" her navy against the Spanish Navy wich was now was being over-stretched but still formidable, in return for a "lease" of of the Florida Keys until they were officialy recognized by Spain.

This act greatly hurt the Spanish Armada as now they were having to fight a real naval war, not against a rag tag bunch of fishermen and traders but a real, trained, and potent enemy. The results were seen in 5-weeks (this clarity of when the Spanish Armada had its knees broken and its throat slit is beacuse Puerto de Tampa had extremely acurate records of the amount of money going in and out of the port) and the results were seen quite quickly aft' that. The wealth of this city had declined sharply since the end of the Spanish Control and the begining of the Spanish Blockade. But now that the money was rolling back in they could now buy weapons from other places except the United States, whom many thought that thier relationship was dealing with the devil.

The Florida Navy soon turned from direct confrontation with the Spanish to protecting trading vessels. The crew of the EFB (Estado de la Florida del Buque) Juárez was awarded by President-for-Life Pedro Juárez the Florida Cross of Valor after destroying the Spanish Ship-of-the-Line Isabella.

The naval war continued vigorously until the FSS Juárez along with US vessels and other Florida ships destroyed the Port of Havana effectivley crippling the Spanish trade in the Carribbean.

The day of September 22, 1844 was a day of joyous celebration all thourgh-out the New World from Portland to Ushuaia, Richmond to Mexico City, Washington to Juárez. Every man rejoiced that the war was over.

Convención Constituyente
The Wars of Hispanic Independence were o'er. Latin America faced a new problem, the same problem another nation had just 60 years before in 1787... creating a workable government out of the ashes of war. President-for-Life Juárez called together the smartest minds in La Florida from Tampa to St.Augustine to create a constitution. The men where from multiple walks of life and were all incredibly smart. Those men were nearly as varied as La Florida was, out of the 56 men who attended (roughly 3-4 from each province) 16 were Seminole, 3 were Creek, 7 were black, and the remaining 30 were all white but this divergence in skin color and race did not hamper the Constitutional Convention as the Spanish Bill of Rights had been in place for a long time before it was destroyed and the effects of it may not have been total tolerance but it was more then enough.

Debate
The delegate's first job was to decide the basic principles of thier new nation, democratic, autocratic, constitutional monarchy, oligarchy, or some aglam of them all. The delegates first agreed that a democracy should be in place but the men looked back in history and saw the masive amounts of failures of the democratic system and its corrupting effects o'er the population and their leaders.

Florida Carta de Derechos
So after much debate an Constitutional Monarchy was established. But the only limit on the King's power was the Supreme Court and the Florida Carta de Derechos which said that people had the right to Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom from the Government Articficially Controlling Prices ,the Right to Bear Arms, Right to not be Maliciously Discriminated Against because of Race, Religion, Sex, or Creed, Right to Privacy, Right to a Lawyer, Right to a Fair Trial, Right to not have the Government force a Citizen to Purchase Something, and the Right to Peacefuly Assemble.

Supreme Court
Fifteen Judges would be voted into office by the people to decide if the King's Laws or Acts were Constitutional and if they weren't they would be thrown out, or if he did an action maliciously and deliberatley against the Constitution or the Orders of the Supreme Court he then could be forced to abdicate by a 2/3 majority, the Judges would also be the only ones able to Repeal Laws (per request of the King) or add new Rights (or Freedoms) to the Bill of Rights (again per request of the King) by a 2/3 vote by the Judges, the Provincial Legislatures, and the Governors. They can also Repeal Rights / Freedoms with a 2/3 vote of the Judges and 2/3 of the Provincial Legislatures (if it doesn't come out as a whole number its rounded to the closest whole number), and 2/3 of the Governors. Also they could force a King to abdicate if after a fair trial they decide he has commited felony crime.

The People's voice came in to the Executive office only when a King had died and left no direct hier, the people would then vote for a new King eigther from his family or not.

The Constitución de la Florida was signed by all 56 Delegates and the President of the Convention Pedro Juárez. The People rejoiced at the new government and the voting took place soon aft'. The King of Florida was voted in by 94% of the population... this man was Pedro Juárez and he was selected to be King. He was crowned on September 22, 1845 as King Pedro I of Florida

Reino de la Florida
His first act as King was to create an official language. He chose the native language of the people of La Florida, Spanish. The Supreme Court ruled the law Constitutional. The effect was not at first seen but it would be seen eventually. The new King made thing run smoothly throughout the new Kingdom. He solved several disputes between Provinces such as the exact size of the Tampa Bay Province, or the boundary between Lakes and Marion, or most famously the dividing up of the water of Lake Okeechobee. He was regarded as a good and benevolent King by nearly everyone. The time in Florida was beautiful and serene, the trade arrived and left on schedule, the natives were peaceful, and the Americanos had finally decided Florida wasn't worth the trouble of the annoying misquitos, and the people who could never understand what they were saying without getting angery and sometimes wishing they had bought that shot-gun that they saw in the shop down the road.

King Pedro I was widely liked and known. This was ecspescialy true in Latin America after Bolivar died well past his time in 1847. This was beacuse of the Bolivarian Civil War. Many saw him as a great reformer to the Spanish ways of monarchy. The New York Gazzete even published an article about him saying that "...[K]ing [Pedro I] is widley seen as the reason monarchies have been around for such a long time without democratic reform, benevolency." His rein was marked by a stark peacfulness that hadn't been seen in Florida for many centuries, possibly even the first time that the whole peninsula was in a relative state of peace and (relatively) friendly diplomacy. Often he would ride throughout the Reino de la Florida just to see what was there. His travels as a King challenged the travel of even the great traveling of Emporer Hadrian of the Roman Empire.

Various things did arise to challenge the king, one of the most famous was that the flag was heavily influenced by the Catholic denomination of Christianity and that the people had been given the freedom of religion. He replied that "So do you want me to outlaw Christmas, Easter, Lent, Palm Sunday, and days of Thanksgiving as well?" The man relised that the freedom of relgion didn't outlaw the government being influenced by religion just banning a relgion or imposing things against one. The Supreme Court upheld the descision and stated that "Though the flag is heavily influenced by Catholism it does not interfere with the Freedom of Religion. The Catholic influences simply reflect the fact that Florida is heavily Catholic and was heavily Catholic since the arrival of the Spanish. The fact that the Freedom of Religion has been given to Floridians doesn't mean that the government must be totally devoid of relgion, in fact quite the opposite could be true it could very well have all the Judges as Catholic Bishops and have every Saint's feast day as a national holiday. All the Freedom of Religion grants is that no one shall be punished for their belifes."

Evetually he did settle down though and he stopped most of his travels in 1850 and settled down with his family in Jacksonville in the Royal Palace of Florida. He was at this time childless but he did eventually have five girls whom names were Isabella, Sophia, Esmeralda, Alba, and Carmen he had one boy who was twins with Esmeralda, his name was Pedro Jackson II. King Pedro I faced the first military attack against Florida since the revolution in 1859.

El Comercio Inhumanos
Mean while in the United States the issue of slavery became a hotly debated topic. Not that it hadn't been but the question was soon getting larger then it ever had been. The slaves that escaped to Florida even during the Hispanic Wars of independence were huge. The number of escaped slaves fleeing to Florida had succeded that of the ones fleeing to Canada in 1842. Many Southerners called for slave finders to go into Florida and capture the slaves to return them.

In responce King Pedro I, who had been a stuanch abolistionist his entire life, decreed the Decreto de la Libertad in 1849 wich said that all slaves escaping to Reino de la Florida from the United States would be free and granted Floridian citizenship, the Supreme Court barely passed the Decree with a 8-7 vote.

Many Southerners felt outrage at the act and some even called for war against the nation. The United States government did everything it could to prevent the Southern people from becoming hostile against the Floridians.

All this was occuring the Bolivarian Civil War tore South America apart. His generals alled vied for power with extremley loyal troops who would fight to the end for thier general's cause. The secne reminded many of Rome before its collapse into the Roman Empire, and everyone was looking for the Augustus.

Guerra Civil Bolivariana 1847-1947
The Bolivarian Empire had dissengtigrated after Bolivar's death. He hadn't done much of anything after the war as he was well older then most people and was quite tired after the exausting, bloody war. Often he could do nothing but lay in bed and do nothing.

After his (fairly late) passing his generals bickered o'er who should have the crown of Bolivia. All of them said that Bolivar in private had said that they were his hier. Unfortunantley they couldn't share power and the Bolivarian Civil War began on June 1, 1847, three weeks after Bolivar's death.

The war began in the Bolivian capital of Cacaras as General Sanchez and his men stormed the capital building and took control of the city. The other generals saw it was time to take advantage of the disunity and distrust, along with the confusion to finish the bickering once and for all.

General Sanchez and Lieutenent General Hernandez were at each others throat throughout the rest of their lives. The first battle between them was at Maiquietia were the out-come was undetermined. The other Gernerals took control of other provinces and attacked each other to gain the most land and power.

The New York Gazzette said that "The [Bolivarian] Civil War is tearing away at the fabric of the Bolivarian Kingdom. The bloody civil war's first battle was at the city of Maiquetia, very close to the start of the civil war in Carcaras, in fact the distance is roughly from Annapolis to Washington DC. The battle proved indecisive and is likely to be the way most of the battles in the war play out."

Unfortunantly the New York Gazzette was right. The battles were almost entirley undesicive. Generals would send thier men to battle and watch as both sides were killed, slaughtered on the field in droves. All for nothing as the battles would rarley gain more then perhaps 100-200 yards. Any more then 2 miles was considered a major advance after the battle lines were drawn.

Soon the bogged down troops learned not to go out of thier defensive positions as even looking o'er the trench's edge often caused the entire enemy line to open up. Artillery was perhaps the only thing that could reach out and do any damage. Of-course none of the generals would give up the chance to rule most of Latin America, so until their nation was destoryed they would not give up.

Lieutenent General Hernandez and General Sanchez finally had a last battle at Carcaras in 1857 and Sanchez was killed by Hernandez himself during a calvary charge. Hernandez then conqured what remained of the Province of Grand Colombia with little resistance as most of the soliders fled into the wilderness.

The other generals still fought amazingly fecrocius. Thier troops fought often till the sound of retreat was called and even then often they would be unwilling to leave and the officers had to convince the men to leave. This was to be the standard in the Bolivarian Civil War.

Hernandez died in 1862 and left a clear succesor along with most of the other generals who were begining to feel the weariness of war upon themselves. Hernandez II was just as power-hungery as his father, this was the standard in the General's sons. In 1879 the last original general died and yet their sons still fought the war of their fathers (the only exception to this was Mexico wich in 1861 declared it-self neutral). The war was going to become one of the longest continously lasting wars in the history of humanity

La reacción
La Florida and the USA watched the Great South American War intently, they exaimened the tactics, the startegy, but most of all they tried to see what had come of thoes tactics and strategies. Soon the entire world had relised that any war between two or more equaly powered nations was going to be a long drawn-out and bloody battle.

United States of America
The United States in 1856 signed a treaty with the UK o'er the Oregon Territory called the Oregon Treaty.

Spain
Spain after the Wars of Hispanic Independence was sent reeling. In the main land Spain proper underwent a mini-revoltution the king was forced to abdicate and the people re-instated the Spanish Bill of Rights and elected Isabella II as Queen of Spain. She passed many reforms, but was always looking o'er her shoulder trying to not have a repeat performance of the former king.

Prussia and the German States
Prussia united the German States and Denmark in 1860 in the Krieg der Deutschen Einheit after having inspiration from studying the tactics of Hernandez in South America against Sanchez. The new German state was imeadiatley a super power. The combined forces of the German peoples were nearly un-stoppable as the constant warring had honed their expertise in war-making to nearly an estimated 20:1 fighting ratio against other European powers.

Austria-Hungary
Austria was influenced by the Krieg der Deutschen Einheit in ways not expected. In 1867 the Treaty of Vienna was signed bringing the royal families of Austria and Hungary together into one nation called Austria-Hungary. They then sweep south and unite the Balkans under the banner of Austria-Hungary.

Low Countries
The Low-Countries signed the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1869. The new state named itself after the predecesor of all thoes nations the United Provinces.

Poland
Polish people rose up against the Russians in 1873 and with help from Germany gained its independence from Russia. It was later discovered that Germany recognized Poland only because it agreed to grant immunity to the Kaiser's son who was imprisoned in Poland because of the mysteruious death of his fiancee.

Italy and the Papal States
The Italian Unification Wars begins in 1870. Italia is reunited under the banner of a single nation for the first time since the Roman Empire. Italy attempts to conqure the Papal States but fails to destroy the Swiss Guard who protect the area of greater Rome. After nearly 3 years the Kingdom of Italy signs the Treaty of the Vatican wich gives Italy most of Italy besides a square around Rome wich would stay as the Papal States. The Italians make Venice their capital.

Reino de la Florida in 1859
1859 was a year of war-fare on the peninsula not seen in a long time. King Pedro I's Decreto de la Libertad had angered the South to the extreme. the 36th United States Congress was mostly Southern Democrats after the Decreto de la Libertad had pushed some populations of nothern states who did not approve, nor disapprove slavery into voting Southern Democrat as they saw the act as a motion against the southern people.

The 36th Congress looked for any reason to declare war against La Florida. Georgia militia even once went into La Florida it self and burned Pedro Rey de la Ciudad, a village of about 70-150 (the records were badly damaged) and burned the place to the ground, then erected an American flag in the village. A Floridian merchant who was passing through the area and saw the flag. He then told Suwanee authorities. They looked at the scene and reported it directly to the Governor of Suwanee. King Pedro I was informed with-in 48 hours of the event that American militia had attacked a Floridian village. Furious he sent letter to President Buchanan. Buchanan read the note which said :

Dear Mr.President,

''It has become evident that the American military has attacked a Floridian village of 100 persons. They slaughtered man, women and child. The village was then burned and a American flag was hoisted in what was left of the town-square. I tell you this now as I see that it has become evident that my declaration of giving your slaves the ability to escape to freedom has caused gret hatered against the Kingdom of Florida. I ask you to properly punish whomsoever has commited this crime or hand him o'er to Floridian Authorities.''

Signed,

Rey Pedro Hernandez Juárez 

As well as this letter La Floridian diplomats in the United States were ordered not to discuss anything with Americans.

Buchanan did ablsolutley nothing. King Pedro I waited for 2 weeks and sent almost 2 telegrams a day to the White House. The United States government did nothing to either punish nor look for the offenders. He acted on March 12, 1859, Floridian Grenadiers from St.Augustine marched into southern Georgia and attacked Cairo, Gerogia. They returned the favor from Pedro Rey de la Ciudad and burned the city to the ground and put the city to the sword.

This is exactly what the 36th Congress wanted. Buchanan asked Congress to declare war against the Reino de la Florida. They happily agreed. On March 25, 1859 the United States declared war against the Reino de la Florida.

The Floridian-American War 1859-1860
[What I used as a map of Georgia http://www.georgia-map.org/road-map.htm]

[What I used as a map of Florida http://www.florida-map.org/road-map.htm]

Begining of the War
King Pedro I declared war on the United States 30 minutes after the news of the United State's declaration of war against La Florida was recieved. Within 14 hours the entire militia was mobilized. Within 17 hours the BSM (Buque de Su Majestad) Juárez had set out to sea along with the BSM St.Augustine, the BSM Tampa, the BSM Appilachicola, and the BSM Suwanee. Within 19 hours all Forts and military personell were put on High Alert. Within 21 hours the First Suwanee Militia was sent out into southern Georgia.

The war began with a bang. The artillery brought with the First Suwanee Militia pounded at Thomasville, Georgia. The Georgian militia came to attempt to relieve the city on March 27, 1859 only to find the city was already burned and they had moved on. The Suwanees hit Ochlocknee already by the time the militia arrived in Thomasville. Once again the city was captured then put to the sword.

During this time the Floridian Navy had sailed up the East Coast and bombarded St.Mary's, Brunswick and Sea Island. The cities were smoldering wrecks by the time the Georgia division of the Coast Gaurd arrived, four days later, and all that was found of the settlements was a broken and shell-shocked people.

Battle of Sterling
The United States was off to a bad start. The Georgian militia along with now the proffessional military could never seem to find the First Suwanee Militia and always seemed to be a day or so behind them. The Second Grenadier Division from St.Augustine had joined with New River-St.Mary Militia on its way up the East Coast on March 31, 1859 along with aditional Seminole re-enforcements from Lakes Province. The combined force hit Moniac on April 1, 1859 then swept up the coast hitting Folkson, Silco, Woodbine, and White Oak by April 8, 1859. Finally the US military hit the Floridian Army in a fair fight.

The Army of the Potomac and the Combined Floridian Force stuck each other April 9, 1859 the Battle of Sterling lasted for 3 days. The native's fighting style along with European style had been taught to most of Florida's military, perfesional and not. The native's style was seen as a tactic to destroy a larger and more powerful force. The Grenadiers, Militia, and Seminole force used this tactic against the Army of the Potomac. The Battle of Sterling ended in a US defeat. The Army of the Potomac was routed, the rout was so full that it was only ended once they had reached Savanah.

East Coast Campaign
The Combined Floridian Force kept with the original plan and stuck Sterling, Darien, Shellman Bluff, and Riceboro by April 19, 1859. The Army of the Potomac (after it was re-organized) caim back to challenge the force once more. The Battle of Richmond Hill ended indecisivley. Both armies were forced to withdraw to a beter defended position. The destruction along the Georgian Coast was done though, cities were in ruins and farms were destroyed.

Capture of the First Suwanee Militia
The First Suwanee Militia at this time didn't halt for more then a night. They hit Pelham, Camilla, Newton, Leary, and Morgan relativley un-opposed as their moves were eccentric and often confusing even for the officers. The troops burned every settlement they could find and often out the residences to the sword. Their movement were finally pinned by the Army of the Appilachicola wich surrounded them in Dawson. Over 1,000 were killed, 500 went missing, and 1,500 were captured. The POWs were sent to Andersonville Prison.

Andersonville
Andersonville Prison was not completed by the time the POWs arrived. The walls had barely gone up when they arrived. Commander Wirz was the Commanding Officer at Andersonville, he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep the prisoners fed but he took them in any-way. He had the prisoners cut down the surrounding trees and forced them to build the main building for the Officer's Quaters along with the Guards Quaters. But when they were completed not much wood was left as the prison itself had been built out of the surrounding trees. Thus he ordered the remain 17 trees be cut down and chopped into fire-wood. But POWs kept arriving.

After the first month the fire-wood was gone. The food for reasons unknown to Wirz had stopped arriving, conditions had begun to spiral down quite quickly. Very soon the food had run out and the POWs began to starve. The main stream going though the camp was used as a latrine and a source of water. Dysentry, Scurvy, and Malnutrition set in with-in a week. Soon the POWs were starving, guards had to take the dead bodies out of the now crowded prison so they could give it a sort of proper funeral without having the body be cannibalised by the other prisoners.

The conditions only continue to deteriorate. More and more POWs conitinue to arrive with news of the war as the telegragh lines to the camp had been cut. Soon it becomes aparent that they can no longer bring in any more POWs. Commander Wirz sent a letter to Buchanan telling him that Andersonville is in no shape to accept any more Prisoners of War.

Buchanan hears his proposal and on August 20, 1859 sends a secret order that all United States Prisoners of War be executed imeadiatley as the government can no longer afford to care for them. All 6,551 (that is the number of bodies found by 2011) of the prisoners are executed and buried in a mass grave.

Battle of Savannah
The Battle of Savannah was fought between the Combined Floridian Force and the Army of the Potomac. The CFF attacked Savannah on August 29, 1859. They had been consolidating their defences along the coast and building defences exspecially around Riceboro.

The Floridian Navy had sent the BSM Naples, the BSM Victory, the BSM Keyes, and the BSM St.John's to re-enforce the naval group already at sea. They formed the Atlantic Florida Naval Task Group. The AFNTG had bombarded Savannah but failed to destroy the city. They also went up the coast and hit Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Willmington, Crown Pointe, Havelock, and Elizabeth City. The Battle of Chesapeake Bay was the first time the AFNTG had gotten into a serious naval battle (although one of the crewman a-board the BSM Juárez did argue very strongly the in Charleston a very angery fisherman came along-side the ship and was the groups real first naval battle as the fisherman blew a 5 foot wide hole in the ship's side) they won against the American Navy but lost the BSM Keyes in the battle.

The CFF hit Savannah and the ensuing battle was horrific. The Americans had been supplied with weapons from New England. The CFF had surrounded the city and had attacked the city from all sides. The Floridians made a head-way throught the poorer districts but on the other side of the city the amry was having a tougher time at it. The US Army beat the CFF back out to their defensive positions. The Floridians were in the poorer areas, but when the Floridians in the other side of the city routed the Americans turned 'round and hit en masse. The Floridians had not expected this and routed as soon as the first bayonets hit their ranks. Soon the Floridians were forced back to Riceboro.

Revalation of the Andersonville Horrors
The Americans didn't give any quater. They pursued the Floridians down to Riceboro where another battle ensued. Once again the Floridians were forced to retreat. This continued as the Americans hit Shellman Bluff, Darien, Sterling, Sea Island, and Brunswick by September 1, 1859. During these battles over 2,300 Floridians were killed and 1,900 were catured, they were all brutaly killed and buried in a mass grave. A Floridian spy, Richard McLeod, took a picture of the events. He then sent the horrific picture along with a report and a photograph smuggled out of Andersonville of ,Private Jose Juanito, to King Pedro I. Horrified at the American's actions he gave a speach to the people of Juárez and shows the pictures. The news-paper printed the pictures and sent coies of it to the front. Generals and officers were sickened by the photographs and the regular infantry saw the pictures an many became physicaly sick by the sight. General Alberto ordered that his troops never surrender as surrender now ment death. The other generals followed suit, with-in 2 days of the news-paper arriving all General had issued similar orders.

Battle of Moniac and the Entering of Florida
The American military contiued its march down the East Coast. They swept through White Oak, Woodbine, Kingsland, and Silco. The Floridian military still fought valiantly. They (of course) never surrendered, but now with the information of the killing of their comrades they fought harder and braver. But bravery and determination can only get one so far with bullets and bayonets. They still had to fall back many times as to not be totally destroyed by the American bullets. They fought and lost at St.Mary's and Folkson. Now their dogged determination increased the closer the got to the Florida-US border. Re-enforcements arrived on September 15, 1859 after the battle of Folkson. The 2,500 extra troops from the Duval Province fought at the battle of Moniac.

The Battle of Moniac was one of the most bloody battles of the war. The Floridian troops were attacked by the Army of the Potomac. They fought galiantly but it was futile. They were out-gunned by the US troops and they were killed in scores. The entire Seminole regiment routed and caused panic in the lines. They retreated o'er the Florida border and the Americans had won the day. They made camp for the night before going o'er the St.Mary's into Florida-proper.

Invasion of Florida
The Army of the Potomac entered Florida on September 17, 1859. They entered New River-St.Mary's Province encountering resistance from the local people. But unorganized rabble was no match for the proffesional army. they sacked the city of Macclenny, Middleburg, and Penny Farms. The CFF had retreated to Juárez where they preared the city's defences, St.Augustine prepared the Castillio de San Marcos for a siege and brought the artillery up to their positions and instituted a curfew.

The Army of the Potomac hit Greencove Springs, and Orange Park before they looked towards Juárez.

The CFF was re-enforced by the conscription of nearly all men between 18-50, but they really had nearly every man between the ages of 13-60 ready to fight even though they hadn't been officialy conscripted.

The Army of the Appilachicola invaded Leon Province on September 18, 1859. They swept down and encountered heavy losses but victories none-the-less at Monticello, Wacissa, Tallahassee, Norfleet, and Crawford. They were turned back at St.Mark's were they fled to Tallahassee only to find that Floridian partisans had re-taken the city. The Amy of the Appalachicola turns back and tries to make it to Crawford only once again to find that the guards that they left behind in the city was to small and was over-taken by the Floridian partisans. The partisans from Tallahasee and Crawford trap the Army of the Appilachicola and annialate them leaving only 120 captured who are then brutally killed as retaliation for the Andersonville horrors and the killing of the 1,900.

The Army of the Potomac though had better luck as they didn't leave enough people to be partisans in any of the cities that they had conqured. They decide to then hit Juárez, they surround the city on October 7, 1859.

Siege of Juárez
The Seige of Juárez lasted from October 7, 1859 to Feburary 1, 1860. The Floridians trapped inside the city had been preparring for a siege and had prepared great defensive works around the city and stored food in large warehouses filled with meats, vegtables, and fruits all preserved with in-ordinate amounts of salt from the salt farms in St.Augustine. The food was more theen enough to last the winter.

The artillery battle that ensued around Juárez that winter was incredible. It rivaled the heavy artillery battles going on in South America. The mortars were exspecialy useful in the siege. They could fire up and o'er the walls of earth around Juárez and either into the city or into the enemy army. The Army of the Potomac had significantly less mortars than the Floridians but the regular artillery that they did have was more then enough to cause wide-spread death in the city.

The Army of the Potomac did suffer heavy casualties in this seige as the massive amounts of mortars in Juárez inflicted massive numbers of wounded and dead. The AotP didn't give up till the last though. It was on Janurary 29, 1860 that the Floridians sallied forth and after three days of hevay fighting drove the AotP away from the city. The AotP's rout was unlike was unlike what had been seen since the early days of the war. They retreated all the way back to Moniac, Georgia where they stayed to lick their wounds.

Peace
King Pedro I sends a letter to the President Buchanan asking for peace talks. He soundly refuses. In responce the Floridian Navy attacks Jamestown and Williamsburg. The telegraph is sent once more asking for peae or promising further hits a-long the US coast line as the majority of the USN on the East Coast was destroyed in the Battle of Chesepeake Bay and the USN on the West Coast would take still at the very least 3-4 months to arrive on the East Coast. Again he refused. The CFF was sent to Moniac were on March 2, 1860 they hit the AotP and slaughtered them in the night.

The AFNTG then sailed up the Potomac where they shelled DC for a night. The night after the 'Washington Raid' King Pedro I sent one more telegraph to Buchanan and warned that if he didn't agree to peace talks the shelling would continue to take place. He finally agreed to peace talks.

The King of Florida and President Buchanan met in Richmond, Virginia. They discussed the terms. At first King Pedro I wanted the State of Pensecola and Georgia ceded to the Reino de la Florida. Buchanan obviously refused. Buchanan then wanted for Florida to join the Union. Now Pedro refused. They argued like this for almost a week before the terms were laid out.

Treaty of Richmond
The Treaty of Richmond said this:

1) The Reino de la Florida and the United States of America shall cese to have a state of war between them.

2) The United States of America shall admit that they were the agressor in the said war.

3) The Reino de la Florida shall recieve $22,000,000 from the United States of America as war repirations.

4) United States of America shall admit worng doing at Andesonville Prison and the killing of POWs.

5) The Reino de la Florida shall gain unlimited acesses to the Appilachicola River and the St.Mary's River.

6) The United States of America shall admit that escaped slaves to Reino de la Florida are free from their former master and ANY other human being and shall be universaly recognized as free-men. 

The United States Congress approved the Treaty of Richmond with heavy discontempt but the fact that Flordian Warships were still right out-side ot DC and able to launch a full broad-side in a moments notice help push the treaty through.