Borealia (Cromwell the Great)

Borealia Rupert's Land Terre de Rupert Timeline: Cromwell the Great OTL equivalent: Rupert's Land
Motto:  Pro pelle cutem (Latin: Skin for leather)
Location Borealia
Status		Territory of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland administered by the Hudson's Bay Company
Capital		Prince Rupert
Largest		Prince Rupert
Other cities		Moose Factory, Hayes Factory, Fort Severn, Churchill
Official languages		English
Regional languages		French, Michif (French Cree), Ojibwe, Assiniboine, Cree, and Inuit languages
Ethnic groups		European, Inuit and Métis
Religion		Church of England, Church of Scotland, other Protestants and native religions
Demonym		Borealian
Government		Territory administered by the Hudson's Bay Company
-	Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company (in London)	Prince Rupert of the Rhine (first), Andrew Colvile (current)
-	Governor-in-chief	John Kimberley
Establishment
-	Establishment	1670
Area
-		3,900,000 km2  1,505,798 sq mi
Currency		Pound sterling, HBC's tokens, Made Beaver (unit of account) and barter
Time zone		UTC–7, UTC–6 and UTC-5

Aurora had but newly chased the night,
And purpled o'er the sky with blushing light.
(John Dryden, Palamon and Arcite, Book I, line 186)

Borealia (also called Rupert's Land, or Prince Rupert's Land), is a British Commonwealth territory in North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin, which was nominally owned and effectively controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). The southern limits of the concession bordered with Quebec, the Northwest Territories, Ontario and Dakota, to the west with Alaska. The claims France had over the Hudson Bay were relinquished by the Peace of Utrecht.

The main activity of Borealia is fur trade, a monopoly of the HBC. The HBC drew on the local population for many of its employees. This necessarily meant the hiring of many natives and Métis workers. The HBC's network of trading posts formed the nucleus for later official authority in many northern areas of Borealia.

The natives affected by the introduction of infections such as smallpox resulted in epidemics and social disruptions in their numbers and way of life. Smallpox epidemics broke out several times on the Borealian Prairies, in the mid-18th century.

The autonomy of Indigenous peoples was greatly reduced by the Commonwealth's and HBC's policy of settlement and the destruction of the bison, a key element of native economy. Treaties were negotiated with the natives exchanging their sovereignty over the land for government promises of economic assistance, education and the creation of reserves.

The southern Borealian Prairies, a vast valley partially covered by grasslands, plains, and lowlands, provided a suitable climate and rich soils for grain crops and livestock. Under the terms of the new charter, the HBC also served as colonization agency for the southern Borealian Prairies establishing offices in the Home Nations, Netherlands and New England. The HBC campaigned for its settlement in the 19th century calling it the Second Dakota due to its promising prospect of land for homesteads and large production of wheat, barley and cattle grazing, like its southern neighbor of the same namesake. The Commonwealth, the proprietor of the lands of HBC, gave out large swaths for migration and settlement and promoted colonists thru HBC's colonization agency.

The growing population of the Borealian Prairies and movement to the Pacific due to Klondike Gold Rush brought new settlements and urban centers, growing unlawfulness and the need for presence of order. The Commonwealth Parliament to address some of these issues enacted the Borealian Justice Organization Act that established circuit and district courts and the Borealian Court of Appeals. urban settlements The Borealian Township Ordinance established inspectors and district commissioners that were also in charge of land registry and control of native affairs. To maintain order a para-military police force, the Borealia Mounted Police was established. The HBC was allowed to keep its Police Service.

The establishment of the Dominion of Indiana (1838) prompted a new migration wave of settlers to the Borealian Prairies, specifically those lands bordering Ontario and the districts of Keewatine, Assiniboine and Manitoba.

Local self-government was provided for these three districts by resolutions of the HBC, similar to the one of Ontario, but as company townships. Typically, the township was centered on a HBC trade outpost, a port or train station along rain silo depots, a lumber or textile mill or mine, and the townspeople either work in the HBC or other industries and commerce in one of the smaller businesses, or are a family member of someone who does. The HBC also donated church buildings to local congregations, operated parks, schools, libraries and so on.

Administration of Borealia itself is under the direction and supervision of the Governor-in-chief, named by the Governor of the HBC and serving for its pleasure. The Borealian Administration Act provided that the Governor-in-chief would be named by the Lord Protector on advise of the Governor of the HBC for a five year renewable term. The Governor-in-chief is assisted by an Administrative Council. The District-Commissioners are responsible for the administration of their areas and the services of the central administration.

Districts of Borealia

• Keewatine (New Sudbury)
• Assiniboine (Winnipeg)
• Manitoba (Thompson)
• Saskatchewan (Saskatoon)
• Athabasca (Athabasca)
• Hudson Bay (Churchill)
• Ungava (Prince Rupert)

Hudson's Bay Company (HBC)

Hudson's Bay Company (HBC)
Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson

Type	Chartered joint-stock company
Industry	Trade
Founded	2 May 1670
Headquarters	London, British Commonwealth
Number of Locations	Prince Rupert, Moose Factory, Hayes Factory, Fort Severn, Churchill
Area served	Borealia
Key People	Prince Rupert of the Rhine and Sir James Hayes
Products	Fur trade
Production Output	Textiles, foodstuff, metal tools and wood
Services	Trade, retail and colonization agency
Subsidiaries	HBC Stores

The Commonwealth Charter of 1670 gave to the Hudson's Bay Company the commercial monopoly over the region drained by all rivers and streams flowing into Hudson Bay in northern Canada. It also gave the right to trade with natives, organize the exploration of its territory, erect trade posts, built fortresses and enlist military and naval personal for its defense, legal powers to enforce the Charter and Commonwealth law in its territory.

HBC's Borealia is completely given over to the fur trade, divided between the Company and private traders. Drawing on the local population for many of its employees necessarily means hiring of many of the native Indians and Métis as workers. The HBC was able to maintain peace in Rupert's Land for the benefit of the fur trade achieving a balance between the various Indians (Cree, Assiniboine and Inuits) and the Métis all providing internal security and a degree of external protection from France in the southern border.

The Company Army and Navy served under Commonwealth officers with honours in the French and Indian War (1756-1760). The Police Service was established to serve the justice courts and maintain order in the villages, ports and trade outpost of the company.

In the later half of the 18th century a priority was given to settle the southern end of the concession, as requested by the Commonwealth. The HBC established its colonization agency for the Borealian prairies.

The governance of the HBC is provided by the General Court of shareholders that elects a governor and committee to manage the Company. The organization and trade in Borealia of the HBC is provided by a network of factories (trading post) commanded by a chief factor (trader) and his council of officers. All employees are named by the HBC. The chief factors were the political authority of their settlement until the establishment of townships and the Borealian Administration Act. The HBC erected its trading posts only at the mouths of major rivers flowing into the bay.

From its starts on trading fur, by the 19th century, the HBC evolved into a mercantile business selling everything from furs to fine homeware. The growth and profits of its retail business became a separate subsidiary, HBC Stores, In the 1880s the company opened its first department stores outside of Borealia in Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company (in London)

• Prince Rupert of the Rhine (1670-1684)
• Sir James Hayes (1684-...)
• ...
• Sir Andrew Colvile

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