Kerr Republic (1983: Doomsday)

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The Kerr Republic is the term used to refer to the regions of northern North Carolina and southern Virginia that paid tribute to the autocratic dictator of Henderson. Though the leader had risen through democratic means in the late 80s, he mobilized a militia of like-minded white supremacists to place the city under his control. Following a series of brief, violent skirmishes in and around Henderson, he had seized complete control of the region. Fanning out through the rural Vance and Mecklenburg counties, his mob plundered abandoned houses, bullied families into giving them monthly "taxes", and murdered people indiscriminately.

This reign of terror continued for two months, until the entire region surrounding Kerr Lake had either surrendered, left, or died. Word of the attacks spread, and many small survivor settlements offered to comply with Henderson's regime. A system of tributaries was created wherein the settlements would provide a percentage of their food and supplies in exchange for protection from bandits or "incursions" (i.e. non-whites being elected to a leadership position). Though his reign would be marred by violence, this was by-far the most brutal. As the tributaries often worked together to deliver Henderson's taxes, they also became the driving force behind many of Henderson's restoration projects over the years. Much of I-85 and Highway 158 has been cleared of cars and debris, allowing for trade with Roanoke Rapids and Hillsborough safely.

In 2011, the dictator of Henderson died. In the ensuing race to power between his son and several of his subordinates, Henderson's tributaries swore allegiances to nearby Rocky Mount or, in the east, were liberated by Hillsboro. The legacy of the Kerr Republic is mixed. Though it provided a great deal of post-war infrastructure and commerce to the ruined North Carolina and Virginia, it earned its rise to power by violence and racial cleansing. It led to a wave of migration from this region and violence against poor or black families continued until its collapse.