Alternative History
ᑭᒋᑲᒥ
Republic of Superior
Timeline: 1983: Doomsday
Flag Coat of Arms
Flag Coat of Arms
Location of
Republic of Superior in blue.
Motto
Ex Cineris Nos Orimur
(Out of the Ashes We Rise)
Capital Stowe (Naubinway)
Largest city Sault Ste. Marie
Other cities Green Bay, Marquette, Escanaba, Bemidji, Marinette-Menominee, International Falls, Houghton, Iron Mountain, Mackinaw City
Language
  official
 
None at the federal level
(English de facto)
  others Ojibwe, Finnish, Swedish, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Cree
President Frederick Cullen
Vice President Michael Lahti
Area Est. 250,000 km²
Population 2,110,000 (2023. est) 
Independence May 19th, 1984
Currency Superior Dollar

Superior (Ojibwe: ᑭᒋᑲᒥ, "Gichi-gami"), officially the Republic of Superior, is a North American nation centered in the Upper Peninsula of the former American state of Michigan. It also controls much of the upper Great Lakes region, the International Falls region along the former Minnesota-Ontario border, and other lands along the coast of former Ontario.

History[]

Main article: History of Superior

Government[]

The government of the Republic of Superior is a virtual copy of that of the former United States of America. A President is elected by the people every four years, with the Electoral College casting their votes as well, whereas the candidate must have a majority of the electoral vote to win. Plans to do away with this system were removed, as an amendment was added where the winner of the Presidential election was also required to win a plurality of the popular vote in order to be elected. If none of the candidates have both, then the election moves to Congress, where the Vice President is chosen by the state delegations in the House of Representatives, while the President is chosen by the Senate. There is a movement, however, underway to change this to a runoff election, given the potential of Congress voting for someone to be made president or vice-president who had neither the most electoral votes nor the most votes overall in the election.

Republic of Superior Congress

Architects tried to make a Capital building as identical to the original as possible, though on a far smaller scale and with local materials. The blueprints, however, were lost on Doomsday. Because of this, it needed to be done by memory and from photographs - not an easy task. Only the outside itself ended up bearing any resemblance to the original.

Congress is divided between a House, reflecting the population of the states, and a Senate, slower to change and also to prevent radical change in government policy. The House is reelected every two years. Senators serve terms of six years each; the terms are staggered so that approximately one-third of the seats are up for election every two years. This was achieved by dividing the senators of the 1st Congress into thirds (called classes), where the terms of one third expired after two years, the terms of another third expired after four, and the terms of the last third expired after six years. This arrangement is also implemented following the admission of new states into the union. The staggering of the terms is arranged to ensure that both seats from a given state are never contested in the same general election except when a mid-term vacancy is being filled. In cases that the seat of either a House Seat or a Senate Seat is vacated for any reason, a special election is held on the next election cycle.

Congressional districts are redrawn every five years, after the census is taken, patterning after the census-taking done in Canada every five years before Doomsday. A minor census happened in 1984, before the first elections, another in 1985, and more held every five years after that. Seats are moved around and added as needed afterwards. Currently, there is a maximum of 150 seats in effect for the house, though when there is a danger of this being reached, the law states that a committee will be established to investigate raising it. It is likely that this will occur by 2016, and that the cap will be raised.

Lake House

Calls for an replica of the White House were shouted down. To President O'Hara this was a new nation, born from the seeds of the old. The Lake House was constructed on the shores of Lake Michigan, shortly after being given the name, the "Lake House", by one of the Republican Guard detailed to patrol the premises. The name stuck.

After Doomsday, two major political parties dominated the political landscape: the Liberal Democratic Party, descended from American Democrats, Canadian Liberals, and some Canadian Conservatives, and the Conservative Party, formed from American the Liberal Democratic Party’s policies, and the survival of Canadian politicians from the New Democratic Party, the Socialist Party has developed and grown among left wing citizens and immigrants. At the same time, the National Republican Party has formed, and has only recently met success in the 2008 House elections, where two of its candidates managed to defeat incumbents.

Superiorliberaldemocraticlogo

Logo of the Liberal Democratic Party

The Liberal Democratic Party has existed in some form since the fight between Andrew Jackson and John Q. Adams over the results of the 1828 American Presidential Election, born from the Jacksonian Democrats. However, this new version formed from an alliance of Democrats, Liberals, and Red Tories during the establishment of the republic, and they follow a fairly moderate ideology of Classical Liberalism. The party fell on hard times in recent years, being largely blamed for the bungling of the War in Madison, which was thought to have been simple operation. They have been redeemed, for the most part, by the equally bungled Republican War in the East. Despite being an Independent in the Republic’s politics, Robert Stowe is a staunch supporter of the Liberal Democratic Party. Their bastions of support are in Mackinaw and the East of the Republic.

Superiorconservativepartylogo

Logo of the Conservative Party

The Conservative Party has existed in some form since Anti-Slavery and Abolitionist groups in the north of the United States, alienated by the Whig party’s failure to take a position on slavery, created it in 1854. This version formed from an alliance of Republicans, Progressive Conservatives, and some from even further to the right after the formation of the republic. Its ideology is heavily conservative, though not to the extent of the National Republicans, many of whom left the party as it moderated. The Conservative Party has in recent years, following the disastrous war in Madison, become the dominant political party in the Republic, maintaining large majorities in both the House and the Senate. This is likely to change, however, as they are blamed for the Saquenay War and its failures. Their support is concentrated in the West of the Republic.

Superiorsocialistpartylogo

Logo of the Socialist Party

The Socialist Party is not a relatively new creation, being based off of earlier Socialist parties of the last century and the New Democratic politicians in the formerly Canadian areas of the Republic. Many former Liberal Democrats, upset with the moderate positions in the Liberal Democratic Party’s platform under President Stowe, joined the surviving NDPer's in establishing the party in 1986. The Socialist Party is often decried as being no different in its proposed policies than the former Soviet Union, though this has not prevented their rise, and is an accusation without any basis. Their major bastion is in the state of Chippewa, though they also have some support in the south of the Republic as well.

Superiornationalrepublicanpartylogo

Logo of the National Republican Party

The National Republican Party was formed by a group of recently naturalized citizens from Thunder Bay and far-right Conservatives, who did not feel that the Conservative Party was truly following a path of Conservatism. Though controversial in its views on race and its proposals for a strengthened central government, the Conservative Revolution from 1998-2000 was all that was needed to propel them upon the national stage. Steady growth in membership has allowed them to pick up pair of seats in the House election of 2008, which they kept in the 2010 elections, and are likely to gain more of in the 2012 elections. The party is also the most favorable, by far, to the idea of a restored United States. Strong centers of support for the party are in Michigan Territory, the state of Kewaunee, and parts of the state of Iron.

Name Ideology Foundation Seats in the Senate Seats in the House of Representatives
Liberal Democratic Party Classical Liberalism 1984 11 34
Conservative Party Conservatism 1986 22 70
Socialist Party Socialism 1986 1 4
National Republican Party Paleoconservatism 1997 0 2

Politics[]

Main article: Elections in Superior

Immigration remains somewhat of an issue today, even following the major expansion on the Lower Peninsula. The issue has died down in recent times, while the growing issue is what the future of the Republic will be. The Conservative and Liberal Democratic Parties have survived largely intact from their forms prior to the events of Doomsday, and still dominate the Republic's politics. There is a major Third Party movement, the Socialist party, that is gaining steam, but has largely been stemmed by the existence of the moderate Liberal Democratic Party, and charges of it carrying "extremist" ideas similar to the former Soviet Union. As a result, they still remain upon the fringe of national politics, despite having several congressmen in office.

At the same time, there has been a major dispute over territory control along the shores of the Great Lakes. Though the Republic of Superior has organized territorial government along parts of the coast of the former Canadian province of Ontario, the land was for a long time still claimed by the Canadian Remainder Provinces. However, they were not in much of a position to reclaim the land, nor was Superior willing to give it up, as it was populated mainly by its own citizens.

Superiorabbreviationmap

The states and territories of Superior.

As a result of the Treaty of Manchester, the Canadian government was forced to recognize Superior control over these territories, in exchange for a promise to not expand further, but the entire matter will be a bone of contention between the two for some time to come.

States of Superior[]

This is a list of states within the Republic of Superior, and the years in which they entered the Union. They are effectively counties in pre-war American States, but called states instead.

State Capital Entrance into the Union Notes Abbreviation Flag
Alger Munising July 4th, 1984 Founding Member AL 1983ddalgerflag
Baraga L’Anse July 4th, 1984 Founding Member BA 1983ddbaragaflag
Chippewa Sault Ste. Marie July 4th, 1984 Founding Member CH 1983ddchippewaflag
Delta Escanaba July 4th, 1984 Founding Member DE 1983dddeltastateflag
Dickinson Iron Mountain July 4th, 1984 Founding Member DI 1983dddickinsonflag
Gogebic Bessemer July 4th, 1984 Founding Member GO 1983ddgogebicflag
Houghton Houghton July 4th, 1984 Founding Member HO 1983ddhoughtonstateflag
Iron Crystal Falls July 4th, 1984 Founding Member IR 1983ddironstateflag
Keweenaw Eagle River July 4th, 1984 Founding Member KE 1983ddkeweenawflag
Luce Newberry July 4th, 1984 Founding Member LU 1983ddluceflag
Mackinac St. Ignace July 4th, 1984 Founding Member MC 1983ddmackinacflag
Marquette Marquette July 4th, 1984 Founding Member MA 1983ddmarquettestatelag
Menominee Marinette-Menominee July 4th, 1984 Founding Member ME 1983ddmenomineestateflag
Ontonagon Ontonagon July 4th, 1984 Founding Member ON 1983ddontonagonflag
Schoolcraft Manistique July 4th, 1984 Founding Member SC 1983ddschoolcraftflag
Mackinaw Mackinaw City July 4th, 1995 Secondary Member MW 1983ddmackinawflag
Beaver Archipelago St. James July 4th, 2010 Tertiary Member BE 1983ddbeaverarchipelagoslag
Kewaunee Green Bay July 4th, 2012 Quaternary Member KW 1983ddkewauneeflag
Manitoulin Gore Bay July 4th, 2012 Quaternary Member MN 1983ddmanitoulinflag
Voyageur Thessalon July 4th, 2012 Quaternary Member VO 1983ddvoyageurflag
International Falls International Falls-Fort Frances March 13, 2023 New Union State IF DD1983 International Falls Flag P2

Territories within the Republic[]

This is a list of territories that are awaiting entrance into the Union as states. Most of these are in former Ontario, and on occasion there are calls among the local population for some of them to be disbanded and organized into [a] sovereign nation[s].

Territory Territorial Capital Formation Estimated Year For Entrance As A State Abbreviation Flag
Agawa Frater October 5th, 1994 2014 AG 1983ddagawaflag
Grand Traverse Traverse City January 1st, 1997 2014 GT 1983ddgrandtraverseterrflag
Pukaskwa Marathon August 18th, 1997 2022 PU 1983ddpukaskwaflag
Elliot Blind River December 12th, 1998 2014 EL 1983ddelliotflag
Iosco Tawas City April 27th, 1998 2018 IO 1983ddioscoflag
Michigan Ludington January 15th, 1999 2016 MI 1983ddmichiganterrflag
Otsego Gaylord December 1st, 2000 2020 OT 1983ddotsegoflag
Bayfield Washburn July 4th, 2001 2018 BY 1983ddbayfieldflag
Huron Harbor Beach September 26th, 2002 2016 HU 1983ddhuronterrflag
Nipigon Red Rock April 4th, 2004 2020 NI 1983ddnipigonterrflag
Slate Terrace Bay August 26th, 2011 2022 SL 1983ddslateflag
Chequamegon Odanah November 1st, 2011 2020 CN 1983ddchequameqonflag
Dunn Roscommon March 23rd, 2012 2022 DN 1983dddunnflag
Michipicoten Wawa November 7th, 2012 2020 MP 1983ddmichipicotenflag

Unorganized Territories[]

In addition to the Organized Territories, there are a number of areas not made into territories as of this time, but are inhabited and under the established control of the Republic. There are no real capitals, or the like, and its inhabitants hold little to no say in the governing of the nation, with the areas largely existing for the postal system. Periodically, sections are divided off into formal territories. It is anticipated that this will be done once again sometime in the next year.

Territory Location Abbreviation
Duluth West of Bayfield and Chequamegon Territories DU
Lower Peninsula South of the Established Territories in the Lower Peninsula LP
Potawatomi Between Kewaunee and Menominee PO

Former Territories[]

Some territorial governments have been disbanded over the years as well.

Territory Territorial Capital Formation Reason for Disbandment
Beaver Archipelago St. James February 20th, 1995 Made into a state in 2010.
Voyageur Thessalon December 25th, 1995 Made into a state in 2012.
Manitoulin Gore Bay December 25th, 1995 Made into a state in 2012.
Leelanau Suffolk February 22nd, 1996 Combined with Michigan territory after a referendum in March of 1998 voted in favor of that option versus independent territorial status.
Stowe Sister Bay September 3rd, 1996 Combined with Green Bay territory after a referendum held in November of 2004 voted in favor of that option, versus independent territorial status.
Apostle Archipelago Fredrickton September 16th, 1999 Combined with Bayfield Territory upon its formation.
Kewaunee Green Bay July 4th, 2001 Made into a state in 2012.

Other Proposed States[]

Sudbury - Throughout their period of closeness, there were calls for the Sudburian city-state to join the Republic as well. It is believed that offers were even made on at least one occasion, but were rejected by its leadership. Today, the idea is further away than ever, as the leadership of the city-state has been greatly disturbed at revelations of Superioran actions further east and moved closer to the Canadian government.

Thunder Bay – There have been calls in the past for the annexation of the Republic of Thunder Bay from both sides, though it is unlikely ever to occur, especially now. Colonel Giraud Leppe maintained a staunch position of independence from foreign governments, but after his death the weak provisional government began the first steps to democratization and looking into its options. As a result of the recent referendum that was the result of these options, however, they have joined Canada as a territory, Northern Ontario, rendering the idea moot. Because of this, it is more unlikely to occur today than ever.

Superior has now thought into further expansion westward after the Treaty of Manchester declared they may keep no more lands in Ontario than the ones they have now, possibly excepting the areas around Windsor.

Wisconsin - Since the liberation of the region, and the establishment of the Republic of Wisconsin in 2001, there has been increasing calls for the area to be incorporated in the Republic. As of 2022, political sentiment in Wisconsin is split three ways between independence, joining Superior, and joining the North American Union, with many expecting things to come to a head in the upcoming elections.

Geography[]

Superior is divided between the flat, swampy areas in the east, part of the Great Lakes Plain, and the steeper, more rugged western half, called the Superior Upland, part of the Canadian Shield. The rock in the western portion is the result of volcanic eruptions and is estimated to be at least 3.5 billion years old and contains most of Superior's ore resources. The highest point in Superior is Mount Arvon, smaller points being the the Porcupine and Huron Mountains. All of the higher areas are the remnants of ancient peaks, worn down over millions of years by erosion and glaciers.

Wildlife[]

Superior is home to a large variety of wildlife. Some of the mammals found in include shrews, moles, mice, white tailed deer, moose, black bears, gray & red foxes, wolves, river otters, martens, fishers, bobcats, coyotes, snowshoe hares, cotton-tail rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons and bats. Moose have become an endangered species due to over-hunting, having dwindled to less than 300 in number, but Superior's Wildlife Department is putting in efforts to keep the population alive. Feral dogs are one of the most common pets in bordering regions of the Republic where many stray dogs followed their owners while they were fleeing to Superior. There is a large variety of birds, including hawks, osprey, gulls, hummingbirds, chickadees, robins, woodpeckers, warblers, and bald eagles. The bald eagle is the National Animal of the Republic of Superior, but unfortunately it is also endangered.

Demographics[]

Despite being largely American, both in its nominal population and from refugees, the culture and therefore the demographic map has been largely unchanged. A small minority of French-Canadians moved from the former Canadian province of Ontario into the Republic, but this was equally offset by the many Anglo-Canadian refugees who arrived and the residents of Sault Ste Marie. The Republic is almost entirely white, except for the sizable Native American population in eastern and northern Superior, but some other minorities managed to escape the nuclear destruction of the urban areas.

An interesting development is the resurgence in ethnic languages, specifically Finnish in the western part of the state. Though English was still the dominant and most used language, what psychologists now call “Post-Nationalism”, in which members of ethnic groups, fearing that their cultural heritage was to disappear, quickly began regressing back into their old ethical habits. Therefore, along with the rapid increase in ethnic languages, ethnic customs have made a swift come-back as well.

The establishment of religion has fluctuated within Superior, though there is no good reasoning as to why. Immediately following Doomsday, agnostics quickly came to dominate the national scene, eventually making up a high of 34% in the 1995 national census. However, in what is considered the "Christian Revolution", this trend reversed at equal speed. As a result, these agnostics would eventually make up only 6% of the population by the time of the 2005 census. Also of note is the return of some paganistic religions, but these have failed to achieve any significant level of growth. Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie are both seats of Catholic Archbishops, inside the Ecclesiastical Province of Marquette, which includes the Dioceses of Gaylord, Green Bay, and Tawas inside of Superior, and Madison, Sudbury, and Thunder Bay outside of it as well. Is is expected that The Archbishop of Sault Ste. Marie will be given his own province in the next couple of years. The Archbishop of Marquette was also named a Cardinal by Pope Anthony I in June of 2011.

Religious Body Estimated Percentage of Population
Protestanism 48.7%
Roman Catholic 32.3%
Unaffiliated (including Atheist or Agnostic) 6.2%
Orthodox Church 4.4%
Jehovah's Witness 1.8%
Judaism 1.6%
Buddhist 0.8%
Hinduism 0.5%
Islam 0.4%
Other 3.3%

Race classification within the Republic.

Race Estimated Percentage of Population
Caucasian 90.87%
Native American 7.09%
African American 1.9%
Asian 0.6%
Polynesian 0.04%

Ethnic background classification, as identified by the individuals questioned through the census.

Ethnic Group Estimated Percentage of Population
German 22.8%
Canadian 17.5%
Finnish 12.8%
English 10.2%
Native American 7.09%
Irish 6.4%
French 5.2%
Swedish 5%
Polish 3.8%
Dutch 3.3%
Hispanic 2.5%
African-American 1.9%
Other 6.51%

Culture[]

As one of the earliest nations to be "forged in fire" after Doomsday, Superioran culture can be almost equally defined by what it has retained from American culture as it is by what it has renounced of it. With a strong sense of civic nationalism and physical duty, Superior's contemporary culture is defined by Great Lakes industriousness, respect of the land and self-sufficiency. Given over half of Superiorans under 40 are the children of "immigrants", the significant exoduses and blending of urban cultures from Chicago, Detroit, Windsor, Ontario, and even as far as St. Louis and the Dakotas has led to a significant interplay of regionalisms in shaping this new people. The rapidly urbanizing nation continues to be a nation of outdoorsmen, with more spry younger Superiorans enjoying fishing, , hunting camping and boating in their free time.

Self-Identity[]

Most Superiorans under 40 identify solely as Superiorans, as opposed to American or Canadian. With the state being the first nation in North America to declare independence after Doomsday, there are four decades of new shared memories, changes in diet and lifestyle, and more recent cultural phenomena (as well as the gradual re-emergence of new "globally" recognized musicians and artists) which have created a completely new socio-cultural environment in what was previously Michigan's sparsely populated Upper Peninsula. With 1 of every 2 Superiorans being a refugee or the child of refugees from the larger American and Canadian cities, the new Republic has been a conduit of cultural and ideological fusion for its youngest three generations.

Accent[]

Citizens of Superior are often identified by their distinct "Yooper" accent. With many the oldest families in the Upper Peninsula of Scandinavian descent, it is clear that the Finnish influences have won out. Adjacency to Canada long influenced Michigander's accents, although with the departure of Canada from the Great Lakes until 2011 this accent has arguably become the property of the Great Lakes. In addition to a distinctive drawl, words like "bag" and "tag" are pronounced with the "a" sound from words such as "made" and "take".

Indigenous Life in Gichi-gami[]

In a continent that has seen significant strife between its indigenous and non-Native populations, some of Superior's strongest shapers have been its First Nations inhabitants. Superior, or Gichi-gami (ᑭᒋᑲᒥ) in Ojibwe, has taken strides to correct the failures of the United States towards the tribes of the Great Lakes, with indigenous communities having spread out from the reservations into abandoned land during the early and later 80s. With almost 7% of the population descending from Native groups, the Ojibwe, the largest First Nation in the region, are overrepresented in the military and political life by 2:1, with one out of ten elected officials being of full or partial Ojibwa descent, such as President Bergstrom, of note. Ojibwe is an official language of Superior for ceremonial purposes, and civil services can be conducted entirely in Ojibwe in municipalities of predominance. With the annexation of International Falls, the majority of the 150,000 strong surviving Ojibwe population now resides under the flag of Gichi-gami, although some populations further east now reside under the partially-reformed Canada.

The Chippewa and descendant groups such as the Red Lake are especially numerous in the International Falls, comprising nearly one of every three people, especially the Red Lake band and settlement region of the same name.


Education[]

After the passage of the “Right to an Education Act” in 1987, the federal government has sought to extensively increase its power over the educational system. Prior to this, all schools were private institutions run by good-natured individuals, religious schools, or state schools outside of government control. This mix still generally exists, but on a much smaller scale, with most, if not all, of the state schools having been nationalized.

Attendance in school is mandatory between the ages of six to eighteen, and from there a higher education can be obtained. Still, a significant number are home-schooled - about 7% - due to the secular policies within the schools themselves. Despite this policy, the government openly funds private institutions, in the hope that increased competition for funds between public and private schools might, as a result, have both perform better in their education process. Many private schools are also religious schools, and these are for the most part independent from federal control.

MichiganTech

Michigan Technological University -- universally referred to as "Tech", is the final say in higher education of the Republic of Superior, home to a trove of NASA blueprints and other scientific treasures

Health[]

In the beginning of the Republic of Superior healthcare was a dire issue. Medical supplies such as bandages and medicines were almost all depleted within two years, leaving residents to make their own makeshift health provisions. However some medicinal supplies remained in abundance due to hospitals in Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie having had large stocks on hand. In early 1986 the Republic of Superior created a small, government controlled pharmaceutical company named the "Superior Health Association" and began creating medicines from what local resources were available. Furthermore the “Healthcare Bill of 1986” instituted a system of universal healthcare that was accessible to everyone, even non-citizens, as long as you went onto a system that logged your entire medical history. This is accessible only to the government, but leaks have lead to criticism of this system in regards to issues of privacy.

Those who qualify do not have to pay for any of their medical services, with all payment being taken care of by the federal government. Indirectly, payment comes from all forms of taxes that were adjusted for small increases, adding up for the final total required for the system to operate properly. Only citizens of the Republic qualify for government-funded health care.

Crime and Law Enforcement[]

RS Law Enforcement

Federal Police searching a household believed to hold a fugitive from justice.

Though Law Enforcement was originally left to the states, by 1988 it was decided it would be best to federalize the system, following disputes between rival state departments over jurisdiction over key points and certain cases.

The Federal Police Force has been painted as a tool used to do the government’s dirty work, rather than units used to protect the people. This largely has to do with the fact that many previous court cases that specified the rights of the individual, such as Mapp v. Ohio, Mrianda v. Arizona, and others were ignored and left out of the national constitution. This massive expansion of police power was not expected, nor desired, by many citizens, and there have been many attempts to put the verdicts passed in the cases back into law.

However, despite its flaws, such a system has proven effective. Crime is, at present, at an all time low, while several prisons are being closed for the first time since the birth of the Republic. Critics say this is just a fluke that will last about a decade, and crime will begin to rise again with a couple years.

Federal Courts were also established, though there was the notable exception of leaving out a Supreme Court, which actually failed in the attempt to create it. The courts function much the same way they did in the former United States of America.

Military[]

SRA Soldiers Patroling in the Weston Territory

Even though raids against settlements have gone down over the years, the RSA is on high alert at all times. This company based in Kewaunee Territory was on it's way to destroy a bandit camp identified by the RSAF.

The military relies heavily upon conscription, though there are also volunteer programs offered with large incentives and benefits. This was enacted in order to eventually remove the National Service, though current numbers show that it is unlikely that such a move will be made until the 2020’s at the earliest. Those who are subjected to conscription are required to serve two years in the armed forces, after which they are always on call in the case that an emergency reserve must be formed. Women, however, are given exception from the draft, but are still allowed to voluntarily join at their behest.

SRA Soldiers waving to the Newsies

News Crews had originally meant to interview individual men in this company, but orders came in early for them to move out. As a result, simple, yet powerful messages were recorded and then aired on NBS (National Broadcasting Service).

The Armed Forces are all under the complete control of the Chief of the Defense Staff, and are split into smaller branches. These are the Republic of Superior Army, the Republic of Superior Navy, the Republic of Superior Marines, and the Republic of Superior Air Force. There is also a break-off branch from the military, known as the Republican Guard, formed from the best of the best from all four other branches.

The Armed Forces are tasked with protecting the Republic from all dangers, though in their earlier history they were tasked almost exclusively with regulating immigration into the Republic. However, there have been calls for an expansion into a peacekeeping role. This is opposed by the majority of citizens due to the experience the Republic had in trying to pacify Madison.

Space Program[]

While not one of the highest, or for that matter notable policy within the Republic of Superior, the military automatically realized that it might be best that communications through satellites would aid in their military efforts, allowing for direct communication between forces around the Great Lakes region and Stowe. As a result, at the request of General Lewis Poulat, head of the Western Department, Congress passed in 1994 a meager budget to be used for a military space program.

However, this was largely made moot by the fact that no suitable facility at the time was within reach. However, much of the skeleton of the Keweenaw Launching Site had remained intact, and was eventually chosen as the site for the new base. The space program's budget soon all poured into rebuilding the site using whatever resources were at hand. While Superior had made substantial process in the reconstruction, it was forced to halt its progress with the start of the Saguenay War.

When contact was made in the summer of 2001 with much of the existing world, it came to the military’s attention that the former French spaceport in French Guyana survived Doomsday, the government would attempt to gain access to the facility in order to get a good visual on how to build their spaceport but had to wait until 2005 to ask due to communication issues. When contact was restored Superior was allowed access to the facility but would have to wait until 2009, although by then the League of Nations had taken control of the spaceport and then denied Superior access at the request of Canada.

As of 2022, the Superior Space Command, in collaboration with a myriad of computer scientists, engineers from IBM, New York, and other United Communities states plan to launch its first satellite, the Symphony, into geosynchronous orbit from it Keweenaw Launching Site. The satellite will supposedly enable real-time radio, television and computer communication over the entire Great Lakes region, essentially removing any barriers that have made permanent communication tough and go up until now. However, this move has been met with suspicion and outright objection from many in the international community, even Canada and many ADC and South American states, with some suspecting the satellite to have military applications as well. Both Superior and private-New York citizen scientists refute this claim, however, stating that given all the work that still has to be done regarding rebuilding a healthy world, the pooling together of a myriad of human and material resources to launch a satellite to knock down the barriers of contact is nothing short of a miracle for the common good.

"Symphony" Launched from orbit, c

Republic of Superior Test Launch from Keweenaw Launch Site in preparation of its satellite launch, c. January 2023

Economy[]

Despite containing only 3% of Michigan's total population, the abdundance of surviving mines, smelters, ironworks and industrial factories allowed Superior to rise to become the most powerful post-American economy of the 90s and 2000s. As one of the most industrialized North American states of the post-Doomsday world, it often relies on seasonal labor from neighboring states outside of its borders due to its relatively small population. Its command over the waters of the Great Lakes has enabled safe and expediant travel.

Algoma Steelworks in the formerly Canadian half of Sault Ste. Marie are the largest in the region, although dozens of smaller smelting and manufacturing operations litter the Great Lakes region. The Quincy Mines and affiliated smelting/refinement facilities were some of the first to produce new copper wiring for electrical uses post-Doomsday, which gave Superior an accelerated track to building the bare bones of a pre-War quality of life. Since then, it has become a production hub for dozens of commercial enterprises.

Superior's lifeblood in its nascence was in forests, being of the more sparsely populated areas of the Mid-west, and an ample resource that allowed it to build pristine new settlements for the influx of refugees, lending it an aura of stability as supposed to the scrap shacks that dot much of the continent. Fishing has also become a major factor, both in terms of domestic consumption and as a mode of livelihood. Agriculture is often limited to hardier crops - potatoes and other tubers, legumes, carrots, and berries due to the short growing season in the area, but those are grown in vast quantities to achieve a surplus. Rice production has picked up in Superior, owing to the myriad wild rice strains which grow native in the region. Commercial hunting has also returned with the rejuvenation of some of the forests which were cut down before. Superior ultimately does not grow enough food to adequately sustain its population in isolation; its strong export economy compensates for this by importing food from more southern states with longer growing seasons.

Mining forms a significant aspect of Superior's economy, especially considering the raw tonnage required to maintain its industrial output. Mining of copper, iron, nickel, and silver is of particular importance. Though one would have expected lumber demand to go down, in the Republic it skyrocketed, specifically after 1994, as refugee populations from Michigan, Illinois and elsewhere permanently settled in the Upper Peninsula.

A fledgling electronics industry has also developed, mainly centered in Marquette and Mackinaw City. Though still in the early stages, a few results has so far been positive, as few individuals are experienced in this field. especially in regard to computers. The earliest signs of success are in the form of light bulbs and battery-powered flashlights. Some of the advanced companies such as a regional IBM headquarters which has been active in local and regional development since 2012, while the Superior home-grown company MTC is researching more inexpensive and practical products such as radios and heaters.

Energy[]

Oil was originally difficult to obtain, and all supplies were given to the military. In recent years, deposits have been found both in former Michigan and in former Ontario, and efforts have even been started to find more underneath the Great Lakes themselves. The government, however, has been following a path of trying to promote greener forms of energy, specifically biodiesel fuel and hydrogen fuel. As a result, those companies that are working towards green technologies have actually been removed from the tax rolls, and in some cases supplied with materials required to continue progress.

Big Rock Point Nuclear Power Plant, near Charlevoix, was not targeted on Doomsday. Its engineers were able to successfully shut it down, and evacuated northwards to the Upper Peninsula with the rest of the citizens of the city and the local coast guard detachment of the vessel Mackinaw. In 1984, Superioran forces landed at the site, in order to secure it from raiders. The citizens reoccupied the town the next year, but the plant remained inoperable, due to damage from the EMP blasts. Following the renewal of outside contact in 2001, however, the government has slowly begun to restore its functionality, importing the needed parts as possible, and reopening uranium mines at Alona Bay and Blind River. Currently, the plant is scheduled to reopen in 2013, on a very limited basis, though this has been met with debate in the republic, as elements of the Liberal Democrats, Socialists, and National Republicans are opposed to it, though at this time they are far from a majority.

Popular Media[]

News Media[]

Until 1997, the main media within the Republic was the radio. Relatively simple to produce even in dire times, the “Dispersion of Information Act” was passed in 1986 in order to ensure that every citizen of the Republic, including the refugees in Mackinaw City, had a means of getting the national news, while also some form of harmless entertainment. Channel 1 was given to the government run media company NBS, or the National Broadcasting Service, while all other forms of news media were suspended. Though some Liberal Democrats had considered it illegal, since the press was required by the constitution to have complete and total freedom, it passed without much opposition. It takes until 1994 when the suspension on other news outlet’s ability to broadcast was lifted, though many had by this point gotten used to the NBS network.

The move to a televised system was relatively simple, with an exact copy of the original Act of 1986 being passed in 1997, with the minor exceptions of it being done with televisions, and that there was no suspension on non-state media. The government’s hold on funds, however, ensured that the best of the best remained on its network, and as a result it would not enter a period of decline until 2000, following the Conservative Revolution. As funding was cut, it finally had to compete with other networks to get an audience, no longer being able to afford the entertainment or programs that had kept them enthralled for the last decade. Still, the National Broadcasting Service remains ahead in viewership by a significant margin, compared to others like the Great Lakes News Corporation and the People’s News Network.

Newspapers did have their day. In the period from 1983-1987, newspapers were the only source of news many people could have or afford. Such papers as the Republican Herald dominated whole regions of the Republic. After the “Dispersion of Information Act” was passed, however, there was really no need any longer for them, and existing newspaper companies quickly folded.

Nevertheless, it was recognized that radio and television could not replicate some services the newspaper provided: coupons, sports box-scores, crossword puzzles, television and radio listings and comics, among others.

Superior Sports Weekly magazine became the country's version of the daily sports section, combined with the more lengthy game stories and commentary found in such pre-Doomsday publications as Sports Illustrated and Sport.

Weekly "shopper" newspapers, usually eight pages per issue (12 to 24 during peak shopping times), provided coupons and advertising for local businesses along with the puzzles and comics readers enjoyed in the newspapers of old.

The Superior Times, published weekly in tabloid form, is really a political magazine, concentrating on political happenings in Stowe, the nation and sometimes the world.

Cinema[]

The movie industry did not pick up until the turn of the century, following the passing of the second “Dispersion of Information Act”, when television began to return. Scattered screening throughout the cities and towns were made, but they were not especially profitable for the producers or the actors. Most film as a result was government run, paid in full, not expecting a profit, only wishing to boost the morale of those who were in depression.

Following the return of television in 1997, Reggy Rollins felt that there was finally going to be a market for the film industry they had so far largely failed. Purchasing wide tracts of land in Delta, he built the company known as Emerald Pictures. Though it failed to pay-off immediately, his prediction proved correct when many of the films he produced began to be distributed through the various networks that now existed.

Still, it has proven to be a regional success. Though the film industry has made efforts to expand outside of the Republic of Superior, it has so far only found major appeal with American audiences.

Music[]

Country Music, Rhythm and Blues, and Rock and Roll have become dominant within the Republic’s music market, drawing inspirations from such deceased artists as Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, and Louis Armstrong. Though there have been occasional blips of a “Superiorian” form of music, to date no such fusion has emerged.

Sports[]

Even after Doomsday, Baseball was inherited from the mother nation of the United States to become the national pastime, along with other sports such as American Football and Ice Hockey. Golf has also become popular on the Upper Peninsula, though it is mainly relegated to the elderly, and no organized national tournament of any sort has yet been formed by the government.

Tennis, softball, track and field, cross country, volleyball, and soccer are played by many, albeit at either an informal level, or formally in youth leagues, middle and high school competition and adult amateur leagues.

In 1989, the “Tri-League Games Act” was passed through Congress, as a way to re-institute old sports back into the population, both to support the economy and general morale. Three Leagues were established as a result:

  • The Superior Baseball League
  • The Superior Football League
  • The Superior Hockey League

All have proven to be largely successful, though Football has steadily gained more and more popularity as time has gone on.

Each of the three leagues is run by an independent Board of Commissioners. Each Board is given broad powers to ensure the franchises remain financially viable and competitive. In extreme circumstances, the Boards have the authority to revoke an ownership groups franchise.

The SFL (Superior Football League) has franchises in twelve cities, with the top four teams competing in a single-elimination playoff, with two semifinal games and a championship game played in January at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Currently, it is believed that several cities are seeking teams, but these are the current ones:

  • Escanaba (Escanaba Stags) new for the 2011-2012 season
  • Green Bay (Green Bay Packers)
  • Houghton (Houghton Panthers)
  • Iron Mountain (Iron Mountain Flyers)
  • Mackinaw (Mackinaw Wheels)
  • Madison, Wisconsin (Wisconsin Badgers)
  • Menominee (Menominee Blazers)
  • Marquette (Marquette Lions)
  • Sault Ste. Marie (Sault Ste. Marie Steelers)
  • Stowe (Stowe Eagles)
  • Sudbury (Sudbury Spartans) Current Champions
  • Thunder Bay (Thunder Bay Giants)

The SBL (Superior Baseball League) has franchises in twelve cities, with the top four teams playing in semifinals and then for the SBL Championship at the end of the season in September, all of which are five-game series. Currently, it is believed that several cities are seeking teams, but these are the current ones:

  • Boyne City (Boyne City Boosters)
  • Houghton (Houghton Reds)
  • Green Bay (Green Bay Blue Sox)
  • Iron Mountain (Iron Mountain Wolverines) Current Champions
  • Mackinaw (Mackinaw Mariners)
  • Madison, Wisconsin (Madison Brewers) renamed from the Madison Badgers after the 2010 season
  • Marinette/Menominee (Marinette Blackbirds) New for the 2013 Season
  • Marquette (Marquette Tigers)
  • Sault Ste. Marie (Soo Beavers)
  • Stowe (Stowe Senators)
  • Sudbury (Sudbury Miners)
  • Thunder Bay (Thunder Bay Twins)
  • Traverse City (Traverse City Resorters)

The SHL (Superior Hockey League) has franchises in sixteen cities, divided into two divisions, East and West, of eight teams each, with six teams advancing to the playoffs in each, with the top two in each getting a "bye" into the second round, where they will play the winners of the quarterfinals. The best-of-three quarterfinals, as well as the semifinals and the division and league championship series,6 are contested in March and April:

West

  • Escanaba (Escanaba Owls)
  • Green Bay (Green Bay Bobcats)
  • Houghton (Houghton Chiefs)
  • Iron Mountain (Iron Mountain Flags)
  • Madison, Wisconsin (Madison Blues)
  • Marquette (Marquette Iron Rangers)
  • Menominee (Menominee Mohawks)
  • Thunder Bay (Thunder Bay Maple Leafs)

East

  • Chicoutimi, Saguenay (Saguenay Saguenéens)
  • Espanola (Espanola Eagles) new for the 2012-2013 season
  • Mackinaw (Mackinaw Red Wings)
  • Manitoulin (Manitoulin Islanders)
  • Sault Ste. Marie (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
  • Stowe (Stowe Capitals)
  • Sudbury (Sudbury Wolves) Current Champions
  • Wawa (Wawa Travellers) new for the 2012-2013 season

Despite the recent political change in Thunder Bay, their teams will remain in the leagues, at least for the time being. The communities of Blind River, Calumet, Eagle River, Thessalon, and Traverse City are in negotiations with the League over resurrecting their hockey teams from before Doomsday, and the towns of Marathon and Newberry are attempting to establish teams as well.

A growing tourist attraction is the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame Museum in Green Bay. Located at Lambeau Field - the last remaining National Football League stadium - the museum contains an extensive amount of Packer and NFL memorabilia dating back to the early 20th century. It includes items owned by Superior entrepreneur Elliott Gold and donated on a rotating basis. Memorabilia salvaged from the former Pro Football Hall of Fame in the abandoned town of Canton, Ohio, will be shown, in rotations, through summer 2011.

Green Bay is likely to become the home for the new Professional Football Hall of Fame. Gold financed an expedition into former Canton, Ohio in 2009, to scout out the original pro football hall of fame. Much of the memorabilia was deemed salvageable, as were the busts of the various members of the hall of fame. The decision was made to move anything that was salvageable to Green Bay, where a new hall of fame would be built. The groundbreaking occurred in October 2010, with construction to get underway in the spring of 2011, and the official opening for August 2012.

The pro football hall of fame will be governed by a board, initially made up of enthusiasts from across Superior. Long-term plans include expanding the board to include any former players and coaches that are still alive anywhere in the world, as well as enthusiasts from Texas, Mexico and the ANZC. One of the board's duties will be to posthumously elect members to the hall of fame from 1978-1983, and to annually consider anyone who was not elected either pre-DD or by the board.

The Superior Soccer Federation was established in 2007 by enthusiasts to develop the sport in their country. It is a member of FIFA, with the condition of establishing a formal league by 2015.

Superior sent a small team to the 2012 Olympic Games in Auckland. Its team took home two medals - a silver, and a bronze - in women's softball, and in women's shotgun, respectively. They look to do better at the 2016 Games in Rio.

Foreign Relations[]

The Republic of Superior is a member of the United Communities along with many local Canadian and American survivor states. Applying to join prior to the start of the Saguenay War, in part due to Canada blocking membership in the League of Nations, their application was accepted during the war. In part, this led to the organization being split into camps supporting either side or neutrality. With the removal of the block on their membership into the LoN, the possibility of them joining the League of Nations has arisen. It is unknown what their view of the group will be if they join the League, but it is considered likely by outsiders that they will view it the same as the Canadian government does. The Superior government however, has announced that they will send an application in 2012 or later.

Since establishing communication with the outside world, the Republic has tried to maintain friendly relations with as many nations as possible. Despite this it was been denied membership in the League of Nations by Canada until the signing of the Treaty of Manchester, ending the Saguenay War. This was due to territorial disputes between the two regarding land claims along the Great Lakes, though it was largely only vocal on the part of Canada. As a result of the Treaty, Superior control over some areas has been recognized, on the provision that they expand no further into former Ontario, outside of the Windsor region, over which negotiations will be held in the future.

Along with Canada, relations with Thunder Bay were strained due to the tyrannical rule of Captain Giraud Leppe, despite attempts to democratize the nation through both aid and economic connections. However, since the death of Leppe, relations were open again with the provisional democratic government until the people there voted in a referendum to rejoin Canada as a territory.

The Republic was also the only nation to recognize the independence of Saguenay, a break-away Republic from Canada, for a lengthy period of time.

In the war between Saguenay and Canada, both President Newman and the Republic of Superior Congress voiced open support for Saguenay. There was extensive debate on whether or not the Republic should take a more active role in the conflict, though it was suspected that the President had already deployed the Republican Guard. The major fear was that if the nation were to actively pursue the war, it might lose any chance it had in gaining entrance to the League of Nations, though this would prove unfounded. However, in any peace treaty that might come out of the conflict, they thought that they could ensure their entrance as well, while attempting to force Canada to drop its claims to the Great Lakes region. Representative Harold Duke of Marquette, leader of the National Republican Caucus, was the most prominent advocate for an alliance with Saguenay. The House of Representatives voted on September 15th, 2009 on whether or not they would enter the war in an alliance with Saguenay, following the refusal of the Canadian government to back down as Superior demanded. The vote was in favor of war.

The Republic of Superior had also opened a dialog with the North American Union. With Dakota's statehood into the United States, and the establishment of the possibility of statehood has also arisen, although the chances of them rejoining the United States at this time are moot, given the opinions of the local population, most of which oppose the concept.

Saguenay War[]

With the declaration of war on the 15th of September, 2009, Superior forces moved into position inside Saguenay to support their forces, and as per their relationship with the Lawrence Raiders, began to move up the St. Lawrence River Valley to support the Saguenay invasion of Gaspe. They would be forced out of the area alongside their allies by the ADC counter-offensive from late January to late February. The remainder of the war would consist of scattered fighting in the St.Lawrence River Valley and along the Saguenay-Canada borders until a ceasefire negotiated through the LoN came into effect on April 12th.

Negotiations hosted by Vermont and the LoN would result in the signing of the Treaty of Manchester on May 28th, which put limits on Superioran expansion, forced Canada to drop its veto over them joining the LoN, recognized Saguenay and its borders, recognized Canadian "control" of the St. Lawrence Valley and Southern Quebec, and started several investigations into conduct of Superior, Saguenay and Canada in relation to the war and its beginning.

The Investigations would clear the ADC of wrongdoing in response to the bombing of civilians, condemn Saguenay and Superior for their arming and supporting the Lawrence Raiders, and condemn the ruling political party in Canada, the Canada First Party, for rogue elements of their party having assassinated the Prime Minister of Saguenay. Due to the findings, no reparations were demanded of anyone, though the Canadian government fell as a result, leading to a new party coming to power there.

See also[]