New West IndiesBoard

O V E R V I E WC U L T U R EG O V E R N M E N TG E O G R A P H YM I L I T A R YD E M O G R A P H I C SD I P L O M A C Y

The Federal Republic of the United Carolinas

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Flag

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Coat of Arms

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Motto: "Esse Quam Videri" / "First in flight. First in freedom."

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Nicknames: The Carolinas, Carolina, Palmetto Republic,
The South, Dixie/ Dixieland (Deragatory)

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Region: New West Indies

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Population(NS): 9.497 billion
Population (RP): 73.9 million
Density: 80.6 Residents/ km²

Capital: Charlotte, Capital District
Largest City: Charlotte, Capital District

Most populated province: Piedmont
Least populated province: Mississippi

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Official Languages:
English
Spanish

Recognized minor languages:
Tutnese
Gullah Geechee Creole
Muskogean
Siouan-Catawba
Iroquoian
Timucua
Yuchi
Calusa

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National Animal: Carolinian Red Wolf
National Flower: Yellow Jessamine
National Tree: Sabal Palmetto Tree
National Anthem: "Ode to the Palmetto Republic" (2042)
National Dish: Chicken and Waffles
National Beverage: Sweet Tea
National Sport: Basketball

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Demonym: Carolinian
Pan-Region: Pan-American

Government: Federal Republic
Legislature: Carolinian Congress
Judicial: Carolinian Supreme Court
Head of State: President Marcus T. Osborne

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Area: 916,900 km²

Elevation
Highest Point: Mount Mitchell (2037.3m)
Lowest Point: Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico (30m)

GDP (NS): 940 Trillion Palmets
GDP (RP): 1.2 Trillion Palmets
GDP per capita: 16,242.11 Palmets

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Currency: Palmet (ᕵ)

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Time Zones:

• GMT-5 (Eastern Standard Time)

• GMT-6 (Central Standard Time)
  

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Calling code:+8

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System of Measurement: US Imperial System

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Traffic Flow: Right-hand side of road

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Internet TLD: .uc

The New United Carolinas derives its name from the former American states of North Carolina and South Carolina. "Carolina" is the feminine equivalent of the Latin name for Charles (Carolus), generally meaning "freeman" or "freeholder. The original Carolina colony (which constituted North and South Carolina) was named in honor of King Charles I of England, who made the original land grant forming the colony in 1629. Carolina can also mean 'song of happiness or joy from an origin or even 'prettiest woman of the town' from a Spanish origin. The Carolina colony was officially founded in 1663 by King Charles II.

"New United" was supposed to signify the reunification of North Carolina and South Carolina into one entity for the first time since the division of the Carolina Colony in 1729. But "new" has come to mean many things over the years, referencing the nation's geographical, political, and social changes from its predecessors. Although North Carolina and South Carolina no longer exist as entities, the truncated name "Carolinas" remained.

The territory in which the modern New United Carolinas sits has been occupied by a succession of indigenous cultures and civilizations for thousands of years. Like many places in the former U.S., these indigenous tribes were generally nomads and didn't stay in permanent settlements. Despite this, they still maintained small communities that hardly exceeded 500 people. Eventually, colonies would become more permanent as these communities became more extensive and began to master agriculture.

1000 AD marks the Mississippian cultural era, named after the Mississippi on which many of these communities thrived. As agricultural and architectural skills became more prevalent, many of these tribes began building villages, settling in the Southeast region of the former continental U.S. These tribes are known as Mississippian tribes because they shared similar lifestyles, values, religious beliefs, and more. Corn was a prevalent crop planted at the time, which contributed greatly to the growth of these societies. Their settlements were fortified and were characterized by their earthwork mounds upon which buildings, temples, and more would sit. These settlements were also very interconnected and would further citizens' well-being, but they became more independent over time. As each tribe diverged from one another, so did their interests, which led to tribal war. The general Mississippian identity began to crumble due to instability. New groups would become tribes that branched away from the greater Mississippian culture. Included in these tribes were the Catawba, Cherokee, Seminole, Creek, Meherrin, all of which still exist within the modern New United Carolinas.

European powers, most notably Spain, had reached North America in the late 1400s and early 1500s. The first claim in the Modern Carolinas was made by Juan Ponce de León, who claimed peninsular Florida for Spain during the first official European expedition to North America. He led an expedition from Puerto Rico in March 1513 and landed on the coast of the Florida Province at a site between modern Saint Augustine and Melbourne in April of that year. Spanish claims began to grow as more conquistadors arrived on the Florida peninsula. One of the most notable conquests happened in 1539 when Spanish explorer and conquistador Hernando de Soto is believed to have first landed in Manatee County, Seminole Province, and began his exploration of the North American continent. He'd interact with many tribes throughout as he moved through most of the modern Carolinas. Although many of these interactions were mundane, it is worth noting that there were many violent encounters between the Spanish and certain settlements, particularly in later interactions. The Spanish also introduced diseases to the Native Americans, which would soon destroy many communities. It wouldn't be until 1542 when Hernando De Soto died in the native village Guachoya near the Mississippi in Arkansas or Louisiana. Spain sent settlers and African slaves to the Floridian colony to affirm their authority in the area.

As the Spanish occupied Florida, they were arriving in the New World in the late 1500s. The first colony founded was the Roanoke Colony, established in August 1587. Sir Walter charted the venture. England sent one hundred fifteen settlers under the leadership of John White, who they planned to make their governor. They landed on what is now the Carolinian outer banks. Later that year, John White would sail back to England to gather a fresh load of supplies. But just as he arrived, a major naval war broke out between England and Spain, and Queen Elizabeth I called on every available ship to confront the mighty Spanish Armada. It wouldn't be until August 1590, when White finally returned to Roanoke, where he had left his wife and daughter, his infant granddaughter (Virginia Dare, the first child born in the Americas). But he found no trace of the colony or its inhabitants and few clues to what might have happened, apart from a single word—"Croatoan"—carved into a wooden post. It's theorized that the colony had been attacked by a local American Indian tribe, killing everyone.

It wouldn't be until 1607 that the first permanent colony, Jamestown, would be founded in Virginia. Over time, more and more settlers would migrate from England to the newly forming colonies in North America. Many came to escape religious persecution or for new opportunities, they couldn't find back home. But between 1607-1763, these colonies continued to grow, much to the dismay of the already present American Indians. It was not uncommon for American Indians and settlers to clash with one another over territory. However, hostility greatly varied from tribe to tribe. Some willingly traded and mingled with the immigrants, while others destroyed settlements upon discovery. Settlers were also guilty of this, as they often pillaged and destroyed Native villages and sometimes even enslaved American Indians.

In 1663, the Carolina colony was founded by King Charles II and his 8 Lord Propietors. With a newly granted charter, establishing the settlement between the constitution's ratification land was valuable because it had fertile soil perfect for agriculture.

"Province of Carolina" Charter Claims

Boundaries of the official Carolina colony

The Lords Proprietors, operating under their royal charter, were able to exercise their authority with nearly the independence of the King himself. The actual government consisted of a governor, a powerful council, on which half of the councilors were appointed by the Lords Proprietors themselves, and a relatively weak, popularly elected assembly. The Lords Proprietors founded a new settlement consisting of 150 colonists to the province in early 1670, landing them at a location south of the other colonies, near present-day Palmetto City, Cusabo Province. Known then as "Charlestown," it acted as the de facto capital of the entire province. In 1669, the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina divided the colony of Carolina into two provinces, Albemarle province in the North and Clarendon province in the South. There was dissent over the governance of the territory, made worse by the distance between settlements in the northern half and settlements in the southern half. In 1691, a deputy governor was appointed to administer the northern half of Carolina (Albemarle province).

Unfortunately, the differences became too much for the colony, and in 1712, the settlement was officially divided into North Carolina and South Carolina. They would formally become royal colonies in 1729. Settlers would form the colony of Georgia south of South Carolina in 1732. These were just 3 of the "13 original colonies" that would soon merge into the United States.

Over time, settlers became more and more disgruntled with the taxation and gradual loss of autonomy imposed on them by England. In the Carolinas, the settlers were forbidden to go into the Appalachian mountains to survey and explore. Although anti- settlements were more prevalent in the Northern colonies than in the Carolinas, they would continue to grow as the crown became more and more authoritarian over its American claims. In 1775, the Revolutionary war would break out after decades of mistreatment by England over the 13 colonies. In 1776, the founding fathers of what would soon be the United States wrote the Declaration of Independence to solidify their opposition to rule. North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia were now part of a new country dedicated to ending British dominance over them. Ironically, despite their fight against oppression, the primarily European colonists didn't consider their treatment of their African and American Indian slaves. Regardless, with the help of the American colonists won against England after their surrender in 1781, ending the colonial period.

The Carolinas were situated in what was considered "The American South" or "The South." The South was characterized by its very fertile soil, which was great for agriculture. The line between the Southern U.S. and the Northern U.S. was arbitrary for the most part but was generally considered to begin in Virginia in the modern-day Commonwealth of America, stretched as far south as Florida, and stretched as far west as the Republic of Texas.

From its inception, the United States relied on slaves for all forms of its development, from agriculture to urbanization. The New World was part of the Atlantic Slave Trade, bringing slaves from Africa to the Americas and Europe. European settlers favored African slaves for many reasons, including their resistance to European diseases and unfamiliarity with the land they were brought to, making it harder to escape captivity. Slaves were required to do various labor-intensive jobs such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, housework, and more. Most African slaves were seen solely as property, as they were 'owned' by masters or owners. Treatment varied from master to master, but most of the time, the masters abused, tortured, and raped their slaves, whether it be for disobedience or personal pleasure.

An estimated 10-16 million slaves were brought to the Americas, with 60-70% of them ending up on sugar plantations in Brazil or the Caribbean (modern Achipel) with the United States only receiving 6% of the imported slaves. They had been kidnapped from their tribes, primarily in West Africa, and crammed into small ships that would sail the Atlantic. They were packed in a dark hull for hours, literally laying on top of one another. They slept in their feces and urination and were forced to eat by the crew. Occasionally they would be let out of the hull only to be forced to exercise. Disobedience was met with harsh punishment. Hundreds of thousands of Africans died during the journey alone from sickness, starvation, injury, or falling off the ship, sometimes done intentionally.

Sugar Plantations in the Caribbean and Brazil continuously imported slaves but had way more men than women. Plantations also often had over 200 slaves. The more condensed plantations meant diseases spread more quickly, and with the sex ratio being so low, reproduction was slow. Slaves also rebelled, often leading to mass casualties. The U.S. had a more balanced sex ratio between men and women, and plantations were smaller. American plantations also tended to trade more internally rather than importing. These factors mean that the U.S. slave population grew exponentially while the Caribbean and Brazillian slave populations grew much slower.

In the United States, there were many ports in which slaves ended up, but some of the largest were in Virginia and South Carolina. Charleston (renamed Charles Town in 1783) was the biggest importing and trading hub in the United States. Other notable ports included Savannah, Georgia (now in the modern province of , South Georgia, (in modern Texas), and (in modern New England). These slaves were dispersed to various states and territories in the U.S. as slave owners purchased and traded slaves. Most of these slaves stayed in the South to work on tobacco, cotton, indigo, or sugar plantations.

During the slave trade, and colonies formed rigid societal boundaries between themselves and their African slaves. Africans were considered lower than humans and uncivilized and thus needed training. Those who descended from the original colonists continued this belief in the United States. In the U.S., the slaves weren't allowed to practice their tribal customs. They were forced to speak even in private. Slaves were renamed by their owners and given their owners' last names. Their capturers did not document their origins or their original names, ultimately being lost to time. Although many slaves still maintained certain customs, traditions, and beliefs, the slave owners also erased many of those over time. Africans, who had previously had no shared customs or language with one another, were now lumped into one large group known as "negro" or "black." With each generation, tribal connections and the knowledge of their became vague concepts.

White people (those who have descended from Europeans) were in charge. Interracial couples were illegal, but generally, the black person would receive the punishment regardless of who initiated it. In general, each state ensured that slaves remained submissive to the white majority while also profiting off of their unpaid labor. Black lives were held to little worth and were expendable. In the South, slaves were overworked and overheated. If they failed to do as the owner told them, the owner (or an overseer) would punish them severely. Entire slave families could be broken apart simply because of a business deal between owners. Plantation owners did not respect the death of a slave, often burying them in mass graves.

Although the North had far fewer slaves, Africans were still not treated as equals. Still viewed as less than human, they were paid little for any work they did, if paid at all. Often they were subjected to abuse as well. In larger cities, they often worked in factories or on construction sites and would be injured or killed in the process. While there were undoubtedly slaves in the rural North, they weren't usually in large plantations, generally serving as mere assistants. Although certainly, it was a better living condition, they were still considered below that of the white population. Nevertheless, the North cultivated an anti-slavery culture over time that began to grow as time went on. Soon, black people were finding various ways to freedom, including escaping to the North.

Even after the Atlantic Slave trade was deemed illegal, many slaves were still traded domestically, especially from Charleston. But this was becoming an issue within the United States by the 19th century. Slavery was outdated and outlawed in most other countries. Ironically, the North, England, and France looked down on the South for their persistence in using slave labor. But all three also received most of their raw textile materials from the South, so governments took no definitive action for a very long time.

Slave States vs. Free States (1860)

In the early 19th century, America was expanding its territory rapidly. It was swift and mainly fueled by the discovery of gold in the west. But in doing so, the U.S. continuously evicted and destroyed American Indian communities. Another great shame in American was The Trail of tears. Even though the U.S. started the Reservation System, which granted American Indians their territory to remain autonomous from the Federal Government, these reservations were not only neglected, invaluable areas of land, but their existence was not usually honored by white settlers.

As the United States grew, the debate over which parts should have slaves and shouldn't be increasingly prevalent. As depicted on the map, the country was highly divided, primarily between the Northern U.S. and the Southern U.S. The American government tried to keep slavery entirely within the South, much to the South's dismay. It was only until Abraham Lincoln, a Republican from Illinois, became President when the South finally had enough. The Southern states were worried that Lincoln might bring the end of slavery, on which the South depended. Because of this, South Carolina declared its secession from the Union in 1860 and used its state militia to attack Fort Sumter off the coast of Charleston. Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee all followed in their secessions, creating a new country: The Confederate States of America (C.S.A.). The American army overtook Missouri and Maryland before the states could make any secession efforts. The attack on Fort Sumter marked the beginning of the American Civil War

The civil war proved to be a turning point in American culture. In the beginning, the Confederates, or "rebels" as the American army, sought to protect the institution of slavery and preserve white supremacist ideals. Though they had a smaller army than their American counterpart, they had incredibly skilled generals that made them a force with which to be reckoned. During the war, slaves were often forced into the army to perform menial tasks or put on the front lines in exchange for their freedom. Before the war, many slaves had escaped captivity and migrated North in search of a better life. It's worth noting that the North, and the Union, did not have the black population's interests in the heart either. America faced scrutiny for its use of slave labor when it was already deemed cruel and unnecessary by many other first-world nations, mainly because the industrial revolution brought technology to a new level. The questionable morality and obsoleteness of slaves are why the North and the American government slowly aimed to phase it over time. However, most Americans did not believe that black people were comparable to white people despite the anti-slavery sentiment.

The war was the deadliest war on the American continent. Hundreds of thousands of men died on both sides of the conflict. Still, ultimately, the Union came on top in 1865 after successfully cutting off Southern resources and burning Southern cities such as. The Confederate States of America surrendered and collapsed, and all the states were re-administered into the United States. The 13th Amendment, 14th Amendment, and 15th Amendment were passed, which banned slavery, defined citizenship as anyone born or naturalized in the U.S., and prohibited governments from discriminating based on race and past servitude, respectively. However, it's worth noting that state governments ignored many of these new laws, and lawmakers exploited their loopholes well into the future. Punishment for the confederates was minuscule at best. Lincoln's administration allowed Southern generals off with minor penalties and even allowed confederate politicians and generals to enter politics in those states. And despite his leniency, he was still assassinated by a confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth.

Freedom from slavery did not guarantee freedom in society for the black population. They had been unable to accumulate wealth or substantial education for the hundreds of years white people had enslaved them, making finding a job difficult. So many black families still ended up working as sharecroppers under their old slave masters. The news was slow to get around; the last slaves weren't informed of their Freedom until June 19, 1865, despite the 13th amendment's ratification on January 31, 1865. To top it off, the white society of America wanted to ensure that Black Americans could not reach them in wealth, education, and success. Local and state laws, known as Jim laws, were passed everywhere in the country. These laws segregated black people and white people in virtually every way possible. Most things ranging from bathrooms and restaurants to entire neighborhoods were systemically segregated and typically neglected by the white population. This discrimination would continue well into the next century.

As America entered the 1900's, it had been experiencing an industrial boom, even in the South. Railroads, factories, and new technologies were appearing in every region of the country. It was experiencing an economic boom on the world scale. It attracted immigrants primarily from Europe, predominantly the Irish, Italians, Polish, Scottish, Germans, and more. But things would take even more drastic turns in the early 20th century.

The Roaring 20's

The United States was becoming a world superpower with a growing influence. And although the country played a small role in the first World War, only entering at its tail end to support the allied powers, that alone was enough to bolster the nation's confidence. Economically the U.S. was booming, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest, as new factories were constructed everywhere, and railroads connected the country's entirety. Although most of the population still lived in rural areas in the South, many farmers started moving to cities such as, and more. In the Carolinas, in particular, the states specialized primarily in tobacco production, furniture making, and textiles. But a grand majority of the region's population were still living on farms. Society, in general, had become somewhat more progressive as women gained the right to vote (19th amendment - Ratified in 1920) but became a little more autonomous from men and bolder in how they presented themselves. And with the rise of a new version of the working class came more demand for better working conditions in general, to which some laws were passed that granted such.

Birth of a nation Movie Poster

Unfortunately, a darker side to the American South was still prevalent. Although the South had lost the war, due to the little repercussion they faced outside of the reconstruction era, a new culture arose that celebrated the achievements and the goals of the now fallen Confederate States of America. Thanks to organizations such as the Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Ku Klux Klan (K.K.K.), the South was quick to ensure that White Supremacy reign supreme throughout its states and beyond. Monuments glorifying the Confederacy were constructed and would continue to be built even up to the 1990s. The false narrative around the Confederacy was that fought to preserve their state rights instead of merely protecting slavery became commonplace in textbooks and newspapers. Cities everywhere named streets, schools, cities, counties, and more after Confederate leaders and generals. And what made it worse was the release of America's very first blockbuster movie: "Birth of a Nation," which depicted the K.K.K. as grand heroes defending the white population from "disgusting" and "crude" black people. President Woodrow Wilson even said it was "like with lightning," a quote that forever lives in infamy. Despite the 15th amendment, governments found ways to prevent black populations from voting, such as literacy tests and the grandfather clause. Minorities in general still had trouble finding economic success in America, as they were constantly ridiculed, stereotyped, and segregated from most things in society. Chinese people faced scrutiny for immigrating to work for the gold mines, the Irish were discriminated against, particularly in the North East, and of course, African Americans were heavily discriminated against everywhere.

Things took a significant turn for the worst in the 1930s, as the American Stock Market crashed and caused the great depression. This phenomenon wasn't just affecting the U.S., but most of the world as well. The already poor southern farmers became poorer as people couldn't afford to buy their crops. There was even a significant drought in the great plains of the U.S., known as the Dustbowl, which made growing crops even more of a challenge. Poverty was widespread, and America's European allies were about to be dragged into the Second World War in the middle of the decade.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt would turn things around for the U.S., creating many federal programs under his ' New Deal' initiative. He managed to change the tide for the country, and the effects of his programs would span generations. Meanwhile, World War II had been raging in Europe. The Axis powers, consisting of Germany (modern-day Ventus Prime), Italy (modern-day Italia unita), and Japan (modern-day Sakura nippon), had been warring with the UK, France, and the Soviet Union. It wasn't until Japan, which had been on a violent conquest of island nations in the Pacific, attacked Pearl Harbor Naval base in Hawaii that the United States would finally get involved in World War II.

Lady factory workers

War demands an increase in manufacturing, and that's what happened in America. When the country declared war on the Axis powers, a new version of American society rose, creating further unity for a more significant cause. Factories, new and old, began focusing their efforts on producing things for the military to use. People started to ration foods and buy war bonds to support the military as well. Soldiers from each state were drafted and sent to locations worldwide to combat the Axis powers, particularly against Japan and Germany. The South, in particular, was responsible for producing much of the food, textiles, and weaponry that went to the soldiers overseas.

America became more accepting of women in the workplace due to the drafting system's lack of men. The military itself became a little more integrated as black soldiers were drafted and able to serve in their separate platoons, including the Tuskeegee Airmen, and the 92nd Infantry ( Soldiers). Even specific factories became integrated for both white people and black people to keep up with the demand. Technology was also improving rapidly, as new aircraft, tanks, weaponry, and more became more commonplace during the war.

Arizona Japanese Interment Camp

But war breeds distrust and hatred more than it breeds unity. Because Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Americans became resentful of not just the Japanese but Asians in general. Americans couldn't distinguish between east Asians, nor could they distinguish between a multi-generational east Asian or a recent Southeast Asian immigrant. Regardless, Americans bullied, attacked, and even murdered people suspected of being Japanese. American media and propaganda depicted Japanese people as conniving and hellbent on disrupting the American way of life, even more so than the Nazi Germans. Asian-owned businesses and Asian communities were ransacked similar to that of Black-owned businesses and communities at the time. The west coast of America became a hellscape for the Asian population. All of this resentment had stemmed from past Asian discrimination, but what made it worse was the creation of Japanese Internment camps built in the western U.S. Both Japanese and non-Japanese Asians were brought to as prisoners. They were forced to do hard labor and raced routine abuse. Ironically, they did this despite fighting Nazi-controlled Germany, infamous for its Jewish concentration camps.

Marines at Iwo Jima raising the U.S. flag

In 1945, the verse atomic bomb was successfully tested and was ready to be used in war. By this point, Germany had already surrendered with the suicide of Chancellor Adolf Hitler. Italy had submitted months earlier after being overwhelmed by the presence of the ally powers. Japan was the last remaining Axis superpower and was not ready to give up. Even though Americans were destroying the Pacific territories, the Japanese fought back relentlessly. The U.S. decided only then, was it time to use the nuclear bombs they had created to defeat Japan once and for all. The United States used two bombs on Japan: Little Boy and Fat Man, both of which consisted of unstable uranium. Little Boy was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, killing around 66,000 people and injuring approximately 69,000 more, but even these numbers are riddled with discrepancies. Thousands were either vaporized by the bomb or suffered long-term illnesses from the radiation. But even after that, Japan had not yet surrendered. Fat Man was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, killing around 40,000 people. On August 15, Emperor Hirohito officially surrendered, ending the war.

The end of world war ii was a world-changing event. The dropping of atomic bombs became a hot-button issue that would continue for decades forward. It was a devastating technology that would no doubt only get more destructive as technology improved. The Allies punished the Axis severely, especially Germany, which was divided by the allies. West Germany was controlled by America, the U.K., and France, while the Soviet Union controlled East Germany. Although the agreement appeared friendly, there was a rising resentment amongst the capitalist nations of the west, and the communistic-socialist Soviet Union, which would bring about new tension in the upcoming decades.

Upon returning home, white Americans did not greet black Soldiers with the respect and opportunities they had thought they would receive. Black Americans returned only to be re-subjugated to Jim laws and discrimination. Their efforts weren't rewarded either until much later or never at all. The surviving Asians put in internment camps were released in 1945-1946, back into an equally hostile environment. They would not receive compensation for this until 1988 under the Civil Liberties Act.

Although America had fought against the Axis powers to protect democracy and freedom, ironically, they could not do the same for most citizens.

The Soviet Union or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was a state consisting of Eastern European and Central Asian nations all operating under Socialism. It was highly centralized, Moscow being the crown jewel of the Union. It had expanding influences in chunks of Asia, Africa, and Europe. While there was little tension at first, the Capitalist West and Socialist East became more divided as their ideologies clashed. The USSR was committed to spreading socialism worldwide, much to the dismay of the U.S. Nations such as Cuba, Venezuela, Laos, Vietnam, China, Angola, and more, all witnessed their socialist revolutions. The U.S. combatted this by either putting tariffs on each socialist nation or directly getting involved in wars, like the Korean War or the Vietnam war.

Advances made by the Soviet Union following World War II, coupled with the victory in 1949 of the Chinese Communist Party in establishing the People's Republic of China and the apparent inability of the United States to prevent the spread of communism, were among the factors causing fear of communist infiltration in the United States. The response was due to the anti-democratic and anti-individualistic nature of the early socialist government, which was very totalitarian, especially in the USSR and China. Americans believed themselves to be the epitome of personal freedoms and the protectors of democracy, and it was up to them to stop it all costs. This was bolstered by McCarthyism, which essentially was an extensive smear campaign created by Senator Joseph McCarthy of West Virginia that aimed to smear prominent speakers' and politicians' reputations by deeming them as socialist. He did so by getting hired by the C.I.A. and attempted to accuse people, too little success fraudulently. Still, his actions only validated the fears of many Americans that socialism would be the norm, and whatever happened after that was unknown. This period is known as . The Red Scare originated back when the Bolshevik revolution occurred and only grew over time.

American Anti-Communist propaganda

What made the red scare worse was the creation of the nuclear bomb. After America used nuclear warfare to defeat Japan in World War II, it witnessed its destructive power. Many nations decided that if a country wanted to protect itself from such an attack, it would need its nuclear weapons as a deterrent. Thus a nuclear arms race began as nations manufactured their atomic weapons, nuclear weapon facilities, and nuclear protocols. With the rising amount of nuclear weapons in the world, the tension only increased. This era was known as the Cold War. The world is divided between Communism and Democracy, each side equipped with nuclear weapons all pointed at one another. Each side tried to ensure they were superior in everything ranging from sports to quality of life. Each side produced infamous propaganda that aimed to discredit and ridicule the other side.

In reality, both sides were quite oppressive in one way or another. The USSR stripped people of most of their rights and economic mobility. Because the government so heavily centralized the industry with no control given to a free market, most advancements were slow, at least in its beginning years. The standard of living was relatively low, even in urban areas. The government also cracked down on dissent towards the communist party, especially under Joseph Stalin's regime. The U.S., on the other hand, while economic mobility was there for some, it wasn't there for all, especially its minority population. Thanks to Jim laws, , Red Lining, and other government mandated discrimination, America's black and brown populations were not able to accumulate wealth or find opportunities in the same way as the white population. Neglected and abused, America's black people had been harboring anger for many decades.

After slavery and throughout the late 19th-20th century, African Americans created economic centers and built farms, most of which were destroyed in race riots. One of the most notable examples of this was 1898 Wilmington, North Carolina (now in modern-day North Coast Province), in which a race riot led to the destruction of a prosperous black part of the city. Another example was the neighborhood of Greenwood in Oklahoma. In 1921, Greenwood was also destroyed by a race riot. African Americans were lynched, abused, neglected in schools, and forced to live in slums. This unfortunate reality was especially true in the Southern U.S., where the modern N.U.C. stands.

Living in the South was a harsh reality for the black population. Strict societal limits ensured that Black people and White people stayed separated in all aspects of life. But this would all be challenged in the late 1950s and the 1960s. Across many of the Southern states, white conservatives and confederate sympathizers built monuments dedicated to the Confederacy, most notably the Stone memorial in the former state of Georgia (now North Georgia).

The event often credited with beginning the Modern Civil Rights Movement was the U.S. Supreme court decision Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which ended segregation in American public schools. Jim laws dictated a "separate but equal" doctrine, which promised that a segregated society would still allow black people the same opportunities, but this was blatantly false in every way. Black schools were notoriously underfunded and neglected, and black students often lacked the experiences and opportunities as white students. Linda Brown challenged this in Topeka, Kansas (modern-day Topeka, Republic of Yellowstone). Despite being much closer to her, the majority-white schools in Topeka denied her admittance. Once segregation was ended by the Supreme Court, it set a new precedent that challenged all forms of black vs. white segregation in the United States.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks began the Montgomery Boycott in Montgomery, Alabama (located in the modern-day Carolinian province of the same name). The buses in Montgomery required black passengers to sit in the very back, while white passengers could sit anywhere. Rosa Parks challenged this by sitting in the front seat of a . She refused to give her seat up to a white man and was promptly arrested. Rosa Parks, a prominent member of the NAACP Montgomery Chapter, gained the group's attention and the black population of Montgomery. Soon, they organized the boycott, which meant that black riders would no longer ride the buses, who made the majority of the riders. This act of defiance would gain international attention and start a chain reaction of similar movements in the United States, especially in the South.

In August of that same year, a 14-year old black boy by the name of Emmett Till was murdered in Money, Mississippi (in the modern-day Carolinian province of Mississippi). After being accused of whistling to a white woman at Bryant's grocery, he would be kidnapped, tortured, killed, and dumped in the Tallahatchie by two white men: Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam. They did not face immediate justice. After discovering Emmett's body, his family displayed it to show the brutality he had met. It served as a horrible reminder of the treatment Black Americans had suffered for so long.

The Four

Prominent civil rights activists such as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Angela Davis, Huey Newton, and many more all rose to influence and speak against the injustices committed by the American government on its black population, especially in the South. Although these figures had varying ideas on achieving equality and prosperity for the black community, the consensus stated that the white people must give black people civil rights, end Jim laws, and allow black economic independence. Of course, they received much pushback from every direction.

The first "sit-in" took place on February 1, 1960, in , North Carolina (modern-day , Piedmont Province). Four students from North Carolina A&T State : Ezell Blair Jr., David , Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil, staged a protest in which they entered the segregated Woolworths. Upon sitting at the dining counter and refusing to give up their seats, they were harassed by the workers and customers but remained non-violent and non-provocative the entire time. After they arrived on the scene, the determined they couldn't arrest the students because they didn't do anything provocative. So they stayed in their seats until they closed. The next day they showed up with more students and did the same thing. After four days of repeating this process, 300 students total were doing sit-ins at Woolworth's. They had food thrown at them; the customers cursed them; some were even beaten and dragged. After being removed from their seats by force, another student would take their place. The students remained peaceful. The movement gained national attention, which sparked more sit-ins across the nation. Sit-ins not only took place in restaurants, but libraries, stores, and more. Today, a statue and dorm halls are dedicated in their honor stand at the .

Although these movements were receiving national attention and support, there was still a lot of opposition. Governors, mayors, and other outspoken white politicians often discredited and defamed these movements and ran on platforms dedicated to stopping these movements. Black businesses, activists' houses, and more were bombed or threatened regularly. Riots broke out in American cities everywhere, such as the Riots in Alabama (in the modern-day Carolinian province of Yellowhammer). , in particular, was often terrified by the K.K.K., who firebombed notable figures' houses and left burning crosses on lawns, inspired by Governor George Wallace of Alabama. They were responsible for the Sixteenth Baptist Bombing, which killed four little girls. Despite this, the movement gained prominence everywhere and was being televised across the world.

No other figure was more influential over the Civil Rights movement than Martin Luther King Junior. Responsible for many of the movements held across the country, Martin preached a message of peaceful integration and non-violent protests. King was arrested, threatened, and more throughout his campaign, but he continued. He became popular with white people for proposing a change that didn't involve drastic and aggressive shifts. In the 1963 March on , which was the largest peaceful protest during the Civil Rights Movement, King performed his I have a Dream Speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial, which was written and broadcasted everywhere. Always known to be a good speaker, King managed to touch the hearts of thousands; his speech is still hailed as the quintessential speech from the Civil Rights Movement.

President John F. Kennedy(J.F.K.) would be assassinated in August of 1963. Known to be sympathetic toward M.L.K. and the Civil Rights movement, although initial attempts were slow and small, J.F.K.'s administration attempted to pass a Civil Rights legislation in Congress. The news shocked the country, and thousands mourned his death. In his honor, his successor Lyndon B. Johnson pushed the legislation to be passed in 1964. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination against anyone based on race, color, religion, gender, sex, and national origin. Schools and other government-funded entities were also desegregated, and the government secured voting rights for all people of color. The new law effectively ended legal Jim laws in the country. However, everyone should note that it didn't try to reverse the effects of previous legislation. Regardless it was a massive victory for the civil rights movement.

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the end of discrimination in America by a long shot. Even years after the act's passing, it was still common practice in areas across the South to practice segregation despite its new illegal status. Not to mention that similar to the civil war amendments from decades earlier, companies, governments, etc., all found various loopholes to get around explicitly discriminating against race. The damages of segregation meant that the black community had been systematically disadvantaged both socially and economically. Black people found themselves branded with harmful stereotypes that would follow them well into the 21st and 22nd centuries. And policies would be passed that would disproportionately affect them more than their white counterparts. Still, the civil rights movement was monumental for the United States and changed its society towards a greater good. However, four years later, M.L.K. would be assassinated in Tennesee (in the modern-Carolinian province of the same name) by white supremacists. Enraged and heartbroken by his assassination, the black community protested and even rioted in cities across the country. It was a disastrous day for not just the country but the world.

Today, Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy is preserved and memorialized in his hometown of North Georgia province. People can still visit his childhood home and the Martin Luther King Jr. National in . Across the Carolinas, you can still find monuments, names, schools, and more, all named after Martin Luther King and other prominent Black Civil Rights activists. Citizens can see many artifacts and find more information about the civil rights movement and how it affected today's Carolinas.

The late '60s and early '70s was a turbulent time for the United States. The USSR had managed to send the first man to space, Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin, aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1 in 1961, a historical leap for humanity. Not to be outdone, the United States wanted to send a man to the moon. This phenomenon was known as the Space Race, which meant to prove the technological advances of the respective ideology. The United States would be the first nation to reach the moon, celebrated by the country. It was also televised and broadcasted across the nation.

American Soldiers in the Vietnam War

The '60s and '70s were also a time of war and protest. In 1955, Vietnam underwent a radical change after the Japanese occupation ended in the country. Ho Ching Minh founded the League of Independence for Vietnam, which advocated for the end of Colonization of the country. A socialist heavily inspired by the Soviet Union and the newly formed Communist China, he supported a socialist Vietnam. Ho's forces took over Hanoi once the Japanese left the nation, while -backed Emperor Bao Dai, who had been the de facto leader once Japan left, wanted to remain culturally tied to the west. Hanoi is in them because of their geographic locations, while Saigon, the capital city, was in the South; the country became split into two ideologically different areas. The Soviet Union and China backed the North once tensions between North Vietnam and South Vietnam began to rise, while the United States and France backed South Vietnam. War broke out in 1954, and the U.S. affirmed its support of South Vietnam by sending troops to stop the spread of communism. It had done this before in the Korean War (1950-1953), which left the peninsula divided in half between a Socialist-Communist North Korea and a Capitalist Democratic South Korea.

While Americans highly supported the war at first, it became increasingly popular as time went on. The communists were winning in North Vietnam, and America's presence only worsened the situation. America had been using the draft system, which required all able-body men 18 and older to join the military, much to the dismay of the American public. The Vietnam War was brutal, as American soldiers were not used to the climate and of Vietnam. In South Vietnam, the President that replaced Bao Dai, Ngo Dinh Diem, was very anti-communist and actively punished any South Vietnamese citizen who sympathized with Ho Ching Minh's movement. Called the Viet-Cong, Diem's repressive practices would soon lead to the Viet-Cong forming their militant group in support of North Vietnam to fight the South Vietnamese and Americans. The Viet-Cong made the war even more confusing for Americans, as to them, it was unclear as to who was North Vietnamese, Viet-Cong, or South Vietnamese personnel. They were incredibly skilled guerilla fighters and were deadly against the Americans. The Vietnam war was a battle the U.S. would not win, and by the '60s and '70s, many Americans did not want their sons' going to fight for a struggle that lasted well over two decades.

The culture of this time is characterized as a time that challenged American societal norms. Everything from drugs to sexual taboos to the conservative belief that Black people were inferior. However, the Vietnam war was the most challenging thing in American society at the time, as protests were sparked everywhere demanding that the U.S. pull out of the war, which would eventually happen during President Richard Nixon 's administration, although he did it reluctantly.

Drugs were a way of rebellion for young people in the '60s and '70s. Marijuana, Cocaine, Heroin, and Acid were becoming more and more widespread. Harder drugs were easy to overdose on, which became a massive problem in the United States. In response, Nixon also began the war on drugs in 1971, which aimed to eradicate drugs in America with more strict policing and more prominent drug control agencies. Conservatives demonized drugs and the people who used them, which would be catastrophic for the more impoverished communities in America, especially Black and Latino communities.

Nixon would soon be involved in the Watergate Scandal, which effectively ended his presidential career. He resigned to avoid impeachment, putting Vice President Gerald Ford into power, a wildly unpopular move. Ford pardoned Nixon for all his crimes, which cost Ford the chance at re-election.

40th President Ronald Regan

L.A. Times Article upon USSR dissolving

In the 1981 Electrician, Ronald Regan was elected to succeeding Jimmy Carter. Regan would promise to bring economic prosperity to the United States by cutting taxes, deregulating businesses, and continuing drugs. He was a charismatic President and a great communicator. He cut taxes, though primarily for wealthier Americans, and cut many regulations. Although the country did recover economically, many economists believe it wasn't due specifically to Regan's tax cuts. Regan thought that by cutting taxes, everyone would benefit. The rich would make more money, pass it down through each class, and eventually, some money would go to the lowest rank. This theory, Reganomics, divided many economists. Ultimately the middle class and lower class did not benefit much from this, as the rich tended to save a lot of their money or keep it within their sphere of influence.

Regan believed the USSR to be akin to an 'evil empire.' As America's economy grew, the USSR's economy was stagnant. The Cold War was still happening, and both countries had accumulated a massive nuclear arsenal. But by this point, the USSR's facade of a nation of prosperity was quickly crumbling as nations became internally divided. Much of the Union was impoverished thanks to many factors, including the Communist party's incompetence. In the United States, this solidified the belief that socialism would never work, which Regan used to his advantage when pushing for his economic policy.

Ronald Regan also kicked the war on drugs into high gear. In 1984, he and Nancy Regan started the "Just say no" campaign, seen in many elementary schools across the country, along with P.S.A.s on cable television. In 1986, Congress Passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act (1986), which created mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug crimes. The was heavily criticized, as black people arrested for drug crimes typically received longer sentences than white people charged with the same crimes. Black people were also suspected of being involved with drugs more so than white people, a belief stemming from decades-old beliefs that black people were naturally gravitational towards crime. Regan's harsh policies on drugs would continue to be in place well into the 21st century, continuing to place black people in jail for much longer sentences.

Through December 25th-26th, 1991, after years of nuclear scares and a lot of tension, the USSR finally dissolved. By this point, many nations such as Estonia (modern-day Triren, Chezeckslovakia (modern-day Austria-Hungary), and many other nations were declaring independence from the Soviet Union. Germany was reunited in 1990 as well, after being split in two since the end of World War II. Most of the transitions of powers occurring across the old USSR were peaceful, yet many countries still suffered under totalitarian regimes shortly after the USSR fell apart. Russia would be reborn as a federation, remaining the largest Eurasian country.

In the U.S., it was celebrated as a victory over communism, as it was believed the collapse was inevitable. A great sense of relief swept the nation, but China and Cuba were still considerable threats. Up until the United States fell, they would always be neck and neck with China.

As the U.S. entered the 21st century, America was the world superpower, a massive jump starting in the 20th century. Migrational patterns had once favored the Northern States but now selected the Southern States due to job opportunities, suburbs, and a warmer climate. The U.S., in general, was riding a wave of success, but soon it would suffer a devastating event that united, divided, and challenged the nation.

The year 2000 was a somewhat uneventful year for the United States. Republican President George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore in the Presidential election, and it was a close one at that. And besides the short-lived Y2K panic, the new millennium started with no significant problems.

The brief moment of peace would end on the fateful day of September 11, 2001. Al-Qaeda, a radical, multinational Islamic terrorist group was originating from Pakistan with many connections in the Middle East. Al-Qaeda members migrated to America and hi-jacked four flights: American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 77, and United Airlines Flight 93. Flights 11 and 175 were flown to (in modern-day New England) and crashed into the World Trade Center, more specifically the Twin Towers, the city's tallest and most iconic buildings at the time. Less than an hour after Flight 175 crashed, the terrorists crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense. Flight 93 crashed into a Pennsylvanian field (in the modern commonwealth of America), believed to have been heading to the United States Capitol before the hijackers were overwhelmed by the passengers. Inevitably, the Twin Towers collapsed, injuring and kill hundreds inside and on the ground.

Twin Towers after being struck

September 11, often shorthanded to 9/11, was a significant event on both the U.S. and the world. It was the most deadly terror attack to ever occur on American soil. In response, President George W. Bush began a campaign known as "The War on Terror" which aimed to take on radical Islamist groups such as Al-Qaeda, the Taliban (who had taken over Afghanistan), and later on, ISIS. The Bush administration also introduced the Department of Homeland Security which focused on anti-terrorist threats, immigration, cyber-security, and disaster prevention. The U.S. would remove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan and obliterate Al-Qaeda facilities in Iran. Over the years, American troops found themselves stationed in war-torn middle eastern nations, fighting many terrorist groups headquartered there. Unfortunately, their presence had caused a dependency in those nations as well. Through various airstrike campaigns, the U.S. would also inadvertently kill over 250,000 innocent people in Afghanistan alone from 2001-2021. The war on terror had been criticized by many, considered to be an out-of-proportion response to the September 11 attacks.

Another unfortunate side effect of 9/11 was the Islamophobia it brought to the U.S. As refugees from the aforementioned wartorn nations fled to America for better opportunities, there was fear that terrorists and radical Islamic beliefs would arrive with them. Some reactionaries would take their anger out on anyone perceived to be Middle Eastern or Muslim in retaliation. Islamophobia would only worsen as time went on and as the middle east continued to deteriorate politically.

44th President Barack Obama

Charlotte Skyline (2020)

In 2008, the nation's first Black President, Barack Obama, would be elected. His election is notable because it inspired a lot of Black Americans to become interested in politics. Barack also introduced more affordable healthcare for Americans and improved foreign relations with incredibly controversial nations. Republicans highly contested his presence on his last day as President. A new trend that had become increasingly visible during his time in American politics was becoming more and more divergent. America is a two-party system between the left-wing Democrats and right-wing Republicans that had been quite problematic for the nation for some time. Third parties were irrelevant in most elections. Somehow this became more noticeable when Obama was President, especially among the Republican party, which garnered more reactionary beliefs as time went on.

All of this would lead to the 2016 election, in which Donald Trump, an American billionaire and media personality, would win over Hillary Clinton, former President Clinton 's wife. Donald Trump was a conservative populist who ran on strict anti-immigration laws, anti-tax, anti-regulation, and pro-militarism. Donald Trump is regarded in modern times as one of the worst Presidents in American because of his controversial statements and policies that often benefitted anyone, barely at best, xenophobic at worse. Trump was also responsible for spreading misinformation regarding the media, the Coronavirus Pandemic, election fraud in the 2020 election, and much more. He undisputably steered the Republican party for a direction towards the worse. Despite this, Donald Trump gained a massive following during his Presidency and campaigns. Supporters of Trump were known as being blindly devoted to everything Trump, often falling for his many lies and ignoring his scandals. Even after President Joe Biden was elected over Trump in 2020, at the height of the Coronavirus Pandemic, Trump's following was unrelenting. Trump-inspired conservative politicians to follow his practices in lying to the American public, making it harder for Americans to vote (particularly minorities) and preserving systemic issues that have plagued the nation for decades. Because of the rise of the Internet in the late '90s and early 2000s, most Americans had access to more information than generations prior. Younger generations by 2020 were much more progressive than those in the past because of this.

As America progressed into the 2020s, conservatism became more and more looked down upon by younger voters.

For almost their entire existence, the states of North Carolina and South Carolina had been particularly conservative, as were most southern states. But both states were also very diverse, particularly in their Urban areas. Since the 1980s, the Carolinas, alongside other southern states like Texas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Arizona, had grown tremendously due to immigration from the Northern United States. Because of their warmer climate, inexpensive living, natural scenery, and friendly business practices, the Carolinas benefitted from an influx of professional jobs, tourists, and migrants alike. North Carolina was the faster growing between the two, boasting a population around 2x larger than South Carolina's in 2021. North Carolina, the largest city between the two, had exploded in people over the years as it became a commercial hub for the state. North Carolina also boasted some of the South's best affordable universities and efficient research centers. North Carolina was a swing state by the 2020s, as its new political diversity began to reveal itself. Because of its new diverse population, it was heavily contested in Presidential elections.

The Carolinas heavily favored suburban development, which was appealing to middle-class Americans. Carolinian cities, with few exceptions, such as Charleston, were known for their urban sprawl. As a result, Carolinian cities became plagued with an era of unsustainable urban planning practices. Despite this, the growth brought ideas, wealth, and prosperity to the Carolinas. Because of all of these factors, the Carolinas became a notable state to many Americans, which would serve it well in the future as the United States approached its end.

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