Great Lakes Republic

"The Buck's Shield"

The Great Lakes Republic, Commonly known as Laurentia, is a country located within the *Great Lakes* region of *North America*. It borders *The Confederate States of America* to the south, *Lakotah* to the west, *New England* to the East, *Quebec* to the northeast, and *The British Overseas Territory of Rupert's Land* to the north. The capital of the Great Lakes Republic is *Lansing*. However, Its largest city and financial hub is *Toronto*. *Detroit* is recognised by the Laurentian Government as the nation's 'Cultural Hub'.

The Territories of The Great Lakes Republic were inhabited by Indigenous Peoples for thousands of years. In 1534, the region was explored and colonised by *France* until its defeat in the *French and Indian War* and subsequent cession to *Great Britain* in 1763. Following the *American Revolutionary War*, the territory was split by the *United States of America* in the south and *British North America* in the north. As the United States expanded, its institutions of Slavery also spread in the south, causing disputes which culminated in the *War of Succession*. As a result of the *Confederate States of America*'s victory over the north. The remaining United States collapsed and dissolved itself. As a result of a land dispute between *Michigan* and *Ohio*, The Great Lakes Republic was founded on November 26, 1872. After the *Second Upper Canada Rebellion* in 1898 and Subsequent collapse of *British Canada*, *The Upper Canadian Republic* joined The Great Lakes Republic. in 1905, The northernmost territories were sold to the *United Kingdom* in the *Keewatin Purchase*. It then annexed the Western 'Upstate' region and 'Erie' region from *New England* in 1912 following *a referendum*, Giving The Great Lakes Republic its current borders.

The Great Lakes Republic is a *Parliamentary Democracy* and *Republic*. It has a *Unicameral Legislature*, The *Congress of The Great Lakes Republic*. The *Head of State* is the *President*, who is directly elected and serves an executive role, While the leader of The congress is the *Prime Minister*, who is elected by the congress and ceremonially appointed by the president.

The Great Lakes Republic has an advanced economy. It rakes highly as one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP & GNI per capita. It has abundant natural resources and is a manufacturing hub as a result. It is the largest Corn Exporter in the world and the fourth largest Wheat Exporter in the world. It also has a large Medical industry, involving the research and production of Medicines along with other medical procedures. It is a Developed Country. It ranks very highly on measures of Government Transparency, Freedom of Speech and of the Press, Economic Freedom, Innovation, and Education. It has one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the world and is the most diverse nation in North America.

## Etymology

The name "Great Lakes Republic" comes from its geographical position, entirely surrounding the *Great Lakes of North America*. "Laurentia" on the other hand, is derived from the *Laurentian Craton*, which is in turn, derived from the *Laurentian Shield* and *Laurentian Mountains*, which received their name from the *Saint Lawrence River*, which is named after *St. Lawrence* *of Rome*.

## History

Several Native American populations (*Paleo-indians*) inhabited the region around 10,000 BC, after the end of the Wisconsin glaciation. Copper nuggets that have been extracted from the region and fashioned into tools indicate that the peoples of the Great Lakes traded with the *Hopewell culture* from around 1000 AD.

In the early 16th century, the region was explored by mainly French explorers who then established control over the region. contrary to *British colonisation* on the Atlantic Coast, French colonisation remained within outposts at strategic points on the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence, and the *Mississippi River*, where they traded with the Natives.

During the late 18th century, The British Empire acquired France's North American colonies following the 7 Years War. In 1763, British King *George III* signed a *Royal Proclamation* that forbade colonists from settlement past the *Appalachian Mountains*. This, along with other *Intolerable Acts* caused 13 of Britain's North American colonies to *Revolt*. The American Revolution led to the formation of the United States of America in 1776, which gained international recognition in 1783.

The Great Lakes Region became a flash-point during the *War of 1812*, being the site of the decisive *Battle of Lake Erie*. The battle determined control over the region for the rest of the war, which in turn allowed the Americans to recover Detroit and win the *Battle of the Thames* to break the *Indian Confederation* of *Tecumseh*. It was one of the largest naval battles of the War of 1812. The *Rush–Bagot Treaty* signed in 1818, after the War of 1812 and the later *Treaty of Washington* eventually led to a complete disarmament of naval vessels in the Great Lakes. However, The United States and the United Kingdom did maintain Coast Guard vessels within the lakes. Despite this, the policy remains in effect to the present day.

The Region would become an industrial and agricultural hub within the United States. The construction of the *Erie Canal* which connected the *Hudson River* to *Lake Erie* in 1825 and later the construction of the *Illinois and Michigan Canal* which connected *Lake Michigan* to the Mississippi River in 1848 allowed for manufactured products to be produced in the resource rich Great Lakes Region and be exported to the rest of the United States, and to foreign markets.

Social and political tensions came to a head in the year 1860 with the Election of *Abraham Lincoln* (Who had won the popular vote in the territory that is now the Great Lakes Republic) and the resulting *Succession Crisis*. The Confederate States of America's *victory over the United States* in 1862 was a direct catalyst for the *1864 July 4th Plot* against the American Government in which President Lincoln was forced *at gunpoint* to *Dissolve The United States*, Turning each state into its own independent country, and leaving the non-state Territories in a state of *Anarchy*, Beginning the *Warring States Period.* (Also known as the "Final Conquests" in the CSA, or as the "North American Restructuring period".)

After almost a decade of separation, Michigan and Ohio *United on November 26, 1872* to create the Great Lakes Republic. *Illinois*, *Indiana*, Western *Minnesota*, and *Wisconsin* would join over the next year. The new state would enjoy industrial growth as well as migration from the *Plains Region* throughout the next two and a half decades. The 1898 *Second Upper Canada Rebellion* and *Québecois War of Independence* led to the collapse of British Canada. The Newly independent *Upper Canadian Republic* opted to join the higher populated and industrially connected Great Lakes Republic. The *Keewatin Territory* was sold to the *United Kingdom* in the *Keewatin Purchase*. Then, the 'Buffalo' and 'Erie' region joined the Great Lakes Republic in 1912 following a referendum, Giving The Great Lakes Republic its current borders.

In 1920, Following the Election of the *Socialist Party of The Great Lakes* (Which would later merge with the *Democratic Party*) President *Eugene V. Debs* organised and won a *Constitutional Referendum* in 1921 that changed the nation's governmental system from a *presidential one* to a *parliamentary one*. The *new constitution* was one of the most *progressive* ones of its time, being the first in North America to guarantee *Universal Healthcare*, *Universal Compulsory Education*, and the right to *Unionise*. Ironically, it also *accidentally legalised* *Same-Sex Marriage* after a *Supreme Court* case in 1924 due to a technicality with the wording of the constitutional definition of *Marriage*. Debs died in office in 1926.