John Berkman

**John Berkman** was a President, Vice President, Associate Justice, and Senator of the Republic of the Green Mountains. Little is known about his childhood, but on November 28, 1740, the Second President of the Republic of the Green Mountains was born. What little is known is that Berkman from a young age was fascinated in warfare, and would serve in local militia's during his young adulthood. While in the New York Militia, Berkman would meet one Elsa Guysan in 1766, and marrying her only a year later in 1767. During the Revolutionary War, Berkman would work his way up to becoming a General, but wouldn't see many actual battles until the Six Nations War in 1785. Berkman had also been interested in politics, and in 1785 would join the First Republic's Senate as an Independent. Only a little over a year into his public experience, President Morris would nominate him to the Supreme Court. In 1788 Berkman would be unanimously elected as Vice President of the Republic, and following his exploits in the War of 1789, he'd be elected President in 1792 after President Morris retired.

## War Service

**John Berkman** first joined the military at 16, fighting for a New York State Militia. He would remain a Private throughout his early 20's, when he was 26 he'd be promoted to Lieutenant, after saving a CO during a native attack. By the time the Revolutionary War broke out, Berkman was a Major of the New York Militia.

### Revolutionary War

Berkman was a Major going into the Revolutionary War. He would retain his position, and even be bumped up to Colonel for his loyalty to the Revolution and military experience. In 1775, Berkman would fight with General Ethan Allen in the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga, stealing many munitions and canons that would be used to retake Boston. Berkman would fight the British throughout New York in the late 1770s, being responsible for the fall of many forts, though records are sparse of his exploits, and he'd be temporarily out of commission due to a shot artery acquired while in battle.

In 1777, after most of New England and New York had been liberated, now Brigadier General Berkman would fight alongside General George Washington in the Battle of Norfolk, to crush the British forces stationed there. George Washington would later call Berkman a "sleeping lion waiting to be woken". Washington for the rest of the war would take Berkman under his wing, alongside another upcoming soldier, the young upstart Alexander Hamilton.

Berkman would attend the last surrender of the British in Charleston, but would return to New York following the war. Following the peace Berkman would be promoted to a General of the Federal Army of the Green Mountains, which was just a loose unregulated militia at the time.

### Six Nations War

In the beginning of the new Republic, native attacks in a developing Pennsylvania became more and more common. President Gouverneur Morris and Congress would declare war on the Six Nations in 1785, causing the Six Nations War, and Berkman would take on the bloodiest battle of the war. General Berkman would be in the Battle of Berkman's Hill, the bloodiest battle of the war, but also a decisive one, crushing most of the native's major forces. General Berkman would be promoted to General of the Army following the battle, and would be the biggest member of the military moving forward.

### War of 1789

During the War of 1789 Berkman would take on a pacifist route, wanting to rekindle his relationship with now President of the Washington Republic, George Washington. Berkman would lead the first and longest battle of the war, the Siege of Baltimore, where in the end Berkman would convince Brigadier General Harrison to surrender without major bloodshed. This would continue in the next battle, the Siege of Alexandria, where Berkman would also manage to peacefully disarm his enemy and gain another major city. For these actions, Berkman would earn the nickname 'Peaceful John', and would earn the Presidential Medal of Honor. After the Battle of Richmond, General Berkman would be heartbroken, as his friend and mentor George Washington would be killed during the fighting by Governor Henry Erler's forces, sparking a fierce rivalry.

## Senate

In 1785, General John Berkman would be nominated by the New York State Legislature to represent New York in the Republic's First Senate. Within a year he would be voted in as President Pro Tempore, succeeding Charles Carroll as he ascended to Vice President following Ethan Allen's death. He would immediately get to work proposing the 12th Amendment in 1785, which would protect the right to bare arms.

In 1786 Berkman would work with the Natives and Government to create the Treaty of Philadelphia, which would end the war of the Six Nations War in 1787. It would also set up the first Native American Reservation in western Pennsylvania.

## Supreme Court

In 1786 Berkman would be nominated for the Supreme Court by President Morris, and would be confirmed the same year. In 1789 Justice Berkman would vote against the Anti-Slavery Act of 1788 in Fenner vs. Republic of the Green Mountains, siding with the minority opinion written by Justice Gorham, "The citizenship of the Republic is not clearly defined, and the rights of people unthought of to be defined must not be protected under the 8th Amendment." Berkman would submit a Constitutional Amendment to end slavery a few months later.

In a unanimous decision in 1790, Berkman along with all other present Justices would vote against Governor Henry Erler, striking Section 1 and 3 of the Establishment of the Maine National Guard Act of Maine, which stated that the Federal Government couldn't control Maine Troops, and the Maine Guard would be allowed to fight separate from the Republic in federal wars.

## Vice Presidency

Berkman's Vice Presidency was mostly uneventful, but Berkman would fight in the War of 1789 while holding the office of Vice Presidency, much like one of his predecessors former Vice President Ethan Allen.

Berkman would also oversee the passing of the 15th Amendment, Congressional Seats Act of 1789, and the Gorham Tariff Act of 1789, which would finally establish an income for the government. And would oversee the declaration of war in the War of 1789, also passing the Improving Military Strength Act, which would help with the war effort.

Near the end of his Vice Presidency, Berkman would run for Election in the Presidential Election of 1792. Following a very contentious election, Berkman would win with a popular vote landslide.

## Presidency

In 1793 John Berkman would take the Presidential Oath of Office. In this moment, Berkman would pass much crucial legislation, including the acquisition of the Ohio Confederacy, several budgetary updates, and infrastructure reforms.

In 1794 a major scandal would happen known as the Benckendorf-Martial Scandal, which when Berkman's Secretary of War, George Benckendorf would declare martial law in Maine over some miscommunication and the misconstruing of a statement by Governor Erler of Maine. The scandal would drag down both Berkman and Benckendorf's approval ratings, which would hurt them both going into the Presidential Election of 1796.

In 1795 the unofficial Green Mountain-Canadian War began over disputed Maine Territory, escalating after Secretary of War George Benckendorf ordered his troops into contested territory, sparking a war with the British. The Republic would win victory after victory in the war, only losing one major battle at the Battle of Mainland. After the Battle for Halifax in 1796, Berkman would finally win the war, and gain the most land out of any President in Republic history.

In the Presidential Election of 1796 Berkman would rewin election as President with an electoral landslide, being the last Federalist to win national election, and the last non-democrat to win Virginia.

Berkman's second term was very quite, but he would pass the Canadian Statehood Acts, bringing Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia into the Republic as states. Additionally, he would pass the Naval Act of 1795, which after long floating in Congress would officially establish a federal Navy. In the last days of his Presidency, John Berkman would sign the Berkman D.C. Act, which established a federal capitol of the Republic.

## Chief Justice

John Berkman would be elected to the position of Chief Justice in 1801, he was the first Supreme Court member ever elected.

## Personal Life

The early life of John Berkman is relatively unknown, but it's known that he was born in Albany, New York. At a young age Berkman was fascinated with being a soldier, war games, and local politics. At 16, Berkman would realize this goal, and join the New York Militia as a Private. After a few years of service, at the age of 26, Berkman would meet Elsa Guysan, an immigrant come to the country in the early 1760s. In 1767 Berkman would marry Elsa. In 1778 following the Revolutionary War Berkman would settle down and have his first child, James Berkman; in 1780 his second, Marvis Berkman; in 1782 his third, Arthur Berkman; and in 1784, the same year Berkman would win his first term to the Senate, he would have his last child, Elizabeth Berkman.