History of Shmakalaka

The **History of Shmakalaka** refers to the history of the area and people of the Federation of Shmakalaka and its preceding Indigenous and colonial societies. The Shmakalakan Archipelago was formed by a series of large volcanic eruptions, Subduction of the Cocos Plate under the larger Pacific Plate and Continental drift of land from Central America. The Puanesian Peoples arrived on the Islands of Modern day Shmakalakan Pacific Territory by sea from Hawaii and the Marquesas and Society islands of modern day French Polyneasia in around 800a.d. The Indigenous Shmakalakans of First Nation Shmakalakans arrived from the Pacific Northwest of North America around 10,000 to 5000 years ago at around the same time as the migration across the Bering Land Bridge was common, Shmakalaka being located along the edge of the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate has sinse drifted away from the Pacific Northwest and California coastlines towards the South West. It is thought that these peoples migrated using Primative boats as well as using the Shmakalakan Bank or North West Shelf, which stretches the entire distance from the Northern tip of the Shmakalakan Archipelago to the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Due to rising sea levels and tectonic activity much of the land is now submerged however a few islands remain, which would have been highpoints of this once large landmass, such as Mt Rawhiri Noka, Sundance Island and Mt McCombes.

Spanish Manilla Galleons traverssing the Pacific Ocean from Manilla to Acapulco are beileved to be the first Europeans to sight and land on the chain some time after 1565 when the route opended. Sir Francis Drake sighted and landed on what is beileved to be the Island of Soresta, claiming the entire archipelago for Queen Elizabeth I and her successors before sailing south easterly along the chain and towards the south west towards the Puanesian Islands in 1579 en route to Asia from the California Coastline. Spanish Mariner Cristian Del Plato sighted and circumnavigated Ilha Grande in 1572 before sailing North East missing the Proper Chain. Del Plato reported his findings upon arriving back in Spain, describing Ilha Grande as a vast and desolate place with no natrual harbours. Inspired by Del Plato a young Portuguese explorer named Vaso de Payo became the first Portugueseman to offically sight and land on the the Isalnd of Costa Dourado when he discovered the landmass of Costa Dourado mistaking the island for a larger landmass in February 1701 by sailing westwards into the Costa Dourado Bight.

Palmero was settled as early as 1601 as a (way-station) stop off for Spanish Ships crossing the Pacific. During the Seven Years' War the Portuguese Pacific Indies Company launched a bid in 1758 to purchase the undeveloped Islands of Costa Dourado and Travira for a sum of 1 million British Pounds worth around 170 million today from the Spanish Government, later Portugal and Britain would cease the Spanish controlled islands. Britain ceased the modern day states of Hamilton, Soresta and Porto Azul, while Portuguese were given Ilha Grande and Travira, this marked the begining of the uneasy realtionship between the Portuguese and the Portuguese Pacific Indies Company which would ultimately lead to the Costa Dourado War.

James Cook sighted the Southern end of the chain in 1769 on his First voyage after making contact with the Puanesian Islands a few weeks earlier, Cook circumnavigated and mapped the Archipelago in a North Westerly direction before reaching modern day Palmero. During his third voyage after departing Hawaii in January 1778 Cook sailed East towards the North American Pacific Coast and the Shmakalakan Archipelago where he then sighted Ilha Grande. Cook and his crew found the Islands to be practical for settlement this was further backed up when Botanist Joseph Banks discovered the wide variety of precious metals and minerals on the Island of Hamilton.

The British and Costa Dourado Company later divided the chain between them in the in 1771 in the Sangres-Maitland Agreement with the Costa Dourado Company asserting their earlier claim over the Northern end of the chain including Costa Dourado, Travira and Ilha Grande and the British claiming the Southern end of the chain Hamilton, Soresta and Porto Azul, which was effectively annexed from Spain, much debate over the status of the Islands prior to 1762, the generally accepted narrative is that the Costa Dourado Company held title over the Island of Costa Dourado and Travira. While the southern end of the chain (Hamilton, Soresta and Porto Azul) although never officially claimed by Spain or even New Spain (Modern day Mexico) was under Spanish control. Spanish control over the archieplago was subsequently interrupted when the Costa Dourado Company offically declared allegiance to Portugal and upon the outbreak of war between Spain and Portugal in 1762 annexed the Island, they were aided by three Royal Navy Ships. The Combined Fleet of Portugal and Britain then proceeded to patrol the entire archipleago for Spanish forces as well as using it as a base to stage attacks on Spanish Manilla Galleons crossing the Pacific.

British settlement of the Shmakalakan Archiepalgo began in 1776 in Georgetown before Porto Azul a former Spanish way station was settled in 1780, Portuguese settlement began in Palmero in 1772, Agidal in 1784, Formosa in 1807 and Sibras in 1831.

The Harbour of Palmero was the scene of a naval engagement during the War of 1812 where the USS ... entered the Portuguese Harbour to refit, before the Portuguese aided the British in seizing the ship and her crew during a bloody engagement named the .

Immigration to Shmakalaka boomed from 1810 onwards, immigration from Portugal boomed with the onset of the Peninsular war and the promise of fertile soil and ideal growing conditions, gold rushes and agricultural industries also brought prosperity. The British Pacific Shmakalakan company was set up in 1801 to develop the islands and attract immigrants. Italian business man Henry Soresta bought the rights to the island of Soresta in 1814 and subsequently attracted Italian migrants to settle.

The British Colonies of Porto Azul, Hamilton and Soresta were granted a level of self governance in with an elected system of government in 1857 although prior to that many had seen locals serve on the governing bodies of the colonies. In 1861 the Costa Dourado Colony began an armed uprising against the Portuguese rule due to increased taxes and the failure for a locally represented government which had been promised, the Portuguese were defeated and signed the Treaty of Sabotal in 1863 which saw the Costa Dourado colony became a part of the newly formed Shmakalakan United Colonies. The Berlin conference of 1884 saw Portugal hand sovereignty of there two Shmakalakan possessions to Britain in return for land in Africa and due to Economic pressures of maintaining the colonies and the ongoing Political conflict in the colonies. When news reached the predominantly Portuguese residents of Ilha Grande and Travira it was met with anger. In show of good faith the British granted the same level of self governance they had given to there possessions to the newly acquired Portuguese lands, this act pacified the unrest in the Portuguese regions. Later in 1890 Porto Azul, Hamilton, Soresta and Costa Dourado which had been unified in Shmakalakan United Colonies sinse 1872 with the help of Britain put forward the United Territories act to unite the 6 then colonies under a central government, the act was accepted by the representatives in Ilha Grande and Travira that same year with the process to Dominion-hood beginning, on February 15th 1899 Shmakalaka became a Dominion of the British Empire with the passing of the Constitution of Shmakalaka Act in Westminster on the 10th February 1898. Shmakalaka would later go on to adopt the Statute of Westminster in 1930 becoming a Independent State and a Commonwealth Realm. Shmakalaka fought in both World Wars.

## Pre-Colonization

### First Nations Peoples

First Nation peoples of Shmakalaka are believed to have immigrated to the Shmakalakan Archipelago around 400 b.c

### Puanesians

Puanesian Peoples are thought to have settled the Puanesian Islands in around 1180 a.d

## Coloniazation

### Porto Azul Gold Rush

In 1834 Gold was discovered on the Ceu Azules, which effectively founded the city of Porto Azul.

### Costa Dourado Company - Zounato Purchase

The Costa Dourado Company participated in the Mexican-American war from 1847, though the involvement was small as part of the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed by the remnants of the Mexican government, saw the transfer of a portion of the modern day Baja California territory to the Costa Dourado company, it was settled and named Zounato in honour of Rodrigo Zounato who led the Costa Dourado Involvement. The Baja California territory began to be developed to be an overland route for the company to trade with the United States.

## Autonomy to Federation

### British Shmakalaka's Act

In 1860 the British granted their 3 Shmakalakan colonies a level of self governance, this was as a result of growing nationalism and self identity in the colonies, the 3 colonies all joined an unofficial partnership called the Shmakalakan Confederation.

### Costa Dourado Home rule conflict

The Portuguese government had incurred large debts and began heavy regulation of trade in the 3 colonies of Costa Dourado, Travira and Ilha Grande in October 18th 1861, some 40,000 protesters in Palmero marched to the Portuguese Government building to demand reform, the troops guarding the building opened fire on the protesters to disperse the crowd killing 17, this is seen as the first engagement or action of the revolt. The Following years saw the introduction of various taxes and acts in order to pay off large chunks of Portuguese debt. The armed struggle began shortly after the Palmero Killings, with a hastily organized militia unit in Agidal seizing control over the city for 7 weeks in January and February 1862 before Portuguese troops could retake the city from the under equipped and under supplied Shmakalakans. As a result of the events in the 3 colonies the Portuguese sent thousands of troops from mainland Portugal to put down the conflict. The Shmakalakan Home Army was formed later in March 1862 as a way of organizing and carrying out larger actions against the Portuguese rule. The First major conflict of the 2 sides after the Agidal siege was the Battle of Sangrosotta in June 1862, where the Costa Dourado Home Army had dug in and were preparing an attack on Agidal. The Portuguese attacked this force and were repulsed, the Shmakalakans then pursued the Portuguese defeating them before seizing Agidal. The Shmakalakan Army then consolidated their control over the southern half of Costa Dourado by defeating a Portuguese force which came south from Palmero in September 1862 at the Battle of Hamsona Valley. The Costa Douradans then marched North but were defeated at the Battle of Vattona in November 1862 and retreated south towards Agidal. In early 1863 the Costa Douradans had regrouped and resupplied and where preparing to make a push towards Palmero, in August 1863 the two sides clashed along the Eastern coast at the Battle of Scarlotta which was a major victory for the Shmakalakans. The Portuguese subsequently retreated north towards the southern part of Palmero hoping to draw the Shmakalakans into a costly frontal assault. Britain officially stayed neutral and out of the war, although most British residents of the neighboring Shmakalakan colonies did sympathize with the cause and subsequently aided and supplied the Costa Douradan forces. All land travel out of Palmero was cut off as the Portuguese line in the south had all but stopped movement anticipating an attack by the Shmakalakans. In October 1863 the Treaty of Sabotal was signed between the 2 warring factions which saw the Portuguese hand the rights to Costa Dourado to Britain. The Costa Dourado Colony achieved its aim of self determination although on a limited scale and massive deregulation of the over inflated economy, which saw the colony become the economic powerhouse house of the Shmakalakan Confederation a few decades later.

### British Costa Dourado Act - 1863

After the successful expulsion of the Portuguese as a result of the Treaty of Sabotal in 1864 Costa Dourado became part of the British Shmakalaka's known as the Shmakalakan Confederation. The British gave the Costa Dourado a representational Government which was based in the old Portuguese Treasury Building. The British guaranteed religious freedoms to the mainly catholic populations and ensured the protection of the Portuguese language and the local developed Costa Dourado culture. This was enshrined in the Costa Dourado Constitution which saw Queen Victoria become the head of State. Costa Dourado Government was set up in a way that an elected Governor officially held most executive power, similar to the US State system of Governance it proved to be effective at appeasing the local Portuguese majority population.

## Early Federation Era

### Federation

Shmakalaka became an independent nation on **15 February 1899** when the British Parliament passed legislation allowing the six Shmakalakan colonies to govern in their own right as part of the Commonwealth of Shmakalaka.