Realm of Christiana
Rike Kristiana
Language map
Christiana began as the colony of New Sweden. Swedish language and culture remain a core part of its identity today. This map shows the present linguistic situation in Christiana. Selected cities with particular historical importance are shown.
Today, the most populous parts of the state are still English-speaking, while the large but less populated eastern lobe is largely Swedish. Small Dutch-speaking communities persist in places where New Netherland had made land grants in the 17th century; NN's closeness to Christiana helped the people there maintain the Dutch language.
The Lenape were longstanding allies of the Swedes and the groups intermarried widely, meaning that most people in the eastern part of the state have both Lenape and Swedish ancestry. In the north the Lenape language predominates; in the south, Swedish. Germans were important in the settlement of parts of the state, notably the southwestern part near Pennsylvania and the area around the town of Gottorp. Most of these German settlements have integrated into the Swedish-speaking community, but minorities of German speakers can be found in many towns today.
The flag of Christiana can also be seen on the map. It combines Sweden's cross with the Penn coat of arms.
Explanation of place-names:
Älfsborg = Salem
Christiana = Wilmington
Colby = Cherry Hill (originally a Quaker settlement, an unusual case of an English town later becoming mostly Swedish/Lenape)
Nya Malmö= Atlantic City
Nya Vasa = Camden
Upland = Woodbury
Today, the most populous parts of the state are still English-speaking, while the large but less populated eastern lobe is largely Swedish. Small Dutch-speaking communities persist in places where New Netherland had made land grants in the 17th century; NN's closeness to Christiana helped the people there maintain the Dutch language.
The Lenape were longstanding allies of the Swedes and the groups intermarried widely, meaning that most people in the eastern part of the state have both Lenape and Swedish ancestry. In the north the Lenape language predominates; in the south, Swedish. Germans were important in the settlement of parts of the state, notably the southwestern part near Pennsylvania and the area around the town of Gottorp. Most of these German settlements have integrated into the Swedish-speaking community, but minorities of German speakers can be found in many towns today.
The flag of Christiana can also be seen on the map. It combines Sweden's cross with the Penn coat of arms.
Explanation of place-names:
Älfsborg = Salem
Christiana = Wilmington
Colby = Cherry Hill (originally a Quaker settlement, an unusual case of an English town later becoming mostly Swedish/Lenape)
Nya Malmö= Atlantic City
Nya Vasa = Camden
Upland = Woodbury
Name
The name of the state also reflects a mix of traditions. It comes from Fort Kristina, the base of Swedish power that was named for Queen Kristina of Sweden. When they ruled Christiana as a colony, the English mostly called it the "Province of Delaware Bay". They kept the name Christina for the capital town. As Swedish society developed under English rule, they began to call their colony "Provins Kristina" after the town, hearkening back to the Swedish queen who had given the town its name. At some point, the name warped into "Christiana" among English speakers. Local legend attributes the name change to a printing error, but no one knows if that's true.
Eventually the longer name spread to the Swedes themselves. Upon independence from England, it became the official name of the new state. When the state restored links with the Swedish monarchy, the king at first used the title "Sovereign of New Sweden"; the name "Realm of New Sweden" was occasionally used as late as the 1960s, when Christiana's government formally rejected it, legislating that the sovereign's title should only be "Sovereign of Christiana".
Eventually the longer name spread to the Swedes themselves. Upon independence from England, it became the official name of the new state. When the state restored links with the Swedish monarchy, the king at first used the title "Sovereign of New Sweden"; the name "Realm of New Sweden" was occasionally used as late as the 1960s, when Christiana's government formally rejected it, legislating that the sovereign's title should only be "Sovereign of Christiana".
History
The Swedes and Dutch (1638-1664)
The New Sweden colony was founded under the rule of Queen Kristina in 1638. The little colony quickly made an impact on the fur trade economy through an alliance with the Susquehannock tribe. The population of Swedes and Finns expanded from the initial post to establish a line of forts and settlements along the lower Poutaxat (Delaware) River.
The colony prospered, but suffered from continual shortages of manpower and investment. This made it a target for the rivals that surrounded it. Maryland constantly made moves to occupy land along Poutaxat Bay, particularly the Hornkills, the strategic point at the south end of the bay's entrance. The Dutch also wanted the territory and the lucrative business with the Susquehannocks. From the start, the Swedes had to compete with Dutch posts along the river. A Dutch invasion finally took over the colony in 1655. Christiana was absorbed into the New Netherland colony.
Under the rule of New Netherland, the brisk trade with the Susquehannocks continued. Dutch settlers moved in, receiving grants of land at Cape Mey and along the shore of the bay. These grants anchored Dutch-speaking settlements that survive to the present day.
The colony prospered, but suffered from continual shortages of manpower and investment. This made it a target for the rivals that surrounded it. Maryland constantly made moves to occupy land along Poutaxat Bay, particularly the Hornkills, the strategic point at the south end of the bay's entrance. The Dutch also wanted the territory and the lucrative business with the Susquehannocks. From the start, the Swedes had to compete with Dutch posts along the river. A Dutch invasion finally took over the colony in 1655. Christiana was absorbed into the New Netherland colony.
Under the rule of New Netherland, the brisk trade with the Susquehannocks continued. Dutch settlers moved in, receiving grants of land at Cape Mey and along the shore of the bay. These grants anchored Dutch-speaking settlements that survive to the present day.
Start of English control (1664-1688)
In 1664, New Netherland in turn fell to an English invasion. After a few years passing back and forth, the colony returned permanently to the Dutch, ceding to England the former Swedish colony along with all the land west of the Poutaxat. The king's brother James, Duke of York and future King James II, was granted the former Swedish territory to rule as his own. Naming it New York, the duke sent the experienced soldier Edmund Andros to govern it.
Andros proved a capable and hard-nosed administrator who quickly learned to use continental politics to the advantage of himself and his patron. He contracted experienced Swedish traders to renew their alliance with the Susquehannocks and also formed ties with his closer neighbors, the Lenapes.
While Andros was still organizing his government, the Susquahannocks suffered a severe defeat to the Iroquois League. Andros moved quickly to position himself as an arbiter of the peace, and different bands of the Susquehannocks agreed to relocate to different places, essentially ending their existence as an independent power. Some were brought to Iroquoia, where they remained for a while as a separate, dependent people until intermarriage absorbed them into the Iroquois nations. Lord Baltimore enticed others to move to Maryland, where they established new towns on the Potomac; a generation later the Maryland Susquehannocks were relocated again to the colony's northern border. But the largest share came to the Poutaxat. Andros welcomed them as old allies, and they settled inside the boundaries of "New York". They founded new villages or moved into existing towns of Swedes and Lenapes.
It is worth mentioning here that the Lenape people, who the English sometimes called the Delawares, had an important traditional role as mediators for the region. Other Indians acknowledged them as the oldest Angonquian group and honored them as "grandfathers". This traditional role was also of use to the English and became part of the developing identity of Christiana. Besides this title, the Iroquois often called the Lenape "women", a label that Europeans constantly misinterpreted as a label of derision, but which really reinforced the idea that they acted as mediators and advisors to other tribes in the region - the role of women in Iroquois public life.
The 1680s were a time of great and rapid changes in the Middle Atlantic region. The start of the decade saw the beginning of Pennsylvania, a colony founded explicitly for settlement, not just trade. William Penn aggressively drew colonists and promoted agriculture, so within just a few years the colony was a substantial new regional power. Pennsylvania's grant included most of Christiana's territory west of the river. While Penn tolerated the Swedes living there, many of them gradually moved east to live in a colony where they still formed a majority. Across the river from their town of Upland, Swedish settlers founded New Upland and made it the new seat of their governing council. As the original Upland was forgotten, the word "New" was dropped from the name of the new town, and today it is the legislative capital, Upland.
Then in 1685 the Duke of York, now king, sold his colony to a new company of landowners. William Penn was one of the largest shareholders. The name "New York" lapsed, replaced by "Province of Delaware Bay." But the king did not intend to leave the colony to govern itself. At the same time that he relinquished proprietorship, he incorporated it into a new government under more direct royal control, the Dominion of New England. Andros was sent from Christiana to Boston to govern the sprawling new federation.
But this dominion was not to last, nor was James's reign. A conspiracy of Whigs in Parliament replaced the king with his brother Henry, provoking the Jacobite Wars. The revolution had consequences up and down the Boreoamerican seaboard. In New England, each colony resumed control of its own affairs, while Andros was sent back to England in chains. Maryland, by contrast, declared for James and immediately began a war with Virginia, which backed Henry. During the war Maryland finally occupied the Hornkills while successfully repelling Virginia's advance - with Pennsylvania quietly sending aid. The war took some years to die down, and in the aftermath Christiana was once again transformed.
Andros proved a capable and hard-nosed administrator who quickly learned to use continental politics to the advantage of himself and his patron. He contracted experienced Swedish traders to renew their alliance with the Susquehannocks and also formed ties with his closer neighbors, the Lenapes.
While Andros was still organizing his government, the Susquahannocks suffered a severe defeat to the Iroquois League. Andros moved quickly to position himself as an arbiter of the peace, and different bands of the Susquehannocks agreed to relocate to different places, essentially ending their existence as an independent power. Some were brought to Iroquoia, where they remained for a while as a separate, dependent people until intermarriage absorbed them into the Iroquois nations. Lord Baltimore enticed others to move to Maryland, where they established new towns on the Potomac; a generation later the Maryland Susquehannocks were relocated again to the colony's northern border. But the largest share came to the Poutaxat. Andros welcomed them as old allies, and they settled inside the boundaries of "New York". They founded new villages or moved into existing towns of Swedes and Lenapes.
It is worth mentioning here that the Lenape people, who the English sometimes called the Delawares, had an important traditional role as mediators for the region. Other Indians acknowledged them as the oldest Angonquian group and honored them as "grandfathers". This traditional role was also of use to the English and became part of the developing identity of Christiana. Besides this title, the Iroquois often called the Lenape "women", a label that Europeans constantly misinterpreted as a label of derision, but which really reinforced the idea that they acted as mediators and advisors to other tribes in the region - the role of women in Iroquois public life.
The 1680s were a time of great and rapid changes in the Middle Atlantic region. The start of the decade saw the beginning of Pennsylvania, a colony founded explicitly for settlement, not just trade. William Penn aggressively drew colonists and promoted agriculture, so within just a few years the colony was a substantial new regional power. Pennsylvania's grant included most of Christiana's territory west of the river. While Penn tolerated the Swedes living there, many of them gradually moved east to live in a colony where they still formed a majority. Across the river from their town of Upland, Swedish settlers founded New Upland and made it the new seat of their governing council. As the original Upland was forgotten, the word "New" was dropped from the name of the new town, and today it is the legislative capital, Upland.
Then in 1685 the Duke of York, now king, sold his colony to a new company of landowners. William Penn was one of the largest shareholders. The name "New York" lapsed, replaced by "Province of Delaware Bay." But the king did not intend to leave the colony to govern itself. At the same time that he relinquished proprietorship, he incorporated it into a new government under more direct royal control, the Dominion of New England. Andros was sent from Christiana to Boston to govern the sprawling new federation.
But this dominion was not to last, nor was James's reign. A conspiracy of Whigs in Parliament replaced the king with his brother Henry, provoking the Jacobite Wars. The revolution had consequences up and down the Boreoamerican seaboard. In New England, each colony resumed control of its own affairs, while Andros was sent back to England in chains. Maryland, by contrast, declared for James and immediately began a war with Virginia, which backed Henry. During the war Maryland finally occupied the Hornkills while successfully repelling Virginia's advance - with Pennsylvania quietly sending aid. The war took some years to die down, and in the aftermath Christiana was once again transformed.
Pennamite rule (1688-1774)
As one of Christiana's major landowners and the only one in America, Penn was well placed to gain control of its government in the wake of Andros' ouster. In the chaotic period of the Jacobite Wars, when the outcome was far from clear, Penn's agents in England worked both sides, quietly currying favor with key players so that regardless of which sovereign prevailed, Penn could claim to be his loyal supporter. When the new regime came to power without a clear colonial policy, Penn won recognition of his authority in Pennsylvania and his power in "Delaware Bay" as a separate but dependent colony.
Penn and his successors did not annex Christiana's territory but had the power and responsibility to manage its affairs. The English founded new towns and expanded some of the Swedish ones. New Castle and Christiana in particular grew into bustling ports. The Swedes continued to exist as a separate community. In some ways their status was comparable to Indian groups. While Quaker and other English landowners took most of the best land near the river and used their status to dominate the government, the Swedes maintained a parallel governing court in New Upland.
Christiana's Swedes maintained some links with the home country. From the late 1680s the Church of Sweden sent clergy to support the community. The arrival of Swedish clergy, along with some German missionaries, did much to revitalize the Lutheran religion in Christiana. It accelerated the cross-acculturation of the Swedes and their Lenape and Susquehannock neighbors, because now the children of mixed marriages were consistently baptized and educated. In the 1720s Pennsylvania allowed investors in Sweden and New Sweden to pool money to form a land company that bought and resold plots in the colony's interior. These interactions marked the start of cooperation between Pennsylvania and the Kingdom of Sweden.
By midcentury, New Swedish society was showing signs of cultural and demographic revival. Intermarriage with the Indians and a generally good economy helped to increase their numbers. In the chief towns, an Anglo-Swedish culture was also taking shape. Swedish and Swedish-Lenape people followed the Pennamites into Poutaxia and Allegheny to build new settlements. Moravian missionaries drew some Lenape to separate settlements in the west.
Pennsylvania was in a difficult phase of its "drift toward independence" and was in conflict with England and with its perpetual rival Virginia. To keep the Swedes loyal to the Pennamite side, the Penns offered the community a greater share of power in the colony. The Swedes, as well as the children of Lenape-Swedish marriages, began to participate more in colonial government; at this point, however, their government at Upland remained separate from and subordinate to the English-dominated government in the city of Christiana.
Penn and his successors did not annex Christiana's territory but had the power and responsibility to manage its affairs. The English founded new towns and expanded some of the Swedish ones. New Castle and Christiana in particular grew into bustling ports. The Swedes continued to exist as a separate community. In some ways their status was comparable to Indian groups. While Quaker and other English landowners took most of the best land near the river and used their status to dominate the government, the Swedes maintained a parallel governing court in New Upland.
Christiana's Swedes maintained some links with the home country. From the late 1680s the Church of Sweden sent clergy to support the community. The arrival of Swedish clergy, along with some German missionaries, did much to revitalize the Lutheran religion in Christiana. It accelerated the cross-acculturation of the Swedes and their Lenape and Susquehannock neighbors, because now the children of mixed marriages were consistently baptized and educated. In the 1720s Pennsylvania allowed investors in Sweden and New Sweden to pool money to form a land company that bought and resold plots in the colony's interior. These interactions marked the start of cooperation between Pennsylvania and the Kingdom of Sweden.
By midcentury, New Swedish society was showing signs of cultural and demographic revival. Intermarriage with the Indians and a generally good economy helped to increase their numbers. In the chief towns, an Anglo-Swedish culture was also taking shape. Swedish and Swedish-Lenape people followed the Pennamites into Poutaxia and Allegheny to build new settlements. Moravian missionaries drew some Lenape to separate settlements in the west.
Pennsylvania was in a difficult phase of its "drift toward independence" and was in conflict with England and with its perpetual rival Virginia. To keep the Swedes loyal to the Pennamite side, the Penns offered the community a greater share of power in the colony. The Swedes, as well as the children of Lenape-Swedish marriages, began to participate more in colonial government; at this point, however, their government at Upland remained separate from and subordinate to the English-dominated government in the city of Christiana.
Formation of the Christianer state (1774-1790)
Full integration of society came after Pennsylvania's revolution. Christiana became a Mixt state, the first such state to be accepted among the community of English states. This new Christianer polity emerged in stages and involved the coming together of several different parties: the English, Swedish, and Lenape residents of the colony; the Pennsylvania government; the Lenape and allied settlements of the interior; and, finally, the Swedish crown and some of its allies in Europe.
First, the New Swedish and Lenape societies formally merged. This was as much a tribal unification as a civil one: the ethnic Swedes and Lenape of the Poutaxat valley agreed to unite as one people, and the council at Upland would govern them together. Shortly after, English colonial society formally accepted and united with the Swedes and Lenapes. The Assembly, dominated by the English, combined with the Governing Court and moved to Upland, where a new legislative house was built.
Christiana was now in a position to claim jurisdiction over - or at least a close connection to - other Lenape settlements in the interior, especially in Ohio. Pennsylvania and Christiana cooperated to send agents into Ohio to form links with these bands. Pennsylvania brought its resources and military, while Christianer coming west had tribal, kin, and church connections with many western Lenape. At the onset, state leaders believed that they could simply incorporate all the western Lenape into this emerging state-tribe, but it was not so simple. Many Lenape preferred an independent existence. Some began to call themselves "Munsee," one of the traditional Lenape clans, rather than Lenape or Delaware, as a way to differentiate themselves. Others who had adopted Moravian Christianity wanted to stay in their separate communities. Despite these divisions, the new state of Christiana became an influential player in western politics in the 1770s and 80s.
First, the New Swedish and Lenape societies formally merged. This was as much a tribal unification as a civil one: the ethnic Swedes and Lenape of the Poutaxat valley agreed to unite as one people, and the council at Upland would govern them together. Shortly after, English colonial society formally accepted and united with the Swedes and Lenapes. The Assembly, dominated by the English, combined with the Governing Court and moved to Upland, where a new legislative house was built.
Christiana was now in a position to claim jurisdiction over - or at least a close connection to - other Lenape settlements in the interior, especially in Ohio. Pennsylvania and Christiana cooperated to send agents into Ohio to form links with these bands. Pennsylvania brought its resources and military, while Christianer coming west had tribal, kin, and church connections with many western Lenape. At the onset, state leaders believed that they could simply incorporate all the western Lenape into this emerging state-tribe, but it was not so simple. Many Lenape preferred an independent existence. Some began to call themselves "Munsee," one of the traditional Lenape clans, rather than Lenape or Delaware, as a way to differentiate themselves. Others who had adopted Moravian Christianity wanted to stay in their separate communities. Despite these divisions, the new state of Christiana became an influential player in western politics in the 1770s and 80s.
The Restoration (1790-1793)
The complex political situation of this era led to what must be the most unexpected consequence of the English revolutions: the restoration of the Swedish monarchy in Christiana. To understand how this came about, it's important to understand the array of forces exerting themselves on the little state during this time.
The first thing to understand is that Pennsylvania was trying to expand its continental influence at a time when its alliances were shifting and uncertain. It had cast off English support by declaring independence, but the coalition of new republics was also starting to crumble. Conflict between Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth led the latter to reverse its revolution in 1779 and restore a loyalist government; the rest of southern New England would follow suit in the following years. Meanwhile, land disputes in the Allegheny and Ohio regions was stirring up old tensions between Pennsylvania and Virginia. Closer links were forming with the Iroquois, and the old Jacobite states of Maryland and the Bahamas remained in the Pennamite camp, but the state government perceived a strong need to find new allies.
Meanwhile, Christianer were struggling to create a new state identity out of their ethnic and cultural jumble. Different population groups - English, Swedes, Dutch, Lenape, Susquehannocks - had some things to tie them together, but besides being a Pennamite dependency, what did the whole state have to unite it?
It was in this environment that Pennsylvania's leaders began to talk with the representatives of the Swedish government - the clergymen and land company agents appointed by the Crown who had been present in Christiana for years. They began to discuss a closer partnership between Pennsylvania and Sweden that could give the former a much-needed European ally, and the latter the prestige and commercial opportunities that came from having a North American dominion. Christiana, meanwhile, would have the unifying figure it so needed. In 1790, the unlikely deal was announced: Christiana would acknowledge the Swedish King Dimitri as its sovereign.
Other English states were immediately scandalized by this "pact with the devil." Sweden was by now in a firm personal and imperial union with Russia and Poland, and many Boreoamericans feared that "Russian hordes" would soon be swarming all over America. But the restoration was not so simple. The character of the new monarchy was modeled on the modern Dominion of New England. Christiana's elected government would be able to act without the king's interference, and elections would continue undisturbed. Pennsylvania would continue to supervise Christiana, and indeed would have more power over the state's actions than Sweden would.
Pennsylvania realized, in fact, that circumstances severely constrained what Sweden could do with Christiana. A new order was emerging in continental trade and diplomacy; there was less room for a completely new player. Christiana had an autonomous government and was participating on its own in the Anglo-American Congresses, so Sweden's influence on its governance was limited. The deal placed limits on number of troops that Sweden could send to the colony, and anyway the empire, for all its size, lacked the funds to send massive forces to America. And once the troops arrived, Sweden would depend on local allies for influence, especially Pennsylvania and the Lenape of the interior. In short, Pennsylvania truly believed it could control the Swedish king and his armies.
A Christianer delegation went to Europe to recognize King Dimitri as sovereign of "the most ancient of the peoples of America" - a reference to the Lenape. The king was given the title "Sovereign of New Sweden;" to this day "Sovereign" remains his legal title, though colloquially he is usually called "the king" or even "the tsar."
The new arrangement spurred a new wave of immigration. Most of the 18th century newcomers settled in the wide area east of the river, in what we know as South Jersey. The king personally sponsored the Gottorp Migration, a large-scale project drawing peasants from Holstein-Gottorp, together with other Germans from neighboring regions. In addition, many Finns and Fennoswedes arrived, along with some people from the Baltic states.
Confirming the fears of Pennsylvania's neighbors, a significant military force came from Europe. The bulk of the forces were Swedish, but there were also some Russians and a small but prominent contingent of Polish cavalry. Most of these forces were sent west to posts in Poutaxia and Ohio; the Poles in particular became renowned in the Ohio country. But they still depended on the support of Pennsylvania and the western Lenape to make any real gains in continental trade.
In this way, Christianer people and European troops became an important part of the growing Pennsylvania alliance in the west. Coshocton in eastern Ohio was the seat of the alliance's power . Despite the traditional role of the Lenape as mediators, this alliance was becoming a major regional power.
The first thing to understand is that Pennsylvania was trying to expand its continental influence at a time when its alliances were shifting and uncertain. It had cast off English support by declaring independence, but the coalition of new republics was also starting to crumble. Conflict between Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth led the latter to reverse its revolution in 1779 and restore a loyalist government; the rest of southern New England would follow suit in the following years. Meanwhile, land disputes in the Allegheny and Ohio regions was stirring up old tensions between Pennsylvania and Virginia. Closer links were forming with the Iroquois, and the old Jacobite states of Maryland and the Bahamas remained in the Pennamite camp, but the state government perceived a strong need to find new allies.
Meanwhile, Christianer were struggling to create a new state identity out of their ethnic and cultural jumble. Different population groups - English, Swedes, Dutch, Lenape, Susquehannocks - had some things to tie them together, but besides being a Pennamite dependency, what did the whole state have to unite it?
It was in this environment that Pennsylvania's leaders began to talk with the representatives of the Swedish government - the clergymen and land company agents appointed by the Crown who had been present in Christiana for years. They began to discuss a closer partnership between Pennsylvania and Sweden that could give the former a much-needed European ally, and the latter the prestige and commercial opportunities that came from having a North American dominion. Christiana, meanwhile, would have the unifying figure it so needed. In 1790, the unlikely deal was announced: Christiana would acknowledge the Swedish King Dimitri as its sovereign.
Other English states were immediately scandalized by this "pact with the devil." Sweden was by now in a firm personal and imperial union with Russia and Poland, and many Boreoamericans feared that "Russian hordes" would soon be swarming all over America. But the restoration was not so simple. The character of the new monarchy was modeled on the modern Dominion of New England. Christiana's elected government would be able to act without the king's interference, and elections would continue undisturbed. Pennsylvania would continue to supervise Christiana, and indeed would have more power over the state's actions than Sweden would.
Pennsylvania realized, in fact, that circumstances severely constrained what Sweden could do with Christiana. A new order was emerging in continental trade and diplomacy; there was less room for a completely new player. Christiana had an autonomous government and was participating on its own in the Anglo-American Congresses, so Sweden's influence on its governance was limited. The deal placed limits on number of troops that Sweden could send to the colony, and anyway the empire, for all its size, lacked the funds to send massive forces to America. And once the troops arrived, Sweden would depend on local allies for influence, especially Pennsylvania and the Lenape of the interior. In short, Pennsylvania truly believed it could control the Swedish king and his armies.
A Christianer delegation went to Europe to recognize King Dimitri as sovereign of "the most ancient of the peoples of America" - a reference to the Lenape. The king was given the title "Sovereign of New Sweden;" to this day "Sovereign" remains his legal title, though colloquially he is usually called "the king" or even "the tsar."
The new arrangement spurred a new wave of immigration. Most of the 18th century newcomers settled in the wide area east of the river, in what we know as South Jersey. The king personally sponsored the Gottorp Migration, a large-scale project drawing peasants from Holstein-Gottorp, together with other Germans from neighboring regions. In addition, many Finns and Fennoswedes arrived, along with some people from the Baltic states.
Confirming the fears of Pennsylvania's neighbors, a significant military force came from Europe. The bulk of the forces were Swedish, but there were also some Russians and a small but prominent contingent of Polish cavalry. Most of these forces were sent west to posts in Poutaxia and Ohio; the Poles in particular became renowned in the Ohio country. But they still depended on the support of Pennsylvania and the western Lenape to make any real gains in continental trade.
In this way, Christianer people and European troops became an important part of the growing Pennsylvania alliance in the west. Coshocton in eastern Ohio was the seat of the alliance's power . Despite the traditional role of the Lenape as mediators, this alliance was becoming a major regional power.
The Napoleonic Wars (1793-1808)
For good and for ill, Christiana would now be involved in Europe's wars against revolutionary France. Fighting flared up in 1793, which saw English and French forces fighting in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the Great Lakes. Sweden sent a new battalion to attack French positions in western Ohio. The campaign won some successes, but at this point Pennsylvania refused to join the war; as predicted, Sweden could not achieve lasting gains without the state's support. However, these operations helped to draw Pennsylvania into the anti-French alliance when more widespread war came to Boreoamerica.
War broke out all over the eastern continent in 1802 - the War of the League of Saint Joseph. Pennsylvania and Christiana joined with England, Maryland, New Netherland, and Iroquoia to fight the French and Virginians. Christianer, Swedish and Polish forces fought throughout the western theater of the war, in particular the valleys of the Ohio, Cantucky, and Illinois Rivers. It was the last and bloodiest imperial war in Boreoamerican history.
The war lasted until 1808, but Russia made peace with France a few years before that. The greater part of Sweden's European forces were withdrawn. But the war had a lasting impact on Christiana's cultural footprint. Some soldiers decided to join Christianer Swedes in settling permanently in Ohio, Allegheny, and Poutaxia at war's end. Others headed back east to Christiana itself, which still had available land.
Treaties now put stricter limits on what individual states could do to rule their settlements in the interior. Sweden would remain active in Christiana in the following years, but it gave up on military adventures in America, focusing instead on investing in trade and, later, industry.
War broke out all over the eastern continent in 1802 - the War of the League of Saint Joseph. Pennsylvania and Christiana joined with England, Maryland, New Netherland, and Iroquoia to fight the French and Virginians. Christianer, Swedish and Polish forces fought throughout the western theater of the war, in particular the valleys of the Ohio, Cantucky, and Illinois Rivers. It was the last and bloodiest imperial war in Boreoamerican history.
The war lasted until 1808, but Russia made peace with France a few years before that. The greater part of Sweden's European forces were withdrawn. But the war had a lasting impact on Christiana's cultural footprint. Some soldiers decided to join Christianer Swedes in settling permanently in Ohio, Allegheny, and Poutaxia at war's end. Others headed back east to Christiana itself, which still had available land.
Treaties now put stricter limits on what individual states could do to rule their settlements in the interior. Sweden would remain active in Christiana in the following years, but it gave up on military adventures in America, focusing instead on investing in trade and, later, industry.
After the wars (1808-1868)
When the war ended, Christiana possessed a good deal of land and settlements in the regions of Poutaxia and Ohio. Gradually, it was forced to give up control of them. Its towns in Poutaxia become subject to the new State of Poutaxia. Christiana remained one of the parties to the Ohio Alliance and therefore had some say in its government, but Ohio too was slowly transforming into a unified state.
The continent's deliberative bodies emerged with more power over Boreoamerican diplomacy. Christiana had representatives in both Congress of the Nations and the Grand Council. As these bodies evolved into a permanent confederation, it became clear that this alliance, soon to be named the ASB, would replace Pennsylvania's role in Christiana's external affairs.
In the early decades of the nineteenth century, Christiana adopted a new constitution. It shed the vestiges of its tribal system and extended citizenship to all peoples within its borders. Quakers and Moravians took the lead in calling for the abolition of slavery, which they achieved in the 1820s. The state's Black population had never been very big, but now it grew a bit as freedmen, both legal and fugitives, relocated there from states to the south. Christiana was coming into its own. Its brief period as a regional power was ending, but it was governing itself for the first time.
The continent's deliberative bodies emerged with more power over Boreoamerican diplomacy. Christiana had representatives in both Congress of the Nations and the Grand Council. As these bodies evolved into a permanent confederation, it became clear that this alliance, soon to be named the ASB, would replace Pennsylvania's role in Christiana's external affairs.
In the early decades of the nineteenth century, Christiana adopted a new constitution. It shed the vestiges of its tribal system and extended citizenship to all peoples within its borders. Quakers and Moravians took the lead in calling for the abolition of slavery, which they achieved in the 1820s. The state's Black population had never been very big, but now it grew a bit as freedmen, both legal and fugitives, relocated there from states to the south. Christiana was coming into its own. Its brief period as a regional power was ending, but it was governing itself for the first time.
Affiliation, Confederation, and relations with Europe (1868-1920)
Directly elected confederal parliaments began to meet in the 1860s. It was now clear: the ASB was to be a confederation of equal states and equal citizens. Pennsylvania finally gave up its supervisory role over Christiana in the 1870s, though their state governments continued to cooperate in many areas.
Christiana continued to exert an influence on other states because it served as the point of entry for a new wave of immigrants from Sweden. Drawn by the prospect of farming the plains of Dakota and the Upper Country, many Swedish families passed through Christiana on their journey west. Very often, a new village on the prairies would be anchored by a core of "old Swede" settlers - actually Swedish-Lenape - which then attracted newcomers from Europe. In this way Christianer culture found its way to the most distant parts of the confederation.
Investment from Sweden and from larger American states fueled Christiana's industrialization. By the turn of the twentieth century, Christiana was considered part of the group of "Central States" with a high standard of living and a good deal of political clout. It was probably the wealthiest state with a Mixt or indigenous population. Some of this investment was military: the capital was home to a shipyard that produced iron warships for the Swedish navy.
The relationship to the monarchy became more fraught as global tensions rose. The 1890s saw the formation of global imperial institutions, generally dominated by Russia. Christiana participated but did what it could to keep direct Russian influence at bay. By now the empire's rivalry with other European powers was causing most of the ASB to look nervously at the little realm on its coast. Fearing that Christiana could become a flash point, Parliament voted in the 1910s to ban foreign warships in Boreoamerican waters. The confederal government took over the shipyards and used them to begin work on a new Confederal Navy. Once the war had come and gone, Sweden (and Poland and Russia) confirmed the warship ban by treaty. People called it "Christiana's true independence."
Christiana continued to exert an influence on other states because it served as the point of entry for a new wave of immigrants from Sweden. Drawn by the prospect of farming the plains of Dakota and the Upper Country, many Swedish families passed through Christiana on their journey west. Very often, a new village on the prairies would be anchored by a core of "old Swede" settlers - actually Swedish-Lenape - which then attracted newcomers from Europe. In this way Christianer culture found its way to the most distant parts of the confederation.
Investment from Sweden and from larger American states fueled Christiana's industrialization. By the turn of the twentieth century, Christiana was considered part of the group of "Central States" with a high standard of living and a good deal of political clout. It was probably the wealthiest state with a Mixt or indigenous population. Some of this investment was military: the capital was home to a shipyard that produced iron warships for the Swedish navy.
The relationship to the monarchy became more fraught as global tensions rose. The 1890s saw the formation of global imperial institutions, generally dominated by Russia. Christiana participated but did what it could to keep direct Russian influence at bay. By now the empire's rivalry with other European powers was causing most of the ASB to look nervously at the little realm on its coast. Fearing that Christiana could become a flash point, Parliament voted in the 1910s to ban foreign warships in Boreoamerican waters. The confederal government took over the shipyards and used them to begin work on a new Confederal Navy. Once the war had come and gone, Sweden (and Poland and Russia) confirmed the warship ban by treaty. People called it "Christiana's true independence."
Finding a place in the modern world (1920-present)
Christiana's odd relationship with a global empire continued to set it apart and drove much of its history for the past century.
In the 1920s and 30s the state was known as a hotbed of socialism, culminating in the elevation of Urban Stendahl as Chief Minister of the ASB. Stendahl was both the first Socialist and the first Christianer to reach the chief ministry. Socialists were naturally hostile to the idea of monarchy, and during their time in power the state government was quite ambivalent about its connection to Sweden, not willing to repudiate it, but not embracing it, either.
Anti-Russian sentiment reached its peak in the 1950s and 60s, making it rather difficult to be a patriotic Christianer. The "Kronor Wars" pitted conservatives against socialists. On the surface, the issue was whether to keep using the imperial kronor alongside the state-issued currency. The state currency was interchangeable with confederal dollars, while the imperial kronor made business and travel easier between Christiana and the other realms of the Imperial Commonwealth, which now numbered over thirty. But people used the discussion on currency to channel their feelings on Sweden, the monarchy, the empire, the Lutheran Church, and the meaning of Christianer identity. Debates frequently got ugly. Joseph Mansfield, president of the Grand Council of State, expressed worry that the acrimony could hurt the ASB's relations with Sweden and the other imperial commonwealth realms.
Christiana temporarily stopped participating in imperial institutions, officially to protest certain authoritarian actions by Russia. It also formally ended all uses of the old name "New Sweden," legislating that the king's only title be "Sovereign of Christiana." But it still did not take the step of ending the monarchy, or even getting rid of imperial currency.
In the 1980s, led by reformists in the smaller European realms, the Imperial Commonwealth took on its modern, liberalized form. Christiana became a full and permanent participant again. The cultural struggles of recent decades began to subside as the people grew more accepting of the monarchy as a component of Christiana's mixed culture. The state consciously embraced an identity that emphasized its European and Indian roots. An example is the governor's mounted honor guard, which traditionally wear wings of eagle feathers derived from the old Polish hussars. During the height of the Kronor Wars these uniforms had been toned down. In the 90s, the wings returned with great fanfare. These days, they are so popular that Christianer put on imitation wings to cheer on the state football team. Such a celebration of imperial history would not have been done in the past.
Christiana remains a complicated place. Its people are the ancient Lenape, the stolid Nordics, the enterprising English; marginalized indigenous, wealthy Central Staters; loyal monarchists, left-wing firebrands - all rolled into one. It's a small state that's been punching above its weight for years. When it comes to the contradictions of life in the ASB, we can bet that it will continue to lead the way.
In the 1920s and 30s the state was known as a hotbed of socialism, culminating in the elevation of Urban Stendahl as Chief Minister of the ASB. Stendahl was both the first Socialist and the first Christianer to reach the chief ministry. Socialists were naturally hostile to the idea of monarchy, and during their time in power the state government was quite ambivalent about its connection to Sweden, not willing to repudiate it, but not embracing it, either.
Anti-Russian sentiment reached its peak in the 1950s and 60s, making it rather difficult to be a patriotic Christianer. The "Kronor Wars" pitted conservatives against socialists. On the surface, the issue was whether to keep using the imperial kronor alongside the state-issued currency. The state currency was interchangeable with confederal dollars, while the imperial kronor made business and travel easier between Christiana and the other realms of the Imperial Commonwealth, which now numbered over thirty. But people used the discussion on currency to channel their feelings on Sweden, the monarchy, the empire, the Lutheran Church, and the meaning of Christianer identity. Debates frequently got ugly. Joseph Mansfield, president of the Grand Council of State, expressed worry that the acrimony could hurt the ASB's relations with Sweden and the other imperial commonwealth realms.
Christiana temporarily stopped participating in imperial institutions, officially to protest certain authoritarian actions by Russia. It also formally ended all uses of the old name "New Sweden," legislating that the king's only title be "Sovereign of Christiana." But it still did not take the step of ending the monarchy, or even getting rid of imperial currency.
In the 1980s, led by reformists in the smaller European realms, the Imperial Commonwealth took on its modern, liberalized form. Christiana became a full and permanent participant again. The cultural struggles of recent decades began to subside as the people grew more accepting of the monarchy as a component of Christiana's mixed culture. The state consciously embraced an identity that emphasized its European and Indian roots. An example is the governor's mounted honor guard, which traditionally wear wings of eagle feathers derived from the old Polish hussars. During the height of the Kronor Wars these uniforms had been toned down. In the 90s, the wings returned with great fanfare. These days, they are so popular that Christianer put on imitation wings to cheer on the state football team. Such a celebration of imperial history would not have been done in the past.
Christiana remains a complicated place. Its people are the ancient Lenape, the stolid Nordics, the enterprising English; marginalized indigenous, wealthy Central Staters; loyal monarchists, left-wing firebrands - all rolled into one. It's a small state that's been punching above its weight for years. When it comes to the contradictions of life in the ASB, we can bet that it will continue to lead the way.
Politics
Christiana's institutions reflect its mixed English and Swedish heritage. The state has two capitals: Christiana itself is the seat of the executive, and Upland continues to be the legislative capital.
Gwen "Turquoise Blue" has worked out Christiana's spectrum of political parties.
Social Democrats: Soft social democracy, possibly "Third Way". Affiliated with federal Socialists.
Liberal People's: Liberalism, Conservative liberalism. Affiliated with federal Whigs.
Conservative: Conservatism, Christian democracy. Affiliated with federal Democrats.
National Socialist: Democratic socialism, left-wing, affiliated with the Freedom Party.
Green: Environmentalism, Agrarianism. Centrist, affiliated with federal Green Party.
Progressive: Social liberalism, Centre-left, affiliated with federal Progressive Party.
Dutch People's: Liberalism, Centrism, Dutch minority rights. No federal affiliation.
Due to Christiana's PR parliament, there exist 7 parties that have representation. The current coalition is a LP-C-G-DP one.
Gwen "Turquoise Blue" has worked out Christiana's spectrum of political parties.
Social Democrats: Soft social democracy, possibly "Third Way". Affiliated with federal Socialists.
Liberal People's: Liberalism, Conservative liberalism. Affiliated with federal Whigs.
Conservative: Conservatism, Christian democracy. Affiliated with federal Democrats.
National Socialist: Democratic socialism, left-wing, affiliated with the Freedom Party.
Green: Environmentalism, Agrarianism. Centrist, affiliated with federal Green Party.
Progressive: Social liberalism, Centre-left, affiliated with federal Progressive Party.
Dutch People's: Liberalism, Centrism, Dutch minority rights. No federal affiliation.
Due to Christiana's PR parliament, there exist 7 parties that have representation. The current coalition is a LP-C-G-DP one.