Atlantic America is a term that came to use in the 23rd Century. As the Dakota Plains cut the eastern and western coasts with little to no contact between them, the two sides developed into completely separate regions.
Atlantic America tends to mean the eastern side of North America, running from Greenland in the north down into the Caribbean.
The Name
The term Atlantic America was coined in the early 23rd Century by statesman and political theorist Jacob Reitman of Pittsburgh. In his writings, he discussed how the broad expanse of the Dakota Territory and the Rocky Mountains divided North America into two distinct areas, Atlantic and Pacific America, as thoroughly as the Atlantic Ocean divided America from Europe.
Although not a point made for any particular point of his, Reitman’s phrase became generally accepted by the populace and the governments therein. One reason was undoubtedly the neutrality of Atlantic America over other potential names, such as Mississippi America (promoted by the Mississippi Empire).
History
With the death of the Before Time during the 21st Century, much of Atlantic America saw patterns of destruction play out. Refugees fled the cities, seeking safety in the rural areas. The rural areas fought against being overrun, leading to escalating violence in addition to the constant famine. Some states attempted to survive as a political or military force (the Independent State of Minnesota, the Naval State of the Chesapeake), but these were short lived.
The 22nd Century saw the beginnings of new orders being put together. Many of these remained small, either city-states based out of former urban centers, or rural communities held together by societal forces. Others grew in size quickly, mainly the Kingdom of Quebec and the Kingdom of the Mississippi, forerunners of the first new Empires. Trade was just as common as warfare and piracy, and violence was still endemic.
During the 23rd Century and beyond, stability returned as nations grew powerful enough to resist raids and banditry. Wars still occurred but were not as commonplace as the previous centuries. Quebec and Mississippi grew into large empires with significant influence, while other states grew into sizable regional powers (Minnesota, Michigan) or formed their own confederacies.
The Commonwealth War of 2455-2457 had a huge impact on Atlantic America, with most of the nations being subsumed into Commonwealth aligned stated, or divided into successor kingdoms.
Unorganized Territories
in the Imperial Commonwealth, Unorganized Territories are large areas of territory with little or no government.
The Dakota Plains
A large expanse of territory, stretching from Atlantic America to the Rocky Mountains and from Texas north into the frozen north. The territory is wholly unorganized, with city-states and ancient plantations surrounded by nomadic tribes and bandits companies. To some it is lawless, to others it is freedom.
Successor Kingdoms
The Successor Kingdoms of Atlantic America are fully independent nations. They exist under treaty or charter with the Imperial Commonwealth.
The Kingdom of Quebec
Once and still the most powerful nation of Atlantic America. Quebec was the most powerful nation and the most advanced culture for centuries.
The Kingdom of Louisiana
The successor kingdom to the Mississippi Empire, Louisiana is the most stable kingdom in Atlantic America.
The Kingdom of Ohio
Half occupied city-states and half long-organized nobility, Ohio suffers from political unrest, economic stagnation and a theocratic king who is far too pious for much of his population.
The Kingdom of Michigan
Once a progressive democratic nation, the Kingdom of Michigan has given up its president for a king, and its beacon of democracy for a harsh occupation of Wisconsin.
The Kingdom of North Mississippi
The third and lesser of the three successor kingdoms to the Mississippi Empire, few have any great expectations of the kingdom. Stability is all that is required of it.
The United Kingdom of Caribbean States
Another kingdom that surrendered to the Commonwealth, the progressive leaders of the kingdoms were purged and the new kingdom works hard to make up for their initial resistance.
Independent City States
Three cities in Atlantic America have retained their independence, even from being annexed into neighboring nations.
The Archduchy of Sault Sainte Marie
A well-placed city-state at the confluence of three Great Lakes, Sault Sainte Marie benefits from trade and a complex web of diplomatic alliances.
The Blessed City of Boston
A city that has survived since the old time, Boston remains an independent city-state under the Commonwealth, a surprise to many who know how hard the city resisted the Commonwealth.
The Princedom of Charleston
Another city-state, Charleston survived on piracy for centuries. It is considered a very hedonistic city in Atlantic America.
Defunct
The Imperial Commonwealth’s conquest of Atlantic America destroyed a number of nations and international organizations.
The Mississippi Empire
A large and ever-expanding empire, the Mississippi Empire worked to control the entire Mississippi basin, becoming in many cases the nation everyone expected to go to war with.
The Iron Republic of Minnesota
A moderately sized nation in the west, the Iron Republic was respectable for its size. It was the last nation to fall to the Commonwealth an suffered greatly.
The Waterloo Confederacy
A population-heavy nation in the west, the Waterloo Confederacy shaped the politics along the Mississippi River before becoming a breadbasket. Suffered during the occupation of the Commonwealth.
The United Cities of the Ohio Valley
A confederacy of city-states in the Ohio Valley, the UCOV was a primarily defensive organization that was slowly makings its way towards more integration prior to the Commonwealth War.
Other
Not every nation in Atlantic America follows the norm.
The Archives Collective
The Collective is not a single nation state, but an organization of communities that range from parts of cities to city-states in an of themselves. The Archives have access to knowledge from the ancient world, and use that to protect themselves.
The Atlantic Dominion
The Atlantic Dominion is a conglomeration of occupied city-states along the Atlantic seaboard. Under the control of the Imperial Commonwealth, the Atlantic Dominion suffers from what many consider to be the most repressive rule in Atlantic America.