NationStates Jolt Archive


Colonization [Historical Background]

Santa Barbara
15-10-2003, 03:37
This is a basic timeline of Santa Barbara history starting from the Pre-Colonial era, and continuing into the Colonial area and beyond, as its RP'd out on the main Colonization II thread, which can be found here:
http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1817755

No RPing here, this is a reference thread, for the main historical RP, which will grow over time. Like a cancer!

The Pre-Colonial Era 512 BC - 1536 AD

The Shipmen

512 BC
The “Shipmen,” a pacific islands tribe, discover the continent and over the next thousand years, settle much of the coastal areas. They are a simple tool age fishing people with a polytheistic religion and skill at navigating the seas. Their ships were likely rowed galleys and canoes. They hunted and fished for meat, while gathering and slah-and-burn agriculture for everything else. Their early habitats were likely constructed of timber and hide tents. Their name comes from scattered early references in archaeological fragments; what they were truly called, no one knows.

704 BC
Records show the Shipmen had definitely learned how to work meteoric iron, copper, gold by this time. Stoneworking had become art by necessity; the chaparral of the mainland did not support large forests of high quality wood. Stone houses and temples appeared in the seasonal villages, which had grown. Olive trees were gardened by the wealthy, and goat herding had also become popular, in the hills further inland.

Early Guabito Dynasties

936 AD
The descendants of the Shipmen, the Guabito (goo-AY-bee-tow) live much the same culture as before. But by now, they have discovered writing and began making records. They have also discovered how to work copper and tin to make bronze. Their religion is called Ilixal (EE-lee-ksahl) in early Guabito.

980 AD
Orogen, a prospector from the coastal village of Mancna ventures into the Goletan Plains region and returns telling tales of a pale-skinned, crouched race of man dwelling in the caves and hoarding metal riches, attacking anyone they see. His text, called “Of the Southlanders and Their Land,” was quick to establish that the Goletan Plains was their land, populated and controlled by the Southlanders.

Middle Guabito (Guabito Golden Age)

1024 AD
The Guabito civilization reaches its golden age, building the great city of Laclayli on the south end of Ledbetter Bay. Massive irrigation projects signalled the transition to a truly sedentary society. Uravonc, the first King of Laclayli, was widely seen as a symbol of worship. By now they speak High Guabito, which is accompanied with a new writing system- which to this day is incomprehensible, as they rarely seemed to write except on short-lived material.

1240 AD
The Guabito civilization dies out for unknown reasons. All the cities are abandoned and ruined. Survivors form traditional tribal clusters and continue living the hunting/fishing/some farming way of life. The cataclysm seems to have wiped out written language.

Late Guabito

1450 AD
The descendants of the Guabito, still telling the tales from their long history and utilizing a new alphabet, are invaded by who they call the Dolug (DOH-loog) a pale goblin-like species living in underground caverns in the Goletan Plains. The Dolug farm a nutrition-rich mushroom in their caves and in shaded houses. They are described as “stupid,” but speak their own language and use spears with crude iron heads. They exist in great numbers.

1504 AD
The Dolug invasion, coming in waves, crushes all but the coastal and island descendants of the Guabito. By the time the colonists arrive, the Guabito are a dead civilization- and the Dolug are nowhere in sight.

The Colonial Era 1537 AD - 1620 AD

Discovery and Colonization

1537 AD
The Holy Roman Emperor backs an explorer, inspired by success in the New World, to discover a rumored Second New World; a large continent previously unexplored by anyone except a few pacific islanders. The explorer, Fernando Menendez de Quesedilla, sets out from Nation A* after seven months and the loss of 430 of his 2000 man crew, lands on a beautiful island he names Isla Vista. He founds a colony at Trigo at a gold mine. There are no natives on this island.

1541 AD
Word reaches the Devils Desert Nation A, Nation B of the existence of unclaimed continents to the south. Explorers, conquistadors and entrepreneurs all set out beginning now. Portuguese discover and map the islands of Bosquinha and Venerados, and much of the north coast of Santa Barbara, the entire coast of Muy Vista are mapped.

1542 AD
De Quesedillas second voyage sees the foundation of colonies at Del Playa, Carvajal and Cabrillo. Brave traders from Nation C have put an upriver outpost of 500 men at Welbach, and a port in a good harbor on Muy Vista called Harrisville. The island of Santa Cecita is discovered north and east of Bosquinha.

1544 AD
Nation D, learning of the Second New World, sees a rush of emigration as refugees, the poor, the outlawed, the desperate hop ships to Santa Barbara. The tales tell of a land, pleasant in climate, uninhabited, with an exotic landscape perfect for raising chickens, farming, ranching, fishing, mining, foresting. In Montecito, the eastern part of the Santa Barbara continent, the colony of Larga was founded.

1560 AD

Santa Barbarian Colonial Population: 51,795 (This doubles over the next 40 years.)

The 10 colonies above are now the most prosperous places in this new world. Already the colonists see themselves as somewhat separated from their home countries, being so far away, though the wealthier towns can strictly enforce trading laws. Forts are built and manned to protect against pirates and anyone else. Sea explorers from the South Coast report warmer, wetter climates, dense rainforests and swamps. Land explorers tend not to go more than 100 km inland, and many who do never return- in fact, the distances are such that travel is almost always done by boat or ship. Mules fare better over distances than horses on the terrain.

*Nation A-D are still open. As their roles are filled they'll be replaced for all posterity.