Counterculture/The Free American Republic

Formed from the collapsed Northwest Confederacy in 1874, the Free American Republic (FAR, usually pronounced as the word 'far') is the world's first direct republic[1]. A citizen of the Free American Republic is refered to as a 'Farite'. FAR is located approximately in the center of North America and stretches toward the west coast. It shares borders with Canada, the Lone Star Republic, the United States of America, and Kansas.

History

Timeline

1874 (February): The Northwest Confederacy falls to revolutionary forces and the Provisional Articles of Confederation are established to govern seven of the states which had constituted the Northwest Confederacy (Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, and South Dakota - Kansas having been claimed by the Lone Star Republic).

1874 (August): The Constitution of the Free American Republic is ratified along with an initial set of laws establishing district boundaries and limited local governments. Simon Sterne is inaugurated as the first president of the Free American Republic.

1874 (September): Congress passes the Civility Act - a collection of laws which forbid and prescribe punishments for crimes such as murder and burglary. Also, congress declares October 7th annual Decoration Day - a day to honor those who have fought for the freedom of the people of the Free American Republic.

1876 (January): Congress passes the Immigration Act of 1876 which enacted strict requirements for immigration including a proven ability to read and write in the English language and to understand the Constitution, laws, and contracts.

1876 (March): Congress passes the Limited State of Emergency Act which granted the president limited powers for addressing national emergencies without invoking Suspension of Law.

1878 (June): Samuel J. Tilden[2] is elected president.

1878 (August): Samuel J. Tilden is inaugurated.

1880 (February): Congress passes the Thanksgiving Act, granting the president the power to declare national days of Thanksgiving on which government workers and indirect government workers (through contractors) are given a day off (private businesses voluntarily participate).

1881 (March): When a forest fire of unprecidented proportions ravages Minnesota and traps hundreds of citizens of the United States of America against the border of the Free American Republic, the president grants them entrance and asylum in violation of the Immigration Act of 1876. President Tilden personally notifies the sumpreme court that he has exercised his power to suspend law, initiating the first impeachment trial in the history of the Free American Republic.

1881 (December): President Tilden is found innocent of abusing his power to suspend law in an 89% national referendum.

1890 (January): Congress declares the anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution of the Free American Republic a national holiday.

1918 (September): The first cases of severe influenza are reported (many retrospectively diagnosed). [3]

1918 (November): The Ormsby Chronicle announces that "We have arrived at an epidemic," in regards to the recent outbreaks of influenza.

1919 (January): Congress passes the Kinship Act of 1919 allowing adult citizens to chose their legal family and compelling hospitals and financial institutions to cooperate in matters of visitation and inheritance.

1920 (March): The Quarantine Measure almost passes in a 52% congressional vote (a 2/3 supermajority was required).

1923 (May): By 1923, 30% of the Farite population has been infected (with a 60% death rate) and 10% have fled the country. The Quarantine Measure passes in a 76% congressional vote. Butte, a northern district with a nearly 100% infection rate, is selected as the quarantine district. All inficted citizens are forcibly moved to Butte, whose border is patrolled by the National Guard. Quarantine deserters are shot on sight.

1923 (October): 60 out of 233 congressional representatives have been quarantined. Congress passes the District Stewardship Act of 1923. Under this law, each district must elect a Steward who will report directly to the president and exercise many of the powers of the president on a local level in the event that the district loses contact with the national government.

1923 (November): An uprising at the northeastern border of the quarantine district erupts into a devastating battle. Many of the quarantined escape into Canada (most of whom were killed by the Canadian military). Reporters deliver the demands of the quarantined to the Farite people: more clean food, restoration of the right to governmental representation, and a plan to identify and release individuals who have survived influenza and are no longer contageous.

1924 (February): Under pressure from a majority of the people, congress passes a measure to allow the quarantined citizens to vote and appropriates money for the supply of clean food to the quarantine district.

1924 (March): Advised by doctors, congress ends the quarantine measures, requiring instead that all new cases are immediately and forcibly hospitalized. To this day, anyone infected with the flu is required by law to report to a hospital for treatment.

1924 (April): The president declares the end of the national emergency and schedules an extra day of Thanksgiving (the second one in 1924).

1928 (January): Congress passes the Health and Education Act of 1928, introducing government-funded systems of healthcare and education.

1928 (May): Congress passes the Copyright Act of 1928, granted authors and inventors limited rights to make profits from their work. In a departure from most copyright laws, this law did not allow authors to restrict the use of their works except in regards to attribution. Before 1928, the Free American Republic had no copyright laws as they were considered an afront to freedom of speech.

1930 (June): Congress passes the Citizenship and Immigration Act of 1930, extending the requirements of the Immigration Act of 1876 to native citizens wishing to become independent citizens with the right to vote and make contracts without a councilor.

1940 (October): The Health and Education Amendment is passed in the second round of a supermajority national referendum. This amendment made the Health and Education Act of 1928 constitutional by adding education and a healthy environment to the rights of every citizen, ending what the newspapers dubbed "The Health-Care and Education Debacle".

1945 (January): Congress officially adopts the tradition of Labor Day on May 1st of each year for the Free American Republic. Later than month, congress declares New Year's Day also to be an annual national holiday.

1948 (February): Congress passes the Public Decency Act of 1948, abolishing public nudity, extreme public profanity, and public displays of sexual or romantic affection between persons of the same sex.

1951 (July): The Free American Republic joins the American Union.

1951 (August): After the success of the first round of a national referendum for the Clarification Amendment, congress repeals the Public Decency Act. This is widely considered to be the beginning of the counterculture movement in the Free American Republic.

1953 (July): The Clarification Amendment is passed, adding a clarification of rights explicitly protecting such forms of expression as public nudity and profanity. It also requires that every section of national law include text justifying the law in terms of the constitutional guarantees of liberty and representation. The deadline for compliance with that requirement was set at January 1st, 1960.

1954 (March): Congress passes "Clarification Compliance Act 1".

1959 (November): Congress passes "Clarification Compliance Act 2".

1961 (February): Congress moves Labor Day to May 2nd, acknowledging that May 1st is a pagan religious holiday.

1961 (April): Congress passes the Transportation and Communication Act of 1961, establishing a contract relationship between the national government and companies which require a network of roads, tunnels, and conduits throughout the country in order to provide transportation and communication services. Before this time, all such contracts were made with district councils.

Legal holidays

Date	Name	Remarks
January 1	New Year's Day	Beginning of the year.
May 2	Labor Day	Celebrates achievements of workers. Adopted from The Lone Star Republic.
August 9	Constitution Day	The anniversary of the radification of the constitution of the Free American Republic.
October 7	Decoration Day	Honors servicemen and women who died in service.
President's Discretion	Thanksgiving	Day of thanks declared by the president, usually once each year.

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