#American Revolution Verse

[thereismoretomylifethenice]

uh... let me get this straight. i must have misunderstood you. ( Abe @ anyone for the strangest crossover ever, feel free to ignore this!! // cabbxges-and-kings )

@cabbxges-and-kings

Elsa licked her lips, looking away nervously. “No… um… no you really didn’t.” She admitted softly. “What you just saw me do… I really did freeze a path over the river so I could cross it quickly,  and melted it before the ruffians could follow.” The white blonde could only stare awkwardly at the ground for so long before she knew she had to look up at the flabbergasted man again. She supposed it made sense. The Arendelle family lived in York City, and her businessman father had always been a vocal supporter of King George. With the death of himself and his wife in a shipwreck, and no sons, Elsa inherited the business. Most people assumed she inherited her father’s politics as well. What almost no one knew was that she had a particular condition that left her wary of throwing in behind either side. Unfortunately, it seemed that this innocent gentleman traveling to Brooklyn had stumbled upon her secret as well. “I’m sorry if I almost melted it under your feet. I didn’t think you would be following… but I could hardly leave you behind with those fiends.”

[anoseforrottenapples]

Open--Mary Woodhull

"Sssh...." Mary affectionately bounced Thomas, wrapping her hand around his tiny fingers, and squeezing them gently. "Thank you for being so patient, Thomas." She praised her son. "You have done very well behaving yourself while I do the shopping." Looking up, she smiled at the first person she saw, and inclined her head toward her son. "Thomas is behaving quite well... especially after the scare he got the last time we all came into town." Of course, she was referring to the incident were the Continentals took over the village, holding her family and herself hostage in the tavern along with quite a few of their neighbors. She was really quite surprised that Thomas had wanted to come back to town with her after all of that. Still... he was quite young. Perhaps he did not remember what had happened too clearly.

[forlibcrty]

all the bridgert*n talk on the dash, perfect time to think about mid-fifties connor in england dealing with all this.

[melpomeneprose]

I'm not the man you think I am / and pretty girls make graves...

[charmantevamp]

Thoughtless death my love should thwart. O, what pain it is to part…

[sins-of-the-sea]

((All right, you twerps, if you don't like turkey, then what part of the traditional American Thanksgiving meal do you like?))

“Hey, turkey is great! Just because rich people eat it more than poor people do doesn't mean we ca’tn get our hands on it our way: stealing it!"

"Or just hunting it ourselves. Ruixiong and I actually had a grand time going out for some game."

"As for traditional American thanksgiving meal…. I don’t think the indigenous people are that willing to share what they have. Or are you talking the English?"

"I'd imagine the mishmash of English with the various native tribes of North America, given how they were kind enough to help earliest settlers with how to survive the harsh winters of the land when they realize how shit out of luck they were in initially."

"There is also French, Spanish, and other early settlers. New France had the Choctaw and Chitimacha."

"I think it’s worth an experience to go to the land and try out their celebratory harvest for the upcoming winter, but, uh….

"Big landmass there."

[ask-nyc-boroughs]

😈😈 I’m cooking up some comics. Anyways “To Prevent Consequence” is the title for my American Revolution arc in Nor’easter verse. The first of these I made back in April to help introduce major characters in this arc in a fun way. I will note that these “cheat sheets” are an oversimplification of positions at the beginning of the American Revolution. I’ll keep this as a navigational post, and I’ll try to update it as each comic page comes out. Also links to all my comics can be found here & you can follow the tags #tpc comic for updates on the comic.

Denise/Quebec & Thomas/ Nova Scotia belongs to my friend ekuos.art on Instagram.

Also feel free to ask questions!

For reference, these are the chapters that I have mostly completed as of August 2024:

The End: Most of the 13 colonies see no other option, but to agree with their people and declare independence from Arthur thus putting their lives on the line. However some colonies remain on the fence. Furthermore, the colonies can’t seem to agree upon one of their own to lead them, or really have as a figurehead. In general the colonies can’t seem to even decide if they want to be independent together, or strike it out on their own. Henry (Massachusetts), a fierce advocate of independence, and an advocate of remaining together proposes that his cousin Alfred Jones, who was once Plymouth colony (yet his exact role in the present is unclear), be their figurehead while they unite together. However Henry & Alfred face great opposition from their peers.

The Ashes: Following the Battle of Long Island, Jennie Van Slyke (New York State) wakes up in Albany, hurt and disoriented. There she finds her longtime rival and now ally in independence, Henry with her.

lol I realize the font is small in case you needed a close up here it is.

Other notes:

You may be familiar with the Haudenosaunee as the Iroquois Confederacy, some suspect the name Iroquois comes from an insult and was later adapted by colonists. I put their names in their respective languages so Mr. Seneca (O-non-Dowa-Gah), Mr. Mohawk (Kaniek’kehá:ka), Mr. Onondaga (Onoñda’gegá”), Cayuga (Gayoghó:no’), Oneida (Onyota’a:ka), & Ms. Tuscarora (Skarùr:re).

Mr. Cherokee = Mr. Anigiduwagi

Mr. Mohican = Mr. Muhhekunneuw. Also Lynn/ NYC’s biological father

I focus mostly on settler colonial histories. I try my best to research and understand indigenous histories, but as this is a piece of fiction and I’m not a historian - I will be prone to error in my work. If you notice something egregious in this regard & have sources to lead me to, do let me know via private message.

[leninisms]

I’m not very well versed in international diplomacy, can you explain why her policy is evil aside from her stance on Israel and Gaza? Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I figured you’d be kind enough to actually answer.

hi! thank you for asking so nicely! this is not a dumb question at all, and i’m happy to answer:)

i want to start by quickly shouting out a couple of my favorite independent media outlets that i go to for news, because i believe these people and organizations are doing really crucial work:

geopolitical economy report

breakthrough news, the socialist program, liberation news, and liberation school

the real news network

venezuela analysis

i’m gonna break kamala’s foreign policy down section by section, but i do want to first point out that there is no mention of strengthening international partnerships, except through military power. there’s no talk about ending any sanctions or blockades. no talk of strengthening old, or establishing new trade agreements. it’s all military, war, threats, security, attacks, etc..

this is long so it’s all below the cut:)

immediately “american interests” is bad. this does not mean the interests of the american working class (though it would still be bad if it did)— it means the interests of the american capitalist ruling class. the biggest “threat” china poses to the U.S. is the rise of china and the BRICS as global economic superpowers. from liberation news:

“…China’s economic rise poses a threat to this U.S.-dominated unipolar international arrangement, and this fear of the U.S. losing its status as the dominant global power forms the basis of Washington’s foreign policy vis-a-vis Beijing. Presenting this competition as an existential one of “democracy” versus “authoritarianism,” the U.S. applies a strategy of containment toward China to blunt its rise: by seeking to isolate it through military encirclement, foreclosing its access to key markets, and cutting it off economically from the rest of the world. This policy is intended to cripple China’s development, ensuring Western capitalism’s control over the entire globe.”

for more information on china, check out dongsheng news, friends of socialist china, and breakthrough news’ new segment “the china report.” here’s a cool podcast mini-series about china’s revolution. and, just for good measure, here’s all of liberation school’s china analyses. i also recommend this post debunking the “uyghur genocide.”

north korea (the democratic people’s republic of korea/dprk) is not a fascistic military dictatorship or whatever they’re calling it these days. there’s a lot of fear-mongering in the U.S. about the “threat of nuclear war with north korea.” the primary reason dprk has been so adamant about having nuclear weapons is that the united states carpet bombed all of korea from 1950-1953, dropping 635,000 tons of bombs, destroying an estimated 85% of buildings, and killing hundreds of thousands of people. the desire for nuclear weapons comes from the security that mutually assured destruction (MAD) offers.

for more information on korea: this article is a condensed version of stephen gowen’s book (patriots, traitors, and empire: the story of korea’s struggle for freedom). i also recommend the dprk’s government website and the pyongyang times. if you’re a podcast enjoyer, blowback season three was all about korea (and they have a bibliography)!!! and this post has more sources as well:)

i’ll start by saying NATO needs to be abolished. it’s not about peace— it’s about unipolar U.S. hegemony and it’s about aggression and endless war. i’m going to let these sources speak for themselves because they’re just that good.

this episode of the socialist program (2022) is a really good introduction to NATO, specifically in relation to the russia-ukraine conflict. this statement on russia’s intervention in ukraine from liberation news is a very solid analysis. geopolitical economy report shared this article (also available on youtube) just days ago which nicely analyzes some of the reasons the U.S. has been so unconditionally supportive of ukraine. this essay about the convergence of ukrainian liberals and fascists was recommended by one of my comrades, and for good reason. from the article:

… dwelling on Ukraine’s neo-nazis can be an optical illusion. Not that I am one to underplay their murderous actions or political power. But that ultimately, they are junior partners to Ukraine’s liberals. And Ukraine’s liberals at time may be even more militaristic than the nationalists, who more often have their lives under risk at the frontline. Even if liberal slogans may not seem quite so openly bloodthirsty as whatever rightwinger yelling about the Jewish conspiracy.

The political convergence between extreme ethno-nationalism and neo-liberalism... In Ukraine, it’s quite simple: the nationalists care more about cultural policy and the right to shoot those they dislike than economic policy. And the liberals need someone to shoot those they dislike.

i hope this was helpful, but please feel free to ask for clarification or further reading or whatever. i love talking about politics and i love getting to make posts like this because they allow me to expand my knowledge too!! again, thank you for asking!

[avictimofthejazz]

♒ Murph & Elsie or Peggy

@unyieldingvalxr

Eyes narrowing, Murph carefully studies his little sister. She is insisting on borrowing his musket, but she is so tiny that he fears lending it to her will just send her flying into the next colony the minute she touches it off. He can honestly see his father teaching Elsie how to shoot, but Murph cannot imagine his mother approving for one second. If she finds out he so much as let Elsie touch his gun, she will likely have a tongue-lashing waiting for him as soon as he steps foot inside the house. Still, Elsie keeps fixing him with those deep, pleading eyes. He swallows hard, trying to resist her uncanny impersonation of his puppy.

Finally, Murph sighs, and tilts his head. “Do you even know how to shoot, Elsie?”

[alpaca-clouds]

Solarpunk Fiction and Conflict Pt. 1

You know what? This week I am gonna talk a bit about Solarpunk fiction. Something there is not yet a lot of. Again, the Solarpunk movement is fairly young and while there are a couple of older books and movies, that are kinda Solarpunk, and there is some fiction in the South American sphere, but so far there are only a handful of fiction books out there and a couple of anthologies.

If you enter any Solarpunk space, you will actually find a lot of discussion about how to tell Solarpunk storytelling and how to tell a Solarpunk story. And a lot of those discussions center around the question of "conflict".

This originates with the issue I spoke about before: People have problems imagining or understanding utopias. Because we barely are taught to imagine utopia. We are fairly well versed with dystopias, but utopia is barely getting tackled.

This issue leads to the main problems here: People cannot imagine conflicts within the utopia.

So, let me talk about this in three parts: Conflict between ideologies, conflict with nature, and conflict between people. First I will talk about today, the other two tomorrow and the day after.

Conflict of Ideologies

The most obvious conflict potential lies within two basic ideas: Establishing Utopia and Defending Utopia.

There are a lot of Solarpunk stories, that can be told based around the idea of Establishing Utopia. This is where you might actually link up Solarpunk and Cyberpunk. You can start out with a world that is like ours right now or even worse. And the protagonists are fighting to establish a Solarpunk world or at least a Solarpunk state. After all it seems unrealistic, that we will get to the Solarpunk state without some form of revolution or war. And while Solarpunk does strive towards a peaceful world, it still is something worth fighting for, I would argue.

But of course you can also have a scenario of Defending Utopia. Meaning: The world is already Solarpunk or at least the state or planet or whatever your story is set is. But there is a group, who does not like this Utopia. And make no mistake: There will always be people like this. People, who will talk about a mythological past and all of that. While I personally still absolutely believe that most people are good and only act in bad ways, because they live within a system that encourages this behavior... Some people will always exist that want more power for themselves, that want to discriminate against other people, that want to be rich or just... kill people. Whole stories can be told about characters trying to defend their Solarpunk utopia against people like that. This might be anything: A rebellious Nazi group within a Solarpunk world, or another state going all cold war on a Solarpunk state.

Obviously those conflicts have a very large scale and are probably the most classical kinds of conflicts, you can tell within the Solarpunk genre.

But those kinds of conflicts will realistically exist and the stories about these might be interesting to tell.

Tomorrow I will talk about environmental conflicts.

[anoseforrottenapples]

🌀 ( Maybe Hewlett & Troy? Or any muse you have the most muse for!! // sharp-teeth-and-wide-grins )

Send “🌀” to find my muse, injured and alone after being beaten up

Where the hell was he? The Philadelphia native wanted to roundly curse most everything in the universe, except that he lacked the energy and wherewithal to do so at the moment. Troy rubbed at his head, wincing when his fingers encountered a goose egg-sized lump that seemed to be the source of most of his problems. His fingers came away slightly sticky and he sighed….that explained why his hair back there felt caked and clumped together. Normally rather careful about his appearance, Troy could not bring himself to worry about his hair right now. Not when he felt like his entire body had been stampeded over by a herd of cattle. He could hear the sounds reminiscent of a wharf outside of…whatever dark hole he sat in. Seagulls screamed….men were shouting at each other…faintly, he could make out the creak of wood as ships shifted with the flow of the water… For a second the Constable’s heart sped up—had some bloody idiot press-ganged him down in Philadelphia and dragged him to the docks to supplement some Royal Navy ship? Just as quickly, he pushed the idea aside. Civilian sailors would be pressganged long before random landlubbers. An untrained seaman like Troy would be more of a liability then an asset to a beleaguered, undermanned Navy vessel. But something else must have happened to get him up here…. Gradually, he became aware that he was in a warehouse…and he was not tied up so, presumably, that meant he was free to go. That part hinged on his ability to stand up, something Troy would not bet good pay on right now. Rubbing at his head, he looked up slowly when he heard the doors open and footsteps start making their way inside. Then he saw a familiar flash of red wool uniforms and groaned. Fantastic… While Troy professed neutrality toward the war, his real focus being on law and order in Philadelphia, he had privately thrown his support behind the Continentals. What had started off tepid became much stronger after the disastrous winter of 1777 into 1778, when Howe held the city. Everyone who lived there, except the officers, had suffered. The officers and the Philadelphia elites, of course, continued to go through money and supplies like water, seemingly oblivious to the misery the rest of city descended into. Nearly everyone except snobs like the Shippens were relieved to see the British retreat to York City. Pulling himself upright until he could at least sit up properly, Troy waited for the officers to get closer. Maybe an explanation was coming at least…or he accidentally got caught up in some far-flung spy hunter net thrown by that idiot Arnold…who could very well be the man in the red coat. Troy might have been many things in his life, but he was no spy, nor did he possess a temperament that would aid him in such endeavors. Still, General Arnold was not looking for facts right now…just bodies to haul in and interrogate. The Constable mentally groaned. He had not liked Arnold much when the man had been the Continental general in charge of Philadelphia. Now knowing the man to be a turncoat, who had almost sold out the soldiers at West Point who trusted him, only worsened Troy’s instinctual aversion. Trying to tap down on his pulse, even as it anxiously sped up, Troy kept his attention firmly on the opening in front of him to see if anyone came there. If they bypassed him…well…it would relieve his anxiety but only leave him deeper in this mystery.

[cricketnationrise]

5pm, Balmoral, King James, change by Taylor Swift please?

interestingly, this will be my first movie-verse piece. (this is why i love the ficlet fests i always get a huge range of prompts).

I focused more on the first stanza of the song, especially And it's a sad picture, the final blow hits you / Somebody else gets what you wanted again for this ficlet, because the rest of it feels more like Henry than his grandfather to me. I hope you like it, and thank you for all your enthusiastic comments in my inbox, they brighten my day! 💜🦗

want your own ficlet? followers can submit their own here using these guidelines through January 31, 2024.

❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙

5:00pm, balmoral

The world outside the windows of his private den is dark. 

Not the streetlight-reflected dark of nights at Buckingham, no. Balmoral has always been remote enough to see a bevy of stars on a clear summer night. Tonight though, the Scottish weather seems to be mockingly imitating James’ mood. A violent summer storm had risen up shortly after he’d arrived on the property this morning, dumping rain and harsh winds battering the stone fortress he’d retreated to. Tonight, the stars will be out of sight, and even the moon likely to be hidden away by dark clouds. The howling wind had finally died down a few hours ago, gentling to the occasional rustle of wet leaves.

His den is only lit by the dying fire.

James stares into it, unseeing, and lets his mind race. A log finally gives up its structural integrity, collapsing into embers at the bottom of the grate with a shower of sparks. He’s too lost in his thoughts to stoke the flames up in reaction. The grandfather clock in the corner chimes five in the evening and James finishes the last dregs of his drink with a heavy sigh. The empty bottles on his bar cart mock him just as much as the full ashtray at his side.

The staff will be laying the table for dinner right about now, but James is far past eating, his mind still stuck on yesterday’s events. The news reports play in his head in an unceasing loop; he wishes he had the energy to find another pack of cigarettes, to refill his drink—anything to drown out the echoes.

“The Prince of England’s Hearts embraced his own today…”

“...a revolution for this country…”

“No member of the Royal family has ever been publicly out, but Prince Henry…”

“...Royal glass closet shattered today when His Royal Highness, Prince Henry stepped onto Buckingham’s balcony, hand in hand with First Son, Alexander Claremont-Diaz…”

“...leak that prompted protests in support of Prince Henry all of last week…”

“...Prince Henry’s appearance with the First Son today sparked celebrations in the streets across the whole United Kingdom.”

The voices of the news anchors swirl and layer over each other in his head until he can’t separate individual words any longer. James hunches in his leather chair, elbows on his knees, and grips his forehead between his hands, hard, in a futile attempt to make it stop. The pressure allows the noise to recede to a murmur, like someone listening to the radio in the next room.

It’s enough to let him breathe again, to take stock of himself, but once he starts, he wishes he hadn’t. Because now, all he can think about is the look on Henry’s face when he and the American had come back inside yesterday afternoon, flush from both the sunlight and their joyous reception.

Henry didn’t even look at him full-on, but a glimpse of his profile had been enough to knock the breath from James’ lungs with an agonizing jealousy. He himself had never felt even a fraction of what he’d seen on his grandson’s face:

Pride.  A fundamentally uncaring air for anything other than the boy at his side.  And a blinding, aching, incandescent—

Happiness.

[melpomeneprose]

I could have been wild and I could have been free

But nature played this trick on me

She wants it now and she will not wait

But she's too rough and I'm too delicate. / I lost my faith in womanhood.

[purplesigebert]

Thanks for tagging me @forasecondtherewedwon 💜!

rules: list 5 of your favourite books on a poll, so your followers can vote which book they think captures your vibe the best

Tagging: @the-road-betwixt, @austennerdita2533, @galvanizedfriend, @orlissa, and @cbk1000.

Book summaries from Goodreads below the cut:

A Murder for Her Majesty by Beth Hilgartner

Horrified at having witnessed her father's murder and fearing that the killers are agents of Queen Elizabeth I, eleven-year-old Alice Tuckfield hides in the Yorkshire cathedral by disguising herself as one of the choirboys.

The Way Lies North by Jean Rae Baxter

This young adult historical novel focuses on Charlotte and her family, Loyalists who are forced to flee their home in the Mohawk Valley as a result of the violence of the 'Sons of Liberty' during the American Revolution. At the beginning, fifteen-year-old Charlotte Hooper and her parents begin the long trek north to the safety of Fort Haldimand (near present-day Kingston).

The novel portrays Charlotte's struggle on the difficult journey north, and the even more difficult task of making a new home in British Canada. In the flight north, the Mohawk nation plays an important role, and Charlotte learns much about their customs and way of life, to the point where she is renamed 'Woman of Two Worlds.' Later in the novel she is able to repay her aboriginal friends when she plays an important part in helping the Oneidas to become once again members of the Iroquois confederacy under British protection.

Strong and capable, Charlotte breaks the stereotype of the eighteenth-century woman, while revealing a positive relationship between the Loyalists and aboriginal peoples.

The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry

Ekaterinburg, Russia: July 16, 1918. Ten months have passed since Nicholas II’s reign was cut short by revolutionaries. Tonight, the White Army advances on the town where the Tsar and his family are being held captive by the Bolsheviks. Nicholas dares to hope for salvation. Instead, the Romanovs are coldly and methodically executed. Moscow: Present Day. Atlanta lawyer Miles Lord, fluent in Russian and well versed in the country’s history, is thrilled to be in Moscow on the eve of such a momentous event. After the fall of Communism and a succession of weak governments, the Russian people have voted to bring back the monarchy. The new tsar will be chosen from the distant relatives of Nicholas II by a specially appointed commission, and Miles’ job is to perform a background check on the Tsarist candidate favored by a powerful group of Western businessmen. But research quickly becomes the least of Miles’ concerns when he is nearly killed by gunmen on a city plaza. Suddenly Miles is racing across continents, shadowed by nefarious henchmen. At first, his only question is why people are pursuing him. But after a strange conversation with a mysterious Russian, who steers Miles toward the writings of Rasputin, he becomes desperate to know more–most important, what really happened to the family of Russia’s last tsar? His only companion is Akilina Petrov, a Russian circus performer sympathetic to his struggle, and his only guide is a cryptic message from Rasputin that implies that the bloody night of so long ago is not the last chapter in the Romanovs’ story . . . and that someone might even have survived the massacre. The prophecy’s implications are earth-shattering–not only for the future of the tsar and mother Russia, but also for Miles himself.

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond

In this "artful, informative, and delightful" (William H. McNeill, New York Review of Books) book, Jared Diamond convincingly argues that geographical and environmental factors shaped the modern world. Societies that had a head start in food production advanced beyond the hunter-gatherer stage, and then developed writing, technology, government, and organized religion—as well as nasty germs and potent weapons of war—and adventured on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures. A major advance in our understanding of human societies, Guns, Germs, and Steel chronicles the way that the modern world came to be and stunningly dismantles racially based theories of human history.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling

Harry Potter, along with his best friends, Ron and Hermione, is about to start his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry can't wait to get back to school after the summer holidays. (Who wouldn't if they lived with the horrible Dursleys?) But when Harry gets to Hogwarts, the atmosphere is tense. There's an escaped mass murderer on the loose, and the sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school...

[charmantevamp]

Begone, sweet night, and I will call thee kind.

Where does thou dwell, since not upon mine eyes?

It's not the time when I my way should find.

Begone! And when thou comes again, come twice.

[wobblydev]

Why is the IWW over a century old, and yet we still haven’t seen the One Big Strike yet?

a very good question. the answer is complicated and there are wobblies more versed in the nuances of the union's history, but i can sum it up briefly.

the early union, although very powerful in many industries especially timber and coal, were always split between ideological factions. the early days of the russian revolution would exacerbate this schism, weakening the union overall.

the nail in the coffin was dealt by the united states government in the form of the largest mass trial in american history which witnessed the dissolution of every existing IWW branch, the prosecution of all sitting officers and the passing of novel and sweeping anti-union legislation aimed directly at dismantling us.

for decades, the wobblies existed in a liminal space between legal and criminal. we organised locally where we could but membership dwindled to almost nothing.

due in large part to the crises of late stage capitalism, the union is enjoying a resurgence. membership ebbs and flows as new wobblies join up, burn out or get disillusioned, which is a sad symptom of organising.

to get on top of my little soap box, an actual general strike will require at least a decade of difficult, measured, calculated organising on the part of everyone in the union and then some more. it is possible however.

a strike the likes of which will actually swing the balance of power towards the working class will be met with violence from corporations and their state lackeys, for which we all must be prepared.

that preparation will require not just workplace organising but also community organising to build structures of support for the most vulnerable.

organising for real power is difficult and slow. some days i am optimistic we are making progress while other days i am afraid we are too scattered and beaten down. it all remains to be seen.

i recommend anyone with the inclination to improve the conditions under which we are all struggling sign up, get involved immediately by getting trained, and get organising.