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drmaqazi · 11 months ago

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POLITICS AT THE BENCH SCALE

The Pakistani Judiciary’s Ambitions and Interventions in so-called Islamic Republic of Pakistan

SUMMARY:

Over the last few decades, Pakistan’s courts have carved themselves a political role in addition to their legal one. As the country’s opposition looks to its next moves, the courts may have a key role to play.

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Politics of Opposition in South Asia

One of the most consequential features of Pakistan’s contemporary political system has been the emergence of the superior judiciary—made up of its provincial high courts, the federal court of Islamic law, and the Supreme Court—as an assertive and active center of power. Historically, Pakistan’s military was the country’s dominant power center, but with elected institutions and political parties pursuing more governing space, inter-institutional conflict has been the norm. In this competitive space, Pakistan’s superior judiciary has played a central role in Pakistan’s political system, arbitrating contestation between political elites and state elites.

Yasser Kureshi

Yasser Kureshi is a postdoctoral research fellow at Trinity College, University of Oxford. His book, Seeking Supremacy: The Pursuit of Judicial Power in Pakistan, is forthcoming with Cambridge University Press (2022).

In the past fifteen years, however, the superior judiciary has moved beyond just arbitrating political disputes to playing a tutelary role of its own within the political system: constraining the authority and vetoing the policies and actions of elected institutions in order to shape politics and policies in line with its own preferences. This newfound initiative has meant the judiciary frequently opposed, constrained, and undermined elected and unelected institutions. Opposition parties and state officials hoping to challenge civilian and military governments have turned to the increasingly assertive courts.

The superior judiciary’s central place and tutelary ambitions in Pakistan, and the challenges the body faces in its relationships with state institutions and society, were most evident in the events surrounding the end of former prime minister Imran Khan’s government this year. The Supreme Court compelled Khan to face a parliamentary no-confidence vote from a coalition of opposition parties by ruling that his efforts to block the vote and call early elections were unconstitutional. The decision polarized public opinion between those who thought the court protected the constitutional order and those who viewed the move as “a judicial coup.”

Understanding this decision and its political impact requires examining how the superior judiciary evolved into and operates as a more independent and assertive actor. Through changes in the judiciary’s structure and culture, the superior judiciary has joined the military as a key, nonelected powerholder. It alternates between confronting, constraining, and collaborating with elected and nonelected centers of power as it seeks to leave its imprint on politics and policymaking, while political and military elites work to co-opt or control judges in order to align the judiciary’s burgeoning authority and ambition with their own interests and ambitions. This interplay shapes the contours of Pakistan’s politics. However, the judiciary’s interventions also raise expectations and generate political discontents, creating a complex blend of power and vulnerability from growing judicial assertion.

INSIDE THE JUDICIARY

Why did the judiciary emerge as an assertive and active center of power in Pakistan’s politics after a history of collaboration with, and deference to, the powerful civil-military bureaucracy?

First, a combination of constitutional articles and judicial innovation empowered the judiciary to intervene in the actions of other branches of government. The 1973 Constitution enhanced the judiciary’s powers of review. The Constitution granted the high courts the jurisdiction to enforce the observance of fundamental rights by state institutions. The Supreme Court could now also make orders on questions it deemed of “public importance” with reference to enforcement of fundamental rights. Public interest litigation began in the late 1980s and advanced significantly after 2006, becoming a tool the court has used to intervene in the domains of the executive and legislature in the name of public interest. The chief justice began taking on cases suo moto (in the absence of a petitioner), often based on newspaper and television reports. The discretion about when to use suo moto powers lay with the chief justice, enabling them to respond to popular sentiments and maximize the court’s visibility and impact.

Second, the judiciary separated itself from the executive, taking control of judicial appointments from the executive. The formal role of executive institutions was first reduced through judicial action in the 1990s and then again through a constitutional amendment in 2010. The Judicial Commission for handling judicial appointments and promotions is composed of multiple stakeholders, but it is dominated by the chief justices of the Supreme Court and high courts.

Third, high court judges are primarily recruited from a legal profession where the legal culture has increasingly eschewed procedural restraint and favored confrontation with executive leadership, whether elected or military. In the democratic decade of the 1990s, where political parties were weakly institutionalized and inter-institutional conflict was the norm, the fragmented political landscape and growing prominence of courts as sites for managing political disputes generated a perception among judges and lawyers regarding the limited legitimacy of the state’s political leadership and the potential for the judiciary to shape national politics and policies.This combination—new jurisdictional discretion, executive separation from the judiciary, judicialization of politics, and a shifting legal culture—helped move the judiciary in a more ambitious, confrontational direction.

With the judiciary impacting and intervening in political processes and outcomes, the role and authority of chief justices has become especially significant. Beyond public interest litigation and judicial appointments, the chief justices of the high courts and Supreme Court also came to decide when cases would be accepted for hearings and how many and which judges heard those cases. Thus, chief justices can set their court’s agenda and indirectly impact case outcomes through bench selection. Given the judiciary’s centralized structure, a pliable chief justice co-opted by the military or a political party can now significantly impact the jurisprudence of a particular court.

However, the judiciary’s close relationship with bar associations complicates the efforts of military and political elites to co-opt and control the judiciary. As judges train and socialize as professional lawyers, the lawyers of the bar are the primary audiences with which judges seek to build their reputations. The bar has become politically engaged and effectively mobilized around political and professional issues. The bar’s propensity for collective action and disruption was most apparent in the Lawyers’ Movement in 2007, and it can act as a counterweight against efforts by political and military leaders to tame the judiciary. Recognizing this, political parties and the military increasingly expend their efforts to pressure and persuade bar leaders to indirectly influence judges. The close, though often antagonistic, ties between the bar and the bench as well as the overlapping legal culture have each played some role in shaping the judiciary’s increasingly confrontational direction.

THE JUDICIARY AND THE TWO EXECUTIVES

How did shifts within the judiciary impact its relationship with executive institutions? Historically, the superior judiciary was seen by democrats as the junior partner of the military, providing the military’s political actions with legal cover. During the 1990s, Pakistan’s national politics were shaped by relationships among three offices that came to be known as the “troika”: the prime minister, the president, and the chief of army staff. The clashes between the elected executive office led by the prime minister and the unelected executive leadership in the presidency and the military regularly resulted in constitutional disputes until the 1999 coup through which General Pervez Musharraf took over the presidency.

From the 1990s onward, for the reasons outlined earlier, the courts gradually began to chart a more independent and interventionist direction, culminating in a confrontation between the superior judiciary and Musharraf’s regime in 2007. An interventionist Supreme Court challenged the regime’s core interests, including Musharraf’s power to remain president while being chief of army staff, prompting the regime to suspend Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and attempt to purge the judiciary. Judges resisted, and lawyers mobilized in support of the superior judiciary, galvanizing a national movement for democracy that led to Musharraf’s downfall. The court’s resistance and impact on Musharraf’s regime solidified the superior judiciary as a power center in its own right.

After Musharraf’s exit and with the return of elected civilian rule, judges began to play a tutelary role of their own in the political system, challenging what they saw as the excesses and corruption of Pakistan’s other power centers. A “new troika” emerged in Pakistan’s democratic politics: the prime minister, the chief of army staff, and the chief justice of Pakistan. Shifting alignments and conflicts between these three officeholders shaped national politics during this decade.The superior judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, adopted the mission of improving governance and combating corruption by intervening in, and frequently overruling, bureaucratic transfers and postings in order to limit the interference of elected politicians in unelected bureaucracies. The courts also formulated policy on socioeconomic issues and went after the political leadership of the ruling parties, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), in corruption cases. The Supreme Court’s focus on political corruption and expansive interpretation of its authority led to the removal of two elected prime ministers, Yousuf Gilani and Nawaz Sharif. While political and administrative corruption were serious issues that needed to be dealt with, repeated judicial interventions in the domain of executive and legislative institutions undermined elected civilian supremacy.In contrast, there were relatively fewer confrontations between the military and judiciary after 2010. The Supreme Court not only enabled the military’s role in internal security as part of the war on terror, but it also gave itself a role in overseeing aspects of these operations. Courts attempted to establish certain redlines against political interference by the military, even charging the now-deposed Musharraf with treason for his past actions, but the courts did not push for the implementation of military-related judgments the way they did in civilian government–related judgments.

The judiciary’s stance against the military’s political interventions and its interference in the civilian executive and legislature were the essential pieces of its jurisprudential strategy to carve out a role as the country’s legitimate intervening authority. It adopted the military’s self-serving, anti-corruption rhetoric and used constitutional and popular support to legitimize itself in this role. The courts’ tactics, combined with their softer approach toward the military, left democracy unconsolidated and after 2017 weakened the system of elected government and facilitated the military’s return to political primacy—to the detriment of both democracy and judicial independence.

THE JUDICIARY AND THE SAME-PAGE REGIME

In 2017, the military leadership, several senior judges of the Supreme Court, and the political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)—developed a consensus that different players in the political system needed to be brought onto the same page with institutional stakeholders aligned around a common platform. These stakeholders agreed that the root of Pakistan’s problems was a corrupt political class personified by the leaders of the mainstream political parties (the PML-N and the PPP). The solution was to rescue state institutions from their control and influence, by any means necessary.

From 2017 to 2018, the Supreme Court’s anti-corruption jurisprudence focused on the PPP and PML-N, often hearing petitions brought against them by PTI members. This concentration led to the disqualification of these party’s leaders from political office, including Sharif. Led by Khan, the populist PTI benefited from these disqualifications. The party hitched its wagon to the court’s interventions, using the court’s judgments to validate PTI claims that mainstream political parties were corrupt. Khan’s popular appeal, the Supreme Court’s anti-corruption jurisprudence, and the military’s efforts to engineer the election in the PTI’s favor helped ensure the party’s victory in 2018. With the elected, military, and judicial leadership aligned around key political questions, the new political arrangement was popularly known as the same-page regime. Under the PTI, military authority and influence across state institutions grew substantially, and democratic backsliding took hold with increasing suppression of opposition and dissent. It seemed the new troika in Pakistani politics was the prime minister, the chief of army staff, and the director-general of the Inter-Services Intelligence.

The military was happy to allow the assertion of court powers as long as judges exercised those powers against the elected executive and legislature. While some judges willingly aligned with the military in regulating political branches, judges also came under the growing influence of an increasingly authoritarian executive and its surveillance apparatus. As the public profile of judges grew, they became more vulnerable to threats from executive agencies holding information that could tarnish their reputations and careers. Through a combination of an alignment of interests between judicial and executive elites and executive pressure on judges, a sizeable faction of judges became unwilling to confront military power.

Members of opposition parties, including the PPP and PML-N, spent time in and out of court hearings and prison cells on corruption charges. With many judges under executive influence, the likelihood that a high court would uphold a detention order or reject a bail petition for an opposition member could almost be predicted by the state of relations between the ruling leadership and that opposition party. While the Supreme Court remained relatively restrained toward federal executive institutions during the PTI’s rule, it routinely clashed with the PPP’s provincial government in Sindh Province. The Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution enhanced provincial authority and autonomy, but federal political and bureaucratic elites that opposed the PPP found the superior judiciary a useful tool to constrain Sindh’s government. During the pandemic especially, the Supreme Court chastised the PPP’s government and made observations regarding the limits of provincial autonomy. Such communication from the court chipped away at provincial discretion in critical policy areas.

However, some judges were less willing to acquiesce to autocratization. The Islamabad and Peshawar High Courts, led by more independently minded chief justices, became important sites for opposition parties and dissenters to push back against the worst excesses of executive institutions. In the Supreme Court there was growing polarization between judges who were willing to align with the political and military leadership and those who were not. These fissures became most apparent in the case of Justice Qazi Faez Isa. Isa’s willingness to confront military interference in politics made him a target, and a reference was filed with the Supreme Court to have him removed for alleged financial misconduct. During the proceedings, some judges who sided with the executive called for judicial accountability, while others who sided with Isa called this reference an attack on judicial independence. Ultimately, Isa’s supporters on the bench quashed the case against him, but polarization within the judiciary was now evident, as were the judiciary’s and the bar’s growing fatigue with increasing autocratization and the court’s legitimacy crisis caused by its enabling this autocratization.

By 2021, the military leadership’s relationship with Khan frayed, providing an opportunity for opposition parties to push back against the PTI and leading to the parliament’s April 2022 vote of no confidence in Khan. When Khan attempted to block that vote, it was apparent that the military was not siding with the PTI, but there was concern that several judges on the bench who were involved in judgments that helped bring the PTI to power might still rule in the PTI’s favor. Khan’s defense for blocking Parliament’s vote rested on flimsy legal grounds, including foreign conspiracy allegations, restrictions on judicial power to intervene in parliamentary matters, and the necessity of allowing elections in the so-called national interest. But the tutelary court was disinclined to accept limitations on its prerogative to intervene in parliamentary matters. And given that the foreign conspiracy allegation remained unsubstantiated, and that there was a widespread legal consensus that Khan’s actions amounted to an attack on the constitutional order, ruling in Khan’s favor would have further damaged the court’s legitimacy with the legal community. Bar leaders and several judges pushed the chief justice to take notice of Khan’s actions. The court’s reopening at midnight on the night of the vote, on the Supreme Court Bar Association’s advice, was intended as a show of strength by the court to enforce compliance by a recalcitrant PTI. But it convinced PTI supporters of judicial bias.

The judiciary’s tutelary role and associated political interventions helped to both establish and dismantle the same-page hybrid—but they also exposed the judiciary to threats to its authority and legitimacy.

TOWARD ELECTIONS AND BEYOND

Moving forward, the courts may continue to play a critical role in shaping the rocky road to Pakistan’s next elections and beyond. When courts wade into the resolution of major political questions, some stakeholders are likely to be disappointed by their decisions; judges risk damaging their credibility and legitimacy with those constituencies. As Khan’s supporters mobilized around the country after his ouster, Khan questioned the court’s motives, leading PTI supporters to enact a smear campaign against judges. Large segments of the bar saw the court’s actions as an affirmation of constitutionalism in the face of a populist assault on constitutional norms. However, outside the legal community, Pakistan’s broader urban middle classes have long supported Khan’s anti-corruption populism. Thus, judges will have to balance the conflicting expectations of their core constituencies: their professional networks in the legal community and their social networks of urban, middle-class households.

Judicial reputations and legitimacy are being tested by a range of political litigation coming to the courts during this complicated and contested transition. Already, we have seen legal proceedings over the chief ministership and governorship in Punjab, the fate of elected representatives who turn on their party’s leadership, the delimitation process for electoral constituencies, and the treatment of PTI staff, to name a few. As the PTI amplifies its claims of a foreign-instigated conspiracy and demands immediate elections, the PTI is inviting courts to review the judgment on the no-confidence vote, proceed on corruption charges against PML-N leaders, challenge the electoral commission, facilitate prompt new elections, investigate Khan’s allegations of a foreign conspiracy, and ensure Khan can hold protests and sit-ins in the capital city unencumbered. Meanwhile, as the new PML-N-led government seeks to consolidate power, it is looking to pursue charges of corruption and treason against PTI leaders in the courts and wants courts to handle PTI petitions in ways that allow for stability in the political transition.

The PTI has honed a strategy of pressuring judges through social media. As the party files court petitions, its social media activists cast aspersions against judges for not taking up their petitions promptly or not giving them a fair hearing. Pakistan’s unelected judges and generals are less vulnerable to electoral pressures than they are to pressures from their social, professional, and institutional networks. Targeting judicial reputations within pro-PTI social networks has yielded dividends; many of the PTI’s recent petitions were heard promptly. This strategy is similar to one bar associations use: naming and shaming judges when they act against the interests of bar leaders. The current leadership of most high courts’ bar associations is opposed to the PTI (although, as time passes, more bar associations are willing to give Khan’s narrative a hearing). The growing public visibility of judges in electronic and social media has rendered them more vulnerable to reputational pressures from these constituencies.

The pressures from Khan’s effective mobilization since his removal combined with the judiciary’s continuing distrust of mainstream political parties, especially the PPP and PML-N, and an abiding judicial interest in constraining political discretion and holding politicians accountable mean that the new PML-N government cannot expect much relief from the courts. The Supreme Court, addressing Khan’s demands, ordered that there should be no withdrawal of, or government interference in, corruption proceedings against members of the new government. The Supreme Court also ruled that votes from members of a party that contradict their party leader—known as party defection—shall not be counted in a vote of no-confidence, effectively meaning that a prime minister with a party majority can never be voted out. The judges who made this ruling argued that it would deter elected politicians from supposedly trading votes for private benefits, illustrating judges’ continued distrust of politicians’ motives. Parliament has been weakened as the court has circumscribed parliamentary accountability of the political executive and weakened the model of constituency-based parliamentary representation. Military and judicial leadership appear keen on directing the state toward a political dispensation with a reformed institutional structure, perhaps with a new troika that better matches their preferences. Should the current government be replaced by a caretaker government before fresh elections, courts will likely receive petitions regarding the caretaker government’s actions from across the political spectrum, providing judges a further opportunity to maneuver political dynamics in their preferred direction—but at the risk of angering political elites aggrieved by their decisions.

The court may also hear important cases pertaining to the military, particularly regarding Musharraf’s treason conviction and the military’s internment centers and real estate empire. The relationship and divisions between the civilian and military leadership will continue to inform the judiciary’s approach to these cases.

How the judiciary deals with these challenges will also depend upon judges themselves. It is apparent many judges disapprove of traditional political parties and sympathize with Khan’s anti-corruption rhetoric, even as they opposed Khan’s blatantly unconstitutional actions in April. But there are also judges who are focused on ensuring judicial independence rather than participating in further autocratization. To predict which direction courts will take, observers can look to which judges, and their associated normative positions, are elevated to positions of authority. With the current Supreme Court leadership, the trend of constraining PML-N and PPP-led political institutions is likely to continue. But the differently minded Justice Isa is designated to be the next chief justice of Pakistan in 2023. Whoever is chief justice during Pakistan’s next elections will play a critical role in defining the judiciary’s role during the elections. Beyond this transition, some judges are concerned about how enmeshed courts are in politics and policymaking, but for now, the judiciary is unlikely to walk back from this role.

Today, the government and opposition parties court the support of both the military and the superior judiciary. Political elites criticize these institutions for overreach when the institutions intervene against their interests and celebrate the role of these institutions when the institutions act in their interests. Pakistan now has two tutelary institutions: the military and the superior judiciary. Even as the military remains the more powerful one, the interests of these two institutions, their disdain for political elites, and their relationship with each other will shape Pakistan’s political future.

REFERENCES

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pixoplanet · 1 year ago

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🍎 The Amazing Life and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton

Introduction: Unveiling Newton's Remarkable Journey

It's December 25th. To quote the greatest science communicator of our time, Neil deGrasse Tyson, "On this day long ago, a child was born who, by age 30, would transform the world. Happy Birthday, Isaac Newton," who was born this day in 1642 in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, England. According to the Gregorian calendar, which the world uses today, Newton was actually born on January 4th, 1643. However, in Newton’s day, England used the Julian calendar, and according to that calendar, Newton was born on December 25th. Mr. Tyson and I (among others) prefer to celebrate Sir Isaac’s birthday on the Julian calendar date.

And so today we celebrate the birthday of one of the most important human beings who’s ever graced our planet. Isaac Newton was an extraordinary physicist and mathematician and is credited with laying the foundation for classical physics and jumpstarting the scientific revolution. He believed and proved that all of nature is governed by universal laws that can be expressed mathematically. Newton’s list of accomplishments are long and profound and continue to shape our understanding of the world. His influence will be felt forever.

From his early years at Cambridge University to his later role as President of the Royal Society, Newton's impact on scientific thought cannot be overstated. Sir Isaac Newton's contributions to physics, astronomy, and mathematics are unparalleled. His theories and laws revolutionized our understanding of motion, gravity, and light. Through his meticulous observations and rigorous experiments, he laid the foundation for modern science as we know it today.

So let’s celebrate the life and work of this extraordinary man and explore how his insatiable curiosity led him to unravel the mysteries of the universe. Let’s uncover the stories behind some of his most iconic discoveries, such as the laws of motion and universal gravitation and see how his relentless pursuit of knowledge forever changed our perception of reality.

Prepare to be inspired by Sir Isaac Newton's unwavering dedication to unraveling nature's secrets. His legacy continues to inspire generations of scientists and serves as a testament to what can be achieved through relentless pursuit, unwavering determination, and an insatiable thirst for knowledge.

Let’s now embark upon this fascinating journey and unveil the remarkable life and contributions of Sir Isaac Newton – a true pioneer in the annals of scientific history.

🍎 Early Life and Education: The Formative Years

Isaac's father unfortunately died two months before he was born. His mother remarried when he was three. Isaac’s stepfather died when Isaac was 12, and he was immediately pulled out of school to help run the family estate. Isaac seemed to show little promise in school anyway. His teachers described him as idle and inattentive. And Isaac soon showed he had no talent or interest in managing an estate, either.

An uncle persuaded Isaac's mother to let him go back to school. This time he must've shown some promise because after he graduated from primary school, the school's headmaster convinced Isaac's mother to send him to college. Isaac entered Cambridge’s Trinity College in 1661 at the age of 19 and began studying philosophy, science, and mathematics. He returned home in 1665 when Trinity College closed down due to a bubonic plague pandemic. Free to study whatever he wanted to while at home, he gobbled up all the mathematics texts he could lay his hands on. During this time, Isaac developed calculus and different theories on optics.

When Isaac returned to Cambridge in 1667, his newly-developed mathematical prowess was evident to all. His professors marveled at his ability to grasp complex concepts with ease and solve intricate problems effortlessly.

But it wasn't just his exceptional mathematical abilities that now set Isaac apart. His insatiable curiosity drove him to delve into fields of knowledge well beyond the confines of the classroom. He voraciously consumed more books on science, literature, and philosophy, expanding his horizons and developing a well-rounded understanding of the world.

🍎 Universal Laws of Motion: Revolutionizing Physics

The Universal Laws of Motion that Newton formulated have revolutionized the fields of physics and mechanics. These laws provide a fundamental understanding of how objects move and interact with one another.

The First Law of Motion, also known as the Law of Inertia, states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will continue moving at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. This concept has paved the way for our understanding of momentum.

The Second Law of Motion is known as the Law of Acceleration. It introduces the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration. It states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting upon it and is inversely proportional to its mass. This law enables us to calculate how much force is needed to accelerate or decelerate an object.

Lastly, the Third Law of Motion is known as the Law of Action-Reaction. It states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This principle explains why objects exert forces on each other when they come into contact.

Newton's Universal Laws of Motion have shaped our understanding of physics and have truly revolutionized our comprehension of how objects move in space. And they continue to have practical applications across numerous contemporary scientific disciplines such as engineering, robotics, and space exploration. They serve as a foundation for designing efficient machinery, predicting celestial movements, and even explaining everyday phenomena like walking and throwing a ball.

🍎 Universal Law of Gravitation: Unlocking the Secrets of Celestial Bodies

Newton’s development of the three Universal Laws of Motion led him to formulate his Universal Law of Gravitation — a groundbreaking theory that has revolutionized our understanding of celestial bodies and their interactions. This law describes the gravitational force between any two objects in the universe, enabling us to unlock the secrets of planetary motion and other cosmic phenomena.

Through its elegant simplicity and yet immense explanatory power, the Universal Law of Gravitation transformed our perception of gravity and its influence on celestial bodies. Newton theorized that a smaller object doesn't actually orbit around a larger object, but that the two bodies orbit around their common center of gravity. With this realization and ever-more precise measurements of the sun and planets, his model of the solar system has continued to become more and more accurate over the years.

One of the most famous anecdotes associated with Newton is, of course, the story of him watching an apple fall from a tree as he was gazing at the moon. It’s said that this event sparked Newton's curiosity about why objects fall towards the Earth, leading him to develop the Universal Law of Gravitation. This simple observation paved the way for a profound understanding of how gravity not only governs our everyday lives, but also shapes the movements and behavior of every object in the universe. It serves as a testament to human curiosity and ingenuity in uncovering nature's secrets while reminding us that even seemingly ordinary occurrences can lead to extraordinary discoveries.

Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation continues to be a cornerstone in astrophysics and cosmology, guiding our exploration and expanding our knowledge of the cosmos. By comprehending and applying this law of nature, scientists through the years have been able to unravel mysteries surrounding planetary orbits, predict astronomical events with precision, and even explore outer space.

🍎 Optics: Shedding Light on the Nature of Color

Newton's groundbreaking experiments with light have played a pivotal role in unraveling the mysteries of optics and color. At the time, scholars hotly debated the subject of whether or not color was an intrinsic property of light. Newton settled the debate in 1665 when he invented the prism and discovered that white light is composed of a spectrum of colors. By passing a beam of sunlight through a prism, Newton observed how it refracted into its constituent colors, creating a beautiful display which we now call the color spectrum.

This experiment revolutionized our understanding of light and demonstrated that different wavelengths correspond to different colors. It not only shed light on the nature of color but also paved the way for further exploration in the field of optics. His own continued experimentation led Newton to construct the world's first practical reflecting telescope in 1668.

The discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton about the nature of light have been instrumental in expanding and enriching our scientific knowledge. They continue to shape scientific advancements and inspire scientists and researchers to delve deeper into the intricacies of optics and its applications.

Our understanding of how light interacts with various materials has led to the development of innovative technologies like lasers and fiber optics. These inventions have had a profound impact on numerous fields such as communication, photography, lighting design, and even art. By comprehending how light behaves and how colors are perceived by our eyes, we’ve gained valuable insights into how we can manipulate these elements for practical purposes and creative expression in various aspects of our daily lives.

🍎 Mathematics: Pioneering Concepts Still Used Today

Sir Isaac Newton’s contributions to the field of mathematics are nothing short of remarkable. His groundbreaking work in calculus has had a lasting impact on the field and continues to be used today.

Newton's development of calculus revolutionized mathematical thinking and provided a powerful tool for solving complex problems. His concepts, such as differentiation and integration, laid the foundation for modern mathematical analysis.

These pioneering mathematical concepts are still widely in use in various fields from physics to economics. They allow us to understand and model intricate systems, make predictions, and solve real-world problems. His contributions continue to shape our understanding of the world around us and serve as a testament to the power and beauty of mathematics. When sending a probe to the outskirts of the solar system, NASA scientists don't rely on Einstein's relativity to work out the math – they use Newtonian physics equations.

🍎 Legacy and Impact: How the Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton Shaped Modern Science as We Know It

Sir Isaac Newton has unquestionably secured his place in history. He's widely regarded as one of the most important people who's ever lived. His contributions to science have left an indelible mark on our understanding of the natural world. His groundbreaking work in physics and mathematics continues to shape modern science as we know it, as many of his ideas still hold true and his equations are still in use today.

One of the most significant aspects of Newton’s legacy is his influence on future scientists and thinkers. His Universal Laws of Motion and Gravitation, along with his invention of calculus revolutionized the fields of physics and mathematics, providing a solid foundation for subsequent scientific discoveries. Newton's rigorous approach to experimentation and mathematical reasoning set new standards for scientific inquiry, inspiring generations of researchers to follow in his footsteps.

Furthermore, Newtonian physics has had a profound impact on technology advancements. From the Industrial Revolution to space exploration, his work has provided the framework for engineering marvels that have transformed society. Scientists and engineers continue to apply the principles derived from Newton's work as they make further advancements in various modern fields such as aerospace engineering, robotics, and telecommunications.

Newton was revered during his own lifetime as the culminating figure of the Scientific Revolution and has since gone on to inspire and influence many scientists who have stood upon his shoulders to see even farther — Edmund Halley, James Clerk Maxwell, Ernst Mach, Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble, Richard Feynman, Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and on and on.

It’s truly remarkable how Sir Isaac Newton's ideas continue to shape our present and future. His intellectual prowess and dedication to scientific pursuit have paved the way for countless breakthroughs that have propelled humanity forward. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to this brilliant man whose legacy will forever be intertwined with modern science and technology. ☮️ Peace… Jamiese

📚 Sources:

#isaac newton #sir isaac newton #isaac newton quote #isaac newton telescope #happy birthday isaac newton

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gcdresmethods · 1 year ago

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The end of Astronauts, Robotic Space Missions and Our Future on Earth & Beyond

By Martin Rees

This book is about how robots are the best option for space exploration -Mars-, asteroid mining or research. There are several reasons such as cost: sending humans is very expensive as they would need 200-day provisions and spend extra money on making launching more secure.

It talks about robots that had been sent to space, like Perseverance which had enough AI to diverse if there’s a rock in its path, the robot before that couldn’t do it, would have to send information to earth to receive instructions on how to move.

It also talks about there is no planet B. Even if life in Mars can be achievable by the end of the century it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care about problems on earth which are more difficult to deal with than sending people to Mars.

Tax money shouldn’t be use for sending humans, either if its asteroid mining, exploration, moon or pure research. And being private it doesn’t need consensus. Maybe some rules need to be settled. In the early stages when numbers are small there’s no need to think much about this (rules). If there’s life in Mars maybe laws to protect it like in Antarctica but not otherwise, at least for now.

Questions addressed.

The questions were very focused and straight forward so that the author could explain the content of his book and directed him into specific themes and follow up so that the interview had a good flow of information.

What is your take on private space exploration?

What is the process in developing better and smarter robots for space exploration?

What is your view on space exploration and making human being safe from extinction?

How should we prioritize space exploration?

What do we need to do (baby steps) to achieve sending pioneers in Mars by the end of the century?

You think we will need new laws? Ethical, political or social frameworks?

About the author.

Martin Rees is an English cosmologist and astrophysicist. He became one of the world’s leading authorities on the big-bang theory and on the related topics of black holes, quasars, galaxy formation, etc. Rees holds several studies in Trinity College, Cambridge Princeton and Harvard. He directed the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge and then became Royal Society Research Professor at Cambridge. He was awarded the Crafoord Prize and Templeton Prize. (Kellner, 2023)

Why I chose this book.

Space and Astronomy related themes have been always of interest to me. Thinking about what is out there and how we have -as humanity- explored a minimum part yet get to know so many other aspects by observation and research will always be fascinating to me. Listening to the knowledge that someone like Dr. Martin Rees has to share through a very clear and thorough interview was very enjoyable and entertaining.

Bibliography

“The End of Astronauts, Robotic Space Missions and Our Future on Earth & Beyond with Prof Martin Rees” (2019). Bridging the Gaps: A Portal for Curious Minds. [Podcast] Available at: https://on.soundcloud.com/tLwh42hxWBN66QBJ7

Kellner, Peter. "Martin Rees". Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Jun. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Martin-Rees. Accessed 5 October 2023.

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diaryquoteschannel · 2 years ago

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Isaac Newton - Inspirational Quotes and Short Biography

#quotes #inspiration #motivational #biography #isaac newton

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shadowspellchecker · 2 years ago

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Two “established” or tax-supported churches were conspicuous in 1775: the Anglican church and the Congregational church. A considerable segment of the population did not worship in any church; and in those colonies that maintained an “established” religion, only a minority of the people belonged to it.

The Church of England, whose members were commonly called Anglicans, became the official faith in Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and a part of New York. Established also in England, it served in America as a major prop of kingly authority; British officials naturally made vigorous attempts to impose it on additional colonies (ran into wall of opposition). In America the Anglican Church fell distressingly short of its promise; secure and self-satisfied, like its parent in England, it clung to a faith that was less fierce and more worldly than the religion of Puritanical New England (sermons were shorter; hell less scorching; and amusements, like hunting, were less scorned). So dismal was the reputation of the Anglican clergy in seventeenth-century Virginia that the College of William and Mary was founded in 1693 to train a better class of clerics for the church

The influential Congregational Church, which had grown out of the Puritan Church, was formally established in all the New England colonies, except independent-minded Rhode Island. At first Massachusetts taxed residents to support Congregationalism but later relented and exempted members of other denominations. Presbyterianism, though closely associated, was never made official. Ministers of the gospel, from the Bible to world, grappled burning political issues; as the start revolution against the British crown could be heard, sedition flowed free from pulpits; Presbyterianism, Congregationalism, and rebellion became a neo-trinity.

Many leading Anglican clergymen, aware of which side their tax-provided bread was buttered on, naturally supported their king. Anglicans in the New World were seriously handicapped by not having a resident bishop, whose presence would be convenient for the ordination of young ministers (had to travel to England to be ordained). On the eve of the Revolution there was serious talk of creating an American bishopric, but the scheme was violently opposed by many non-Anglicans, who feared a tightening of the royal reins

Religious toleration had indeed made enormous strides in America. Roman Catholics were still generally discriminated against, as in England, even in office-holding; but there were fewer Catholics in America, and hence the anti-papist laws were less severe. The anti-papist laws were also less strictly enforced; and in general, people could worship, or not worship, as they pleased

In all the colonial churches, religion was less fervid in the early eighteenth century than it had been a century earlier, in the beginning. The Puritan churches in particular sagged under the weight of two burdens: their elaborate theological doctrines and their compromising efforts to liberalize membership requirements. Churchgoers increasingly complained about the “dead dogs” who droned out tedious, overerudite sermons from Puritan pulpits. Some ministers, on the other hand, worried that many of their parishioners had gone soft and that their souls were no longer kindled by the hellfire of orthodox Calvinism; liberal ideas began to challenge the old-time religious beliefs of churchgoers. Some worshipers now proclaimed that human beings were not necessarily predestined to damnation and might save themselves by good works; even more threatening were the doctrines of the Arminians, follows of Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius, who preached that individual free will determined a person’s eternal fate. Pressured by these “heresies,” a few churches grudgingly conceded that spiritual conversion was not necessary for church membership; together these twin trends toward clerical intellectualism and lay liberalism were sapping the spiritual vitality from denominations.

The stage was thus set for a rousing religious revival. Known as the Great Awakening, it exploded in the 1730s and 1740s and swept through the colonies like a fire through prairie grass. The Awakening was first ignited in Northampton, Massachusetts by an intellectual pastor, Jonathan Edwards; perhaps the deepest theological mind in America, Edwards proclaimed with burning righteousness the folly of believing in salvation through good works and affirmed need for complete dependence on God’s grace. Warming to his subject, he painted in lurid detail the landscape of hell and the eternal torments of the damned—“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” was the title of one of his most famous sermons. Edwards’s preaching style was learned and closely reasoned, but his stark doctrines sparked a warmly sympathetic reaction among his parishioners in 1734; four years later English parson George Whitefield loosed a different style of preaching on America and touched off a conflagration of religious ardor that revolutionized spiritual life. A former alehouse attendant, Whitefield was an orator of rare gifts. His magnificent voice boomed sonorously over thousands of enthralled listeners in an open field (many were envious of him). Triumphantly touring the colonies, Whitefield trumpeted his message of human helplessness of divine omnipotence; during those roaring revival meetings, many sinners professed conversion. Whitefield soon inspired American imitators (style of preaching). Orthodox clergymen, known as “old lights,” were deeply skeptical of the emotionalism and the theatrical antics of the revivalists; “new light” ministers, defended the Awakening for its role in revitalizing religion. Congregationalists and Presbyterians split over this issue, and many of the believers in religious conversion went over to the Baptists and other sects more prepared to make room for emotion in religion

6. The Awakening left many lasting effects; its emphasis on direct, emotive spirituality seriously undermined the older clergy, whose authority had derived from their education and erudition

a. The schisms it set off in many denominations greatly increased the numbers and the competitiveness of American churches

b. It encouraged a fresh wave of missionary work among the Indians and even among black slaves, many of whom had to attend revivals

c. It led to the founding of “new light” centers of higher learning such as Princeton, Brown, Rutgers, and Dartmouth

d. Perhaps most significant, the Great Awakening was the first spontaneous mass movement of the American people; it tended to break down sectional boundaries as well as denominational lines and contributed to the growing sense that Americans had of themselves as a single people, united by a common history

I. Schools and Colleges

1. A time-honored English idea regarded education as a blessing reserved for the aristocratic few, not for the unwashed many; education should be for leadership, not citizenship, and primarily for males; only slowly and painfully did the colonists break the chains of these restrictions

2. Puritan New England, largely for religious reasons, was more zealously interested in education than any other section of the colonies

a. Dominated by the Congregational Church, it stressed the need for Bible reading by the individual worshiper; the primary goal of the clergy was to make good Christians rather than good citizens

b. Education, principally for boys, flourished almost from the outset in New England; this densely populated region boasted an impressive number of graduates from the English universities, especially Cambridge, the intellectual center of England’s Puritanism

c. New Englanders, relatively early, established primary and secondary schools, which varied widely in the quality of instruction and in the length of time that their doors remained open each year

d. Back-straining farm labor drained much of youths’ time and energy

3. Fairly adequate elementary schools were also hammering knowledge into the heads of reluctant “scholars” in the middle colonies and South

a. Some of these institutions were tax-supported; others were privately operated; the South, with its white and black population diffused over wide areas, was severely handicapped logically in attempting to establish an effective school system (wealth families had tutors)

b. The general atmosphere in the colonial schools and colleges continued grim and gloomy; most emphasis was placed on religion and on the classical languages, Latin and Greek

c. The focus was not on experiment and reason, but on doctrine and dogma; the age of one of orthodoxy, and independence of thinking was discouraged—discipline was quite severe (whipping occurred)

4. College education was regarded—at least at first in New England—as more important that instruction in the ABCs; churches would wither if a new crop of ministers was not trained to lead the spiritual flocks

5. Many well-to-do families, especially in the South, sent their boys abroad to English institutions in order to receive a college education

6. For purposes of convenience and economy, nine local colleges were established during the colonial era—Harvard, William and Mary, Yale, Princeton, Pennsylvania, Columbia, Brown, Rutgers, and Dartmouth

a. Student enrollments were small, numbering about 200 boys; at one time, a few lads as young as eleven were admitted to Harvard

b. Instruction was poor by present-day standards and the curriculum was still heavily loaded with theology and the “dead” languages

c. A significant contribution was made by Benjamin Franklin, who played a major role in launching what became the University of Pennsylvania, the first college free from denominational control

J. A Provincial Culture

1. When it came to art and culture, colonial Americans were still in thrall to European tastes, especially British; the simplicity of pioneering life had not yet bred many homespun patrons of the arts

a. Like so many of his talented artistic contemporaries, Trumbull was forced to travel to London to pursue his ambitions

b. Charles Willson Peale best known for his portraits of George Washington, ran a museum, stuffed birds, and practiced dentistry

c. Gifted Benjamin West and John Singleton Copley succeeded in their ambition to become famous painters, but like Trumbull they had to go to England to complete their training

d. Only abroad could they find subjects who had the leisure to sit for their portraits and the money to pay handsomely for them

e. Copley was regarded as a Loyalist during the Revolutionary War, and West, a close friend of George II and official court painter, was buried in London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral following his death

2. Architecture was largely imported from the Old World and modified to meet the peculiar climatic and religious conditions of the New World

a. Even the lowly log cabin was apparently borrowed from Sweden

b. The red-bricked Georgian style, so common in the pre-Revolutionary decades, was introduced about 1720 and is best exemplified by the beauty of now-restored Williamsburg, Virginia

3. Colonial literature, like art, was generally undistinguished, and for much the same reasons; one noteworthy exception was the poet Phillis Wheatley, a slave girl in Boston at eight and never formally educated

a. Taken to England when she was twenty, she published a verse book and subsequently wrote polished poems that revealed the influence of Alexander Pope; her verse were one of the best of the period

b. The remarkable fact is that she could overcome her severely disadvantaged background and write poetry at all

4. Versatile Benjamin Franklin, often called “the first civilized American,” also shone as a literary light among other things

a. Although his autobiography is a classic, he was best known to his contemporaries for Poor Richard’s Almanack (edited 1732 to 1758)

b. This publication, containing many pithy sayings culled from the thinkers of the ages, emphasized such virtues as thrift, industry, morality, and common sense—Honesty is the best policy, plough deep while sluggards sleep, and fish and visitors stink in three days

c. Poor Richard’s was well known in Europe and was more widely read in America than anything except the Bible (teacher of old and young, Franklin had influence in shaping the American character)

5. Science, rising above the shackles of superstition, was making some progress, though lagging behind the Old World’s progress

a. A few botanists, mathematicians, and astronomers had won some repute, but Benjamin Franklin was perhaps the only first-rank scientists produced in the American colonies

b. Franklin’s spectacular but dangerous experiments, including the famous kite-flying episode proving that lightning was a form of electricity, won him numerous honors in Europe

c. But his mind also had a practical turn, and among his numerous inventions were bifocal spectacles and the highly efficient stove

d. His lightning rod, not surprisingly was condemned by some stodgy clergymen who felt it was “presuming on God” by attempting to control the “artillery of the heavens” (the lightning)

K. Pioneer Presses

1. Americans were generally too poor to buy quantities of books and too busy to read them; however a few private libraries of fair size could be found, especially among the clergy and rich families in the colonies

a. The Byrd family of Virginia enjoyed perhaps the largest collection in the colonies, consisting of about four thousand volumes

b. Bustling Benjamin Franklin established in Philadelphia the first privately supported circulating library in America; and by 1776 there were about fifty public libraries and collections available

2. Hand-operated printing presses cranked out pamphlets, leaflets, and journals; on the eve of the Revolution, there were about forty colonial newspapers, chiefly weeklies that consisted of a single large sheet

a. Columns ran heavily to somber essays, frequently signed with pseudonyms and the “news” often lagged many weekends behind the event especially in the case of oversea happenings

b. Newspapers proved to be a powerful agency for airing colonial grievances an rallying oppositions to the British crown’s control

3. A celebrated legal case, in 1734-1735, involved John Peter Zenger, a newspaper printer; significantly, the case arose in New York, reflecting the tumultuous give-and-take of politics in the middle colonies

a. Zenger’s newspaper had assailed the corrupt royal governor; charged with seditious libel, the accused was hauled to court where he was defended by a former indentured servant, Andrew Hamilton

b. Zenger argued that he had printed the truth but the royal chief justice instructed the jury not to consider the truth or falsity; the fact of printing, irrespective of the truth, was enough to convict

c. Hamilton countered that “the very liberty of both exposing and opposing arbitrary power” was at stake; swayed by his eloquence, the jurors defied the judges and returned a verdict of not guilty

4. The Zenger decision was a banner achievement for freedom of the press and for the health of democracy; it pointed the way to the kind of open public discussion required by the diverse society that colonial New York already was and that all America was to become

5. Although contrary to existing law and not immediately accepted by other judges and juries, in time it helped establish the doctrine that true statements about public officials could not be prosecuted as libel

6. Newspapers were thus eventually free to print responsible criticism of powerful officials though full freedom of press was unknown for a time

L. The Great Game of Politics

1. American colonists were making noteworthy contributions to politics

a. The thirteen colonial governments took a variety of forms; by 1775, eight colonies had royal governors, who were appointed by the king

b. Three—Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware—were under proprietors who themselves chose the governors; two, Connecticut and Rhode Island, elected their governors under self-governing rule

2. Practically every colony utilized a two-house legislative body

a. The upper house, or council, was normally appointed by the crown in the royal colonies and by the proprietor in the proprietary colonies; it was chosen by the voters in the self-governing colonies

b. The lowerhouse, as the popular branch, was elected by the people—or rather by those who owned enough property to qualify as voters

c. In several of the colonies, the backcountry elements were seriously underrepresented, and they hated the ruling colonial group

d. Legislatures, in which the people enjoyed direct representation, voted such taxes as they chose for the necessary expenses of colonial government—self-taxation through representation was a precious privilege that Americans had come to cherish above others

3. Governors appointed by the king were generally able men, sometimes outstanding figures; some, unfortunately, were incompetent or corrupt—broken-down politicians badly in need of jobs

a. The worst of the group was probably impoverished Lord Cornbury, first cousin of Queen Anne, who was made governor of New York and New Jersey in 1702—he was a drunkard, a spendthrift, a grafter, an embezzler, a religious bigot, and a vain fool

b. Even the best appointees had trouble with the colonial legislatures, basically because the royal governor embodied a bothersome transatlantic authority some three thousand miles away

4. The colonial assemblies found various ways to assert their authority and independence; some of them employed the trick of withholding the governor’s salary unless he yielded to their wishes (he was normally in need of money so the power of the purse usually forced him to terms)

5. The London government, in leaving the colonial governor to the tender mercies of the legislature, was guilty of poor administration

a. In the interests of simple efficiency, the British authorities should have arranged to pay him from independent sources; as events turned out, control over the purse by the colonial legislatures led to prolonged bickering, which proved to be one of the irritants that generated a spirit of revolt (Parliament’s Townshend taxes of 1767)

b. Administration at the local level was varied; county government remained the rule of the plantation South; townmeeting government predominated in New England; and a modification of the two developed in the middle colonies—in the town meetings, with its open discussion and opening voting, direct democracy functioned

6. Yet the ballot was by no means a birthright; religious or property qualifications for voting, even stiffer qualifications for office holding, existed in all the colonies at the time in the late 18th century

a. The privileged upper classes, fearful of democratic excesses, were unwilling to grant the ballot to every person in the colony

b. Perhaps half of the adults whites males were thus disfranchised but because of the ease of acquiring land and thus satisfying property requirements, the right to vote was not beyond the reach of most

c. Yet somewhat surprisingly, eligible voters did not exercise this precious privilege and frequently acquiesced in the leadership of their betters who ran colonial affairs (able to vote people out office)

7. By 1775 America was not yet a true democracy—socially, economically, or politically; but it was far more democratic than England and the European continent; colonial institutions were giving freer rein to the democratic ideals of tolerance, educational advantages, equality of economic opportunity, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and representative government

M. Colonial Folkways

1. Everyday life in the colonies was drab and tedious; for most people the labor was heavy and constant—from “can see” to “can’t see”

2. Food was plentiful, though the diet could be coarse and monotonous; Americans probably ate more bountifully, especially of meat, than any people in the Old World—Lazy/sickly was the person that was hungry

3. Basic comforts now taken for granted were lacking; churches were not heated at all; drafty homes were poorly heated, chiefly by fireplaces

a. There was no running water in the houses, no plumbing, and probably not a single bathtub in all colonial America

b. Candles and whale-oil lamps provided faint and flickering illumination; garbage disposal was so primitive that hogs ranged the streets and buzzards, protected by law, flapped over waste

4. Amusement was eagerly pursued where time and custom permitted

a. The militia assembled periodically for “musters”, which consisted of several days of drilling, liberally interspersed with merry-making

b. On the frontier, pleasure was often combined with work at house-raising, quilting bees, husking bees, and apple parings

c. Funerals and weddings everywhere afforded opportunities for social gathering, which customarily involved the swilling of much liquor

5. Winter sports were common in the North, whereas in the South card playing, horse racing, cockfighting, dancing and fox hunting

6. Over diversions beckoned; lotteries were universally approved, even by the clergy, and were used to raise money for churches and colleges

7. Stage plays became popular in the South but were frowned upon in Quaker and Puritan colonies and in some places forbidden by law; many of the New England clergy saw playacting as time-consuming and immoral—they preferred religious lectures (spiritual satisfaction)

8. Holidays were everywhere celebrated in the American colonies, but Christmas was frowned upon in New England as an offensive reminder

9. Thanksgiving Day came to be American festival for it combined thanks to God with an opportunity for jollification, gorging, and guzzling

10. By the mid-eighteenth century, Britain’s several North American colonies, despite their differences, revealed some striking similarities

a. All were basically English in language and customs, and Protestant in religion, while the widespread presence of other peoples and faiths compelled every colony to cede at least some degree of ethnic and religious toleration (as compared to contemporary Europe)

b. They all afforded to enterprising individuals unusual opportunities for social mobility; they all possessed some measure of self-government, though by no means complete democracy

c. Communication and transportation among the colonies were improving; British North America by 1775 looked like a patchwork quilt—each part slightly different, but stitched together by common origins, common ways of life, and common beliefs in toleration, economic development and above all, were somewhat self-ruled

d. Fatefully, all the colonies were also separated from the seat of imperial authority by a vast ocean some three thousand miles wide; these simple facts of shared history, culture, and geography set the stage for the colonists’ struggle to unite as an independent people

#dark shadows (1966)#historical context

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softersinned · 2 years ago

Text

verses

main verses. new interactions will be put in one of these verses unless otherwise plotted.

MODERN A childhood spent in constant motion gives way to an adolescence consumed by a need for family and stability. As a teenager in London, far from her mother (who doesn’t particularly want her) in Stockholm and her grandfather (grieving the loss of his wife) in Venice, Astoria turns to her godparents in the hopes that she’ll find adults who’ll keep her. What she finds instead is adults willing to use a child as a shield. After years of abuse, Astoria takes matters into her own hands and kills them, calling on a friend to help her rebuild her life. She manages to piece together a future in the aftermath, leaning on her best friend as she does, and attends Trinity College. For a time everything seems normal: she attends university in Dublin, even meets her father, and marries her best friend, and when she returns to London it’s with a hard-earned optimism and enthusiasm for her life. As her husband’s publicist she knows best how to present the family to the world; as a member of a dangerous family she knows where the bodies are buried, in some cases literally, and her loyalty is unshakable. When her father-in-law dies and her husband becomes CEO in his wake, she only holds tighter to her determination never to be vulnerable again. Location subject to change based on the needs of the thread & blot. Extended notes here.

Shipping: Closed. Exclusive with Baldwin de Clermont.

SOLITARY WITCH In the aftermath of a tragic "accident" that leaves her godparents and temporary guardians missing, Astoria leaves to attend university in Dublin, where she meets her father for the first time. Astoria is banished from her coven after her exploration of death magic is discovered, and she begins solitary practice, buying land in upstate New York where she can focus on her experiments, and opening a small occult shop, collecting and selling magical artifacts from across Europe, many of which she’s liberated from previous owners. Operating under numerous aliases, Astoria becomes well-known for her willingness to take dangerous jobs and her excellent results. Her primary drive remains unlocking true immortality; in the meantime, she works to learn how to heal her body from the damage done by aging. Location subject to change based on the needs of the thread & plot. Extended notes here.

Shipping: Closed. Exclusive with Arthur Pruitt.

VAMPIRE Born in 1518 to an Italian noblewoman and her unnamed lover, Astoria Grim comes to represent everything her family has always valued: magic, power, and ambition. After the death of her grandmother, Astoria steps in as de facto matriarch for the family, helping her grandfather run the household until he encourages her to go to England and seek her own fortune. She is punished for revealing a treasonous faction reporting to the French king, held captive and tortured before she is made a vampire against her will. Over the centuries Astoria, under the tutelage of Baldwin Montclair, works to ensure that she can have her revenge, and that she can thrive despite all she’s lost. In the twenty-first century she appears to the world to be an antiques dealer and art collector, though in reality she is a ruthless assassin and a subtle spy, wife to the head of the de Clermont family and heavily entangled in the Congregation’s affairs. Location subject to change based on the needs of the thread & plot. Extended notes here.

Shipping: Closed. Exclusive with Baldwin Montclair.

crossovers.

THE ATLAS SIX At nineteen, Astoria Grim—a medeian with little formal training—is approached by Atlas Blakely to join a class of prospective members of the Alexandrian Society. While her magical skill is what draws the Society's attention, it's her skill in manipulation that keeps her safe. (Everyone likes to play the hero, and so she gave them the perfect damsel in distress.) Now, a decade later, she has a degree, a position teaching, and plenty of reason to visit the archives as another class is inducted.

Shipping: Open.

DC As a teenager, Astoria calls on one of her grandfather’s clients—Roman Sionis, a young entrepreneur she imagines is a friend—when she finds herself in serious trouble after her godfather dies at her hands, but her godmother survives. Roman helps hide the body with the expectation that Astoria will owe him in the future, and after college, Astoria returns to Gotham to work at Janus Corp, where her “friendship” with Roman helps her rise quickly to his head of public relations. As Roman grooms her to become a partner in his criminal enterprise, Astoria develops a plan of her own, one which ends with Roman and her godmother both dead. Mixed comics and television canon; does not incorporate any Batman or Superman content from the DCEU. Extended notes here.

Shipping: Open.

DRAGON AGE The daughter of an Avvar woman and a minor nobleman, Astoria leaves her Hold as a teenager in the hopes of seeking peace and healing after a tragedy. After spending years with her father’s family in Amaranthine, she finds herself caught in the troubles in Redcliffe, where she becomes a companion to the Warden. Years later, she attends the Conclave as her father’s representative and survives the explosion, and she reluctantly becomes the Inquisitor. Verse information, statistics, and choices found here.

Shipping: Open. Default with Ellis Cousland.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Lady Astoria of Grimhold intended to remain as the court mage serving under her uncle, her second sight and her devoted service to the Raven Queen helpful in securing her power. An unexpected attack in the dead of night took everything from her: her magic, her connection to her patron, and even her life. When she awoke a vampire hours later it was to silence. Now, nearly a century later, she is known best as Astoria Grim, cursebreaker and academic, as she tries to find a way to repurpose the curses she untangles to get access to magic again. Currently based primarily in The Legend of Vox Machina. Extended notes found here.

Shipping: Open.

GRISHAVERSE A Fjerdan Tidemaker with an unexpected skill in manipulating the body as well, Astoria flees Djerholm at nineteen, when she’s betrayed to the drüskelle. She crosses the border to Ravka, leaving dead drüskelle in her wake. From here, Astoria can be placed in one of three verses: as a member of the Volkvolny’s crew, as a loyalist to the Darkling in the Second Army, or as a member of the Dregs in Ketterdam. Extended notes here.

Shipping: Open.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON After the tumultuous years spent in King’s Landing under the guardianship of her godparents, claiming to try to find her a good husband and instead using her for their own political gain, Astoria returns home to Greyshield. With her mother gone and her siblings married, she steps forward to help her father handle the house’s affairs—including his alliance with the Velaryons, and growing allegiance to Daemon Targaryen. Extended notes here.

Shipping: Open. Default with Daemon Targaryen.

MARVEL The world is perpetually going to shit, which means it gets harder and harder to keep a bit of magic hidden away. Astoria walks the line between two worlds: in one she's a perfectly respectable, if eccentric, member of Trysor Inc, working with their mysterious (but legitimate) collections of artifacts. In another she's a thief, a liar, and a cheat, compounding magic and alien technology as part of independent research and to fuel her own curiosity. She doesn't like to align herself with anyone, but she is (rightfully, she insists) suspicious of any and all vigilantes.

Shipping: Open.

SHADOWHUNTERS One of Maryse Lightwood’s political proteges, Astoria is assigned to join Lydia Branwell in assessing—and, eventually, taking control of—the Brooklyn Institute. Despite orders, Astoria is determined to help the Lightwoods however she can, and remains in Brooklyn indefinitely, first to help defend the city against Valentine, and later as she grows attached to the members of the Institute.

Shipping: Open.

STAR TREK Youngest daughter of the Seventh House of Betazed, Astoria Grim joins Star Fleet in the hopes of becoming a diplomat. She quickly discovers a talent for espionage, however, thriving in cultures where lying is possible and skilled at even the most simple forms of manipulation. Emboldened by the presence of humans, Astoria instead becomes an intelligence officer, rising to the rank of Lieutenant quickly and often masquerading as entirely harmless—and, occasionally, entirely human. Based on TOS, TNG, and the reboots. Can be set in any timeline. Voyager, DS9, DIS, and Picard influence will be added as I continue watching.

Shipping: Open.

SUPERNATURAL As an amateur historian, and an ambitious and hardworking woman determined to rely on only herself, Astoria runs a small new age shop in upstate New York. As a psychic from a long family history of witchcraft and with a penchant for thievery, Astoria travels throughout the country, sometimes under the pseudonym Elizabeth Vane, obtaining and selling magical artifacts for a select clientele of hunters and collectors. While she will occasionally work with the local diocese on cases of suspected exorcism, or help clear out a haunting at a client’s request, Astoria prefers to leave the dirty work to the professionals. (It’s rumored that she has more magic than she lets on, that she can do more than access the future or manipulate perceptions, but if that’s true, she’s not telling.)

Shipping: Open.

TVDU Recruited by Klaus Mikaelson in the late nineteenth century, Astoria becomes a valued ally. However, Astoria’s loyalties become divided when she falls in love with Marcel Gerard, and she hides the truth of his survival for nearly a century. When she’s called back to New Orleans, she and Marcel are careful not to tip their hand. Years later, a girl comes to her door, calling herself Klaus’ daughter. Despite the curious gap in her memory, Astoria agrees to help her, and finds herself drawn back to the Mikaelsons again.

Shipping: Closed. Exclusive with Marcel Gerard.

THE WITCHER. Once a princess born into the ruling family of the small city-state of Grimhold, Astoria has been its court sorceress for more than a century now, returning to her home after a thorough education at Aretuza. Suspicious of any attempts to remove her from Grimhold, Astoria has remained largely apolitical, often refusing to return to Aretuza for anything. Currently under heavy construction as I continue reading the books. Primarily book-based, with some show influence as necessary.

Shipping: Open.

alternate universes.

CRIME Pain is a teacher. At fifteen Astoria witnesses her first murder, carried out at her godfather's hands, and two years later she commits her own. Knowing that she'll be at their mercy as long as Evander and Elyssa are alive, and that everything she's been forced to take part in could come back to haunt her, she plays the part of the perfect victim and frames Elyssa for Evander's murder, and an attempt on Astoria's life. Twelve years later, Astoria—successful in her own right, and seeming to all the world to be a shrewd businesswoman with a wild streak appropriate to her wealth—has used what she learned as a teenager to make sure her hands appear clean despite her thrill-seeking and the company she keeps, while the looming specter of her godmother reappearing prevents her from feeling safe, and keeps her on the move. Location and other minor details subject to change based on the needs of the thread & plot. Compatible with most verses surrounding crime or politics.

Shipping: Open.

POLITICIAN After completing a master’s degree in political science, Astoria moves to New York, where she begins working with a prominent senator, Leo Avano. Her quick thinking, silver tongue, and ruthless ambition catch his attention; she soon proves herself an invaluable member of his team for her willingness to tackle problems without a clear solution and her ability to spin anything in her favor. As Senator Avano prepares for a run for president, he purges most of his staff, only keeping on the people he trusts most — including Astoria as his campaign manager. Preferring to stay in the background, where she can have the greatest influence, Astoria is eventually made his chief of staff.

Shipping: Open. Default with Ben Callahan.

REGENCY The undisputed favorite of her grandfather, a wealthy barrister and amateur philosopher, Astoria Grim is marked by the scandalous illegitimacy of her birth, and the unknown identity of her father. Despite a lack of formal education, she is trained in all useful subjects by her grandfather. Well aware that her illegitimacy will be a serious obstacle to a good marriage, she is largely unafraid of scandal, and becomes an actress. Traveling to England to take the stage there, she hopes to locate her father and meet his family. Compatible with Austen and Bridgerton, as well as other works set in this period.

Shipping: Open.

WRITER Astoria pursues an MFA in creative writing at Columbia shortly after finishing her undergraduate work. Working briefly as an assistant to a literary agent, Astoria soon shifted her focus to her own writing. Though Astoria dabbles in and blends several genres, including science fiction, historical fiction, and mystery, she is primarily known for her romances, especially her paranormal romances. She publishes exclusively under a pen name. Her paranormal romance series becomes especially popular, earning a vocal and thriving fan community, and she becomes a fixture at literary conventions internationally, and pursues a PhD in literature at Columbia University. Location subject to change based on the needs of the thread & plot. Extended notes here.

Shipping: Open.

closed verses.

HALLMARK Luca is indulging my love for Hallmark movies. Under construction!

Shipping: Closed. Exclusive with Arthur Pruitt.

HUNTED—VAMPIRE After five hundred years of hedonism and bloody revenge, Astoria Grim is targeted by the youngest son of an old family of vampire hunters. Under construction.

Shipping: Closed. Exclusive with Ellis Cousland.

HUNTER—WITCH What starts as a matter of business and pride becomes much more personal. Under construction.

Shipping: Closed. Exclusive with Kakashi Hatake.

NIGHTBOUND A vacation in New Orleans becomes a fight for her life when Astoria is targeted by a blood wraith, saved only by the quick thinking of a vampire with an unknown patron who wants her protected. The only thing Astoria thinks she has to worry about is her survival. She ends up worried about something that comes to matter much, much more as she falls in love with Rosalie, her bodyguard.

Shipping: Closed. Exclusive with Rosalie Hale.

#( mobile info )

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sunshineandlyrics · 1 year ago

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Link to their website x

tcdlawsoc WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME 💘💘

LawSoc is backkkkk.

We know you're all buzzing to see what events are coming this year!

Here's a quick preview of a few events we have on the books!

We have a jam packed year ahead, full of speakers, competitions and some of the best nights out on campus 🕺

LawSoc has something for everyone, so be sure to keep an eye on our socials for all our fantastic Freshers events and much much more…

We can’t wait to welcome you all back to campus along with all our new Freshers!

You can sign-up to be a member for the 23/24 college year through the link in our bio. 🦋

Live, laugh lawve,

90 x

[Louis will be a guest at a Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland) Law Soc event this coming year! Posted to Instagram 12.9.2023]

#this sounds really interesting #I would love to hear Louis talk about any subject formally like this #Louis Tomlinson #trinity college #Dublin law society #12 September 2023 #speaker series #plus #mine

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dailytomlinson · 1 year ago

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Louis with members of The DU Law Society of Trinity College and his Praeses Elit Awards in Dublin - post 11.01

#louis tomlinson #trinity college

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jimsgnblog · 5 years ago

Video

youtube

2nd Jagannath Memorial Moot Court Competition 2020

#jemtec school of law #GGSIPU #Moot Court Society #2nd Jagannath Memorial National Moot Court Competition #Law colleges/ university #Symbiosis Law School #IMS Law College #aligarh muslim university #Central University of South Bihar #USLLS #Dr.Ambedkar Law University School of Excellence in LawTamil Nadu #Gitarattan International Business School Noida #Trinity Institute of Professional Studies

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pub-lius · 2 years ago

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all of the hamilton children for @thereallvrb0y

this post is my personal FUCK YOU to alexander hamilton for having so many kids. fucking whore. not eliza though, she's a miracle.

also apparently these historical figures are too obscure for my regular secondary sources, so i had to use peoplepill.com for like all of these, besides like. two. also @yr-obedt-cicero 's posts have helped so much i cannot thank you enough bestie

okay here we go

Philip Sr.

Philip Hamilton (the First) was born January 22, 1782 in Albany, New York. He was sent to Trenton Boarding School at nine, and later joined Colombia College. He went on to study law. Robert Troup described Philip as "a sad rake and I have serious doubts whether he would ever be an honour to his family or his country," which is tough talk for a guy who was gay for his dad. Other than this, people described him as having a lot of potential.

Apparently, he was one of Hamilton's favorites, if not the favorite. As the eldest, he was responsible for carrying on the family name, and was therefore the most "valuable". Hamilton was heavily strict on him, possibly because Philip had rebellious tendencies, but he was nevertheless a good student. I also wanted to include these two letters, this one from Alexander to Philip and this one from their dad to both Philip and Alexander Jr.

In 1797, Philip became deathly ill, but was cured by David Hosack.

After the whole political clusterfuck that was the year 1800, George Eacker decided that Alexander Hamilton was a piece of shit, and he was right, but Philip got pissed and called him a bitch, basically. Eacker insulted Philip and his friend in return and Philip challenged him to a duel because men never learn. Philip was fatally wounded in the duel, an Lin-Manuel Miranda decided to take this personally.

Alexander was so distraught by Philip's death that he had to be held up by two men at his funeral. He became much more religious after his death, and it's really the only part of his life that I think he genuinely believed in god.

Philip was buried in Trinity Church Cemetery with his parents.

Angelica <3

@yr-obedt-cicero made an amazing post on Angelica, which goes much more in detail than I will, as to not be redundant. thank you again <333

Angelica was born on September 25, 1784 in New York City. She was described as sensitive, lively, and fond of music and dance.

She studied French and practiced the harpsichord, which she was gifted by her aunt, Angelica Church. Her and her father would sing together as she played the harpsichord. They were very close and ow.

After her older brother's death, she entered a very poor mental state, described as "eternal childhood" and she couldn't recognize family members (this symptom could have just been after Hamilton's death, but sources vary), also speaking of Philip as if he was still alive. Her family dedicated a lot of time to her health, but her condition worsened, and she spent the rest of her life under the care of Dr. MacDonald.

She died on February 6, 1857 at the age of 72. She was buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Tarrytown, New York.

Alexander Jr.

Alexander Jr. (who I am going to call AJ bc it's easier and I think it's cute) was born on May 16, 1786. He attended a boarding school in Trenton at 8, then joined Philip studying with William Frazer.

Like his brother, he later attended Columbia College, and graduated in 1804, several weeks after his father's fatal duel. Sources also vary on this, with the St. Andrew's Society of New York (which AJ belonged to) he "did not graduate on account of an accident" so idk. Either way, he started to study law not long after.

He was invited to be an apprentice attorney in Stephen Higginson's Boston law firm, then was admitted to practice law.

He sailed to Spain in 1811 or 1812. He joined the Duke of Wellington's forces fighting Napoleon in Portugal. He returned to America to serve in the War of 1812. He was commissioned as Captain of the 41st Regiment of Infantry in the United States Army in August 1813, though doesn't appear to have seen active service. He went on to serve as an aide-de-camp to General Morgan Lewis in 1812 until June 15, 1815.

He resumed his law practice after his military career ended, and married Eliza P. Knox in 1817. He took office in July 1818 as a member of the 42nd New York State legislature for a one-year term.

In May 1822, James Monroe appointed AJ as United States Attorney for East Florida. As someone who lives in the East Florida parishes, I'm shitting my pants, we never get mentioned in history besides that one time. In 1823, he was appointed to be one of the three Land Commissioners for East Florida, and received the military rank of Colonel.

AJ ran unsuccessfully against Richard K. Call to be the Florida Territory's delegate in the House of Representatives. He returned to New York where he became successful in real estate, and was one of the leading names in Wall Street.

In the mid-1830s, Alexander Hamilton Jr. represented Eliza Jumel against Aaron Burr during their divorce proceedings, which were finalized in 1836 on the day of Burr's death. *copy and paste joke here*

In 1833, AJ used funds from his mother's sale of The Grange to buy the townhouse on St. Mark's Place, where he lived between 1833 and 1842 with his wife, mother, sister and brother-in-law.

He um. Met Abraham Lincoln???? in 1835 when he was on a trip to the west. Lincoln was an Illinois legislator and was apparently just in a grocery story "lying upon the counter in midday telling stories." ... GET HIM OFF THE COUNTER???? GET HIM OUT THE GROCERY STORE???????

Anyway... After the death of his wife, AJ moved to New Brunswick, New Jersey then to New York City. He died on August 2, 1875 at 83 Clinton Place, in Greenwich Village.

James Alexander (my detested)

Bitchbaby was born on April 14, 1788 and graduated from Colombia in 1805. He studied law with Nathaniel Pendleton (and the doctor that he knew).

Shithead was admitted to the bar in 1809 and practiced in Saratoga and Hudson. He married Mary Morris on October 17, 1810. And yes that is Morris as in Gouverneur Morris. They had five children, three of whom died before their father.

Apparently, he lived in extreme poverty in the early years of his legal practice.

"I now look back upon this event as not only the happiness, but the most fortunate occurrence of my long and eventful life. My poverty, with its burdens and responsibilities, nerved me to exertion, and necessity taught me the value of economy and self-denial." -James Alexander in his Reminisces.

He served in the War of 1812 as a brigade-major and inspector of the New York Militia, and relocated to New York City by June 1815.

He built a home in 1828 called Nevis because he's unoriginal. He also kept a portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart, which was originally painted for his father in 1798, in his home.

"The Hamilton mansion was famous in New-York society 40 years ago, and has been the scene of many a distinguished gathering" -New York Times obituary, 1878

Okay, now its time for his love affair (/nsrs) with Andrew Jackson.

Fuckhead joined Jackson's ~entourage~ in Nashville and traveled to New Orleans in December 1827. He served on Jackson's "Appointing Council" after the 1828 election. He agreed to serve as Acting Secretary of State until Martin Van Buren assumed the post (March 4-April 4, 1829). He helped Jackson draft his Inaugural Address.

Slimeball was nominated by Jackson on April 23, 1829 as District Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Jackson told Shitpants he had wanted him "to always be at my command" and when Smartfeller returned to Washington, "I want you to be near me." This was, in historical terms, sussy.

He served as a confidante to Jackson while serving in this position, working on national and international matters, which wasn't in the job description. His 1869 (ha) memoirs is mostly his correspondence, including the discussions of the National Bank (._.) and the Nullification Crisis of 1832 (basically South Carolina disagreed with the government again and did too much).

As Pisspants was leaving for New York, Jackson told him to "Make as much money as you can" and he did by continuing his private practice AND serving as District Attorney, in true Hamilton fashion. He and his younger brother Philip were both involved in the trial of Charles Gibbs. Hamilton left in 1834 to return to his private practice, and now we don't need to talk about Shitty Diaper Andrew Jackson anymore.

He uh. Won the first America's Cup (previously the Royal Yacht Squadron Cup) in 1851. So that's. fun. Queen Victoria also congratulated him on winning so. I guess the Hamilton's just know everyone.

James and AJ served as vestrymen of the Zion Protestant Episcopal Church from 1843 to 1853, and got a little plaque in 1953 and all the years end in 3's. Both were members of the Board of Directors of the Association for the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations - the Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1853 and that name gives me indigestion.

On March 6, 1862, James chaired and addressed a meeting at Cooper Union in favor of emancipation. And met fucking. Abraham. Lincoln. Lincoln also asked him to draft a proclamation, and when he returned, he had already issued the Emancipation Proclamation. So sux 2 suc.

James published his memoirs in 1868, which end in 1866, including his trips to Europe, the 1848 revolutions and the Civil War. He stated his intent to "do justice" to his father, and published several pamphlets defending him. (The Public Debt and the Public Credit of the United States and Martin Van Buren's Calumnies Repudiated: Hamilton's Conduct as Secretary of the Treasury Vindicated)

James Alexander died on September 24, 1878 at 90, and was buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Tarrytown, New York. His home was remodeled in 1889 by Stanford White. In 1934, it was donated to Columbia University where it now serves as one of the largest arboretums in the country.

JOHN CHURCH

Johnny C was born on August 22, 1792. He wrote a lot about his dad, and here’s one thing he wrote about the duel which literally stabs my heart out of my chest and rips it apart.

“I recall a single incident about it with full clearness... The day before the duel I was sitting in a room, when, at a slight noise, I turned around and saw my father in the doorway, standing silently there and looking at me with a most sweet and beautiful expression of countenance. It was full of tenderness, and without any of the business pre-occupation he sometimes had. ‘John,’ he said, when I had discovered him. ‘won’t you come and sleep with me to-night?’ His voice was frank as if he had been my brother instead of my father. That night I went to his bed, and in the morning very early he awakened me, and taking my hands in his palms all four hand extended, he said and told me to repeat the Lord’s Prayer. Seventy-five years have since passed over my head, and I have forgotten many things, but not that tender expression when he stood looking at me in the door nor the prayer we made together the morning before the duel. I do not so well recollect seeing him lie upon his deathbed, though I was there.”

In 1809, JC graduated from Colombia University and then studied law. He began serving in the army during the War of 1812, eventually becoming second lieutenant. He served as an aide-de-camp to Major General William Henry Harrison. However, he retired without seeing battle in June 1814.

According to his obituary, “He did not apply himself to the practice of law... having strong literary tastes, [Johnny C.] devoted himself to the study of history, with a view to writing his father’s life.”

Between 1834 and 1840, he went through his father’s letters and papers, and wrote a two-volume biography called The Life of Alexander Hamilton which was published in 1840-1841. Unfortunately, nearly all the copies were destroyed in a fire during the process of binding.

He edited his father’s collected writings under the authority of the Joint Library Committee of the United States Congress and took out the gay porn, publishing The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Containing his Correspondence, and His Political and Official Writings, Exclusive of the Federalist, Civil and Military in 1850-1851. He also wrote a seven volume biography, published between 1857 and 1869 called Life of Alexander Hamilton: A History of the Republic of the United States of America. This combined a biography of Hamilton and a history of the US “as traced in his writings and in those of his contemporaries”. He worked closely with his mother in the preservation of this history, and she encouraged him to write the comprehensive biography.

Also in 1869, he published an edition of The Federalist with historical notes and commentary, and I want it.

JC was a member of the Whig Party, later Republican, but never held office. He lost a run for Congress to represent part of NYC. Also, both Ulysses S. Grant and Chester A. Arthur asked him for his opinions on economics so that’s pretty rad.

In 1880, he presented a statue of Alexander Hamilton to the city “though preferring it were the act of others”. On November 22, 1880, at the unveiling in Central Park near the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he said that after a century of the nation’s existence, time had shown “the utility of [AH’s] public services and the lessons of polity” and that he trusted “that this memorial may aid in their being recalled and usefully appreciated.”

Throughout his life, John Church married Maria Eliza van den Heuvel, and together they had FOURTEEN CHILDREN. so here’s a list of their kids that I didn’t write lol.

General Alexander Hamilton (1815–1907), a major general in the Civil War, author of Dramas and Poems (1887).

Maria Williamson Hamilton (1817-1822), who died young

Charlotte Augusta Hamilton (1819–1896)

John Cornelius Adrian Hamilton (1820–1879)

Schuyler Hamilton (1822–1903), who served in the Mexican War

James Hamilton (1824-1825), who died young

Maria Eliza Hamilton (1825–1887), who married Judge Charles A. Peabody (1814–1901)

Charles Apthorp Hamilton (July 23, 1826 – November 29, 1901), was educated in New York, England, and Germany. After clerking for a New York law firm, he practiced law in Wisconsin. He enlisted in the Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry at the start of the Civil War in 1861, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel. A severe battle injury to both legs compelled his resignation in March 1863, and he returned to practicing law. In 1881, he was elected judge of the circuit court for Milwaukee.

Robert P. Hamilton (1828–1891)

Adelaide Hamilton (1830–1915)

Elizabeth Hamilton (1831–1884), who first married Henry Wager Halleck in 1855 and after his death, married George Washington Cullum in 1875.

William Gaston Hamilton (1832–1913), a consulting engineer of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company

Laurens Hamilton (1834 – July 6, 1858), an 1854 graduate of Columbia College, who died at the age of 23. He had served for one year as a private in the Seventh Regiment of New York, and drowned accidentally while serving as part of a military escort aboard a ship returning the remains of President James Monroe to Richmond, Virginia.

Alice Hamilton (September 11, 1838 – September 15, 1905)

Shout out to Laurens Hamilton for accidentally drowning, really taking after his grandfather.

John Church died on July 24, 1882 at 89 Stockton Cottage, on Ocean Avenue in Long Branch, New Jersey due to jaundice and catarrh. His funeral was held at Trinity Church.

William Stephen Hamilton

For the sake of my own entertainment, I will be calling this man Stinky bc he probably smells like my dad (shout out to my dad for having the worst genetics). So Stinky was born on August 4, 1797. He entered the United States Military Academy in 1814, then resigned in 1817.

He moved to Illinois, living in Sangamon, Springfield and Peoria, then in 1827, moved to the lead mining region around the Fever River.

He was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives from Sangamon County in 1824. He sponsored a bill that imposed a statewide tax intended to fund road repair and maintenance, proportional to property value, to be paid in labor or money. The bill passed, but was met with opposition, and was repealed in the next legislature.

Stinky served as an aide-de-camp to Governor Edward Coles, and worked for the General Land Office as Deputy Surveyor of Public Lands. He was also an incorporator of the original Illinois and Michigan Canal Company.

In 1827, he served during the Winnebago War in the Illinois Militia as a captain. He commanded the Galena Mounted Volunteers under the command of Henry Dodge.

After the Winnebago War, he moved to the Wisconsin Territory and established Hamilton’s Diggings, later Wiota in 1827. It was later turned into a fort during the Black Hawk War, entitled Fort Hamilton. Juliette Kinzie described the conditions in 1831 as “shabby” and “unpromising.” She also described the foul language used by the miners, the “roughest-looking set of men i ever beheld.” Theodore Rodolf contrasted the settlement’s rough exterior with small, finer details in 1834. He particularly liked the fact that Stinky had the writings of Voltaire at Hamilton’s Diggings.

Elizabeth Hamilton visited her son at Hamilton’s Diggings during the winter of 1837-38. During this time, Stinky also owned the Mineral Point Miner’s Free Press, before he sold it to a group from Galena, and it became the Galena Democrat.

Stinky volunteered in the militia again during the 1832 Black Hawk War. He was often in charge of the militia’s indigenous allies, including many Sioux and Menominee. He was sent to the Michigan Territory to recruit more indigenous allies, leaving successfully with several more parties.

In 1842 and 43, Stinky served as an elected member of the Wisconsin Territorial Assembly, from Iowa County. He lost an 1843 election for Wisconsin Territory delegate to the US Congress. In 1848, he lost another election for the Wisconsin Constitutional Convention. He was generally unable to achieve political fame.

Gold was discovered in California in 1848, and Stinky was there by 49. However, this would prove a disappointment and he later regretted the move. He told a friend he would “rather have been hung in the ‘Lead Mines’ than to have lived in this miserable hole.” This seems to be an accurate description of California.

Stinky never married and presented a rough, garish appearance. Which, good. Fuck beauty standards.

Stinky was ill with dysentery and “mountain fever”, which was likely cholera, for two weeks before he died from “malarial fever resulting in spinal exhaustion terminating in paralysis superinduced by great bodily and mental strain.” He died in Sacramento, California on October 9, 1850 at 53, and was buried in Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, in a section named Hamilton Square. RIP Stinky, the real MVP.

Eliza Holly!

Eliza was born on November 20, 1799. You can tell her apart from her mother because Eliza is her full name, and Elizabeth is her mother’s. She was a sick infant, and Alexander frequently worried about her. He was staying with the children without Elizabeth once, and he wrote, “Eliza pouts and plays, and displays more and more her ample stock of Caprice.” Eliza did not attend Hamilton’s funeral, but saw him with the rest of the kids on his deathbed.

She married Sidney Augustus Holly on July 19, 1825. He was a merchant from a prominent family in business and local government. They lived at The Grange (not James Alexander’s), and remained close with Elizabeth for her entire life, who described Eliza as being like her father.

“You don’t know how important you are to me. You step in the steps of your father’s kindness, and the more you are with me, the more I see that you are like him.” -Elizabeth Hamilton to Eliza Holly

She moved in with Elizabeth in East Village, Manhattan at 4 St. Mark’s Place along with AJ and his wife.

Her husband died on June 26, 1842 and moved in with her mother to 63 Prince Street in Lower Manhattan. This was previously the house of jAmES mONrOe and Samuel L. Gouverneur. She and her mother also moved together to Washington D.C. where they lived near the White House on H street and entertained many guests. Eliza continued to care for her mother until her death in 1854.

Eliza potentially influenced or expedited the creation of John Church’s biography of their father, and chastised him for his overdue writing.

Eliza died in Washington D.C. on October 17, 1859, and was buried in Westchester County, New York, at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery with Angelica and later James Alexander.

Philip Hamilton (the Second) “Little Phil”

Little Phil was born in New York on June 1 or 2 in 1802. According to his son, Phil “manifested much of his father’s sweetness and happy disposition, and was always notably considerate of the feelings of others, and was punctilious to a fault in his obligations.” He was also almost six feet tall. Idk how.

Because of the poverty that afflicted his family after his father’s death, Phil “was denied those advantages accorded to his elder brothers, and had, in every sense, to make his own way.”

Phil practiced law in New York, and served as an assistant United States Attorney during the 1830s under James Alexander. He achieved notable success as a prosecutor in the case of pirate Charles Gibbs.

Phil moved to San Francisco during the Gold Rush in 1851 to practice law as a partner of his brother-in-law Robert Milligan McLane. He returned to New York after one or two years.

He assisted the Underground Railroad in helping enslaved people escape at least once by concealing them in his cellar until they could resume their travel to Canada.

At the end of the Civil War, Hamilton served as Judge Advocate of the naval Retiring Board at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and “led a quiet life” after 1865. He characterized his career as a “hard, up-hill professional life” working with a “very great” number of the poor and most of his time was “given up to unselfish acts”.

He married Rebecca McLane, who died on April 1, 1893, and they had two sons together, Louis McLane Hamilton (1844-1868) and Allan McLane Hamilton FRSE (1848-1919).

Louis served in the US Army during the Civil War. He enlisted as a private in the 22nd New York Militia in June 1862, then the 3rd US Infantry as second lieutenant in September 1863. He served with the Army of the Potomac, and was brevetted twice fer gallantry, including the Battle of Gettysburg. In July 1866, he became a Captain in the 7th US Cavalry. On November 27, 1868, he was killed in the Battle of Washita River, being posthumously brevetted to the rank of Major.

Allan was a psychiatrist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His books included a biography of his grandfather, The Intimate Life of Alexander Hamilton.

Little Phil died “comparatively poor” on July 9, 1884 in Poughkeepsie, New York.

@thereallvrb0y-deactivated42069

And that is all the Hamilton kids. This post put me through the five stages of grief. I’ll include my sources now, and sob my eyes out bc existence is pain. I hope you enjoyed, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask!! i’m doing my best to get content out so I will try not to take multiple months to post again HSKSKFHLS love you all <333 (f in the chat for stinky)

https://peoplepill.com/people/alexander-hamilton-10

https://networthheightsalary.com/angelica-hamilton-bio-facts-about-elizabeth-schuyler-hamilton-s-daughter/

https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesofj00lchami

https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/james-alexander-hamilton-1788-1878/

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blood-darkened-moon · 2 years ago

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Progenitor Arch - Chapter 1

An oil lamp intercepted the infiltration of night into a study of bookshelves as high and wide as those of a Trinity College. A hunched figure, with a sleepy posture, sat in a sober leather armchair in front of a small desk against the wall. Behind him was the door, ajar and immobile due to the lack of power. To his left, a large window pierced between two bookshelves had been covered with a thick curtain of orange tones, matching the chromatic scale of the room.

The dweller, abstracted, fixed his grayish-iris gaze on the mess of papers, ink stains, and a jammed typewriter parading on the desk. He tried to fix the typewriter but was tired. After his failure, he just sat still, lost in the idyll. He remembered his late father, Arthur. But not the father with whom he had shared so many discussions, so many trips, so many experiences; but the one who had agonized to exhaustion from liver cancer. His father was never a drinker, only in appearance and to please his peers; but he could not avoid dying from the same cause as his twin brother, Thomas, well known for his fondness for distilled spirits.

He moved on to happier memories; like the time, when he was eight years old, Arthur tried to teach him to drive. They crashed into the wagon of some farmers coming from tilling a field they owned. Arthur gave them five pounds, a fortune to those people, in exchange for their silence. His father was not angry, nor did he shout at him; they joked and swore to secrecy. Edward, the eldest son, boasted of having inherited such a good character; and his curiosity.

Following in his footsteps, he devoted himself to science. Arthur, an anthropologist, and sociologist held a number of positions related to propaganda and law and order. From these positions, usually as section chief or chief scientist, the fourth Earl Ashford fraternized with a variety of government and military officials. It was these friendships that removed the Ashford-Campbell-Douglas-Stuart surname from all levy lists during World War I and World War II. Edward took the opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. in microbiology with a specialty in virology. From school, he was always attracted to biology because of its potential for understanding nature and living things. He believed that society and nature, in the end, constituted a whole. He chose virology because it was still an unexplored field. The same year that he wore scarlet for his last graduation ceremony, he started his first job as a senior lecturer in Microbiology at Oxford University. He turned down the salary he was offered and immediately led his first biotechnology research team. His career took off from day one, thanks both to the support of his family and his circle of university colleagues. His was a patent for the mass production of a diphtheria vaccine that he sold to a French pharmaceutical company in exchange for prestige.

At 31 he has ordained a member of the Order of the British Empire. At 32 he married the great love of his youth, Elizabeth Nassau, whom he met during a research stay in Canada. Elizabeth was an expert in cell biology who shared her studies with Edward from their first unofficial meeting in a Montreal library. The following year their only son, Alexander, was born after an initial attempt that ended in miscarriage. He reminisced about walking with Elizabeth and Alexander in downtown Edinburgh, visits to his cousins, or when the whole clan gathered to celebrate Christmas. It was George, Arthur's youngest son, who gave Alexander his first kilt.

There were three knocks on the door.

-Lord Ashford? -asked a slow baritone voice. Edward turned with a start. Smith, the butler, a stocky old man with a few wrinkles and a slightly baggy frock coat for his preeminent thinness, was peering out from the half-open doorframe.

-Yes? -he rasped. He struggled to articulate the syllable.

-Lord Spencer is on the phone. Ozwell Spencer, from Essex. He asks if he could have a word with you.

Abraham's son, a friend of his father. He met Ozwell in person when he was a boy at the Spencer manor house. The last time he heard from him was in '59, at Arthur's funeral. On that occasion, Ozwell told him that, after Abraham's death, he had founded a new company, a pharmaceutical company, to tap new markets. Edward paid him superficial and cordial attention, bordering on disinterest. A year later, he seemed to hear from him again.

He checked the time on his wristwatch. It was not very late.

-Yes, I could, on which phone?

-In the adjoining room.

-Thank you, Smith. -He stood up. He dismissed the butler with a nod. He let the wick of the oil lamp burn out alone.

He walked to the exit and from there to a shadowy, halogen-lit corridor. A few steps away, to the right, was the lounge attached to his study, where he used to receive his colleagues from the university. The lounge was a small cabinet highlighted by nineteenth-century beige sofas manufactured in India. Once inside, he flicked the switch to turn on the lazy, nearly burned-out bulbs of a chandelier attached to the wooden ceiling. Ashford Hall demanded a complete overhaul, but he had not yet come across an architect to his liking.

He located the telephone on a small table. The handset was off the hook, with the speaker turned toward the mat to minimize outside noise. He cleared his throat and picked up the device:

-Spencer?

-Edward? -I heard you come in," he joked.

-Good evening, Ozwell. What do you want? -He sat down on the nearest sofa.

-I hope I haven't disturbed your work.

-No, it's no bother.

-I've been involved in a new business venture lately and wondered if you'd be interested in hearing a proposal.

-Is it about Anzec, your pharmaceutical company? -The first thing that popped into his head.

-Yes, that's right. I'll be brief and to the point to save you time: Anzec is a resounding success and I want to set up a new biotech company. I've contacted a colleague of mine at the university, James Marcus, who is also a biotech specialist. He has given me some advice, but my friend is not as experienced as you are, so I would like to know if I can count on your expertise and experience to help me finalize the new project.

-I am flattered by your deference. -Actually, he didn't care.

Spencer continued:

-My proposal is this: could I count on your participation? The participation would be financial, a small, low-risk initial investment. Enough to set up the first laboratory in the Federal Republic of Germany. My contacts assure me that they are granting juicy tax privileges and other exemptions to entrepreneurs who open factories there.

-You're not asking me to work there too? That would be incompatible with my work at the university. -He tried to sound as unpleasant as possible. He was irritated at the prospect of the man asking for money. He knew the Spencers had considerable wealth, but he didn't want to become the buffoon who lent his money to a failed enterprise.

-No, no, of course not. It would only be financial participation. The lab work would be done by my friend Marcus. What do you think?

Edward exhaled a mock sigh. What could he do? Because of the friendship their parents had for each other, he couldn't just turn Spencer down. He would give in now to settle the matter as soon as possible and not worry about what Ozwell did or didn't do with his fortune.

-Well, I could contemplate my participation. But you'll have to explain to me better what the plan is.

-Could we get together? -Spencer said.

-When would that be? -He agreed out of cordiality.

-Later this week. Friday? I'd be going to Ashford Hall.

-My son is coming from the States this weekend, could it be Friday next week?

-Okay. -No problem. No problem. -Pause. -That's all. I wish you a good night, Edward. Thanks for taking care of me.

-Same to you, Ozwell, I bid you a good night.

He hung up. His second sigh was not feigned.

Alexander unpacked his third suitcase in a row, which enlarged the size of the mountain of clothes on his bed mattress. Besides the clothes, there were boxing gloves tucked in a clearing in the tangled forest of pants, underpants, shirts, jackets, and ties. On the pillow he had deposited a monochrome wooden box closed with a small padlock. He kept the key in his trouser pocket. On the floor was scattered a sea of notebooks, specialized books, and romance novels.

He had returned from the United States that morning, just after dawn. The car ride from the airport to his mansion was hellish because of a latent headache aggravated by jet lag and an irascible emotional state. He had left the United States in anger because his thesis director had rejected his project the day before his departure. It had taken him a year to define a study on the genomic sequencing of a chromosomal disorder only to be denied by his alleged director, with crystalline smugness, on religious grounds. Surprised and offended by the irrationality of the excuse, Alexander asked for explanations until the professor hung up on him without saying goodbye. On the plane he regretted the tactlessness of his reaction: he had made his first declared enemy. During the flight, he was reading the bibliography of some specialized books to look for a substitute. He jotted down the name of a Cambridge professor who had published on viral agents and transgenic organisms, a subject related to his father's field of study. He hoped he would have better luck this time.

But before he could grab the pen to write to that professor, he had to fix the lion's den that was his bedroom. There were two knocks on the door: mother or father?

-Yes? -he masked his displeasure at the size of the mess.

The door opened. Father: Edward emerged from the hallway. Before they said a word, they gave each other a quick hug, without hitting each other's backs. Edward's gesticulation was animated, as usual. He sported his neatly trimmed, perennial gray mustache, which he hadn't shed since Alexander could remember. He himself had grown a beard to make himself look more attractive. Aside from the facial hair, Edward was dressed in the cream-colored sweater and brown pants he wore when there were no visitors at Ashford Hall.

-How was the trip? -Edward sat on the corner of the bed, next to the clothes.

-Fine. -Alexander remained standing. He tried hard to hide his obfuscation. He refrained from telling him of his latest setback so as not to sour the encounter.

-Did you bring me a souvenir?

Alexander advanced to the head of the bed, where he took from the pillow the wooden box closed with a small padlock. He handed it to his father, along with the key that was taken from his pocket.

-What is it? -Edward inspected the box with obvious curiosity.

-I hope you like it. -He sat down next to Edward.

Edward unlocked the lock and opened the lid, revealing an American-made radio. The silver-colored radio was a piece of craftsmanship of which there were only a few in the world. An artifact designed by and for compulsive collectors like his father.

-Wow," he exclaimed with satisfaction. He fiddled with the dials and checked for any manufacturing defects. -29?

Twenty-five, manufactured in Pennsylvania.

Satisfied, Edward patted his son's shoulder.

-Thank you, Sasha. Then I'd like to see what you got for your mother.

-Sure.

Edward stood up, ready to leave. But before he walked through the door, he turned around:

-Ah. Do you remember Ozwell Spencer, Abraham's son?

-Sort of. -Alexander didn't know Spencer's face, but he knew he was at his grandfather Arthur's funeral.

-He called me the day before yesterday. To invest in a pharmaceutical company of his. I'm meeting him next Friday. Do you know if it's a good investment? How's it going in the U.S.?

Alexander shrugged his shoulders.

-There's a lot of investment. There are a few powerful companies in the United States.

-I'll keep you posted. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the gift. -He left the bedroom without closing the door.

Alexander grabbed one of the boxing gloves, the right one, with which he had won a tournament when he was an undergraduate. Inside it, he had hidden a special gift for his mother.

III

Ozwell E. Spencer sat across from Edward Ashford around a solid wood circular table. He had been ushered into a room in the library that the fifth Earl Ashford used to prepare for his college classes. The place was well-lit by a pair of tall, narrow windows, and sparsely decorated with a neat chalkboard and a stack of shelves with files and other documents. At the far end, on the wall opposite the entrance, was a desk with what appeared to be photographic frames. Next to the desk, the metal suitcase he had brought with him loomed.

Edward was dressed in a black suit topped by a red tie and a lapel pin with the coat of arms of his lineage. The fine workmanship of the suit made him radiate a pseudo-regal halo that enhanced the competent formality of his figure. Were it not for that obvious sense of competence, Ozwell would not have bothered to show his host the series of confidential memos that broke down Anzec Pharma's industrial activity and finances. Edward was reading the memo pertaining to the construction of a laboratory in the Federal Republic of Germany. Meanwhile, Ozwell fiddled with the zippo lighter with which he had lit the cigar that the butler, Smith, had offered him. His cup of tea was half-full.

Edward closed the memo and returned it to its place on top of the others. He then took a sip from his teacup, making no effort to speak. Ozwell stepped forward:

-What do you think? -He finished his cigar with a final exhalation.

-It looks promising," he said hesitantly.

-I'll be sure to make the lab profitable.

Edward combed his fingers through his mustache.

-The problem is not so much making the lab profitable as ensuring the company's commercial success. Drugs and vaccines make them all. Either you get a worthwhile patent, or you'd have to settle for a more modest market share.

Ozwell willingly took Edward's incisive comment. He was right.

-What can you offer the world that no other company has offered? -Ozwell added to himself.

-That's right," Edward continued.

Ozwell took a sip from his cold cup, reflective. He thought of a good number of things to bet on until he came up with something decent, but he doubted Edward would be willing to squander his money that way.

-Any preferences? Anything worthwhile?

-Virology is a mother lode," Edward pointed out.

-Viruses, eh? One could talk; but about what?

-The discovery of new pathogens. -Edward finished drinking his tea.

-A company engaged in viral research?

-Not necessarily, but it could be one of their main activities. Pharmaceuticals take little risk in this field because it is secondary and dependent on grants. Since you already have a base with Anzec, you could put more resources into research and development.

If that was Earl Ashford's requirement, he would give in to achieve his goal.

-I don't think that's bad. I like the idea. And where should I start?

-I'd start by looking for something that caught my attention. A plant, an animal, anything.

Before it was too late, Ozwell countered:

-If I get something interesting, would you agree to participate in the enterprise?

Edward looked away from his empty teacup.

-How much are you offering? -he whispered.

-Five percent shares. -He puffed out his offer to wring a yes from him.

Edward raised his eyebrow.

-Five percent is too much. Are you sure?

-Five percent and a commitment that I'll find something to your liking myself.

Silence. Edward stroked his mustache. Ozwell watched expectantly.

-I'll talk to my administrator," he replied. -I'll call you to arrange the operation.

-Good. You got it. -Ozwell held out his hand to the count.

They shook hands. He thanked his father, Abraham, God rest his soul, for insisting on his friendship with Arthur Ashford.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

Progenitor Arch - Chapter 1

Una lámpara de aceite interceptaba la infiltración de la noche en un estudio de estanterías tan altas y anchas como las de un Trinity College. Una figura encorvada, de soñolienta postura, descansaba sentada en un sobrio sillón de cuero frente a un menudo escritorio pegado a la pared. A su espalda se situaba la puerta, entreabierta e inmóvil por la falta de corriente. A su izquierda, un ventanal horadado entre dos estanterías había sido cubierto con un recio visillo de tonos anaranjados, a juego con la escala cromática de la estancia.

El morador, abstraído, fijaba su mirada de grisáceos iris en el desorden de papeles, manchas de tinta y una máquina de escribir atascada que desfilaba sobre el escritorio. Intentó arreglar la máquina de escribir, pero se cansó. Luego de su fracaso, se limitó a estarse quieto, perdido en el idilio. Se acordaba de su fallecido padre, Arthur. Pero no del padre con el que había compartido tantas discusiones, tantos viajes, tantas experiencias; sino de aquel que había agonizado hasta la extenuación por un cáncer de hígado. Su padre nunca fue bebedor, solo en apariencia y para contentar a sus pares; mas no pudo evitar morir por la misma causa que su hermano gemelo, Thomas, bien conocido por su afición a los destilados.

Pasó a recuerdos más felices; como cuando aquella vez, con ocho años, Arthur le intentó enseñar a conducir. Se estamparon contra el carromato de unos campesinos que venían de labrar un campo de su propiedad. Arthur les dio cinco libras, una fortuna para aquella gente, a cambio de su silencio. Su padre no se enfadó, ni le gritó; bromearon y juraron guardar el secreto. Edward, el hijo de mayor edad, se vanagloriaba de haber heredado tan buen carácter; y su curiosidad.

Siguiendo sus pasos, se entregó a la ciencia. Arthur, antropólogo y sociólogo, desempeñó un buen número de cargos relacionados con la propaganda y el orden público. A partir de estos cargos, generalmente como jefe de sección o científico jefe, el cuarto conde Ashford confraternizó con una variedad de oficiales gubernamentales y militares. Fueron estas amistades las que suprimieron el apellido Ashford-Campbell-Douglas-Stuart de todas las listas de levas durante la Primera y Segunda Guerra Mundial. Edward aprovechó la oportunidad para doctorarse en microbiología con especialidad en virología. Desde el colegio, siempre le atrajo la biología por su potencial para la comprensión de la naturaleza y de los seres vivos. Pensaba que sociedad y naturaleza, a fin de cuentas, constituían un todo. Se decantó por la virología porque todavía era un terreno inexplorado. El mismo año que se vistió de escarlata para su última ceremonia de graduación, comenzó su primer trabajo como profesor titular de Microbiología en la Universidad de Oxford. Rechazó el sueldo que le ofrecieron e inmediatamente lideró su primer equipo de investigación en biotecnología. Su carrera despegó desde el día uno, gracias tanto al apoyo de su familia como a su círculo de colegas universitarios. Suya fue una patente para la producción en serie de una vacuna contra la difteria que vendió a una empresa farmacéutica francesa a cambio de prestigio.

En el treinta y uno fue ordenado miembro de la Orden del Imperio Británico. En el treinta y dos se casó con su gran amor de la juventud, Elizabeth Nassau, a quien conoció durante una estancia de investigación en Canadá. Elizabeth era una experta en biología celular que compartió estudio con Edward desde su primera cita no oficial en una biblioteca de Montreal. Al año siguiente nació su único hijo, Alexander, tras un intento inicial que terminó en aborto espontáneo. Rememoró pasear con Elizabeth y Alexander por el centro de Edimburgo, las visitas a sus primos o cuando todo el clan se reunía para festejar la Navidad. Fue George, el hijo pequeño de Arthur, quien le regaló su primer kilt a Alexander.

Tocaron tres veces a la puerta.

—¿Lord Ashford? —preguntó una pausada voz barítona. Edward se giró sobresaltado. Smith, el mayordomo, un achaparrado anciano de resultonas arrugas al que la levita le quedaba un poco holgada por su preeminente delgadez, se asomaba desde el entreabierto marco de la puerta.

—¿Sí? —carraspeó. Le costó articular la sílaba.

—Lord Spencer está al teléfono. Oswell Spencer, de Essex. Pregunta si podría conversar con usted.

El hijo de Abraham, un amigo de su padre. A Oswell lo conoció en persona cuando este era un muchacho en la casa solariega de los Spencer. La última vez que supo de él fue en el cincuenta y nueve, en el funeral de Arthur. En aquella ocasión, Oswell le contó que, tras la muerte de Abraham, había fundado una nueva empresa, una farmacéutica, para explotar nuevos mercados. Edward le prestó una atención superficial y cordial, rayana al desinterés. Un año después, parecía que volvía saber de él.

Consultó la hora en su reloj de pulsera. No era muy tarde.

—Sí, podría, ¿en qué teléfono?

—En el salón adjunto.

—Gracias, Smith. —Se irguió. Despidió al mayordomo con un asentimiento. Dejó que la mecha de la lámpara de aceite se consumiese a solas.

Anduvo hasta la salida y de ahí a un sombrío corredor iluminado por un halógeno. A pocos pasos, a la derecha, se situaba el salón adjunto a su estudio, donde solía recibir a sus colegas de la universidad. El salón era un pequeño gabinete que destacaba por unos decimonónicos sofás de color beige manufacturados en la India. Una vez dentro, presionó el interruptor para encender las perezosas, y casi fundidas, bombillas de una lámpara de araña sujeta al techo de madera. Ashford Hall demandaba una reforma integral, pero todavía no se había topado con un arquitecto que fuera de su gusto.

Localizó el teléfono sobre una mesita. El auricular estaba descolgado y con el altavoz puesto hacia el tapete para minimizar el ruido exterior. Se aclaró la garganta y agarró el aparato:

—¿Spencer?

—¿Edward? —contestó una distorsionada voz masculina—. Te he oído llegar —bromeó.

—Buenas noches, Oswell. ¿Qué deseas? —Se sentó en el sofá más cercano.

—Espero no haber perturbado tu trabajo.

—No, no es molestia.

—Últimamente he estado involucrado en un nuevo proyecto empresarial y me preguntaba si estarías interesado en escuchar una propuesta.

—¿Es sobre Anzec, tu empresa farmacéutica? —Lo primero que se le vino a la cabeza.

—Sí, eso es. Seré breve y directo para ahorrarte tiempo: Anzec está siendo un rotundo éxito y quiero montar una nueva empresa dedicada a la biotecnología. He contactado con un colega mío de la universidad, James Marcus, que también es especialista en biotecnología. Él me ha dado algún consejo, pero mi amigo no tiene tanta carrera como tú; por eso, querría saber si podría contar con tu sapiencia y experiencia para terminar de definir el nuevo proyecto.

—Me halaga tu deferencia. —En realidad, le daba igual.

Spencer prosiguió:

—Mi propuesta es la siguiente: ¿podría contar con tu participación? La participación sería financiera, una pequeña inversión inicial de bajo riesgo. Lo suficiente como para montar un primer laboratorio en la República Federal de Alemania. Mis contactos me aseguran que están concediendo jugosos privilegios fiscales y otras exenciones a empresarios que inauguren fábricas en el lugar.

—¿No me pedirás que también trabaje allí? Eso sería incompatible con mi trabajo en la universidad. —Intentó sonar lo menos desagradable posible. Le irritaba la perspectiva de que aquel individuo le estuviese pidiendo dinero. Sabía que los Spencer poseían un cuantioso patrimonio, pero no quería convertirse en el bufón que prestaba su dinero a una empresa fallida.

—No, no, claro que no. Solo sería una participación financiera. El trabajo de laboratorio ya lo haría mi amigo Marcus. ¿Qué te parece?

Edward exhaló un simulacro de suspiro. Qué podía hacer. Por la amistad que sus padres se profesaron, no podía rechazar sin más a Spencer. Cedería ahora para zanjar cuanto antes el asunto y así despreocuparse de lo que Oswell hiciera o dejara de hacer con su fortuna.

—Bueno, podría contemplar mi participación. Pero tendrás que explicarme mejor cuál es el plan.

—¿Podríamos reunirnos? —terció Spencer.

—¿Cuándo sería? —Aceptó por cordialidad.

—Esta misma semana. ¿El viernes? Yo me desplazaría a Ashford Hall.

—Mi hijo viene de Estados Unidos este fin de semana, ¿podría ser el viernes de la semana que viene?

—De acuerdo. Sin problema. —Pausa. —Eso es todo. Te deseo una buena noche, Edward. Gracias por atenderme.

—Igualmente, Oswell, te deseo una buena noche.

Colgó. Su segundo suspiro no fue simulado.

Alexander deshizo su tercera maleta consecutiva, lo que agrandó la envergadura de la montaña de ropa que había sobre el colchón de su cama. Aparte de las prendas, había unos guantes de boxeo malmetidos en un claro del enmarañado bosque conformado por pantalones, calzoncillos, camisas, chaquetas y corbatas. Sobre la almohada había depositado una monocolor caja de madera cerrada con un pequeño candado. Guardaba la llave en el bolsillo de su pantalón. En el suelo había disperso un mar de cuadernos, libros especializados y novelas románticas.

Había vuelto de los Estados Unidos esa misma mañana, al poco de despuntar el alba. El viaje en coche desde el aeropuerto hasta su mansión fue infernal por un latente dolor de cabeza agudizado por el desfase horario y un irascible estado emocional. Había salido de los Estados Unidos iracundo porque su director de tesis había rechazado su proyecto el día previo a su partida. Había tardado un año en definir un estudio sobre la secuenciación genómica de un trastorno cromosómico para que su presunto director, con una cristalina suficiencia, se lo negase por motivos religiosos. Sorprendido y ofendido por lo irracional de la excusa, Alexander pidió explicaciones hasta que el profesor le colgó sin despedirse. En el avión se arrepintió del poco tacto de su reacción: se había ganado su primer enemigo declarado. Durante la travesía estuvo leyendo la bibliografía de algunos libros especializados para buscar un sustituto. Anotó el nombre de una profesora de Cambridge que había publicado sobre agentes virales y organismos transgénicos, un tema relacionado con el campo de estudio de su padre. Esperaba tener mejor suerte esta vez.

Pero antes de pillar el bolígrafo para escribir a esa profesora, debía arreglar la leonera que era su dormitorio. Llamaron dos veces a la puerta: ¿madre o padre?

—¿Sí? —enmascaró su disgusto por tamaño desorden.

La puerta se abrió. Padre: Edward emergió del pasillo. Antes de mentar palabra, se dieron un abrazo rápido, sin golpearse la espalda. La gesticulación de Edward era animada, como de costumbre. Este lucía su perenne bigote cano, perfilado con esmero y del cual no se había desprendido desde que Alexander tenía uso de razón. Él mismo se había dejado crecer la barba para percibirse más atractivo. Al margen del vello facial, Edward vestía con el suéter color crema y los pantalones castaños que se ponía cuando no había visitas en Ashford Hall.

—¿Qué tal el viaje? —Edward se sentó en una esquina de la cama, junto a la ropa.

—Bien. —Alexander permaneció de pie. Se esforzó por ocultar su ofuscación. Obvió contarle su último contratiempo para no amargar el encuentro.

—¿Me has traído un souvenir?

Alexander avanzó hacia la cabecera de la cama, donde cogió de la almohada la caja de madera cerrada con un pequeño candado. Se la entregó a su padre, junto con la llave que se extrajo del bolsillo.

—¿Qué es? —Edward inspeccionó la caja con evidente curiosidad.

—Espero que te guste. —Se sentó al lado de Edward.

Edward desbloqueó el candado y abrió la tapa, desvelando una radio de manufactura estadounidense. La radio, de colores plateados, era una pieza artesanal de las que solo existían unas pocas en todo el mundo. Un artefacto diseñado por y para coleccionistas compulsivos como su padre.

—Vaya —exclamó con satisfacción. Toqueteó los diales y comprobó que no hubiera ningún defecto de fabricación. —¿Del 29?

—Del 25, manufacturada en Pensilvania.

Satisfecho, Edward palmeó el hombro de su hijo.

—Gracias, Sasha. Luego me gustaría ver qué le has regalado a tu madre.

—Claro.

Edward se irguió, dispuesto a marcharse. Pero antes de cruzar la puerta se giró:

—Ah. ¿Te acuerdas de Oswell Spencer, el hijo de Abraham?

—Más o menos. —Alexander no le ponía cara a Spencer, pero sabía que estuvo en el funeral de su abuelo Arthur.

—Me llamó antes de ayer. Para invertir en una empresa farmacéutica suya. Me reuniré con él el viernes que viene. ¿Sabes si es una buena inversión? ¿Cómo va el asunto en Estados Unidos?

Alexander se encogió de hombros.

—Hay mucha inversión. En Estados Unidos hay unas cuantas empresas potentes.

—Ya. Te mantendré informado. Gracias por el regalo. —Salió del dormitorio sin cerrar la puerta.

Alexander agarró uno de los guantes de boxeo, el derecho, con el que ganó un torneo cuando cursaba la licenciatura. En su interior había escondido un regalo especial para su madre.

III

Oswell E. Spencer se sentaba frente a Edward Ashford en torno a una mesa circular de madera maciza. Había sido conducido a una sala de la biblioteca que el quinto conde Ashford utilizaba para preparar sus clases en la universidad. El lugar estaba bien iluminado por un par de ventanales altos y estrechos, y someramente decorado con una límpida pizarra de tiza y un montón de estanterías con archivos y otros documentos. Al fondo, en la pared opuesta a la entrada, había una mesa de escritorio con lo que parecían ser marcos fotográficos. Junto al escritorio, asomaba la maleta metálica que había traído consigo.

Edward iba ataviado con un traje negro coronado por una corbata roja y un pin en la solapa con el escudo de armas de su linaje. La fina manufactura del traje le hacía irradiar un halo pseudo regio que realzaba la competente formalidad de su figura. Si no fuera por esa evidente sensación de competencia, Oswell no se habría molestado en mostrarle a su anfitrión la serie de memorandos confidenciales que desglosaban la actividad industrial y finanzas de Anzec Pharma. Edward leía el memorándum correspondiente a la construcción de un laboratorio en la República Federal de Alemania. Entre tanto, Oswell jugueteaba con el mechero zippo con el que se había encendido el puro que el mayordomo, Smith, le había ofrecido. Su taza de té estaba a medias.

Edward cerró el memorando y lo devolvió a su sitio, sobre los demás. A continuación dio un sorbo a su taza de té, sin esforzarse en hablar. Oswell se adelantó:

—¿Qué te parece? —se acabó el puro con una última exhalación.

—Parece prometedor —dijo dubitativo.

—Me aseguraré de rentabilizar el laboratorio.

Edward se peinó el bigote con los dedos.

—El problema no es tanto rentabilizar el laboratorio como asegurar el éxito comercial de la empresa. Medicamentos y vacunas las hacen todas. O se consigue una patente que merezca la pena, o te tendrías que conformar con una cuota de mercado más modesta.

Oswell encajó de buena gana el incisivo comentario de Edward. Tenía razón.

—¿Qué se puede ofrecer al mundo que ninguna otra compañía haya ofrecido? —Oswell agregó para sí mismo.

—Así es —continuó Edward.

Oswell dio un sorbo a su fría taza, reflexivo. Pensaba en una buena cantidad de cosas en las que apostar hasta lograr algo decente, pero dudaba que Edward estuviera dispuesto a derrochar su dinero de ese modo.

—¿Alguna preferencia? ¿Algo que merezca la pena?

—La virología es un filón —puntualizó Edward.

—¿Virus, eh? Se podría hablar; pero ¿respecto a qué?

—El descubrimiento de nuevos patógenos. —Edward terminó de beberse su té.

—¿Una empresa dedicada a la investigación vírica?

—No necesariamente, pero podría ser una de sus principales actividades. Las farmacéuticas arriesgan poco en este campo porque es secundario y depende de las subvenciones. Como ya tienes una base con Anzec, podrías destinar más recursos a la investigación y el desarrollo.

Si ese era el requisito del conde Ashford, cedería para lograr su objetivo.

—No me parece mal. Me gusta la idea. Y, ¿por dónde debería empezar?

—Empezaría por buscar algo que me llamase la atención. Una planta, un animal, lo que fuera.

Antes de que fuera demasiado tarde, Oswell contratacó:

—Si consigo algo interesante, ¿aceptarías participar en la empresa?

Edward desvió la mirada a su vacía taza de té.

—¿Cuánto me ofreces? —susurró.

—Cinco por ciento de participaciones. —Hinchó su oferta para arrancarle un sí.

Edward enarcó la ceja.

—Cinco por ciento es demasiado. ¿Estás seguro?

—Cinco por ciento y el compromiso de que yo mismo buscaré algo que sea de tu agrado.

Silencio. Edward se manoseó el bigote. Oswell observaba expectante.

—Hablaré con mi administradora —resolvió. —Te llamaré para gestionar la operación.

—Bien. Así sea. —Oswell le tendió su mano al conde.

Se estrecharon las manos. Agradeció a su padre Abraham, que en paz descanse, el haber insistido en su amistad con Arthur Ashford.

#resident evil #op's fic #umbrella pharmaceuticals

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