I've changed names, places, and a few events for my Free Republic of the Congo TL. In order to avoid the malaria and unsettle-ability, I've moved to the bushlands of Namibia, the original settlement being at Walvis Bay...ITTL, I'm butterflying away the London Missionary Society's attempt at settling the Bay in 1793, and its building of a church in the way south...
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1820’s: Catholic Walloons in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands begin to move in small numbers south of the Congo basin in the bushlands of southern Africa, hoping to establish there own state there- much like the Boers of the Cape. At this time, there is no interest in the region, and as they are arriving in such small numbers, this is widely ignored. By 1827, there are about 1,100 Walloons. They established a settlement near a bay that Portuguese maps called “Golfo de Santa Maria da Conceição,” on the ocean, and named it “Baie Sainte-Marie.” In 1829, the first marriage between an African and a Walloon take place. The Walloons, who are mostly poor peasants from the Netherlands, declare slavery illegal in their settlement.
1830’s: A prominent Walloon, Félix de Mérode, begins recruiting in the Netherlands to bring more Wallonians and Catholics to the African settlements. Dutch authorities widely ignore this, thinking the Wallonians are taking their fellow Catholics to British South Africa. De Mérode establishes the “Société catholique d'Afrique,” to encourage oppressed Catholics to immigrate to what he discretely calls “L’Afrique catholique,” so as to not rouse the suspisions of any European powers. He returns to Baie Sainte-Marie in 1836 with four hundred Wallonians, as wells as two hundred Dutch Catholics, and German Catholics. A second city is founded by the German and Dutch settlers on the opposite side of the Bay, which is named “Empfängnstadt.” A Dutchman settler plants orange seeds in his farm in Empfängnstadt, which takes off quickly. A thriving citrus trade with the Africans, in exchange for other plantable foods begins. Bannana, cocoa, and coffee farms are soon established in the two settlements by Europeans and Africans alike. With more Walloons emmigrating to the Congo, there is no Catholic Netherlands revolt. At the same time, missions are being established to convert the friendly Herero, who have heard tales of other oppressing whites further south. Other Africans too begin moving closer to “l’Afrique catholique,” hearing of the aid these new, friendly Whites are providing.
1840’s: At the beginning of this decade, the total Catholic population of the two settlements is over three-thousand. Many Africans are coming from the innerlands to receive treatment in European hospitals, and converting to Catholicism. The free society between the Europeans, who are mostly oppressed peasants and accept the Africans as fellows-in-oppression proves to be a success for the settlments, as the Europeans introduce technology, and the Africans know the area. In 1846, de Mérode returns from Europea again, with a group of four-hundred Scandinavian Catholics. They establish a third settlement-region between Baie Sainte-Marie and Empfängnstadt and name it “Kristushatt.” The leaders of the three settlments, as wells as prominent Catholic African leaders, meet in Baie Sainte-Marie in 1848 to declare the settlements as the “Free Republic of Khoisia,” taken from the Koikoi natives. To no one’s surprise, de Mérode is elected president. In 1849, the “Société catholique d'Afrique,” which is the de facto legislature of the Republic, builds it’s own building in Baie Sainte-Marie. The same year, marble, gold and copper were struck in the innerlands east of the main settlements. In order to recruit more persons to mine and populate the settlements, more missions are set up to convert the Africans, and the Société catholique d'Afrique establishes two foreign offices- one in Dublin, and one in Port-au-Prince. Promising a free society with plenty of opportunity, thousands of poor Irishmen and Haitians immigrate to Khoisia, almost trippling the population within their first year of arrival.
1850’s: The Republic and the Société catholique d'Afrique decide to find a European protector. Needing to be free of colonization and the slave trade, but remain Catholic and have support, they decide upon Spain. In exchange for weapons, ships, and recognition, the Republic grant’s Spain a monopoly over the thriving citrus trade to Europe. Aboard a three newly-purchased Spanish ships, members of the Société catholique d'Afrique sail to Brazil. They successfully aid over a thousand runaway slaves and poor mestizos and Portugese in sending them to Africa. This large influx of immigrants, which itself too increased the Khoisian population, sends a scare. The current settlements had been purchased or traded with the Republic from the Africans. Now, however, there may be problems in purchasing a large amount of good land. However the Africans in the surronding region gladly sell large parts of their land, in return for integration into the Khoisian society, and a promise to become successful. The settlment of “Nova Lusitânia,” is established in the less desirable lands alongside Empfängnstadt. However, many of the Brazilians know how to cultivate the jungle lands, and successfully plant sugarcane in the region, which begins a new trade in the area. More Africans in the region came into the new black-dominated settlement, in response to the success of sugarcane. With such a large population, and numerous sugarcane farms, Nova Lusitânia quickly grows into a large settlement.
1860’s: The Republic begins to train it’s own army, with the aid of the Spanish. Under the guide of President de Mérode, Khoisia’s productivity almost doubles, bringing into the fold many black Catholic Angolan refugees in the north. In 1864, the six-hundred strong Angolans establish their own settlement in the region, Nossaterra. Alarmed with the sudden increase in Portugese-speaking citizens, many of the Wallonians, Haitians, and Herero petition the Society to bring more Wallonians and other francophone persons to Khoisia. Eight hundred more Wallonians arrive in Baie Sainte-Marie in 1868- however this time, many of them are merchants, and find the agricultural and laborous society of the Congo difficult to adjust to. They settle in Baie Sainte-Marie, and begin plans to bring in a new group of people who strive for freedom and acceptance, and know the value of hardwork- the Freedmen of America.
1870’s: In 1873, Société catholique d’Afrique sails with five large Spanish ships to the United States. In the States, they become a rival of the Protestant, American Colonization Society. They offer any Freedmen wishing to convert to Catholicism, land, freedom, education, and absolute equality- more than the ACS could offer in the disease infested jungles of West Africa. Over three-thousand Freedmen return with the Society in 1875. The radical-Republican controlled United States also recognizes the Free Republic of Khoisia. The Société catholique d’Afrique begins to arrange not only for the Freedmen, but also for many Catholics, and Hispanics to re-settle in Khoisia. Not used to Europeans, or European language-speaking Africans, the Freedmen travel north of the main settlements, and integrate themselves with many Africans in the north, and establish a settlement they call “Promised Land.” Though many are Catholic, more, if not most, retain their Baptist faith from America. They settle on lands north of Baie Sainte-Marie, along the river, and further inland. In 1879, the Free Republic began plans with the Catholic African tribes in the region, to expand and integrate. With most Europeans wishing to stay in their established farms and settlements, there Africans in the region begin building towns and farms with the help of their European co-citizens, and establish the Erongo settlements, as they are called.
1880-1884: Thousands of Brazillian sons of slaves emmigrate to the Congo, many with runaway relatives. It is the Brazillians who know the jungle that begin to settle in the northern, slightly-jungle like regions, and integrate with the native Africans, most of which in the area, are now Catholic. With more settlements in the inlands, the Provincial Convention of 1883 is held in Baie Sainte-Marie dividing Khoisia into three provinces, and two territories: Provinces of l’Afrique Catholique, Koikoiland, and Nouvelle-l’Afrique-du-Sud; and the Territories of Pays d’Ocean, and Damareterre. The city of Belgique is founded on the Atlantic Ocean in the north, and plans to build a man-made harbor are drafted.
1885: The most important year in early Khoisian history- the Berlin Conference. France, Britain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Khoisia, Spain, and Italy meet in Berlin to partion Africa, after border disputes errupt between European spheres of influences, and on the Angolan-Khoisian border. Khoisia leaves with a territory much larger than itself, and only distraught in not receiving the Portugese territory of Angola, where the majority-African population had wished to become part of Khoisia. With the establishment of formal borders, many more cities are born, beginning as forts and missions, and turning into communities. This year also saw the continuation of emmigration from Brazil and the United States, after slaves over 60 are freed in Brazil, and segregation is enforced in the American south. Belgique becomes the point-of-entrance for all arriving immigrants. The provinces of Flussland-khoisien and l’Hardappe are created.
1886: The persecuted Basters of the Cape begin emmigrating to Khoisia after new Afrikaaner laws declared them no longer “White,” but mixed. Knowing of the racially equal society in Khoisia, the Basters as well as other mixed-race tribes of the unsettled regions between Khoisia and the Cape begin moving to the Republic. The Société catholique d’Afrique passes a law allowing non-Catholics to become citizens and to hold Protestant services privatley in their homes. However, the building of non-Catholic churches was still forbidden. Many Catholic churches, however, allowed the Protestant Basters and Coloureds of the Cape to use their buildings for worshipping.
1887-1890: These years saw rapid growth in Khoisia. Many poor Italians begin the journey to Khoisia, after Italy’s plans of colonizing Libya and Eritrea proove to be too dificult. Seeing fellow Europeans immigrating to Africa, causes over four-thousand Poles to begin their immigration to Khoisia. Fearing a possible racial disbalance with new Europeans who do not understand completely the equality in the Congo, the Société catholique d’Afrique, begins establishing hundreds of missions in the “Pays Nonincorporé,” outside the Republic proper. Within it’s first four years- over three thousand Africans immigrate from the deserts and bushlands of the Unincorporated Country into the Republic itself.
1891: The Free Republic of Khoisia annexes the territory south of the Republic’s northern border to make room for the immigrants. This harsher region was chosen to counter the number of Boers moving into the hinterlands of British South Africa. The Poles quickly begin settling in the area, and establish hospitals, farms, schools, etc. The original provinces and territories are re-divided into two provinces: Koikoiland and Nouvelle-l’Afrique-du-Sud, while the newly annexed region is similarily divided into two provinces: Karasie and l’Afrique-du-Sud-khoisien. With the newly created canals and irrigation system, the bushlands became more hospitable to cultivation, and the south quickly became a major producer of the Republic’s agriculture, as the “Original Republic,” became more and more industrialized.
1892: The Convention of the Republic was held in Baie Sainte-Marie in 1892, to organize the government of the Republic. The process of creating provinces was established, and it was decided that, eventually, all of the Unincorporated Country would eventually be annexed into the Republic. The office of President was lowered to a re-electable six-year term, and the National Assembly was created as an actual legislature. The Société catholique d’Afrique organized the first political party, the Society Party, which won the majority of the seats in the Assembly. Guillaume Louis le Darma-Matthys, a biracial Walloon-Herero, was elected the first non-white President of the Republic.
1893-1895: The Mountain Expedition is launched, designed to explore the mountains of the eastern Unincorporated Country, and meet tribal leaders, and mainly to map the vast territory. The Expedition traveled the large, navigable, rivers of the region, and came back with alliances, stories, plants, and animals no one had ever seen. In 1895, the Khoisian economy was forever changed by the discovery of diamonds, prompting more immigration from Central America mainly, and quicker build-up of the south.
1896: Dairy farms are established in throughout the Republic and Unincorporated Country. This leads the National Assembly to pass the Unincorporated Country Territorial Act, forcing citizens of the Republic to acquire permission to settle in the Unincorporated Country before leaving. This is the first bar on immigrating further into the region. The government begins funding for more Catholic missions to travel into the area. Many citizens, however, illegally establish dairy farms throughout the area, and send them to smaller, legal farms in the Republic, so they appear to have been manufactured legally.
1897-1900: The second wave of Freedmen and American Hispanics arrive in Belgique. As with the first group, they too are un-used to the Euro-African fusion lifestyle lived in the big cities and populized areas of the Original Republic. This group of over five thousand immigrate into the then-largely un-built areas of the Northern Unincorporated Territories. These Americans tended not to integrate themselves with the Native Africans in this area, rather, they attempted to Americanize them. In 1898, the first Freedmen, and second non-white, was elected President of the Republic- James Edwards. President Edwards was also the first non-Society member ever to run the government of the Congo. He began pushing for major Angloization programs, and his administration paid for many Anglophone Catholic missionaries to spread Catholicism in the area. His visit with President McKinley of the United States sparked great controversy in America- a former slave, now president of an industrialized and free society, being treated with equal status of the white American president. Inspired by his stories, thousands more Freedmen used all the money to their name to immigrate to Khoisia, freely adopting Catholicism, and finding themselves integrating with the Haitians, rather than the original Freedmen descendants, who retained their Baptist faith. The Republic also aids Great Britain in the Second Boer War, resulting in Anglo-Khoisian victory, and the immigration of many African, Boer servants to Khoisia.
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1820’s: Catholic Walloons in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands begin to move in small numbers south of the Congo basin in the bushlands of southern Africa, hoping to establish there own state there- much like the Boers of the Cape. At this time, there is no interest in the region, and as they are arriving in such small numbers, this is widely ignored. By 1827, there are about 1,100 Walloons. They established a settlement near a bay that Portuguese maps called “Golfo de Santa Maria da Conceição,” on the ocean, and named it “Baie Sainte-Marie.” In 1829, the first marriage between an African and a Walloon take place. The Walloons, who are mostly poor peasants from the Netherlands, declare slavery illegal in their settlement.
1830’s: A prominent Walloon, Félix de Mérode, begins recruiting in the Netherlands to bring more Wallonians and Catholics to the African settlements. Dutch authorities widely ignore this, thinking the Wallonians are taking their fellow Catholics to British South Africa. De Mérode establishes the “Société catholique d'Afrique,” to encourage oppressed Catholics to immigrate to what he discretely calls “L’Afrique catholique,” so as to not rouse the suspisions of any European powers. He returns to Baie Sainte-Marie in 1836 with four hundred Wallonians, as wells as two hundred Dutch Catholics, and German Catholics. A second city is founded by the German and Dutch settlers on the opposite side of the Bay, which is named “Empfängnstadt.” A Dutchman settler plants orange seeds in his farm in Empfängnstadt, which takes off quickly. A thriving citrus trade with the Africans, in exchange for other plantable foods begins. Bannana, cocoa, and coffee farms are soon established in the two settlements by Europeans and Africans alike. With more Walloons emmigrating to the Congo, there is no Catholic Netherlands revolt. At the same time, missions are being established to convert the friendly Herero, who have heard tales of other oppressing whites further south. Other Africans too begin moving closer to “l’Afrique catholique,” hearing of the aid these new, friendly Whites are providing.
1840’s: At the beginning of this decade, the total Catholic population of the two settlements is over three-thousand. Many Africans are coming from the innerlands to receive treatment in European hospitals, and converting to Catholicism. The free society between the Europeans, who are mostly oppressed peasants and accept the Africans as fellows-in-oppression proves to be a success for the settlments, as the Europeans introduce technology, and the Africans know the area. In 1846, de Mérode returns from Europea again, with a group of four-hundred Scandinavian Catholics. They establish a third settlement-region between Baie Sainte-Marie and Empfängnstadt and name it “Kristushatt.” The leaders of the three settlments, as wells as prominent Catholic African leaders, meet in Baie Sainte-Marie in 1848 to declare the settlements as the “Free Republic of Khoisia,” taken from the Koikoi natives. To no one’s surprise, de Mérode is elected president. In 1849, the “Société catholique d'Afrique,” which is the de facto legislature of the Republic, builds it’s own building in Baie Sainte-Marie. The same year, marble, gold and copper were struck in the innerlands east of the main settlements. In order to recruit more persons to mine and populate the settlements, more missions are set up to convert the Africans, and the Société catholique d'Afrique establishes two foreign offices- one in Dublin, and one in Port-au-Prince. Promising a free society with plenty of opportunity, thousands of poor Irishmen and Haitians immigrate to Khoisia, almost trippling the population within their first year of arrival.
1850’s: The Republic and the Société catholique d'Afrique decide to find a European protector. Needing to be free of colonization and the slave trade, but remain Catholic and have support, they decide upon Spain. In exchange for weapons, ships, and recognition, the Republic grant’s Spain a monopoly over the thriving citrus trade to Europe. Aboard a three newly-purchased Spanish ships, members of the Société catholique d'Afrique sail to Brazil. They successfully aid over a thousand runaway slaves and poor mestizos and Portugese in sending them to Africa. This large influx of immigrants, which itself too increased the Khoisian population, sends a scare. The current settlements had been purchased or traded with the Republic from the Africans. Now, however, there may be problems in purchasing a large amount of good land. However the Africans in the surronding region gladly sell large parts of their land, in return for integration into the Khoisian society, and a promise to become successful. The settlment of “Nova Lusitânia,” is established in the less desirable lands alongside Empfängnstadt. However, many of the Brazilians know how to cultivate the jungle lands, and successfully plant sugarcane in the region, which begins a new trade in the area. More Africans in the region came into the new black-dominated settlement, in response to the success of sugarcane. With such a large population, and numerous sugarcane farms, Nova Lusitânia quickly grows into a large settlement.
1860’s: The Republic begins to train it’s own army, with the aid of the Spanish. Under the guide of President de Mérode, Khoisia’s productivity almost doubles, bringing into the fold many black Catholic Angolan refugees in the north. In 1864, the six-hundred strong Angolans establish their own settlement in the region, Nossaterra. Alarmed with the sudden increase in Portugese-speaking citizens, many of the Wallonians, Haitians, and Herero petition the Society to bring more Wallonians and other francophone persons to Khoisia. Eight hundred more Wallonians arrive in Baie Sainte-Marie in 1868- however this time, many of them are merchants, and find the agricultural and laborous society of the Congo difficult to adjust to. They settle in Baie Sainte-Marie, and begin plans to bring in a new group of people who strive for freedom and acceptance, and know the value of hardwork- the Freedmen of America.
1870’s: In 1873, Société catholique d’Afrique sails with five large Spanish ships to the United States. In the States, they become a rival of the Protestant, American Colonization Society. They offer any Freedmen wishing to convert to Catholicism, land, freedom, education, and absolute equality- more than the ACS could offer in the disease infested jungles of West Africa. Over three-thousand Freedmen return with the Society in 1875. The radical-Republican controlled United States also recognizes the Free Republic of Khoisia. The Société catholique d’Afrique begins to arrange not only for the Freedmen, but also for many Catholics, and Hispanics to re-settle in Khoisia. Not used to Europeans, or European language-speaking Africans, the Freedmen travel north of the main settlements, and integrate themselves with many Africans in the north, and establish a settlement they call “Promised Land.” Though many are Catholic, more, if not most, retain their Baptist faith from America. They settle on lands north of Baie Sainte-Marie, along the river, and further inland. In 1879, the Free Republic began plans with the Catholic African tribes in the region, to expand and integrate. With most Europeans wishing to stay in their established farms and settlements, there Africans in the region begin building towns and farms with the help of their European co-citizens, and establish the Erongo settlements, as they are called.
1880-1884: Thousands of Brazillian sons of slaves emmigrate to the Congo, many with runaway relatives. It is the Brazillians who know the jungle that begin to settle in the northern, slightly-jungle like regions, and integrate with the native Africans, most of which in the area, are now Catholic. With more settlements in the inlands, the Provincial Convention of 1883 is held in Baie Sainte-Marie dividing Khoisia into three provinces, and two territories: Provinces of l’Afrique Catholique, Koikoiland, and Nouvelle-l’Afrique-du-Sud; and the Territories of Pays d’Ocean, and Damareterre. The city of Belgique is founded on the Atlantic Ocean in the north, and plans to build a man-made harbor are drafted.
1885: The most important year in early Khoisian history- the Berlin Conference. France, Britain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Khoisia, Spain, and Italy meet in Berlin to partion Africa, after border disputes errupt between European spheres of influences, and on the Angolan-Khoisian border. Khoisia leaves with a territory much larger than itself, and only distraught in not receiving the Portugese territory of Angola, where the majority-African population had wished to become part of Khoisia. With the establishment of formal borders, many more cities are born, beginning as forts and missions, and turning into communities. This year also saw the continuation of emmigration from Brazil and the United States, after slaves over 60 are freed in Brazil, and segregation is enforced in the American south. Belgique becomes the point-of-entrance for all arriving immigrants. The provinces of Flussland-khoisien and l’Hardappe are created.
1886: The persecuted Basters of the Cape begin emmigrating to Khoisia after new Afrikaaner laws declared them no longer “White,” but mixed. Knowing of the racially equal society in Khoisia, the Basters as well as other mixed-race tribes of the unsettled regions between Khoisia and the Cape begin moving to the Republic. The Société catholique d’Afrique passes a law allowing non-Catholics to become citizens and to hold Protestant services privatley in their homes. However, the building of non-Catholic churches was still forbidden. Many Catholic churches, however, allowed the Protestant Basters and Coloureds of the Cape to use their buildings for worshipping.
1887-1890: These years saw rapid growth in Khoisia. Many poor Italians begin the journey to Khoisia, after Italy’s plans of colonizing Libya and Eritrea proove to be too dificult. Seeing fellow Europeans immigrating to Africa, causes over four-thousand Poles to begin their immigration to Khoisia. Fearing a possible racial disbalance with new Europeans who do not understand completely the equality in the Congo, the Société catholique d’Afrique, begins establishing hundreds of missions in the “Pays Nonincorporé,” outside the Republic proper. Within it’s first four years- over three thousand Africans immigrate from the deserts and bushlands of the Unincorporated Country into the Republic itself.
1891: The Free Republic of Khoisia annexes the territory south of the Republic’s northern border to make room for the immigrants. This harsher region was chosen to counter the number of Boers moving into the hinterlands of British South Africa. The Poles quickly begin settling in the area, and establish hospitals, farms, schools, etc. The original provinces and territories are re-divided into two provinces: Koikoiland and Nouvelle-l’Afrique-du-Sud, while the newly annexed region is similarily divided into two provinces: Karasie and l’Afrique-du-Sud-khoisien. With the newly created canals and irrigation system, the bushlands became more hospitable to cultivation, and the south quickly became a major producer of the Republic’s agriculture, as the “Original Republic,” became more and more industrialized.
1892: The Convention of the Republic was held in Baie Sainte-Marie in 1892, to organize the government of the Republic. The process of creating provinces was established, and it was decided that, eventually, all of the Unincorporated Country would eventually be annexed into the Republic. The office of President was lowered to a re-electable six-year term, and the National Assembly was created as an actual legislature. The Société catholique d’Afrique organized the first political party, the Society Party, which won the majority of the seats in the Assembly. Guillaume Louis le Darma-Matthys, a biracial Walloon-Herero, was elected the first non-white President of the Republic.
1893-1895: The Mountain Expedition is launched, designed to explore the mountains of the eastern Unincorporated Country, and meet tribal leaders, and mainly to map the vast territory. The Expedition traveled the large, navigable, rivers of the region, and came back with alliances, stories, plants, and animals no one had ever seen. In 1895, the Khoisian economy was forever changed by the discovery of diamonds, prompting more immigration from Central America mainly, and quicker build-up of the south.
1896: Dairy farms are established in throughout the Republic and Unincorporated Country. This leads the National Assembly to pass the Unincorporated Country Territorial Act, forcing citizens of the Republic to acquire permission to settle in the Unincorporated Country before leaving. This is the first bar on immigrating further into the region. The government begins funding for more Catholic missions to travel into the area. Many citizens, however, illegally establish dairy farms throughout the area, and send them to smaller, legal farms in the Republic, so they appear to have been manufactured legally.
1897-1900: The second wave of Freedmen and American Hispanics arrive in Belgique. As with the first group, they too are un-used to the Euro-African fusion lifestyle lived in the big cities and populized areas of the Original Republic. This group of over five thousand immigrate into the then-largely un-built areas of the Northern Unincorporated Territories. These Americans tended not to integrate themselves with the Native Africans in this area, rather, they attempted to Americanize them. In 1898, the first Freedmen, and second non-white, was elected President of the Republic- James Edwards. President Edwards was also the first non-Society member ever to run the government of the Congo. He began pushing for major Angloization programs, and his administration paid for many Anglophone Catholic missionaries to spread Catholicism in the area. His visit with President McKinley of the United States sparked great controversy in America- a former slave, now president of an industrialized and free society, being treated with equal status of the white American president. Inspired by his stories, thousands more Freedmen used all the money to their name to immigrate to Khoisia, freely adopting Catholicism, and finding themselves integrating with the Haitians, rather than the original Freedmen descendants, who retained their Baptist faith. The Republic also aids Great Britain in the Second Boer War, resulting in Anglo-Khoisian victory, and the immigration of many African, Boer servants to Khoisia.
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