[ Wisconsin - Gabe Vande Walle ]

[Wisconsin]

Character Information

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Full Name: Gabriel "Gabe" Jean Vande Walle
State: The State of Wisconsin
Capital: Madison
Country: The Free Republic of Wisconsin
Affiliation:

Independent. Wisconsin doesn't mind if the United States of America forms again or not - he just wants no part in it. He has many reasons why he doesn't want to be particularly in the final years before it collapsed, were the straws that broke the camel's back. He for the most part is absolutely neutral in every sense of the word, only trading food and supplies with others but not wanting to take part in their alliances.

Date of Birth:

Discovered and settled in 1634, went from French, to British, signed over to the United States of America in July 13, 1787 as Northwest Territory but not officially a state until May 29, 1848.

Appearance:

Standing with an average height (5'10") average weight (150 lbs) and average build, Gabe at first doesn't really particularly stick out. Physically in his mid-twenties, he has expressive bright blue eyes often have bags under them from lack of sleep. They can be either seen as idealistic or absolutely chilling depending on the way you look at it. For the most part he tries to make himself presentable by cleaning his clothes everyday, doing his hair in it's usual style although he doesn't always shave his face.

Gabe's has tanned skin from working out in the fields and his mixed early heritage of French and Native Americans. Face is sharp, and he has a long narrow nose that turns upward at the end. He has dark brown almost black hair and it's style rarely changes with it goes down just to his shoulders, deciding to brush it to the left side of his face to cover up the nasty burn scar that goes down from his face to his lower chest and covers parts of his left arm. (from the Peshtigo Fire ) It has faded and healed over time, but it doesn't look like it will ever truly go away. His clothes consist of a flannel shirt, gloves, baggy jeans, and galoshes. It's clear he doesn't care about fashion, with how he seems to be wearing the same style of work clothes he has worn over sixty years ago.

He has a lot of nervous tics, twitches, for almost everything - this should by all logic make him easy to read but instead it makes him unpredictable in his actions.

If you need a visual though: here is a chibi that a friend of mine made as a present for the community. The one feeding the birds. The friend is also the Pennsylvania here. Hi!

Likes:

• Alcohol: This is on top of the list. Gabe is an alcoholic no matter how much as he denies, having one of the most lax laws in the US. While he claims he never drinks to get drunk, he does drink a lot and is almost constantly seen drinking something whether it be brandy, beer, or something else.
  
• Hunting: Hunting is a sport in Wisconsin, so he definitely enjoys the thrill of hunting game.
  
• Fishing: Fishing is also a sport in Wisconsin, and it's not uncommon to see him ice fishing in cold winter months.
  
• Nature: However on the flip side? Gabe enjoys nature in general from bird watching, making sure animals thrive, and overall protecting them. Many of the hunters and fishermen of Wisconsin try to protect what they enjoy and like to treat the land with respect. However: those who enjoy thrill killing, polluting and damaging the environment... understandably he is sick and tired of all these looters and polluters.
  
• Reading: Wisconsin when he's not and about often is curled up reading a book, since he feels he can take in more information with the written word than listening to often faulty opinions.
  
• Sports: Or rather, specifically watching them. Football is specifically the biggest obsession of them all though particularly with the Packers in the INAFL. (International North American Football League)
  
• Agriculture: This is obvious - he farms and rears animals to provide food, wool, and other products - this is specifically because Wisconsin has wonderful farmland.
  
• Cheese: Making it, eating it, and so on. He's fairly persnickety about it in terms of other people's work however.
  
• Bratwurst: Did you know the Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the only baseball stadium that sells more bratwurst than hot dogs? Exactly. German food in general is something he enjoys.
  
• Freedom: Now what would a state like him know about freedom?
  
• Peace: Gabe consistently has a history of his state of not wanting to go into wars: this remains consistent with a reflection of himself as well.
  
• Justice: Wisconsin enjoys justice being served - the quality of being fair and reasonable. However, it makes him quite ... terrifying when it isn't served.
  
• Standards: Wisconsin is a state ruled by standards of quality - he is a perfectionist in that sense and critical. While he might hide his disdain for your lack of skill or effort - he won't hide his happiness if you're good at what you do.
  
• Competition: Wisconsin is a fairly competitive state, whether it comes to sports, to rights, abilities, or anything else - Wisconsin takes a joy in it. Particularly, rubbing in people's faces that he is skilled and they aren't in a spiteful way. (Although he will never admit that.)

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Dislikes:

• Cruelty: Wisconsin has a strong sense of right and wrong, to the point of almost being blind and stubborn in his beliefs. If he sees anything as far as cruelty to animals, to people, or anything else? He is quick to lash out in anger or do subtle passive aggressive attacks, if he does not wish to risk himself as a way to divert attention away. However - this does not stop Wisconsin from being cruel in his own way. He is either not aware of it, or he just doesn't care.
  
• Injustice: The lack of fairness - it's a huge reason for his motivations.
  
• Losing: Wisconsin despite desiring competition, cannot stand it when he's outdone. And trust me, he has been outdone countless of times in the past which has made him both miserable yet try to get better and grasp for attention in his own way. It's a vicious cycle for him.
  
• Failure: Closely connected to losing, but not exactly. A history of failure and wasted potential makes one want to avoid it and not screw up. It hurts a lot when Wisconsin fails, and nearly sends him spiraling into madness. Which trust me, Wisconsin is full of.
  
• Illinois: Trust me. Wisconsin has an intense burning hatred for Illinois, as much as he tries to hide it.

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Strengths:

• Stubborn: Gabe is a fairly stubborn state, whether it is in right or wrong. This is both a good and bad thing that has got him into trouble and made him cause trouble in his past.
  
• Intelligence: Wisconsin is not the smartest state, but he is pretty high up there in critical thinking and knows a lot more than he lets on. (Or as people pay attention to him)
  
• Empathy: A lot of the reason Gabe is the way he is because of empathy - he is understanding and kind for the most part thus why it's hard for him to make an enemy. He is ruled by his emotions and sense of justice in that sense. Unfortunately, this can easily be his weakness as well.
  
• Strategic: Wisconsin in terms of strategy is in a fairly good place - having Lake Michigan and a small portion of Lake Superior - not to mention the land isn't as completely flat as one might think. With many trees it is perfect for guerrilla war tactics if push came to shove and someone tried to take what was his.

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Weaknesses:

• Unstable: There's one problem to all of this: Wisconsin is actually really nuts -- he suffers from emotional outbursts, seeming to 'switch' without warning and having no memories of what he was doing like he was almost a complete different person. These fits are something he tries to keep under control, but it often shows a sign of a struggle inside whenever he gains a headache, starts shaking, or begins to space out and trail off. Luckily, for the most part he keeps under wrap but it clouds his judgment a lot.
  
• Immature: Gabe is extremely immature in many aspects, particularly his view on things in general. This ranges to many things, from denial of a problem he obviously has, the passive aggressive attacks he makes at people, the subtle insults, and the way to make people hurt emotionally. At the core, this state is a very bitter and tries to make others hurt in the only way it can get away with. This leans into why his strengths can also be his weaknesses.
  
• Hypocritical: Dangerously so - he has no probably in being quite cruel if he feels the need to be. He often doesn't do as he says in the end. He is fairly horrid in that sense.
  
• Emotional: It destroys Gabe's otherwise rational decisions and ties into his immaturity and hypocrisy in the heat of a moment. This is often why he is passive aggressive and lashing out in the only way he knows how - by subtly insulting others and hurting them.
  
• Strategic: Wisconsin is a place of very diverse politics, from the liberal capital of the Midwest - Madison and the one of the most conservative places in the United States - Waukesha. This constantly swings the state from right to left violently - if one ever wanted to get rid of Wisconsin they would do it from the inside by starting a spark that would ignite and consume the whole state possibly to the point of permanent madness. (Not that he isn't now, but the difference is he has varying moments of lucidity and psychosis. )

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Personality:

Gabe really at first, seems he almost always has a smile on his face, is polite, thoughtful, and overall nice although he has a terrible drinking habit. He is however a bit of a space cadet with a tendency to lose his topics, train of thought, and the conversation on the whim. Sometimes he even seems to forget what he is doing. For the most part, many who speak to him feel an air of peace but some may pick up a lurking uneasiness. A fear that something may go out of place at any time and cause something to go wrong.

In reality, he is an extremely bitter and spiteful individual even if he has many good intentions from the many disappointments he has been put through.

While Gabe claims to be peaceful, there are moments he simply snaps seeming like a completely different person -- only to not remember what was going on prior or his actions. As the strains grew higher it seemed that everytime someone talked to this state, he became agitated, bitter, cruel, and saying facts that weren't true -- only to slip back into being tranquil and spaced out, not remembering a word was said. The state is just a little more than slightly unhinged, as it shows. Even if he cares deeply for others, he is not above hurting them subtly out of petty feelings, and would likely do worse if the guilt wouldn’t eat him alive afterwards. Often times, he takes deliberate pleasure, asking about things that make others uncomfortable, such as secrets, trigger issues, and other various subjects.

Gabe is extremely bright, while it takes a while for him to learn things; he does it with extreme precision and skill. However, whenever he’s in a moment of panic, this information is all lost to him and his actions become almost single-minded and feral. At his core, he's immature, stubborn, and overly passionate in his beliefs, whether they be right or wrong. In this way, he could be either an enemy or an ally.

Relationships:

• Minnesota: Wisconsin's relationship with Minnesota is interesting persay - while there is a slight rivalry it is completely undeniable of all former states this is the one Wisconsin is the most protective of. Minnesota is also the satate also would hurt the most if they ever betrayed him.
  
• Illinois: Wisconsin's relationship with Illinois is extremely strained - of all states in the Union in Gabe's eyes this one is the worst and stands against everything his strong sense of right and wrong stand for even if that is not necessarily the case. It's a relationship based around both jealousy and a mix of pride, jealousy for what Illinois is known for and pride because Wisconsin thinks he is better anyway. For the years that the two were states, there was a tense air and rivalry that will likely continue to persist with Gabe's passive aggressive actions. Possibly even being more open now that they are no longer a part of the same area.
  
• Michigan: The relationship with Michigan is both one of respect and jealousy. Wisconsin still feels very sore about the Toledo War and losing the Upper Peninsula and with the fall of the United States he plans nothing more but to take it back what is in his mind - rightfully his. For now, Michigan is on good terms with Wisconsin.
  
• Iowa: Wisconsin sees Iowa as an ally and since he doesn't pose a threat to his status there is a degree of trust there.
  
• The New Confederate States of America: Against everything Wisconsin stands for, he dislikes them and is disgusted with them claims not to take sides. There is a notable chilling and passive aggressive indifference, whenever he speaks with them despite him giving them supplies for food or water as acts of mercy.
  
• Pro-Union States: Gabe sees them as naive but holds them in a higher respect than the New Confederate States of America, in his eyes it will go back to the same problems there were before and thus he has no desire to return to the Union if it just to revert back to what it was.
  
• Germany: While France may have settled him, the British helped with the fur trade, and the United States of America owned him. There is one place he grew attached too, even if the country doesn't realize it. Wisconsin based a lot of it's government style to Germany's prior to World War I as one can read in The Wisconsin Idea. This does not mean he doesn't feel shame for what Germany did in WWII - that is one thing unforgivable but also realizes that can happen anywhere and many of the citizens were innocent and it was a case of radicals coming to power. For the most part, he still respects Germany and follows him around like a puppy in that sense if he were to come along in a strange idolization.
  
• Everyone Else: He doesn't find much of a reason to care unless they directly effect him.
  

History:
Pre Statehood Ouisconsin - 1634 to 1836

The area as we presently know was discovered in 1634 by a French coureur des bois (Jean Nicolet) who was looking for a Northwest Passage. However, in 1639 they were driven out by a war amongst the tribes of the Great Lakes.Iit took many more years for anyone to come back to this land, some believe it's due to the grim reputation of Port des Morts but due to the fact there was no written information at the time it's hard to tell why they did not return. However by 1654 the first French Furtrades came to Wisconsin and by 1661 the first missionary was formed. Finally by 1673 in a conversation they learned a name for the land they were at – Mescousing. Of course, in a similar tone told in this tale - they would not keep that name, they would write it wrong and make mistakes - until they settled on one. Ouisconsin.

There were many things that happened in those years: Missionaries, fur-traders, the Fox Wars -- and of course the French and Indian War. Ultimately, in until 1763 when peace was declared. Ouisconsin being given to the British.

Surprised and angered by the defeat of France, when word arrived that he would have to turn his loyalty to the British. The area was not aware of many things, he knew that the British lacked the reputation for fairness in trading and their overall arrogance which expressed nothing but contempt. Although he had lost much trust in the French due to the Fox Wars - they were still better than the British. Furthermore, English dominance meant construction of new forts and the movement of unfamiliar people. France never had an overbearing presence. The major snub, was when the North-American Governor-General said he would discontinue the practice of presenting annual gifts to the tribes which was an event long honored by the French.

Understandably, it's hard to say if Ouisconsin ever fully accepted British dominance, even if the fur trade became a lucrative source of income and even in the Quebec Act. The American Revolution made little, if any difference to him despite America's claim on him. He was still under British control for as much he was concerned. He cared little about what he considered squabbles of English-speaking Protestants in Boston and London since a paper did nothing to change the reality of the situation. In 1787 he became part of the Northwest Territory, an area that held present day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and a part of Minnesota. For this time, the child merely followed the opinions of the others around him, staying close to them treating them as an important thing to keep his own stability throughout these years.

As he was passed responsibility from Ohio to Indiana to Illinois, there was also little difference. The British for the most part continued to have control. Finally during the War of 1812 even if he stayed neutral, when it turned out the Americans had gained him as a bargaining chip in 1815 he simply accepted it and coldly declined anything to do with the British from then on.

By this time, Ouisconsin was part of Illinois territory until 1818 when Illinois became a state. The dynamics began to change greatly between the two areas as it was simply passed on as an extra to Michigan Territory. Due to the main authority's power not reaching out to the west, Michigan did not exactly have much power over him. During this time Ouisconsin began to find minerals and began mining for copper and lead, which was high in demand due to the need of ammunition. This attracted many settlers to the land.

But many promises of his people were being broken from left to right for the sake of others now seeing worth in the land he represented. Taking responsibility for other tribes, boundaries being made and broken, it was beginning to make the aggression grow within the area rapidly.

This lead to the Winnebago War, which the U.S. Militia and Illinois Militia were luckily able to stop it from getting far too out of hand. But once again, some relatively unfair agreements were made which lead to a far more bloody and ruthless conflict to come.

In 1832, a portion of the Sauk Indians resisted removal met with an overwhelming military machine that showed no mercy. The Illinois Militia confronted Black Hawk's Band after they crossed the Mississippi and fled east up the Rock River Valley. Throughout that very summer, they did their best to hold off soldiers and surrender while leading their people back to the Mississippi. Much of the attempts to surrender were ignored, misinterpreted, or disrespected. The very young and the very old died of hunger, thirst, or exhaustion. Finally on August 1st, 1832 the survivors reached the Mississippi at the mouth of Bad Axe River. A final surrender flag was rejected and left them caught between a gunboat in the river and the pursuing troops. The next day, they were massacred, out of 1,200 that crossed the river, only 150 made it across. Only to be met with more enemies on the other side which dwindled their number further down.

The message was clear; refusal to accept the United States terms would lead to slaughter. [/blockquote]

Wisconsin Territory - 1836 to 1848

With the weapons dangling above their heads and the existence of the people at stake, many tribes gave up their lands east of the Mississippi and left. Finally in 1836, after years of being part of Michigan Territory, Ouisconsin became it's own. Tossing out the name of the past, they created the Wisconsin Territory. With that, he also realized he also needed a name as well. Gabriel Vande Walle would do. Around this time, he began to start heavily drinking.

By 1840 population in the territory grew, but people rejected proposition for statehood four times. In addition, politicians were also unwilling to yield Wisconsin claims to a strip to what was to be Chicago and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as well. Over this time, Gabe was in a constant state of stress as he increased his workload, and properly civilized himself through communication, education, and learning to be peaceful.

In autumn of 1846 it was debated for ten weeks for the constitution of the new state. There were many radical proposals for their time and they rejected the Utopian constitution. This sent him back to the drawing board. While deliberating of the failed constitution, it was determined to establish a historical society to record the history that he saw unfolding around him, thus making him strive for knowledge.

The following year, Gabe changed his constitution but still provided protection for indebted farmers, limited establishments of banks, and granted liberal suffrage. However, with the many disagreements with what would be present-day eastern Minnesota, Wisconsin putting its own ambitions first before the people it held responsibility for cut off from that part of the territory leaving it lawless.

The State of Wisconsin - 1848 to 1891

Finally on May 29th, 1848, he finally reached Statehood becoming the 30th state.

At first, Gabe becoming a state gave him a new found idealism that made him willing to do a lot. He had many dreams, one particularly of being a leader in the United States, how he would change things for the better and had many new ideas. As he did his best to change himself to this new persona he wasn't going to stop with progress. The state due to it's hard work, was considerably bright by a 'young' age coming up with novel ideas – such as bricklayers organizing the first union in 1847, being the third state to ban the death penalty, having the first kindergarten classes, and helping found the Republican Party in 1854.

Wisconsin's varied landscape, rich soil, made it a perfect place for it's young economy. There was no single commodity that dominated Wisconsin, but farming, mining, lumbering, and seafaring touched many lives. He grew grains, fruit, and vegetables. He also kept chickens, pigs, horses, and cattle. There were also many who grew cash crops, such as wheat for flour, hops for beer, to sell in urban markets.

But the unrest of the the struggle ahead began - where Wisconsin was the only state to call out unconstitutional Fugitive Slave Act in 1854, where one thing lead to another. It may have possibly lead him to secede from the Union, if tragedy didn't occur and Lincoln was not elected.

However the way of life was interrupted in 1861 when the Civil War begun, Wisconsin had a mass of citizens who believed slavery was wrong since the early 1840s and in fact the first slave to escape to Canada was through Wisconsin territory. Understandably, Wisconsin quickly rallied to the Union's cause, supplying not only one regiment as Lincoln requested but several.

Due Wisconsin's rigorous training, tenacity of it's men, and being the only state to organize replacements for troops that had already been fielded, leading northern generals preferred to have regiments from Wisconsin whenever possible. There were many notable distinguished regiments such as the Iron Brigade, 8th Wisconsin, and many others. However while Wisconsin soldiers fought in every major battle of the Civil War, it focused mostly on the western front. By the end of the war, 91,000 had served in fifty-six regiments, nearly 12,000 deaths and thousands more wounded or held captive.

However, it was important Wisconsin had to keep track of things back at the home front, after the initial shock for the most part war brought prosperity to the state. Increased wages, crop prices, and demand for food skyrocketed which also included the demand for agricultural equipment as well. However disaster of another kind struck when chinch bugs began to devour the wheat, and the states to the west of him were able to grow more at a lower cost. This is when around the time; Wisconsin also decided maybe dairy products were not such a bad idea to get into.

Unfortunately when the Civil War ended, Republicans possessed a virtual monopoly on Wisconsin's government. The state's wealthiest citizens controlled the halls of the Capitol and gained all the profit, thinking of states they came from and how they'd gain from the situation. Majority of Wisconsin did not approve of this arrangement, but were too unorganized at the time to do anything about it.

While Wisconsin was not unfamiliar with fires with the extensive ones that happened in 1863, 1864, and 1868 he never thought much of it, but merely as something he had to deal with every time autumn came around. Long used to the smell of ashes with various droughts, the state knew nothing of what was to come.

On the evening of October 8, 1871 Wisconsin received news to the south that Chicago was ablaze and the leaders all their supplies to help with the important city to the south. However, little did they know to the north – or rather according to some history notes they did know but didn't care there was another fire happening. The Peshtigo Fire was now noted as the most deadly wild fire in American History if not the world according to some resources – not that anyone would now about it unless they dug deep enough. The fire was so intense that it generated flame tornadoes that threw homes into the air and also able to jump miles into Door County as well. All together, it is unknown how many lives were lost – some debate 800 at the least and 2,500 at the most since it was a while since Wisconsin last took a census. Another 1,500 were seriously injured and at least 3,000 were left homeless during this time.

Having occurred on the same date as the Chicago Fire, Wisconsin was even forgotten by its very own people – the only real relief that came was the rain that came that put out the remaining wildfires. There was little relief for the survivors as the rest of the state spent itself on the more important fire to the south and many more died that following winter with their harvest and their homes destroyed. From this point on, he gained a complex he could only rely on himself and himself alone. Everyone else was too busy with his or her own personal problems so he would no longer bother him or her with his issues or even reach out to them.

The times that followed in Wisconsin were not at all well with the huge gap that separated the corrupt rich elite and the hands that worked for them. Disturbing crimes ran rampant; poverty, disease, more fires, and madness consumed many at the bottom of society. More or less during this time, in the 1870s to 1890s Wisconsin fell into an economical depression.

He was alone. And the only change that would come, would come from within him - not the country he pledged loyalty to.

His memory and grasp of time from the day the Peshtigo Fire happened to a few decades after became extremely inconsistent. He also began to become quite eccentric during this time, not that he can remember this much. These times for some strange reason, he can't seem to remember in great detail other than what was written down. His memories during this time are extremely dim and fuzzy, like something he can't completely grasp. He considers this as a time when he was 'resting'. He knows it should bother him that he can't remember the details. (It doesn't.)

Gabe's memory kicks back in on September 17, 1891 when a lawyer refuses a bribe to fix a court case for a Republican leader Philetus Sawyer...

Progressive Wisconsin - 1891 to 1946

The man angrily denounced the use of money to shut out the voice of the people. The lawyer was named Robert M. La Folette. For the rest of that decade, the man speaking out and was a fierce opposition to corporate powers and political corruption, from the crooked politicians, the lumber barons, and the rail road interests that dominated his party. By 1900, La Folette was elected governor of Wisconsin and pledged to institute a political reform and a change to the state.

La Folette drew on the ideas of other reformers to make politics more democratic and successfully pushed the legislature to institute direct primary elections that gave the voters the right to choose their own candidates. Breaking up monopolies, preserving state forests, doubled taxes on the railroads, protecting workers' rights, defended small farms, and regulating lobbying. Wisconsin more or less, became a laboratory for democracy and by the time he reached the U.S. Senate in 1906, he became a national figure. Even in Washington D.C., he pushed for the same kind of reforms he had promoted in the state. Speaking against corruption of the government, abuse of industrial workers, and arguing that fewer than a hundred corporate leaders dominated the entire nation's economy, he wanted a growth of unions as a check on power. He and his wife Belle, founded "La Follette's Weekly Magazine" which campaigned for woman suffrage, racial equality, and other progressive causes.

This change in Wisconsin was for the better, and likely another one of Gabe's happiest years, when it seemed everything was going up for him during this time. For once since the Civil War he was treated as his own state and not something to be used for the benefit of others. Sometime during this time, in 1912 the book of the Wisconsin Idea was organized – praising and giving examples of what was to come, including praising Germany to becoming an inspiration to the rest of the world. This was sadly a case of unfortunate timing. Only a few years later, World War I interrupted his era of prosperity, giving him much more strain.

Wisconsin was most notable during in World War I in terms of the fact majority of it opposed entry into the war, the American-German population, the Socialist Party, and the Progressive Party. But the public sentiment in time in the other states shifted towards support of the British in 1917. Even when the United States officially entered the war, most of Wisconsin congressmen and his senator voted against it, for which they were vilified.

Because of this, Wisconsin was generally seen as a treacherous state that most people couldn't trust. Even within it's own boundaries, there were terrible things happening such as refusal to teach German in school, burning books, those with last names were served for harassment. This was likely wide spread, but due to Wisconsin's vocal people and notable German culture, the entire state was regarded with suspicion. After all, "unless known by years of association to be absolutely loyal, should be treated as a potential spy."

Once respected officials from Wisconsin that were considered geniuses prior to this were now seen as treacherous and untrustworthy in the rest of the United States. Adding onto the world watching the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, they became to feel all the more uncomfortable due to the fact his largest city was run by socialism.

Ironically enough, Robert La Folette in particular was seen as a hero to those who didn't want to go into World War I due to the fact he did not allow his opinions to be brushed aside.

This greatly affected Gabe, seeing how it cost Robert M. La Folette the presidency in 1925. It caused him to create a silent 'me vs them' mentality, with them humiliating and lashing out at the people who in his eyes changed him, and in fact this country for the better.

After the prohibition, after the Great Depression - those things are also a time Gabe can't clearly remember, only bits and pieces. There were intense social conflicts with communists to the left and facists to the right, which made him become all the more conflicted inside as he heard the rise of Americanism and Nationalism.

And hated every minute of it.

Sadly the only thing that helped Wisconsin's economy was U.S. Entry into World War II. This time, the strong sense of justice came in and there was little opposition to this one. Jobs needed to be done; his economy increased, to supply dairy, vegetables, eggs, and meat to the military. In fact, he was number one in supplying canned vegetables. 13,000 German prisoners of war were used in the fields from 1944 to 1945. Manitowoc, Sturgeon Bay, and Superior turned out submarines and other ships, and the Badger Ordinance Works grew into one of the largest ammunition manufacturers in the world at it's time. Wisconsin also gave information on the Peshtigo Paradigm to the Allied Forces, which resulted in the idea of firebombs.

During the war 320,000 soldiers served in the armed forces, 8,000 died and another 13,000 were wounded. As for the Wisconsin women, 9,000 served in the military working as nurses, parachute riggers, cryptographers, weather observers, and pilots.

The war had got Wisconsin back on it's feet, but there was a disturbing new development on the rise that was unrelated to it. In the late 1940s, as Europe divided between communism and capitalism America grew nervous.

Conservative Backlash Wisconsin - 1946 to 2000

Senator Joseph McCarthy who was not held back by the states' leftist socialist and progressive traditions, began to lead an anticommunism movement.

Making headlines when he announced 205 communists were working in the State's Department he began a campaign to get rid of (in his eyes) the communism infiltration of the government. Re-elected in 1952, he became a chosen chair of a Senate Permanent Investigation Subcommittee. His subcommittee interrogated more than 500 people. The accusations had no substance, but the political and cultural climate filled it with fear giving him considerable power.

During this time, Gabe was a mental wreck and coming apart. All what he worked for had now got tossed out the window, years of being accused as treacherous for personal beliefs and opinions began to take it's toll. Rapidly, without warning he was pulled into two different directions.

That was until his senator accused the military was his downfall in 1953, in December 1954 he was officially rebuked by the Senate. Wisconsin was now the laughing stock of the United States. But the fear was still there. The burden of being humiliated, fearful, angry, and with this new found knowledge created a strange change in Gabe. His eccentricity only continued to grow higher as well. It was hard to tell, since he was always eccentric, but  s o m e t h i n g  snapped. Something that did not only divide the state itself, but began to rapidly push the country in different directions.

He grew a lot less open with his opinions, a lot less motivated, a little less prone to his own personal opinions, smiling more, and his moods began to shift gears without warning. Moving from a bitter, critical, and accusing to a more cheerful persona within a second flat yet seemingly not recalling what he exactly said. Going from idealistic to fearful and paranoid in the same conversation. Gabe was always a vivid state however so it's not that anyone would be able to tell, they just consider him over dramatic and don't question it. From this point on, there a certain aspect that seemed... off balance.

McCarthyism is alive to this very day, with many reciting that ghost.

The fear of communism in the 1950s throughout the entire country and beyond lead to the Korean and soon the Vietnam War. More than 57,000 Wisconsin soldiers served there and 1,239 did not return. On average, they were younger than those who served in World War II. While at first initially there was support, the anti war sentiment increased as it claimed more lives. The University of Wisconsin-Madison gained an amazing reputation as the nation's most radical campuses, teach-ins about the war, students marched in protest, burning draft cards and confronted army recruiters. In October 1967, they protested against Dow Chemical, against the weapon napalm resulting in police violence that radicalized apolitical students.

Sadly the peaceful protesting came to an end when a bomb detonated in Sterling Hall killing an innocent graduate student and injuring four others from an anti-Vietnam War group. Because of this, the peace movement was discredited and once again everyone grew disenchanted.

And it began to grow in Wisconsin that he hated this country. Nothing ever went right for him, and he grew more sick at these injustices that grew.

While things did get better, and stablize, as he had little victories along the way in terms of environmental policies, civil rights, and other things even if it put Wisconsin into a deficit -- that wouldn't remain the case come the 43rd Presidency of the United States.

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Wisconsin, Present Day, Present Time - 2000 to 2015

September 11th 2001. The attack on America, from inside and from outside.

That was when all the constitutional rights in Gabe's mind were stripped away, they were sent into another war that they couldn't fight, when they over stepped their boundaries and Wisconsin could only dream and fantasize that he would leave the Union. He grew disgusted with the US and all his history piled up to be concerned -- he had reason to be. They never once helped him. They claimed they needed him, but did he need them as much as they needed him? But they were good people, that need help that nobody else would give them --

While the voice of his Senator to consistently vote against the USA Patriot ACT in 2001 saying it was unconstitutional and infringing the rights of others and it seemed it was looking up finally for Wisconsin with the 44rd Presidency - it was the beginning of the end for America despite his high hopes in believing the second progressive movement would come no matter how he tried.

It was all proven wrong in 2010. The conservatives held a majority in America and in Wisconsin, the progressive voice was lost. They planned to force the state to permanently change. In the beginning of 2011, Gabe was forced to change his ideals and all that was built up in the last century would be torn down.

With the Wisconsin National Guard against the people of Wisconsin - the majority of the public didn't pay attention to the ruckus and what was happening. In fact - many conservatives within the state glorified as a victory at long last in defeating the 'union thugs' at long last but kept the papers from running what really happened and locked out all presses - since they were controlled by people who supported the conservatives. Only rumors float about the internet on what happened and why Wisconsin continued to go into a deficit despite the promises of that governor of adding more jobs and paying off the 'problem'.

It was never clear what happened since it went under the nation's radar for more important things. But in 2012 -- Wisconsin finally had it's governor recalled, and he quickly with many others who supported him fled to the New Confederate States of America causing a small dip in population.

Wisconsin was disgusted the militarism, the monetary corruption, the lack of protection of the environment, the injustice, the lives lost, the civil liberties all stepped on by both sides, and how much the major corporations of America ran both sides it was just ...

Wisconsin left the Union in 2015. It felt no reason to explain why.

And the former state never looked back. The glorious history belongs to him and him alone - he was Wisconsin first and a part of the United States second. All that his history had taught him was he was a tool for all of them in his eyes.. Whether that be reality or not.

The Free Republic of Wisconsin was formed. What it stands for and what may become of it - no one knows. All that is known, is that it's affecting Gabe in certain ways, such as him having constant headaches to time, having patchy memories, radical changes in behavior, and remembering certain things at certain times. The power struggle within the state boundaries between the progressive liberals and the fearful conservatives...

T h i s   c o u n t r y   i s . . . !

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RP Sample:

Gabe wasn't drunk enough to be sitting back remembering how it all fell apart, not that the man had felt much sympathy for the Union or the secessionists himself. The state saw it from a mile away how it would fall apart - he just did not expect it to lead to a war. What he saw to happen was those states leaving the union and that being that, not it spinning out of control rapidly as the whole country became a battlefield.

Taking a swing of his beer that his people crafted themselves it brought some momentarily bliss before his mind began to wander more onto the melancholy topic of recent memories. The only regret of this fall was that there had to be a great loss of life and it was continuing to go on because of the stubbornness. To be truthful, he never cared for either sides - the Union claimed to be superior but were ruled by corporations to get into this terrible situation in the first place while the New Confederacy ... was a can of worms all together - no matter. In Gabe's eyes they wouldn't last and fall apart because of their differences citing State Rights. They would come to disagreements and piece by piece fall just as it was predicted if in the Civil War they did manage to successfully secede from the union and remain that way.

In addition, he couldn't trust any other country as well - after all what was there to look for? He was landlocked and the only alliance he could properly make is with Canada. And call it a fit of arrogance, he would not go to someone that he defined as so spineless. Wisconsin figured out the trick how to survive in this insanity, become it's own and try to rely on itself. Not that it was particularly too hard of course - after all the taxes he paid would now be brought to him, he had no part in the war, and now he could begin to focus on his own self. With his citizens all bearing arms in case of an attack in self defense, proclaiming a declaration of neutrality, an effort to end the corruption, save the resources that he had, focus on the civil liberties that he made and not the rest of the United States -- and he would finally get things done the way he planned.

The drink was now empty, with that the dark haired man groaned with that oncoming headache while lightly ruffling his own hair in frustration for a moment. He could only begin to imagine how his choice likely made him an enemy to all. He didn't care - he wouldn't ever go back to someone else's rule, especially when the people in charge did nothing to change the real problem.

Despite sitting alone, he had a tendency to talk to himself: It kept him sane - as sane as he could possibly be at least. While trying to get every drop from that bottle into his mouth until realizing there was no more he commented,

"God La Follette, wonder what ya are thinkin' now?" given he was long dead, but it still brought some sort of comfort. It always did.

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OOC Information

Name: Tardy, Tardu, or Wisco - I'm pretty fine with any name.
Time Zone: CST - Central Standard Time
Other Characters: N/A
Chantango: ForwardWI
Codewords: United Forever

[Eric Buellib Moss]

HEY! ADMIN CHILLYHERE.

BABY. You are accepted! You are more than accepted. <3

I can't rave enough about this app. So long and ohgawd. *gush*

BUT. I wanna START by saying. WHOA. MONDO HISTORY. Huge and informative and ohgoawd I loved it. I feel like an expert on Wisconsin history now! Even though I'm totally not. :> But it definitely did a good job of showing a more localized version of the wars and I almost felt like an insider or something... I'm not a spy I swear! =u=

As for his personality. OHGAWD. He seems like such a cutie. C: OrmaybeIshouldn'tbeusingcutie? And I'm kind of excited to see his interaction with the others, ya know? *shot* And since I am a sucker for those half-crazy characters, I am now twice as excited for him now.

His likes and dislikes were both EXTREMELY extensive as well. Heck I swear they were longer than his personality by itself. Especially the likes. <3 And you did an even more amazing job of extending on them and giving even more insight to him. Which. If there is one thing I like is when I feel like I know the character in person. And you definitely did this. c:

Even his description<3 He seems so adorable... ohgodwhatamIsaying? =u= And I'm happy you decided to show a picture!! 8D Even if it is a little chibi picture, I'm very happy to see it! <3 Since I love original designs. c:

The rp sample was sufficient and detailed. And I feel you have a very unique writing style. c: Especially when compared to my own, "this happened", "that happened" style.

The only downside I found, was that the history, while imformative, could get kind of dry at times. Especiallythemorepoliticalstuff. ^u^;

But other than that, everything was perfect!

Welcome to the forum Wisconsin and I hope you enjoy yourself here! 8D