A Concise History of Anbara

Early History, 3500 B.C. – 1432 A.D.

Anbara, an archipelago of three major islands off the western coast of Mexico, has been inhabited for about 7,000 years. Around 3500 B.C. the first peoples arrived from coastal areas of California and Mexico. The Nunaya, early arrivals in Anbara, first settled on Isladoro Island and named the island “Denjheri”. According to Nunayan legend, Malifahuquhara, God of the Sea who resides on Farquhar Island, transformed Supali and Monai, father and mother of the Nunayans, into dolphins and delivered them to the island Denjheri before returning them to human form.

Between 2000 and 1500 B.C. a second group of people from ancient Mexico known as the Juacopequi, or Waukopeki, settled on Asuncion Island. Over the next 500 years the Juacopequi spread throughout the islands and assimilated the Nunaya into Juacopequi culture. The Juacopequi, a peaceful, agrarian people, established villages at present-day Nagocia on the south shore of Andel Bay and at the mouth of the Portsmouth River on the east coast of Asuncion Island. The Juacopequi also flourished in areas such as Janapoli, Tenochi, Jachuapi, Cujuanzi, and Mosquegui. They called the islands “Yanpana,” or “Land of Plenty.” Spanish later transliterated the name into its current form, “Anbara.”

On January 15, 1962 a set of stone tablets written about 900 A.D. discovered near the Chichen Itza Mayan ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula contained brief reference to an early Mayan exploration of Anbara. Between 900 and 1400 A.D., the Juacopequi intermingled and assimilated with various mainland tribes who migrated to the islands, including Mayans, Toltecs, and Aztecs.

The Aztec Annexation, 1432 A.D. – 1509 A.D.

Stories of wealth drew the Aztecs to Anbara in 1432. According to passages from an ancient codex recovered in 1965 from archives in Madrid, Spain, the Aztecs sent war parties to the islands to annex the territory. The ensuing struggle with the local Juacopequi was brief, and the islands, known to the Aztecs as “Mozitechqua,” fell under Aztec control until 1509.
Between 1432 and 1509 Mozitechqua flourished as an outpost of the Aztec Empire. Zalizan, a located on the south side of Andel Bay opposite present-day Nagocia, served as the seat of power for the new territory. The preserved site remains one of the U.S. top tourist attractions, particularly the ancient Aztec temple of Techconihilan, which rises majestically over Andel Bay.
The Aztecs were the first to mine the gold-rich Magdalena and Las Cruces mountain ranges. The Aztecs also built the first paved road in the U.S., a cobblestone road linking Zalizan with Cozuma, later named Nagocia, on the north side of Andel Bay.

The Anbaran Provincial Period, 1510-1820

In 1510 the Spaniards, led by one of Hernán Cortés' conquistadores, Javier Garcia del Coréo, wrested control of the islands from the remnants of the Aztec Empire and annexed it as a province of the newly established colony of Mexico. The Juacopequi, many of whom were enslaved by the Atzecs and served as human sacrifices at Techconihilan, aided the Spaniards’ conquest. Del Coréo renamed the islands "Anbara," the Spanish transliteration of the Juacopequi name for the islands. The colonial government moved the provincial seat of power to Cozuma, renamed it Nagocia, and established Nagocia as the island’s political and commercial center. The islands prospered as a mining and agricultural center in the New World. Numerous gold, silver, and copper mines sprang up in the province’s mineral-rich mountains, and many expansive haciendas carved up the countryside. A small group of Spanish and Mexican nobility held firm control over the province, indenturing Juacopequi, Aztec, and other natives to serve their economic ventures.

The province remained peaceful until the spring of 1579, when the Englishman Sir Francis Drake (by then well-known as a Latin American pirate) landed his ship, the Golden Hind, at La Habana on Isladoro Island. Drake's men overpowered the Spanish garrison and plundered gold stockpiled in the adjacent villa. Drake then reputedly declared the northern coast of Isladoro English territory, proclaiming the new colony of “New Hebrides” before sailing away to the South Pacific. The incident prompted a local rebellion among Juacopequi and mainland natives against Spanish rule. Spanish troops quickly quelled the rebellion, thereafter known as “Drake's Uprising.”

Anbara remained relatively peaceful for the next two centuries. Centers of commerce emerged in La Habana, Valderas, Medvalla, Rio de San Paulo, Las Verdes, Costa Mesa, Ciudad de Ferdinand, Farreta, El Foro, Mosquegui, Punta Shasta, Santa Ana, San Telos, and San Marino. A 1720 census registered 63,224 Anbara inhabitants, including 25,000 who resided in Nagocia. Despite continued prosperity as a mining and agricultural society, the province remained relatively isolated from the Spanish-controlled mainland. In early 1769 English Captain James Cook, while on his first voyage to Asia, sailed through the Asuncion Strait and landed on Isladoro in an inlet north of Medvalla. Cook would later journey to Hawaii on the same voyage.

The Anbaran Colonial Period, 1820-56

In 1820 a rebellion on the mainland secured Mexican independence from Spain. Spain ceded all continental provinces to the Mexican government. However, the Spanish government refused to relinquish control over Anbara because of its strategic importance to the crown. Garrisons and ships formerly stationed on the west coast of Mexico relocated to San Marino, La Habana, San Telos, and Nagocia. On January 1, 1821 Anbara became a new Spanish colony, despite vehement objections by the Mexican government that it remain an inseparable part of Mexico. On January 13 thousands of Anbarans took to the streets of Nagocia to protest Spanish control, burning the Catedral de Santa Lucia and storming the provincial palace. On January 14, 1821 Spanish troops stationed in the city brutally suppressed the rebellion, killing over 150 protestors. The incident, known as the “Nagocia Massacre,” quickly ended the rebellion, and Anbara remained a Spanish possession for another 27 years.

The discovery of gold in the Las Cruces Mountains in June 1853 ushered in a new era for Anbara. Thousands of gold miners disillusioned by unproductive California gold fields boarded ships from San Francisco and Los Angeles bound for Nagocia and La Habana. By early 1854 over 8,000 Americans arrived in the colony in search of gold, filling Ciudad de Ferdinand, Farreta, Costa Mesa, and establishing new American settlements at Hilander and Murphy Falls. The influx of immigrants, which rose to 25,000 per year by late 1854, prompted the overwhelmed Spanish to place strong restrictions on immigration and actively expel American immigrants from Anbara. Tensions increased between the Spanish and Americans as mining prospects expanded throughout the colony. By the end of 1855 American settlements in Farreta and Ciudad de Ferdinand began to rival Nagocia as centers of influence, and Americans publicly began to demand concessions from the Spanish government. On March 2, 1856 the Spanish crown, distraught at the increasingly vocal American presence, issued the “Decree on Anbaran Sovereignty” ordering the expulsion of all Americans from the colony by January 1, 1857. The decree prompted outrage in the American community. A group of Americans in Farreta, known as "The Federals" responded by organizing the “Anbara Congress,” a representative body tasked with responding to the Sovereignty Decree. The newly-formed Congress initially met on March 15, 1856 at the Westmore Hotel in Farreta. The congress chose John Sebastian, a 35-year-old Connecticut businessman, to head a delegation seeking an audience with the Anbaran governor to formally request that the Spanish crown rescind the Sovereignty Decree. The Anbaran governor, Felipe Arroya, refused to grant the Federals an audience and ordered the immediate dissolution of the Anbara Congress.

The Anbaran War for Independence, 1856

On May 6, 1856 the Anbara Congress, which included representatives from American settlements throughout the colony, declared independence from Spain and established the “Independent Republic of Anbara” with its capital in Farreta. John Sebastian was unanimously elected President of the Republic, and Richard Jaymore was elected Vice President (see table 1, p. 18).

Diplomatic Maneuvering, March-May, 1856

Jaymore became the republic’s primary liaison to the United States, making several trips to Washington, D.C. to appeal for financial and military support. U.S. President Franklin Pierce, a veteran of the Mexican War, gave tacit approval of U.S. support to the Anbara Congress and covertly provided arms to the Americans. However, the President officially abstained from lending U.S. military support in order to maintain good relations with the Spanish crown. Jaymore also met with Mexican President Ignacio Comonfort and Oaxaca Governor Benito Juárez to explore the prospect of military and financial assistance from Mexico. However, internal struggles against dictator Antonio López de Santa Anna and Mexican territorial claims to Anbara prevented Mexico from committing resources to liberate Anbara from the Spaniards.

Independent Republic of Anbara Secretary of State Daniel Burnside was tasked with developing a strategic alliance with Mahaulipali, chief of the Juacopequi Nation. An alliance was officially consummated on May 7, and many Juacopequi warriors joined forces with the Americans in exchange for autonomy once independence from Spain was secured. The war effort was largely financed through funds acquired by Samuel Nordstrom, who lobbied wealthy Americans such as J.P. Morgan and John DuPont for financial assistance.

Roger Maavis and Bradford Loewen served as military leaders of the new republic. Sam Houston, hero in Texas’ successful campaign for independence from Mexico and U.S. senator from Texas, sailed to Anbara and served as advisor to the Anbara Congress in fighting the Spaniards. Between March and May 1856 Maavis and Loewen expeditiously organized the “Army of the Independent Republic of Anbara,” better known as the “Federalmen.” The Federalmen comprised militias of Americans and Juacopequi equipped with light weaponry and organized into four regiments based throughout Anbara. They outnumbered the Spaniards two-to-one in personnel, but the Federalmen were far less equipped to fight the better-trained and heavily armored Spanish Army. The Federalmen hoped to gain the upper hand on the Spaniards by fighting on land, far from the artillery of the Spanish Armada (see table 2, p. 18).

The Anbaran War for Independence began on the night of May 6, when Federalmen Regiment #2 raided the Costa Mesa Armory and acquired a substantial amount of arms from the Spanish garrison. The Federalmen captured Ciudad de Ferdinand and held captive several town officials and military officers, including Silvio Alvarez, the city mayor. The next day, in response to the declaration of independence and armory raid, contingencies of Spanish troops marched on Farreta and Ciudad de Ferdinand to halt the insurrection. Four major phases ensued in the Anbaran War for Independence: the Liberation of Boreno Island, the Fall of Farreta and Ciudad de Ferdinand, the Isladoro Campaign, and Spanish defeat.

The Liberation of Boreno Island, May 9-12, 1856

On May 9, Federalmen Regiment #1 launched a surprise assault on San Marino naval garrison and captured 16 Spanish warships. Led by Maavis and a portion of Regiment #1, the American-commandeered ships set sail for Boreno Island. On May 10 the Spanish garrison at Janapoli capitulated after heavy assault by the former Spanish fleet. On May 11 the ships reached San Telos and joined Boreno Regiment #4 in attacking Janapoli, home to San Telos Naval Base. The Americans faced strong resistance from the Spanish and fought valiantly against the larger Spanish fleet stationed at San Telos. Although the Americans lost most of their captured ships, San Telos and the Island of Boreno fell into the hands of the Federalmen on May 12, 1856. The Federalmen quickly solidified their position on Boreno Island as a base of operations.

The Fall of Farreta and Ciudad de Ferdinand, May 13-June 7, 1856

Governor Arroyo reacted to the declaration of independence and subsequent uprisings with alarm. He ordered a large contingency of troops led by General Augusto Manual Gutierrez and a small fleet led Admiral Gustavo Antonio Beriás to retake Ciudad de Ferdinand. He also ordered a second contingency led by General Juan Hector Bautista to capture Farreta. Arroyo hoped to quell the rebellion by striking at the heart of the resistance with a swift, decisive defeat.

On May 13, Spanish troops led by General Bautista invaded Farreta. The following day the Spaniards recaptured Farreta with moderate resistance and occupied the Westmore Hotel, home to the Anbara Congress. Spanish troops captured Lucinda Jamieson, operator of the Westmore Hotel, who soon became a rallying symbol for the Federalmen. Jamieson’s release with arms outstretched served as inspiration for the statue of Lady Victory that now stands atop Fanbearn Island.
After the fall of Farreta, the remnants of Regiment #1 regrouped east of Farreta and retreated to San Marino. On May 15, John Sebastian and members of the Congress fled Farreta and hastily moved the governing body to Hilander, unfurling the new flag of the “Independent Republic of Anbara” at the local Freemason’s Hall. Mary O’Conner, who later served as treasurer of the new republic, designed the flag to reflect sun, farmland, mountains, sea and sky, five major elements of Anbara.

Another large contingency of Spanish troops led by General Gutierrez marched north from Nagocia to Ciudad de Ferdinand. On May 17 the Spanish attacked. A second Spanish contingency moved south from Costa Mesa, hedging in Regiment #2 camped at Ciudad de Ferdinand in anticipation of an assault on Nagocia. The Spanish fleet moored off the coast of Ciudad de Ferdinand gave the Spaniards additional firepower as they bombarded both towns. The battle lasted three days and ended with the Spanish occupation of both cities. Defeated and exhausted, the remaining forces of Regiment #2 fell back to the highlands of Jachuapi, giving them the high ground over the Spanish.

At the same time, on May 21 Bautista’s Army met Regiment #1 at Riverside, a settlement east of Farreta. The Spaniards overwhelmed Regiment #1 after two days and pushed the Federalmen back to San Marino. Another Spanish fleet sailed from Nagocia into San Marino and aided in the assault. From May 27 to June 7 the Spanish lay siege to San Marino, finally ending in the defeat of Regiment #1.

On May 23 Gutierrez’ Army reached Jachuapi and began its assault on Regiment #2. Although the Spanish successfully pushed the Federalmen into the highlands, they did not anticipate the arrival of reinforcements. A portion of Regiment #4, which had secured Boreno Island for the Independent Republic, ferried across to Asuncion Island to aid Regiment #2. Battling on two fronts without assistance from the Spanish Navy, General Gutierrez met strong resistance from the Federalmen. The Federalmen held the Spaniards at bay until June 10, when the Spanish decided to retreat to Costa Mesa and wait for reinforcements to arrive. Bautista’s Army began to move west toward Jachuapi to join Gutierrez’ Army and crush the Federalmen.

The Isladoro Campaign, May 28-June 14, 1856

Regiment #3, led by George Stephenson, included both Americans and Juacopequi. Based in Denjheri to the north of Isladoro, the regiment swept across Isladoro within a matter of weeks, subduing the Spanish garrison at Boca del Rio on May 31. The captured arms helped the regiment capture an even bigger prize—the Spanish-controlled city of Porto Habana, the largest commercial center on Isladoro. The regiment crossed the plains of Isladoro and marched into Porto Habana via Valderas, a mining town sympathetic to the uprising. The invasion of Porto Habana began on June 9. Five days later the town fell to the Federalmen as they overwhelmed the small Spanish military presence. Although most of the Spanish fleet moored there left port, the regiment managed to commandeer several transport ships. The majority of the regiment sailed for Hilander, a Federalmen-held town, on June 15.

Spanish Capitulation, June 17-July 23, 1856

The turning point in the Anbaran War for Independence came on June 18, when Federalmen regiments #2, #3, and #4 joined forces to defeat the Spanish at Costa Mesa. Isladoro Regiment #3 arrived in Hilander on June 15 and marched south towards Costa Mesa. Regiments #2 and #3, camped at Jachuapi, marched on Costa Mesa from the east. Armed with weapons sieged from garrisons at Costa Mesa, Boca del Rio, and Porto Habana, the Federalmen were well equipped to challenge Gutierrez’ Army, which still waited for reinforcements. The united Federalmen outnumbered Gutierrez’ Army three-to-one. Bautista’s Army had reached Riverside, but it was still three days away from reaching Gutierrez. Within two days the Federalmen captured Costa Mesa and forced Gutierrez’ Army to retreat back to Ciudad de Ferdinand. Ciudad de Ferdinand fell on June 21, forcing the Spanish to retreat towards Nagocia.
As the Federalmen pushed Gutierrez’ Army further south, Bautista’s Army marched west to confront them. Bautista’s Army and the remnants of Gutierrez’ Army met the Federalmen on the plains of San Clemente on June 24, 1856. The two forces clashed in pitched battle for six days. Both sides experienced casualties; however, the smaller number of Spanish forces left them decimated after several days.

After receiving word of the imminent defeat of his forces, Governor Arroya placed Nagocia on high alert and recalled troops from throughout the colony to defend the capital. On June 30 General Bautista ordered the Spanish forces to retreat back to Nagocia. The Federalmen, sensing victory and high in spirits, rested and regrouped at San Clemente.
On July 2 the Federalmen marched on Nagocia and surrounded the capital. They laid siege to the walled city for 20 days, bombarding it with artillery taken from the Spaniards. On July 15, Governor Arroyo offered to negotiate a ceasefire with the Federalmen. John Sebastian, who had traveled from Hilander to Nagocia to join in the final assault, turned down the offer and demanded that the Governor depart Anbara. On July 20, Arroyo and Sebastian met at Zalizan to discuss terms of surrender. On July 23, 1856, the governor agreed to cede Anbara to the Anbara Congress by August 14, 1856. The governor and ruling officials departed from Nagocia at midnight on August 14, and the Anbara Congress assumed control of Nagocia on August 15.

Independent Republic of Anbara, 1856-71

On August 15, 1856 the new republic moved the territorial capital from Nagocia to Farreta. Because Nagocia represented Spanish power, the Anbara Congress hoped that the move would reduce pro-Spanish sentiments in the new republic. The Congress convened on August 16 in the ballroom of the Westmore Hotel and reconfirmed John Sebastian as president, Richard Jaymore as vice president, Daniel Burnside as secretary of state, Samuel Nordstrom as treasury secretary, and Mary O’Conner as treasurer. Roger Maavis was elected secretary of the newly created War Department. Bradford Loewen assumed control of the fledgling military. James Lafley, a lawyer from Farreta and delegate to the Anbara Congress, was elected chief justice of the newly established Anbara Supreme Court. Within one month, the Congress drafted and approved a Constitution for the republic establishing a bicameral Congress, a presidential cabinet, and judicial system largely modeled after that of the U.S. Government. Congress also established the Bank of Anbara, approved a national tax regime, including customs and tariffs, and dedicated a portion of the tax to building a Capitol in Farreta. The republic assumed control of the remnants of the Spanish colony, including the Governor’s Palace, military bases, and customs houses. It initially continued many operations according to Spanish regulations.

On August 16, 1856 Colombia became the first country to recognize Anbara as an independent republic. Other countries followed suit, including the United States on August 20. Spain recognized Anbaran independence on September 3. Mexico continued to claim Anbara as a Mexican territory until February 25, 1858, when Anbara agreed to pay Mexico $2 million to settle territorial claims. The Anbara Congress frequently debated over whether to join the Union, as had Texas several years before. Although Anbarans included indigenous peoples such as the Juacopequi, Spaniards, and Mexicans, all members of the Anbara Congress were American immigrants who had fought to overthrow the Spaniards. Most favored eventually joining the Union as a state, but many Anbara Congressmen preferred to wait on statehood until they had an opportunity to stabilize the republic. The Anbara Congress first voted on the issue of statehood on October 15, 1856, when the Congressmen voted 32-18 to reject U.S. statehood. The Congress voted on the issue of joining the Union perennielly until 1870, when a resolution to pursue statehood finally passed.
Tensions grew between American immigrants who ruled Anbara and Spaniards who remained in Anbara after August 15, 1856. Spaniards still comprised the upper class and plantation owners scattered throughout Anbara, and the overthrow of the Spanish government left many Spaniards fearful of rule by American Anbarans. The Juacopequi Nation, a tribal union that allied with the Americans in the fight against the Spanish, also grew restless in anticipation of political autonomy promised by the Anbara Congress in their alliance. The Anbara Congress addressed the issue on November 25, 1856, when it signed a treaty with the Juacopequi Nation and passed the “Juacopequi Autonomy Act of 1856” granting the Juacopequi Nation autonomy over the Denjheri region of Isladoro and northern Boreno Island. The U.S. Government would later alter this agreement by redraw territorial boundaries and establishing a national park and national forest on Juacopequi land.

On November 26, 1856, the Anbaran government angered the Spanish landowners by outlawing slavery in Anbara. Mexico had outlawed slavery in 1829, but as a Spanish colony Anbara still permitted slavery. Many Spanish nobles and plantation owners owned slaves, whereas Americans who predominantly immigrated from the North generally opposed slavery. The Anbara Congress abolished slavery in order to diminish the power of the Spanish who remained in Anbara. The Congress dealt another blow to the Spanish on November 28, when it permitted Federalmen military officers to seize plantations and property from Spaniards who were accused of actively supporting the Spanish government during the Anbaran War. On December 1, 1856, the Congress passed a law limiting suffrage to those who swore allegiance to the republic, disenfranchising most Spaniards and indigenous peoples. These actions resulted in Chavez’ Rebellion, one of the bloodiest incidents in Anbaran history. Angry Spaniards clashed with American immigrants and Federalmen in Musquegui for four days, leaving 63 Spanish and Americans dead. The rebellion ended when Emmanuel Chavez, a plantation owner who instigated the rebellion, was captured and hung. The confiscation of Spanish property continued through the end of 1857, and many Spaniards chose to leave Anbara and return to Spain or immigrate elsewhere in Latin America.

Over the next few years Anbara established itself as an independent country. On January 1, 1857, the Bank of Anbara issued the first Anbaran peso as legal tender with a 1:1 exchange rate to the Spanish peso. The Anbara Mint, founded in Hilander, today serves as the hub of Anbara State University. In June 1857 the Anbara Congress established the republic’s first public university, the University of Anbara, in Westmore, a town not far from Farreta (see table 3, p. 19). The University of Nagocia, one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States, had been established in 1671 by the Jesuits to reach out to indigenous peoples, but the new government hoped to promote an American-style educational system. The Congress also divided Anbara into fourteen administrative counties (by 1980 the number had grown to 23) and allocated two Senate seats per county and a Congressional seats based on population (see table 4, p. 20). On January 1, 1858, English became the official language of Anbara, although Spanish has remained a dominant second language. The government also Anglicized the names of several Anbaran cities, including renaming Ciudad de Ferdinand to Nordstrom in honor of Samuel Nordstrom. On July 1, 1858, the young nation dedicated its new capitol building in Farreta. The historic building was replaced in 1936 with the current state capitol building.

On December 20, 1860 South Carolina seceded from the Union, setting the stage for the U.S. Civil War. The first shots were fired at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Although sentiment favoring statehood gained momentum in Anbara, the events of the Civil War prompted the Anbara Congress to postpone U.S. statehood until the war ended. Anti-slavery sentiment also prompted the Anbara Congress to pass a resolution supporting the Union cause. After the war ended in 1865, the Anbara Congress once again voted to postpone statehood until the Union stabilized. The bloody Civil War and confidence in Anbara as an independent nation led more Anbarans to favor the republic over statehood throughout the war. President John Sebastian and Vice President Samuel Nordstrom passionately favored joining the Union, but former Vice President Richard Jaymore and Congress Leader William Bright publicly supported the Republic. In 1863, sentiment against joining the Union reached a nadir, and Congressmen who supported continued Anbaran independence formed the Independence Party and adopted the famous rallying cry, “Remember Arroyo!” By recalling the former Spanish Governor Felipe Arroyo, Independents hoped to turn public opinion against relinquishing power to another country whose capital lay thousands of miles away. Unionists who supported statehood rallied around their own slogan, “We are One Nation.” The U.S. Government officially remained neutral on the issue of Anbaran statehood, although many U.S. Congressmen openly supported bring Anbara into the Union. Following the Union victory in 1865, Anbaran public opinion again turned favor of joining the Union. The fact that the independent Republic of Texas and Republic of California successfully joined the Union in reassured many Anbarans that they too should be a part of the United States. The political struggle between the Independents and the Unionists culminated in the 1868 Anbaran presidential election, when President John Sebastian and Vice President Samuel Nordstrom won a third term over Independent presidential and vice-presidential candidates Richard Jaymore and Andrew Tate Sumner (see table 5, p. 20). The victory set the stage for a vote on statehood in 1870.

Both U.S. President Andrew Johnson and U.S. President Ulysses Grant strongly supported Anbaran statehood, particularly due to its military importance as a strategic gateway to Latin America and Asia. After Grant became president in 1869, he lobbied the U.S. Congress to pass a resolution inviting Anbara to become a state. Anbaran Vice President Samuel Nordstrom traveled to Washington, D.C. during the Summer of 1869 to lobby Grant’s support for statehood and again in the Spring of 1870 to address the U.S. Congress. The U.S. Congress formally passed a resolution offering statehood to Anbara in early 1870. On September 8, 1870, the Anbara Congress approved a referendum on statehood and set about writing a new state constitution loosely based on the constitution of the republic. Anbara officially joined the United States on May 6, 1871.

Anbara State, 1871-present

Few significant changes occurred immediately following Anbaran statehood. The Anbara Congress formally became the State Legislature. John Sebastian became the state’s first governor, and Vice President Samuel Nordstrom and Richard Jaymore were appointed U.S. senators. Louis Knight was appointed lieutenant governor (see table 5, p. 20). The new state immediately adopted the U.S. dollar as its legal currency at an exchange rate of eight Anbara pesos to a dollar. Control of military bases, including San Marino Naval Base, was transferred to the U.S. military. In 1872, the U.S. military established a large military reservation in central Asuncion Island and established Fort Landry, the U.S. Army’s base of operations in Anbara.

September 19, 1873 ushered in a second Anbaran gold rush. Miners illegally entering Juacopequi territory in northern Isladoro discovered a rich vein of gold in the Magdalenas Mountains northwest of Port Habana. News spread quickly, ushering in a new wave of mining activity in the islands. The City of Nordstrom solidified its position as Anbara’s commercial center by serving as the base for mining activity in both the Las Cruces and Magdalenas mountain region. Thousands of Americans, particularly those displaced from southern states following the Civil War, moved to Anbara hoping to strike it rich. The Juacopequi Nation, which had been granted autonomy over Denjheri in northern Isladoro, appealed to the State Legislature to crack down on illegal mining on their territory. The Anbara Legislature declined to respond and referred the matter to the U.S. Government. The Federal Government, which had assumed control of all treaties negotiated by the Republic of Anbara, took little action to enforce Juacopequi tribal rights. Although the Juacopequi Nation periodically protested and attempted to negotiate with the government, it was unable to fully secure the negotiated rights of its citizens until the late 20th century. Two decades of American settlement prompted by the Gold Rush of 1853 and of 1874 more than doubled Anbara’s population. According to the U.S. Census, by 1880 Anbara had 491,584 residents, over half of whom lived in Nordstrom, Farreta, Nagocia, Port Habana, Sydney, and Hilander (see table 6, p. 21).

In the 1870’s, 1880’s, and 1890’s, after the Gold Rush of 1874 ended, Anbara experienced unprecedented economic prosperity. During this period the state built several railroad lines between the major cities on Asuncion Island, including Nordstrom, Farreta, Nagocia, and Sydney. The state’s agricultural sector flourished as a major source of produce for the continental U.S., producing pineapples, bananas, and an assortment of other fruits and vegetables for the U.S. market. Isladoro provided excellent grazing ranges for livestock, and Anbaran beef and pork found markets in the U.S. and Asia. The period also saw increased racial tensions as thousands of Chinese and Japanese immigrated to Anbara to pursue economic opportunities. Although they represented less than 7% of Anbara’s population by 1880 (see table 6, p. 21), Asian immigrants faced frequent racism and infrequent attacks by some Anbaran residents.

Anbara experienced a commercial boom in the 1880’s. In 1882 the first undersea Pacific cable was lain between Anbara and California, and in 1883 telephone and telegraph service was inaugurated in Nordstrom and Farreta with connection to the mainland. On July 19, 1884 oil was discovered near Jachuapi, sparking the Anbaran “black gold” rush. Standard Oil and Jachuapi Oil became the two largest employers in Anbara until the early twentieth century. (Jachuapi Oil was absorbed by Standard Oil in 1894 until Standard was dissolved in 1911. It is now known as the Hembire Ohlen Corporation.) Several of Anbara’s largest corporations were founded during this period, including Hembire Ohlen, the Anbara Power Company, and Kaeser Corporation, which began as the Isladoro Mining Company. The Nordstrom Stock Exchange developed into a prominent stock exchange for the West Coast, serving businesses too small to list in New York. Anbara also developed a reputation as a tourist destination for some who were willing to travel by rail to the West Coast and ferry over to the islands. In 1885 The Anbara Times was founded in Nordstrom and became Anbara’s first statewide newspaper. It remains the state’s premier newspaper. In 1897 the first automobile, built by D. S. Sturgis, arrived in Anbara, and in 1899 the Rochester Motor Company became the first and only company to manufacture automobiles in Anbara (Rochester stopped producing cars in 1915 and today manufactures recreational vehicles, trucks, and machinery). On October 14, 1891 the City of Nordstrom launched a system of electric streetcars that survived until 1941 at the start of World War II. The streetcars ended operation to conserve energy for the war effort, and following the war the city opted not to resume service because Anbarans depended increasingly on automobile transportation.

The 1890’s ushered in an era of significant cultural change in Anbara. Benjamin Harrison became the first U.S. president to visit Anbara when he visited in May 1891. On May 4, 1893 the State of Anbara designated Nagocia’s Spanish Quarter and Mozitechqua, Nunza, and Temple Rock official historic treasures (see Table 8, p. 22). The sites had deteriorated or been exploited over the years, and the State of Anbara recognized that the need to protect and restore these national treasures. The State of Anbara also established the Anbara Department of Antiquities protect Anbara’s unique cultural history, and it commissioned the Museum of Pre-American History (MOPAH) as home of Anbaran Aztec, Juacopequi, and Spanish antiquities. MOPAH opened on January 12, 1895 in Nordstrom and has since become one of the world’s most prestigious museums, housing one of the largest collections of New World antiquities. On a darker note, in 1894 the U.S. Chinese Exclusion Treaty was ratified and prohibited further Chinese immigration into the U.S. (approximately 25,000 Chinese lived in Anbara in 1894).

In 1898 Anbara served as a major staging area for the U.S. as it prepared to invade the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. Having beaten the Spanish 42 years earlier, many Anbarans enthusiastically supported the war. The conflict began on April 19, 1898, and many Anbarans observed the beginning of hostilities by having a parade in Farreta. On July 7, 1898, the U.S. annexed the Hawai’ian Islands. Anbara sensed an opportunity to serve as a major U.S. maritime link to Asia and the South Pacific and offered safe harbor to all American excursions in the Pacific. In 1902 Filipino immigration to Anbara accelerated following the establishment of the pensionado program allowing Filipinos to study in the U.S. Anbara’s connection to both the Phillippines and Hawai’i also led to the introduction of a new cuisine to the islands, commonly known as “Spanasian,” a blending of Filipino, Polynesian, Spanish, and Mexican cuisines. Spanasian cuisine today is a staple of Anbaran culture. In 1898 the first Spanasian restaurant opened in Farreta; today the 5-star Musi Restaurant in Nordstrom is the best-known Spanesian restaurant.
Anbara continued to unprecendented growth in the early 1900’s. In May 1901 the Grace Cathedral (“Our Lady of Grace”) was dedicated in Nordstrom as the largest Catholic cathedral on the West Coast. It dwarfed the much older Cathedral of Santa Lucia in Nagocia’s Spanish Quarter, the oldest existing cathedral in the U.S. On December 26, 1902 the University of Anbara and University of Nordstrom football clubs inaugurated the island’s first football match, the forerunner of the Tropic Bowl, one of college football’s premier championship games. 1906 marked Anbara’s 50th anniversary of independence from Spain, and on July 23, 1906 Anbara dedicated the Statue of Freedom atop Fanbearn Island, a small island located between Asuncion Island and Isladoro. The statue was commissioned by George Nordstrom, son of Samuel Nordstrom, who passed away in 1885. Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, designer of the Statue of Liberty, was originally commissioned to design and build the statue. However, Bartholdi fell ill and died in 1904, and his assistant, Emil Beppu, undertook the effort to complete Bartholdi’s work. The statue was erected on land atop Fanbearn Island donated to the State of Anbara by the Nordstrom family. The 75’ tall copper-plated statue, half the size of the Statue of Liberty, looks south towards Drake Bay between Asuncion and Isladoro. Its empty hands are stretched upward in a victorious position; the body dressed in a tunic similar to that of the Statue of Liberty. The face is the likeness of Lucinda Jamieson, the operator of the Westmore Hotel who served as heroine and inspiration to the Federalmen during the Anbaran War for Independence. The statue today serves as the most recognized symbol of Anbara.

On September 9 and 10, 1908, a major hurricane hit Anbara, devastating much of Isladoro and western Asuncion Island. The storm triggered the Great Nordstrom Fire on September 10, a two-day rampage that destroyed 20 city blocks. The Statue of Freedom sustained minor damage resulting from the high winds and required two years to repair. Grace Cathedral was slightly damaged by the storm, but it avoided the fire that followed. The State of Freedom was rededicated two years later in August 1910 by U.S. President William Howard Taft, who visited Anbara and dedicated Old Volcano National Park, Anbara’s first national park. The Congressional decision to dedicate the Old Volcano area as a national park in 1910 led local settlers to defy orders to relocate, and in May 1910 the U.S. military forcefully dislodged the settlers. The U.S. Government offered some compensation for their land; however, the settlers, many of whom were second- and third-generational families living in Old Volcano Valley, refused to leave. No one died in the stand-off, but the event left many Anbarans bitter. U.S. Senator Warren Murphy (D) took up their cause in the U.S. Senate, introducing a bill permitted settlers who currently living in areas designated as national parks to continue living in the parks. However, the bill did not pass.

In 1910 and 1911 Nordstrom attempted to lure the infant motion picture industry from Los Angeles. Several films have been filmed on location in Anbara since 1907, and for a couple of years Nordstrom competed with L.A. as an attractive location for film studios. Nordstrom successfully lured two companies, Scotty Brothers and Jericho Pictures, to build their studios near Nordstrom (both went out of business by the late 1920’s). The Nordstrom City Council made a direct appeal to two of the day’s biggest film stars, Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford, to relocate to Anbara, offering each mansions in the Bancape highlands. Neither Chaplin nor Pickford accepted Nordstrom’s offer, preferring to remain in the L.A. area. By 1912 L.A. permanently eclipsed Nordstrom as center of the motion picture industry,. The fact that Anbara was not in the continental U.S. led many studios to favor L.A. as a home over Nordstrom.

Anbara experienced more changes leading up to the Great Depression. The first Anbara State Fair opened in Nordstrom, and in 1912 the Baker Street Foods Company opened legendary “Baker Street” in Nordstrom as a street fair and agricultural center. Baker Street is still one of Nordstrom’s main attractions, and its name has become synonymous with U.S. agribusiness, much as New York’s Wall Street developed into the center of U.S. finance. On May 18, 1913 Walter Brookins became the first pilot to fly to Anbara, flying non-stop over the Pacific from San Diego to Nordstrom. In October 1913 the Panama Canal opened, creating a more direct route from Anbara to the East Coast and Europe. World War I also impacted Anbara as more than 2,000 young men enlisted to fight with the Allies in Europe. Most returned home, although 116 Anbarans died during the war. To commemorate the end of the war and recognize those who lost their lives, the state held a large parade in Farreta on Armistice Day, November 11, 1918. The following year, Nordstrom held its first Marathon, the first of its kind on the West Coast. On September 18, 1920 President Woodrow Wilson dedicated Magdalena Ridge National Park in northern Isladoro. Because few people lived in the Magdalenas and the land resided in traditional territory of the Juacopequi Nation, the establishment of Anbara’s second national park did not meet the same resistance that Old Volcano National Park did.

Although tourists had been visiting Anbara for many years, the state’s tourism industry established itself with the opening of the famed Whitehall Resort near Sydney on February 6, 1922. Anbara now annually ranks as one of the nation’s top tourist destinations. Whitehall Resort sparked a wave of resort building that was interrupted during the Depression and World War II but continued into the 1950’s, 1960’s and today. Drawn by Anbara’s historical sites, national parks, beaches, mountains, and getaway activities, tourists flocked year-round to many Anbaran destinations (see Table 9, p. 22). Sydney and the southwest coast of Asuncion Island flourished as a tourist mecca, and later Delascia Bay on Isladoro and Mission Beach on Boreno Island also became important tourist destinations. Beach tourism was helped by the advent of commercial air travel, which began in 1925 with contract mail service between Los Angeles and Nordstrom. The island’s first airline, Anbara Pacific Airways, initiated passenger service in 1926 and served passengers between California and Anbara. Its successor, Superior Airlines, is now one of the ten largest airlines in the U.S.

The 1920’s were relatively peaceful and prosperous years. Prior to the Stock Market Crash on October 24, 1929, trade with Asia and Latin America expanded significantly. In August 1926 Governor John Ellison became the first Anbaran official to visit Latin America, leading a trade mission to Mexico in an effort to cull favor with the Mexican government. Pacific Rim trade increased sevenfold in the 1920’s, reducing Anbaran dependence on the Continental U.S. The state government also initiated several important infrastructure projects, including building of the first highways circumnavigating Isladoro and Boreno Island and the establishment of state-run ferry service between all three major islands and Farquhar Island. On October 25, 1929, one day after the great Stock Market Crash in New York, the Nordstrom Stock Exchange also crashed. The Great Depression engulfed the state and devastating its economy. By early 1930 demand for Anbara’s three largest exports, agricultural products, oil and petroleum, precious metals, and manufactured products evaporated. Heavily dependent upon exports to the Continental U.S., Anbara found itself desperately searching for alternative trading partners.

In June 1930 the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act was signed into law, further aggravating economic conditions in the United States. Anbaran Governor John Ellison sent officials to Washington, D.C. to lobby to no avail against a bill the state government believed would be disastrous to the economy. Following passage of the Tariff Act, the Anbaran Legislature passed the Economic Recovery Act of 1930, landmark legislation that, among other items, established a state-run bank and reintroduced the Anbara peso. Although not legal currency, the peso served as an important Anbaran trade instrument. The peso served as a voucher that allowed foreign trading partners such as Mexico to trade with Anbara at a substantially reduced tariff rate. Anbara increased its foreign currency reserves by trading Anbaran products for foreign currency. Anbara would in turn buy foreign goods using peso vouchers, which the foreign trading partner could exchange at a lower tariff rate. The state government would cover the remaining tariff. By 1931 the Anbaran peso became the state’s de facto currency, and peso began to circulate in the local economy. The U.S. Government subsequently sued the State of Anbara over use of the peso. The U.S. Supreme Court deemed the peso unconstitutional in The United States vs. Ellison (1934). Although some Anbaran companies went bankrupt following the end of the peso system, many Anbaran businesses survived the 1930’s and thrived during World War II.

Anbara’s greatest public works projects were completed during the Great Depression. In June 1934 President Roosevelt visited Anbara in an effort to boost the state’s morale and dedicated the Westmore Dam near Farreta. He also visited Nordstrom, Queensbury and spoke to Anbarans at the University of Nagocia, encouraging residents to persevere during difficult times. The Roosevelt Administration introduced the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935, and by the end of the 1930’s the CCC had completed several important projects in Anbara, including the construction of the Colbon Dam on Isladoro, the building of the Klondike Highway and Oceanville-Port Habana Highway, and the preservation of forested areas on Isladoro and Asuncion Islands. As the threat of Japan increased in the Pacific Ocean, Roosevelt also initiated the expansion of Palm Bay Naval Base on Boreno Island, and San Clemente Army Base on Asuncion Island. On September 15, 1935 long-time Governor Lawrence Baker dedicated the John Sebastian Bridge, two contiguous suspension bridges spanning 5 miles between Asuncion Island and Isladoro via Midway Island. Constructed by Army Corp of Engineers, it was the world’s longest suspension bridge until Anbara’s Straits Bridge opened in 1961. On July 23, 1937 the present Capitol building in Farreta was dedicated. The unique gold-domed circular structure with multi-colored gardens and spoke-like stone walkways radiating from the Capitol resemble the Great Seal of Anbara.

By 1939 Anbara’s economy began to grow again, and local conditions improved for a short time. December 7, 1941 and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, however, undermined Anbarans’ brief sense of security. Anbarans realized, for perhaps the first time, their vulnerable position as a Pacific archipelago and a major center of military operations in the Pacific theater. Although the bulk of the U.S. Navy was stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the Navy also had a strong presence at Anbara’s three naval facilities, San Marino Naval Base, Pearl Bay Naval Base, and Covington Naval Station. World War II particularly affected Anbara along with other West Coast states. Residents experienced blackouts night after night, and air raid sirens frequently interrupted people’s daily lives. Nordstrom ended streetcar service in late 1941 to conserve energy. In early 1942 following Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066 thousands of Anbaran Japanese-Americans were rounded up and interned at Umbuca Internment Camp near Flores on Boreno Island and at Marshall Station Internment Camp in northern Isladoro. Most Anbaran Japanese remained interned until the end of the war. While most remained in Anbara after the war, many chose to emigrate or move to the mainland after having lost property rights during the internment period.

During World War II Anbara served as a critical center for military and logistics operations in the South Pacific. Anbaran industry played a key role, providing food, oil and petroleum products, and equipment to the Allied cause. Several corporations, including the Hembire Oil Company, Winston-Williams Company (manufacturing), Kaeser Company (food), Rochester Corporation (manufacturing), National Mills Company (food), and Faulkner Company (construction) assisted with the war effort. Thousands of Anbaran men enlisted in the service, serving in both Asia and Europe. Thousands of Anbaran women entered the work force for the first time, taking critical positions in the war effort. The state also helped coordinate Latin American assistance for the Allied cause. Although many Latin American states were officially neutral during the war, many indirectly aided the Allied cause with financial support.

Anbara prospered following World War II. Led by governors Lawrence Baker and Harold Sebastian, the state diversified and decreased its reliance on the U.S. military and natural resources by developing its own infrastructure and services. In May 1946 local organizers held the first Sea-to-Sea bicycle competition between Hilander and Newton Bay. The cycling event eventually grew into an 8-day statewide event, and by 1955 the event became the famed Tour of Anbara. The Tour is now America’s premier cycling race. In April 1948 the state’s first freeway opened, a four-lane freeway linking Nordstrom and Farreta. Using funding provided by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1954 and 1956, the state expanded Anbara’s interstate freeway system so that by 1961 all three islands had freeways linking major cities and towns. The state also celebrated the post-war period with the opening 1950 World’s Fair in Nordstrom on June 10th. The fair’s theme, “The Age of Progress,” was punctuated by the unveiling of the Spiral Tower, a futuristic tower that has since become a major Anbaran landmark. Although the World’s Fair was hugely successful, the Korean War overshadowed the event when the North Koreans invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950. Anbara played a lesser role during the Korean War, although the war dampened tourism to Anbaran in the early 1950’s. On June 23, 1956 the state celebrated 100 years of independence and the founding of the Republic. Thousands crowded into Capitol Square in Farreta to celebrate the occasion. Although Anbara acquired statehood in 1871, 1856 has long been regarded as the state’s most important holiday. The refurbished Westmore Hotel was also dedicated as a state historical monument. Anbarans mourned the loss of former Governor Lawrence Baker, who led the state through World War II, following his sudden death by car accident on November 29, 1958. The state dedicated the Lawrence G. Baker Straights Bridge on May 5, 1961 in honor of the governor. The suspension bridge linking Nordstrom and Queensbury remains the world’s longest suspension bridge. Anbarans also held a large vigil in Farreta for President John F. Kennedy following his assassination on November 23, 1963.

Anbarans were politically active in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. In 1964 moderate Republican Governor Harold Sebastian ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination against Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater. Grandson of the iconic John Sebastian, Sebastian was one of Anbara’s most notable personalities, serving 8 years as U.S. Senator and 12 years as governor. Anbarans played an integral part in the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam conflict. The state integrated its schools and establishments immediately following World War II, reducing internal race relations during the 1960’s. Nordstrom hosted several civil rights marches in 1963 and 1964, including a rally on August 28, 1963 to support the Civil Rights march in Washington, D.C. and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The Juacopequi Nation unsuccessfully staged protests demanding reparations for American settlement and mining on tribal lands. Tensions increased significantly during the Vietnam conflict. Anbaran military bases served as primary staging points into Vietnam, and thousands of Anbarans served in Vietnam. At the same time, student protests were common on Anbaran college campuses during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, particularly at the University of Anbara in Westmore and Nordstrom and at the University of Nagocia. The protests culminated during mid-1968, when University of Nagocia students seized the Student Union Building and occupied it for two days before being arrested on May 16, 1968. The state, particularly Boreno Island, became such a popular place for communal living by members of the peace movement that Superior Airlines christened the “Love Express,” a direct flight between Nordstrom and San Francisco painted in psychedelic livery. The “Love Express” remained a fixture in the skies from 1967 until 1975.

The state’s entertainment industry exploded in the 1960’s. In June 1962 the state’s first amusement park opened near Sydney, and in 1965 the Anbara Legislative attempted to revitalize Farquhar Island by permitting legalizing gambling on the small island situated in the middle of the Anbara archipelago. The island’s primarily industry had been fishing and canning, but depressed prices on the global market in the 1950s led to a collapse of Anbara’s fishing industry. Casino developers initially proposed to build a casino/resort near Sydney, but local opposition and support from the residents of Farquhar Island led to its development there. Although Farquhar now has competition from Juacopequi tribal casinos, it remains one of the top gambling destinations in the country. In 1967 professional sports arrived in Anbara when the NBA expanded and the Nordstrom Pacifics entered the league. Professional sports had shunned Anbara for years because of its remote location, but by the 1960’s the local population had grown large enough to support professional sports teams. In 1967 Major League Baseball followed suit by granting a baseball franchise to the City of Nordstrom. The Nordstrom Islanders began play in the American League in 1969. The state now has multiple professional franchises in all major U.S. sports.

Oil and fiscal crises dominated the 1970’s. The decade began optimistically with Anbara’s state centennial celebration on May 6, 1971 in Capitol Square, but by 1973 the OPEC Oil Embargo and stagflation took their toll on the state economy. Overly aggressive infrastructure development in the 1950’s and 1960’s led to an untenuous state deficit, and the state struggled to finance its budget and pay bond interest. Anbaran state law at the time did not require a balanced budget, and by 1973 Governor Paul McKenzie faced the prospect of statewide bankruptcy. Although Anbara benefited from increased tax revenue generated by oil and petroleum production, the state did not benefit significantly from petrodollars until 1976. McKenzie lost a close election to Republican challenger John S. Kacy. State voters also passed a referendum prohibiting the proposed building of a nuclear power plant in northern Isladoro. Following Kacy’s election the state added a balanced-budget amendment to its constitution, and Governor Kacy balanced the state’s budget through petrodollars and austerity measures. By 1978 Anbaran economy improved significantly. In 1979 Apollo’s Landing Golf Course opened near Port Habana. Overlooking the Sea of Anbara on pristine acreage, Apollo’s Landing remains one of the country’s premier courses and has hosted numerous PGA tournaments. In 1981 the Anbara-Point Drake Speedway opened as a NASCAR track. Each July the Freshover 500 brings the NASCAR spotlight to Anbara.
During the 1980’s Anbara was one of the fastest growing states in the Union. With a population of 8.8 million, Anbara matured as a relatively urban state and has been affectionately referred to as the “Japan of America.” By 1987 Nordstrom was the fourth largest city in the U.S. with a population of 1.7 million. Although Anbara was still an attractive state for relocation, many residents decried the urbanization of the southern half of the state. The area earned the nickname “Urban Crescent.” While the northern parts of Asuncion, Isladoro, and Boreno Island remained sparsely populated because of their mountainous terrain, the “Urban Crescent” remains one of the most densely populated areas in the U.S. The Kacy administration realized the benefits of mass transportation and developed a comprehensive transportation plan funded by federal grants and petrodollars. On June 1, 1980 Nordstrom-Farreta International Airport opened, and work began on the Nordstrom and Farreta Metro System. The Metro linked Nordstrom, Farreta and the airport with a subway and light rail system. Portions of the Metro were first dedicated on March 1, 1985. A second north-south line was added in the late 1980’s linking Nagocia, Nordstrom, and Hilander, and a third was built on Isladoro to link Queensbury, San Sebastian, and Medvalla. By the end of the 1990’s light rail linked virtually all of the “Urban Crescent.” While the system helped relieved traffic congestion in the 1980’s and 1990’s, it also opened up large areas of the state to urban development in areas that had been long occupied by farms and plantations. The Anbaran environmental movement became active in the 1980’s with the spread of suburban sprawl, and it began to actively petition city governments and planners to limit urban development statewide. Crime also increased significantly, particularly violent crime. During a four-year period beginning in 1985, the notorious “Night Walker” serial killer murdered at least 15 victims throughout the state. The killer was never caught.

At the end of the 20th century Anbara moved beyond its image as a tourist destination into the home to many new industries. In the 1970’s and 1980’s Anbara developed a strong electronics industry that thrived in spite of strong Asian competition. By the mid-1990’s the Anbara had become one of the country’s high-tech centers and became known as the “Silicon Island.” Computer and pharmaceutical companies concentrated in Nordstrom, electronics and telecommunications companies clustered around Farreta. Isladoro became a haven for biotechnology startups. Venture capitalist firms on “River Bank Road” in Westmore fueled local growth. The commercialization of the Internet and mapping of the genetic code led to local industries in telecommunications and biotechnology. High-tech growth also accelerated with breakup of Winston-Williams Corporation into three separate companies focused on different technologies. The Nordstrom Stock Exchange transformed itself into a clearinghouse for startups listing their stocks over the counter. The local wine industry also experienced phenomenal growth. Vineyards had been making wine in northeast Asuncion Island for years, but by the 1990’s it had grown into the third largest in the U.S. Its Mediterranean climate in the mountains of the northeast coast of Asuncion and Boreno islands made it ideally suited to grow quality wines. In addition, in 1991 the “Mall of the Pacific” opened in Kayser as the largest mall on the West Coast. The decade also saw the closure of the Covington Naval Station in 1995 due to military base reductions, and the 1997 opening of the new Nordstrom Opera House in the Yankee Quarter, Nordstrom’s theater district. Although a 7.1 earthquake struck Boreno Island in 1995, killing 11 people, it was one of the few tragic events during a prosperous decade.

Table 1. Historical Figures from the Anbaran War for Independence, 1856