Chapter 252: The Great Expedition
[In history, such a large South American federal state did exist. The famous South American liberator Simón Bolívar successively liberated Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Bolivia in 1819, establishing the Republic of Gran Colombia. He served as its president from 1819 to 1830. After his death, the Republic of Gran Colombia disintegrated, with Venezuela and Ecuador seceding, leading to its collapse.]
[Your appearance has undoubtedly altered world history. You ended Spanish colonial rule in South America a hundred years ahead of time. At this point, the indigenous peoples of South America did not yet have a strong sense of resistance, and your outstanding political skill allowed the newborn "South American Federation" to remain both united and balanced internally. This stands in stark contrast to the Gran Colombia of history, which lasted only eleven years. From this moment, history veers onto a different path.]
[History Troublemaker Title Upgrade Progress 1/8]
[Under your leadership, on June 20, 1723, the South American Federation convened a constitutional assembly in its temporary capital, Cúcuta. The assembly passed and promulgated the first constitution of the federation, announcing the abolition of slavery, the liberation of slaves and their children, and the prohibition of the slave trade. Citizens were granted equal rights, as well as freedom of speech and publication. You were elected the federation's first president. On February 3, 1724, Peru and New Granada also announced their accession, and soon the entire northern part of South America raised black flags.]
[You then improved the still-primitive flintlock rifles and cannons of the time, transforming single-shot reload weapons into a revolving system, with vastly increased range and waterproofing. In the humid, rainy South American tropics, this gave you overwhelming superiority—a devastating surprise for your enemies.]
[To commemorate the birth of the world's first revolving rifle, the craftsmen's guild of Port Royal kept it for you, and it was personally blessed and reinforced by the sea goddess Calypso. Upon receiving it, you named the weapon Ambition and carried it with you at all times.]
[On April 5, 1724, you had your first child in this world, giving you a true bond to it.]
[On February 7, 1724, you set out with Cortés to campaign southward. Ironically, this notorious conqueror, after being resurrected through forbidden arts, suddenly donned the mantle of a liberator. In regions like Paraguay and Brazil, you were welcomed as saviors.]
[In the hot, rainy jungles, your army—equipped with revolving rifles—held an absolute advantage. Though Portuguese and Spanish colonial forces allied, they could not halt your advance. After your decisive victory at the Battle of Recife, Portugal and Spain were forced to concede defeat and withdrew from the major colonies of Brazil and Argentina.]
[On April 9, 1724, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile all declared accession to the South American Federation. From then on, you became the undisputed hegemon of Central and South America.]
[From April 9, 1724, to September 5, 1734, over ten years, you continued to march north and south, bringing French Louisiana and Spanish Florida under your protection. After securing Florida, your ardent admirer Benjamin Franklin finally fulfilled his wish of becoming your subordinate. It had been fifteen years since you last met.]
[It is worth noting that, in a Native settlement in Florida, you discovered the legendary Fountain of Youth, guided by Calypso. But drinking from it directly would not bring eternal life—it would bring death. To gain immortality, the ritual required a mermaid's tear, with two silver chalices filled with the water: one containing the tear, the other not. Whoever drank from the tear-filled chalice would have their life extended, while the other would die—the added lifespan being taken from the deceased.]
[As a great leader, obtaining a mermaid's tear was not difficult for you, nor would it have been hard to find volunteers to sacrifice themselves. Yet you disdained immortality gained through such means. You understood the profound mysteries of life and preferred to live in the present. Once your name was etched into history, in a sense, you had already become immortal.]
[Aside from this interlude, in 1730 the South American Federation held a referendum and merged with your Pineapple Federation. The new state was named the United States of Central and South America, with you remaining president. This United States now spanned all of Central and South America, the southern half of North America, and the entire West Indies, becoming the largest nation in the world.]
[From 1734 to 1756, Europe was embroiled in the War of Austrian Succession. After the death of Emperor Charles VI, twelve states—including Prussia, France, and Spain—refused to recognize Maria Theresa's succession, while Britain and the Netherlands supported her. The war raged globally for eight years, leaving Europe unable to manage its overseas colonies.]
[Seizing the opportunity, you sent Cortés and Bellamy northward, gradually annexing all of North America's colonies into the Pineapple Union, eventually clashing with Britain and France in a four-year war.]
[The war began between you and Britain, when your explorers reached the Great Lakes and Ohio, establishing trade centers there. Britain, claiming the land as its own, declared war. France then attacked your Louisiana territory from the rear, forcing you to withdraw from the Great Lakes and march south. But from April 19 to 23, you won five consecutive battles, routing the French army. On May 13, you retook New Orleans, driving the French into the sea. A year later, Montreal and all of New France fell. Turning back to Britain, you went on to win twelve successive victories, crushing their resistance.]
[In September 1756, you won major victories at Louisbourg, Fort Frontenac, and Pittsburgh, forcing Britain to surrender. You regained control of vast lands stretching from the East Coast to the Mississippi River—nearly the whole North American continent was now under your rule.]
[During this period, you established a steam train network, connecting all of North and South America. Newton, as a scientist under your patronage, developed many new technologies, making him even greater than history remembers.]
[In 1762, you convened another constitutional assembly. With public approval, a new constitution was adopted, and the United States of Central and South America was renamed the Republic of America. You remained lifetime ruler, while your protégé Franklin and Cortés became second and third consuls. Though nominally a republic, this established a de facto dictatorship. You were 69, but had finally built a vast state spanning both Americas.]
[By now, your Republic of America was the strongest nation in the world, economically and commercially. The First Industrial Revolution began here and spread worldwide. It became the global center of science, politics, finance, and currency.]
[Yet you did not halt your conquests. On June 29, 1763, after King Ferdinand VI of Spain died without heir, the Spanish Succession Crisis broke out. Crossing the Atlantic with your fleet, under the guise of "protecting Spanish territory" and "resolving dynastic disputes," you occupied Madrid. Spain became a mere shadow, with your son installed as Viceroy. Soon after, you captured Montego Bay and, by July 20, had taken all of Portugal, forcing its royal family to flee to India. Europe now lay open before you.]
[Next, you advanced northward. Off Lisbon, you clashed with a massive Franco-British fleet. In the battle, British admiral Samuel Hood was killed—the later battleship HMS Hood would be named after him. The Franco-British fleet was utterly annihilated. Europe trembled.]
[In August 1763, Britain, France, Austria, and Prussia formed an alliance against you. In late October, leaving Lisbon, you marched east. On October 24, your forces captured Paris, forcing France to surrender.]
[Later that same year, against the Anglo-Austrian coalition, you leveraged your superior firearms and artillery to win another great victory at the Battle of Austerlitz, crippling Britain and Austria. On February 7, 1764, you occupied Vienna. To make peace, Empress Maria Theresa not only composed a piece for you but also offered her daughter in marriage. You accepted the latter but could only remain silent at the former, remarking instead: "Today I listen to your song; tomorrow it will hang on the southern branch."]
[At this point, you held undeniable dominance on both land and sea. You could have swept through Europe in flames, but the fierce resistance of the occupied peoples and your own failing health forced you to pause. For years, you lay bedridden. You recalled the Fountain of Youth, but only smiled and let the thought go. As the saying goes: "Spring, summer, autumn, winter—the leaves may stay green. Life, death, and aging—man cannot live forever."]
[On February 7, 1769, surrounded by wife and children, you passed away quietly in Paris at the age of 75.]
[Simulation End.]