Type | |
Economy | |
Founded | Mid-1800s |
Founder | League of True Workers |
Location | |
Territory | Great Lakes to the Pacific Coast |
Commitment | Conscript military service • International activism |
Population | |
Principles | Egalitarianism • Workers' rights • Direct democracy |
Political structure | Highly decentralized, self-governing |
The Free Province is a vast socialist state in North America, encompassing a diverse range of territory from the shores of Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean. Founded in the mid-19th century by the League of True Workers, the Free Province is an experiment in egalitarianism and self-governance centered around decentralized industrial production.
The Free Province was founded in the revolutionary wave that swept North America in the 1850s. Inspired by the ideas of socialism and workers' rights, the League of True Workers united laborers from different backgrounds to overthrow the existing order and establish a new society. They seized vast swathes of territory from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Coast, founding a new state based on the principles of decentralization, direct democracy, and workers' solidarity.
The economy of the Free Province is highly-decentralized, with economic districts centered around large urban areas. These districts function as autonomous entities, each with its own assembly of workers who make decisions about production, trade, and infrastructure. The largest cities of the Free Province, like Grand City, Calgary, and Seattle, are bustling centers of industrial production, manufacturing, and mining.
The Free Province is home to a diverse, multicultural population, reflecting its origins in revolution and immigration. Native Americans, French-speaking settlers, former slaves, and waves of Irish, German, Polish, Chinese, and other immigrants make up the province's patchwork communities. This diversity is reflected in the Free Province's unique culture, combining elements of Native American traditions, industrial folkways, and its own distinctive radical spirit.
Central to the Free Province's identity is its commitment to military service and defense, with a strong emphasis on citizen-soldiery and universal conscription. This has helped develop a strong sense of community and shared purpose in the Free Province, setting it apart from other industrialized nations. In politics, the Free Province adheres to principles of direct democracy, with decisions made through local workers' assemblies and coordinated through a federal council of representatives.
The Free Province's unique social and political experiment has set it apart from neighboring states and brought it international recognition and respect. It has played a key role in leftist international politics and has been a model for socialist states across the globe, inspiring revolutionary movements and socialist projects in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
In recent years, as the global economy shifts and faces new challenges, the Free Province's decentralized and democratic model serves as an alternative vision to the dominant capitalist order. As a living example of a different way to organize society, the Free Province continues to be a global beacon of radical hope and solidarity.