The Founding of a Kingdom and the Reign of King James I (1878 - 1888) In 1877, Captain James George Meads, Master of the ship "Modeste" discovered the islands that now constitute the Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads and claimed the archipelago on behalf of the world's downtrodden and persecuted. Captain Meads named the island group the "Kingdom of Humanity" and the sea that surrounded it, the "Humanity Sea" and, upon proclamation as King James I in 1878, formed a colony on the islands dedicated to a peaceful existence far removed from the hostilities that vexed the nineteenth century world. From the outset, the Kingdom of Humanity attracted a vast array of people from around the globe who wished to escape persecution and intolerance in their native country. King James I welcomed these refugees with open arms, claiming he had a sovereign duty to care for the world's poor, dispossessed and disenfranchised.
For more information on our People, Culture and Government King James's benelovence was such that the population of the Kingdom of Humanity rapidly grew and the colonisation of outer islands began. By the time of the tragic passing of King James I in 1888, there were over 2000 citizens in the Kingdom. Read a Book Review on the life of King James
The Reign of King George I (1888 - 1914) Consolidation of the Kingdom King George I seeked to build diplomatic links with colonial powers and neighbouring nations. His handling of a delicate diplomatic situation with the French over the disputed Boags Atoll won him admirers within the French Foreign Office and led to the French official withdrawal from Boags Atoll, which remains an integral part of the Republic to the present day. King George I also developed a close relationship with Britain, culminating in the 1893 Treaty of Southwark whereby England agreed to provide external defence in return for berthing privileges in the Kingdom's ports. King George made regular overseas visits to establish diplomatic links and attended the Coronation of King Edward VII of England in London in 1902. His death on 29 September 1914 was unfortunately overshadowed on the world stage by the outbreak of the Great War.
The Reign of King Franklin I (1914 - 1945) Paradise Lost As people lined the streets of Southwark in 1914 to witness the pomp and ceremony of the coronation of King Franklin I, they did so under the cloud of war in Europe. While many of the Kingdom's men enlisted in the British Army, the battles raged a world away and in general the lives of the citizens of the Kingdom of Humanity continued unruffled. Upon his ascendancy to the Kingdom of Humanity throne, King Franklin I began developing the infrastructure of the outer islands to accommodate the Kingdom's growing population, which had reached 4000 by 1905. At first, people were wary of moving to one of the outer islands, away from the "big smoke" of Southwark. This attitude changed however when King Franklin, leading by example, became the first monarch to reside outside the capital Southwark, establishing a residency on Goring Isle. By demonstrating to his people that the Kingdom extended beyond Meads Island, King Franklin led the way for the development of outer islands like Coopers Cay and Putney Shoal. For further information on our Geography King Franklin I was well aware of the Japanese military build up occurring in the South China Sea but believed his close relationships with the English and French would protect the Kingdom from any military aggression. When war was declared in 1939, King Franklin initially refused to be evacuated to the safe haven of Australia, intent on remaining on the islands in his role as Commander of the Kingdom of Humanity's armed forces, the Royal Grenadiers. Eventually he was persuaded to evacuate to Australia and lead the Kingdom of Humanity Government in Exile in Darwin. His nephew James, Earl of Goring, assumed command of the Royal Grenadiers with the intention of defending the archipelago to the last man. Brave as these soldiers were, they were no match for the Japanese military when they invaded the islands on 12 December 1939. The anniversary of this day is now a solemn public holiday known as "Martyrs' Day", as all the surviving Royal Grenadiers, including the Earl of Goring, were summarily executed. For further information on the Royal Grenadiers While the Kingdom of Humanity Government in Exile was established in Darwin, Australia and led initially by King Franklin and then by Queen Michelle in the absence of her ailing husband, Prince Josiah, the heir to the Humanity throne, and his younger brother Prince Morton, chose to actively fight the enemy; Josiah accepting a posting with the Royal Australian Air Force while Prince Morton enlisted in the United States Army. As Josiah M. and Morton F. Meads, they distinguished themselves on the battlefield and were both cited for bravery in official dispatches.
Josiah (1945) The Uncrowned King On 12 June 1945 King Franklin I died in Darwin, Australia, leaving Prince Josiah to succeed to the throne as King Josiah. Eschewing the opportunity to hold his coronation ceremony in Darwin, Josiah declared that he would only be crowned in Southwark. Tragically, while waiting to return to his Kingdom he contracted malaria and died in Darwin on 8 February 1946. Though never coronated, Josiah is still considered a rightful sovereign of the Kingdom of Humanity by royal historians and ordinary Songhrato alike.
The Reign of King Morton I (1946 - 1959) Paradise Regained Following the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific, Kingdom of Humanity citizens slowly returned to their homeland. Although the Kingdom of Humanity was spared the horror of playing host to a battle, much of the country was in ruins and Southwark had been bombed by ally aircraft. At the first official post-war census of 1946, the population was found to have dropped below 3000, in contrast to the pre-war high of nearly 7000. Due to the destruction of the national economy and the post-war regional food shortage, it took many years for the Kingdom to regain its self-sufficiency and regional leaders publicly queried whether the Kingdom of Humanity should be incorporated as a semi-autonomous region of a neighbouring nation like the Philippines or Singapore. This however was strongly rejected by the people of the Kingdom of Humanity who have always cherished their independence and on 24 May 1954, the Kingdom of Humanity commemorated its first Yaaba Day, celebrating the moment the population of the archipelago passed 5000, the population considered to be the minimum required for self-sufficiency.
The Kingdom of Humanity/Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads (1959 - 1963) Preparing for Civilian Rule Although the Royal Family was a respected and well loved institution amongst the nation's populace, the late 1950's saw a rise in popularity of the idea of the Kingdom of Humanity becoming a Republic. The leading agitator amongst the Republican Movement, Mr Christopher Schneider, argued that the nation would be not be considered an integral part of the Asian region until it became a Republic. Debate surrounding this issue raged throughout the nation for over a year and threatened to split the country in two. Eventually King Morton agreed to create a joint Kingdom/Republic in the archipelago named "The Kingdom of Humanity/Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads" as a transitional move towards the nation becoming a republic. This period is sometimes referred to as the "Monarchial Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads".
Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads (1963 - 1969) Darks Clouds on the Horizon On 11 November 1963 Christopher Schneider became the first Chief of State of the Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads. Other senior officials included Willis Alva Ryant, who became Secretary of State Security (and Deputy Chief of State) and Victor Anderson who was appointed Foreign Minister. King Morton, who once again became plain Morton F. Meads, was appointed Ambassador to the United Nations. A combination of the wealth of natural resources and its strategic location off the Asian mainland has meant that historically, the Kingdom/Republic has been considered a favoured ally by western and eastern nations alike. For example, in 1957, King Morton accepted a proposal from the United States Air Force to establish an observation post on Brakspear Shoal in the interests of regional security and a closer working relationship between the two governments. Many nations however began to eye the archipelago for their own ends and the Royal Navy was kept busy patrolling the Humanity Sea for the increasing numbers of foreign ships which "accidentally" strayed into territorial waters while fishing.
Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads (1969 - Present) Under Foreign Subjugation In 1969, a United Nations backed mineral study concluded that the sea bed surrounding Morac-Songhrati-Meads contained one of the richest oil and natural gas deposits in the world. While the Songhrati government congratulated themselves on their good fortune and began to draft environmental impact studies for the proposed extraction of the oil reserves, neighbouring nations envious of our good fortune began to plot the downfall of our sovereign nation. Throughout the early 1970's, the armed forces of China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines encroached our maritime boundaries and illegally signed contracts with multinational oil companies. These companies, which condoned the invasion of our sovereign state and have continued to profit from the rape of our natural resources, have yet to be brought to justice for their crimes. From this point, it was only a matter of time before one or more of these countries invaded Morac-Songhrati-Meads.
Amidst this difficult time, tragedy struck on 15 June 1972 when the MSM Ship
E Pluribus Unum was hit by the typhoon "Konsing" and sank off the coast of the Philippines,
claiming the lives of all on board, including Chief of State
Schneider and the entire Songhrati Cabinet (excluding Morton F. Meads).
The Chief of State and cabinet were headed to Manila enroute to New York
to plead our case to the United Nations. As our nation was momentarily paralysed in the wake of this tragic event, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines all took the opportunity to invade our nation and divide our islands, and its precious resources, between them. Those Songhrato lucky enough to survive the invasion were forced from their homes at gunpoint. Many escaped the war zone by taking to the sea in small boats, taking with them only what they could carry.
Today the citizens of the Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads have become the modern day equivalent of the Diaspora. Many have settled in Australia with the Government in Exile, while there are also Songhrato communities throughout Europe, Asia and North America.
The Struggle Continues The Government in Exile continues to lobby the United Nations and the governments of the world to stop the illegal occupation of our country and the economic exploitation of our resources. Although for many people the thought that the Songhrato could drive out the foreign invaders and regain sovereignty over our beloved archipelagic state is mere fantasy, any Songhrato will tell you that we have lost our nation before only to regain it the face of overwhelming odds and we are ready to do it again.
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