The … Homestead Act land_ownership_law_events.1
Claiming that …'s prime lands should be settled by virtous yeomen like themselves, the … law proposal is experiencing a surge of popularity among members of the … eying an opportunity in the frontiers—to the great chagrin of the … currently dominating the agricultural sector.
Debates raged for days in the courthouse. Accusations flew as fast as declarations of this ancestral heritage or that natural right. Theft, squatting and illegal possession were the weapons of choice. Rights of blood, family names, and obscure by-laws that amounted to proving whoever spotted it first were the shields.
The Shackled Soul of the Nation land_ownership_law_events.2
In a somewhat surprising move, claiming that … … has driven a wedge between the spiritual backbone of the country, the …, and an increasingly foreign-influenced upper class, a number of conservative thinkers have come out in support of …—breaking ranks with their more traditionally inclined fellows in the … and the ….
"Our nation, in its current state, is made up of two social groups that have very little in common. My fellow members of the …, who wear foreign clothes, follow foreign trends, some even speaking in foreign tongues, have become too detatched from their own … heritage—their …-ness little more than a family name and a sworn loyalty to the …. So far removed have they become, from the essential … values of simple brotherhood, of community, that characterize the countrymen they hold in bondage."
An Acre Too Far land_ownership_law_events.3
In a stormy parliamentary speech, …, leader of the …, and a chief advocate for the enactment of …, has claimed that "the end of the bloodsucking, fat farmers draws nigh." … radical message has spooked many members of the …, who fear they would be labeled as such, despite only owning a few acres more than their neighbors.
"Dima, you heard the news from …? Apparently … has a grudge against farmers. I don't want … coming near my rye." "Just the big ones, and only the kind the … … likes to entertain. … isn't the Baba Yaga." "Still, I don't want … near my rye. My wife is making her sweetbreads again this harvest."
The Plight of the Second Sons land_ownership_law_events.4
With virgin land to award second sons becoming an increasingly rare commodity in …, many farmers engaged in the local … hope that a transition to … will yield the revenues necessary to provide for all their offspring upon death—or at the very least leave a single profitable farm that can be sold off for profit.
The fields are not wholly sustainable within new models. Each farmer would be left to his or her own devices regarding each field. It is assumed that each subsequent harvest would overwork the soil. Middle-management to ensure a smooth transition process is required. Appropriate training for each farmer looking to exploit the new … laws is also required. Recommendation: rezone land to those who can already afford to purchase it and company instruction on best practices.
Farmer's Co-op Champions … land_ownership_law_events.5
Seeking to eliminate the need of middlemen by bringing together …, …, and … in a co-oporatively owned business, a newly formed farmers' co-operative in …—desiring to improve the lot of their constituent members—have used their considerable local influence to push for the enactment of ….
Each family had come together, whether they made chairs, picked fruit, or tallied who sold what. It was agreed that the best chance of a future was to wrest control of where everything went. Fruits and furniture would stay under everyone's reach. Vegetables and vanities would be sold at a fair price, with fair splits going to who stocked the shelves. It would never be "much", but nobody would go hungry either.
Land From the Tiller land_ownership_law_events.6
The proposal to enact …, effectively redistributing plots of lands from … to …, has unsurprisingly led to massive protests among the …, being seen by many as but the first step towards the institution of ….
"Yer serious? Yer really serious? Hand over this land to some gull-brained cheat what don't know a mattock from a pick?" "Government decree from the …. I'm sorry, sir, but you must vacate these premises." "Pah! Watch that silken son kill everything in this field, and come crawling back to me to save it! Mark my words."
Barn House Dealings land_ownership_law_events.7
With the government's drive to enact … in full swing, a group of well-off farmers-turned-landowners from …, owing their affluence to their close proximity to the major grain markets in …, have offered to put their considerable political weight behind the law proposal, were they to be granted certain "concessions" from the government.
The issue of tying land to extractive wealth is simple: whoever controls the land with valuables will have a greater voice in an amassed society. Whether this comes in the form of wheat, cotton, or opium does not matter. It invariably leads to a desire to avoid losing that greater voice. And so come the impassioned compromises: a temporary sacrifice of pride to hold on to power that bit longer.
A Tragedy in the Commons land_ownership_law_events.8
With the debate about the enactment of … looming large in …, a local dispute between a … landowner and several farmers has come to bloodshed. Faced with the possibility of their common grazing lands being bought up and closed off, one particularly irate farmer responded by gunning down the landowner in a fit of rage.
A death is a tragedy, and a million is a statistic. The statistics in this case being acres of land, and lives displaced by an act of greed. Killing a perpetrator is a swift fix. But the mere act of murder itself has condemned one party to hardship. So then the better question is to ask what the tragedy is: someone dying a preventable death, or hundreds starving for one person's greed?
Enthrallment in an Enlightened Age land_ownership_law_events.9
The government's push to introduce … has been met with disbelief and widespread protests across …, with free …, unwilling to silently enter into the bondage of …, allying themselves with urban reformers who see the institution as an artifact of a bygone age.
"Free from a master's supervision the peasants will leave our fields uncultivated. While they are working them now, what are our guarantees they will do so tomorrow? Only a firm hand can steer the peasant's fickle mind and ensure he plows with determined energy."
Farmhand Firesale land_ownership_law_events.10
Wealthy affiliates of the … in …, in response to …, have ordered their surplus livestock culled and their bumper crops burned.
"You seeing this? They're just burning everything... could feed my whole family for a month on one of those fires." "Reckon those rich milksops in the next town talked 'em into it?" "Nah... the old man here is a mean bastard, but he ain't about this."
An Affront to the Garden land_ownership_law_events.11
… clerics are handing out pamphlets declaring … and … works on … are an affront to the world's natural order.
There are no true means to say which gods care on how a crop grows. Those with any true sense would place their faith in the soil they use. Fertilize good soil, care for it well, and grow only those plants that do not harm each other. And yet, those with earthly power will presume to know what their god demands when that power is threatened.
Late on Arrival land_ownership_law_events.12
State planners have returned early from touring the farms converted to … in …. They believe the farms cannot support the heavy machinery properly.
"Suppose we could manufacture redundant machine parts. Enough steel would outlast the muds. I'm sure of it." "And you can assure these field-bred peasants their parts will always be on time? Without fail? I couldn't. And I won't have the city workers' lives ruined by farm mud. We'll have to think of something smarter."
Rippling, Strong Aides land_ownership_law_events.13
Farmhands between harvests have organized to aid the collectivization process. The most dedicated go door-to-door, helping speed any process they can find.
"Did you see these large men by the door? They smell of earth and brine, and yet they're marching through our parlor with... stationary, by the looks of it." "I did. The strapping one was singing quite the tune. And he was a union man. Doesn't let any liquor pass his lips either. He seemed over the moon that I asked him to write to me." "Good God, did... did you mention me at all, by any chance?"
Picturesque Community, Now Surreal land_ownership_law_events.14
An academic known for isolationist views has released an article condemning …. The article states that it would ruin the rural idyll.
"With no fields of their own to work, our working men will cease being men. They will be replaced by the groan of the machine, the racket of the engine, and the ceaseless, choking fog that permeates a factory district. A quiet life chased away by the endless march of urbanization!"
Foreign Farm Acquisitions, Inc. land_ownership_law_events.15
Debates between … and … have spilled into the … news. The focal point: foreign investment in ….
"With extraterritoriality about, what legal guarantees do we have that … laws affect … citizens here?" "A fairer point would be who works on that land. It's … land, it should be worked by … hands!" "But if they bring their own labor and laws, that could be better for the domestic markets..."
Total Top-Down Management land_ownership_law_events.16
The … have taken an interest in …. Many industry leaders hope to secure the entire supply chain for their companies.
"Gentlemen, I present to you a model of the future: …landia. This diorama, sourced from pieces of this project, aims to capture the whole production chain. Cut out the middle-men, as the High Street peddlers like to say. We own the farms to feed the workers, the mines to supply our furnaces, and the cotton for our uniforms. One holistic chain, focusing on the sale and distribution of our final product. Questions?"
Family Always Comes First land_ownership_law_events.17
A court clash over … erupts between a few families. The early-bird homesteaders each claim the same land in …. The dispute has called the legislation into question.
Three claims, all issued by the same office, crossed the magistrate's desk. The details were correct: all three had legal writs to the same plot of land. Each bore a different signature. The magistrate knew the pen strokes of those clerks well. Surely there was a mistake. Though such a simple explanation wouldn't satisfy the wild looks in the family matriarchs' eyes.
Peasantry, Rebranded land_ownership_law_events.18
A clash of thought has erupted in …. Rural firebrands have criticized the … laws for supporting a master-servant relationship with the ….
"Feh. We work too much for that madame. All I'm saying is that if I wanted a woman to take all I work for, chain me to a bed, and call her mistress, I'd rather actually owe her money, first." "The nearest bordello is three towns away." "Oh, I were thinkin' of a marriage dowry."
Dynamic text (names, places) shows as … · option effects beyond named modifiers are scripted · all event groups