Freedom for the People | |||||||
| Anthem | "God Bless America" | ||||||
| Capital | Jim Thorpe | ||||||
| Largest city | Lehighton | ||||||
| Other cities | Palmerton, Weissport | ||||||
| Language | English | ||||||
| Religion | Christianity | ||||||
| Ethnic Groups main |
European | ||||||
| others | African-American | ||||||
| Demonym | Lehighton | ||||||
| Governor | Keith R. McCall (D) | ||||||
| Lieutenant Governor | Rocky Ahner (D) | ||||||
| Area | 78 sq mi | ||||||
| Population | 5,327 (2019 Census) | ||||||
| Independence | June 1st, 2018 | ||||||
| Currency | Barter, Reading Dollar | ||||||
| Organizations | Confederation of Pennsylvanian States | ||||||
The Provisional Commonwealth of Lehigh, commonly called Lehigh, is a city-state in former Carbon County, Pennsylvania. It was created from the raider state of Lehighton after Reading and Susquehanna overthrew the government in 2017.
History[]
Some details are known of what happened to the community after Doomsday. Strikes on Wilkes Barre, Scranton, and Bethlehem isolated the borough from communication with the authorities in what would become Reading or State College. A few runners were sent out in the days after to find leaders in the surrounding communities and try to stabilize the area. Unfortunately the communities surrounding Lehighton were dealing with fallout, refugees, and gangs that were beginning to form.
Attempts to reach Hazleton were made, but the five scouts found the city in chaos as the government had abandoned the city by the time they arrived, and gang warfare was plaguing the community. Two of the scouts were killed, two never returned, and the one who did brought information on the state of the region. Due to fears of being overrun, it was decided to withhold sending scouts to any other community.
Rather than risk being overtaken by one of these entities, the borough became a small, self-sufficient community for nearly a decade, with little formal government, a barter economy, and no contact with the outside world. People thought that that might be all that was left of the world, isolated pockets of civilization amidst the chaos.
In the early 1990's, offshoots of the gangs from Allentown invaded the community, killing the leaders, and forcing many people into slavery. With no contact with the outside world, the people suffered at the hands of the raiders who treated them brutally. Attempts were made to rise up against their rulers, but each rebellion was swiftly quashed.
By 2010, very few rebel movements remained, and the people in Leighton and their surrounding communities, who had also been annexed by the raiders, were resign to their fate. Food was scarce due to hording by raiders and by the population skyrocketing to nearly 9000 people in 2015. However, in late 2011 news of the fall of Allentown to a government in Reading made its way to the community, as did reports of skirmishes between raiders and a government to the west. Even with these reports, liberation did not occur until 2017, when a joint Reading-Susquehanna operation invaded and overthrew the raider government.
The following year, in June of 2018, the nation was given provisional independence, albeit losing territory to Susquehanna and Reading. The nearly half of the population voluntarily left the community due to the lack of food, adequate infrastructure, jobs, and the damage caused by raiders. Many resettled in Susquehanna's Carbon Territory, or in Reading.
Government[]
The government of Lehigh is under the supervision of the Confederation of Pennsylvanian States until officials are satisfied with the state of elections and government function. While holding elections, Reading and Susquehanna are able to override the results. This has resulted in controversy in both the United Communities and the country as the two nations frequently remove politicians that have advocated for complete independence or a higher degree of autonomy for the city-state.
Executive Branch[]
Lehigh is headed by a governor and lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor is more of a ceremonial role, however this individual does serve as the head of the Legislative Assembly. Additionally, they may take over the gubernatorial role of the governor becomes incapacitated, dies, or is out of the country during a crisis.
The Cabinet is composed of the secretaries of the various federal agencies. They serve as advisors to the governor, as well as leading their departments. At the moment, there are only five federal departments, many combining multiple functions.
- Federal Agencies
- Department of Defense
- Department of Justice and Law Enforcement
- Department of National Development
- Health and Public Wellness
- State Department
Legislative Branch[]
The Lehigh Legislative Assembly is a unicameral body, functioning as the general assembly for the nation. Due to the small size and low population, a single body was deemed the most efficient way to accomplish things. Members of the Assembly are referred to as Assemblymen or Assemblywomen.
Fifteen members make up the body, and the lieutenant governor serves as the head, however the head does not receive voting rights in the body. Five are elected at large and the remaining ten are elected from single member districts.
Elections occur every two years, with the at-large members serving four years and the district members serving two. At large members have staggers elections, where two are elected during one cycle, and the remaining three during the next.
| Party | Assembly seats |
|---|---|
| Republican Party | 7 / 15 |
| Democratic Party | 8 / 15 |
| Independent | 0 / 15 |
| Libertarian | 0 / 15 |
Judicial Branch[]
The Supreme Court is the only court in the nation. It is led by five justices, two of whom prosecute misdemeanors. The judges are nonpartisan, are elected by the people for eight year terms, and may serve two terms maximum.
This branch also operates the National Police, which function in a similar fashion to the pre-Doomsday Pennsylvania State Police.
Local Government[]
With the reduction in size and population of Lehigh, local authority has been reduced to only a few towns. Several communities have not reorganized and are under the direct authority of the federal government. The dissolved communities operate similar to the Unorganized Territory in Alaska, prior to Doomsday.
| Rank | Community | Population (2018) | Area (Sq. Mi.) | Local Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lehighton | 1,748 | 1.65 | Yes |
| 2 | Jim Thorpe | 1,053 | 14.92 | Yes |
| 3 | Unorganized Borough | 1,007 | 57.74 | No |
| 4 | Palmerton | 928 | 1.27 | Yes |
| 5 | Weissport | 591 | 2.26 | Yes |
Dissolved Communities
- Bowmanstown
- East Penn Township
- Franklin Township
- Lower Towamensing Township
- Mahoning Township
- Washington Township
Political Parties[]
Only two parties had the opportunity to formally organize before the first election. Both were founded by locals, with backing from parties in both Reading and Susquehanna. Due to the lengthy period of time between the loss in government and the current situation, independent candidates fared well in the first election. However, many aligned with one of the two major parties not long after taking office.
The Libertarian Party is the only active third party, having been formed in 2019 with support from the Reading and Susquehanna libertarian parties. While it ran candidates in 2020 and 2022, the party has not had any representation at the national level and has only won a single seat on the Palmerton Borough Council.
- Major Parties
- Republican Party: Second largest political party, and a continuation of the pre-Doomsday party. The party is considered to be center right, being socially conservative and economically capitalist.
- Democratic Party: Largest political party, and continuation of the pre-Doomsday party. The party is considered to be center, being a socially centrist (skewing conservative) and economically capitalist.
- Independents and Third Parties
- Independents: Independents are not politically affiliated with any party, and may have ideologies that cross between liberalism and conservatism. Additionally, due to the nonpartisan nature of the courts, all justices are considered to be independent, however they do tend to lean either conservative or liberal in ideology.
- Libertarian Party: The Libertarian Party was formed in 2019 with support from the Reading and Susquehanna libertarian parties. The party ran five candidates in the 2020 local elections and twelve candidates, including for governor and lieutenant governor in 2022.
Voter Registry[]
The voting age in Lehigh is 18 years old, and there is a voting age population of 4,209 people, 79% of the population.
| Party | Registration (Number) | Registration (Percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Republican | 1,624 | 38.58% |
| Democrat | 1,963 | 46.64% |
| Libertarian | 338 | 8.03% |
| Independent | 284 | 6.75% |
Economy[]
The economy of Lehigh is a subsistence economy, with farming and basic industry serving the needs of the people. Some shops have slowly been reopened by either Reading or Susquehanna with goods shipped in from one of the aforementioned nations to ensure the survival of the local population.
There is promise in the future for the possible return of some industry, such as timber and fabric mills, though these would require significant investment. Utilizing the water power from the Lehigh River, it could be an industrial community at a later date.
Barter is primarily used, though the Reading Dollar is also utilized for official contracts and is recognized as the legal tender for the city-state.
Security Force[]
According to the treaty signed, Lehigh is not permitted to maintain a standing military. Instead, both Reading and Susquehanna are required to assist in its defense. Even with this provision, it was recognized that the nation would need some internal security force to keep order, and respond to natural disasters or major catastrophes. In early 2018 the reformed government and law enforcement met with military and civil leaders from Reading and Susquehanna. An agreement was drafted to organize an internal security force that would be capable of local defense and disaster response.
Out of this, the Lehigh Security Forces were formed, with a cap of 120 personnel in any role. Initially, forty locals were recruited and trained for emergency response and disaster assistance, as well as basic marksmanship. However, with training and equipment from Reading and Susquehanna, the force has rapidly evolved to be capable of undertaking local security missions.
Presently, the government of Lehighton has not reached cap, with 100 officers in the force, and there are no plans to in the near future. Due to the small size, there are no clear branches, with the force split into several platoons or squads. Approximately 80% are considered to be security personnel, while 20% are in logistics, medical support, or internal affairs.
Personnel from both the Reading National Guard and Commonwealth of Susquehanna Defense Forces assisted in training the security forces. Additional training came from the Susquehanna and Reading State Police, as well as the Wyoming County Security Forces.
Internal Security[]
The bulk of the forces are composed of the Internal Security force, with seventy personnel, referred to as officers. It is split into three units, two assigned to garrisons in the largest boroughs, while the third is a rapid reaction force to deploy as needed. The force is primarily armed with the M16, however the unit responsible for security around the governor is equip with the C1 submachine gun. A small quantity of M2012 bolt action rifles have been fitted with scopes and are used as sniper rifles.
- Lehigh Platoon: The platoon, composed of twenty officers, is stationed in two squads, an East and West squad. The platoon is equip with six jeeps for rapid reaction in the region. This unit is intended to act as the frontline defenders to raider incursions or first responders in a disaster. It is composed of three squads of ten soldiers, each squad consisting of two, four man fire teams and one two man sniper team.
- Lehighton Platoon: Composed of twenty officers, the platoon is stationed in Lehighton and is responsible for the security in the borough. The main role is to protect the community against raider or gang attacks, as well as counter raider and counter terrorism operations against any surviving gangs and raider units that survived the invasion. In addition, the Riverine Patrol (see below) is attached to the unit.
- Jim Thorpe Platoon: Composed of twenty officers, the platoon is stationed in Jim Thorpe and has a twofold role. It is responsible for the defense of the borough as well as security for the governor of Lehigh and other high ranking officials. Additionally, the Legistics Platoon and Medical and Internal Affairs Platoon (see below) are attached to it, however these are both non combat units.
Fireteam[]
The fireteam make up the basic unit in each platoon, with five fireteams per platoon. The units may operate independent of each other, however they oftentimes coordinate maneuvers and operations.
- Team Leader- Leader of the fire team, armed with a select fire M16 assault rifle and an M45 revolver. This officer commands the unit and is responsible for providing order to personnel.
- Designated Marksman- Marksman for the fire team, armed with a select fire M16 assault rifle. Provides longer range fire for the unit as well as reconnaissance capabilities.
- Security Officer (x2)- Two officers make up the security detail, which is essentially a baseline infantry person. They are both armed with a select fire M16 assault rifle.
Riverine Patrol[]
The Riverine Patrol operates the one patrol vessel in the Lehigh River. The unit is composed of four personnel to operate the vessel and six maintenance personnel. Responsibilities include security around Lehighton and water rescues when necessary. Given the role, the sole boat is unarmed, but the operators typically carry M16 assault rifles for defense. The Riverine Patrol unit is attached to the Lehighton Platoon and is managed as part of that unit.
Reconnaissance Squad[]
The Reconnaissance Squad serves as a special forces and protection detail unit. It is composed of ten officers and is composed of two special operations fireteams and two sniper teams. Operatives are armed with the C1 submachine gun and snipers are armed with modified M2012 sniper rifles. All operatives carry M1911 pistols as back up weapons.
Logistics, Medical, and Internal Affairs[]
A small group of twenty personnel compose a unit to handle logistics, medical, and internal affairs. This unit is composed of two squads. Due to the file, it is unarmed under most circumstances, however members are still trained for combat and have access to firearms. When field deployed, officers carry the M45 revolver. This unit is considered part of the Jim Thorpe Platoon and is managed through the platoon.
- Logistics Platoon: The logistics platoon is composed of twelve officers, operating one M35 cargo truck. It is responsible for resupplying the platoons in the outplaying regions, as well as cargo transport during disasters.
- Medical and Internal Affairs Platoon: A combined medical and internal affairs platoon is composed of one doctor, two nurses, and five administrative personnel. It is reponsinle for medical support of the security force as well as managing the internal affairs and associated paperwork. For organization purposes, it is managed as part of the Jim Thorpe Platoon.
Weapons[]
| Name | Quantity | Role | Origin | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M16 | 79 | Assault Rifle | Reading |   |
| M2012 | 5 | Sniper Rifle | Susquehanna |   |
| C1 | 20 | Submachine Gun | Canada |   |
| M1911 | 25 | Pistol | Susquehanna/Reading |   |
| M45 | 22 | Revolver | Susquehanna |   |
Equipment[]
| Name | Quantity | Role | Origin | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeep | 6 | Patrol | North Pennsylvania |   |
| M35 | 1 | Transport | Niagara Falls |   |
| Susquehanna-class | 1 | Patrol | Susquehanna |   |
Civilian Reserves[]
While the Security Force is not a military, it does maintain a pool of reserves, which are composed of the entire male of age population of Lehigh. The age of registration is 16 to 55 years of age. Presently there are 924 personnel considered part of the reserves. Members are not issued firearms, many do have their own rifles. As back up, the Security Force has a mix of bolt action rifles and revolvers as weapons to issue in an emergency.