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The War of 1812."The acquisition of Canada this year will be a mere matter of marching" — Thomas Jefferson.Condensing such a complicated war as this, in a concise manner, while being fair to all parties was difficult, I trust reader, that you will enjoy.The Americans were getting seriously pissed off with their former tea drinking masters, who had the audacity to trade and form alliances with many native American tribes, on top of this the British had turned into right bastard pirates, seizing US trade ships and impressing US citizens into the service of the Royal Navy.If this wasn't bad enough, the British had been outrageously harbouring valuable escaped American property in Canada.. Sure this property was human beings, but they belonged to wealthy Americans and had illegally ran away.Meanwhile, the British were waging another bitter war against their mortal frog munching enemy, and the islanders were not fucking about. The Royal Navy had blockaded the European continent and was effectively cutting the US off from its biggest trade market.Battle of Queenston Heights, 1812.The US government thought about its position, with a Population of 5 million and an army of 500,000+ mainly militia available. While British Canada merely had a population of 500k and the British army and militia in Canada was tiny by comparison.‘like taking candy from a baby.’ — USA.So, America decided to declare war on the British while they were busy at war with Napoleon. The US would invade its sparsely populated northern neighbour, and bring them some freedom, the bonus would be capturing tens of thousands of escaped black slaves.US General Hull formed a large army, mainly militia and poorly trained soldiers, but substantial in size and crossed into Canada. The war had begun. The yanks raided around, then got punched in the nose in a few skirmishes and decided to fall back to Detroit, for fear of the Indians fighting with the British. Hull planned another attempt to seize the British border fort."the British command the water and the savages." — US General Hull.British General Brock had a single regiment of regulars, the 41st and Canadian militia, but he was confident as fuck and rapidly marched to face the American invasion, only to find they had ran back to Detroit like a bunch of wet flannels.General Brock met with the Native American leader Tecumseh and they became best buddies fast, recognising fighting men in each other, with a shared goal to teach the Americans a lesson.At this meeting Tecumseh turned to his warriors and said, "Here is a man!" While Brock wrote shortly afterwards, "A more sagacious and a more gallant Warrior, does not I believe exist."Brock counter invaded and won a series of minor battles, tormenting US supply lines, including the Battle of Brownstown, when 25 native warriors under Tecumseh, trashed a US force of 200.The British then completely bluffed the US army under General Hull, which was twice their size. Capturing Detroit without a shot and removing one of the 4 US armies intended for invasion of Canada.General Isaac Brock, saviour of Canada.After capturing Detroit, Brock wanted to go on a rampage in America, with the aid of the large force of natives, but was ordered to garrison Detroit and return to Canada, to prepare the defence for further expected US invasions. Brock arrived and set about organising his much smaller yet more battle hardened forces.The battle of Queenston Heights, 1812, the battle that decided the war.A US invasion army numbering 6,000 men, with another 1500 upstream, invaded Canada, crossing the Niagara River. Against them, General Brock had 1300 men, dug in and waiting.At 4 am in the morning, the US began ferrying their army across and quickly built up a substantial force on the Canadian side of the river.The Americans managed to cross 900 regulars and 2,650 militia, which is in itself a feat.However, the British were aware, as a sentry had spotted the landing and ran to warn the officers. The British captain leading the artillery battery sighted his guns and waited until enough had crossed, before unleashing accurate hellfire."The grape and musket balls, poured upon them at close quarters as they approached the shore, made incredible havoc. A single discharge from a field-piece directed by Captain Dennis himself, killed fifteen in one boat." — Lt. Robinson, 2nd York Volunteers.The Americans charged towards the British lines, screaming — 'Murica, freedom, give us back our slaves!’After a bitter fight on the beach, the Americans pushed the outnumbered British detachment backwards and established a foothold on Canadian soil. On the high ground York militia were raining down destruction onto the beaches, so The Americans, in a repeat of General Wolfe's tactical genius, climbed to the heights and captured the high ground.The Coloured Corps, raised in Upper Canada, consisting of freed and escaped US slaves. The unit fought at the battle of Queenston heights.General Brock called for reinforcements and then attempted to recapture the heights, but died in the battle. His fall encouraged the British regulars and Canadian militia to fight on, the artillery sank a number of American boats and silenced the US battery.The British, Canadians and Indians formed up and attacked the heights, and threw the US forces into retreat, unable to to cross the river, over a 1000 Americans surrendered and were captured, around 300 were killed or wounded.The war would drag on for another two years, but this battle is often considered the deciding moment in the American invasion plans.‘Very little is known about the war of 1812, because the Americans lost it.’ — Eric Nicol.The US returned in early 1813, attacking the city of York, the capital of upper Canada, and while they were successful in capturing the city, their loses taken were disproportionate. Seeking revenge, the Americans burned the city of York.The mistreatment of civilians by the Americans, and then burning of the city of York, along with the private homes of families and widows, enraged the British and their Canadian subjects.The Americans also burned private homes and public buildings in port Dover, utterly destroying the port. Another US army was pushed back and as it retreated back to US soil, they destroyed the entire village of Newark for no reason, exposing families to the harsh climate without shelter.The battle of Stoney Creek, June 1813.A force of 700 British regulars achieved a stunning victory over an army of 3,400 Americans who had invaded Canada. The redcoats snuck up on the American camp in the middle of the night, bayoneting sentries and overwhelming the camp, destroying a few US cannons and capturing two American Generals, before falling back into the forest.The Americans, overestimating the number of British soldiers, abandoned their camp and retreated. This battle was a turning point in the second US invasion campaign of Canada.Battle of the Thames, 1813.The British were forced to abandon Detroit and began an arduous retreat back to Canada, with their Native American allies.General William Harrison, future US president, led a US army of 3,800 and managed to force an engagement with the British and Native force of 1,500 and defeated them resoundingly.Two prominent Native American war leaders died during this battle, Tecumseh and Stayeghtha. This was a dire loss for the Indian movement.The Naval conflict can be summarised as battles going both ways in the early stages, the US Navy dominated the great lakes for awhile, with both hunting merchant ships. But eventually, the Royal Navy began to dominate the waters, and gained naval superiority of the East coast and while the Americans proved their heavy frigates were more like 4th rate ships of the line, the US were unable to compete with the full might of the Royal Navy.Now to the burning of the White House.British counter invasion, Battle of Bladensburg.During the Chesapeake campaign, the Royal Navy landed a small invasion force of veteran British Regiments and raided around the region, before marching on the American capital.At Bladensburg, 8 miles from the US capital Washington, an American army of 7,000 had been organised to defend the approach to the capital, and defeat the British invasion force.The British fielded a detachment of the invasion army numbering 1,500 soldiers, and using a combination of professional Regimental units, highly trained skirmishing light-infantry and fear inducing rocket artillery, the outnumbered British force totally routed the much larger US army.This battle was coined; ‘The greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms.’The American units scattered, being utterly routed and entire militia units simply went home rather than fight the smaller British army.Leaving Washington DC all but undefended, the British invasion force squished what little resistance remained and then set about destroying US government buildings at leasure.The Presidential Mansion as it was originally named, was burnt to a crisp and had to be white washed to hide the burn marks, hense its current name; The White House.The British made a point of treating the Americans with respect, while diligently destroying every single government building. Only the Patent Office building was left untouched, due to the architect of the capital making a personal request to the commanding British officer.Amusingly, Rear Admiral Cockburn personally directed the destruction of the DC newspaper building, because they had been writing articles mocking his name. He had intended to burn it, but the plea from local women who feared the fire would spread to their homes, persuaded the Admiral to have the building pulled down brick by brick. He had his men remove every 'C’ type print letter and destroyed them, so the paper couldn't mock his name further.The Treaty of Ghent signed 23 December 1814, formally ended the war of 1812. All prewar borders returned to the status quo and the primary US goal of conquering Canada and expelling the British from North America failed.

These are the accounts of the Second American Civil War, also known as the Wars of Reunification and the American Warring States Period.After the breakup many wondered which states would come out in control of the power void created by the dissolution of the United States. There were many with little chance against several of the larger more powerful states. The states in possession of a large population, predisposition for military bases and a population open to the idea of warfare fared the best. In the long term, we would look to states with self-sufficiency and long term military capabilities.Here are the states that held the greatest strategic value from day one. They have the ability to be self-sufficient, economic strength, military strength, the will to fight and the population to support a powerful war machine.CaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthers that have many of the qualities that gave them an advantage are also listed.WashingtonColoradoIllinoisVirginiaFloridaGeorgiaFor all intents and purposes, Alaska and Hawaii ended well enough since they were so far removed from the center of the country that they never really suffer greatly nor benefit from the shattering.Day 12: "It's getting scary. My mom said we are going back to Oklahoma to stay with Grandma. The other day my dad was yelling at some men at the door. They seemed really upset. I held Jamie. She is still little. She's scared and doesn't understand what is going on. I am scared too. There are also some boys at school who keep picking on her and calling her an "Okie". We were both raised here, but I don't really think that matters. All the other families on my street have huge one-star flags hanging from their homes. I don't want to leave my house, but Mom says we have to go. The highways are packed with people. I wish things would just go back to how it was."The Diary of Sarah BrennanFirst came a period of massive migration back to the homelands. Facing the newly invented discrimination that will be created, many felt the need to go back to their own people. While the individual states retained all military assets, they couldn't control the individuals who fight. A Texas Marine stationed in California, would not fight for California. A soldier in New York would not fight against their home in Virginia, and a sailor in Houston would not fight against their home state of Florida. The warriors returned to their home states and the states had to reconsider that when they measured troop strength of their new nations. Ultimately, they measured troop strength by how much of the population would return home.After the migrations rough approximations left the states even, additionally, the balance of foreign nationals changed. At some point there was a migration of people back to their non-United States homeland. Over the next several months many from the North migrated to Canada and in the South to Mexico and South America. Millions of Latinos fled back South to the safety of their families and away from the looming danger of the war.Day 42: "Citizens of California are advised to stay away from the Mexican Border. In response to the recent surge of immigrants back to Mexico, authorities out of Mexico City have closed entry into the country. Agents from Tijuana are now manning armed sentries posted along the border. There have been scattered reports of refugees attempting to storm the gates being shot by soldiers on the Mexican side. It has also been communicated that the No Man's Land will be mined within the week and that Mexico will not be allowing any non-Mexican immigrants to enter the country from this point forward. Once again, we strongly advise all those wishing to leave the country to stay in their homes."Jennifer Aranda - Channel 14 NewsThe war was little more than a very tenuous peace for several months. The new nations were mostly focused on the reconsolidating of their forces and trying for quick grabs at resources that were easy to hold. Alliances were beginning to form as some of the smaller states sought to ally with known powers in the region.The first of what we would call real battles was mostly when some of the regional powers overtook mainly unmanned installations or took over now abandoned Federal assets.Day 63: "We are gathered here today as the inheritors of a lost legacy. Our nation has been lost to shattering and disarray. For that reason it is our duty to bring back our house to a structure undivided. When we arrived in the District we found it empty and abandoned. The monuments to our civilization watched silently over the broken halls of our once proud Capitol. We came to the District to bring back order. We have done this deed and now it is our charge to bring back the greatness of America and return her to her proud place of honor... We will do these things and we will do the others because we are a great people. We are Americans. We are VIRGINIANS!"Inauguration speech of President Anthony StokesThe first real occupation attempts happened when attempts were made to secure more assets.The Republic of Texas sought to gain strategic advantages in the Central United States. To do this they sought to gain two strategic assets. The first was control of Whiteman AFB, the home of the B-2 bomber program. The base was easily secured and the most coveted military bomber in the world was now in the hands of the Republic of Texas. The next was control of Colorado and her military installations of great value. Then finally was access to the Mississippi River. Two main offenses took place to do just that. The First Battle of New Orleans involved a massive force occupying the city to claim it as a port and artery for future engagements. In Colorado they met stiff resistance as many of the Texas military were unfamiliar with Mountain warfare. Colorado's major bases fell quickly since Colorado enjoys the smallest force to fight back the Texans, but they adapted an unconventional warfare stance that kept the Texans on edge for months. Still, at this point the mission behind taking Colorado was achieved--control over its military bases and strategic assets. The insurgency does however slow down the growth of Texas.New York pushed Northward. They pushed to claim all of New England and the food wealth they will need to supply their people now that resources from the Midwest are no longer available. The takeover is mostly peaceful as many of the states have large, but mostly non-military, populations. They encountered problems when large groups of refugees tried to flee to Canada and rioting ensued.Illinois was calm. The Midwest Alliance grew steadily by seeking to secure the Great Lakes. They were able to take Ohio through a few fierce, but brief encounters. They also took on Minnesota and the headwaters of the Mississippi River.The West coast was now controlled by the two main powers--California with its seat of power in San Francisco and The North West Union centered in Seattle. California gained support and took control of all the states West of the Continental Divide and South of the Union. The North West Union pushed as far as Wyoming.In the South, Georgia gained strength as Alabama and South Carolina joined. The leadership of Georgia advocated a return to confederalism as fanatics gain headway among the people. The Neo-Confederacy movement takes root and spreads throughout the Old South and rekindles a sense of unity among the states who engaged on the side of the Confederacy during the First United States Civil War. Peacefully they are able to convince Mississippi and Tennessee to also join. The growth of Confederate States puts an ever-growing pressure on Florida as it slips into isolation.Virginia took on the mantle of the Restored United States. They assumed the moral responsibility for reunification, and by taking Washington, they were able to secure much of the federal assets and infrastructure available to the country before the collapse. They then commandeered many ships and weapons housed overseas that weren't lost during the first two months of disarray. They began to gather support among the neighboring states and press their advantages-- intelligence, military strength and the symbolic leadership they held by holding D.C. One strategic advantage they wished to push was their economy. While the rest of the former United States was in complete economic disarray, Virginians' consistent use of the dollar provided a stability that others didn't have. They wished to solidify this with control of the nation's gold supply housed in a crossroads what was now a very desperate strategic region. After they peacefully brokered a treaty with Kentucky they received an attack on Fort Knox from forces located in Indiana.Day 112: "When we arrived at Knox we received heavy resistance from the defenders. Their fire was, for the most part, inaccurate and they lacked unit cohesion, so we found ourselves at an advantage. Not that we are much better off. We received intel that their units were something of a haphazard array of whatever Marines, Sailors, Soldiers or Airmen came out of the woodwork and they just threw them together and called it a unit, much like our own. Still they were professional warfighters. We were lucky they hadn't yet made it to secure the fort. Back to Knox. We were able to take the base. The fact was that the Kentucky defenders were mostly woodsmen and good-ol-boys from the South. More a militia reliving stories of the Old South than an army, but they fought like wild dogs. After a few hours their main line broke and they retreated back towards the center of the state. About halfway through the day we were able to break into the main buildings where the gold was supposed to be stored. Easily, it would be safe to say we were surprised at what we found. We arrived to find bloodstains in the main hallways and leading into the vault room. The trail faded and we see that the vaults are all completely empty. Every last bar, every last ounce is gone. All that is left are red stains all over the room and bullet holes riddling the walls that look like they could have happened months ago. Those hicks didn't even know they were guarding a giant empty building. Now the big question is...'So where is the gold?'"Log of Lt Col. Thomas Scott 2nd Raider Battalion Midwestern Alliance.At that time, the nations were coming together in larger groups. They had access to larger populations to support military strength, economic power to reach out and fund the state, food sources, and leadership.In the West, states along the coast received the most fighting. Washington began bombing San Francisco from the air to try and decapitate what became the center of California's leadership. Retaliation strikes from combined naval and air forces severally weakened Portland, Tacoma, and Seattle. California launched a two-pronged attack by sending in land forces up Interstate Highway 5 and Marines to attack from the North. Their mission was to enter Washington through the Salish Sea and secure Mt. Vernon, preventing escape of enemy forces. The Marines were by and large undetected and completed their mission successfully. The Californian army received shelling on their movement near the town of Cresswell, Oregon. They retreated back to the nearby town of Cottage Grove and secured the Airport there. A temporary air base was established and sorties began taking place, allowing for the immediate deployment of troops to the defense of Eugene. Casualties were high, but once California secured Eugene, the way was open to take Portland.Day 234: "I don't know what the Army is doing. We have been here holding the Canadian border for days and the Army still hasn't made it past Eugene. Just get it out. Burn the city to the ground. Mow them down. Just do your damn job. It's us or them. Make it happen for God's sake."Private First Class Anthony Sullivan - 1st Californian Marine RegimentIn the East, the Restored United States was crumbling. After the loss of their gold stores in Ft. Knox, the “RestoDollar” collapsed, taking with it the rest of their economy. Smugglers and bandits had moved in to provide whatever goods the people wanted, whether or not those goods were already banned within the nation. They needed to even the playing field by breaking the back of their most dangerous threat, the trade partnership between the New York City State, and the Midwest Alliance.Such a solution came through the plan brought about by one General David Meznick. The Meznick Doctrine called for the destruction of strategic economic assets in the North to weaken their ability to make war. Marches north cut railways, bombed bridges, and the greatest of these attacked on the infrastructure of the Great Lakes' shipping system. With the locks destroyed and the Erie Canal in ruins, shipping between Chicago and the outside world ceased. New York was cut from its most valuable resource, which was the hope of once again shipping America's goods to the rest of the world after the war.Deprived of many of their shipping lanes, the Midwest Alliance began to break as food and other supplies were unable to reach its people. Riots in Chicago began to erupt as the people accused the government of corruption, a fact all the more dangerous due to the overwhelming evidence to support the claim. With its end in sight, much of the Chicago legislature slipped out in the night and booked passage to places unknown on private planes. Left without leadership and provisions, the Alliance crumbled. The Texas Republic benefited most, filling the vacuum of the everything East of the Mississippi, with the Restored United States temporarily occupying the now ruined areas around the Great Lakes, before abandoning the mission to focus on policing actions within the ratified states.In the South, tensions between Florida and the Neo-Confederates reached their zenith. Troops took Tallahassee and were dug in along the Jacksonville-Gainesville Line. Florida was desperate. In a deal made in Houston, Florida agreed to join Texas if it was free to maintain its sovereignty in exchange for military support. With this, Florida and the forces staged in New Orleans attacked. The Jacksonville-Gainesville line was pushed back. Floridian forces moved with speed to besiege Atlanta as Texas occupied the city of Montgomery, Alabama. Texas and Florida forces converged on Atlanta and the siege went on for another month.No one really knows how, but a fire broke out in the city. Reports blame Texas shelling or Floridian sabotage, but most official accounts believe that it originated in an apartment complex where a family pried up floorboards to burn for heat during an remarkable cold winter. The fire spread to the rest of the neighborhood and, lacking their emergency infrastructure, parts of the city were overcome as the rest began to go into disarray. Texas forces secured the major areas of the city while Florida troops took charge of the relief effort for escaping refugees.The next hundred days were among the most peaceful of the war.The lines between the Republic of Texas and the Californian Union of Democratic States were now amassing troops and solidifying their positions. The Northwestern cities were in the processes of being rebuilt after California gained control as were the cities of Montgomery and Atlanta. Old forces of the losing states' armies were redistributed to victor nations. Texas held a tenuous peace with the Restored United States as they erected fortifications along the 36th parallel and western side of the Mississippi. California and Texas began building in unison a mass of fortifications on either side of the Continental Divide. Texas also enjoyed use of the river as shipping lanes now connected everything from the Midwest to the Carolinas. This eased the growing concerns of food shortage and redeployment of men.Most of the fighting was centered between the Restored United States (RUS) and New England Union (NEU). Control of Ohio and Pennsylvania changed hands a few times as the region sought stability. The war reached a turning point when a New York based flotilla made a decisive push to take Washington D.C. In response, a nuclear device was used on the fleet and all the ships, sailors and Marines on that mission were lost. The first active use of a nuclear weapon in more than half a century sent waves through the warring nation states. Other nations of the world grew terrified as they waited for the NEU's strategy. The worst fears came to pass when a weapon was exploded in Washington D.C. bringing down the powerbase of the Restored United States. Alarms across the world rang out as the RUS gathered itself and prepared to launch retaliatory strikes along the Eastern Seaboard. Before this came to pass a message from New York City came initiating their surrender. The device was set by a rogue general from New York. Fearing its own impending annihilation, New York City seceded from the Northeast to become its own independent city-state. The rest of New England issued their surrender and joined the Restored United States without incident. The Capitol was moved to Philadelphia.Day 647: "I can't believe Washington's gone. I mean, what are we even fighting for? There is nothing left that was the same. I swear I am starting to feel like all we are animals trying to survive, fighting over the scraps of our fathers. We all knew it was over when D.C. got smoked, but at least that didn't happen. Many of the men are still sure that NYC planned this out. Leave the rest to fight over the charred out ashes while they run from it all. I just don't know what to think. Now we are inheriting the Northeast and all its problems. They better be ready. Now Texas has us to the West and South along Carolina. Two years this has been going on and for what? I don't know how long we can keep this going."Log of Col. Thomas Scott 1st Marine Regiment Restored United States.During the next year the war reached a standstill. Maneuvers and deployments mounted the full force of all three nations. Tensions mounted as the borders grew more and more defended.Texas forces were spread thin. They held the most land, the longest borders and the least population to support their land. It was composed of the elite Texas troops, highly militant neo-confederates, thousands of independent militias and partisans as well as millions of individuals ready to fight their own private backwoods battles.The Restored United States was a broken nation. Much of it was the remains of conquered other nations. The former state of New York was now missing its greatest assets, income from the the Midwest and international access from New York City. The Capitol was lost. Their people were now disheartened and disillusioned. The nation they lived in was nowhere near what they were experiencing, yet they still had to survive. A new national identity was forming.California was doing well, relatively speaking. Though there was damage done to the major cities, they enjoyed a good deal of time to rebuild. Their troops were stationed along the divide. Border tensions began to build until a small town skirmish in Wyoming escalated the war to its peak.Wyoming was now effectively existing on two sides of the divide. Many of the services and resources were split between a small segment of the Western end of the state and the rest of Wyoming. The distance from California was too great for support from San Francisco to offer the Western segment of the state. In many ways they were fending for themselves. Near the division line were two towns, Green River and Rock Springs. Green River lay on the Western side of the state. They also held the only viable water resource between the two. Since the war began, they were able to share, but after rationing was instituted by the Republic, Rock Springs began to need more of the water. Though neither truly identified as Texan or Californian, they were now forced to abide by their laws. Rock Springs was in demand of water. Green River was forced, however, not to abide. Officers from California were sent to enforce the policy to not aid the enemy in any form. After frequently being denied, leadership of Rock Springs went to the town and make a formal request with the officers at Green River. The officers took over the mayoral office of the town. The officers denied again Rock Springs's request. One young man, Jeffery Irving, protested violently. A scuffle began in the office before the officers drew their side arms. Two of the men were shot, and Jeffery was killed in the office of the Green River courthouse. The next day citizens from Rock Springs came to the city and stormed the mayor's office. The two officers were barricaded in the office and requested for support from a nearby base. An hour later, troops arrived in the town. They discovered the office broken into and the officers murdered. The order was given to track down the perpetrators. California troops made their way to Rock Springs.While in town, they barricaded the main road where they began searching passing vehicles and taking people in for questioning. A crowd began to build. Taunts and screams let out from the crowd. The crowd became violent. A rock was thrown at the soldiers. A rifleman knocked a man to the ground with the butt of his weapon..."Crack."A gun shot sounded from one of the windows on Main Street. The soldier fell down beside the man on the ground. The crowd was silent and a moment of stillness seemed to roar throughout the valley.A soldier began firing on the window; others fired at the crowd. In a moment the entire crowd was under fire. They ran for the nearest building and anywhere for cover. As the firing stopped the lives of dozens of men, women and children lay frozen on the street. The detachment gathered themselves and left the town before a battle began between themselves and the townspeople. This was the Massacre of Rock Springs.Day 812: "When we arrived most the bodies were carried away. Some were lined along the street covered in sheets of white stained crimson. The town was in shock as our troops began filling the streets. Mothers were screaming with anguish as old men roared for action. There was talk of many of the men leaving an hour before we arrived to handle things themselves. I don't think they know what they're getting themselves into. We won't be able to assist them. I feel for these people. I am shocked with them. They are Texas citizens now and we let this happen. It won't go unavenged for long though. I haven't seen this many troops gathered like this since we took Atlanta. This is definitely going to be the big push we have all been waiting for to take California. All Hell is about to break loose. God protect us as we march on California."Journal of Sgt. Alexander McAnally 33rd Texas Infantry RegimentA massive invasion force gathered at Rock Springs. Six divisions of the Texas Army and the 1st and 3rd Marines were mobilized for the battle. In the morning B-2s from Whiteman AFB in Missouri began strategic bombing sorties against a number of Californian Union air bases. Conventional bombing missions were also launched. Suffering the greatest were bases near Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Air defense was launched from bases in San Diego, LA and Sacramento with relief forces in the North. Next came what was known as the battle over Nevada. Fighter squadrons met over the desert in many numerous engagements to gain air superiority. Texas was equipped with superior aircraft since they were the only power still investing heavily in improving their local manufacturing capabilities and advancing military technology. They also held the advantage of more experienced warfighters from the wars in the East. California was heavily invested in passive defense systems scattered throughout the desert. Their missile defenses tore heavily into the Texas planes. The air battle was by far the largest air battle in history with thousands of planes involved and hundreds lost to the skies. The fighters from Texas were able to protect bombers in raising the remaining defenses in Salt Lake and Las Vegas while severely damaging others in Los Angeles, San Diego and China Lake.The Battle of Salt Lake began the Land War. With the region softened, Texas mobilized forces invaded Northern Utah by way of the Forward Operating Base Rock Springs and following Interstate 80. They met fierce resistance in Salt Lake city. Sniper and rifle teams were thoroughly entrenched along with machine-gun nests. Five battalions of thoroughly entrenched Californian infantry were able to hold the city for three days against the overwhelming Texas forces while the air war continued over the sands of the Great American Desert. On the fourth day of courageous fighting the Californians retreated as relief troops arrived. The Texans were now dug into the hollowed-out shell of the former capital of Utah. From this point the Siege of Salt Lake lasted another three weeks.The battle continued. Texas reinforcements joined on day six. The battle intensified. Texas was the first to escalate. M.O.A.B. bombs were dropped and cleared away a great deal of California defenders. Texas movements quickly divided and overwhelmed the Californians. 6000 were lost and the Californians retreated back to Sacramento. Once Salt Lake was secured Republic forces moved on to Las Vegas. Vegas was easily secured after the battle of Salt Lake. Republic forces gathered in the desert city preparing for the push to Los Angeles. As the army moved out they destroyed the Hoover dam to prevent Las Vegas from becoming a strategic point again. This caused a surge in the Colorado river that destroyed the Davis, Parker and Imperial Dam systems as well. The region would become by modern standards a completely uninhabitable desert again.It was then that something unexpected happened. The Restored United States attacked in an unsuspected maneuver designed to strike when the Republic and Californian Union were entangled and spread thin. General Meznick again planned out a massive attack to take out the knees from under the Republic forces. His plan was to take out the port at New Orleans and land a decisive series of blows against Texas. As Republic troops moved out to Southern Nevada, covert agents blew the dikes holding back the flood waters from the Gulf. The city, its troops, its ships and resources were all flooded and in disarray. Air strikes and land forces were also made on the stations and bases along the Mississippi River, including Whiteman and the B-2's stationed there. Transport boats carried thousand to secure the bases along the river down to Baton Rouge. From there bombers cleared a path through to Beaumont, Texas, and on to Houston. Texas Defense forces scrambled to meet the invasion. With eyes to the West, few were prepared for an attack in the heart of Texas. Reserves from Dallas and Austin raced to Houston. The battle intensified. After the destruction of New Orleans, naval forces stationed in the Atlantic maneuvered to support the Texas invasion. Without the support of the New Orleans ships at port, the Republic Navy was overcome. Naval bombardment was laid down on the defenders in Houston, paving the way for the surgical team of RUS soldiers and the wave of troops following the river. The defenses were hindered by the sea of terrified citizens fleeing Houston. As shells rained down from the sea, chaos ensued. The city was going to be lost.With the loss of Houston imminent, Republic soldiers spread thin on two fronts, and the country severed down the spine of the Mississippi, Texas made a last desperate strike.It is believed the first city to fall was Chicago. Boston and Philadelphia came shortly after. At the same time, San Francisco and Seattle were lost. Retaliatory strikes claimed Austin, Houston, Atlanta and Oklahoma City. It is believed that many other cities were targeted for destruction, if not for the intervention of some unknown power.Four high-altitude nuclear devices were detonated over the former United States. These weapons showered the region with energized electrons that shorted the circuits of electrical devices in their target radius. Below is a graphic representation of what this blast did to the United States.Most of the country fell into regions of 50 to 80% damage, however considering overlap, historians assume that the damage was at least 90% to all of the continent and all its coveted luxuries were reduced to plastic and glass. This of course didn't stop at the devices themselves, but everything networked into the infrastructure was brought down as well.The four devices together were seen from various parts of the country. Their effects brought down all major computer systems, information networks, communication relays, and nearly all circuit-based technology on the continent. There is no official record of who fired the weapons. Any logs created were probably lost in the very blast they created. Many believe that it was a last ditch effort to limit the destruction of the United States in the event of Atomic Holocaust. Some believe it was due to international intervention. The world's final discipline upon them for what they were doing. Many of the religious groups who would come from this era believe it was the work of God, though they cannot agree whether it was a sign of his mercy or punishment upon a sinful nation. Whoever was responsible, the truth is that the devices probably stopped more bombs than actually went off that day, but they didn't protect anyone from the next five years. America was dark.Day 842: "I was out on the porch catching fireflies with Jamie on the night the lights went out. We caught a whole jar full when I saw a bright light come from the sky way far off in the North. Daddy screamed and jumped on us and he held me really close as we fell to the ground. The light grew really bright and then all of a sudden this wind crashed the field. The wind whooshed through like it was going to carry Daddy, me, and Jamie away. Then it went away. I looked up and the light in the sky faded away. I watched it dim until it turned to nothing. Then I looked around and realized I couldn't see anything. All the lights in the house went off. All the other houses did too. All the street lights were off and the whole town was dark. I asked Daddy what happened. "I don't know, Sweetie. We need to get back into the house before it gets too cold." I looked hard and tried to find a path back to the porch. Then I saw the light flicker on Jamie's cheek. The jar in her hand began to flicker and I could see the fireflies coming back to life. It wasn't much, but they were the only lights for miles and Jamie was all I could see."The Diary of Sarah BrennanDay 846: I don't know which is worse, the casualties we suffered at Salt Lake or the retreat back through the Sierra Nevadas. We lost the trucks and armor when all the comms and equipment went dead. We’ve been on foot since the California border. We are no longer being pursued. Perhaps they know how desperate we are. Or perhaps they are every bit as broken as we, limping back to Texas. I’ve reached the point where I no longer wish the hardship of my enemy, praying only that God will see fit to forgive us all our misgivings, and see us safely home.We have lost all contact with San Francisco. Everything’s gone silent. Even the locals we pass are in the dark. I fear all that awaits us beyond these mountains will be cities of ash. But I am trying to keep the men going. There must be some hope of a future worth getting back to if any of us hope to make it out of this pass alive. But I honestly don't know how we’re going to make it out of the mountains. The snow is thick and has reduced our pace to a crawl. There are days we make no more than a mile. Foraging is not meeting the nutritional needs of three battered divisions marching in winter. We have already lost as many men trying to get back to the base as we did in the battle.My greatest fear is that the men will begin to realize where we are. Why God would put us through all of this in the middle of the Donner Pass. Please Lord, don't let the men know what happened here, and by the mercy of the Heaven, don’t let them start getting ideas. Please Lord, just let us make it out the pass."Log of Lt. Joseph Ramirez, 3rd California Infantry RegimentAfter the collapse came the period historians remember as the American Dark Age.Five years passed. With all the infrastructural losses came a loss in leadership. The cities were deserted when the water, food, and power stopped coming in. Disease and pestilence took their place, moving in like a ravaging army. Towns like Ardmore, Oklahoma became overnight metropolises, taking in the flood of humanity escaping from cities like Dallas and the ruins of Oklahoma City. A local Indian casino from before the war, became a refugee camp for more than 60,000 people. The Oklahomans welcomed them warmly. There was no war then. There was no Texas, nor California and certainly no America. Now everyone was simply a survivor of the 2nd American Civil War.In the chaos of the collapse, micro-wars sprang up. With no government protection, towns and villages attacked one another for the scraps so civilization. Local Sheriffs declared themselves Generals of fifty-man armies. Much of the former United States fell into a feudal bid for power waging county against county and town against town, family against family. They fought battles over salt mines, cattle, clean creek water, or farmland.In the South a plague swept through the countryside. Many reputable reports indicate that it happened when the controls at the CDC in Atlanta were destroyed after the bombing or from the EMP. Others think the viralents were released on purpose. Genocides and ethnic cleansing also scarred the landscape in Chicago, Alabama, Miami, and Los Angeles.It was towns like Ardmore, Oklahoma that finally brought the people out of the dark. They rebuilt the agricultural backbone and got people back to work now that peace was assured through the destruction of the capacity to make war by the large nation-states. Veterans gathered to provide a unified defense force for the new agrarian cultures that built themselves out of the ashes. New farms were established and refugees built homes all along the landscapes.As famine no longer blighted the survivors, factories began to rise again. The infrastructure began returning as power was restored, transformers were replaced, networks were brought back online. As the towns became secure and prosperous again people moved back into the cities. Dallas, Sacramento, Columbus, and Richmond rose to become important regional powers again. The eyes of the nation looked to these cities as fears of the rekindling of the Unification Wars began to surface. Old hatreds and unresolved grievances lingered in the air.It was from Dallas that a movement started. One young girl led a peace movement from the heart of the former Republic of Texas.Day 2871: "This girl in Texas is calling for us to formally end the hostilities. I know it’s been years since anyone has fired a shot, and God only knows how much we’ve lost. I don't know if I could ever trust someone from Texas again, but she was just a girl when this whole thing started. It's not like she is to blame for anything, but it is just hard to get behind someone from down there. We are tired, there isn't anything left worth fighting for. If there is anything left it would have to be that this has to end before it all happens again."Sgt. Anthony Sullivan - California Civil Restoration AdministrationDay 2912: "Give this girl your support. What we did was criminal. As a people we destroyed what took great men hundreds of years to bring together. It took us less than two years to bring each other to the brink. We lost our greatest cities and our best people. For what? To throw away that which we were blessed with to create our own Hell on Earth? Now there is one of our own calling for repentance and recompense. Pray for her strength and success."Pastor Joseph RamirezDay 2945: "There's going to be a peace conference in New York City. They're back up and running for the most part. Hopefully we can do something good there. I will be part of the delegation from the RUS. We haven't thought of ourselves as that for years. Still, we have to go and let it be known that Columbus doesn't want any more fighting. We are more than this collection of third-world city-states that are built on the breakdown of our legacies. I hope this little girl from Dallas is more than hopes and dreams."Mayor Thomas Scott of ColumbusDay 2953: As the much talked-about New York City peace accords prepare to open, all the attention of the country is on this young woman from Oklahoma. She was one of the early people to flee with her family from Texas. She, with her father, mother and young sister, lived with family on a small farm in Southern Oklahoma. There they survived the conscription notices for service, the bombings, The Dark and the two-year winter.She took up work in an old cookie factory, now shelling pecans from local harvests for soldiers, then for survivors. After the Dark she administered relief efforts at a local Indian casino for refugees fleeing Texas. She was then given the task of finding the refugees on the local farms. She built up relief shelters to gather together aid to the refugees and give them jobs. Thousands knew her for her work and generosity. While still barely in her 20's she was instrumental in restoring Oklahoma City. When the lights came back online and grocery shelves were stocked again in Dallas, she was there. Pushed into local politics, she was a unifying force for the region.While in Dallas she championed a peace movement. Dallasites and Texans began to question if the war should continue, if their safety could be secured with the history of the war and Texas' role in it. She was the voice of reason in a sea of fears. She gained support from those she helped and her message spread across the Republic, and all the way to Columbus and Sacramento.Now leaders from across America are going to New York City and are meeting for the first time since the break-up of the United States to discuss a resolution to the failed Wars of Reunification. In her honor, the much talked about Brennan Treaty will be presented to the delegation, ratified and hopefully pass within the week. Here's to hope and to Sarah Brennan.Jennifer Aranda - New San Diego Union Tribune- EndSources:List of U.S. states and territories by populationList of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnelJohn Burgess's answer to Which states commit the most troops to the US Military?United States Armed ForcesJon Davis's answer to Hypothetical Battles: If every nation in the world allied and attempted to invade and conquer the United States, would they succeed?All the other answers on If every state of the USA declared war against each other, which would win?I was also inspired by watching some of my favorites on human nature and warfare Hotel Rwanda and Red Dawn. Just be thankful I didn't rewatch the documentary series "Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State."Liked this? You might also like my YouTube Channel. You can also connect with The War Elephant on Facebook. If you want to help me make more content like this, please visit my Patreon Page to find out more.

The President’s recent escalation in verbal attacks on the United States Postal Service (USPS) are only the latest salvo in a long war against one of the oldest arms of government.In 2017, President Trump launched his first twitter broadside against the agency, complaining bitterly about the low rates charged to Amazon and other companies for package delivery.[1]As recently as April 24, 2020, Trump called the agency a “joke,” and falsely claimed it lost money on every e-commerce package it delivered.[2]Vilifying the postal service is a surprising political stance, as the Post remains Americans’ favorite government agency. A survey published by the Pew Research Center in April found that 91 percent of Americans held a favorable view of the postal service, higher than any other agency, including the second-place Centers for Disease Control (CDC).[3]Chart: Public Holds Broadly Favorable Views of Many Federal Agencies, Including CDC and HHSThe president is long known to have particular obsessions that dominate his tweeting and press conference discourse: NATO funding, fawning media coverage, “nasty” women that are mean to him, etc. USPS occupies an honored place in Trump’s pantheon of recurring boogeymen.Politically, the president is facing a crisis in his reelection campaign. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pile on new records in cases and deaths across the country.[4] Polls show him consistently trailing Joe Biden in the majority of battleground states.[5]As a masterful practitioner of culture war scapegoating, the president began flailing about for a new villain on which to focus the hatred of his loyal political base.The voting-by-mail system provides a convenient target for a flailing, incompetent president. The plan of attack follows the vintage Trump playbook:Concoct a big lie.Double down on the lie, repeating it enough to sink in with a credulous audience.Use the lie as cover to mask a political takeover of an independent agency.Derive political benefit from the ensuing chaos.Let’s examine this playbook in action, with the USPS as the latest victim.MAIL-IN VOTING WILL LEAD TO MASSIVE FRAUD AND ABUSE. IT WILL ALSO LEAD TO THE END OF OUR GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY. WE CAN NEVER LET THIS TRAGEDY BEFALL OUR NATION.[6]—President Donald Trump, tweeted on May 28, 2020.We will leave aside the fact that the president himself has voted by mail multiple times, and seems spectacularly unconcerned about the security of his own ballot.[7] Indeed, despite his current loud claims of massive fraud, the president plans to vote in this year’s election by mail as well. (He requested a ballot by mail this week, confirmed by county election officials in Florida).[8]Like most of the president’s lies, this one is easily debunked.The Washington Post, in partnership with the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), analyzed fraud cases “referred to law enforcement agencies in five elections held in Colorado, Oregon and Washington.”[9]Officials identified just 372 possible cases of double voting or voting on behalf of deceased people out of about 14.6 million votes cast by mail in the 2016 and 2018 general elections, or 0.0025 percent.[10]Looking at the data more broadly, we can see that the rate of fraud is miniscule. Over the past 20 years, 250 million votes have been cast by mail nationally.[11] According to a database run by The Heritage Foundation, over the past 20 years, 1,290 instances of voter fraud of all forms have been proven, resulting in at least 1,113 criminal convictions.[12]Amber McReynolds, a former Colorado election official and now the CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute, and Charles Stewart, director of the MIT Election Data and Science Lab,[13]have analyzed election fraud data. They have found that the number of actual fraud cases per state can be counted on one hand.One hundred forty-three cases of fraud using mailed ballots over the course of 20 years comes out to seven to eight cases per year, nationally. It also means that across the 50 states, there has been an average of three cases per state over the 20-year span. That is just one case per state every six or seven years.We are talking about an occurrence that translates to about 0.00006 percent of total votes cast. [14]An additional salient point: when fraud is caught, the most vocal scaremongers of voter fraud - Republicans - can be found among the culprits. One of the few prominent prosecutions of mail ballot fraud last year involved a Republican political operative tampering with absentee votes in North Carolina.[15]This is only one of numerous examples of Republicans caught in blatant in fraud.[16][17][18]Besides stringent punishment for voter fraud (including fines and jail time), mail-in balloting benefits from well-known security practices:Signature matching requirements, checked by both humans and technology.[19]Unique ballots built for each individual local election, with dozens of markers that would need to be successfully faked.[20] This includes the ballot’s size, style, and the weight of the paper used.[21]Voting has grown by 15% since 1996, and is consistently rated highly by the electorate. A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that 70% of Americans either somewhat or strongly favor having the option to vote by mail.[22]Chart: 23.1% of votes cast by mail in 2018. Why Is Voting By Mail (Suddenly) Controversial? Here's What You Need To KnowVoting by mail also appears to have little partisan impact, according to a study published in April by Stanford’s Institute for Economic Policy Research.In examining voter data in three states with staggered rollouts of vote-by-mail programs — California, Utah and Washington — the researchers found that the introduction of mail-in voting did not have an effect, on average, on the share of voter turnout for either Republicans or Democrats.Researchers also found that expanding vote-by-mail does not appear to increase the vote share for candidates of either political party. Taken together, the researchers say their findings essentially dispel concerns that mail-in voting would cause a major electoral shift toward one party.[23]“They need that money in order to have the Post Office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots. But if they don’t get those two items that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting, because they’re not equipped to have it.”“If we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money, that means they can’t have universal mail-in voting. They just can’t have it. Sort of a crazy thing. Very interesting.”[24]—President Donald Trump during a Fox Business interview, August 13, 2020.Before Trump ensconced his tweeting personage in the Oval office, the US Postal Service suffered through long-known budget issues. The insistence by Congress that the post office must pre-fund retiree and health benefits, along with a steep drop in mail flow, have been large contributors to the budget crunch.[25]The agency reported a loss of $9 billion last year alone.[26]Unfunded liabilities have reached over 200% since Trump entered office in 2016:USPS Unfunded Liabilities and Debt as a Percentage of USPS Revenue, Fiscal Years 2007 through 2018Chart: Key Issues: U.S. Postal Service's Financial Viability - High Risk IssueIt is against this backdrop that we must view the current fight over funding.In the now-infamous quote above, Trump is referring to a bill (supported by Democrats in Congress) that offers $25 billion in Covid-19 related emergency funding for USPS.[27] The bill also removes restrictions placed on a previous $10 billion line of credit granted to the agency.[28]With this in mind, we must also consider the new postmaster general, North Carolina businessman Louis DeJoy (recently nominated to the post in May by the USPS board of governors, all of whom are appointed by the president).Dejoy, a holder of “significant investments in companies that compete or do business with the USPS,”[29] still retains his multi-million dollar stake in his previous company, a USPS contractor.[30]Prior to his appointment, DeJoy was a fundraiser for the Republican National Convention and has given about $360,000 to Trump Victory, a super PAC supporting Trump’s reelection, according to federal filings.[31]Dejoy has instituted multiple changes at the agency, including deep cuts in staffing hours and reductions in overtime.[32]One particular change has alarmed rank-and-file USPS workers: the decision to decommission 10% of the agency’s mail-sorting machines.DeJoy, in service changes last month, has drastically reduced overtime and banned extra trips to ensure on-time mail delivery. His wholesale reorganizations ousted several agency veterans in key operational roles.And the USPS is currently decommissioning 10 percent of its costly and bulky mail-sorting machines, which workers say could hinder processing of election mail, according to a grievance filed by the American Postal Workers Union and obtained by The Washington Post.Those 671 machines, scattered across the country but concentrated in high-population areas, have the capacity to sort 21.4 million pieces of paper mail per hour.[33]Map: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.htmlThough overall mail volume is down, the pandemic has fueled a surge in package deliveries.[34] Coupled with already existing mail delays, could wreak havoc in the postal service as the agency is swamped in ballots for the November election.Dejoy and agency leaders have called the machine reductions “a matter of ‘routinely’ moving equipment to accommodate the mix of packages and letters in the mail stream,” which will result in greater efficiency gains.[35]Despite this claim, service delays have stuck Dejoy with the nickname of “Louie Delay.”[36]What is the result of all this chaos?The post office has notified 46 states (and D.C.) that voters could potentially be disenfranchised, due to slow-arriving ballots not delivered in time to be counted. (It is important to note that these warning letters to the states were planned before the appointment of Dejoy.)[37]Multiple states are planning extensions (some as the result of lawsuits) along with other measures to ensure ballots will be counted in the upcoming election.[38][39]With his alarm bells for mail ballot fraud, President Trump clearly believes that a reduction in voting by mail will help him win the election.[40]Adding to the upheaval, social media reports of the removal of mailboxes (reported across the country on 8/14), have also captured media attention.[41]Representatives for USPS have insisted that this is routine, and are moving mailboxes to higher-traffic areas.[42]NBC Montana reporter Maritsa Georgiou contacted the agency after 68 mailboxes were removed across the state.[43]She published the response from USPS spokesperson Kim Frum.Image: (Please note the Comic Sans font signature from the Sr. Public Relations Representative.) https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/dozens-of-montana-usps-drop-boxes-removedIn response to the uproar, USPS has promised not to remove any more mailboxes until after the election.[44]What can you do to ensure your mailed ballot arrives in time to be counted?I support the idea proposed by CNN columnist David Andelman. He is calling for all Americans to put a 55-cent stamp on their return envelope, even if it is pre-printed with bulk postage by their local election board.Most election mail carries the third-class or bulk rate of 20 cents, which can take as long as 10 days to reach its destination. First-class mail takes two to five days maximum. Until now, the postal service has treated election mail, including voter registration materials, voter information, ballot requests and the ballots themselves as first-class, no matter how much or how little postage they carry.According to the New York Times, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said DeJoy had "informed some states that they may need to pay a first-class rate to deliver ballots rather than the normal rate — nearly tripling the cost." According to the newspaper, the postal service said DeJoy's comments were merely a suggestion for local election officials seeking to curb costs, not an on official mandate.But there's a way to utterly frustrate DeJoy's suggestion.[45]The use of a 55-cent stamp would automatically override the lesser postage, forcing it to be moved to first class.[46] This would allow the ballot to hopefully arrive in time to be counted in the November election.Ultimately, if you are worried about your mail-in ballot, please ask for one as early as possible, and send in your vote as soon as your state’s law allows.Vote early, and vote safely.“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”—Quote chiseled above the entrance to the New York City Post office on 8th Avenue. Excerpted from “The Persian Wars” by Herodotus.[47]Footnotes[1] Trump, Amazon and the Postal Service: The story behind the tweet[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/27/trumps-claim-postal-service-loses-money-every-e-commerce-package-it-delivers/[3] Public Holds Broadly Favorable Views of Many Federal Agencies, Including CDC and HHS[4] Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S.[5] Biden leads Trump in 5 of 6 battleground states: poll[6] Donald J. Trump on Twitter[7] Has President Trump Ever Voted by Mail?[8] After criticizing voting by mail, Trump, first lady request mail-in ballots [9] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/minuscule-number-of-potentially-fraudulent-ballots-in-states-with-universal-mail-voting-undercuts-trump-claims-about-election-risks/2020/06/08/1e78aa26-a5c5-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html[10] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/minuscule-number-of-potentially-fraudulent-ballots-in-states-with-universal-mail-voting-undercuts-trump-claims-about-election-risks/2020/06/08/1e78aa26-a5c5-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html[11] Let's put the vote-by-mail 'fraud' myth to rest[12] Voter Fraud Map: Election Fraud Database | The Heritage Foundation[13] Why Is Voting By Mail (Suddenly) Controversial? Here's What You Need To Know[14] Let's put the vote-by-mail 'fraud' myth to rest[15] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/north-carolina-political-operative-indicted-in-election-fraud-case-that-upended-congressional-race/2019/02/27/b0d5f004-3aaf-11e9-aaae-69364b2ed137_story.html[16] Two Republicans charged in Ohio election fraud scheme — and they won anyway[17] West Virginia mail carrier guilty of election fraud after altering ballot requests to Republican[18] Kansas Republican Rep. Steve Watkins charged with voter fraud [19] Let's put the vote-by-mail 'fraud' myth to rest[20] Why Is Voting By Mail (Suddenly) Controversial? Here's What You Need To Know[21] FACT CHECK: Trump Spreads Unfounded Claims About Voting By Mail[22] Two-Thirds of Americans Expect Presidential Election Will Be Disrupted by COVID-19[23] New research on voting by mail shows neutral partisan effects[24] Trump says he is refusing additional post office funding as part of his fight against mail-in voting[25] https://about.usps.com/news/delivers-facts/usps-delivers-the-facts.pdf[26] What's going on with the post office? Here's what we know[27] Collins, Feinstein Introduce Bill to Provide Up to $25 Billion in Emergency Financial Relief for U.S. Postal Service[28] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/29/postal-service-treasury-loan/[29] Financial disclosures reveal postmaster general's business entanglements and likely conflicts of interest, experts say[30] Financial disclosures reveal postmaster general's business entanglements and likely conflicts of interest, experts say[31] What's going on with the post office? Here's what we know[32] In new letter, USPS chief acknowledges 'unintended consequences' of recent policy changes[33] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html[34] U.S. Postal Service Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2020 Results[35] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html[36] Trump Is Hobbling the Mail the Old-Fashioned Way[37] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html[38] https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/court-absentee-ballots-that-come-after-election-wont-count/2020/07/15/a1068eec-c6ca-11ea-a825-8722004e4150_story.html[39] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html[40] Trump vows to block new Postal Service funding to undercut voting by mail[41] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/14/people-are-freaking-out-about-mailbox-removals-postal-service-says-its-routine/[42] Tester demands answers from postmaster general on reports of mailbox removals[43] Dozens of Montana USPS drop boxes to be removed[44] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/14/people-are-freaking-out-about-mailbox-removals-postal-service-says-its-routine/[45] Opinion: It'll cost you 55 cents to protect your vote this November[46] Opinion: It'll cost you 55 cents to protect your vote this November[47] https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/mission-motto.pdf