Sierran Jacobites

Sierran Jacobites (also known as Jacobite Sierrans, Ethnic Jacobites, or simply, the Jacobites) are an, found mostly in the Styxie region, and to a lesser extent, the rest of Sierra, particularly in the Southwest Corridor. The Jacobites are mainly the descendants of predominantly Scottish and Irish Catholics from throughout the. Their ancestors were associated with the, which promoted the restoration of the to the thrones of , , and. The Jacobites launched a series of unsuccessful against the British government, in attempt to restore the Crown to  and his heirs.

Following defeat in the final in 1745, many Jacobite supporters immigrated to the  to escape political repercussion by the British government. These Jacobites preserved many of their cultural customs and heritage when they arrived to the New World. When the exiled Stuarts themselves moved to the Americas, the Jacobite cause was rekindled. During the mid-19th century, thousands of Jacobites moved west to California, where they backed Charles Miller (Smith I), a direct descendant of James II, in his ascension and assumption of the throne of the new Kingdom of Sierra. Jacobitism as a movement experienced a dramatic revival, persuading thousands of more European Jacobites to support Smith I, and his new royal house, by immigrating to Sierra.

From the creation of Sierra onwards, Jacobites became intrinsically linked with Sierran monarchism, and coalesced into a formidable force during the 1870s Sierran Civil War. The civil war, pitted the Jacobites and other loyalists against the Republicans, who threatened the existence of the monarchy. After the Civil War ended with the defeat of the Republicans, many Jacobites continued to maintain the unique culture that their forebears kept. Various Jacobite clubs and associations, including private militias, created during the war continued to exist after the war. These groups participated in ongoing conflict with the Republicans (who had developed their own culture and groups) in the Styxie. Such creations helped define the region's political culture, and allowed the Jacobites to persist as a visible, active group.

Today, roughly a million or so Sierrans claim to be Sierran Jacobites. In addition to Sierran-based Jacobites, overseas communities also exist, with the majority of the diaspora living in either Rainier and Alaska. The term "Jacobite" has often been used erroneously or even disparagingly to mean a zealous or extreme monarchist in Sierra. Although Sierran Jacobites have traditionally been associated with monarchism (and to a lesser extent, the Royalists), not all Sierran Jacobites are supporters of Jacobitism itself. Ethnic Jacobitism has been occasionally used to distinguish the ethnic group from the political movement (which is a form of monarchism), similarly to how Sierran republicanism has been separated into two related but distinct groups: cultural and political, as well. There has been a proposal within Sierra on using a lower-cased "jacobite" to refer to a supporter of Jacobitism, while a capitalized "Jacobite" to refer to a member of the Scottish/Irish ethnic group. The Sierran Royal Bureau of Census officially recognizes the Sierran Jacobites as an ethnic subgroup of both Scottish Sierrans and Irish Sierrans, as the Sierran Jacobite community mainly consists of individuals with mixed ancestries of both ethnicities.

Background
Sierran Jacobites trace their origins to the British, who emerged as a political movement during the. The Revolution saw the incumbent monarch,, deposed by his daughter, and her husband (and his nephew),  in 1688. The political event was largely motivated by religious reasons. During the king's short, three-year long reign, James II troubled members of the opposition with his belief in the, his policies of , his open , and his close ties with. The disagreements conflicted with the Establishment and the Parliamentarians' desire to keep England, and feared the king would undermine Britain's move towards a parliamentary democracy.

By 1688, James II had amassed a large of loyal Catholics from all over the British Isles, given important state positions to Catholics, and issued the. He also forged an alliance with the and, with the hopes of bringing down of  supremacy in Britain. Despite this development, up until this point, opponents tolerated the King's rule. They believed that his reign would only be a temporary setback, as once he died, Mary would succeed him, returning the throne to a Protestant. However, the birth of his son,, altered the line of succession. Prior to the young prince's birth, the throne would have passed to the King's daughter, Mary, who was a Protestant. With a Catholic as the, the possibility of a Catholic dynasty in England became very likely.

Opponents of James II (The "") began to conspire against the king, by seeking help from James II's nephew,, who was a in several  provinces. William himself was married to James II's daughter, Mary. Being both Protestants, the two were viewed as the prime candidates to replace James II. Although William had entertained the idea of conquering England, he was fearful of receiving retaliation from his rival,, back in the Dutch Republic. Once William was assured he had English support, and he had received financial, military, and political backing from his home country and the, William launched an invasion in England. He issued the Declaration of the Hague, which essentially was William's promise to defend British Protestants, and landed off the coast of Southern England in on November 5, 1688.

Within weeks, the mere presence of William had inspired thousands of Protestants to riot, and caused many Royalist troops to defect towards the invader's side. William deliberately waited out for James II's regime to collapse on its own, and patiently stalled the advancement of his troops. For James II's part, he was hesitant to muster up a large force to oppose William. Indeed, many of his loyal troops were not eager to fight, and even his own commanders doubted their king's willpower. As rioting worsened in, James II, his , and the attempted to flee on December 10. The following day, the King was captured, and was sent back to London to conduct formal negotiations with his son-in-law. On December 16, James II sent an envoy to arrange a meeting with William. William had, at this point, no more desire to keep the king in power, yet he did not wish to arrest James II. Instead, William sent a letter warning the king that his own personal safety could not be guaranteed. As anti-Catholic rioting intensified, and Queen Mary pleaded him to leave, James II departed from England under the protection of Dutch guardsmen. As James II fled the country, William and Mary were declared joint monarchs.

Jacobite risings
Although William and Mary were officially recognized as the new monarchs, many Catholics, Episcopalians, and Tory royalists refused to accept this change. They believed that James II was still the constitutionally legitimate monarch, and became known as "Jacobites". They were named so after the Latin name of James, "Jacobus", and their descendants would come to embrace the name when they continued seeking to restore the throne to James II's heirs.