424:). With Pennsylvania adopting the German language while the Yankees remained English-speaking, the political enmity was exacerbated by increasing linguistic and cultural differences. At the same time, Pennsylvania also has marked cultural and political differences from the Prussian-dominated Germany in Europe. Pennsylvanians speak a different kind of German, and pride themselves on having much more free society and political institutions, a difference especially owing to many Pennsylvanians being descended from political refugees who fled Germany.
25:
587:
In actual US history, a large part of
Pennsylvania's population in the 18th century were indeed speakers of a Germanic language (not to be confused with standard German), though the elites in the colony and later state were English-speaking. The numbers of Germanic speakers dwindled in later periods,
495:
between themselves and deny
Pennsylvania access to the sea; however, the Pennsylvanians proved the victors, trashing their opponents and securing the bulk of New Jersey. In this war, New York troops were decimated when trying to storm a Pennsylvanian machine gun position; however, this world did not
439:
states which, although thinly populated, were able to stand up to
European settlers, with the former Thirteen Colonies being disunited, acting at cross-purposes and often going to war with each other. Eventually, the idea of further westward expansion was abandoned, the European settlement of North
415:
In this situation, Yankee settlers—backed by the rest of New
England—held on to much of the Wyoming Valley, their conflict with Pennsylvania further escalating; rather than part of Connecticut, they created the new nation of The Wyoming (not connected to our history's State of Wyoming, much more to
379:
resistance and embark on settling it. Rival settlers from
Pennsylvania (Pennamites) and Connecticut (Yankees) came into violent conflict, both just before and just after the American War of Independence—though very few people were actually killed, so that the term "war" for this conflict is rather
511:
to the west, creating a ring of enemies all around
Pennsylvania. Should all of them attack simultaneously from all directions, Pennsylvania would be in a dire situation. The Pennsylvanians' best strategy would be to play for time and seek to create divisions among its enemies—who had often fought
531:
which was prominent in
Colonial Virginia; but the story does not tell what is the Lee Brothers' official and legal position in Virginian politics, or even how many brothers are there. The rest of North America is also balkanized into many nations and there are passing references to some of them,
391:
took a personal interest in the
Pennamite–Yankee War and in a fatally misguided step placed a unit of the Virginia militia, commanded by himself, as a neutral buffer between Pennamites and Yankees. This culminated with the Virginians being trapped and decimated in a crossfire, Washington himself
299:
The story's main conflict comes when a
Pennsylvanisch officer encounters a man who claims to be from the United States as we, the readers, know it. The officer first regards the man as either truly mad, or feigning madness to cover his mission of espionage for an enemy such as New York, but soon
607:
Flynn assumes that in a situation where
Pennsylvania became an independent nation-state, distinct from and often fighting with its neighbors, Pennsylvanisch had a chance to become the official and dominant language, which later immigrants learned upon arrival.
380:
exaggerated. Eventually, the conflict was settled peaceably: Pennsylvania's possession of the disputed area was confirmed, but the Yankees settled in it were accepted as full-fledged citizens of Pennsylvania, their main town of
500:. The story's Pennsylvanian protagonist had a major role in that war's decisive battle. (Though not explicitly mentioned, for Virginia to be in a position to try conquering parts of New Jersey, Virginia must have swallowed
544:
and no reference whether this Texas is Spanish- or English-speaking. The Kingdom of Carolina is mentioned as "the biggest state on the Eastern seaboard" and a producer of fine tobacco; probably, as well as
416:
the west). Eventually, two mutually hostile nation states emerged, possessing fully equipped regular armies—hereditary enemies which habitually and repeatedly go to war with each other. To Pennsylvanians,
579:) overlooking the no-man's-land of the Wyoming Valley, whose garrison is tensely expecting the storm to burst. It is into this tense situation that the visitor from another reality is suddenly flung.
329:, in whose plot the Nazi occupiers of that city summarily execute the members of a resistance cell made up of Catholic priests, monks and nuns. The traveler has also passed through a world where the
296:
communities still speak English as their native language, and they are therefore recruited by the Pennsylvanian Intelligence Service as spies to infiltrate the territories of neighboring nations.
216:
444:, since Victoria never became Queen, and in her absence Britain did much worse economically and incidentally lost its power in North America; this world has no United States and also no
507:
At the time of the story, the Virginians and the New York "Knicks", seeking revenge, had forged an alliance with Pennsylvania's hereditary Yankee enemies as well as with the
281:
This language has a rich literary tradition of which the Pennsylvanians are proud; and they feel suspicious of, and threatened by the hostile English-speaking nations of
420:
became a deeply hated enemy capital, created on stolen land which was rightfully Pennsylvania's (reminiscent of the historical conflict between France and Germany over
652:. Evidently, in the divergent history where the State of New York developed into a full-fledged nation state, the term was extended to include that entire nation.
393:
222:
476:—long obsolete in our history—remains a highly effective military resource for all armies, and the story's plot takes place in such a fortress.
515:
The full political and military details are not provided, and only glimpses are given in passing. In this history's nation state of New York,
671:
436:
376:
448:. By 1970 when the story takes place, technology has only reached a level roughly similar to our history's late 19th or early 20th century.
706:
464:
either did not exist at all, or he never built his factory; automobiles are few, hand-made and very expensive, and a case when two of them
228:
691:
42:
519:
is far smaller than in reality and of much less account; decision-making in New York is still to a considerable degree in the hands of
408:
eventually disintegrated, with the Thirteen Colonies going each its own way as full-fledged nation states—except that the Yankees of
401:
108:
696:
89:
618:
468:
collided is remembered as a special occasion. Radio does not yet exist, and its feasibility is hotly debated, and the same for
201:
166:
61:
333:
Dynasty still rules England (and North America) and where a kind of scientific magic is practiced. This might be the world of
46:
480:
384:
becoming one more Pennsylvanian town (eventually, city). By the early 19th century the whole issue receded into the past.
307:
In a brief part of the story, the time traveler's journal reveals that he has visited other worlds, including one with an
68:
593:
308:
252:, but instead developed into separate and mutually hostile nation-states which often fight bitter wars with each other.
686:
301:
211:
75:
356:
35:
532:
which are too distant to take direct part in the conflict: The Kingdom of Carolina to the south, French-speaking
245:
57:
527:. In Virginia, effective political power is in the hands of "The Lee Brothers", presumably members of the
339:
197:
132:
624:
440:
America never reached much further than it was at the end of the 18th century. In Britain, there was no
372:
325:
554:
405:
648:
In our history, "Knickerbocker" (shortened to "Knicks") was used to refer to people or objects from
512:
each other, even in the recent past—and hope for the anti-Pennsylvanian alliance to fall apart.
82:
701:
397:
392:
being among those killed. When the news of Washington's death reached Philadelphia, where the
388:
352:
241:
190:
484:
469:
282:
268:
629:
497:
421:
334:
260:
550:
546:
368:
264:
680:
576:
524:
516:
473:
457:
441:
404:
was never adopted and a Federal Government never created. The loose structure of the
249:
449:
417:
400:
suffered a stroke and died, too. The convention broke up in consternation, and the
381:
360:
316:
256:
665:
601:
409:
375:
in the 17th century, though only a century later did European settlers overcome
364:
330:
320:
275:
24:
540:
far to the west, Columbia, Cumberland, Pontiak. There is a single reference to
528:
492:
461:
259:
speak a language they call "Pennsylvanisch", which a character describes as "
207:
649:
453:
271:
604:) and sometimes also called "Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch" by its own speakers.
564:
The whole story includes no reference to Blacks and leaves unclear whether
479:
About twenty years before, Pennsylvania was involved in a major war, the "
508:
501:
488:
432:
428:
286:
565:
558:
520:
193:
537:
533:
445:
293:
589:
541:
355:
timeline of the story hinges on the historical event known as the
387:
However, in the alternate history of Flynn's book, in the 1780s
312:
18:
600:, meaning "German, Germanic" rather than referring to the
588:
though the language still survives, especially among the
217:
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Fifth Annual Collection
200:. It was originally published in the June 1987 issue of
452:
is remembered only as a painter, not an inventor; the
371:, both colonies having been granted that territory by
240:
The story is set in an alternative world wherein the
206:magazine. In 1988, the story was nominated for the
174:
162:
154:
146:
138:
128:
123:
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
496:yet see such scenes on the scale of our history's
226:(1998), as well as Flynn's short story collection
571:The story's plot takes place at a Pennsylvanian
568:was abolished and if so, how that was achieved.
427:In the 19th century, the British helped Chiefs
412:created their own more narrow confederation.
300:becomes enamored and full of longing for the
8:
223:Roads Not Taken: Tales of Alternate History
120:
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
460:, who made only a few other inventions.
641:
214:. It was reprinted in the anthologies
672:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
625:GURPS Infinite Worlds § Gallatin
7:
523:, Dutch-descended landowners of the
278:would find it difficult to follow".
229:The Forest of Time and Other Stories
47:adding citations to reliable sources
248:, did not succeed in creating the
244:, after gaining independence from
14:
456:was invented only much later, by
402:Constitution of the United States
255:In the novella, the citizens of
23:
619:The Disunited States of America
536:to the north, Spanish-speaking
504:at some earlier stage.)
472:flight. In military affairs, a
292:In that Pennsylvania, only the
34:needs additional citations for
315:being hanged on lamp posts in
1:
16:1996 novella by Michael Flynn
319:might point specifically to
309:Axis victory in World War II
263:dialect mainly derived from
707:Pennsylvania Dutch language
723:
692:Alternate history novellas
304:described by the captive.
553:, its territory includes
394:Constitutional Convention
697:German-American history
367:both laid claim to the
491:, sought to partition
670:title listing at the
359:. In actual history,
357:Pennamite–Yankee Wars
347:Historical background
326:The Ultimate Solution
274:, which a speaker of
406:Continental Congress
396:was just convening,
285:to their north, and
58:"The Forest of Time"
43:improve this article
196:by American writer
687:1987 short stories
667:The Forest of Time
594:Pennsylvania Dutch
592:. It is known as "
186:The Forest of Time
124:The Forest of Time
398:Benjamin Franklin
389:George Washington
353:alternate history
311:. A reference to
302:parallel universe
242:Thirteen Colonies
191:alternate history
182:
181:
158:Alternate history
119:
118:
111:
93:
714:
653:
646:
470:heavier than air
289:to their south.
175:Publication date
121:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
722:
721:
717:
716:
715:
713:
712:
711:
677:
676:
662:
657:
656:
647:
643:
638:
630:Russian Amerika
614:
585:
498:First World War
437:Native American
422:Alsace-Lorraine
377:Native American
373:King Charles II
349:
335:Randall Garrett
238:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
720:
718:
710:
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
679:
678:
675:
674:
661:
660:External links
658:
655:
654:
640:
639:
637:
634:
633:
632:
627:
622:
613:
610:
584:
581:
551:South Carolina
369:Wyoming Valley
348:
345:
267:and with many
237:
234:
180:
179:
176:
172:
171:
164:
160:
159:
156:
152:
151:
148:
144:
143:
140:
136:
135:
130:
126:
125:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
719:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
684:
682:
673:
669:
668:
664:
663:
659:
651:
645:
642:
635:
631:
628:
626:
623:
621:
620:
616:
615:
611:
609:
605:
603:
599:
595:
591:
582:
580:
578:
577:star fortress
574:
569:
567:
562:
560:
557:and possibly
556:
552:
548:
543:
539:
535:
530:
526:
525:Hudson Valley
522:
518:
517:New York City
513:
510:
505:
503:
499:
494:
490:
486:
483:". Its foes,
482:
477:
475:
474:Star fortress
471:
467:
463:
459:
458:Thomas Edison
455:
451:
447:
443:
442:Victorian Era
438:
434:
430:
425:
423:
419:
413:
411:
407:
403:
399:
395:
390:
385:
383:
378:
374:
370:
366:
362:
358:
354:
346:
344:
343:
341:
336:
332:
328:
327:
322:
318:
314:
310:
305:
303:
297:
295:
290:
288:
284:
279:
277:
273:
270:
266:
262:
258:
253:
251:
250:United States
247:
243:
235:
233:
231:
230:
225:
224:
219:
218:
213:
209:
205:
204:
199:
198:Michael Flynn
195:
192:
188:
187:
177:
173:
170:
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
149:
145:
141:
137:
134:
133:Michael Flynn
131:
127:
122:
113:
110:
102:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
666:
644:
617:
606:
597:
586:
572:
570:
563:
538:Nuevo Aztlan
514:
506:
478:
465:
450:Samuel Morse
426:
418:Wilkes-Barre
414:
386:
382:Wilkes-Barre
361:Pennsylvania
350:
338:
324:
317:Philadelphia
306:
298:
291:
280:
257:Pennsylvania
254:
239:
227:
221:
215:
212:Best Novella
202:
185:
184:
183:
167:
163:Published in
105:
99:January 2021
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
602:Netherlands
410:New England
365:Connecticut
331:Plantagenet
321:Eric Norden
276:High German
220:(1988) and
681:Categories
636:References
529:Lee family
493:New Jersey
462:Henry Ford
340:Lord Darcy
272:loan words
208:Hugo Award
69:newspapers
650:Manhattan
596:" (i.e.,
481:Piney War
454:telegraph
178:June 1987
702:Novellas
612:See also
583:Analysis
521:patroons
509:Iroquois
502:Maryland
489:Virginia
485:New York
433:Sequoyah
429:Tecumseh
287:Virginia
283:New York
232:(1997).
155:Genre(s)
147:Language
598:Deitsch
573:festung
566:slavery
561:, too.
559:Florida
555:Georgia
435:create
269:English
265:Swabian
246:Britain
194:novella
150:English
139:Country
83:scholar
534:Quebec
466:nearly
446:Canada
294:Quaker
261:German
203:Analog
189:is an
168:Analog
129:Author
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
590:Amish
547:North
542:Texas
90:JSTOR
76:books
549:and
487:and
431:and
363:and
351:The
313:Nuns
236:Plot
210:for
62:news
337:'s
323:'s
142:USA
45:by
683::
575:(
342:.
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
