Grantville (1632 series)

Grantville is a fictional town modeled after the real town of Mannington, West Virginia which is the source of resources, technology, and above all "up-timer" protagonists in the best selling alternate history books by historian-author-creator and editor Eric Flint. The book series, now numbering in the double-digits, has grown astonishingly fast since the lead novel 1632 was published in hardcover in February 2000 because in part it evolved to become a large experiment in collaborative fiction and in a shared universe mode under Flint's guidance. ("See: 1632 Editorial Board for additional information.)

Grantville in Thuringia

Grantville has been central to the stories beginning with its citizens' decision to "Start the American Revolution [In Central Germany] 150 years early", in the words of (soon to be) President of the NUS'32 Mike Stearns in 1631 Europe. In the 1632 novel, the "Grantvillers" (called "up-timers") first allied with neighboring free towns and cities such as Jena and (fictional) Badenburg to "expand" the NUS'32|x systematically as 1631 dragged into 1632, including several early battles to defend allied territory (Battle of Jena, Battle of Badenburg) which were pivotal in the rapid growth of the new (radical to 17th century thought) "United States".

Loosely allied with Swedish King Gustavus II Adolphus against the Catholic League led by the day's super powers, Kingdom of Spain and Holy Roman Empire over the winter of 1631–32, and following summer, the "up-timers" had early on organized a mixed army of "down-timer" Germans and "up-timer" punch and leadership to protect the region. While arrangements with Gustav were cordial, they were not close until the up-timers used their influence to arrange favorable financial terms for Gustav to borrow funds for his war aims. Among other things, the NUS'32|no had expropriated the Thuringian territories of Gustav's only reliable German princes, the Duke of Saxe-Weimar and his brothers (Also styled as Dukes of Saxe-Weimar).

With the rumor of this arrangement, the mere possibility of the alliance of an economically strong NUS with Gustavus caused Cardinal Richelieu to switch sides in the spring of 1632 (He'd been backing Gustav) and generated the Battle of Grantville and the Battle of Grantville High in the fall of 1632 with cavalry forces sent by Catholic General Wallenstein towards the end of the first book. Gustavus himself, leading a small cavalry scouting group, deduced the pending attack and enemy's plan and led his small force of 400 Laplanders and Finnish light cavalry in a "hell ride" pursuing the enemy cavalry arriving in the middle of the battle at the High School.

Richelieu had wanted the 2,000 Croatian cavalry to "Kill all the Jews", being a "money-man", but Wallenstein's spys had determined the heart of Grantville was its knowledge base— and gave orders to destroy the High School and its Library as well. Both men wanted as many up-timers as possible killed. With the rescue, Stearns recognized the inevitable, the NUS needed a strong protector, and he and Gustav began negotiating an accommodation in the High School Library with Rebecca Abrabanel as translator, even as wounded were being triaged and the bodies were being cleared from the hallways and grounds.

The Confederated Principalities of Europe that occasioned at the books end lasted merely a year, ending on the founding of the USE (October 10th, 1633— thereafter "Hans Richter Day" in the German parts of the new empire.) with Stearns as Emperor Gustav's new Prime Minister. Under the new regime, Grantville became the provincial capital of the State of Thuringia-Franconia and the Grantvillers found themselves administering the conquered territory of Franconia as well as their parts of Thuringia—most of which belonged to the Dukes of Saxe-Weimar, including nearby free cities and towns.

Resources of Grantville

The web forum 1632 Tech Manual spent nearly two years outlining and debating what the likely resources might have been in the mi to km|3 (radius) sphere that came along with the town of Grantville when it experienced the "Ring of Fire" transitioning it to 1631 Thuringia. A power plant luckily located next to the Schwarza river replacing the cooling water formerly drawn from the Monongahela river, coal mine (shut down), various trucks, railway rolling stock, tracks, cars, and two libraries were detailed and cataloged by the 1632 Tech Manual process and at 1632.org.

Books in the series