Robert Morris

Robert Morris
Portrait by Arthur Corrigan, 1832
1st President of Audonia
In office September 9, 1817 – July 15th, 1826
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Henry Burdett
Personal details
Born	(1781-03-27)27 March 1781 Elland's Isle, Arabelline
Died	11 July 1841(1841-07-11) (aged 60) Sunrise House, Euston, Audonia
Resting place	Morriston Cathedral, Morriston
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Spouse	Charlotte Anne Blaylock
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Rythene Republic of Audonia
Branch/service	Royston's Militia Free Audonian Army Republican Army
Years of service	1801-1805 (Rosyton's Militia) 1804-1817 (Free Audonia Army) 1817-1851 (Republican Army)
Rank	Major (Royston's Milita) General (Free Audonian Army) Commander-in-Chief (Republican Army) Lieutenant General (Republican Army)
Battles/wars	Third Ausser War Amandine War of Independence Audonian War of Independence First Continental War

Robert Morris (March 27 1781 - 11 July 1841) was an Audonian statesman, military commander, founding father, and writer who served as the first President of Audonia from 1817 to 1826. Prior to that, he had led Audonia to independence over a period of 13 years. He oversaw both the Audonian Senatorial Founding and the reconstruction of the federal government, turning it from a purposefully weak government into a centralised and strong government. He has often been referred to as the Father of the Nation due to his efforts in organising the nation both prior and post independence.

Born into a wealthy family on Elland's Island, he first became influenced by the growing Audonian independence movement at the university of Holywell, before purchasing his commission at the outbreak of the Third Ausser War. While serving, he became affiliated with the independence movement and, due to his military experience, travelled to Amandine to participate in its war of independence. Upon his return to Holywell, Morris was installed in as commander-in-chief for the Brother's in Freedom movement and oversaw a series of attacks on military depots and the opening stages of the Audonian War of Independence. By 1814, Morris had reorganised the movement into the Free Audonian Army and won a number of costly victories. By the end of the war in 1817, Morris had become the most well-known figure in Audonia.

Despite intending to retire from public life, he instead used his influence to oversee the pass of the Reconstruction Bill following the failure of the Senatorial Founding. In recognition, the Senate elected him president of Audonia. His two terms saw a number of radical events, such as the purchase of Marbon Island from Blayk, attempts at forming relations with a number of Auressian nations, as well as the debate of slavery in Audonia. Additionally, the worsening of relations between Audonia and Amandine risked conflict that could ruin the new state. By 1826, Morris declined a third term, instead returning to Elland's Island to oversee its running following the death of his brother. However, the loss of Marbon Island to the Confederation of Southern Marceaunia in 1830 saw him return as a private citizen to the reserve ranks of the Republican Army of Audonia, with which he later participated in the recapture of the island and the organising of supply shipments to the rebelling nations during the First Continental War. Following this, he retired for the final time, returning again to Elland's Island and becoming an moderately successful writer.

Despite Morris being regarded as a defender of both republicanism and anti-colonialism, his legacy remains controversial over his decision to maintain slavery as an institution. Despite the presence of slaves on his lands, he eventually began to take a dislike to it and freed them in 1832, however he did not advocate for its abolition due to his dislike of using his influence and not wishing to be seen as returning to government despite his retirement. Despite this, Morris is recognised as a leading figure in Audonian history, in addition to his restructured government being the basis of a number of likewise newly independent nations. He's memorialised throughout Audonia, most notably through the capital being renamed Morriston after his death. He is frequently rated among the greatest Audonians.

Early Life

By the time of Robert Morris's birth, the Morris family was wealthy and well established on Elland's Island, to the poit where Elland's Island was derogatorily considered the personal fief of the Morris family due to the large amount of land the family owned on the island, which had been consolidated under Morris's grandfather, Oliver Morris. Robert Morris was born on March 27 1781, and was the third son of the family and the fourth child. Due to the Elland's Island being a Crown Possession of Rythene, Robert Morris was considered a subject of Rythene and enjoyed many of the privileges afforded to that position. Morris' father, Richard Morris, was an only child and the owner of the vast Morris plantation territory, while his mother, Catherine Morris, was a well known socialite who was often absent from Robert's childhood, preferring the cooler climate of Rythene to Elland's Island.

Due to early bouts of sickness, Robert spent much of his youth moving between the family seat of Sunrise House and the smaller houses the family owned that were in cooler regions of the island, in an attempt to assuage the illnesses. As the youngest son, Robert was not afforded the same private education his two brothers were, and was instead received homeschooling from a number of tutors, ranging from his own father to well-known writers that had arrived from the capital of Holywell.

Morris' first brush with the Audonian independence movement with one such tutor, Nathaniel Bishop, who was a recently graduated university student who tutored Morris on the finer points of rhetoric. His exposure was through rhetoric exercises, who Bishop encouraged the young Morris to practice by writing speeches that opposed the Rythenean monarchy and advocated independence, exercises that were considered illegal and treacherous at the time. Shortly after, Bishop was removed as Morris' tutor, however the charisma of the young tutor and his abrupt end ensured that the messages and lessons stuck with Morris for the remainder of his life. As Morris grew older, he began to clash more frequently with his father over inheritance rights. Knowing full well that as the youngest son he would inherit very little, if anything, at all, he instead set his sights on a career in the military which Richard Morris opposed vigorously, due to the dim light and poor prospects such a career offered, which in turn threatened the reputation of the Morris family. As a compromise, it was agreed that Morris would instead attend university for a year and, if he persisted in his military goals, then Richard would purchase a commission under a false identity to shield the Morris family.

As such, Morris attended the Royal Colonial University of Holywell as a student of political history in Marceaunia, which not only emboldened his independence minded leanings, but also granted himself both an understanding on the working of government, as well as a rudimentary grasp on the wider world of his home continent, in particular Amandine, which in his journals he guessed that the colony was close to revolt against its Auressian colonisers. While at university, Morris first encountered the Brother's in Freedom movement, that advocated for an independent Audonia. Spurred on by the teachings of his earlier tutor, he began to privately become involved in the clandestine meetings of the organisation, in addition to training with firearms. By the outbreak of the Third Ausser War, it was already planned that a number of members would infiltrate the colonial militia to gain both a better understanding of military operations, but also to be better informed of Rythenean military positions on the continent. Utilising his father's promise, Morris officially entered the service of the colonial militia at the rank of Captain, starting a military career that would endure for the majority of his life.