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Successor States Following the Nuclear Attacks in Jericho
ASA-USA Jericho Map
ASA flag Cheyenne government (Allied States, red)
Flag of the United States Columbus government (blue)
Texas flag Independent Republic of Texas (pink)

It is made obvious that Black Jack, in Season 1, contained multiple claims to what remained of the United States federal government. Notably, Texas separated completely from the Union, and became known as the Independent Republic of Texas. In Why We Fight, the multiple claimants to the federal government merged into only two, the Cheyenne goverment (Allied States of America), West of the Mississippi River, and the Columbus government (what remained of the old administration), to the East of the Mississippi River. Texas remained an independent state, recognized by the Cheyenne- and Columbus governments. The two new American governments both vied to have Texas ally with themselves. At the end of Season 2, Texas sided with Columbus.

Factions[]

Cheyenne government[]

ASA flag

The Flag of the Allied States of America. Capital: Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The Cheyenne government is the principal western faction, and as of Season 1 considers itself to be the legitimate government of the United States of America. Its capital is located in Cheyenne, Wyoming; the states west of the Mississippi River (including Kansas, in which Jericho is located), except for Texas, are under its control. In Season 2 the Cheyenne government declared itself to be the "Allied States of America", however it is unknown if this was simply an act which changed the official name of the United States, or if this was a declaration of independence, on behalf of the western states, from the United States. The flag used by Cheyenne (which was in use prior to the "Allied States" declaration) is an altered version of the Flag of the United States; its stripes are aligned vertically (as in the Sons of Liberty Flag) and only 21 stars are present. President Tomarchio stated the change in orientation of the stripes could be taken to represent "a new direction" for Americans. Soldiers in the Allied States military wear arm patches displaying the new flag.

Cheyenne is led by President Tomarchio, a former United States Senator. Because a joint session of the United States Congress was being addressed by the President in Washington, D.C. at the time of the attacks, many of the successors to the presidency were killed, leaving the line of succession unclear. Six different officials were claiming to be the legitimate successor, Tomarchio among them. Several of these other leaders must have eventually capitulated, and the Allied States of America was born.

Administration of the Cheyenne government appears to be largely staffed by former Jennings & Rall (J&R) employees; thus the corporation, and its paramilitary subsidiary Ravenwood, are afforded preferential treatment and sweeping monopolistic powers. The Allied States of America promotes itself as being born of a desire to create a much stronger government, but in reality it is a corporatocracy (like the East India Company) with J&R firmly in control. Allied States citizens had little choice in these matters, due to the devastating aftermath of such a massive and shocking series of attacks. Many Americans, however, are so terrified and traumatized that they are fearfully willing to accept the new government freely granting itself fascistic powers in order to "keep America safe."

The Allied States has formed a new Constitutional Convention to totally rewrite the US Constitution, even though it does not control the entire country. This convention is known to have eliminated the right to bear arms ("Patriots and Tyrants"); prior to this, President Tomarchio suspended the Posse Comitatus Act ("Black Jack"). The Allied States military is seen throughout Season Two occupying and administering civilian areas and overriding the civilian state governments ("Reconstruction"), engaging in warrantless searches and seizures ("Sedition," "Jennings and Rall"), imprisoning individuals without due process of the law in conjunction with the Jennings & Rall corporation ("Oversight"), engaging in acts of torture and collective punishment ("Sedition"), suppressing free speech and freedom of assembly ("Condor," "Sedition"), and carrying out summary executions ("Condor"). This suggests that the Allied States legal system lacks analogues to the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Tenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, lacks the writ of habeas corpus, and does not consider the Allied States to be party to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or Geneva Convention. Cheyenne is also seen distributing completely rewritten history books which state that Iran and North Korea were responsible for initiating the nuclear attacks. The books lay strong blame at the feet of the former United States government for its "ineptitude" in allowing the attacks to take place and for its "gridlocked" reaction. The books further claimed that the Vietnam War was lost over the former government's "failure of will". The books are immediately recognized by the citizens of Jericho as thinly veiled propaganda designed to sway the American people toward the belief that they will be much safer in the future for pledging allegiance to the Allied States' "New America."

In the wake of the initial attacks, American nuclear missiles were launched in "retaliation strikes" against Iran and North Korea, ordered by President Tomarchio ("Condor"). It is implied throughout the series that this was to conceal the truth of their own nuclear plot to overthrow the United States; however, Robert Hawkins discovers in "Sedition" the secret that the nuclear attacks on America were actually the work of an unknown agent. The mysterious mastermind regarded the Jennings & Rall corporation as a "disease" on the United States government and had sought to orchestrate J&R's destruction by using the attacks to "uproot" it from its original position of influence. His plan assumed that the federal government would recover afterward, but backfired when the Cheyenne government formed and took J&R as its ready ally, making the company more powerful than ever, and leaving the former government vulnerable to hostile takeover.

Columbus government[]

Flag of the United States

The Flag of the old United States, presumably used by the Columbus government. Capital: Columbus, Ohio.

The Columbus government also considers itself to be the legitimate government of the United States, and controls states east of the Mississippi River. While still reeling from the attacks, Columbus is also forced to compete for its very existence against the Allied States. Its leader is former United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Charles, sole surviving member of the Cabinet and thus the legitimate successor to the Presidency. Most of the available information relating to conditions in the eastern United States comes through the Cheyenne government and may not be trustworthy.

New York City and Columbus, Ohio, two major US cities targeted in the initial attacks, survived unharmed. Due to increased security measures by the New York City Police Department after the September 11, 2001 attacks, as well as from Hawkins's last minute tipoff, the nuclear bomb set to be detonated in New York City was intercepted moments before it would have exploded, and the city was saved. Hawkins was assigned to deliver the Columbus bomb, but instead brought it with him secretly to Jericho. As a direct result, the states east of the Mississippi River are in a significantly stronger position than the attack plans had assumed -- a major setback to the instigator of the nuclear attacks and to the Allied States in the struggle for continental power.

Independent Republic of Texas[]

Texas flag

The Flag of the Independent Republic of Texas. Capital: San Antonio. No reason is given in the series for the capital to move from Austin (which survives the attacks) to San Antonio.

Energy-rich Texas did not join the Allied States of America, nor has it reunited with the United States to the east; it became the Independent Republic of Texas, led by a Governor named Todd, and is the wild card in the struggle for Central North American supremacy after the nuclear attacks. If Texas were to ally with either the Allied States or the United States, it would drastically tip the odds in the inevitable oncoming civil war in their favor.

The major plotline of Season Two, prior to the unknown mastermind's introduction, consisted of Jake Green, Robert Hawkins, and a few other accomplices from Jericho trying to use evidence (in the form of Hawkins's Columbus-bound nuclear bomb, and his laptop which contained the original uranium trace to identify the bombs (presumably the bomb from the foiled New York attack) and a detailed "what if" nuclear contingency plan, drawn up by Jennings & Rall) to convince the Texan government that the Cheyenne Government falsified the uranium trace to justify nuclear attacks on N.Korea and Iran, when the bombs actually came from Sversk, Russia. They also used the attacks to seize power and create their own private country. Despite major interference by the true architect of the conspiracy, a former Jennings & Rall employee, who authored the "what if" nuclear contingency plan on Hawkins' laptop, was pursuing the last bomb himself in order to detonate it in Cheyenne, which would have destroyed J&R, the Cheyenne regime and about a million people. As the series ends, the Texas government appears poised to rejoin the United States. The A.S. Government's attempt to keep this information from reaching the Texas Consulate in Cheyenne was an obvious attempt to hide something, and most likely the reason for Governor Todd sending two Texas Air National Guard F-16 fighters, to escort Mr. Green's plane to Texan soil, and in the process shoot down two Allied States Air Force F-15 fighters sent from Cheyenne to stop the bomb from reaching San Antonio. All attempts to stop the bomb from reaching Texas are thwarted, the bomb reaches San Antonio and the series ends on the brink of the 2nd American Civil War.

Alaska and Hawaii[]

Jericho world map USA ASA Texas and others

Alaska, Hawaii and others territories before administered by Washington DC are in unknown status, green in map

The status of Alaska and Hawaii is unknown. The flag of the ASA shows 21 stars, which is the number of contiguous states west of the Mississippi (excluding Texas); suggesting that Alaska and Hawaii are either independent or still loyal to the lawful Columbus Government.

Other American factions[]

Immediately after the September 2006 attacks, a power vacuum ensued across the United States, as indecision and lack of communication began to take its toll on the various surviving regions of the nation. The following information was depicted in the Season One episode "Black Jack" and Season Two episode "Patriots and Tyrants."

Area Capital President Under control of
Western Sacramento, CA Senator Morissette Cheyenne
Central Cheyenne, WY Senator Tomarchio Faction still exists
Southern San Antonio, TX Governor Todd Texas
Southeast Montgomery, AL Senator Snowden Columbus
Midwest Columbus, OH HHS Secretary Charles Faction still exists
Northeast Rome, NY Unknown Columbus

Very little information about the defunct factions is known. As of "Black Jack", news bulletins stated that "Cheyenne nears accorded with Sacramento" and "Florida delegates sent to Montgomery to back Sen. Snowdens claim to presidency.". It is unknown if the San Antonio government considered itself the legitimate government of the United States, of it was merely the government of Texas. If it was one of the "legitimate" governments, it has sense either become defunct, or transformed into the Republic of Texas.

UN Peace-keepers[]

The-United-Nations

UN flag

UN Peace-keepers are stationed along the Mississippi River, which is now the border between the Cheyenne-controlled and Columbus-controlled territories.

Original government reaction[]

FEMA camps[]

Shortly after the bombs went off, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) successfully set up refugee camps near blast sites. There are presumably numerous camps (with varying conditions), but only a few are specifically mentioned: Topeka ("Long Live the Mayor"), West Chicago Camp ("Casus Belli"), a camp near Baltimore ("Black Jack"), and a camp at an unknown location with 10,000 refugees ("Semper Fidelis"). A camp in Lexington, Kentucky, was also mentioned by Sarah Mason in the online video segment Ask the Mystery Woman. Semper Fidelis also noted that food riots occurred in the West Chicago Camp, resulting in the overpowering of their Marine guards.

Foreign relations[]

One of the questions posed to Robert Hawkins in his segments on the CBS website is whether any targets outside of the U.S. were attacked. His response is that he hasn't heard of any, but that "it wouldn't surprise [him]". The fake Marines in "Semper Fidelis" say that North Korea and Iran have been attacked in retaliation by the U.S., which is confirmed to be done by the Allied States under the orders of President Tomarchio in "retaliation for the September bombings". With Hawkins' intimate knowledge of the attacks, it is determined that the strikes on North Korea and Iran are likely a cover-up of a domestic conspiracy.

Also, China and Germany have apparently performed several air supply drops to U.S. citizens (mostly food, but also mechanical and medical supplies).

The United Nations is involved in keeping the peace between the Allied and United States.

Episode synopsis[]

First referenced Agency Unit or division Description
Episode 101 ("Pilot") N/A N/A At the time the first explosions were noted from Jericho, the US President was in the midst of addressing a joint session of the U.S. Congress. Since Washington, D.C. was reported as having been totally destroyed in the attack, it is very likely that the President and most of the people in the upper echelons of the federal government and supreme military leaders were killed.
US CIA Special Task Force Robert Hawkins is dispatched to Jericho just prior to the explosion of several bombs Hawkins had intended to keep from going off. (CIA affiliation does not become clear until Episode 12, "The Day Before")
Episode 103 ("Four Horsemen") US DoD 131st Fighter Wing, Missouri Air National Guard F-16s spotted over Kansas, as described by two pilots during the attacks, on a recovered cockpit voice recorder. One of the pilots believes that the F-16s are from the 131st Fighter Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, originating at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis. In real life, the 131st Fighter Wing flies the F-15, not the F-16.
US DoD Kansas Army National Guard Stanley reveals he saw five tanks on I-70 heading west. It's not known where they came from, but it is suspected that they're from a National Guard unit in Goodland, Kansas.
Episode 105 ("Federal Response") US DHS FEMA Reverse-911 phone call from the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, asking everyone not to leave, and assuring that help and further information is on the way.
FCC/FEMA/US NWS The Emergency Alert System is seen on the television feed and is later replaced with a podium bearing a US State Department agency seal, but the signal is lost before anyone comes into view to speak.
US DoD USAF Space Command At the end of the fifth episode, there is a rumbling and people rush outside to see ballistic missiles rocketing upward, which are presumed to be American. It is later revealed that the missiles were launched on orders from Tomarchio; it is unknown if Tomarchio was still operating in the name of the United States.
Episode 107 ("Long Live the Mayor") US DHS FEMA Gray Anderson reports that FEMA is operating refugee camps and that FEMA is running water to these camps, including one at Rogue River.
NYPD ESU The Bomb in New York was prevented from going off because NYPD has apprehended the bombers before the attacks
Episode 108 ("Rogue River") US DHS FEMA As Jake and Eric enter Rogue River they see FEMA evacuation symbols on the doors of houses indicating the date of evacuation and the number of alive/dead found. They also see leaflets scattered about the town from FEMA warning of the contamination of groundwater from the nuclear explosion in Lawrence, Kansas.
Jennings & Rall Ravenwood When Jake and Eric meet a Ravenwood mercenary at the top of the County Hospital in Rogue River, he says that Ravenwood were hired by Homeland Security because there were not enough National Guard in Kansas.
Episode 110 ("Red Flag") Chinese PLA PLAAF (aircraft)
USAF (equipment)
Chinese supply air drops are conducted over Kansas air space by Russian-made planes from the 1970s (identified by Jake as two Antonov transports, and two MiG 19 fighter-escorts) using parachutes that utilize a modern U.S. Air Force RFID tracking technology. In reality Antonov only produce transport based aircraft and the PLA has retired the MiG-19 (known as the J-6 in Chinese parlance).
Episode 113 ("Black Jack") N/A N/A When a party from Jericho visits the Black Jack Fairgrounds trading post, they are told that the federal government has split into at least six competing factions, with six Presidents claiming authority, and each with his own political and military allies. They are also told that some of the supply air drops in other areas were carried out by Germany. See the synopsis of "Black Jack" for more detailed information about the political situation.
Episode 115 ("Semper Fidelis") US DoD 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, USMC The fraudulent Marines stated that an actual company of Marines were dispatched to their refugee camp, leaving behind several weapons and an M1 Abrams tank when abandoning the camp.
Episode 122 ("Why We Fight") AS DoD ASMC
AS Army Aviation Branch
Regiment-size Marine unit and Army/Marine aviation units are stationed on the Camp Liberty, Nebraska under Colonel Hoffman's command. The camp does not fly the Flag of the United States.
Episode 201 ("Reconstruction") AS DoD Joint Task Force Combined Army, Air Force, Marine units are dispatched to stop violent incidents between Jericho and New Bern under Colonel Hoffman's order. These forces are controlled by the new Allied States of America.
AS DoD AS Army 10th Mountain Division Detachment of 10th Mountain Division lead by Allied States Army Major Beck is dispatched to Jericho and New Bern. Major Beck commands all military forces in the region of Jericho and New Bern.
Episode 202 ("Condor") UN DPKO Peacekeepers United Nations peacekeepers are said to be stationed along the Mississippi River, which is known as the "Blue Line" due to the color of the UN troops' helmets.
AS DHS AS Secret Service The Allied States Secret Service protects AS President Tomarchio during his visit to Jericho.
Episode 207 ("Patriots and Tyrants") AS DoD ASAF Two Allied States Air Force F-15s attempts to shoot down a Texas consular plane carrying Jake, Hawkins, and the remaining nuclear weapon before it enters Texas airspace.
Texas State Military Forces Texas Air National Guard TANG F-16s shoot down the ASAF F-15s. The consular plane arrives in Texas.
AS, US, and IRT governments N/A Texas aligns itself with the United States due to the nuclear bomb Hawkins and Jake delivered. The second American Civil War begins.
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