Work Text:
— History Essay: The Unification of Auradon —
Auradon Preparatory School
The United Nations of Auradon (or: UNA; also colloquially called Auradon) is a supranational union with devolved legal and administrative powers established by the "Treaty of Auradon", first proposed by King Adam and Queen Belle of Auradon (formerly Aveyon).
Before the UNA was established, the lands existed in state of fragmented independence. During this period, it was split into a great number of sovereign kingdoms, nearly sovereign small and medium-sized secular, non-secular and ecclesiastical principalities, as well as imperial states and cities, some of which were barely larger than a single town or the surrounding grounds of the monastery of an imperial abbey. While many relations between nations were already established through trade, policies, and transnational efforts, it remained a decentralised, fractured expanse containing a multitude of independent actors.
Trade worked well with close neighbours, but by creating peace between nations, it opened new opportunities for people. Suddenly, trading became inaccessible due to the vast amount of currency discrepancies. Immigration policies barred education, divided families, halted skill transfers and progress. This caused unrest and insecurity to grow.
Estimates of the total number of independent actors at any time until the 18th century vary drastically, ranging from 341 to 489, or more. However, the number of states rapidly decreased with the onset of transnational mediatisation in the early 19th century. Many small-states—especially the densely populated lands southwest from the Imperial Wall—merged together or integrated into established kingdoms to escape the financial and social despair many were facing.
Given the industrialisation taking place during the merging era, it was no surprise that the density of people within major cities increased. Due to the convoluted and overflowing mass of people, the systems in place were overworked, not transparent and inefficient to satisfy the populous' needs.
Though many royals tried to ignore it, there was a collective sentiment within the general populous that necessitated unity on a higher level between states previous to Aveyon's formal call for action. A commonplace method many turned to was commercial alliance agreements, which quickly evolved to include political compromise and various types of complimentary benefits.
Given this global crisis, it was King Adam of Aveyon who first suggested the establishment of a blanket alliance between major kingdoms. This would be the start of a tumultuous decade and a half, sparking heated debates within scholarly, political, and judicial circles about the benefits and dangers of such a decision. The public–while mostly supportive in light of their past demands–many had doubts about whether or not their needs would be taken into serious consideration.
The first document, titled "Convention on the Cooperation between Kingdoms" (CCK), was adopted by Aveyon, Agrabah, Běi Wèi, Corona, Hannover, Tirulia, Ulstead, and Ventoux; today, they are acknowledged to be the founding members of the UNA. It covered many aspects we know to be day-today life, such as diplomatic immunity and unified trading conditions.
The "Tready of Auradon on the Unification of Nations" followed only a few years later—after Aveyon had officially changed their name to symbolise the national rebirth by adopting English as their second national language—and was the first true version of the Treaty of Auradon.
Since then, this document has been revised multiple times to address new developments such as the Isle of the Lost or to welcome more member states. The Isle of the Lost is considered an anomaly, as it is part of the UNA, but neither a recognised Kingdom nor a Principality or Representative Government. It enjoys no sovereignty and acts as a prison for all nations. In legal terms, it is a territory belonging to the UNA. Auradon carries authority and sovereign responsibility for the Isle, although the UN Council can overrule Auradon's decisions.
-- Finnegan Valoir, 2nd year
Dear Mr. Valoir,
you succinctly summarised most historical happenings surrounding the unification of Auradon and explained the circumstances prior to that decision. Some aspects are a bit convoluted, specifically your paragraph about trading and immigration, which was a bit short. Take care to avoid repetitive sentence structures or wording choices. Your essay abruptly ends without a proper summary or conclusion.
I encourage you to address the oppositional voices more in depth next time as well, as I find that distinct perspective lacking. Especially the influence the period of villainy had on major players has escaped your research. I suggest you read "Men Without Restrictions" by Rhubarb Bell, "How Villains Created The Isle Of The Lost" by Louis Tart and "persona non grata" by Sultana Yasmin for your personal studies.
Overall, a mostly formal and factual essay.
71/100.
sig. Mrs. Laighton