Warning: This is a serious side chapter that'll discuss various mature topics in relation to this fanfiction. Know that this side chapter was not meant to offend anyone other than to express my concerns and limits on what I can write about in this fanfiction and its sequels. Thank you for you understanding.

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Writing can be such a pain in the ass sometimes. For any writer, there'll always be obstacles whenever writing a story, no matter the genre.

Before publishing this book, I've spent much of my time creating chapters of this book beforehand. Some chapters were harder to write than others. Research, of course, is a whole different story. I'm sure some writers have difficulty sifting through the Internet thinking, "Man, I've just wasted an hour reading a Wikipedia article on Mother's Day." The same kind of thought kept popping up whenever I tend to read the article more than write the story. With all that aside, I was able to get some stories done despite having not published the stories yet, unsure whether anyone would read or like what I've written.

I mean, this fanfiction compared to various Hetalia fanfictions involving the States of America is not the typical "States barge into the World Conference" cliché. In fact, it's one of the few that actually dive into the history and culture of the United States. To some people, this type of work isn't like Hetalia's lighthearted, comedic tone, or the usual random fanfiction where shipping, self-inserts, AUs, lemons, and all sorts of shenanigans that go beyond the spectrum of good and bad. Some might not like my fanfiction either by the serious tone, the lack of jokes, or even the lengthy historical fiction which I understand.

Despite being depicted in a manner that's the total opposite of Hetalia, the fanfiction has received a generous amount of reads, votes, comments, and support thanks to readers like you who've read this far. In less than ten chapters, the first series will come to an end. By then, I would've wrote a chapter on each State of America including Washington D.C. Overall, I'm amazed to have this many reads for a fanfiction, and I would like to thank everyone for reading this once again because without any reads, votes, or comments I would probably lose interest in this fanfiction or update this work less often than usual. But thanks to readers like you, I've become motivated to write not only this series, but its future continuations as well. Again, thank you all so much.

Okay. Enough of that. I need to get on to the main subject at hand.

As most of y'all know, this series and most likely its future series have depicted various historical events. Again, Hetalia is known to be light-hearted with a few serious moments in between. On the other hand, this fanfiction is known to dive into some of the darker parts of history. Before writing a chapter, I always thought about my readers' possible reaction to the subject I'm about to write about. Among my concerns is their ability to handle "mature" subjects, especially whenever I've gone too far with the violence, seriousness, or even offensiveness of a subject. This is especially true whenever it deals with a controversial part of history as I'm aware of people who'll point out how the history I base the chapter on isn't true or is a gross misinterpretation of the event. As such, I'm always cautious on writing certain events I try to portray.

Not just history, there are things I'm wary of showcasing simply because it'll either go against Wattpad guidelines (being my main platform to write on) or it may offend readers where at its worse I receive complaints and mean comments. Even though I know such comments aren't something to worry about, I hate for my confidence to drag to where I start to lose interest in writing if you know what I mean. As such, I tend to put warnings whenever such things are apparent.

Overall, I'm forced to think and reconsider my options on the chapters' contents. In some ways it's a good thing. Something I find okay may not sound right to others. Then again, maybe I'm just being a worrywart. In a way, some things in this book are considered tame compared to other books. Either way, I want everyone to understand my limits on writing this fanfiction from this series and its sequels. Below are some topics I tend to tread carefully on:

Native Americans:

Native Americans were the first people to inhabit the North American continent. They were the ones to hold the land prior to European exploration and colonization. Their culture is especially unique, and I have mentioned their involvement in a few chapters of this series. Some tribes are more peaceful and hostile than others. Depending on the event, it can pose a challenge on whether each tribes's portrayal is appropriate. Even if I were to spend hours researching the customs and history of each tribe, I'll probably make mistakes whether it be misinformation or a mistake on my part. If I did make mistakes, know it was never my intention to spread lies or depict Native Americans in a false manner. Rather, I simply want to make people more aware of Native Americans whether it be their history, culture, or impact on the formation of the United States of America.

On a side note, I usually call the natives of the North American continent Native Americans. Not simply because it's the 'politically correct' term, but I always thought calling them "Indians" is weird since they're not from India. As much as I prefer to use the appropriate term, I understand the term Indians was a common term to describe Native Americans back then. Therefore, I'll occasionally use Indians instead of Native Americans, so politically correct comments will usually do nothing other than annoy me.

Moving on, there'll be events or things regarding Native Americans I'll have difficulty depicting. Some of the most difficult involve violence and treachery of sorts like the Indian Removal Act and the Indian Wars. They were probably some of the darkest events in U.S. history. Without a doubt, such chapters on these events will be serious and depressing. Indeed, the White settlers have wronged the Native Americans. I could easily twist the narrative of the chapters involving Native Americans, depicting them as defenseless victims to European-Americans. However, it's important to understand both sides of the conflict. Not every White man wanted to exterminate Native Americans nor did every Native American want to peacefully get along with White settlers. Both sides committed atrocities without a doubt. 

In my opinion, what makes such events horrible is the fact the Whites who could care less about the treatment of Native Americans were the ones to influence the policies of violence and discrimination against them. Rather than cooperate or get to know the tribes, they rather place them in reservations, forcing them to conform and erase their heritage in order to be "American". In the end, the oppressors won at the cost of many lives, especially those whom never had the chance to win.

If I had to portray such chapters, I have to be careful as believe it or not history tends to be written in favor of the victor nor does it help some information on Native Americans is scarce. Research is especially important because various accounts and opinions on each event will vary, and I need to be wary on which ones to believe and use for the chapter. And let's not forget how I plan to portray these events in a story format. The States I choose to use for such events is especially important because their views and stance on the matter are important as they are the lens of what is being depicted. By my whim, I can easily depict them as being either sympathetic or cold to the situation which comes down to my fears of ever writing such events.

One of my biggest fears whenever I do such chapters is the assumption of a character to be "bad" simply for thinking passively on the subject. For sure, I'll have some OCs be empathetic toward Native Americans. Even so, I like to depict the different views and sides of the conflict, meaning there'll be some people, including some OCs, being portrayed as "heartless" to an extent. Whenever I have an OC host such views, know it's to reflect some of the opinions that were going on at the time, even if such views don't fit well in the 21st century.

As depressing and cringey this subject may be, I find a need to bring this up. History textbooks tend to overshadow Native American history nor do they necessarily show the entire narrative of the conflict. Once I flush out my OCs a little more, I hope to cover such topics in the future. When I do, I hope such chapters don't offend anyone; instead make readers learn and be aware of Native American history and culture.

Colonization:

As most people know, colonization wasn't the rosiest thing to talk about in history. Like, look what it did to Native Americans. Not to mention how it introduced and expanded slavery into the New World. There were all sorts of injustices that happened in this era. Despite being a relatively horrible event to talk about, it's important to remember how important it was for the creation of some countries and states.

One of the biggest difficulties regarding this subject is how I'm going to depict it in this fanfiction. In Hetalia, rarely were there bad portrayals of colonization; it was light-hearted for the most part. As such, I like to think the states as colonies during this time lived light-hearted lives admiring their colonizer. Yet, I'm aware of various events that involve the evils of colonization. I don't want to overshadow such history, making some think colonization was a great time for the people who live in that era. At the same time, I don't want to ruin the "Hetalia" spirit if anyone gets my meaning.

In the end, I decided to try and balance the good and the bad of colonization. Of course, not every state during this era will experience the same experiences as the rest of the colonies. I'll try to distinguish their childhood from one another so as to draw comparisons. Parts of these OCs experiences will be made up, especially to help build development and their relationship with their surroundings. However, I'll also include a few "mature" scenes that'll depict the realities of colonization. There'll be comments on such chapters being "too dark" or "not true" which I understand. Unfortunately, I can't appease everyone. Overall, I'll try to be respectful and true to the historic events that take place while make the stories entertaining and complex as possible.

Slavery:

To clarify, slavery existed since the beginnings of the nation, but the institution had over time diminished in the North. The main use of slaves was concentrated in the South until after the Civil War when slavery was finally banned throughout the nation. Arguments on slavery in politics at the time were complicated, and history books have their own explanations on the matter, causing controversy on how the material is written in textbooks. For sure, slavery is something some Americans hate to admit was a thing. Whether we like it or not, its effects continue to haunt us. Rather than ignore it, it's best for everyone learn from it.

Unlike the topic on Native American oppression, the problem with slavery is the fact it's a regional and systematic problem, focused mostly in the South. One of my biggest worries on creating such chapters on the matter is making the Southern states look like bad guys. They were involved in supporting the institution up until the end of the Civil War, causing the loss of lives and the destruction of their economy, all for the sake in keeping the evil institution. Despite what they've done, I don't want everyone to necessarily dislike and assume all Southerners are racists, bigots, or cold, heartless beings who hate anyone who's not a White, heterosexual Christian. Nor do I want anyone to hate the Southern states because of their past views.

Since the Civil War, the OCs representing the South have undergo change. As of present, they don't support slavery, and they acknowledge (to an extent) their past wrongdoings. They've matured, and I want everyone to understand the state then differs to what they are now. Overall, I want everyone to keep an open-mind whenever I do chapters on slavery, and to not necessarily hate the Southern states for their past behavior as most have changed and moved on from the past.

Of course, the topic doesn't only involve the ones who own slaves. The experiences of slaves and former slaves are important to note. As such, I have to display a broad range of situations of which my OCs were a part of. Unfortunately, there'll be certain limits whenever I do such chapters on slavery.

For one, I won't have a state participate in torturing slaves. I won't mind showing a slaveholder whip a slave, but having an OC commit such violence I feel goes too far to where I can't justify such actions. Another thing I won't have any of my states do is say the N-word. Later in this chapter, I have a section dedicated to my opinion on slurs like the N-word. Even though the N-word was a common phrase back then, it seems wrong for any of my OCs to say such language. That's my opinion. 

Lastly, I haven't thought this through yet so please bare in mind, but I have considered depicting some of my OCs participating in various parts of the slave institution such as slave auctions and life on the plantation. I might even do chapters over runaway slaves during the Underground Railroad and slaveholders capturing runaway slaves; both of which are frightening to even write about. When I do, I probably need to add warnings in case anyone might not be ready to read such dark chapters.

In summary, I want everyone to understand that I'm not defending the South's past and reasons for supporting the cruel institution. I simply want to show the views and attitudes that were reflected in that era. Some of my OCs may find the institution as a way of life, and it's understandable in some aspects. However, such ideas end up being outdated, and slavery, no matter what, is evil for simply forcing a group of people into a life they don't like against their will.

The Civil War:

The American Civil War is probably one of the deadliest wars to happen on American soil. It was a war between the Northern States who were pro-Union and supported the abolitionist movement, and the Southern States who were pro-Confederacy and supported the right to own slaves. In the end, the Union won, the South lost, and many lives died as a result of this toxic war.

The reason this event is considered controversial in regard to this fanfiction is the manner I plan to portray it. So far in the first series, I've depicted the early events and aftermath of the Civil War (see Chapters 8, 22, and 41 for context). However, I had yet depicted the battles and warfare that went on in midst of the Civil War. A part of me wants to depict the war in a serious, monotone gloom. However, I also want it to be lighthearted at times as seen with the chapters I've depicted on the event so far. Either way, I do my best to balance the tone so as to not make the Civil War seem too depressing or too lighthearted determining the event I plan to use for the chapter.

And when I do chapters that are related to the Civil War, it's important to know the complex viewpoints of the Civil War. While it's easy to depict the Southern states as the bad guys of this war, I want to have an objective view on this whole event. The only times when opinions are shown is whenever the chapter is narrated in first person by the state. When I do this, I hope everyone understands the ones narrating may not necessarily be correct in their way of thinking.

Lastly, I plan to write a specific series dedicated to the events that revolve around the Civil War. Until then, I'll reserve chapters involving major events of the Civil War for that series despite requests. Overall, I hope everyone understands my way of depicting this event.

The Confederate States of America:

This is an odd subject to talk about. In the Hetalia fandom, many individuals create OCs personifying the Confederate States of America aka the Confederacy. For the most part, this kind of OC will match the tone of the fanfiction it's being written in. Some people don't like OCs based on the Confederacy due to such OCs being offensive which is understandable.

Personally, my beef with an OC based on the Confederacy is best summarized in this question: Is it appropriate? By what I mean by that, I ask anyone aware of U.S. history to look back on it again. For the most part, the proud Southern attitude is the most common trait depicted in this kind of OC. As such, their appearance is sometimes shown as comedic among the more "sophisticated" countries. Harmless enough, right?

Unfortunately, I tend to create characters based on not only their culture but their history as well. Looking back on the history of the Confederacy... Yikes... My biggest problem with most Confederacy OCs is how they're not only one-dimensional prideful southerners, but there's also a kind of...ignorance to the Confederacy's history.

I know most Hetalia fanfiction writers don't usually incorporate history into their work. If I'm correct, I'm assuming most of these writers are in their teens, therefore they may have yet gotten a good grasp or interest in history yet. I'll even agree having a three-dimensional OC can be off-putting when written among one-dimensional characters or in a carefree chapter. Those Confederacy OCs may be okay in their respective sources, but in this fanfiction my Confederacy OC isn't exactly going to be a fun character to write about.

I see the Confederate States of America as a temporary "country". They won't be featured in present time (they may be featured as a ghost however). They'll only appear during the Civil War, born from the secession of the Southern States and disappearing in their surrender to the Union. Their life was short-lived, however, their impact has left a mark on America. Today, their spirit remains alive in the form of Confederate flags, historic monuments of Confederate heroes, and words of some of its dedicated followers.

Indeed, there are some "good" points about the Confederacy as a character in this fanfiction. They're loyal and prideful of the South. They strongly favor the protection of state's rights. They have a strong determination that can be admirable to some, especially in times of war. They are skilled in war tactics and usage of many weapons. Lastly, they pose as a strong leader to the Southern States.

However, they also represent some bad points. They're stubborn to change. They're known to be temperamental, known to get aggressively violent to either ally or enemy. Most importantly, they hate to lose or be wronged. They support secession, the division of the Union. They hate the North and President Lincoln; they also dislike America to an extent. Obviously, they support slavery. Despite their claim to the Christian faith, their ideals can be considered extreme, oppressive, xenophobic, racist, and sexist to an extent.

Especially in regard to slavery, they're distinguished to be the "bad guy" of the Civil War which isn't exactly wrong but not accurate either. The Civil War is a gray issue that's still being debated by scholars and professors. To simply depict the Confederacy as "the evil lord of the South" seems like a waste of a character. The Confederacy itself will be a complex character who I hope to feature in the future; showing both their good and bad sides.

Of course, I'm not expecting everyone to side with the Confederacy in terms of its role in the Civil War. It's fine to admire their Southern pride. It's fine to see where they come from. It's also fine to disagree with what they support. That's the whole point in creating a complex character, to understand while disagreeing with their actions. Some may like them simply for their proud mindset. Others may loathe them for representing racist values. These two opinions are completely fine.

What I've said above, although a good point of concern, is not the biggest controversy in writing the Confederacy as an OC. My main problem with the character centers around the aftermath of their death.

As I said earlier, the Confederacy was short-lived. Their beliefs, however, continue to impact the nation, as I mentioned before, in various forms like Confederate flags, historical statues, and a couple of people who are still undeniably prideful of the Confederacy. It has been more or less stereotyped the South is prideful of the Confederacy, and I won't deny this stereotype to be partially true. No doubt the Southern States are prideful of the Confederacy. Whether I display such favor in current day chapters is the main issue I have.

In recent news, there have been debates on getting rid of Confederate symbols. There have also been a rise of concern on hate groups whose xenophobic, homophobic, and racist beliefs are matched by the wave of the Confederate flag. Some people protest for the removal of these symbols of bigotry while there are some who defend their place as a part of Southern heritage. This is a divisive issue that's still being debated in present time as of the publishing of this chapter.

Closing this section, here's my stance on the issue:

As a person from in the South, I do admire Southern pride based on its culture. I, however, condone the Confederacy on the basis of what it stood for both in the historic past and present time. In my writing, some of the Southern states have a fondness for the Confederacy in reflection of their Southern pride. That's it. These characters won't support the Confederacy's ideals such as slavery, xenophobia, racism, and any outdated idea that bashes particular groups like P.O.C., the LGBTQ community, and immigrants. That's all I'll say on the matter.

Jim Crow Laws and Segregation:

As mentioned earlier, the effects of slavery still lingered, evident in the failed reforms of the Reconstruction Era. Not long after slavery was abolished, Jim Crow Laws were established in the South, justifying the segregation of race so long as it's "equal", but as it turns out it wasn't at all. Not only were People of Color, specifically African Americans, segregated in the South, but their rights were also limited due to such laws. Discrimination and racism remain rampant, eventually coming to a halt in the late 20th century with Civil Rights protests,  Supreme Court cases turning over such policies, and legislation passed by Congress and the President. Even then, its ideals continues to be an opposing force in current times.

Without a doubt, I'll be creating a few chapters depicting such problems whether they're the main subject or as a part of the era a chapter is taking place in. Whenever I write such chapters, I hope anyone understands it's meant to show the difficulties of minorities living in that era. Later in this chapter, I've discuss my stance on my depiction of discrimination in the series and its sequels.

The Civil Rights Movement:

The Civil Rights Movement is a special historic event I hope to cover one of these days. However, I have minor worries regarding the way I plan to depict this event. As much as I want to depict this event as a momentous victory that was accomplished within a year or so, the fight for equal rights was a difficult one that succeeded thanks to continuous support and protest which wasn't easy. Thus, I need to highlight the struggle along with the opposing forces that contrast the determination of the activists. All of which gets complicated in concern to my OCs.

For the most part, the Civil Rights protests mostly took place in the South. At the time, segregation was rampant in Southern society, creating divisions between Whites and People of Color. Discrimination and racism in all forms will be depicted in such chapters, so be wary of that whenever such chapters are published. This is especially concerning determining which OCs I use to narrate the event who'll without a doubt have different perspectives and views over the course of the event. Overall, just be wary of these kinds of chapters to be one of most violent in terms how politically and racially divided America was during this era.

9/11 and Terrorism:

Everyone pretty much knows what 9/11 means (at least I hope they do). Basically 9/11 is a terrorist attack that killed hundreds of Americans and deeply traumatized the nation upon its devastation. Surprisingly, it's considered controversial to some. But without a doubt, it deeply affected American politics, especially in concern to global terrorism.

I've heard some Hetalians express dislike on those that depict this event in Hetalia fanfiction which I understand to an extent. I've read a couple, and some didn't seem to understand what actually happened with the event or appear genuine or appropriate. However, there are some I found pretty good who not only cover the topic in a respectful manner, but also make it deep and complex with emotion. As for my interpretation on this event, it'll certainly cover a few chapters considering multiple states were involved. When I do publish this event, they'll certainly be serious and realistic in tone, so you've been warned.

As for terrorism in general, I'll certainly not write about it at all. Again, I've read posts that don't recommend writing such events as they are disrespectful to the victims and shouldn't be fictionalized. Thus, 9/11 will probably be the only terrorist attack I'll write about. That's all I have to say on the matter.

Current Events: 

There are many reasons why I don't have many chapters base on current events. Below I've listed some of these reasons:

Lack of Interest: Don't get me wrong. There are plenty of current events I find interesting enough to incorporate into a chapter. However, there are also topics I find a lack of interest in doing. I mean, look at the news. Do you really want me to dedicate every chapter to a current event, especially politics? Hopefully not. I find the news informational, but depressing at times, so ideally I prefer to write current events that aren't too controversial, especially ones that are upbeat and ridiculous.

Structure: As everyone has noticed so far, this fanfiction has 51 chapters (not counting the prologue, side chapters, and epilogue), each one tailored around each state in order to give them an equal amount of spotlight. Unfortunately, this kind of format limits me to update each chapter by the their statehood. Indeed, I could update the chapters at random, however, I like to keep things organized. Unless by coincidence there's a current event happening in the next state chapter I'm about to update, I tend to save such current events for another time although they won't be relative anymore.

Time: For the most part, I usually do weekly updates around the weekend. I tend to overwork myself creating long chapters as some of you may have noticed. With all of this in mind, writing a current event will be difficult to do. Not only will I need to come up with a plot, but I'll need to write it out as a rough draft and edit it as well. All in a week if I'm really determined to keep it in line to a weekly update. In the end, I prefer to write the current event later and wait to see how the event turns out rather than write in the spur of the moment.  

Unsuitable: By what I mean by this, I mean subjects that are divisive I refuse to cover. Complex politics, mass shootings, controversies, scandals, you know the gist. Indeed, they should be talked about. However, I don't want to create a fire and have angry arguments in the comments section. In addition to its divisiveness, I've heard writing fanfiction on such events is considered rude and disrespectful, especially to victims in tragedies and violence. Maybe in given time I'll talk about them. But for the most part I'll avoid using them in my writing, or if I do write about them I try to be objective and mature on the matter.

Despite such reasons listed above, I'm debating on creating a separate work related to this series, one where it'll not only be based more on current events, but also current trends as well. In that kind of work, the chapters will be shorter, more relative to the present along with being more upbeat in tone. However, updates will probably be random according to the limited time I have. It may a while until I create such a work, so hopefully everyone understands the issue I have with writing current events in relation to this fanfiction.

Discrimination, Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, Transphobia, and the Such:

As much as I hate to talk about these topics, I find it important to point out for the years prior to the present are vastly different, especially when it comes to toleration. Whenever I do a chapter on the past, I'll sometimes cringe whenever I have to insert such behavior and language. Even though such behavior or language isn't tolerable in today's society, it was considered "okay" to say back then. I doubt I'll let any of my OCs say such things because I hate to offend anybody from the state, or ruin the character for saying something racist and such. However, there'll be people throughout the series and its sequels who'll express such feelings whether to contribute to the conflict or to show how racist, sexist, homophobic, or transphobic America was back then. 

I'll occasionally leave warnings whenever such behavior is prominent throughout the chapter in case anyone is sensitive to such behavior. I could easily portray events without depicting any sort of discrimination, however, that'll be ignorant of me, especially to those who were harshly mistreated by such problems. I condemn such behavior and thinking, so please don't misunderstand I express it as a way of scrutinizing a group. Rather, I depict it to reflect the attitudes of American society in that era. Anyway, thank you for your understanding.

Drug Use:

As of now, most of the drugs I've depicted like tobacco products and marijuana are usually in the context of the historic timeline. Drugs like cocaine, heroin, meth, and any drug with seriously harmful effects might be featured, however, I won't have my OCs take such drugs since I feel that's going too far in my opinion. Another character may take the drug or the drug may be discussed in length, but overall I won't have any of my OCs doing such drugs. Although not considered a reason for listing a story as mature according to Wattpad guidelines, I'll be sure to put warnings on prominent drug usage, mainly to suggest the stories written doesn't encourage or support the use of drugs.

Ethnic, Gay, Racial, and Religious Slurs:

Some people can say a thousand swear words a day while there are those who refuse to speak such things for it'll be unholy of them to do. To be frank, I'm no saint. I have no morals. Most of the time, I curse whenever I'm with someone I'm familiar with or whenever I forgot to silence my phone during class. In writing, I'm in favor of leaving curse words uncensored. According to Wattpad guidelines, swearing isn't considered a reason for listing a story as mature. I trust my young audience is mature enough to know this story doesn't dictate the words that come out of their mouth.

Determining the character and the topic being talked about, the amount of cursing varies. For example, Utah doesn't have a foul mouth, therefore it wouldn't make sense for him to curse like a sailor. For some states who are normally docile, whenever they're upset or furious it would make sense for them to cuss. Those who swear constantly are those with untamed personalities. Believe it or not, this was one way to make my OCs stand out from one another.

Even though I don't mind leaving curse words uncensored, there are some words I'm conflicted on even mentioning even if I were to censor them somewhat, most of them being some kind of slur toward a group of people. I'm not going to go down the list of slurs, so to the curious I recommend looking them up on the Internet in order to get my meaning. However, don't say I influenced you to say them out loud and whatever.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Slurs like curses are offensive. Mentioned earlier in my argument on discrimination, back then wasn't as tolerant as the politically-correct now. Some slurs I found weren't as offensive as others, so I might use them. As for others, they're so offensive I don't think it would be okay of me to feature them. Not simply because I don't have any right to write down such words, but I also feel such words are extreme, especially for a Hetalia fanfiction which is a surprising excuse I know. Even with the excuse of this work being a historical fiction, I'm still wary as I hate to offend people.

Take the N-word, a slur pertained to African Americans, for example. Prior to the Civil Rights Era, the N-word was fairly common to say without anyone giving you a disgust look. However, some African Americans today find the word offensive for its connection to oppression and slavery. Currently the N-word, despite being inappropriate to some, remains somewhat common, having been popularized and newly defined by younger generations. Whether I'll use this slur is debatable. Again, I hate to offend anybody. On the other hand, it was fairly common and I would like the dialogue of a chapter to reflect the era it took place in. To an extent, I may write "negro" instead.

In the end, I'll rarely use racial, ethnic, religious, or gay slurs simply knowing I'm going to offend someone, especially in today's era. When I do, it's usually of minor usage, mainly to show how offensive these terms can be and how it affected these groups back then. Some slurs like gringo can be used for jokes or laughs, but major slurs like the N-word won't be put into jokes due to the fear of getting backlash from those who don't find its inclusion funny. But just in case, I'll include warnings at the beginning of chapter that specifically contain offensive slurs.

History of the LGBT+Q Community:

One critical assessment of U.S. history in the American classroom is the lack of mentions on minorities and the LGBT+Q. For this section, I'll cover my thoughts on the LGBT+Q (the next section is dedicated to minorities).

I hope to showcase historical and cultural aspects of the LGBT+Q in U.S. history. I think it's important to acknowledge and accept who they are, therefore it's vital we see the growth of the movement and their impact in the U.S. So far, I've gave a few OCs their specific gender and sexual preferences. I hope to introduce such information later in the series. For now, know I'll be working on finding topics that highlight the history and culture of the LGBT+Q community.

Also, to those who express hate on the LGBT+Q in rude comments, I'll delete them without a doubt. Hate speech isn't allowed nor do I tolerate such behavior. Anyway, that's all I have to say on the manner.

History of Minorities:

One critical assessment of U.S. history in the American classroom is the lack of mentions on minorities and the LGBT+Q. For this section, I'll cover my thoughts on minorities.

Minorities have lived in the United States since its founding. Over time, they've migrated across the country; some minorities later introduced due to various circumstances. Each group has struggled against Protestant Whites, eventually becoming "accepted" as Americans. Even so, they face some sort of discrimination and prejudice despite their contributions to America. Besides covering the basic events of history, I hope to dive deep into the backgrounds of various ethnic groups in order to shed some light on the importance of America's diversity.

Some of my OCs represent minorities as seen by their designs. As such, some of their chapters may contain topics of discrimination and struggles to reflect the history and culture they represent. However, there are some minorities I'll have difficulty in representing. 

For example, Japanese-Americans and Chinese-Americans aren't really represented in any of my OCs. Most likely they'll be side characters who my OCs will interact with. Religions will also be another difficult thing to do. Jewish, Islamic, and other faiths will, again, have side characters practicing such religions who my OCs will interact with. Even then, they'll still be difficult in some way due to my lack of knowledge in any religion whatsoever. Overall, I hope to do my best to showcase such minorities overall.

Murder:

In the first series so far, the few murders I've shown are the ones in Massachusetts's chapter and a few deaths I've mentioned "off-screen". Later in this side chapter I'll discuss my concerns on violence. In this section, I'll mainly go over my views of murder in this fanfiction.

According to Wattpad guidelines, graphic violence is listed as mature content. Wanting to keep this story's everyone rating, the murders in the course of this fanfiction will generally be PG-13 to put it in another way although be wary there may be multiple murders going on in a chapter determining the event I decided to depict. Even so, I'm confident my readers won't be disturbed by such depictions.

One more thing I want to note before ending this section is my view on murder regarding my OCs' involvement. Personally, I refuse to depict any of my OCs physically murder a human being. In war stories, I won't deny some probably shot a couple of enemy soldiers in battle. It's war after all. Even so, I don't like to depict any of these characters committing this kind of violence. To me, it makes them lose their humanity, and costing their character. Especially in a fanfiction that's partially lighthearted, I won't show any of them do such a thing.

Present Politics:

Ugh, politics... In all seriousness, as boring and controversial politics has become, it's important to know as it's the basis on how decisions in government influence historical events. Present politics will rarely be mentioned as I prefer to see and wait things out before becoming absolutely sure on what's going on. The most political chapters I've written so far for the first series includes the prologue and Iowa's chapter. But for the most part, I'll rarely mention the political complexity of events. Below are my main reasons why I'll rarely write about this subject, especially in relation to current events:

Lack of Interest: I'll assume a part of the audience is made up of teenagers who may not be piqued on learning the various political parties and the various political topics they were going on. I can try to make a political chapter interesting, however, I find myself unlikely to pull that off. And honestly, I find historical events and facts more interesting to write about than political matters.

Lack of Knowledge: Occasionally I'll read new sites and political journals, having some knowledge on various topics. Even if I were to do extra research on a specific matter, I'll have to be cautious, double-checking sources for accurate information and hope what I wrote isn't bias enough to cause conflict. In the end, the payoff wouldn't be impressive unless I made the chapter hilarious which I doubt I'll be able to.

The Political Map: Each state is known to either be a red (Republican), a blue (Democratic), or a swing (either of the two main political parties) state. I may mention a state's favor toward a certain position, but I don't want to nail down, say, a red state being a RED state. I know there are people who have views that differ from the state they're residing in. Plus, political maps show inner state divisions, so saying a state is entirely in favor of one side isn't exactly true. I mean, most states have switched political parties the last century or so. As simple as it would be to assume every state to be on one side or the other, politics isn't simply black and white.

The Readers' Political Position: As mentioned with the recent tension in bipartisanship, most likely I'll have toxic comments and arguments if I were to write a political issue as the main subject of a chapter. As much as I try to be neutral/moderate on matters, I'm afraid of creating bias content, causing a huge misunderstanding. In the end, it's best I stay on the historical path, occasionally tackling political positions of the era, but that's about it.

Despite the reasons mentioned above, that doesn't mean I'll completely avoid politics. Politics influence the nation on numerous levels, causing historical events to shift on policies the people may favor or go against. Events such as the aftermath of the American Revolution, the American Civil War, World War I, the Great Depression, and any event up to present, politics play a role on how history plays out. It's harder to talk about politics in recent times, but I'll try to mention the politics of a historical event whenever I can in order for the reader to understand the conflict. As for present issues, I'll most likely avoid talking about them until I'm fully confident on a subject to write about.

Rape and Sexual Assault:

Rape and sexual assault can be featured on Wattpad, however, it shall not be promoted or else the story will be removed. In this fanfiction's case, I won't feature rape as I find it out of place in this fanfiction's tone. Plus, I hate to traumatize any reader if I were to show rape in graphic imagery. If I have to mention rape for a side character, it will be limited by their own words. Overall, I won't have any of my OCs rape or be raped for various reasons, but the sentence alone already speaks for itself.

As for sexual assault, there may be depictions of it determining the situation and my decision on the matter. Groping and sexual harassment might be shown only to display some of the abuses women (and men) go through, but, again, I won't have such acts done on or by any of my OCs. Other types of sexual assault like child sexual abuse and torture won't be graphically depicted. It may be told by a side character, but I won't convey such imagery out of concern for my audience.

In summary, this topic is a difficult subject to talk about. Then again, the cultural landscape is changing with the #MeToo movement going on as of 2018. It'll probably be a while before I could mention the issue. When I do so, I'll be sure to put warnings in case there are readers who are sensitive to the subject.

Self-Harm and Suicide:

Graphic depictions of self-harm and suicide are listed as mature according to Wattpad guidelines; encouragement of such acts are prohibited. I don't mind depicting such acts, however, I know there are those who are sensitive to this subject, so I'm always conscious on making such scenes in any way graphic. Even if the suicide or self-harm takes place "off-screen", I'll always put warnings up whenever self-harm and suicide is a prominent theme for the chapter. As for my OCs, I don't see myself depicting them doing any form of attempted suicide. I'm not a big fan of angst, especially when it deals with characters I've created. I find such behavior to be too much, so I hope anyone understands my reasons not to depict my OCs doing such things.

Sexual Content and Sex Scenes:

Honestly, I have nothing against the subject. I've read my fair share of lemons and limes if you know what I mean. Other than actual experience, I'm aware of the birds and the bees and everything in between. Of course, I know there are pre-teens who'll read the most detailed 18+ short novels and not be scarred by such paragraphs. They may act the opposite, but that's beside the point. 

I'm not going to write sex scenes NOT because of the thought of sparing the poor children's innocence (they're already corrupt) or the desire to keep my story from being rated mature. I'm not going to write sex scenes because I find them unnecessary, especially in this kind of history-based fanfiction. The closest sex scene I could think of would be the one in South Dakota's chapter, but other than that I won't do full-on graphic sex scenes or lemon to put it in another term. Minor sexual content is acceptable, but so far, I have yet to encounter a situation that made me think about including it.

Shipping:

To break anyone's heart, I'm not really a shipper. Sure, I find pairing characters cute, but I'm not the type to man the sails or steer the boat. I'm mainly an observer at the docks, a traveler of fandom kingdoms if that makes any since. Although a frequent visitor of the Hetalia Kingdom, I tend to be tamed compared to its hardcore inhabitants, especially in regard to shipping. Even with OCs of my own, I won't ship them into romantic waters.

Not that I have a problem with shipping or romance, but for this fanfiction I'll keep them on friendship and familial levels. I'm aware of popular States of America ships like Alaska×Texas or NY×NJ, and I can have a few giggles over such pairings. However, I don't want to make relationships official as to not upset readers who may disagree with such ships. True, this is my writing, and I can do whatever I want with it. Even so, I won't be shipping characters anytime soon. Plus, I like to keep things open, so readers who like to ship can still have that ability without an official ship be in the way.

Violence:

I've shown plenty of violence in a few chapters of this series. A couple of violent chapters I could think of include Massachusetts's, Mississippi's, and Oregon's although I don't think those chapters are that violent, at least in comparison to other stories I've read. According to Wattpad guidelines, graphic depictions of violence and gore is restricted as mature. My only concern about this rule is what is considered too graphic. I hate to have my story be listed as mature for a part that goes too in-depth in a violent scene, thus I may sometimes hold myself back from giving details. But in case there are scenes that show a lot of violence than usual, I'll put warnings for people who are sensitive to this subject.

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After reading everything above, you may think I'm just worrying too much. And maybe I am. This book is after all a fanfiction or a historical fiction. It's not going to get a million reads nor am I going to have a hundred comments going after me for depicting this event in an incorrect manner. However, my biggest worries focuses on one thing: offending readers on the basis of bias content, an incorrect depiction of a historical event or culture, and/or showing an offensive presentation of an event or group of people. I know in this day and age people will easily get offended over the smallest things. Even so, I don't want people to think I'm an idiot, a racist, or any kind of term to negatively describe me. 

I'm a human being. I like to write. I like history. I like Hetalia and the States of America. As stated in the first author's note, I know I'm not the best writer (nor am I the worst). I'll make mistakes, and I've made a few in this fanfiction. However, I do learn from them and I do my best to fix them. All I want is to entertain those who like Hetalia, history, and the States of America. If I can do just that without offending people, I'll continue writing this fanfiction and its sequels. Thank you for reading my concerns, and feel free to continue reading this series and its sequels.

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