Richard Trist

    

His Excellency Richard Trist FCS OM
Trist, c. 1866
2nd and 4th Prime Minister of Sierra
In office September 19, 1865 – June 5, 1867
Monarch	Charles I
Preceded by	Frederick Bachelor Sr.
Succeeded by	Ulysses Perry
In office June 5, 1872 – January 13, 1874
Monarch	Charles I
Preceded by	Ulysses Perry
Succeeded by	Ulysses Perry
Personal details
Born	Richard John Trist February 10, 1822 Missouri, Missouri, United States
Died	June 9, 1884(1884-06-09) (aged 62) Sacramento, Tahoe, Sierra
Resting place	Terrace Hills Cemetery
Political party	Royalist
Other political affiliations	California National Party (1850–1858)
Spouse(s)	Sylvie Renault (m. 1840; his death 1884)
Children	4
Education	Saint Louis University
Profession	Banker lawyer politician
Religion	Lutheran
Military service
Nickname(s)	"The Fortress"
Allegiance	California Republic
Branch/service	Bear Flaggers Militia
Years of service	1846–1848
Rank	Captain
Battles/wars	Mexican–American War
Cabinet offices held President of the Senate of California (1854–1856) Leadership offices held Leader of the Royalist Party of Sierra (1865–1874) Parliamentary offices held Member of the Parliament of Sierra for Sacramento (1858–1876) Senator for Tahoe (1852–1858)

Richard John Trist FCS OM (February 10, 1822–June 9, 1884) was a Sierran political leader, statesman, and Mexican–American War veteran who served as the second and fourth prime minister of Sierra from 1865 to 1867 and 1872 to 1874 respectively. Previously, he served as a senator for the California Republic, representing the state of Tahoe, as well as the President of the Senate of the California Republic, and served as a captain for the Bear Flaggers Militia during the Mexican–American War. He was a delegate in the Constitutional Convention of 1857, which established the K.S. Constitution and a federal monarchy. Widely considered the protégé of his predecessor, Frederick Bachelor Sr., Trist strongly supported the monarchy and the peerage system. He alienated republicans in the Styxie by upholding pro-business interests and supporting the monarchy's use of titles and land grants to award political allies. He was prime minister of Sierra during the War of Contingency, which became the first foreign war Sierra became involved in. After the war, he was replaced as the Candidate because of his Notority at the time by Frederick Bachelor Sr.'s son Frederick Bachelor Jr. Bachelor Jr. was Humiliated in a landslide defeat against Ulysses Perry. Trist replaced Bachelor Jr. quickly after as leader of the oppposition before serving briefly again as prime minister on the eve of the Sierran Civil War.

Trist was born in St. Charles, Missouri. He emigrated to California in 1846 to start a wholesale grocery business before he enlisted in the Bear Flaggers Militia during the Mexican–American War. He was promoted to captain and was recognized as a war hero after its end. He became a banker after the war before he entered into politics where he served in the Senate. He was sent as a delegate from Tahoe to the 1857 Constitutional Convention where he sided with the Monarchist faction. After the Kingdom of Sierra was founded, he served as deputy prime minister. He was first elected prime minister in 1865 after Bachelor Sr. resigned. The election was highly contentious as opponents accused the Royalist Party of electoral fraud.

As prime minister, Trist attempted to balance the interests of pro-monarchy Royalists and the anti-monarchy Democratic-Republicans, while also maintaining control over the moderate Royalist Pauperheads. Continued doubt against the legitimacy of his premiership damaged Trist's ability to negotiate legislative deals with the opposition. Simultaneously, Trist sought to strengthen Sierra's position in the Americas by adding more railroad links between the Kingdom and the United States. He signed the Grant-Trist Agreement with the United States to resolve minor border disputes and allow refuge for people fleeing the American Civil War. The chaos of the War of Contingency forced Trist to focus on the war rather than domestic issues. Trist secured independence for Astoria through Sierran military intervention during the Eugene War and established relations thereafter with the new country, annexed the Deseret, and joined the rebel states and Brazoria against the United Commonwealth during the war. His successes in the war were largely overshadowed by political strife and discontent with the power of robber barons and industrialists at home. After the War was replaced as Royalist Candidate by Frederick Bachelor Jr. which resulting in a Landslide defeat by the Democratic-Republican populist Ulysses Perry in 1867, who had threatened to abolish the monarchy. The Royalists Quickly replaced Bachelor Jr. with Trist again and Trist stonewalled Perry's attempts to reduce the powers of the monarchy as a leader of the opposition and was reelected in 1872. After facing defeat again in the January 1874 elections, Trist stepped down as party leader, and became a vocal critic of Perry until the latter's death, and resigned during the Sierran Civil War due to poor health.

Trist was popular among his Royalist contemporaries but vilified by the Democratic-Republicans. During his post-premiership, he founded King Charles University and became its first chancellor, and resided in his adopted home province, Tahoe, before his death in 1884. Historians and scholars generally rank Trist as one of the worst and least memorable K.S. prime ministers.