Great Republic of Rough and Ready
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The Great Republic of Rough and Ready was a small, short-lived self-declared independent nation that existed in Nevada County in northern California in the United States in 1850. Founded in the town of Rough and Ready by miners largely as a protest against a recently-introduced tax on new mining claims and the prohibition of alcohol in Nevada County, it never achieved formal recognition of any government and was abolished after only three months. The incident has become part of the colorful folklore of the region.
At the time of the "secession", the town was populated largely by miners from Wisconsin. The declaration of independence was sent to Washington, D.C.. Nothing was heard or done by the Federal Government. For almost 100 years Rough and Ready was in a paper form of secession. During WWII, the post office was closed down and when they reapplied in 1948, the Federal Government found that they were still held to be in a state of secession and had to officially rejoin.[citation needed]
Had it achieved true independence, it would have become the world's smallest nation, with an area of only 0.75 square miles (1.9 km²). The citizens disbanded the Republic the following summer, supposedly when they realized to their dismay that they could not celebrate Independence Day on July 4, since they were no longer part of the United States.
The history of the Republic is now celebrated annually in Nevada County on Secession Days during the end of June.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Rough & Ready Chamber of Commerce
- Rough and Ready, California ghost town
