List of U.S. state secession proposals
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This is a list of U.S. state secession proposals; that is, a list of official or otherwise noteworthy proposals for dividing existing U.S. states into multiple states. It does not specifically address proposals for state secession from the United States, though parts of states which want to secede from the U.S. (and thereby their state) are valid subject matter.
Article 4 of the United States Constitution provides for the creation of new states of the Union, requiring that any such creation be approved by the legislature of the affected state(s), as well as the United States Congress.
Since the formation of the current Constitution, only two states have technically seceded from another existing state: Maine and West Virginia. In the latter case, since the original state (Virginia) had itself seceded from the United States, it was no longer relevant to the Article 4 requirements (and, in fact, West Virginia originally formed itself as the legitimate government of Virginia within the Union, then essentially gave itself permission to leave Virginia. West Virginia was then admitted by act of President Lincoln, not by consent of the federal Congress, as required by Article 4).
Many cases of state secession attempts in U.S. history likewise stem from internal state divisions over the formation of the Confederacy. While majorities of states may have voted to secede and join the Confederacy, or remain in the Union, regional and cultural ties, even in those years, moved portions of those states to strongly favor the other side.
An earlier crop of state secession sentiments appear in the period between the signing of the Articles of Confederation in 1781, and the signing of the Constitution in 1789, often related to internal differences in preference of one over the other.
In nearly all recent cases of state secession, the impetus for the proposal comes partially from strong regional identities within the state, coupled with a frustration from one region that the state government, in the other region, is out of touch with and underserving the disgruntled area. Conversely, more urban regions may mull secession ideas over tax flow issues, where the urban side disproportionately subsidizes government spending on the rural side. Often these regions also hold distinct political values from eath other, usually with rural / conservative areas seeking to split from urban / liberal areas or vice versa.
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[edit] Alabama
According to legend, upon the secession of Alabama from the United States during the American Civil War, the county of Winston County, Alabama seceded from the state as the Republic of Winston, and pledged its alliance with the Union. Today citizens of the county still refer to it as the Free State of Winston, which drives the local tourist industry.
[edit] Alaska
The Alaskan Independence Party advocates the eventual secession from the United States. On their website, the Party claims to be the 3rd largest party statistically in the country.
The Aleut independence movement, which gained momentum in the 1960's, advocates the secession of the Pribilof Islands from the United States. The Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association promotes Aleutian self-governance and independence for the Unangan people.
[edit] Arkansas
During the Civil War, five counties, including Madison County and possibly Marion County, voted against secession from the Union at the second Arkansas Secession Convention. When called upon to renege, four counties did, but Madison, represented by Isaac Murphy, later the state's governor under Reconstruction, resisted. Men of his county fought for the North during the war.
[edit] California
Since as far back as the mid-1800s, the mountainous area of northern California and parts of southwestern Oregon have been proposed as its own state. In 1941, some counties in the area ceremonially seceded, one day a week, from their respective states as the State of Jefferson. This movement disappeared after America's entry into World War II, but the notion has been rekindled in recent years.
In the late 19th century, there was serious talk in Sacramento of splitting the state in two at the Tehachapi Mountains because of the difficulty of transportation across the rugged range. The discussion ended when it was determined that building a highway across the mountains was feasible; this road eventually became the Ridge Route.
During the mid-1990s, California had a serious ballot initiative drive which would have split the state into three states, consisting of southern, central, and northern California.
In the wake of the California recall, some people have proposed that the state should split into as many as four new states, dividing distinct geographically and politically defined areas as the Bay Area, North Coast, and Central Valley, as well as the historic Jefferson area, into their own states.
Reference: [3]
[edit] Colorado
Two counties have, in the past, proposed leaving Colorado and joining with New Mexico: the San Luis Valley in the 1950s, and Costilla County in 1973.
Also, in ca. 1935, the Walsenburg World-Independent proposed that Huerfano County secede from the state.
[edit] Delaware
Prior to the American Revolution, the three counties of Delaware were known as the Lower Counties on Delaware, part of the Province of Pennsylvania, and had its own tax structure and court system. In 1776, after being granted "independence" from Pennsylvania control, Delaware declared independence from England as an outright state.
[edit] Florida
Various non-serious "proposals" have been made for portions of Florida to secede from the state, usually to join other nearby entities with which they have stronger cultural ties, such as Alabama, Georgia, or even Cuba. There have also been occasional noises about the Florida Panhandle forming its own state, due to its differences with the peninsula section and join with counties and Parishes in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana to form the state of West Florida
One tongue-in-cheek proposal is for the Florida Keys to secede from the state under the name, the Conch Republic. Conch Republic flags have become a popular novelty item.
[edit] Georgia
In the 1850s many from Dade County, Georgia, in the far northwestern corner of the state, threatened to secede from Georgia (and the U.S.) if the state itself did not secede.
[edit] Idaho
After the state capital was moved south to Boise from more northern Lewiston, North Idaho proposed splitting away from the now southern-oriented state government. This idea has been rekindled throughout history, sometimes in union with similar secession sentiments in Eastern Washington.
[edit] Illinois
In 1925, the county of Cook County, Illinois, which contains Chicago, considered seceding from Illinois as a new state named Chicago.
References: [8]
Prior to the Civil War, Southern Illinois considered seceding from Illinois and joining the Confederacy. However, speeches by Union General, and Southern Illinois native, John A. Logan convinced many in the region to remain in the Union.
References: [9]
[edit] Indiana
During the period leading up to the Civil War, Indiana remained torn between whether or not to join the Confederate States of America or remain with the Union. The state ended up remaining loyal to President Lincoln during the war. Today, there is a very small group that is petitioning to form a Republic of Indiana.
[edit] Kansas
In 1992, a group in southwestern Kansas advocated the secession of a number of counties in that region from the state. The group was nominally headed by Don Concannon, a lawyer and former gubernatorial candidate from Ulysses. Various media reports indicated as few as five or as many two dozen counties were involved in the movement. The state was to be called "West Kansas," and early meetings included proposals for official state bird (the pheasant) and state flower (the yucca).
The proposal stemmed from state laws raising the state property tax and shifting state education funding away from rural school districts and into more urban areas, though the secessionists' call was the fairly generic "Give us equality or set us free." Though organizers arranged for a series of straw polls that demonstrated widespread support for secession in at least nine of the counties, the movement petered out by the mid 1990s.
References: [10]
[edit] Kentucky
In 1849, part of Pike County, Kentucky, petitioned the state to allow it to join Virginia (now West Virginia).
In the 1950s, Letcher County, Kentucky, threatened to secede from the state, demanding better roads in the area. The threats subsided when Governor A.B. Chandler indicated that he did not care.
[edit] Maine
Politicians of Aroostook County, Maine, have proposed spinning off the county as its own state, probably named Aroostook, since the 1990s. As recently as 2005 the question has been brought up before the state assembly. [11] Proposed names for this state include Aroostook, Acadia, and Maine (in this latter case, with the rest of the state renamed as Northern Massachusetts).
See also: FreeMaine.org
[edit] Maryland
Three times in the Maryland General Assembly legislators have submitted a bill for the Eastern Shore of Maryland to secede from the western half and join up with Delaware and two Virginia counties with the Hampton Roads area, to form the State of Delmarva or E. Virginia. The most recent was in 1998. [12] [13]
[edit] Massachusetts
Maine, which is not connected to Massachusetts by land successfully seceded as its own state in 1820 as part of the Missouri Compromise. It is the only U.S. state to have seceded from another U.S. state. (In contrast, West Virginia seceded from a Confederate state.)
Some talk has been given of splitting Eastern Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts into separate states - mostly from the western side. Suggestions for state names of the western half include Western (or West) Massachusetts, Berkshire, Quabbin, Southern Vermont, and Northern Connecticut. As of 2004 there could be found links to a Berkshire Free State webpage but [14] the URL is defunct as of 2006.
Shortly after the formation of the United States a group of citizens from Western and Central Massachusetts in response to high tax burdens and an undemocratic new governor formed Shays Rebellion in opposition to the Boston government. It does not appear that a state was declared.
During the abolitionism era some supporters of William Lloyd Garrison sought the secession of Essex County from the state. [15]
In 1977 a Martha's Vineyard Statehood Support Committee existed [16], promoting the secession of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket from Massachusetts largely in response to redistricting which associated the islands with Cape Cod. All three areas are known for their status as oceanfront summer resort and vacation communities.
[edit] Michigan
As the most geographically divided of the contiguous states, Michigan's two peninsulas have evolved into two distinct and proud regional identities. A few have called for the Upper Peninsula to secede from the United States, while more (or less) patriotic ones have proposed it become its own state. A suggested name for such a state is Superior (for Lake Superior). [17]
In fashion of other proposed secessions of large cities from their host states, Detroit has been called by some civilians to possibly secede from the state (primarily around election season, which the city and its population tends to vote Democratic—usually with enough numbers to carry the entire state of Michigan as Democrat during presidential elections—while western and much of northern Michigan regularly votes Republican).
[edit] Minnesota
On July 13, 1977, the town of Kinney in Northern Minnesota announced its secession in hopes of receiving foreign aid from the U.S. government. The new nation was called the Republic of Kinney. The national news story broke on February 7, 1978. To this day many in the town still claim its independence. [18] [19]
More recently, a group has formed a movement named Free Republic of Duluth, claiming inspiration from the Kinney movement. The movement centers around the Freeduluth.com web site, and an artists collective based at Washington Studios Gallery. The movement, which does not appear to have made any petitions or declarations of secession, has designed a currency and held a general election and Cultural Exhibition. [20]
[edit] Mississippi
As with Winston County, Alabama, Jones County, Mississippi, was widely rumored to have seceded from the state of Mississippi. Most people in the county had reservations about the strong central government that the Confederate States of America instated and few if any in the county owned slaves. Although some claim that these rumors turned out to be completely false, the county did serve as a safe haven for Confederate defectors such as Newt Knight.
This event was inaccurately dramatized in the 1948 movie Tap Roots.
[edit] Missouri
During the American Civil War, congressman Frank Blair urged that St. Louis should secede from the state if it decided to join the Confederacy.
Around the same time, Callaway County proposed seceding from Missouri, but with the opposite inclination. Calloway County is sometimes still called "Kingdom of Calloway" and hosts an annual "Kingdom Days" celebration. There is also a city of "Kingdom City" there.
Reference: [21]
[edit] Nebraska
In the 1890s residents of the Nebraska Panhandle tired of the state government's refusal to enact water laws (like Wyoming had) to encourage irrigation into the area. Area leaders threatened to secede from Nebraska and join Wyoming, which finally prompted the state to enact the desired laws.
Reference: [22]
[edit] Nevada
With so much social and political disparity between Las Vegas and Nevada's state capital, Carson City, 450 miles away, some have proposed splitting Nevada into two or more states. One proposal has northern Nevada linking with northern California, Southern Nevada splitting away with other regional areas, and eastern Nevada becoming part of Utah. [1] There has also been talk of the city of Wendover, Utah merging with West Wendover, Nevada to become Wendover, Nevada, due to tax and economic divides.
[edit] New Hampshire
New Hampshire's history is dotted with various movements of communities desiring to secede from the state.
On the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, the state of New Hampshire hastily enacted a state constitution. Dismayed at the lack of prudence, leaders of Grafton County, New Hampshire effectively seceded from the state by refusing to pay state taxes and fees, and attempted to form a new state ("New Connecticut") or merge with Vermont.
Over the period from 1776 to 1781, numerous communities along the Connecticut River (the border between the two states), from Lyman to Newport, expressed their stronger ties with Vermont (then an independent Republic of Vermont) and voted to join it instead. Eventually 36 towns had been accepted by the Republic, but were still claimed by New Hampshire. In the end, it was General George Washington who settled the dispute, by threatening military action if Vermont did not give up its claim to the towns. In exchange, Vermont was accepted as a U.S. state.
Recently, in 2001, the communities of Newington and Rye considered seceding from the state in response to the enactment of a uniform statewide property tax.
[edit] New Jersey
Proposals have been repeatedly made - mostly from the southern half of the state - to split the state into north and south sections. This harkens back to the state's early colonial history when it was the separate colonies of East and West Jersey. Talk of southern secession is often rekindled during times of tax changes - as recently as 2004.
In the 1980 election, secession was on the ballot in six of the eight southern counties to see where the people stood. It did well in rural areas but not in more industrialized areas.
[edit] New York
New York City has had proponents of its independent statehood (and even nationhood) as far back as 1787. It has long been commonly recognized that the upstate state government at Albany is of a different world than ultra-urban NYC, which is about as devolved as a U.S. city can legally be (NYC itself contains multiple counties and collects its own income tax). See New York City secession.
Some upstate residents also feel that voters in New York City either ignore their economic woes or use their dominance in state government to enact exploitative legislation that favors New York City to the direct detriment of the upstate counties, such as New York State Thruway tolls, state regulated electric rates, water supply availability and garbage disposal, and thus want to split off into their own state as well. See Upstate New York's Statehood Movement.
Recently, some non-serious, humorous movements borne out of frustration with New York State and United States politics have advocated the secession of the Buffalo, New York area from the United States to join the Canadian province of Ontario.
[edit] North Carolina
Between 1784 and 1789, the three western counties of Greene, Washington, Sullivan, and part of Hawkins county, all of which were then part of North Carolina, voted to secede from the state. Together they formed the provisional State of Franklin, with Revolutionary war hero John Sevier elected as governor.
By 1789, the provisional government had collapsed, and in 1790 North Carolina's state government, tired of the upstart region, relinquished it to the federal government, reverting the area to part of Ohio River Territory. Six years later, part of that territory, including former Franklin, became Tennessee, with Sevier as governor.
[edit] Ohio
In 2005, James B. McCarthy, the county executive of Summit County, Ohio, which contains Akron, Ohio, publicly advocated that his county (and the rest of Northeast Ohio) secede as a new state. [30]
[edit] Oklahoma
The narrow, remote section of the Oklahoma Panhandle has often cited the distant state government for neglect, and support for secession as a new state has been voiced. Alternate proposals have the region merging with Texas, as the closest major city to the area is Amarillo.
[edit] Oregon
In 1941 some counties of southwestern Oregon joined counties of Northern California and ceremonially seceded as the State of Jefferson. See also California above.
In the wake of controversy over the issue of same-sex marriage as well as rifts with the rest of the state over tax laws and the flow of capital funding flow, the secession of Multnomah County, Oregon has been proposed in some local media.
Some talk has also been made of Eastern Oregon following suit (and perhaps merging) with Eastern Washington were it to secede from its parent state (see Washington below). In both states distinct political, cultural, and geographic divides exist on either side of the Cascade Mountains.
Reference: [31]
[edit] Pennsylvania
In 1787 the residents of the Wyoming Valley attempted to secede from the state. Before the issue was decided the state militia was mobilized to put down any attempt to make good on the threat. [32]
[edit] Rhode Island
Despite being the smallest state in the Union, Rhode Island is not without its secession movements.
In 1790, the urban center of Providence, Rhode Island was frustrated with the state government's reluctance to ratify the Constitution and join the United States. In response, Providence threatened to secede from Rhode Island and ratify on its own as its own state. The threat finally compelled the state to ratify, by a narrow majority.
In 1984, angered over the state's refusal to enact noise pollution laws, the remote spot of Block Island, Rhode Island threatened to secede from the state. Reportedly, both Massachusetts and Connecticut expressed interest in annexing the island. The state compromised, giving the island ability to limit the sale of noisy mopeds.
[edit] Tennessee
In February 1861, in the early days of the Confederacy, the Southern-sympathetic county of Franklin petitioned the state to allow it to secede and join Alabama which had recently seceded from the Union. By June Tennessee had decided to secede as well, eliminating the reason for Franklin to secede.
Conversely, the more pro-Union East Tennessee area disapproved of state secession and some proposed seceding from Tennessee to rejoin the Union. Some, however, have characterized this sentiment as mere contrarianism against the sentiment of the western half.
Scott County in eastern Tennessee did officially pass a proclamation during the Civil War to secede from Tennessee and form the "Free and Independent State of Scott." In 1986 when it was discovered that this county law was still on the books the proclamation was finally repealed and Scott County actually petitioned the state of Tennessee for readmission even though the secession had never been recognized by either the state or federal governments.
[edit] Texas
According to legend, Van Zandt County, Texas, voted to secede from the state in 1867, apparently in response to the state's readmittance to the Union, and formed the Free State of Van Zandt, raising a ragtag army. In response, the state speedily dispatched Philip Sheridan and the state militia, who were roundly defeated by the locals. Elated at their victory, the Van Zandters immediately began celebrating, leading to their easy capture the next day.
While it would not technically constitute secession, it is worth noting that under the treaty by which the Republic of Texas was admitted to the Union, it has the right to divide itself into as many as five different states. It is not clear whether this provides any power beyond that already provided by the Constitution. What is clear is that the Texas Legislature would have to approve any proposal to divide the state using this prerogative. There were a significant number of Texans who supported dividing the state in its early decades, they were generally called divisionists.
[edit] Utah
In 2002, the United States House of Representatives voted to allow Wendover, Utah to leave the state and join Nevada, but the Senate never considered the bill. The opposition of Nevada Senator Harry Reid blocked the bill.
Skiing Magazine once suggested that Park City, Utah is so unlike the rest of the state that, given the opportunity, it would secede from Utah "in a New York minute". The statement was echoed in the Park City Mountain Lifestyle real estate newsletter. [43]
[edit] Vermont
The town of Killington, Vermont has twice voted (March 2004 and March 2005) to secede from Vermont and become part of the state of New Hampshire. Because the town is not adjacent to the New Hampshire border, this would create an enclave. A similar motion was attempted in Winhall, Vermont, but was voted down. [44]
[edit] Virginia
In the early days of the Confederacy, Lunenburg County, Virginia grew impatient that the state had not yet seceded from the Union, and threatened to secede from Virginia itself, possibly to join North Carolina.
After Virginia did secede, the mountainous western half in turn seceded from the state, which was at that point no longer a U.S. state but a Confederate state, in 1861 as the legitimate Union government of Virginia. In 1863, the area was admitted to the Union as the state of West Virginia.
More recently, minor localities have grumbled over state secession possibilities in response to various state government decisions on both sides of the political spectrum.
Some in more urban Northern Virginia have proposed secession over tax flow issues and accusations of neglect and being used by the state government for revenue. Northern Virginia is the most populous region of Virginia and widely seen as more liberal than the rest of Virginia and more northeastern in culture.
[edit] Washington
Over the latter half of the 20th century (and reportedly as far back as 1889), the counties of Eastern Washington have occasionally raised the possibility of splitting largely rural and conservative Eastern Washington (and sometimes the Idaho Panhandle) away from urban and liberal Western Washington. As recently as 2005, this has been officially proposed in the state legislature [45], amid the fallout of the 2004 governor's election.
Suggested names for such a state include East Washington, Columbia, and Lincoln (state).
[edit] Washington, DC
There has been a recurring movement since the 1960s to devolve the city, which is an insular federal district separate from any state and operated by the federal government, into its own state complete with full representation in Congress. An alternate proposal is to allow the city to become part of Maryland (much like that of Alexandria, Virginia prior to the Civil War), and receive representation from that state's Congressional delegation.
[edit] West Virginia
In 2002, members of the western part of Mingo County, West Virginia petitioned the county to allow it to break off and join Kentucky on the other side of the Tug River. Neither state has seriously considered the request.
[edit] Wisconsin
In 1967, the village of Winneconne seceded from Wisconsin for one day to protest its omission from the new state highway map. [46]
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Wendovers' Leaders Will Consider Next Move", Salt Lake Tribune, November 23, 2002
[edit] References
- Secession: The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics and the Law, Thomas S. Ulen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- "West Virginians covet new Ky. home", Lexington Herald-Leader, Mar. 04, 2002
[edit] See also
- List of active autonomist and secessionist movements
- List of U.S. county secession proposals
- Urban secession
[edit] External links
- Cascadian Independence Party Homepage of the US based Cascadian Independence Party
