What would have led to this US map?

I was researching all the different parts of states that tried to create their own separate states and came up with this map:

561556_779284640364_903456042_n.jpg


I'd like to create a community time line, where we talk about how from the POD the events led to the 89 states of the United States.

I was wondering, what POD would have led to the colored states existing or being more likely to exist? I think it would have to have taken place in the 1780s and would've depended on how Westmoreland (Luzerne Co., PA) and Franklin were dealt with--specifically Westmoreland. Perhaps the Continental Congress supported the revolutionary fervor more and in the years afterwards in the new constitution there was a provision to make it easier for parts of states which wished to form themselves out of other states to do so?

Anyone like to join me on this adventure?
 
Westmoreland doesn't make sense as a single-county enclave within Pennsylvania, but would probably be a larger swathe of OTL northern PA (possibly all the way to NE Ohio, also claimed by Connecticut at the time?).

Some of these states are quite plausible, although obviously a precedent of states more easily splitting off other states is necessary. Others would have way too low populations. I can't see northern Nevada or that strange western Nebraska/NE Colorado state happening. Although such areas could just as a fluke be left over after surrounding areas became states and remain territories for much longer with their low populations.
 
I don't know about the POD, but you're definitely missing a few, that's for sure.

I for one know 100% that there are movements for Chicago to leave Illinois, and for the Panhandle to leave Florida. There's probably a few more, too.
 
Ah, the State of Superior; although I had not known they wantes to take any counties from Minnesota. I know one proposal actually called for all of the UP and Northern Wisconsin with a capitol in Wausau.
 
I don't know about the POD, but you're definitely missing a few, that's for sure.

I for one know 100% that there are movements for Chicago to leave Illinois, and for the Panhandle to leave Florida. There's probably a few more, too.

I figured that once "Forgottonia" and "Little Egypt" had seceded that Chicago would've realized that it was even more the king of Illinois and would've been bigger fish in their own right--so why secede?

Florida--the only one I found was for South Florida, though the panhandle wouldn't surprise me.
 
Westmoreland doesn't make sense as a single-county enclave within Pennsylvania, but would probably be a larger swathe of OTL northern PA (possibly all the way to NE Ohio, also claimed by Connecticut at the time?).

I went with the name, forgetting that county boundaries have changed since then. But here's the modern counties that make up what was the original claim of the 1780s revolt that were eventually turned into Luzerne County, but now have since split up:

Luzerne, Wyoming, Susquehanna, Lackawanna, part of Bradford (probably a straight line from Luzerne straight to the boundary with NY)

Some of these states are quite plausible, although obviously a precedent of states more easily splitting off other states is necessary. Others would have way too low populations.

Agreed.

[quoteI can't see northern Nevada or that strange western Nebraska/NE Colorado state happening. Although such areas could just as a fluke be left over after surrounding areas became states and remain territories for much longer with their low populations.[/QUOTE]

Northern Nevada is largely based on it having difficulties with Southern Nevada being all about Las Vegas from what I've researched.

The strange western W NE, NW KS, & NE CO (Shoshone) is a wanked modern claim as of this year:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Colorado#Potential_state
 
Why would anyone give northeastern Minnesota to Superior? And why would the UP want to take it? Are they that addicted to being part of a state that's split by a Great Lake?
 
for texas, wasn't there a provision upon being annexed for the possibility of it entering as 4 states ?

Five states, last I checked but then again Texas had more land at the time. The current propositions on the map are suggestions from the post Civil War period (1869) and the early 20th Century (1915).
 
Why would anyone give northeastern Minnesota to Superior? And why would the UP want to take it? Are they that addicted to being part of a state that's split by a Great Lake?

I read this, and then I thought it best to give as much land to Superior as possible:

There has been intermittent advocacy for the Arrowhead of Minnesota, the three northeast counties of the state adjacent to Lake Superior, to join with northwestern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to form a new state to be named "North Country" or Superior, with Duluth as its capital.
 
Also, the earlier states breaking off would surely provide massive butterflies that would lead to a very different map. Each of these state movements to break off came in very specific historical contexts within their states that would be quite different if the history of the states were different, and the same is true of the movements to make OTL's states, and this map strongly resembles OTL's map.

However, regarding Superior, that is interesting. I've only ever heard of Superior being described as a movement for the UP to be a state. I see from Wikipedia that there were movements to include parts of Wisconsin in Superior, but nothing about Minnesota. I would think the people who want to break away would think Duluth's too closely tied to the Twin Cities.
 
Also, the earlier states breaking off would surely provide massive butterflies that would lead to a very different map. Each of these state movements to break off came in very specific historical contexts within their states that would be quite different if the history of the states were different, and the same is true of the movements to make OTL's states, and this map strongly resembles OTL's map.

Oh definitely, but if this TL were to evolve then I'd be quite open to the states' boundaries evolving quite differently than OTL.

However, regarding Superior, that is interesting. I've only ever heard of Superior being described as a movement for the UP to be a state. I see from Wikipedia that there were movements to include parts of Wisconsin in Superior, but nothing about Minnesota. I would think the people who want to break away would think Duluth's too closely tied to the Twin Cities.

Where I got the Minnesota part was from the Minnesota section.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_partition_proposals#Minnesota
 
deh74:

During the abolitionism era some supporters of William Lloyd Garrison sought the secession of Essex County from the state.

I'm thinking the existence of Essex and Southern California suggest that abolitionism wasn't as widely influential until much later ITTL.
 
Actually, interesting thought: Many of these state secession proposals are thinly populated rural parts of states that feel dominated by distant cities (Jefferson, Superior, Forgottonia etc). If there is an early precedent to easily make new states, and a pattern of this kind of state secession emerges (possibly with radically different state borders than OTL but same idea), this will have serious impact on national politics. You will get all these random rural areas with few people having their own senators, with the effect of a way disproportionate influence of rural interests in national politics. This could result in a collapse of the political system under the pressure of urbanization and growing imbalance of power, or cities could counteract the trend, resulting in crazy situations like each borough of New York City becoming its own state.
 
Oh. I read the Wikipedia article about Superior, which didn't mention it. Now I checked a few other sites, and you're right.


I think Vuun's assessment of the situation is correct.
 
A small excerpt from "Westsylvania, a history of rebellion" by Frederick R. Casey:

Western Pennsylvania

The initial difficulty of transportation access from the east involved many miles of seemingly endless parallel ridges of the Appalachian Mountains, and then the broken hills and valleys of the Allegheny Plateau, all of which were covered in thick forests. Indeed the initial method of access from areas east of the Appalachians, was to travel southbound outside of Pennsylvania, then follow the Potomac River northwest through Maryland and Virginia, and then re-enter the state in its southwest corner. This led to a geographic divide to create a separate culture in the area.

Even before the American Revolution this separateness caused some to rally for the formation of a separate colony in this region named Westsylvania, but ultimately it was the events after the Revolution which cemented its creation.


The Whiskey Rebellion


The initial problem was economic marketing of a limited number of goods that could stand such high freight costs. The insensitivity of the new U.S. Federal Government to the marketing problems in the west led to the Whiskey Rebellion in what was then Western Pennsylvania, an event which seriously challenged the political viability of the new American nation. In response, the president sent a small expeditionary force which was surprisingly overturned. This prompted the western portion of the state to secede to create the Republic of Westsylvania--known by its detractors as the "Whiskey Republic".


The "Westsylvania Effect"

Eventually terms were agreed to and Westsylvania was welcomed back into the United States as its own state, following the example laid down by Westmoreland. In terms of settling land, the claims for the state had originally had proposed taking land from Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York. After much negotiation they were awarded much of what they claimed from Pennsylvania but not to the full extent they had wanted from other states. Later the neighboring regions that had been claimed in neighboring states originally would also secede from their states and create their own states in what has been dubbed the "Westsylvania effect".
 
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