WI: Alaska Votes for Independence in 1959 Referendum

What if Alaska instead of joining the United States had a majority vote for independence and became an independent, sovereign nation instead?
 
What if Alaska instead of joining the United States had a majority vote for independence and became an independent, sovereign nation instead?

Well the US would have to be a totally different country to let them actually be independent, so it wouldn't of become an sovereign nation. They were to strategically important after wwii. Watching russia, oil reserves, there is no way I can think of of them being let go.
 

jahenders

Banned
An independent nation would never be allowed, but it could have remained a territory for longer (like Puerto Rico or some of the Pacific isles).

What if Alaska instead of joining the United States had a majority vote for independence and became an independent, sovereign nation instead?
 
What if Alaska instead of joining the United States had a majority vote for independence and became an independent, sovereign nation instead?

Considering the ACW was fought over this very issue...

Ok well it was one of the issues it was fought over.
 
Considering that Alaska was made a state on January 3, that only gives you 2 days to hold your hypothetical referendum....


Seriously, though, why would there be a referendum? Why would independence be an option? Why would any perceptible number of people WANT independence?

This is a very strange challenge, and IMO you'd need a PoD decades back (like no Pacific theatre to WWII) to even have a chance at getting this to work.

And if the PoD is THAT far back, '1959' is a strange coincidence...
 
The Territory of Alaska was a organized, incorporated territory, not a possession. Independence was never even close to an option.

Indeed independence was never a option in any statehood referendum ever.
 
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What if Alaska instead of joining the United States had a majority vote for independence and became an independent, sovereign nation instead?

What was the Population of Alaska In '59. I wouldn't believe the US would even consider giving her independence with a population above 100k
 

TFSmith121

Banned
Alaska had been part of the United States since 1867;

What if Alaska instead of joining the United States had a majority vote for independence and became an independent, sovereign nation instead?

Alaska had been part of the United States since 1867; and it has had territorial status - which has always been the precursor to statehood - since 1912.

US commonwealths can gain indepedence; territories do not.

Best,
 
One reason they didn't have a referendum on independence (nor did the other territories on reaching statehood, incidentally) is that nobody wanted it. The idea that the 1958 referendum was invalid because independence was not a choice was invented in the 1970's by the "colorful character" (a euphemism for "crackpot"?) Joe Vogler. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Vogler
 

Asami

Banned
It's been on several (every?) Puerto Rican statehood referendum.

That's a completely different thing from Alaska. Alaska was a colony purchased by the United States and settled by Americans -- Puerto Rico was a territory forcibly annexed from the Spanish through war and invasion; of course the US wants to maintain transparency and not piss off those anti-colonial circlejerkers in the UN.
 
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