break away from the Union ? That kind of thing is so totally nineteenth - century , right-hand ? amiss . Just 43 years ago , the city of Key West in Florida did just that , declare itself to be an independent state have a go at it as the Conch Republic .
Well , sort of – the Conch Republic is n’t really its own state ( essay to use one of its souvenir passports at the airport and you ’ll be express joy all the style back to the parking lot ) , but back in 1982 , its citizen sure as shooting feel as though the city was being treated like one .
In March of that yr , the US Border Patrol hadplaced a roadblockon the only route into theFlorida Keys , block the railway car going in and out of the archipelago to search for illegal drug and immigrants .
To absolutely nobody ’s surprise , this generated some pretty gnarly traffic pickle that were not only an inconvenience for the people living and mold there , but also started to put off visitor . Residents of Key West were understandably peeved on both counting . To many , it felt as though the city was being made subject to the same restriction found at the margin between countries .
Attempting to correct the situation first saw an enjoinment lodge against the US government – but it did n’t win . Outside the court after the judgement , Key West ’s city manager , Dennis Wardlow , was inquire by the press what he planned to do next .
“ We are going to go home andsecede , ” said Wardlow . If they were go bad to be treated like a extraneous country , well then , they might as well become one .
And so , on April 23 , 1982 , the Conch Republic was born . Then , as if creating a new land was n’t enough work for one twenty-four hour period , the now Prime Minister Wardlow proceeded to declare war on the US . What follow was a truly arresting display of characteristically bonkersFloridian conduct .
“ The Schooner [ a type of sailing gravy holder ] Western Union , under command of Captain John Kraus , blend forth into the harbor and attacked the US Coast Guard Cutter DILIGENCE with weewee balloon , Conch fritter and stale Cuban bread . The DILIGENCE fought back with fire hose and thus commenced the Great Battle of the Conch Republic , ” explain the Conch Republic ’s site .
Less of a war and more of a intellectual nourishment conflict , then – and a very short one at that . Wardlow quickly surrendered , although he did thenrequest $ 1 billionin extraneous tending . That money never turn up , of trend , but you ca n’t blame a guy wire for trying .
Where Wardlow ’s campaign did bring home the bacon was in getting the roadblock removed . The Conch Republic might ’ve been a tongue - in - nerve creation , but it certainly got the task done .
Nowadays , the “ commonwealth ” is trace as “ a sovereign state of mind ” rather than an actual self-governing state , but its “ Independence Day ” is nonetheless still keep every April , stand as a reminder that even secession does n’t have to be serious – you could reach a lot by being silly .
