This Week In Vexillology #61

Last week, we looked at Kurdistan but we're coming back to the United States to round out our end of the year special on separatist movements- yes, This Week In Vexillology, we're heading to that State of Mind whose quest for statehood got derailed by extremely bad timing:  the State of Jefferson

There have been a couple of other proposals for states called Jefferson over the course of our history- one was proposed in 1859 for the area of the southern Rocky Mountains which were, at the time, under the control of Kansas.  Eventually at the Wyandotte Convention, the present borders of Kansas were locked in and what was Western Kansas became the Jefferson Territory, eventually superseded by the Colorado Territory and then, obviously Colorado itself.

The next proposal started a decade or so later down in Texas.   You see, the original bill that annexed the Republic of Texas to the United States allowed Texas to be divided into up to four states owing to Texas' size at the time- but with an influx of carpetbaggers after the Civil War the notion gained traction around 1870, first calling for a State of Lincoln but that went nowhere- another proposal called for the creation of two states, Jefferson and Matagorda got a little further but failed to gain approval of the state legislature, so despite a brief revival of the proposal around 1915 or so, it more or less died- at least in Texas.

Where it came closest to fruition (and potentially still could, I suppose) is in the Pacific Northwest- traditionally seen as the rural counties of southern Oregon and northern California- a 'secessionist' movement was launched in November 1941- a 'Governor' was inaugurated but any momentum toward becoming a state ended on December 7th, 1941 with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  Interestingly enough:  the 'state' turned out to be the only part of the continental United States attacked in World War II- when a Japanese pilot dropped some bombs in the Oregon coast in 1942.

Which brings us to the flag:

The seal is meant to be a gold mining pan.  The two Xs are known as the 'Double Cross,' and signifies the region's sense of abandonment from the state governments of Oregon and California.  The proposed capitol of the state is Yreka, California- the state is commemorated with a State of Jefferson Scenic Byway in the region and the public radio that serves the region rebranded itself as Jefferson Public Radio but it seems that the dream of a state of Jefferson will still have to remain just that, a dream.

So give it up for the Great Hypothetical State of Jefferson, everybody!  And remember, until next time keep your flags flying- FREAK or otherwise.