51st state 51 star-flags have been designed and used as a symbol by supporters of statehood in vari- ous areas. Above is the official 51-state flag design by the Army Institute of Heraldry. Below is a design by the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico. 51st state, in American political discourse, is a phrase that refers to areas either seri- ously or derisively considered candidates for addition to the 50 states already part of the Union. Before 1959, when Alaska and Hawaii joined the U.S., the term "the 49th state" was used. "51st state", when used in a negative sense, can refer to independent nations which are, or are perceived to be, under ex- cessive U.S. influence or control. In Aus- tralia, Canada, and Europe (perhaps most significantly in Canada), people who believe their local and/or national culture has be- come too Americanized sometimes use the term "51st state" in critical reference to their respective countries. The pejorative term 51st stater usually refers to non-U.S. resid- ents who emulate mannerisms and culture of an American, or a non-American politician who is a supporter of the United States, espe- cially its foreign policy, to a degree viewed as excessive. Legal requirements Under Article IV, Section Three of the United States Constitution, which outlines the rela- tionship among the states, Congress has the power to admit new states to the union. The states are required to give "full faith and credit" to the acts of each other’s legislatures and courts, which is generally held to include the recognition of legal contracts, marriages, and criminal judgments. The states are guar- anteed military and civil defense by the fed- eral government, which is also obligated by Article IV, Section Four, to "guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government." New states are admitted into the Union by the precedents and procedures established by the Northwest Ordinance. Fol- lowing the precedent established by the En- abling Act of 1802, an Enabling Act must be passed by Congress as a prerequisite to ad- mission. The act authorizes the people of a territory to frame a constitution, and lays down the requirements that must be met pri- or to consideration for statehood. Possible candidates from the United States District of Columbia The District of Columbia is often mentioned as a likely candidate for statehood. In Feder- alist No. 43 of the Federalist Papers, James Madison considered the implications of the definition of the "seat of government" found in the United States Constitution. Although he noted potential conflicts of interest, and the need for a "municipal legislature for local purposes,"[1] Madison did not address the district’s role in national voting. At the time, some believed that giving the district full vot- ing rights would be like giving Congress its own separate vote, increasing its power at the expense of the citizens. However, the city’s population has grown to almost 600,000 people (larger than Wyoming’s and comparable to those of several other states), and the calls for suffrage have increased. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 51st state 1 Of the potential candidates, citizens of the District of Columbia tend to be most support- ive of statehood, yet this would require amendment of the United States Constitu- tion. D.C. residents who support this move- ment sometimes use the Revolutionary War protest motto "Taxation without representa- tion," denoting their lack of Congressional representation; the phrase is now printed on newly issued D.C. license plates (although a driver may choose to have the D.C. website address instead). President Bill Clinton’s presidential limousine had the "Taxation without representation" license plate late in his term, while President George W. Bush had the vehicle’s plates changed shortly after beginning his term in office.[2] This position was carried by the D.C. Statehood Party, a minor party; it has since merged with the local Green Party affiliate to form the D.C. Statehood Green Party. The nearest this movement ever came to success was in 1978, when Congress passed the Dis- trict of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment. Two years later in 1980, local citizens passed an initiative calling for a constitutional con- vention for a new state. In 1982, voters rati- fied the constitution of the state, which was to be called New Columbia. The drive for statehood stalled in 1985, however, when the D.C. Voting Rights Amendment failed be- cause not enough states ratified the amend- ment within the seven-year span specified. Statehood will likely remain a highly con- tentious political issue due to the political demographics of the city. D.C. has long voted overwhelmingly Democratic, and the addition of another state would likely guarantee two Democratic Senators in a closely divided Senate. Another proposed option would be to have Maryland, from which the current land was ceded, retake the District of Columbia, as Virginia has already done for its part. This would give D.C. residents the benefit of state- hood while precluding the creation of a 51st state. Puerto Rico See also: Commonwealth (United States insu- lar area), Politics of Puerto Rico , and Politic- al status of Puerto Rico Puerto Rican statehood referenda have been consistently, though narrowly, unsuccessful. In each referendum, statehood supporters are matched almost equally by supporters of maintaining the status quo (the balance of the votes being cast by supporters of full in- dependence), although support for statehood has risen in each successive popular referen- dum.[3] If Puerto Rico were a U.S. state, it would rank 27th in population, and have six seats in the House of Representatives.[4][5][6] Puerto Rico has been under U.S. sovereignty for over a century and Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917; but the is- land’s ultimate status still has not been de- termined and its 3.9 million residents still do not have voting representation in their na- tional government. Puerto Rico currently has limited representation in Congress in the form of a Resident Commissioner, a nonvot- ing delegate, and the current Congress had returned the Commissioner’s power to vote in the Committee of the Whole, but not on matters where the vote would represent a de- cisive participation.[7] Puerto Rico has elec- tions on the United States presidential primary or Caucus of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party to select delegates to the respective parties national conventions although presidential electors are not gran- ted on the Electoral College. Contrary to common misconception, resid- ents of Puerto Rico pay some U.S. federal taxes: import/export taxes, federal commod- ity taxes, social security taxes, etc. Most res- idents do not pay federal income tax but pay federal payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare). However, federal employees, or those who do business with the federal gov- ernment, Puerto Rico-based corporations that intend to send funds to the U.S. and others also pay federal income taxes. Puerto Ricans may enlist in the U.S. military. Puerto Ricans have fully participated in all U.S. wars since 1898, and became United States citizens in 1917. All persons born in Puerto Rico after 1941 are legally natural born citizens of the United States, one of the constitutional re- quirements to be President of the United States.[8][9][10] President George H. W. Bush issued a memorandum on November 30, 1992, to heads of executive departments and agencies establishing the current administrative rela- tionship between the Federal Government and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. This memorandum directs all Federal depart- ments, agencies, and officials to treat Puerto Rico administratively as if it were a State From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 51st state 2 insofar as doing so would not disrupt Federal programs or operations. On December 23, 2000, President Bill Clinton signed executive Order 13183, which established the Presid- ent’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status and the rules for its membership. Section 4 of ex- ecutive Order 13183 (as amended by execut- ive Order 13319) directs the Task Force to "report on its actions to the President ... on progress made in the determination of Puerto Rico’s ultimate status." President George W. Bush signed an additional amendment to Ex- ecutive Order 13183 on December 3, 2003, which established the current co-chairs and instructed the Task Force to issue reports as needed, but no less than once every two years.[4][5] The statehood position is carried by the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico. Both the Democratic Party and Republican Party, in their respective 2008 party platforms, have expressed their support of the rights of the United States Citizens in Puerto Rico to determine the destiny of the Commonwealth to achieve a future permanent non-territorial political status with government by consent and full enfranchisement.[11][12] The Republican Party platform of 2008 says: We support the right of the United States citizens of Puerto Rico to be admitted to the Union as a fully sovereign state after they freely so determine. We recognize that Congress has the final authority to define the constitutionally valid options for Puerto Rico to achieve a permanent non- territorial status with government by consent and full enfranchisement. As long as Puerto Rico is not a state, however, the will of its people regarding their political status should be ascertained by means of a general right of referendum or specific referenda sponsored by the U.S. government. The Democratic Party platform of 2008 says: We believe that the people of Puerto Rico have the right to the political status of their choice, obtained through a fair, neutral, and democratic process of self- determination. The White House and Congress will work with all groups in Puerto Rico to enable the question of Puerto Rico’s status to be resolved during the next four years.[13] Its population in the 2000 census was 3,927,776. (Kentucky ranked 26th, with 4,206,074, and Oregon ranked 27th, with 3,700,758.) Texas When Texas entered the union in 1845, it was with the understanding that it could divide it- self into four additional states.[14] This is re- flected in the Joint Resolution Annexing Texas to the United States. See also: List of U.S. states by population Other/former U.S. territories A hypothetical merging of several former and current Pacific US territories into a single state. Other less likely contenders are Guam and the United States Virgin Islands, both of which are unincorporated organized territor- ies of the United States, although the latter could merge with Puerto Rico due to their proximity (although they have very different histories and cultures). Also the Northern Mariana Islands, which is a commonwealth like Puerto Rico, and American Samoa, an unorganized, unincorporated territory could attempt to gain statehood. Some proposals call for the Virgin Islands to be admitted with Puerto Rico as one state (often known as the proposed "Commonwealth of Prusvi," for Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands), and for the amalgamation of U.S. territories or former territories in the Pacific Ocean, in the man- ner of the "Greater Hawaii" concept of the 1960s. Guam and the Northern Mariana Is- lands would be admitted as one state, along with Palau, the Federated States of From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 51st state 3 Location Population Area (sq. mi.) Comments Puerto Rico 3,994,259 3,514 July 2007 estimate United States Virgin Islands 112,000 133.73 July 2005 estimate Total 4,106,259 3,647.73 Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands Location Population Area (sq. mi.) Comments Palau 19,907 177 July 2005 estimate Northern Mariana Islands 80,801 184.17 July 2005 estimate Marshall Islands 61,963 69.8 July 2005 estimate Guam 175,877 209.85 July 2008 estimate Federated States of Micronesia 108,500 271 July 2006 estimate Subtotal 441,171 911.82 Former Trust Territories + Guam American Samoa 64,869 76.83 July 2006 estimate Total 506,040 988.65 Former Trust Territories + American Pacific Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands (though these latter three entities are now separate sovereign nations). Such a state would have a population of 441,171 (slightly lower than Wyoming’s population) and an area of 911.82 square miles (slightly smaller than Rhode Is- land). American Samoa could possibly be part of such a state, increasing the population to 506,040 and the area to 988.65 square miles, or it may become a county of Hawaii a territ- ory. Radio Australia, in late May 2008, issued signs of Guam and the Northern Mariana Is- lands becoming one again and become the 51st state.[15] From current U.S. states • Absaroka was an area in the United States, comprising parts of the states of Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming, that contemplated secession and statehood in 1939. One leader of the secessionist movement, A. R. Swickard, appointed himself "governor" and started hearing grievances in the "capital" of Sheridan, Wyoming. License plates were distributed, as well as pictures of "Miss Absaroka 1939." The movement was generally unsuccessful and fairly short- lived. The chief record of its existence comes from the Federal Writers’ Project, which included a story about the plan as an example of Western eccentricity.[16] • The State of Sequoyah was a proposed state. It would have consisted of what is now eastern Oklahoma. • The California State Senate voted on June 4, 1965, to divide California into two states, with the Tehachapi Mountains as the boundary. Sponsored by State Senator Richard J. Dolwig (D-San Mateo), the resolution proposed to separate the 7 southern counties, with a majority of the state’s population, from the 51 other counties, and passed 27-12. To be effective, the amendment would have needed approval by the State Assembly, by California voters, and by the United States Congress. As expected by Dolwig, the proposal did not get out of committee in the Assembly.[17] A previous proposal to this effect was advanced in 1860, but was tabled due to the American Civil War and never revived. • In 1784, residents of what is now eastern Tennessee voted to organize the region as a new state to be named "Franklin" and petitioned Congress for admission to the Union. Congress never acted on the petition, and when North Carolina—which had once claimed the Tennessee country (the territory now comprising Tennessee) and had then ceded it to central government of the U.S.—acted to reclaim the region, the government of "Franklin" soon collapsed. In 1790, North Carolina From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 51st state 4 again ceded the Tennessee country, including the former Franklin, to the central government; the entire Tennessee country was later (1796) admitted to the union as the State of Tennessee. • Historically, it was possible that the counties of southern Oregon and northern California might have seceded from their respective states to form a new "State of Jefferson." When last proposed in 1941, Jefferson would have become the 49th state, making Alaska and Hawaii the 50th and 51st when they became states in 1959. • Also there have been brief calls for a 51st state named the State of Lincoln in 1996, 1999, and 2005. The state would be made of Eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle. • The proposal for New York City secession would separate Downstate New York, containing New York City, from the more conservative, and rural upstate New York. It has seen supporters from both upstate (Randy Kuhl) and downstate (Peter Vallone, Jr.) but has never built enough momentum to pass. • Long Island has considered separating itself from the rest of New York due to claims of paying higher taxes and receiving less in aid and benefits compared to the more rural sections of upstate New York and in some cases New York City. On May 12, 2009, legislators from Suffolk County passed a home rule resolution calling for a study and referendum on the merits of Long Island seceding from the state. • A movement to have Eastern Oregon secede and become the 51st state was underway in 2008.[18] The proposed state line would stretch from east of the Cascade Mountains to the Idaho border. • Similar junctions have attempted to take place in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which some wish to secede (sometimes along with adjoining counties of northern Wisconsin) to make a state called "Superior."[19] • The State of Deseret was a provisional state of the United States, proposed in 1849 by Mormon settlers in Salt Lake City. The provisional state existed for slightly over two years and was never recognized by the United States government. The proposal encompassed nearly all of present-day Utah and Nevada, large portions of California and Arizona, and parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon. • On January 15, 2008, Utah State Representative Neal Hendrickson introduced a joint resolution consenting to the creation of a new state. The proposed resolution - intended to be sent to the U.S. Congress - would support secession of all lands south of the Utah County border to create the new state.[20] The Utah House of Representatives tabled the resolution on March 5, 2008.[21] • In January 2008, columnist, Bill Shipp wrote an editorial urging the creation of two Georgian states. This proposal in the article was largely attributed to a severe drought and concerns of the water rights enfringement of citizens in southern Georgia by politicians and officials from the Metro Atlanta area and North Georgia. Shipp went on to advocate a creation of North and South Georgia as two separate states to prevent Northern Georgia from encroaching on those water rights.[22] • For years, residents and businesses of Northern Virginia have complained that their region, which has about a third of the state’s population, sends about half its tax revenues to the State and gets back only 25 cents on the dollar. Some residents argue that Northern Virginia is part of the state in name only, saying that the region is so different from the rest of Virginia, it’s as though the New Jersey suburbs were grafted onto South Carolina. This situation has led some to propose that northern split into the separate state of Northern Virginia.[23][24] More recently, John McCain adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer created a minor controversy making a distinction between northern Virginia and “real Virginia,” which she said is the “part of the state that is more Southern in nature...”[25] Use internationally Because of their cultural similarities and close alliances with the United States, it is said in jest that some countries are the 51st state. In other countries, movements with various degrees of support and seriousness have proposed U.S. statehood. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 51st state 5 Albania Albania is often cited as the 51st state due to its perceived strongly pro-USA positions mainly because of the Kosovo policy of the latter. In reference to President George W. Bush’s 2007 European tour, Edi Rama, Tir- ana’s mayor and leader of the opposition So- cialists, said: "Albania is for sure the most pro-American country in Europe, maybe even in the world ... Nowhere else can you find such respect and hospitality for the President of the United States. Even in Michigan, he wouldn’t be as welcome." At the time of ex-Secretary of State James Baker’s visit in 1991, there was even a move to hold a refer- endum declaring the country as America’s 51st state.[26] Australia and New Zealand Over the last half century, Australian culture was increasingly dominated by the United States of America. The US holds major joint military and government interests with Aus- tralia in part of the ANZUS Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951. Australia is an English-speak- ing country, is regarded as a close U.S. ally, and shares a similar British background. In Australia and New Zealand, the term ’51st State’ is used primarily as a rhetorical attack on a perceived excess of American cul- tural or political influence.[27] Canada In Canada, "the 51st state" (or sometimes "the Maple Leaf state") is an emotional trig- ger phrase generally used in such a way as to imply that if a certain political course is taken, Canada’s destiny will be to become "the 51st state." Becoming "the 51st state" is usually raised either as a potential consequence of adopting policies that propose greater integration or cooperation with the United States (such as Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement in 1988, or the current debate over the cre- ation of a common defense perimeter), or as a potential consequence of not adopting pro- posals intended to resolve the issue of Que- bec sovereignty (such as the Charlottetown Accord in 1992, or the Clarity Act in 1999). The phrase is usually used in local politic- al debates, in polemic writing or in private conversations. It is rarely used by politicians themselves in a public context, although at certain times in Canadian history political parties have used other similarly loaded im- agery. In the 1988 federal election, the Liber- als asserted that the proposed Free Trade Agreement amounted to an American takeover of Canada[28] — notably, the party ran an ad in which Tory strategists, upon the adoption of the agreement, slowly erased the Canada-U.S. border from a desktop map of North America.[29] Within days, however, the Tories responded with an ad which featured the border being drawn back on, as an an- nouncer intoned "Here’s where we draw the line."[30] A few fringe groups in Canada have act- ively campaigned in favor of joining the Un- ited States. These annexationist movements have not attracted much mainstream atten- tion, although surveys have found that a minority of Canadians expressed some sup- port for the concept, ranging from as many as 19 per cent in a Léger Marketing survey in 2001[31] to just seven per cent in another survey by the same company in 2004.[32] In the United States, use of the term "the 51st state" when applied to Canada can serve as either a positive or negative reference, de- pending on the context. In some circum- stances, the term is used from a U.S. per- spective to highlight the similarities and close relationship between Canada and the United States. However, the term is most of- ten taken as an insult. Interestingly, the Articles of Confederation pre-approved Canada’s entry into the United States of America.[33] Alberta See also: Alberta separatism and Jesusland map Alberta is referred to as "the Texas of the north"[34]; the two share similarities in terms of conservative social values and an economy defined by cattle ranching, petroleum extrac- tion and processing. A number of Albertans have expressed dissatisfaction at Canada’s policies towards the province, particularly with regards to national energy policy and equalization payments. Some Albertans ac- cuse Canada of stealing money from the province’s vast oil reserves to distribute to the rest of the country; however the distribu- tion of windfall provincial earnings as equal- ization payments to most provinces is stand- ard practice, and all provinces have been the recipient of this funding at some point in time, including Alberta, although this From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 51st state 6 sentiment was not directly tied to union with the United States.[35][36] An August 2005 poll commissioned by the Western Standard pegged support for the idea that "Western Canadians should begin to explore their op- tions outside of Canada" at 42% in Alberta and 35.6% across the four Western provinces.[37] Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island During the Quebec referendum, 1995, there was media speculation that one potential consequence of Quebec’s secession from Canada might be that the three Maritime Provinces of Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, would be economically disadvantaged by their geo- graphic isolation from the remaining Cana- dian provinces, and would therefore secede from Canada and be admitted to the United States as three new states. However, each of the provincial parliaments deny there is or ever was any intent to join the United States. Quebec In the Quebec general election, 1989, Parti 51 ran for elections proposing secession of Quebec from Canada and annexation to the US. The party attracted just 3,846 votes across the entire province, 0.11 per cent of the total votes cast. Central America Due to geographical proximity of the Central American countries to the U.S. which has powerful economic influences and political importance in the Americas (including peri- ods of U.S. military occupations), there were several movements and proposals by the Un- ited States during the 19th and 20th centur- ies to annex any of the 6 or 7 Central Americ- an republics (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras with the formerly British-ruled Bay Islands, Nicaragua, Panama which has the U.S.-ruled Canal Zone territory from 1903 to 1979, and formerly British Hon- duras or Belize since 1981) has failed. Cuba One of the most loyal nations to the U.S. in the early 20th century and home to 500,000 American land owners before the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Cuba was projec- ted to become US territory by purchasing it from the Spanish empire. In 1859, Senator John Slidell introduced a bill to place thirty million dollars into the hands of the Presid- ent, to be applied towards the purchase of Cuba from Spain.[38][39] The pro-independence movement in Cuba was funded and supported by the U.S., as guerilla leaders pleaded for annexation for statehood in the 1880s and early 1890s, but Cuban revolutionary leader José Martí objec- ted and called for Cuban nationhood. When the U.S. defeated Spain in 1898, the island was allowed to declare independence instead of becoming officially part of the U.S. Despite this the Platt Amendment offered the United States certain rights, and it was several years before troops were withdrawn. From 1903 to 1958, the U.S. opted to back every government, most notably the General Fulgencio Batista regime who was ousted in 1959 by Fidel Castro. Castro erected an inde- pendent socialist government which has been in power ever since. Denmark The small kingdom country in northern Europe was subject to pro-US annexation movements in the 1900s/1910’s by a Danish- American ethnic organization in Alborg, the small group established an "American" vil- lage near the city in Jutland and promoted closer Danish-American diplomatic relations. Dominican Republic In 1869, Dominican president Buenaventura Báez tried to persuade the United States to annex his debt-ridden, war-torn nation. U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant supported this plan, but the annexation treaty failed in the 56-member Senate 28-28, falling well short of the two-thirds required by the Constitu- tion.[40] Guyana There is an organization dedicated to the in- tegration of Guyana with the United States, GuyanaUSA. Their claim is based on the idea that Guyana has strong connections with the United States in terms of people (100,000 people have joint Guyanese-American citizen- ship and 350,000 Guyanese live in the U.S., half as many as remain in Guyana). It is the only South American country with English as its official language. Guyana, however, ap- pears to have committed itself to South From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 51st state 7 American integration, becoming a founding member of the Union of South American Na- tions in 2008. Iraq Several publications suggest that the Iraq War is a neocolonial war to make Iraq the 51st state, usually a tongue-in-cheek state- ment. [41][42][43] Israel Several websites assert or joke that Israel is the 51st state due to the annual funding and defense support it receives from the United States. Commentator Richard Reeves has also used this trope. An example for such proposal can be found in 2003 when Martine Rothblatt pub- lished a book called "Two Stars for Peace" that argued for the addition of Israel and Palestine as the 51st and 52nd states in the Union. Japan Despite the United Nations guarantee of the protection and preservation of Japanese sov- ereignty, some American congressmen in- sisted they should annex a war-defeated Japan. The U.S. armed forces rejected such a plan during the Japanese Instrument of Sur- render on the USS Missouri. However, Article 3 of the Treaty of San Francisco between the Allied Powers and Japan, which came into force in April 1952, the U.S. put the outlying islands of the Ry- ukyus, including the island of Okinawa–home to over 1,000,000 Okinawans related to the Japanese–and the Bonin Islands, the Volcano Islands, and Iwo Jima into U.S. trustee- ship.[44] All these trusteeships were slowly returned to Japanese rule. Okinawa was re- turned on May 15, 1972, but the U.S. contin- ues to station troops in the island’s bases, an emotional subject for many Okinawans who despised foreign occupation left over from the World War II era.[45] Mexico The idea of incorporating Mexico into several states of the US has existed ever since the Mexican–American War. Today this term is used to underline or reflect the strong eco- nomic and political connections between Mexico and the US.[46] At least one website exists to promote this goal.[47] In 1913 dur- ing border skirmishes between the United States and Mexico, it was proposed by some that the US annex Chihuahua. The Northeast region, comprised by the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León (where claims about federal taxes and water usage are similar to the proposed US states complaints) is frequently alleged to be more alike in general mentality to Texas than to the rest of the country. These three states formed the core of the short-lived 19th Cen- tury Republic of the Rio Grande. Philippines The Philippines at one time had a grassroots movement for statehood. Supporters of this movement were mainly Filipinos that had fought as members of the United States armed forces in various wars under a special agreement between the two countries (see Filipino Veterans Fairness Act). Various sug- gestions for Philippine statehood have in- cluded its entry as a whole or the partial entry of the westernized north, leaving the predominantly Muslim Mindanao to form its own country (see Moro National Liberation Front) or join Indonesia. The movement nev- er had any significant political impact, and was primarily a minor social movement. The movement is virtually dead, as most of its supporters are aging or have died. Poland Poland is staunchly pro-American (see Poland – United States relations), dating back to General Tadeusz Kościuszko’s leading Amer- ican revolutionaries, and reinforced following favorable American interventions in World War I (leading to the creation of an independ- ent Poland), World War II (re-creating an From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 51st state 8 independent Poland), and the Cold War (cul- minating in a Poland independent of Soviet influence), and contributing a large force in the "Coalition of the Willing" in Iraq. Poland has been referred to as "the 51st state" by CIA officials, especially in connection to ex- traordinary rendition.[48] Sicily The Party of Reconstruction in Sicily, which claimed 40,000 members in 1944, cam- paigned for Sicily to be admitted as a U.S. state.[49] This party was one of several Sicili- an separatist movements active after the downfall of Italian Fascism. The island is pop- ulated by Sicilians, a traditionally regional and ethnic group which felt neglected or un- derrepresented by the Italian government, especially after the annexation of 1861 when Sicily was part of the Kingdom of the Two Si- cilies based in Naples. The large population of Sicilians in America and the American-led Allied liberation of Sicily in July-August 1943 may have contributed to the sentiment. Taiwan When the Treaty of San Francisco and Treaty of Taipei were finalized, the United States, as leader of the World War II Allies, in its posi- tion as "principal occupying power" under the Treaty.[50] , was given the internationally agreed responsibility of administration of the former Formosa, which it then continued to delegate (in the form of an "agency" relation- ship) to Chiang Kai-shek’s Republic of China. The ongoing debates and disagreements in regard to the legal and political status of Taiwan remains, with some commentators believing it to be an independent or quasi-in- dependent state that seeks more internation- al recognition from members of the United Nations, functioning under the Formosa gov- ernment. Neither the San Francisco Peace Treaty nor the Treaty of Taipei specified who should exercise sovereignty over Taiwan after the Allied Forces had relinquished con- trol. The People’s Republic of China was not a signatory to either treaty. A poll in 2003 among Taiwanese residents aged between 13 and 22 revealed that, when given the options of either becoming a province of China or a state within the U.S., 55% of the respondents preferred statehood while 36% chose joining with China.[51] United Kingdom The UK has sometimes been called the 51st state due to the inclination of that country to work closely with the US under such leaders as Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.[52] Use in other organiza- tional contexts Frequently, organizations (NGOs, etc.) based primarily in the United States have smaller branches elsewhere. These branches may of- ten be called the group’s "51st state." • The Democratic National Committee recognizes each state for electoral purposes; however it also gives Democrats Abroad delegate votes to represent the approximately seven million U.S. citizens living abroad. In the context of the DNC, Democrats Abroad is often considered the "51st state." 51st state in popular culture • The 51st State is a 2001 British film starring Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Carlyle, set in Liverpool, England. The film makes fun of US-UK relations. The film was released under the title Formula 51 in the United States and Canada due to sensitivity to the term "51st state" there. • 51st State is a novel by Peter Preston published in 1998, in which the United Kingdom leaves the European Union and becomes the 51st state of the USA. ISBN 0-670-88326-3 • When promoting his book A Man Without a Country, author Kurt Vonnegut told The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart that he originally wished to call the book The 51st State, jokingly stating that the 51st state was the state of denial. • In the 1979 film Americathon, which is set in a fictional 1998, the United Kingdom has become the 51st state, and the logos of a Safeway grocery store hangs on the Palace of Westminster. • The satirical almanac The Areas of My Expertise, by John Hodgman, describes a mobile 51st state "Hohoq (also known as Ar.)" • At the very beginning of the movie intro to the video game Fallout, a newsreel-style From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 51st state 9 film displays a news brief about US Soldiers in newly annexed Canada (for military support against the Chinese invasion in return for oil supply, because US has seized control of the last remaining oil reservoir, as explained in the game’s sequel Fallout 2). As the film progesses a shot of a US soldier in power armor with an American flag waving behind him visible. The flag displays one large white star (likely alluding to the 50 pre-war states) in the center of a ten-star circle, which likely stands for the ten Canadian provinces. • The 1986 album The Ghost of Cain by the English rock band New Model Army features a track called 51st State, which refers to the UK under Margaret Thatcher. • The song "Heartland" on the 1986 album Infected, by the English band The The, ends with the refrain "This is the 51st state of the U.S.A." • In The Light of Other Days, a novel by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter, the United Kingdom joins the United States, with the Prime Minister serving as governor and the Royal Family exiled to Australia. ISBN 0-00-224704-6 • In the film Meet the Robinsons, Lewis travels to the future, and while there, tries to hide his identity, saying he is from Canada. One of his future cousins replies, "You must mean North Montana. Hasn’t been called Canada in years." • In the Star Trek: The Next Generation second season episode "The Royale," a 52 Star flag is shown on a piece of debris. The episode did not make clear where the 51st and 52nd states were, only that they joined in the 21st century. In the episode, Commander Riker says that the flag dates the debris between the years of 2033 and 2079. • In The Simpsons, Saudi-Israelia (presumably a combination of Saudi Arabia and Israel) is mentioned as the 51st state in the episode "Future-Drama." • The 2008 Canadian television film The Trojan Horse follows the aftermath of a referendum in which Canada votes to join the United States. Instead of Canada being one state, there are six, British Columbia (British Columbia & Yukon), Alberta (Alberta & Northwest Territories), Manitoba (Manitoba & Saskatchewan), Ontario (Ontario & Nunavut), and Quebec and Terra Nova (the Atlantic Provinces) • In the alternate history of the comic series Watchmen, Vietnam is mentioned as the 51st state after the presence of the godlike superhero Doctor Manhattan during the war changes the outcome. In the trailer for the film adaptation, the flag on Eddie Blake’s coffin has 51 stars.[53] • In the 1998 anime series Brain Powerd, the mammoth alien spaceship Orphan surfaces in the Pacific Ocean and is occupied by the United States, which proclaims it as the 53rd state. It is never specified what the 51st and 52nd states are. See also • Manifest Destiny • Proposals for new Australian States • Proposals for new Canadian provinces and territories References [1] The Federalist #43 [2] A Brief History of Washington D.C. [3] Let Puerto Rico Decide: An Introduction to Puerto Rico’s Status Debate [4]^ Report By the President’s Task Force On Puerto Rico’s Status (December 2005) [5]^ Report By the President’s Task Force On Puerto Rico’s Status (December 2007) [6] H.R.900: To provide for a federally sanctioned self-determination process for the people of Puerto Rico., Library of Congress THOMAS, http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/ z?d110:h.r.00900: [7] Rules of the House of Representatives [8] 8 USC 1402 [9] Liptak, Adam. A Hint of New Life to a McCain Birth Issue. The New York Times, July 11, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-11-21 [10]Constitutional Topic: Citizenship, U.S. Constitution Online, http://www.usconstitution.net/ consttop_citi.html, retrieved on 2009-04-28 [11] "Democratic Party Platforms: 2008 Democratic Party Platform:". presidency.ucsb.edu. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 51st state 10 http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/ index.php?pid=78283. Retrieved on 2008-11-11. [12] "Republican Party Platforms: 2008 Republican Party Platform:". presidency.ucsb.edu. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/ index.php?pid=78545. Retrieved on 2008-11-11. [13]2008 Democratic Party Platform, August 25, 2008, The American Presidency Project. [14]Section 2 of the March 1, 1845 Joint Resolution of Congress; see also "Third" section of Ordinance of the Convention of Texas, signed 1845 July 4. [15]Combined Guam, CNMI could become US state [16]Going Down the Road - A State That Never Was in Wyoming - Series - NYTimes.com [17] "California Senate acts to cut state in two in districting fight," Syracuse Herald-Journal, June 5, 1965, p1 [18]Wright, Phil (2008-04-25). "Group eyes Eastern Oregon as 51st state". Eastern Oregonian. http://www.eastoregonian.com/ main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48&ArticleID=76761. Retrieved on 2008-04-25. [19]51st State NBC News broadcast from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive [20]Utah Legislature HJR006 [21]H.J.R. 6 Bill Status [22]South Georgia should secede, By Bill Shipp (Jan. 7, 2008) [23]Will Northern Virginia Become the 51st State?, Jaybird’s Jottings, October 28, 2008, http://jay.typepad.com/william_jay/ 2008/10/will-northern-virginia-become- the-51st-state.html, retrieved on 2008-12-05 [24]Will Northern Virginia Become the 51st State?, washingtonian.com, November 1, 2008, http://www.washingtonian.com/ articles/people/9947.html, retrieved on 2008-12-05 [25]McCain aide defines ’real Virginia’, CNN, October 18, 2008, http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/ 10/18/mccain-aide-defines-real-virginia/, retrieved on 2008-12-05 [26]Craig S. Smith (8 June 2007), Pro-U.S. Albania set to roll out the red carpet for Bush, International Herald Tribune [27]e.g.: John Pilger (January 2, 2007), Australia: the new 51st state, informationclearinghouse.info; first published at the New Statesman, http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/ article17218.htm, retrieved on 2008-01-11 [28]Stephen Azzi, "Election of 1988". histori.ca. [29] "Tories ahead in tepid pool of election ads". Global News, September 25, 2008. [30]Carolyn Ryan, "The true north, strong and negative". cbc.ca, 2006. [31]Leger Marketing survey, 2001. [32]Leger Marketing survey, 2004. [33]The University of Oklahoma College of Law: A Chronology of US Historical Documents: The Articles of Confederation [34]Bush says Obama ’deserves my silence’ (March 17, 2009), MSNBC (from Associated press). [35]Equalization for the 21st century [36]Ontario falls to have-not status amid economic slump, Newfoundland reverses its status, metronews.ca, November 3, 2008, http://www.metronews.ca/ edmonton/Canada/article/134899 [37]Kevin Steel (August 22, 2005), A nation torn apart, westernstandard.ca, http://www.westernstandard.ca/website/ article.php?id=928, retrieved on 2008-12-05 [38] "Monthly Record of Current Events", Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, XVIII, Harper and Brothers, 1859, p. 543, http://books.google.com/ books?id=thAwAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA543 [39]The Cuban Scheme, The New York Times, January 21, 1859, http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive- free/ pdf?_r=1&res=9907E2DC1E31EE34BC4951DFB766 retrieved on 2009-01-04 [40] "U.S. Senate: Art & History Home > Origins & Development > Powers & Procedures > Treaties". United States Senate. http://www.senate.gov/ artandhistory/history/common/briefing/ Treaties.htm#5. Retrieved on 2008-10-17. [41]Let’s make Iraq our 51st state! [42] "The Fifty-first State?". The Atlantic. November 2002. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200211/ fallows. Retrieved on 2008-08-13. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 51st state 11 [43]Matthew Engel (2003-03-19). "Iraq, the 51st state". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/ mar/19/usa.iraq2. Retrieved on 2008-08-13. [44]San Francisco Peace Treaty, Universität Efurt, 8 September 1951, http://www.uni-erfurt.de/ ostasiatische_geschichte/texte/japan/ dokumente/19/19510908_treaty.htm (came into force on April 28, 1952). [45]Sayuri Daimon (May 14, 2002), Handover of Okinawa to Japan was prickly issue, The Japan Times, http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ nn20020514b8.html . [46]We should annex Mexico [47]Mexico - The 51st state [48] "Inside a 9/11 Mastermind’s Interrogation". http://www.nytimes.com/ 2008/06/22/washington/22ksm.html. [49]Finkelstein, Monte S. (1998). Separatism, the Allies and the Mafia: The Struggle for Sicilian Independence, 1943-1948. Bethlehem, PA: Lehigh University Press. pp. 78. ISBN 0-934223-51-3. [50]Treaty of San Francisco, Article 23, April 28, 1952, http://www.taiwanbasic.com/ treaties/SFPT.htm, retrieved on 2009-03-26 [51]Public Opinion, Market research, TVBS Poll Center, http://www.tvbs.com.tw/ FILE_DB/files/osaka/200310/ osaka-20031030182612.doc, retrieved on 2008-11-11 (MS Word document, Chinese, See item 4) August 19, 2003 [52] "51st State?". Promo Magazine. http://promomagazine.com/othertactics/ marketing_st_state/. Retrieved on 2008-08-31. [53]Watchmen Trailer - in b4 copyright Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/51st_state" Categories: History of United States expansionism, Canada–United States relations, Canadian political phrases, American political terms, Proposed states and territories of the United States This page was last modified on 15 May 2009, at 00:29 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) 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