The good old U.S. of A. was n’t alwaysmade up of the 50 statesthat we know today . It took a lot of battles , bloodshed and negotiations to get to this point . Some state took their own sweet time hopping on gameboard the Union train , set up first as autonomous " countries , " with varying grade of autonomy .
" The inquiry of whether a state was a separate country largely reckon on how one defines a res publica — does it need a courtly government , international recognition by other area , or just a group of people saying they are a country ? " articulate Jeremy C. Young , communications and marketing manager with theAmerican Historical Association , by electronic mail . " I also chuck out rebellions that did not lead to a lasting change in regime , such as the Confederate States of America . " He adds that it ’s authoritative to note " the United States was create on land that was forcibly take through various modes of violence from endemic Carry Nation , communities , and people whose own apprehension of that land crossed bound that can not be neatly drawn on mathematical function . "
With those caveats in creative thinker here are six states that at one clip were considered independent nations . We ’ll bug out with two that were officially tell apart as such by other commonwealth :
1. Texas
Texans have always like to do affair their own style , and the first of this state for certain set the stage . The problems all begin with theTexas Revolution(1835 - 1836 ) , which determine the Mexican Caesarism government overthrown by ample U.S. citizens that had been invited into the area . Once dub the Republic of Texas , the colonists set about the U.S. for appropriation ( i.e. , to be added to the U.S.A. ) .
" But the administration initially resist to do this , because adding Texas as a hard worker state of matter , south of the Mason - Dixon Line , would dramatically increase the amount of U.S. territory open to slavery and would likely lead to polite warfare , " Young say . However , in 1846 President James K. Polk did an about - fount because he actually need more slaveholding states , so Texas formally accomplish statehood that year . In fact , inflate the U.S. via this route was a major part of his election campaign .
The Republic of Texas exist foralmost 10 yearsand was recognized byFrance , Belgium and the Netherlands , and even the U.S.A. as an independent nation .
2. Hawaii
The Aloha State was screw as the Kingdom ofHawaiifrom 1795 to 1895 , afterKing Kamehameha united all the islandsinto one kingdom from minor independent community . That all changed radically in the 1890s when the monarchy was overthrown by wealthy white American colonialists who controlled the lettuce plantations . They go for the United States would annex Hawaii as a soil . " Initially , the U.S. political science refused to do this , so the colonizers who had overthrow the Hawaiian government became leaders of the short - lived Republic of Hawaii ( 1894 - 1898 ) , " says Young .
The first president of the commonwealth wasSanford Dole(a relative of the category behind the Ananas comosus society that is now Dole Food Company ) . President Grover Cleveland thought the Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani should be touch on to the throne . But Dole carry on to search annexation and in 1900 , Congress create theTerritory of Hawaii . The area formally became the fiftieth DoS in 1959 , not far behind Alaska .
Now , we move into less well - defined territory , as there are states that check themselves as independent nations , even if they technically were not recognize as such by other countries :
3. Vermont
The region now known as Vermont was part of the colony of New York , but did n’t want to take side in the war between New York and Britain . So , in 1777 American colonists assembled todeclare independencefrom both . They formed the Vermont Republic . Its 1777 convention saw an exceptionally forward - thinking constitution adopted . In addition to being the first North American organization , it also banned bondage and gave grownup males the right to vote . Even those who did n’t own property !
However , not everyone was on board with this maneuver . " For reasons relating to state - based Edwin Herbert Land claims , the U.S. administration did not know Vermont ’s independence from New York until 1791 , when Vermont was admitted to the Union as the 14th body politic , " Young says . Congress took so long to recognize Vermont that at one point , Vermonter asked Britain if they couldbe readmittedto their conglomerate . However , in the goal , as a counter - balance to the admittance of the slave - owning state of Kentucky , Vermont was admitted to the Union .
4. Rhode Island
Rhode Island might be tiny , but it always was a trend - compositor . Much like Vermont , Rhode Islanders were also not interestedin ongoing issues with the Crown . " In response to a British occupation , the colony of Rhode Island adjudge its independency from Great Britain on May 4 , 1776 , two month before the rest period of the American colonies did , " Young says . " Technically , then , it was a sovereign country for two months . "
5. Oregon
Lots of people were moving to Oregon Country in the 1800s , which intend that some form of law and social club had to be achieved . In 1843 , settler create theProvisional Government of Oregonto get the task done . Some settlers felt they should become an independent nation while others felt they should wait to get annexed to the U.S.A. In 1846 , Britain finally give up its claim to the vast territory , and in 1849 the U.S. formally annexed the farming , which for the disc , was made up of modern - day Oregon , Washington and Idaho .
6. The Republic of West Florida
This only existedfor two monthsin 1810 . " A group of U.S. citizens live on in Spanish Florida entrance an area around Baton Rouge from the Spanish military . Later in 1810 , the U.S. government annexed the territory , and it became part of the state of Louisiana in 1812 , " say Young .
