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Efforts to Split California

Some historians say that if the Mayflower hadStill another proposal would divide
landed on California's coast instead of theCalifornia into a number of small states.
eastern seaboard, the state would have beenThis suggestion is deemed to be a
divided into several small states, similar totongue-in-cheek suggestion that would
the  New  England  region.Balkanize California into small states
lacking adequate resources and virtually no
Consider that it takes longer to drive frompower  nationally.
California's northern border to its southern
boundary than it does to travel on thePerhaps the most radical suggestion, and also
opposite coast from Maine through six Newdone facetiously, would make California a
England  states  to  Washington,  D.C.separate nation. This proposal was the
brainchild of San Jose Mercury newsman Ted
There have been at least 26 differentBredt, who noted that California's resources
proposals  to  split  California.and financial potential were larger than
those  of  many  nations.
The issue to divide California first arose
when those in the southern part of the stateIn 1849, Jose Antonio Carrillo, a southern
wanted the Capital there, while those in thedelegate to the Constitutional Convention,
northern part of the state likewise wantedproposed a split of California at San Luis
it.Obispo. The southern part of the state would
become a territory, while the northern part
The location of the Capital, it was believed,would  become  a  state.
would dictate the area that would receive the
most  political  considerations.Other delegates at the Constitutional
Convention proposed including what is now
Disvisionists first wanted to divideCalifornia, but also Nevada, Utah, and
California and locate the capitol either inArizona in the new state. This proposal was
Monterey, Los Angeles, or in San Diego.rejected out of hand as it would create a
Northerners felt they were being overtaxed tostate  too  large.
pay for Southern California's education,
social  programs,  and  justice  system.In 1852, some Californians near the Oregon
border expressed their strong dissatisfaction
Another divisive issue between the north andover high taxes, poor mail service, and the
the south was the matter of water. The southlack of military protection against
was dependent on the north for its water.California Indian tribes. They wanted to
Northerners felt the dams and facilitiesform  the  State  of  Shasta.
necessary to transport water to the south
were causing unwanted geographic and climaticThere were attempts by one northern
changes. Some felt even the earthquakes,California area to separate from California
such as one in Oroville in 1975, were aaltogether. This was in 1856, when Isaac
result of the construction of waterNewton Roop, the founder of Susanville, and
facilities.Peter Lassen, the explorer for whom Lassen
County was named, sought to form an
Advocates of dividing the state voiced aindependent  territory.
common grievance: California was just too
big,  and,  therefore  ungovernable.This territory would be made up by parts of
both northern California and of Nevada, which
In 1864, a state-splitting measure was placedthey would call Nataqua, a word meaning woman
on the ballot, approved by voters, signed byin  the  local  Indian  language.
the Governor, and sent to Congress. Congress
did  not  approve  it.Later, in 1854, resolutions were drafted to
form the State of Klamath, which would
No state in the U.S. has been split into twoinclude portions of Northern California and
or more regions since 1862, when the westernof  Southern  Oregon.
part of the state of Virginia opposed
Virginia's secession from the Union in 1861,Also in 1854, San Bernardino Assemblyman
and Congress recognized it as the state ofJefferson Hunt introduced a bill for the
West  Virginia.creation of a new state of Columbia, covering
the area from Santa Cruz to the Mexican
Most proposals to divide California wouldBorder.
split the state horizontally into two parts,
either at the Tehachapi Mountains or at aIt is unlikely that California will ever be
northern point just above or belowdivided. Any proposal aimed at splitting the
Sacramento. There was at least onestate must gain the consent of the
suggestion, however, that the state belegislature, and then be approved by Congress
divided vertically into East and Westas  well.
California.
Still, the state-splitting issue is likely to
Another suggestion proposed dividingemerge many times in the future, as it is an
California into three states, North, South,easy way for a politician to get space in the
and  Central  California.press.



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