Secession
Secession describes is the political movement to withdraw a bloc of membership from an organization or especially a section of territory and resident population from an existing state or sub-national unit of government.
Historically, the term "secessionist" is used more often to describe the losing Confederate side in the American Civil War or the War to Preserve Slavery. The present day supporters of the losers of that conflict are also known as the proponents of the Lost Cause of the South. During the Civil War era in America the secessionists were known as "seceshers" and are called such today. Modern era seceshers in the U. S. may include both Southerners (or as they're known to call themselves, "Southroners") and Northerners. All are afflicted by the "false-consensus effect" whereby they overestimate the importance and the popularity of their endeavor.
Even in America, it's not quite dead.[1]
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[edit] History
A common historical misrepresentation made by today's small community of active secession advocates is that the U.S. was born by an act of secession. This lie pops up on virtually all of their websites. While a group may attempt to secede from a voluntary association, an act of separation made by a colony is a rebellion and those framing the secesher narrative know this. So why believe anything else they have to say?
Some notable cases of secession politics in the last century or so:
[edit] Successful
- Bangladesh, from Pakistan
- Eritrea, from Ethiopia
- Crimea, from Ukraine (annexed by Russia)
- Ireland, from the UK
- Panama, from Colombia
- Singapore, from Malaysia
- South Sudan, from Sudan
- Somaliland, from Somalia (not recognized by any UN member state, but de facto independent)
- 11 states, from the USA (briefly formed the Slave States of America during the War of Secession)
- West Virginia, from Virginia (rather uniquely, part of a state which seceded from the United States, seceded back to the United States)
- all 21 or so (depending on who's talking) nations that used to be part of the Soviet Union or Yugoslavia
[edit] Not successful (yet)
- various states, from the US (see Second Vermont Republic and Alaskan Independence Party)
- Biafra, from Nigeria
- Cabinda, from Angola
- Catalonia, from Spain
- Chechnya, from Russia
- Katanga, from the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Quebec, from Canada
- Tibet, from China
- Scotland, from the UK (see Scottish National Party)