New England Independence Campaign
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Republic of New England | |
|---|---|
 States commonly accepted to be part of New England | |
| Capital | Boston (de facto) |
| Largest city | Boston |
| Official languages | New England English (de facto) |
| Demonym(s) | New Englander, Yankee,[1] Novanglian, Novanglican (archaic)[2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 71,987.59 sq mi (186,447.0 km2) |
| Population | |
• 2020 census | 15,116,205 |
• Density | 210/sq mi (81.1/km2) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2022 estimate |
• Total | $1.32 trillion "GDP by State". Retrieved 28 February 2024. |
The New England Independence Campaign (NEIC) is a grassroots political organization that advocates for the independence of the New England region of the United States. The proposed country would include the states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachussetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.
History of the concept[edit]
New England is the oldest region of the United States with clearly defined borders. Regional philosophy on many important topics continues to be driven by ideas brought by Pilgrims during the Puritan migration to New England (1620-1640); a prime example of this is public education, a highly-valued institution across most of the region.
The first formal union of the region began in 1643 with the establishment of the New England Confederation, a loose alliance of the colonies that ended with the establishment of the Dominion of New England by the British royal government. The Dominion was highly resented in the colonies as it forcibly introduced the Church of England into Massachussetts, whereas the Confederation had been intent on supporting local Puritan churches. The Dominion also replaced local colonial leaders with royal governors.
New England was a hotbed of activity before and during the American Revolution, being the site of major events such as the Boston Tea Party and the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
Although New England was not a single political unit after American independence, it continued to be a significant socio-cultural region. By 1784, all six states had introduced gradual abolition. The Federalist Party dominated the region during the First Party System, and had little support south of New Jersey.
The Federalists were generally against the War of 1812, and tended to believe that peace with Britain was the appropriate move. Although much of the funding and personnel for the war came from the northeast, Federalists opposed most bills in Congress that called for more war funding. Furthermore, they opposed Madison's 1814 bill introducing conscription, likening it to the policies of French ruler Napoleon, who they saw as a dictator.
By 1814, New England was facing the brunt of British aggression. An effective blockade was in place against most of the coast, an American embargo bill prohibited trade, modern-day Maine was partially occupied, and a naval assault on Boston was expected if the war continued.
Most New England governors, with the exception of Governor John Taylor Gilman of New Hampshire, refused to have their state militias placed under the command of the War Department, which would have taken forces away from local coastal defense and allowed redeployment to other locations. Due to this refusal, Madison refused to pay for the expenses incurred by the militias of Connecticut and Massachussetts.
In light of these grievances, 26 delegates from the New England Federalist party agreed to meet at the Hartford Convention on December 15th, 1814. After electing George Cabot as President, the convention carried out secret meetings, with no records of resolutions or votes, for three weeks. As such, it is impossible to know what proposals were put forth. The final report states that New England had a "duty" to assert authority over unconstitutional infringements on its states' rights. While the final report did not propose secession, it did propose several major amendments to the Constitution:
1. Requiring a 2/3 Congressional majority to declare offensive war, admit a new state, or set embargoes
2. Prohibiting any trade embargo lasting over 60 days
3. Removing the three-fifths advantage of the South
4. Limiting the presidential term to one
5. Requiring the President to be from a different state than his predecessor
It was somewhat understood that the Democratic-Republican Party, the opposing and national ruling party, would have never accepted any of these terms. The convention's report was primarily intended to serve as the basis of future negotiations between New England and the rest of the Union.
By the time representatives of the Convention arrived in Washington, D.C., the Treaty of Ghent had been signed and the war was over. Soon after, both the Federalists and the Convention was discredited and widely seen in the rest of the country as treasonous.
Modern history[edit]
Alex Gilbert, a resident of Oakland, Maine founded the New England Independence Campaign in 2014. It remained mostly local until the 2016 United States Presidential Election and the rise of Donald Trump, when the NEIC surged in popularity among New Englanders, especially Democrats, moderates, and libertarians.
The group has since participated in multiple local demonstrations, such as the Tax March (2017), Women's March (2018), and the March for Science (2019), primarily focused in and around Boston.
Platform[edit]
The organization cites issues such as the unfair balance of payments between states like Connecticut and Massachusetts and the federal government[3] as reason for secession.
Electoral reform[edit]
The NEIC has been a consistent advocate for electoral reform, including multi-party democracy and an end to First-past-the-post voting, which they claim disproportionately benefits large, established political parties. Members of the group have put forth various proposals for proportional representation, including ranked voting and a parliamentary system.[4] Notably, the leadership has not published a single unified plan, instead stating that any plan would be based in proportional representation and "explored and voted upon by the people".
The official platform also calls for an end to "outside interference in local elections", referring to corporate campaign donations and dark money.[5]
Libertarian influences[edit]
Many of the NEIC platform issues are centered in libertarian philosophy; namely, an emphasis on protecting personal liberties (ex. reproductive rights, freedom of movement, responsible gun ownership, and LGBTQ+ rights). The organization and its members allege that the United States has not done a sufficient job doing so. Pointing to the right-wing Project 2025, which seeks to centralize federal and executive power while severely restricting the scope of the Affordable Care Act, abolishing environmental protections and the Environmental Protection Agency, defunding the Federal Trade Commission, and using the military for domestic law enforcement, the NEIC claims that American politics has become too polarized and has strayed from the initial ideals of the American Revolution.
Furthermore, the NEIC accuses the federal government of infringing on states' rights, and advocates for decentralization. Specifically, its leaders have called the Montgomery Amendment[6] of 1987, which removes governors' rights to prevent the deployment of their states' National Guard, an infringement of federalism. The group notes that "state/municipal level government is best equipped" to meet the needs of the people.[7]
Despite these libertarian influences, the group has been friendly to the concept of universal health care, and is a strong proponent of environmentalism, having been involved with the Citizens' Climate Lobby. There is also strong support among the members for an expansion of public transport and a trans-New England rail system. In line with New England's Puritan roots, the NEIC aims to increase spending on education, specifically to alleviate socioeconomic disparities in K-12 schooling.
Non-interventionism[edit]
The NEIC has consistently criticized America's role as a global policeman and excessive foreign aid spending, especially funding for international wars. Furthermore, it calls for the end of foreign deployment of the U.S military, and a policy of developing a primarily defensive force.
References[edit]
- ↑ "Yankee". The American Heritage Dictionary. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2000. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
- ↑ "Novanglian". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ↑ "Balance of Payments Portal". 7 September 2018.
- ↑ "A proposed parliament size and makeup for an independent or autonomous New England". April 15, 2024.
- ↑ "Platform – New England Independence Campaign".
- ↑ "National Guard (United States)".
- ↑ "Platform – New England Independence Campaign".
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