Jefferson (proposed Pacific state)

proposed Pacific U.S. state

The State of Jefferson is a proposed U.S. state that would span mostly rural area of southern Oregon and northern California.

Jefferson
Proposed U.S. state
State of Jefferson
Flag of Jefferson
Official seal of Jefferson
Nickname(s)
State of Mind, SJ (State of Jefferson)
Map of the United States with Jefferson highlighted
Map of the United States with Jefferson highlighted
CountryUnited States
Admitted to the Union(Proposed 51st state)
CapitalYreka (1941 initiative)
Largest cityModesto
Largest metro and urban areasModesto
LegislatureHouse and Senate (proposed)
U.S. House delegationTo be defined (list)
Area
 • Total83,786 sq mi (217,005 km2)
 • Rank14th (hypothetical)
Dimensions
 • Length471 mi (758 km)
 • Width279 mi (449 km)
Elevation
7,081 ft (2,158.29 m)
Highest elevation14,179 ft (4,316.58 m)
Lowest elevation
(Sea level)
0 ft (0 m)
Population
 • Total2,964,422
 • Rank33rd (hypothetical)
 • Density35.38/sq mi (13.66/km2)
  • Rank42nd (hypothetical)
DemonymJeffersonian
Language
 • Official languageEnglish
Time zoneUTC-08:00 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-07:00 (PDT)
USPS abbreviation
JF
ISO 3166 codeNot listed in ISO
Traditional abbreviationJeff.
Latitude38°45'N to 43°57'N
Longitude119°18'W to 124°25'W
Websitesoj51.org

This region on the Pacific Coast is the most famous of several that have sought to adopt the name of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States.[1] This chosen for the words penned by the same man in the Declaration of Independence which reads that there is a “social contract” between the government and the people. The Jefferson movement believes that this social contract has been broken by Oregon and California.

This region makes up most of Northern California's land but does not include San Francisco or other Bay Area counties that account for the majority of Northern California's population. It also takes up a good amount of Southern Oregon’s land and population as well.

If the proposal were ever approved, the new state's capital city would have to be determined by a constitutional convention. Yreka, California, was named the provisional capital in the original 1941 proposal.[2] Port Orford, Oregon and Redding, California are some other possible capital city ideas.[3] Medford, Oregon is another possible idea thanks to its size and services.

References

change
  1. "Beginnings of Self-Government". End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. Archived from the original on 2008-10-12. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
  2. Peter Laufer, The Elusive State of Jefferson: A Journey Through the 51st State. TwoDot, 2013. ISBN 978-0762788361.
  3. "Redding City Council rejects "State of Jefferson" proposal". KRCR-TV, October 2, 2013.