OurHistory of the Worldbook was so popular , we adjudicate to narrow down it down a bit and digest on the U.S.The Mental Floss History of the United Stateshits bookshelves near you on October 5th , and until then , we recall we ’d apportion some of our favorite bits of trivia from its page . Enjoy !
Literally a husband - and - wife procedure , the Republic of Madawaska result from the blurred U.S.–Canada border after the American Revolution . In 1825 an American settler , John Baker , petitioned for his area of New Brunswick to become part of Maine and the United States ; his married woman Sophie Rice ( later the “ vice - president of the Republic ” ) sewed an “ American ” ? atomic number 47 which they ? ew on July 4 , 1827 . But Maine ’s legislature dragged its feet replying to Baker , who was considered a nuisance , so in AugustBaker and 14 other colonist declared themselves the Republic of Madawaska , a.k.a . American Aroostook . Great Britain , which still claim the territory , arrested and jailed Baker for sedition ; they also took Sophie ’s ? ag , which she promptly replaced .
Ludicrous though it was , the incident touched a stark naked , loyal brass in the United States . Maine encouraged the Madawaskans to arrogate about 4,300 square miles of Canadian land for their “ Republic , ” do considerable alarm system in Ottawa and Washington , D.C. After the Aroostook War ( casualty : one slovenly person ) , the U.S. and Britain divided the Republic of Madawaska in two . A reading of Sophie ’s ? ag still ? ies over the city hall of Edmundston , New Brunswick , and the mayor of Edmundston also obtain the deed of conveyance of “ President of the Republic of Madawaska . ”
Looking for more fabulous content like this ? You ’re in luck -The Mental Floss History of the United Stateshits bookshelves near you on October 5th!If you pre - order , you ’ll get three free issue ofmental_flossmagazine . Get all of the detailsover here .
