There have been a handful of self-declared or undeclared nations within the current borders of the United States which were never officially recognized as legally independent sovereign entities; however, these nations did have
de facto control over their respective regions during their existence.
Colonies of British America , the original
city hall of
Albany, New York and meeting place of the
Albany Congress in 1754. Prior to the independence of the United States from
Great Britain, declared July 4, 1776, in the
Declaration of Independence and ultimately secured in the
American Revolutionary War, several congresses were convened on behalf of some of the colonies of
British America. However, these bodies did not address the question of independence from England, and therefore did not designate a national capital. The
Second Continental Congress encompassed the period during which the United States declared independence but had not yet established a permanent national capital. ‡ (continuing after independence until December 12, 1776)
State of Franklin The
State of Franklin was an autonomous, secessionist United States territory created not long after the end of the American Revolution from territory that later was ceded by North Carolina to the federal government. Franklin's territory later became part of the state of Tennessee. Franklin was never officially admitted into the Union of the United States and existed for only four years. •
Jonesborough, Tennessee, 1784–1785 •
Greeneville, Tennessee, 1785–1788
State of Muskogee The
State of Muskogee was a
Native American state in
Spanish Florida created by the Englishman
William Augustus Bowles, who was its "Director General", author of its Constitution, and designer of its flag. It consisted of several tribes of
Creeks and
Seminoles. It existed from 1799 to 1803. It had one capital: •
Miccosukee, 1799–1803
Republic of West Florida The
Republic of West Florida was a short-lived nation that broke away from the territory of
Spanish West Florida in 1810. It comprised the
Florida Parishes of the modern state of
Louisiana and the
Mobile District of the modern states of
Mississippi and
Alabama. (The Republic of West Florida did not include any part of the modern state of
Florida.) Ownership of the area had been in dispute between Spain and the United States, which claimed that it had been included in the
Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Within two months of the settlers' rebellion and the declaration of an independent nation, President
James Madison sent American forces to peaceably occupy the new republic. It was formally annexed by the United States in 1812 over the objections of Spain and the land was divided between the
Territory of Orleans and
Territory of Mississippi. During its brief existence, the capital of the Republic of West Florida was: •
St. Francisville, Louisiana, 1810
Republic of Indian Stream The
Republic of Indian Stream was an unrecognized independent nation within the present state of
New Hampshire. • The area that would become
Pittsburg, New Hampshire, 1832–1835
California Republic Before being annexed by the United States in 1848 (following the
Mexican–American War), a small portion of north-central California declared itself the
California Republic, in an act of independence from Mexico, in 1846 (see
Bear Flag Revolt). The republic only existed a month before it disbanded itself to join the advancing American army; its claimed territory later became part of the United States as a result of the
Mexican Cession. , photographed in 1890 The very short-lived California Republic was never recognized by the United States, Mexico or any other nation. The flag, featuring a silhouette of a
California grizzly bear, a star, and the words "California Republic", became known as the
Bear Flag and was later the basis for the official state flag of California. There was one
de facto capital of the California Republic: •
Sonoma, 1846
Confederate States served as the second capital of the
Confederate States of America. The city has been Virginia's capital since 1780. The
Confederate States of America (C.S.A.) had three capitals during its existence. The first capital was established February 4, 1861, in
Montgomery, Alabama, and remained there until it was moved to
Richmond, Virginia, on May 29, 1861, after Virginia seceded on May 23. The individual state capitals remained the same in the Confederacy as they had been in the
Union (U.S.A.), although as the advancing
Union Army used those cities for military districts, some of the Confederate governments were relocated or moved out of state, traveling along with
secessionist armies. •
Montgomery, Alabama, February 4, 1861 – May 29, 1861 •
Richmond, Virginia, May 29, 1861 – April 3, 1865 •
Danville, Virginia, April 2, 1865- May 10, 1865
Free State of Jones In 1863 and 1864,
Jones County, Mississippi revolted against Confederate rule and became practically independent under the name
Free State of Jones. The Free State fought a number of skirmishes with Confederate troops. By the spring of 1864 the Jones County rebels had taken effective control of the county from the Confederate government, raised an American flag over the courthouse in Ellisville, and sent a letter to Union General William T. Sherman declaring Jones County's independence from the Confederacy. Scholars have disputed whether the county truly seceded, with some concluding it did not fully secede. Lack of documentation makes the situation difficult to assess. The rebellion in Jones County has been variously characterized as consisting of local skirmishes to being a full-fledged war of independence. •
Ellisville, Mississippi ==Historical state, colonial, and territorial capitals==