New Atlantis (micronation)
| New Atlantis | |
|---|---|
| Unrecognized micronation | |
  New Atlantis | |
| Claimed by | Leicester Hemingway |
| Dates claimed | 1964–1966 |
| Area claimed | Raft off the coast of Jamaica |
New Atlantis was a
History
In 1964, Hemingway constructed a raft and had it towed 6 mi (9.7 km) off the coast of Jamaica, near the community of Bluefields. The raft was primarily composed of bamboo, steel, iron piping, and rock.[2] It was anchored on a shallow ocean bank with an old Ford engine block and measured 8 ft × 30 ft (2.4 m × 9.1 m). At the time, the area was considered international waters.[3]
On July 4, 1964, Hemingway established New Atlantis as a republic, claiming the area around his raft. He wrote the constitution with a typewriter and copied it almost verbatim from the Constitution of the United States.[3] He argued that his raft was technically an island and based his sovereignty on the Guano Islands Act of 1856. He claimed the unoccupied half of his raft was United States territory, while the other half was the nation of New Atlantis.[3]
By 1965, there were six inhabitants of New Atlantis. This included the Hemingway family of Leicester, his wife Doris, and their two daughters Anne (age 7) and Hilary (age 3). Joining them was public relations specialist Edward K. Moss and his assistant Julia Cellini. The group unanimously elected Leicester as president.[2] His election saw significant press coverage, and made front-page headlines in neighboring Jamaica.[3]
Hemingway's goal was to experiment with democracy and to research marine life in the Caribbean Sea.[4] He formed the International Marine Research Society, an organization headquartered on the raft with the aim of funding and furthering the study of marine biology. Ultimately, Hemingway sought to build a research aquarium in Jamaica.[2]
Initially funded through the publication of My Brother, Ernest Hemingway, Hemingway planned to finance his operations with the sale of stamps. Although several batches of stamps had already been printed, the
Hemingway planned to expand his domain considerably. He claimed the seafloor 50 feet below the raft as his and intended to create his own artificial island by piling up rocks.[6] However, within a few years of establishment, New Atlantis was destroyed by tropical storms. The wreckage was then salvaged by local fishermen.[7]
Administration
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Hemingway authorized his own currency, which he called the "scruple".
Notes
- 1.1 The article states 78 degrees 4 minutes longitude, 18 degrees 1 minute latitude.[6] The geodetic datum used is unspecified.
References
- ^ Cross, Michaela (April 5, 2016). "How to Claim Your Very Own Island". VICE. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Leicester Hemingway: An Inventory of His New Atlantis Collection in the Manuscript Collection at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center". norman.hrc.utexas.edu. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f "Throwback Thursday—Contents of a country: Leicester Hemingway's Republic of New Atlantis". sites.utexas.edu. Ransom Center Magazine. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-84631-890-0. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ISBN 9780688108991. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ a b c "The Old Man and the Sea". Michigan Daily. Vol. 74, no. 12. Michigan Daily Digital Archives. July 9, 1964. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ Lovejoy, Bess (15 November 2015). "15 People Who Started Their Own Micronations". Mental Floss. Retrieved 23 July 2020.