Anne Rubin, History, on The Current

Published: Nov 19, 2012

One hundred and fifty years after the U.S. Civil War, a new secessionist movement is growing south of the border. On Friday, CBC radio’s “The Current” spoke with a man who wants his state to say secede from the union to protest the reelection of Barack Obama.

Contributing to the discussion was Anne Rubin, associate professor of history and expert on the Civil War, who spoke about the historical precedent for secession and whether it could happen today.

“Then, [secession] was a very legitimate way to read the constitution, and the states that did secede did so in a very careful and legalistic way,” she explained.

“The larger question of whether states can successfully secede from the union was settled by the Civil War. It’s not possible and it’s well-nigh impossible to form a new confederacy,” she said.

The entre conversation can be heard here.

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