Remember that time when Key West declared war on the United States?

In 1982, the mayor of Key West was fed up. The U.S. government had set up a roadblock on the only highway leading into the city. It caused huge traffic jams. Tourists couldn't get in. Local businesses were losing money.

So the mayor decided to do something dramatic. He stood in front of the cameras and declared Key West an independent nation. He called it the Conch Republic. Then he declared war on the United States.

But this was no real war. He walked over to a man in a U.S. Navy uniform and tapped him on the head with a piece of Cuban bread. That was the "attack." One minute later, he surrendered.

Then he asked the U.S. government for $1 billion in foreign aid to help his "war-torn" nation rebuild.

It was a joke. But it made the news. The roadblock was removed soon after. And Key West still celebrates its "independence" every year. 

 

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