The Civil War marked the high point of secessionist fervor in the United States (so far): the southern states actually voted to leave the union and form a new country. But it wasn't the first time people had talked about un-uniting the United States, and it won't be the last.
The "state of Jefferson" doesn't get mentioned, but a lot of other thoughts and schemes about political divorce are mentioned in Richard Kreitner's book Break It Up: Secession, Division, and the Secret History of America's Imperfect Union.
We explore the history and concept of a "united" set of states that has often been anything but.