A referendum on becoming a
US commonwealth was held in the
Northern Mariana Islands on 17 June 1975.
[Northern Mariana Islands, 17 June 1975: Commonwealth with the USA]
Direct Democracy The proposal was approved by 79% of voters.
[ As a result, the United States Congress approved the change of status on 24 March 1976.][
]
Background
Four previous referendums on either integration with Guam or the islands' status had been held in 1958
Events
January
* January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being.
* January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed.
* January 4
** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...
, 1961
Events January
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015).
** Aero Flight 311 ...
, 1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...
and 1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
**Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
. On each occasion a majority of Northern Mariana Islands voters had been in favor of integration with Guam, but Guamanian voters rejected integration in a 1969 referendum.
On 20 February 1975 the Northern Marianas' District Legislature put forward proposals to become a US commonwealth.[ A threshold of 55% in favor was set in order for the referendum to pass.][
]
Results
See also
* Marianas Political Status Commission
The Marianas Political Status Commission was a body composed of representatives of the Northern Mariana Islands who negotiated the political status of the Northern Mariana Islands from December 1972 until February 1975. The Commission negotiated wi ...
References
{{Northern Mariana Islands elections
Northern Mariana
1975 in the Northern Mariana Islands
Constitutional referendums in the Northern Mariana Islands
June 1975 events in Oceania