In 1982, the U.S. Border Patrol set up a check point at the entrance of the Florida Keys.
Upset by being portrayed as non-U.S. citizens, and concerned about the potential negative impact to a recently re-energized economy, the citizens of Key West, led by Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow, went to Federal Court in Miami to seek an injunction against the blockade.
They were denied.
Emerging from the Miami courthouse, Mayor Wardlow announced that at noon the following day, the Florida Keys would secede from the Union.
What happens next is a story of leadership, courage, humor in the face of adversity, and how a few, brave individuals, made a big difference.