At
about this time in 1784, the State of Franklin declares its
independence from North Carolina. Did you know that a state named
Franklin could have been the 14th state?
After
the American Revolution, North Carolina stretched from the eastern
seaboard all the way to the Mississippi River. The western part of the
state was separated from the eastern part by a mountain range.
Especially given the travel difficulties of the day, you can imagine
that the westerners felt barely connected to the eastern side of the
state—and vice versa.
The
North Carolina legislature didn’t really want to be responsible for the
western lands anymore, but legislators didn’t want to lose an asset,
either. The legislature ended up passing an act known as the “Land Grab
Act” by which western lands were put on sale. Much of the land was sold
to legislators. Hmmm. Let’s just say that some of the sales that
resulted probably weren’t entirely above board. Nevertheless, the state
legislators passed an act ceding all remaining lands to the federal
government. In return, the Confederation Congress was supposed to
accept, as valid, all the grants of land that had already been made.
The
cessation pushed several western counties into action. On August 23,
1784, residents met and declared themselves a new state named Franklin
(for Benjamin Franklin). For a time, things seemed to be working. A
state constitution was adopted, and John Sevier was elected as the first
state governor. But then, unsurprisingly, matters became complicated.
For
one thing, Americans were in negotiations with the Cherokee to
determine who held which territory. Unfortunately, the outcome of these
negotiations contradicted the outcome of Franklin’s negotiations. Other
clashes occurred between the state and federal governments. Many
Franklinites became tired of the situation.
In
the end, a man named John Tipton became head of a movement to have
Franklin reabsorbed back into North Carolina. But Sevier continued to
advocate for the State of Franklin. At one point, Sevier even considered
getting Spain to annex the state! A skirmish—the Battle of
Franklin—brought matters to a head. Sevier was at first arrested for
treason, but by early 1789, he had agreed to take an oath of allegiance
to North Carolina.
After
Franklin was dissolved, North Carolina ceded the land to the federal
government. A few years later, the new territory became the state of
Tennessee. I suppose Sevier got the last laugh?! He was elected as
Tennessee’s first governor in 1796.
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copyright © 2013-2025 by Tara Ross.