The Lost State of Franklin
It was shortly following the Revolutionary
War that the people of Western !\orth
Carolina and Kastern Tennessee* deeideil to
form a state of tlielr own. Rut it didn't last.
«;/
J. R. IIICKIJ*
CHERISHED among tlie tradi¬
tions of the highlanders of West¬
ern Xorth Cnrolinn and Eastern
Tennessee is the story of the I.o*t
State of Franklin, born to a brief
and turbulent career during the
1780*.
But for event» which brought the
citizens of the new mountain state
back into Xorth Carolina, Ameri¬
cans would now be saluting a flag with
14 stripes and 40 stars.
There's j»earo today in the hill
country, but it was not that way in
the days that followed the Revolu¬
tion. When the pioneers wore not
lighting Indians they were occupied
with political squabbles among them¬
selves, or with the parent state of
Xorth Carolina.
After the Revolution came the
financial reckoning, and Congress
called on states with vacant land- to
cede them to the federal government.
Money from their sale and from
taxation was to lie applied to the
national debt. Xorth Carolina gave
the central government a two years'
option on her western land, which hv
eharter extended to the Pacific Ocean.
Xorth Carolina, meantime, was to
exorcise sovereignty.
The region was remote and diffi¬
cult to govern, and there was con¬
tinual demand for money to wage
Indian wars. The settlers grumbled
and protested.
A Convention Called
Early ill 1784 a convention was
called to meet in Jonesboro, the largest
settlement in that section. Delegate-
from the counties of Washington,
Sullivan and (Ireon (which included
nearly all of what is now Tennessee),
declared themselves a separate and
independent state from Xorth Caro¬
lina.
A constitution was drawn, a legis¬
lature elected, and other governmental
machinery established. At first the
-late was called ITanklnnd — land of
free men — but Inter the name was
changed to Franklin, in honor of
Benjamin Franklin.
Meantime, the legislature of Xorth
Carolina, alarmed by the attitude of
the settlers, ro|»ealed the act of cession
DOGS AND DOGS
They cull him Ilex— but he's no
king;
Think* he know» about every¬
thing,
Xot the kind you have to teach;
Irreproachable, out of reach.
A
о
doubt you i i known his kind;
All puffed up wilh ego mind.
,1 little dog with cocky ways;
Serious like and never plays.
The sort you humor all the time;
Surely he n no friend of mine.
Tin strong for dogs who claim
no kin,
To the facetious type tike him.
1 like a dog who shakes your
hand,
And docs hi* best to understand,
Who sticks around and feels at
home,
.1 worth while dog you're, proud
to own.
Smart; but not too worldly wise.
J ust a dog who can philosophize.
About everything that's taking
place.
With true expression in his face.
The loyal, homely, lively sort.
ll’io enters into every sport.
One you can tell your troubles
to,
Who tries to sympathize with
you.
.1 chum in fact — a /hi! in deed.
Xo matter where your steps may
lead.
lie’ll follow you as your best
friend,
To that rendezvous at journey's
end. — W. W. Stokm.
aud set up governmental bodies for
the rebellious territory.
John Sevier, forebear of the Sevier
family living at present in A-hoville
and Western Xorth Carolina, a color¬
ful hero of the Revolution and of
Indian campaigns, was sent as com¬
mander of militia to the western
territory, lie advised the citizens of
Franklin to accept overtures of Xorth
Carolina. They answered by electing
him governor of the new state.
Then both the new -late and the
mother -fate installed governments
in the disputed territory. Each was
levying taxes and disallowing each
other's official acts. One set of dele¬
gates was elected to the legislature of
Xorth Carolina and another to the
legislature of Franklin.
John Tipton, at fir-t a Franklin
enthusia-t, soon was alienated and
returned hi- allegiance to the mother
-tale. Ili- following increased. Gov¬
ernor Sevier failed in attempts to have
Xorth Carolina recognize a separate
state, and to persuade Congress to ad¬
mit Franklin into the Confederation.
Outbreak of Civil War
Animosity between Franklin and
Xorth Carolina reached -itch a high
pitch in the spring of
17**»!
that civil
warfare broke out. Sevier's men
were routed by the Carolinians under
Tipton in a bard-fonght skirmish.
Tipton
сап*е*1
the arrest of Sevier and
carried him in irons to Morgan ton.
X. C\, to face trial on charges of
high trea-on. During hi- trial Sevier
was spirited away on a horse by
friends. lie returned to his home
across the mountains more popular
than over.
The westorn territory wa- again
ceded to the federal government in
1790. Until 1796 it was known as
“The Territory South of the Ohio."
By that time the population through¬
out the area had become sufficiently
large to form the state of Tennessee,
absorbing the lost State <.f Franklin
and electing John Sevier a- it' first
governor.
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