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- From: renfro@geewhiz.ssc.gov (James Renfro)
- Subject: Re: The State of Franklin
- Message-ID: <1993Jan27.150741.12767@sunova.ssc.gov>
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- Organization: Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory
- References: <2B65C0FC@ssd0.laafb.af.mil>
- Distribution: usa
- Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 15:07:41 GMT
- Lines: 35
-
-
- I'm not an expert at the subject, but I do remember something of the
- subject, and guess it is 90 per cent correct if, unhappily vague in
- some areas because my books are at home.
-
- The State of Franklin was *founded* circa 1780s, and only lasted
- about 2 years. The area was what we speak of as East Tennessee, and
- then was referred to by North Carolina authorities as, The (Western?)
- Military District of North Carolina. Local politicos lead by
- Revolutionary Hero, John Sevier, one of the leading citizens of the
- area. Sevier had conducted several *pay-back* raids on the bada*s
- Indians who objected to the influx of white men to Indian lands.
-
- Colonel Sevier and his brother were declared (by North Carolina
- warrants for their arrest) outlaws, and were hunted. Congress would
- not recognize Franklin because of the high handed way Sevier and his
- cronies had handled the affair, and the objections of the offended
- State. I think Sevier and his brother were sprung from jail and
- later tried in then Washington County, NC, and acquitted, since the
- jury pool was largely in favor of the creation of the new state.
- Soon after, however, the North Carolina authorities let Congress know
- they would be pleased to be free of that area. The main reason was
- that those people living in that District were unhappy North Carolina
- would not supply more militia for their protection against the
- Indians - really ferocious Indians - and besides, North Carolina had
- enough on its plate dealing with problems closer to the capitol, like
- depredations by bands of white men who pillaged farms and killed
- anybody they liked; I'm not sure, but I think that sort of thing
- began during the Revolution by patriots outraged at the Tories (for
- supporting the British).
-
- I think that John Sevier was one of the first (maybe THE first)
- governors of Tennessee.
-
- Jim
-