Posted on 02/06/2010 11:17:55 AM PST by jay1949
For many Northeast Tennesseans, the State of Franklin represented the apparently inevitable conflict between liberty and corrupt government. The State of Franklin certainly was in keeping with the character of the Backcountry settlers who had come to this rugged area to secure land and liberty and were determined to preserve their rights to both.
(Excerpt) Read more at backcountrynotes.com ...
Well in Florida we almost had the Chonch Republic. It may be time to get it going again.
Thanks for posting this. We’re in the Tri-Cities area, Southern Appalachian bioregion, USDA Zone 6-B, Watauga River watershed, just north of the Unaka range, best place on God’s green earth, State of Franklin.
Thanks; and there’s more to come.
Franklin makes a great bar bet. For example: “I can name all 51 states”. Suckers, thinking there are only 50, will bet big bucks.
....Bob
The state of Franklin arose out of the unsuitability of a government based east of the mountains to people living west of them. Given 18th Century communications, there was a natural geographical separation that made a governmental separation reasonable and fitting. The establishment of Franklin was not anything like the idiotic petulance over losing an election that motivated the pro-slavery element to secede in 1860-61. In fact, many of the descendants of the people of Franklin were extremely loyal to Lincoln and the Union during the rebellion of 1861.
Most in Eastern Tennessee would have nothing to do with the Confederacy in 1861...they are an independent and hardy breed.
I wouldn’t mind retiring there someday.
A phrase often used to describe Northeast Tennessee is “a hotbed of Unionists.” Often overlooked is that the enfranchised men of Tennessee voted against secession in 1861 by a rather substantial margin. Tennessee’s secession (after Lincoln issued the call for troops) went against the popular vote and the mountain folk of NE TN stuck with their convictions.
Ping
Very true, the Greeneville Convention of 1861 called for the secession of the Union-loyal East Tennessee and had the Nashville politicians been really true to the principle of the right of secession, they would have let East Tennessee go free and remain in the USA.
Thanks for posting this. I was unaware of that state.
Yes...in fact...Eastern Tennessee was for a large part of the war...one of the central “gets” for the Lincoln administration.
William Rosecrans was nearly driven crazy with telegrams from Henry Hallack demanding he destroy Bragg’s army...yesterday.
It finally took Grant to do it.
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