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The Lost State of Franklin
Text Halley Johnson
Soon after the end of the American Revolution, delegates from four counties in what was then North Carolina met in Jonesborough and declared themselves independent from the state they had grown dissatisfied with. On May 16, 1785, they submitted a petition for statehood under the name Frankland, but failed to gain the two-thirds majority required for statehood under the Articles of Confederation. After failing to sway Benjamin Franklin by renaming their tiny state in his honor, Franklin’s eight counties established an independent government and elected John Sevier as their governor. Economic problems and a lack of militia led to the state’s downfall in 1788, but their influence continued. After rejoining North Carolina in 1790, the territory that would become Tennessee was ceded to the U.S. government, and John Sevier became the state’s first governor.


Trivia question:
What other semi-autonomous government was set up in Northwest Tennessee near the establishment of the Declaration of Independence?

Answer:
In 1772, a new state was established in Northwest Tennessee under the Articles of the Watauga Association. Though this government only lasted until 1777, its Articles have been admired for their democratic principles, and its members later helped form the independent State of Franklin.
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