Week 27 #52Ancestors: Independent

This is a tribute to my East Tennessee ancestors as I often think about how secluded this part of the U.S. was when they settled there.  It was home to Native Americans with the dominant tribe being the Cherokee. As our European ancestors began to set up homes, the town of Jonesborough was established in 1779 located in what would become Washington County but it under the jurisdiction of North Carolina. This town was the capital to the area’s initial statehood attempt called the State of Franklin.  Congress didn’t admit this state to the Union so these pioneers began operating as an independent republic and Greenville became the new capital.  I haven’t found any ancestors connected to the formation of Franklin but I suspect John Walker, my 5^thgreat-grandfather, could have been living in the area during this time.  

Source: visitmysmokies.com

By 1786 North Carolina made an offer to waive back taxes to the residents of Franklin if they would reunite with its government. This was rejected and led to The Battle of Franklin Tennessee.  After the skirmish, the Franklinites didn’t give up their government but knew help was needed when Native Americans began attacking the settlements in Franklin. Unfortunately, there was no military protection to combat these attacks so John Sevier (governor of Franklin) attempted to secure a loan from the Spanish government and place Franklin under Spanish rule!  That was the last straw for North Carolina and they arrested Sevier in August 1788.  He was freed by some supporters and fled to “Lesser Franklin”.  Sevier and his Franklinites finally swore oaths of allegiance to North Carolina in February 1789 and North Carolina sent their militia to combat the Native Americans.  In 1796, Tennessee was admitted to the Union with Knoxville as its first capital.  

www.tngenweb.org

The first census for most of East Tennessee was taken in 1830 and I found the following ancestors who were enumerated as head of household by county:

Claiborne County: Drury Lawson, 4^thgreat-grandfather; Anderson Barnard 3^rdgreat-grandfather, and Thomas Sutton, 3^rdgreat-grandfather

Grainger County: John Ogan, 4^thgreat-grandfather

Hawkins County: John McDaniel, 4^thgreat-grandfather; Jane Walker Epperson, 4^thgreat-grandmother; and Peter Wolfe, 3^rdgreat-grandfather (step-grandfather)

By 1838 the Cherokee were forced out of their homeland and began their journey known as the “Trail of Tears” to a new territory now known as the state of Oklahoma.   

digitalhistory.ur.edu

The independent spirit is resurrected in East Tennessee during the Civil War as it voted 2-to-1 against secession from the Union. There were few slave owners in this part of Tennessee where smaller farms were found.  Although cotton was grown, it was not the dominant crop. Did you know that according to an article on knoxnews.com, Tennessee sent more white soldiers to fight for the Union than any other Southern state?  This is not to say all East Tennesseans were pro-Union as many families were divided.  According to Maryville College Associate Professor Aaron Astor, “For the most part all it got was bloodshed and destruction.”  It certainly didn't help the economy of this remote area.

researchonline.net/tncw/battles.htm

My ancestors were not followers but bold and independent thinking men and women!  To those who have told me that my ancestors were hillbillies and illiterate, I say that perhaps a Google search on the term “hillbilly” might educate you to the culture of Appalachia as many immigrants from Scotland settled this frontier.  There are scholars who theorize that the term "hillbilly" originated from Scottish dialect referring to hill-folk and billy to mean comrade. There are others that think these were the people living in the hills who suppored king William of Orange and there was also a protestant group of his supporters called Billy’s Boys. At any rate after the Civil War, the term "hillbilly" became a derogatory term for the poor and was widely used to sell stories of moonshiners, welfare cheats, and coal miners in newspapers then later on various forms of media (source en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillbilly).  

Source: stkildastore.com/Isle-of-Skye-Clan-Map

Motto of Scotland -- “Nemo me impune lacessit” translated “No one provokes me with impunity".

I like to think the term has roots to Scotland and really if you have some studies about the illiteracy rate in this area back in the day then I would like to see it.  However, I do know many did not have time for reading and writing.