America’s 250th Scavenger Hunt – STOP THREE

KEY FIGURES:
William Blout: Governor of the Southwest Territory (that would become Tennessee)
John Sevier: First Governor of Tennessee
Andrew Jackson: Tennessee’s First U.S. Representative

KEY EVENTS:
Late 1700s
Present-day Tennessee was part of North Carolina’s western frontier, with settlers moving beyond the Appalachian Mountains.

1784–1788
Settlers attempted to form the independent State of Franklin and sought admission to the Union. The effort ultimately failed after several years of unstable governance.

1790
Southwest Territory was created when North Carolina ceded its western lands to the federal government. William Blount was appointed governor.

Late 1795
A census shows that over 77,000 people lived in the Southwest Territory—well over the 60,000 needed to apply to be a state.

Jan 1796
Instead of asking for permission, locals met in Knoxville, wrote a constitution, and picked the name "Tennessee” named after the Cherokee town Tanasi . This bold move would become known at “The Tennessee Plan.”

Mar 1796
They elect John Sevier as Governor and Andrew Jackson to Congress. They start running their own government immediately.

May 1796
In Philadelphia, some fear Tennessee will vote for the "wrong" political party. To settle it, Tennessee agrees to take fewer seats in Congress than they deserved based on their population. The Compromise of 1796 would last for seven years.

June 1, 1796
President Washington signs the papers. Tennessee is officially the 16th state and the first ever to "force" its way in using the Tennessee Plan.