The State of Franklin, also known as the Free Republic of Franklin, was an unrecognized proposed state located in present-day East Tennessee. Franklin was created in 1784 from part of the territory west of the Appalachian Mountains that had been offered by North Carolina to Congress to help pay off debts related to the American War for Independence. It was founded with the intent of becoming the 14th state of the new United States.
The idea of a new western state was proposed by Arthur Campbell of Washington County, Virginia, and John Sevier. They believed that the Overmountain towns should be admitted to the United States as a separate state. However, their visions differed. Campbell's proposed state would have included parts of Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and Alabama, while Sevier favored a more limited state within the eastern section of the old Washington District, part of North Carolina.
Despite support from frontiersmen, Campbell's proposal faced opposition from Virginia Governor Patrick Henry, who passed a law forbidding the creation of a new state from Virginia territory. As a result, Sevier and his followers renamed their proposed state Franklin and sought support from Benjamin Franklin, though with little success.
The United States Congress was heavily in debt following the American War for Independence. In April 1784, North Carolina voted to cede 29,000,000 acres of territory west of the Appalachian Mountains to Congress to help pay off war debts. This area included the Washington District, which had been acquired from the Overhill Cherokee. However, the cession left the western settlements to deal with the Cherokee on their own, causing concern among the frontiersmen.
A newly elected North Carolina Legislature re-evaluated the situation and rescinded the offer of cession, reasserting its claim to the territory. This led to dissatisfaction among the frontiersmen and calls for the establishment of an independent state.
On August 23, 1784, the delegates declared the lands independent of North Carolina. Leaders were elected, with John Sevier becoming governor. The first capital was Jonesborough, later moving to Greeneville. A constitutional convention in December 1784 drafted a constitution, which was ultimately defeated in a referendum. The area continued to operate under the North Carolina state constitution.
In May 1785, a delegation submitted a petition for statehood to Congress. Although seven states voted to admit Franklin, it fell short of the two-thirds majority required. The Franklin government continued to operate as a de facto independent republic, establishing a permanent constitution and annexing five new counties.
The Franklin legislature made peace treaties with Native American tribes, except for the Chickamauga Cherokee. However, conflicts persisted, and the Cherokee maintained their claim to sovereignty over parts of Franklin. The 1786 Treaty of Coyatee, negotiated by Samuel Wear, extended white settlement as far south as the Little Tennessee River.
The State of Franklin began to decline in 1786, with several key residents withdrawing support in favor of North Carolina. In late 1786, North Carolina offered to waive back taxes if Franklin would reunite with its government. This offer was rejected, leading to conflict between Franklin and North Carolina supporters. The Battle of Franklin in 1788 marked the end of Franklin's independence, with North Carolina reasserting control.
Despite its short existence, the State of Franklin played a significant role in the history of the region. The Washington County farm of Col. John Tipton, where the Battle of Franklin was fought, is now preserved as the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site. The idea of a separate state in East Tennessee resurfaced periodically, most notably in the early 1840s and during the Southern Unionist East Tennessee Convention.
Today, businesses in the region keep the legacy alive, and one of the main thoroughfares in Johnson City is named State of Franklin Road. The population of the counties that made up the State of Franklin would place it just below Wyoming in terms of population among U.S. states.
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