When the State of Franklin Tried To Become America’s 14th State August 23, 2010

United States Map 1783-1803 includes inset that features State of Franklin

On This Date In History: In Colonial times, the Crown made the rules and in 1763, England decreed that no settlements be made west of the Appalachian mountains.   This decree was known as the Proclamation of 1763 and the intent was to prevent an escalation of fighting between English settlers and Native Americans. 

Note that Extreme Western NC and East Tennessee Are Beyond The Boundary of the 1763 Proclamation

After the French and Indian War, English settlers poured over the mountains into the region formerly inhabited by the French.  The Indians of the region formed an alliance under the Ottawa chieftain Pontiac in an effort to push back the intrusion.  The proclamation was designed to give London control over westward expansion rather than provincial governments.   The Native Americans really weren’t too keen on the proclamation because one of the provisions was that they had to cede more land for European settlement.  But, they went along as they felt it was probably the best deal that they could get.  The Cherokee worked hard to quickly draw the boundaries so as to preclude further White settlement.  Nevertheless, frontiersman refused to abandon their outposts…remember Daniel Boone was running around what is now Kentucky in the 1760s.

Painting of Franklin in 1785 Looks As if Ben Were Asked About His Feelings Toward Having a State Named For Him

Several of the original coastal colonies stretched westward deep into the continent and colonial governments had a difficult time maintaining control of their western territories.  In the 1670′s, revolt in western parts of Virginia led to Bacon’s Rebellion.  In the case of the North Carolina Colony, the western boundary was the Mississippi River.  The vast majority of inhabitants lived on the coastal plain, east of the Appalachian Mountains and they enjoyed the most services for their taxes and they also controlled the political system.   Much as the folks in western Virginia in the 1670′s, people living in the western portion of North Carolina felt as if they had no representation in any political system and that they were forced to pay taxes in support of the regions along the coast.  In 1772, hundreds, if not thousands, of folks in the mountains of what is now eastern Tennessee formed the Watauga Association.  The effort was mainly for defense against the Indians but it also gave them a unified political voice.   When the American Revolution came about, the Wataugans used their expert aim with their long rifles to defeat the British at King’s Mountain, South Carolina under the leadership of John ” Nolichucky Jack” Sevier.   After the Revolution, the state of North Carolina wasn’t any nicer to the region than the king had been as they taxed the Wataugans “grievously….without enjoying the blessings of it.”

Sevier-A "Statesman"?

In 1784, it was apparent that it was politically impossible to effectively control the vast region of  North Carolina  and the state legislature offered to cede the Tennessee lands to the federal government.  In response, the Wataugans held  a convention and on this date in 1784 representatives of the people who lived in what is now eastern Tennessee voted to found the 14th state of Franklin.  Even though the new “state” was named for him, Ben Franklin declined an invitation to visit but Thomas Jefferson approved of the move. They even elected John Sevier as Governor. But, they got a little ahead of themselves as only 7 of the 13 states agreed with Jefferson and the Constitution said that they needed 9 to gain statehood. Meanwhile, back in the North Carolina capitol of Raleigh, the state rescinded their offer of secession of its western lands to the federal government  and arrested Sevier as a traitor!   Undeterred, the state of Franklin continued to operate on its own until 1789.   This was an illustration of the difficulty of the time as Raleigh making laws and decrees was one thing but being able to enforce the law in the west was another story.  Eventually, in  North Carolina gave in, pardoned Sevier and forgave the settlers back taxes and once again ceded the western lands to the Tennessee territory of which Franklin became part.  When the territory was admitted to the Union in 1796, Sevier was elected its first Governor.

James Alex Baggett Wrote About the Union Cavalry From Tennessee

 In truth, East Tennessee is a legal distinction as is Middle Tennessee and Western Tennessee.  According to the Tennessee Constitution, no more than two state supreme court justices can come from any of the regions, thus insuring that each part of the state is represented on the state’s highest court.  But, the regions also were, and to some degree still are, differentiated by their socioeconomic level.  In the 1860′s, the eastern part of the state was the poorest of the three regions and had, by far, the fewest number of slaves.  Yeoman farmers had little in common with wealthy slave owners.  At the 1861 state secession convention, 29 counties in East Tennessee and 1 in Middle Tennessee spoke out against secession and threatened to once again form an independent state aligned with the Union.   While they did not rejuvenate the state of Franklin, the folks in East Tennessee maintained their independence.  During the Civil War, most of the mountain folks of East Tennessee remained loyal to the Union and proved to be a real thorn in the side of the Confederacy, much as they had to the King and to North Carolina. 

Kevin T Barksdale Wrote About the Lost State of Franklin

If the US was ever invaded, I have thought there were parts of the country that would never be conquered and East Tennessee is near the top of my list.  Today, one can find State of Franklin Blvd east Elizabethton, TN; I’ve driven by it before it may even be in North Carolina but I can’t find it on a map.  Just north of that Elizabethton is the town of Watauga.  Not far to the east in North Carolina is Watauga County.  Curiously, the town of Franklin, TN is nowhere near the region as it can be found south of Nashville.

Weather Bottom  Line:  As it turns out, the storms on Saturday morning robbed the atmosphere of so much energy when the front came through on Saturday night, it had nothing to work with.  I should not have been so wishy washy.  Declaring “If” and “Maybe” is not really making a forecast.  My bad.  We will be dominated by high pressure with relatively dry air in the region so for the week ahead, highs in the upper 80′s will feel quite refreshing.  I really do think we’ve turned the corner on excessive heat for this year.

Some Rich Becoming Poor-A Good Thing? Remember the State of Franklin? August 22, 2009

Good Times Over?

Bernie Madoff Might Like This

With the economy as it has been, there have been stories of woe from people losing their jobs and 401K plans shrinking. Pension plans have been in peril and investments for non-profit organizations have put a strain on those charities. If you think about it, if you have a lot of money, you have to put it somewhere. Most people don’t have a mattress big enough to stuff millions of dollars under. Even if its in the bank, then you probably would have several banks because there is a limit on the insurance. So, people will invest in real estate, stocks, bonds and such. Well, stocks and real estate really took a hit so people with the most money have lost the most, in some cases on paper, but in others its real losses because they are forced to sell assets at deflated prices to cover other needs. This article from the New York Times claims that the “Super-Rich” are shrinking in numbers. Do you think its a good thing to have the wealthy lose their money? Is it better to have a society in which everyone has a little money or with a stratified class structure?

On This Date In History: In Colonial times, the Crown made the rules and in 1763, England decreed that no settlements be made west of the Appalachian mountains. Nevertheless, frontiersman refused to abandon their outposts…remember Daniel Boone was running around what is now Kentucky in the 1760s. In 1772, hundreds, if not thousands, of folks in the mountains of what is now eastern Tennessee formed the Watauga Association, mainly for defense against the Indians. When the Revolution came about, the used their expert aim with their long rifles to defeat the British at King’s Mountain, South Carolina. Their leader was John ” Nolichucky Jack” Sevier. After the Revolution, the state of North Carolina wasn’t any nicer to the region than the king had been as they taxed the Wataugans “grievously….without enjoying the blessings of it.”

Sevier-A "Statesman"?

In 1784, North Carolina offered to cede the Tennessee lands to the federal government but the Wataugans prepared for a convention on this date in 1784 which led to a vote to found the 14th state of Franklin. Even though the new “state” was named for him, Ben Franklin declined an invitation to visit but Thomas Jefferson approved of the move. They even elected John Sevier as Governor. But, they got a little ahead of themselves as only 7 of the 13 states agreed with Jefferson and the Constitution said that they needed 9 to gain statehood. Meanwhile, back in Raleigh, the state of North Carolina took their western lands back and arrested Sevier as a traitor! The state of Franklin continued to operate on its own until North Carolina gave in, pardoned Sevier and forgave the settlers back taxes. Franklin became part of the Tennessee territory and when the territory was admitted to the Union in 1796, Sevier was elected its first Governor.

The folks in Eastern Tennessee maintained their independence though. During the Civil War, the mountain folks of East Tennesee remained loyal to the Union and proved to be a real thorn in the side of the Confederacy, much as they had to the King and to North Carolina. If the US was ever invaded, I have thought there were parts of the country that would never be conquered and Eastern Tennessee is near the top of my list.

Weather Bottom Line:  This is a very odd pattern.  Remember the month of July and Louisville not getting to 90 degrees for the first time ever?  It was a weird thing in that the pattern was not typical summer.  Then for half of August, we’ve had a typical pattern but this big trof digging down and the behavior of Hurricane Bill look more like an Ocotober pattern, not August.  This trof is deep as it digs all the way down into the Dixie states and it features a deep low rotating vort lobes around, much as we would see in the winter.  Typically, that would bring snow showers or flurries.  In this case, the clouds and cooler air will hold us in the 70′s for highs over the weekend with an occasional passing sprinkle or light shower.  Look for a cool start for church Sunday morning with temps in the 50′s for many.  Could be the same on Monday.  I’m thinking I won’t need the air conditioner for at least the first half of the work week ahead.  No significant rain chances appear on the horizon.

Does Anyone In Politics Pay Taxes? Will We Ever Warm Up? February 4, 2009

Shakedown Doesn't Count For Washington Elite...When Will The People Stop It?

 

 

Decide For Yourself:  President Obama said that he would have the most ethical administration in history.  I believe the President Carter, President Clinton and President Bush (43) said the same thing.  Of course the implication has been that previous administrations, if not the immediate predecessor, was something less than ethical.  Most of the time, pledges like that come back to haunt.  President Obama said it was time for change.  Well, I suppose he didn’t say specifically what that change would be..we were supposed to fill in the blank.  Remember when President Clinton took office and so many of their appointees had to withdraw their names from consideration when it was discovered that they didn’t pay social security taxes for the hired help or things like that?  Well, see if this sounds familiar.

"He Really Expects Me To Pay My Taxes!"

Timothy Geithner was nominated and approved to be the new Secretary of the Treasury.  The Treasury Department is responsible for making sure people pay their taxes through the IRS.  Mr. Geithner not only was found to have not paid thousands of dollars in taxes, he did not do it for 4 years and only paid up for two of the four years when he was up for the nomination.  He said it was all an error, even though he initially paid up for two of the years in which he owed money…the others had passed the statute of limitations so he legally wasn’t obligated to pay…so he had beaten the law and the system that he is now in charge of…until he figured that it might derail his nomination.  He said it was all a mistake even though prior to the tax years in question he had signed a document acknowledging that he had to pay the taxes.

"I Don't Pay Taxes...That's For the Peasants!"

Tom Daschle is the former leader of the Senate for the Democrats before he was voted out of office. He was nominated for the Housing and Human Services Secretary.  That department is in charge of, among other things, Medicare.  Daschle was alleged to have been in arrears well over $120,000 in taxes for the hired help…his driver.  He never paid his share of the man’s medicare.  Daschle withdrew his nomination.  President Obama said it was time to close the revolving door of people in public office cashing in by lobbying and such.  He said that lobbyests couldn’t be in his adminstration.  Daschle got voted out of office and in the first two years since getting fired by the voters…he made ove $5 million.  He earns $1 million from a law firm..even though he’s not a lawyer.   At least the title isn’t lobbyiest…so I guess if you call it one thing, it doesn’t matter what it really is.  How’s that for ethics?

"I Pay My Taxes When I Feel Like It"

Nancy Killefer was tapped by the President to take the newly created position of “performance czar.”  I’m not exactly sure what the job entailed but I think it is a position in which the person is charged with making sure that the administration is living up to the expectation of being ethical, transparent and performing as advertised regarding individual performance as well as overall effectiveness of some important initiatives such as the latest bailout bill.  Ms. Killefer withdrew her name because it was discovered that she failed to pay her hired help’s unemployment tax.  Apparently she was so dilenquent that the WashingtonDC put a $946.69 lien on her home in 2005.  That should get someone’s attention. But apparently Ms. Killefer thought it was a-okay to wait another 5 months before she got the lien released.  From the reports, its unclear if that means that she paid what she owed or just got the lien removed.

Answer these questions:  How come none of these people were charged with a crime like many Americans would be?  How come none of these people were required to pay the hefty penalties involved for not paying taxes, like every

Capone Went to Jail For Tax Evasion. A Cabinet Appointment Today?

 other American would be….except perhaps politicians?  Rep. Charles Rangelwas found recently to not have paid thousands in income taxes…do you think any Washingon politicians pay their “fair share” of taxes like they say the rest of America should do?  At this early point, do you still have hope that the “change” that you may have voted for includes better ethics in the administration or does it look like its more of the same where the politicians pass laws for the rest of America but they don’t have to worry about it?  Does it seem apparent to you why many in Washington have no problem raising taxes because they don’t pay them anyway?    I honestly believe, that the type of character, integrity and attitude exemplefied by the above stories illustrates how we got in the mess we are in and if we had people of true honor, character and integrity in government leadership and political postions, this financial crisis probably would not be upon us.  As it is, I have no confidence that anything that is done in Washington will have any positive affect on the general economic circumstance simply because there is such a lack of ethics and integrity in many governmental positions.  I believe that the crisis will eventually be resolved by the honest, hard working people of character and integrity…the rest of the American citizenry…our people, not the government.

People Helped Ike Victims But No One Will Repay Them

Speaking of owing money….

During Hurricane Ike, many Texans as well as others from around the country helped out without questions and with trust by bringing in supplies and food and medicines to the victims.  They’d worry about settling up the bills later.  Those good folks really helped a lot of people quickly and perhaps even saved lives.  Well, those people now need to collect the money for the products and services they provided.  The total is $134 millon. The state of Texas owes $14 million.  The rest, according to Texas Governor Rick Perry is owed by Uncle Sam.  Again, like the tax dead beats set up for high political office getting off the hook…what would happen if you didn’t pay your mortgage for 6 months?  It’s sad but this type of treatment by the state and local government may make it impossible for people to help their neighbors the next time there is a disaster…because if you help, you may risk going bankrupt because you can’t pay your bills simply because the government decided it was okay to pay the bills like Killefer, Geithner and Daschle think its okay to pay their taxes…

If people have honor, integrity and character when they go to Washington DC…do they check those things at a security checkpoint when they hit the city limits?  Given the apparent culture of politics in Washington, do you really think that change can or will happen anytime soon or that anyone in the district really does want change?  I am so discouraged and, so far, the questions that I had on November 4, 2008 look at this time like they will be answered in a manner that I did not want nor do we need.  Let’s hope this is just a hiccup and my fears will be found unjustified.

I had a this date in history today, but I got so PO’d, I lost interest.  Perhaps tomorrow.

Snow Totals For Tuesday Feb 3...I was Close

Weather Bottom Line:  I had outlined a picture of Louisville getting somewhere between .75″ of snow and 1.5″ for Tuesday through Wednesday.  I knew that total outlook was probably a little more than you may have seen some forecasts but as it turns out, according to the NWS, it wasn’t enough. The above map shows that localized areas from the northern half of Jefferson County (KY) and northward through the viewing area had 2-4 inches of quick snow this morning and the rest of the area some 1-2 inches as the shortwave I  spoke of came through the flow.  Told you it was small and pretty strong and it sure did squeeze out what it could from the clouds in a relatively short period of time.  Here’s my weather beef….while the NWS made that claim and the pretty map above…the official total at the airport was just .40″ of snow.  This makes no sense whatsoever…actually it does to me and I think its a problem that really needs to be addressed if we are to have climatological records that have any veracity whatsoever.

Anyway…bottom line is this….we stay excessively cold for another couple of days before we make a turnaround beginning Friday afternoon and take what looks to be much milder air than I talked about yesterday for the weekend, especially Sunday.  Now that is a change we can use and will get.  The long wave pattern is definitely changing which means we’re out of the ice bucket for the forseeable future…not saying it won’t switch back because, after all, we’ve had this cold pattern generally since the middle of November with the exception of the week around Christmas.  But, lets’ not quibble about how long it will last…..lets just take it and run for the next week or so and then worry about the rest of the winter later.  Hang on…just a couple more days of  tough cold with Thursday morning probably in the single digits.  Right now it looks like 50′s more often than not for the week ahead but it will probably be wet…as in rain and possible t’storms…not snow or ice.