Tennessee’s First Governor

TN Standard 4.5.09b

John Sevier- His Early LifeSevier was born in Rockingham County, VA near

the town of New Market, VA on September 23, 1745

He was the son of Valentine Sevier “The Immigrant,” a member of the French Hugenot branch of the Xavier Family in France , and Joanna Goad an American woman

John married Sarah Hawkins in 1761 at the age of sixteen

It was in 1773 Sevier took his family and with his brothers and their families and moved to the Holston River Area, North Carolina (now Tenneessee)

John Sevier- In East TennesseeThe Holston River Valley appealed to Sevier

likely due to the tales of all the good land-In 1774, Sevier will serve as Captain of the

Colonial Militia under Col. George Washington in Lord Dunmore’s War against the Native Americans- Sevier will earn a reputation as a valiant “Indian Fighter” during this time

Sevier will once again move his family in 1775 to the banks of the Watauga River and later the Nolichucky River where he earns the nickname “Nolichucky Jack”

John Sevier- Fort Watauga Lt. Col. Sevier commanded the Washington militia at

Fort Caswell (Ft. Watauga). The Revolutionary War fort was built in 1775 as a

means of protection to the Watauga Association from local Cherokee Indian attacks.

The fort was attacked and laid siege to from July 20-August 2, 1776 by a group of Cherokee Indians led by Old Abram (Abram Creek and Abram Falls are named for this chief)

Legend says it was during this attack that Katherine “Bonny Kate” Sherrill was locked outside of the fort before she was helped over the wall by Lt. Col. Sevier

In the spring of 1780, his wife Sarah dies shortly after delivering their 10th child and Sevier and Sherrill were married in August of the same year

Fort WataugaThis is a recreation of Fort Watauga located at Sycamore Shoals in Elizabethton, TN

John Sevier- The Revolutionary WarIn 1780- the colonials of the area received a

message from British Major Patrick Ferguson proclaiming that if they did not stop supporting the newly formed United States of America, that he would march over the mountain and attack

Newly promoted Col. John Sevier lead a group of 1,000 men from Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. September 25, 1780, they gathered at Sycamore Shoals (present day Elizabethton, TN) and marched over the mountain and engaged 1,000 British regulars and North Carolina loyalists in the Battle of Kings Mountain

John Sevier- The Battle of Kings MountainThe “Overmountain Men” arrived in South

Carolina and engaged the British on October 7, 1780

Of the nine smaller groups organized at the battle, Sevier was one of two groups selected to attack Ferguson at the highest point of the mountain

The Battle of Kings Mountain lasted only 65 minutes and resulted in a decisive victory for the colonials as Ferguson was killed and the loyalists surrendered- it would serve as a turning point in the war for the colonials- Sadly one of the colonial casualties was one of his brothers, Capt. Robert Sevier, who died on the trek back to Sycamore Shoals from his battle wounds.

Strategic Battle Map of Kings Mountain

John Sevier- TennesseeIn 1783- Sevier makes the move to the banks of

the Nolichucky River and by 1784 was heavily engaged in politics of the new nation

1784- North Carolina gives the United States government all lands west of the Appalachian Mountains- Congress did not take immediate control over the land

Fearing that North Carolina would sell the land to Spain or France, they Wataugans met in Jonesborough (its first capitol) and on August 23, 1784 and declared its independence from North Carolina

These counties (Washington, Greene, Sullivan, and

Spencer- now Hawkins Co.) petitioned the government for admissions as a state on May 16, 1785

Delegates from the newly proposed state gathered in their new capitol of Greeneville, TN where John Sevier was quickly elected the first governor of the State of Franklin- the state failed to garner the 2/3rds vote needed to enter the Union

North Carolina began trying to take back the region which resulted in one small battle between Sevier and Col. John Tipton at Tipton’s Farm (located in present day Johnson City, TN)

Sevier was eventually arrested and released as North Carolina reassumed control of the area in 1788.

John Sevier- Governor In 1790, the territory west of Appalachians was again

given up by North Carolina and was organized as the Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio.

President George Washington appointed William Blount as the territorial governor and he and Sevier worked closely together during this organizational period

Tennessee became a state on June 1, 1796 and John Sevier was elected its first governor where he served three 2-year terms (1796-1801)- He moved to Knoxville and his home Marble Springs

During his time in office, Sevier developed a fierce rivalry with future President Andrew Jackson- one incident almost resulted in a duel between the two men in Kingston, TN- no shots were fired

John Sevier’ s time as governor was not over as he defeated Archibald Roane, the current governor, in 1803 and Sevier began another three 2-year term stint as governor of Tennessee.

John Sevier- Later LifeAfter serving as governor for a total of 12 years,

Sevier did not shy away from the political lifeHe was elected to the Tennessee state Senate in 1809

and then to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1811.

Sevier would serve in the 12th, 13th, and 14th Congresses

John Sevier continued to serve in politics as he was appointed commissioner overseeing a border dispute between Georgia and Creek Indian Territory in Alabama

On September 25, 1815, just 2 days after his 70th birthday, Sevier died of a fever near Fort Decatur, AL

He was buried there until 1889 when he was brought back to Tennessee and buried on the lawn of the Knoxville Courthouse where he and his wives are today

Sevier Grave Marker- Old Knoxville Courthouse