This book sheds new light on John Sevier, founding father of the state of Tennessee. A celebrated soldier, admired politician and founding father of the state of Tennessee, John Sevier led an adventurous life. He commanded a frontier militia into battle against British Loyalists at Kings Mountain. He waged a relentless war against the Cherokees in his effort to claim America's first frontier. He forged the state of Franklin from the western lands of North Carolina and later became Tennessee's first governor. Following his death, Sevier's accomplishments faded from public memory, but years later, writers resurrected his image through romanticized accounts of his exploits, relying heavily on folk tales and recollections from aging pioneers. Thus, life and legend intertwined. Join authors Gordon T. Belt and Traci Nichols-Belt as they examine John Sevier's extraordinary life through the lens of history and memory, shedding new light on this remarkable Tennessee figure.

Thorough and compelling, this biography of John Sevier includes ancestral genealogy. Having served as governor of the ill-fated State of Franklin, Sevier was elected the first governor of Tennessee, serving a total of six terms. He then served in Congress until his death in 1815.

An exhaustive evaluation of literature published on the Indian Wars. Articles by leading historians include how to research the wars, build a good library, the best books on Custer and the Little Bighorn, the best books overall on the subject, suggested reading, and much more. Index.

Originally published by the Pioneer Printers of Washington College Academy as one of the school’s bicentennial projects, this book follows the previously printed Doak series, which includedSamuel Doak, 1749–1830by William Gunn Calhoun andSamuel Doak: A Tennessee Pioneerby Marion Horton.

From Watauga to Cumberland to Franklin, Tennessee went through many changes before joining the Union. This book describes the events of 1790 to 1796 and the challenges faced by the founders of this state.

Includes entries for maps and atlases.

The first martyr to the cause of American liberty was Major General Joseph Warren, a well-known political orator, physician, and president of the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts. Shot in the face at close range at Bunker Hill, Warren was at once transformed into a national hero, with his story appearing throughout the colonies in newspapers, songs, pamphlets, sermons, and even theater productions. His death, though shockingly violent, was not unlike tens of thousands of others, but his sacrifice came to mean something much more significant to the American public. Sealed with Blood reveals how public memories and commemorations of Revolutionary War heroes, such as those for Warren, helped Americans form a common bond and create a new national identity. Drawing from extensive research on civic celebrations and commemorative literature in the half-century that followed the War for Independence, Sarah Purcell shows how people invoked memories of their participation in and sacrifices during the war when they wanted to shore up their political interests, make money, argue for racial equality, solidify their class status, or protect their personal reputations. Images were also used, especially those of martyred officers, as examples of glory and sacrifice for the sake of American political principles. By the midnineteenth century, African Americans, women, and especially poor white veterans used memories of the Revolutionary War to articulate their own, more inclusive visions of the American nation and to try to enhance their social and political status. Black slaves made explicit the connection between military service and claims to freedom from bondage. Between 1775 and 1825, the very idea of the American nation itself was also democratized, as the role of "the people" in keeping the sacred memory of the Revolutionary War broadened.