Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

5-1991

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

History

Major Professor

John R. Finger

Committee Members

Paul Bergeron, John Muldowny, Bruce Wheeler, Leonard Brinkman

Abstract

The territorial period of Tennessee history, or the period from 1790-1796 when the region was more commonly known as the Southwest Territory, has generally been overlooked as an independent area of research. Yet these years constitute a time of clear transition, when the people of the region began to move beyond the restrictions of their frontier environment towards the obvious objective of statehood. Ultimately, their efforts were successful; in fact, Tennessee was the first state to complete the transition from territory to statehood under the provisions of the Northwest Ordinance. But the process included much more than fulfilling the population requirements put forth in that document. As new immigrants arrived in the territory, they were able to impose control on their unpredictable frontier environment by utilizing traditional institutions, values and ideas which had represented stability in the East. Among these were religious and educational institutions, and especially the county courts, which operated in virtual autonomy and routinely addressed the basic needs and problems of the citizenry. At the same time, the county courts offset the need for the extensive application of federal authority. In fact, the only federal assistance which the citizens of the territory expected was military support to counteract the attacks of hostile Indians. But for a variety of reasons, the federal government refused to provide any substantial military intervention in the Southwest Territory, prompting animosity and occasional defiance of federal directives on the part of the citizens. In a similar manner, the territorial population exercised initiative in their own economic and social development. Official and personal correspondence, newspapers, and travelers' accounts, demonstrate this progress and make it clear that the people of the Southwest Territory were not content to remain in a subordinate role. Indeed, with little or no assistance from a seemingly disinterested federal government, it was the settlers themselves who directed their transition to statehood.

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