8.28 Tennessee Statehood

Tennessee Settlement and

Statehood

TN Standard- 8.28

Identify how westward expansion led to the statehood of Tennessee and

the importance ofthe first state constitution (1796).

Wilderness Road

• Overland route through the

Appalachian Mountains

• Founded by Daniel Boone
• Passes through the Cumberland

Gap into southern Kentucky and
northern Tennessee

• Connected Tennessee to the

eastern seaboard

• Settlers used routes like the

Wilderness Road as well as rivers to
settle the area that would become
Tennessee

Multiple Choice

Why was the Cumberland Gap important to westward expansion?

• It marked the source of the Cumberland River, which settlers used to get to Middle Tennessee in the 1700s.

• It was the halfway point between western settlements and the East Coast in the 1800s.

• It marked the southernmost point of the Southwest Territory, which was created in 1790.

• It was used through the 1800s by explorers and settlers as a way to get through the Appalachian Mountains.

River Systems

•River systems: Tennessee River,
Cumberland River, and Mississippi
River

•The Tennessee and Cumberland
Rivers flow into the Ohio River,
which flows into the Mississippi
River

•The Mississippi River formed the
western boundary of the U.S. and
became a major source of trade and
travel.

•The Tennessee River was vital for
the survival of Native Americans

•The Cumberland River was the site
of Fort Nashborough (Nashville)

Natchez Trace

•Created by Native Americans

•Links the Cumberland River to
the Mississippi River (Natchez MS
to Nashville, TN)

•American and European explorers
also used this trail

Multiple Choice

The Cumberland River is linked to the Mississippi River through this....

• The Natchez Trace

• The Suez Canal

• The Spanish Trail

• The Ijams Trace

Middle Tennessee

• Developers were buying land from

Native Americans and selling the
land to white settlers

• Conflict resulted because no official

treaties were made with Native
Americans

• John Donelson and James

Robertson settled Fort
Nashborough, in Middle Tennessee

• Fort Nashborough would

eventually become Nashville, TN

Southwest Territory

• Tennessee was originally part of

North Carolina

• The area became known as the

Southwest Territory in 1790

• William Blount was the governor

of the territory

• By 1795, the population of the

territory had enough of a
population to apply for
statehood

Multiple Choice

Before statehood, Tennesseans had been under the governance of what?

• North Carolina

• South Carolina

• Virginia

• Georgia

William Blount

• Governor of the SW Territory
• Created temporary capital at

Rocky Mount (Piney Flatts,
TN)

• Eventually moved the capital

to White’s Fort

• This new capital was

eventually named Knoxville.

• Knoxville was named after

Secretary of War, Henry
Knox

Multiple Choice

Who was appointed governor of the Southwest Territory ?

• James Robertson

• John Donelson

• William Blount

• John Sevier

Treaty of Holston

•The Cherokee would be protected
by the government and the
government would handle foreign
affairs for the Cherokee

•William Blount was influential in
the signing of this treaty

•Settlers could travel the
Tennessee River safely

•Settlers could also travel from
East to Middle Tennessee safely

Multiple Choice

This treaty allowed settlers to travel safely on the Tennessee River as well as East to Middle Tennessee, and it allowed the government to protect and handle foreign affairs for Cherokee.

• Pickney Treaty

• Treaty of Versaille

• Treaty of Paris

• Treaty of Holston

Tennessee’s Constitution

• January of 1796
• 55 delegates met in Knoxville, TN

Multiple Choice

After the population requirement was met, what was the next step in statehood?

• Elect a governor

• Write a constitution

• Call for a constitutional convention

• Create a state name

Multiple Choice

Where was Tennessee’s first capital located?

• Nashville

• Memphis

• Chattanooga

• Knoxville

Multiple Choice

How much population was needed in the territory in order to become a state?

• 77,000

• 70,000

• 65,000

• 60,000

​Tennessee Constitution:

Use the link below to research the importance of the Tennessee Constitution and how it set up the government in Tennessee. Use the graphic organizer to compare and contrast the Tennessee Constitution to the U.S. Constitution.

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TN History For Kids » Middle 2: The Other Constitution in Your Life​

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Tennessee Constitution- Executive Branch

• Governor was weak under the

TN Constitution

• Elected to a two-year term
• No veto power

John Sevier

•First and only governor of the
lost state of Franklin that broke
away from North Carolina

•Fought at the Battle of Kings
Mountain in the American
Revolution

•Became the first governor of
Tennessee when it became a
state in 1796

Multiple Choice

Who was elected as Tennessee’s first governor?

• John Sevier

• James Robertson

• John Donelson

• William Blount

Multiple Choice

In what year did Tennessee become a state?

• 1790

• 1796

• 1786

• 1780

Tennessee Constitution- Voting Rights

• All male property owners over

21 years of age

• Had to live in the same county

for six months

• Free African American men

could vote if they met other
requirements

Tennessee Constitution- Declaration of Rights

• Similar to the Bill of Rights
• Religious freedom
• Voting rights
• Protects against unreasonable

search and seizure

• Fair trial
• Freedom of speech, assembly,

the press

Multiple Select

The Tennessee Constitution is comparable to the Bill of Rights in that both protect...

• Protects the right to freedom of speech, assembly, and press.

• Protects against unreasonable search and seizure.

• Protects the right to a fair trial and religious freedom

• Protects against alienable rights.

• Protects voting rights for women.

Statehood

• The TN Constitution was sent to

Congress for review

• Parts were based on the PA and NC

Constitutions

• Thomas Jefferson said it was “the

least imperfect and most
republican of the state
constitutions”

• Focus on individual rights set it

apart from other constitutions

• Tennessee was admitted as a state

on June 1, 1796

Multiple Choice

After meeting all requirements for statehood, who had to approve it?

• President

• Governor

• Congress

• Settlers

Multiple Choice

Tennessee became what?

• The 14th state of the Union

• The 15th state of the Union

• The 16th state of the Union

• The 17th state of the Union

Jackson Purchase 1818

•Negotiated by Andrew Jackson
with the Chickasaw

•Included land west of the TN
River

•As a result of this treaty, the
Native American tribe was
relocated to the southeast corner
of Tennessee.

Multiple Choice

The Jackson Purchase was part of the Treaty of Tuscaloosa. It was signed by Andrew Jackson and the Chickasaws in 1818. The purchase included the lands that made up...

• East Tennessee and parts of Virginia.

• Parts of Arkansas and southern Tennessee.

• West Tennessee and parts of Kentucky.

• Most of Kentucky and the area near Nashville.

Go to your Quizizz Class to find the 8.27 Exit Ticket.

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​8.28 Exit Ticket

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