On the 4th, Remembering The 14th State That Never Was

Ever heard of the State of Franklin?  I hadn't until today when I stumbled upon a mention about it in an article about a documentary filmmaker doing a feature on the lost State of Franklin...or "Frankland" as it was going to be named.  This was an area west of the Appalachia mountains that was originally part of North Carolina but ended up as it own independent territory around 1785.

There was even a resolution presented to the Continental Congress in 1786 to make "Frankland" the 14th State of the nascent United States.  That resolution obviously did not pass and the territory as eventually turned into the eastern end of the state of Tennessee.  Today, there are still remnants of this "ghost state" in the names of institutions like the State of Franklin Bank!

I'm always fascinated to read about these little lost bits of history, especially on a day like today when we celebrate our nations' 235th anniversary.  Here's hoping you have a fun Fourth filled with fireworks and Frankland flag waving!