Southwest Territory
| Territory South of the River Ohio | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organized incorporated territory of United States | |||||||||
| 1790–1796 | |||||||||
|
Flag | |||||||||
Map of the Southwest Territory in 1790 with the current borders of Tennessee overlayed | |||||||||
| Capital | Rocky Mount (1790–1792) Knoxville (from 1792) | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• 1791 | 35,691 | ||||||||
• 1795 | 77,262 | ||||||||
| Government | |||||||||
| • Type | Organized incorporated territory | ||||||||
| Governor | |||||||||
• 1790–1796 | William Blount | ||||||||
| Secretary | |||||||||
• 1790–1796 | Daniel Smith | ||||||||
| Legislature | Territorial Assembly | ||||||||
• Upper chamber | Territorial Council | ||||||||
• Lower chamber | House of Representatives | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Ceded by North Carolina | 2 April 1790 | ||||||||
| May 26, 1790 | |||||||||
• House convened | February 24, 1794 | ||||||||
• Full Assembly convened | August 26, 1794 | ||||||||
| 1 June 1796 | |||||||||
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The Territory South of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Southwest Territory or the old Southwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1790, until June 1, 1796, when it was admitted to the United States as the State of Tennessee. The Southwest Territory was created by the Southwest Ordinance which was similar to the previous two ordinances passed by the Confederation Congress for the parallel establishment and development of the old Northwest Territory of 1786–1803. It pertained to lands situated north of the Ohio River, around the Great Lakes and extending west to the Mississippi River. The lands of the Territory were taken from western areas beyond the mountains of the Commonwealth of Virginia (later to be separated and erected into the new 15th state of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.) Western lands were also ceded by the state of North Carolina from lands of the Washington District that had been already ceded to the U.S. federal government by North Carolina.
The territory's first—and only—appointed governor for its existence was William Blount, and the appointed secretary of the territory was Daniel Smith. Both were appointed by President George Washington.
The establishment of the Southwest Territory followed a series of efforts by North Carolina's trans-Appalachian settlers to form a separate political entity, initially with the Watauga Association, and later with the failure of the additional proposed western State of Franklin. North Carolina ceded these lands in April 1790 as payment of obligations owed to the new central federal government.
It was also along with the intention, that when the previous governing document for the newly independent United States of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union which were drawn up in 1776–1778 and adopted unanimously finally in 1781, that the territories west of the Appalachian Mountains would be ceded to the Confederation Congress, to be held in trust for all of the original Thirteen States, in order to settle and create in the future of new federal territories and states to be admitted to the Union on an equal basis and status. The Southwest Territory's residents welcomed the cession, believing the federal government would provide better protection from native Indian hostilities. The federal government paid relatively little attention however to the territory, increasing its residents' desire for full statehood and admittance to the federal Union.
Along with Blount, a number of individuals who played prominent roles in early Tennessee history served in the old Southwest Territory's administration. These included John Sevier, James Robertson, Griffith Rutherford, James Winchester, Archibald Roane, John McNairy, Joseph McMinn and General and future seventh President, Andrew Jackson.