USA > Tennessee > History of Tennessee, from its earliest discoveries and settlements to the end of the year 1894 > Part 13
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1817 .- Legislature met. September 15 at Knoxville: General John Cocke and James S. Gaines, of Tennessee, and Captain
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CHRONOLOGY OF TENNESSEE, 1796-1895.
Stock and James Carmack, of Georgia, were appointed to run a line between these States.
ISIS .-- Andrew Jackson and Isaac Shelby made a treaty, Octo- ber 19. with the Chickasaws by which all territory north of 35° and east of the Mississippi was ceded to Tennessee; Ishanı G. Harris, born at Tullahoma, February 10.
1819 .- Thirteenth General Assembly met at Murfreesboro; Gov- ernor MeMinn recommends the establishment of penitentiary; June 6. President Monroe visited Nashville; June 19, all the banks of the State suspend specie payment except Bank of Tennessee; October 19, "Tennessee Antiquarian Society" organized, Judge John Haywood, President.
1820 .- Alexander Smith, Isaac Allen and Simean Perry ap- pointed to run the line between North Carolina and Tennessee: General Assembly, second session, met at Murfreesboro, June 26; Tennessee voted for James Monroe for President, and I). D. Tompkins for Vice-President.
1821 .- Fourteenth General Assembly met, September 17, at Murfreesboro: General Andrew Jackson appointed Territorial Governor of Florida, and Alexander Anderson, of Tennessee, United States District Attorney of West Florida.
1822 .-- General Assembly, second session, met at Murfreesboro, July 22 to August 24; it established nine Congressional Dis- tricts; swords voted Generals Jackson and Gaines for gallantry in the war of 1812.
1823 .- Fifteenth General Assembly met at Murfreesboro, Sep- tember 15 to November 29: General Carroll re-elected Governor without opposition: Pioneer established at Jackson, first news- paper in West Tennessee.
1824 .- General Assembly, second session, held at Murfreesboro from September 20 to October 22: Presidential vote of Ten- nessee: Andrew Jackson, twenty thousand one hundred and
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THE HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
ninety-seven: Adams, two hundred and sixteen: Crawford. three hundred and twelve.
1825 .-- Sixteenth General Assembly. first session, held at Mur- freesboro from September 19 to December 7: General Lafayette visited Nashville.
1826 .- The Legislature, having met at Murfreesboro from Isty to 1826, convened the second session at Nashville, October 16 and held to December rr; Memphis Advocate, first newspaper at Memphis, established: the Nashville Bank failed: duel between General William White and Sam Houston: Governor Carroll, in a proclamation, April 8, declared Nashville the Capitol of the State from May r ensuing.
1827 .- Seventeenth General Assembly held at Nashville from September 17 to December 15; a fund established for the sup- port of free schools.
[828 .- Andrew Jackson elected President of the United States, and served from March 4, 1820. till March 4, 1837; Presiden. tial vote of Tennessee: General Jackson, forty-four thousand and ninety: John Q. Adams, two thousand two hundred and forty.
1829 .- Governor Sam Houston resigned and William Hall, Speaker of the Senate, becomes Governor; Senator John H. Eaton appointed Secretary of War.
1830 .- Joel Parrish, Cashier of the Bank of Tennessee, defaulted for two hundred thousand dollars.
1831 .- Imprisonment for debt abolished; Dr. Gerard Troost appointed State Geologist: John H. Eaton appointed United States Minister to Spain.
1932 .- Nineteenth General Assembly, second session, held at Nashville from September 3 to October 22: Presidential vote of Tennessee: Jackson, twentyeight thousand seven hundred
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CHRONOLOGY OF TENNESSEE, 1796-IS95.
and forty: Henry Clay, one thousand four hundred and thirty- six: December 13, cholera declared to exist in Nashville.
1833 .- Vote for a Constitutional Convention, fifty-three thousand six hundred and thirty-nine: vote for Representatives, ninety thousand seven hundred and eighty-one: Twentieth General Assembly, first session, held at Nashville from September 16 to December 2: cholera in Tennessee.
1834 .- On the first Thursday and Friday of March an election was held for sixty delegates to Constitutional Convention; it assembled at Nashville, May 19 to August 30, William B. Carter was President, William K. Hill, Secretary: John Bell was Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Twenty- Third Congress.
1835 .- Constitution of 1834 was ratified on March 5 and 6 by forty-two thousand six hundred and sixty-six for, to seventeen thousand six hundred and ninety-one against it.
1836 .- Governor Cannon convened the Twenty-First General Assembly to defray the expense of the surveys of the Louis- ville, Cincinnati & Charleston Railroad, it met October 3 to 26; March 6, David Crockett was killed at the Alamo.
1837 .- Twenty-Second General Assembly, first session, met in October and adjourned January 27, 1838; Judge John Catron was made Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving till May 8, 1865, when he died at Nashville.
1838. - Felix Grundy appointed Attorney-General of the United States. July 7, and served till January 10, 1840.
1839 .- Governor Sam Houston visited Tennessee: total State school money invested in stock,, eight hundred and thirty-five thousand and thirty-four dollars.
1840 .- Presidential vote: W. H. Harrison, Whig, sixty thousand three hundred and ninety-one: Martin Van Buren, Democrat, forty-eight thousand two hundred and eighty-nine; April 10,
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THE HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
Hugh L. White died at Knoxville: December 10, Felix Grau died at Nashville.
IS+1 .- Twenty-Fourth General Assembly met from October + to February 7, 1842; President Harrison appointed John Bell. Secretary of War.
1842 .- P. Lindsley, W. G. Dickson. J. Waters, R. C. K. Martin J. W. McCombs, J. M. Hill and Wilkins Tannehill commis sioned Lunatic Asylum Commissioners.
1843 .- Twenty-Fifth General Assembly held from October 2 to January 31. 1844: Nashville was established the permanent seat of government: Marshal Bertrand, of France. visited Nashville.
1844 .- James K. Polk was nominated and elected to the Presi- dency: Henry Clay carried Tennessee over Polk: Governor William Carroll died at Nashville, March 22.
1845 .- Great Commercial Convention at Memphis, Calhoun. President: Polk inaugurated President, March 4: Cave Johnson appointed Postmaster-General: A. J. Donelson appointed Min- ister to Russia: William H. Polk, Minister to Naples: General Robert Armstrong. Consul to Liverpoo !.
1846 .- Mexican war declared: Governor Brown called for two thousand eight hundred volunteers, and thirty thousand voltin- teered: Gideon. J. Pillow, Brigadier-General of Volunteers. United States Army: Tennessee furnished one regiment of Cavalry and three of Infantry to the Mexican war.
: 847 .- Twenty-Seventh General Assembly held from October 4 to February 7, 1848: Georgia Railroad completed to Chatta- nooga.
1848 .- Presidential vote: Zachary Taylor. Whig. sixty-four thousand seven hundred and Ave: Lewis Cass. Democrat. fifty-eight thousand four hundred and nineteen; Van Buren.
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CHRONOLOGY OF TENNESSEE, 1796-1895. 1,9
Free Soil, none: first telegraphic dispatch received in Ten- nessee.
1849 .- Twenty- Eighth General Assembly held from October 4 to February 11, 1850: Neil S. Brown appointed Minister to Russia: cholera visited Tennessee, May 1: Tennessee Historical Society established.
1850 .-- Visitation of cholera in Tennessee.
1851 .- President Fillmore appointed Luke Lea, Indian Commis- sioner: General Assembly held from October 16 to March I 1852.
1852 .- Whig's carried Tennessee by one thousand eight hundred and eighty majority: Presidential vote: Winfield Scott, Whig, fifty-eight thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight: Franklin Pierce, Democrat, fifty-seven thousand and eighteen; Hale, Free Soil, none: Insane Asylum at Nashville was opened March 1.
1853 .- General Assembly met in the new Capitol October 3 to to March 6, 1854: William Trousdale, Minister to Brazil: John L. Marling, Minister to Venezuela.
1854 .- Ephraim H. Foster died at Nashville, September 14. 1855 .- Thirty-First General Assembly met October i to March 3. 1856: yellow fever visited Tennessee: Philip Lindsley, a pioneer educator, died May 25.
1856 .- Government bought the Hermitage for the State for forty- eight thousand dollars: Presidential vote: James Buchanan, Democrat, seventy-three thousand six hundred and thirty-six: Millard Fillmore, sixty-six thousand one hundred and seven- teen.
185 ;.- Thirty-Second General Assembly held from October 5 to March 22, 1858: Aaron V. Brown appointed Postmaster- General; Southern Commercial Convention held at Knox- ville.
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THE HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
1858 .- James Williams appointed Minister to Turkey: D. W. Ballew and A. L. Burch appointed to run a line between Vir- ginia and Tennessee.
1859 .- Thirty-Third General Assembly met October 3 and ad- journed March 29, 1860; Governor Aaron V. Brown died August 15. Governor James C. Jones died October 29: on November 18, Allen A. Hall, editor of the News, killed George C. Poindexter, editor of the Union and American, at Nashville.
1860 .- Tennessee's Presidential vote: John Bell, Constitutional Unionist, sixty-nine thousand two hundred and seventy-four; John C. Breckinridge, Democrat, sixty-four thousand and seventy-nine: Stephen A. Douglas, Democrat, eleven thousand three hundred and fifty; Abraham Lincoln, none.
1861 .- Legislature met. January 7, in extra session: June 24, Governor Harris declared the State out of the Union: August I, members were elected to the Confederate Congress: war begins. .
1862 .- Battle at Mill Springs, January 18, General Zollicoffer killed: Fort Henry fell, February 6; Fort Donelson surren- dered. February, 16; Legislature met, February 20, in Mem- phis; the Federals occupied Nashville, February 25: Andrew Johnson commissioned Military Governor by the United States Government and took charge March 12: battle of Shiloh. April 6-7: Albert Sidney Johnson, commander of Department of Tennessee, killed April 6; Fort Pillow fell, June 4: Memphis surrended. June 7.
1863. - Battle of Stone's River, January 1-2: Brigadiers-General J. E. Rain killed at Murfreesboro, January t, and Preston. Smith killed at Chickamauga, September Io: President Lin- coln appointed Allen A. Hall. Minister to Bolivia.
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1364 .- Union Convention at Nashville. September 5, nominated
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CHRONOLOGY OF TENNESSEE, 1796-1895.
electors pledged to vote for Lincoln and Johnson, they were elected but not counted by Congress.
1865 .- The Army of Tennessee, Confederate States of America. under General J. E. Johnson. surrendered, April 26, at Greens- boro, North Carolina: General F. Kirby Smith surrendered. May 26: cavalry force of Lieutenant-General N. B. Forrest. under General Dick Taylor, surrendered at Meridian, Missis- sippi, May 4: the Constitutional amendments were ratified. February 22, by twenty-five thousand two hundred and ninety- three for, to forty-eight against: Governor Brownlow and the Legislature were elected, March 4; Andrew Johnson qualified as Vice-President. March 4.
1866 .- Governor Brownlow convened the Legislature. July 4. in extra session to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, it adjourned July 25, but the second session convened from November 5 to March II. 1867: Cave Johnson died, at Clarksville, November 23.
1867 .- The negroes obtained the right of suffrage, February 25: Thirty-Fifth General Assembly, first session, met October ; to March 16, 1868: Governor W. B. Campbell, born at Nashville. February 1, 1807, died August 19, 1867.
1868 .- D. B. Cliffe was appointed receiver of Memphis, Clarks- ville & Louisville Railroad, January 16, and on July 14. of the Nashville & Northwestern Railroad: Legislature met in extra session in July; it met again from October 9 to March i. 1869.
1869 .- Legislature met October 4 to March 5. isto: first time since the war that the Democrats had a majority; Tipton elected Superintendent of Public Schools in August.
1870 .- Constitutional Convention met at Nashville from January Io to February 23, Johu C. Brown, President: Constitution was ratified, March 26, by ninety-eight thousand one hundred and twenty-eight for, to thirty-three thousand eight hundred
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THE HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
and seventy-two against it: Thirty-Sixth General Assembly. second session, met from May 9 to July 11; it fixed the number of Representatives at seventy-five.
IS71 .- State's debts, forty-one million eight hundred and sixty- three thousand four hundred and six dollars and sixty-nine cents; for railroads and turnpikes, thirty-one million three hundred thousand four hundred and seventeen dollars and fourteen cents; State debt proper, four million eight hundred and nineteen thousand five hundred and forty-four dollars and twenty-six cents; bonds indorsed and interest to January 1. 1872, four million seventy-five thousand and twenty-eight dollars: Thomas O'Connor and R. F. Looney lease the peni- tentiary, November 17: Thirty-Seventh General Assembly. first session, met from October 2 to December 16: William Morrow. Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, ex- officio: J. B. Killebrew, Assistant.
1872 .- Governor Brown convened the Legislature in extra ses- sion from March 12 to April 1; Governor Trousdale died, March 27.
18;3 .- Thirty- Eighth General Assembly, first session. held from January 6 to March 25; it apportioned the State into Congres- sional Districts; John M. Fleming appointed State Superin- tendent of Public Schools. March 25.
1874 .- W. Matt Brown appointed Warden of the penitentiary. May 7.
1875 .- Thirty-Ninth General Assembly met from January 4 to March 24; J. B. Killebrew appointed Commissioner of Agri- culture, March 6: Leon Trousdale appointed Superintendent of Public Instruction, March 25: Andrew Johnson died, July 31: Horace Maynard appointed Minister to Turkey and served till ISSo.
1876 .- R. P. Neely appointed receiver of the Mississippi Cen- tral & Tennessee Railroad.
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CHRONOLOGY OF TENNESSEE. 1796-1895.
1877 .- Fortieth General Assembly, first session, met from Janu- ary I to March 27: first extra session met December 5, and the second. December tr: Governor W. C. Brownlow died at Knoxville. April 29.
[8;8 .- Yellow fever raged in West Tennessee.
1879 .- Forty-First General Assembly, first session, held from January i to April 1: Leon Trousdale was appointed Superin- tendent of Public Instruction: J. B. Killebrew appointed Com- missioner of Agriculture: December 16, extra ssssion of the Legislature met and held to December 24.
1880 .- The Democratic Convention in June named two candi- dates for Governor: the State Credit faction named John V. Wright: the Low Tax faction nominated S. F. Wilson: the Republicans nominated Alvin Hawkins, who was elected.
ISST .- Forty-Second General Assembly, first session, held from January 3 to April 7: A. W. Hawkins was Commissioner of Agriculture: W. S. Doak, Superintendent of Public Instruc- tion: the first extra session of the Legislature held from December 7 to 26.
1882 .- Forty-Second General Assembly, second extra session, met from April 6 to 26; third extra session held from April 27 to May 22.
1853 .- Forty-Third General Assembly, first session, held from January i to March 30: J. M. Safford was appointed State Geologist.
1884. - Three Republican Railroad Commissioner were elected. November 4. W. W. Murray, A. M. Hughes, and M. J. Con- don.
1885. - Forty-Fourth General Assembly first session, held from January 5 to April 9: an extra session met from May 25 to June 13 to make appropriations for the year: James D. Porter appointed First Assistant Secretary of State of the United
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THE HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
States; J. D. C. Atkins, United States Commissioner of Indian Affairs; Albert Roberts, United States Consul at Hamilton Ontario; Peter Staub. United States Consul at Basle, Switzer land: W. R. Hening, United States Consul at Tegucigalpa. Honduras.
1886 .- Peter Turney, W. C. Caldwell, H. H. Lurton, W. c' Fowlkes and B. L. Snodgrass, Democrats, were elected Su preme Judges; August 5, Governor Neil S. Brown died.
1887 .-- Forty-Fifth General Assembly, first session, held front January 3 to March 29: B. M. Hord appointed Commissione: of Agriculture, March 19: F. M. Smith appointed State Super- intendent of Public Instruction, April 26.
1888 .- William Park appointed Inspector of Mines to serve unt !! April 1, 1891.
1889 .- Hon. Robert L. Taylor inaugurated Governor, the second term: the Fiftieth General Assembly convened at Nashville on the first Monday in January.
1890 .- John P. Buchanan elected Governor.
1891 .- Rebellion in the penitentiary occurred: Governor Albert S. Marks, died at Nashville, November 4.
1892 .- Peter Turney elected Governor.
1893 .- Remains of Ex-President and Mrs. Polk were removed to the Capitol campus.
1894. - Democratic Supreme Judges were elected.
1895 .-- Election contest between Turney and Evans for Governor. Evans was qualified. February 6, and thus for a while two Governors existed.
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Historical Readings.
CHAPTER XXX.
THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE-ITS ORIGIN AND GROWTH.
1. The institution of African slavery is so intimately connect- ed with the history of Tennessee and has been so closely inter- woven with her civilization, that a brief account of its origin, its growth and its sudden abolition should be recorded, not for crim - ination or exculpation, but that the truth of history may be vin- dicated. Facts, cold facts, are history, and they never blush to be narrated.
2. Until 1843 African bondage prevailed not only in some ot the less civilized countries of Europe and South America, but in the East Indies, which were under the rule of Great Britain, the foremost and most enlightened government in the world. Early in this century the slave trade became odious to all philanthro- pists, but slavery itself was not. The brutality with which the trade was conducted and the "horrors of the middle passage," as it was called, had awakened the pity of mankind, and by common consent the traffic in Africans and their transportation to other countries was prohibited under the severest penalties. both in Europe and the United States.
3. Notwithstanding this, the institution of slavery continued where it had been planted. It not only continued, but was en couraged as a moral agency of civilization, until Wilberforce began the agitation for its abolishment in England and her colo- nies. But the plant of this great reform was of slow growth,
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TENNESSEE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, POLIVAR.
٨ لديهمالى ٧٦٧منصب ٨٠٨٨ ٤٤
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THE AFRICAN -LAVE TRADE.
and emancipation was not entirely accomplished until long after Wilberforce died. In 1843, the last of the slaves of the English colonies were emancipated, and their owners were paid for them out of the national treasury.
4. The sentiment of the people of the United States was against slavery, and that feeling for a time stronger at the South than at the North. The ordinance of 178; that excluded the institution from the northwestern territories was supported by southern 11le11. Pennsylvania provided for gradual emancipation. There was to them no profit in slavery, but there were fabulous gaius in the traffic. Hence. they gradually disposed of their own slaves by sending them south, and in some instances the young of their slaves were given away.
5. But the feeling in the States was generally averse to slav- ery, and that feeling was for a time stronger at the South than at the North. The ordinance of 1;8; that excluded the institution from the Northwestern Territories was supported by Southern men. Pennsylvania provided for gradual emancipation, and as late as isto her slaves were not all free. In some cases they were sold for debt. Rhode Island and Connecticut had a few left in 1840, New Jersey had two hundred and thirty-six in in r850, New York emancipated in 1827.
6. That the Southern States did not emancipate their slaves was owing to a variety of circumstances. The climate of the South was suited to the negro, and he seemed to be contented and happy there. The Southerners had invested more money in slaves than had their Northern brethren. The invention of the cotton gin had suddenly stimulated the cultivation of cotton, for which the negro was peculiarly fitted. and the growth of rice, tobacco and sugar cane was equally inviting to his labor. But more than all these reasons was the fear that the slaves were increasing so rapidly as to put the State in peril if they were freed. They were still affected with the same race traits that they inherited from barbarian ancestors and it was greatly
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THE HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
feared that they could not be controlled as freedmen or a- citizens.
7. Still there was an intelligent number of our people who favored gradual emancipation. This sentiment was slowly but surely spreading. Felix Grundy was outspoken as a co-worke: with the gradual emancipation policy, inaugurated and advo- cated by Henry Clay, of Kentucky. This policy would doubt less have been adopted by Tennessee, had her people not resented what seemed like attempts to coerce them. Our people said: "If you let us alone we may do it, but you cannot drive us. We are penned up with these negroes and know where our safety lies."
8. William Lloyd Garrison, of Boston, founded the Anti- Slavery party in 1831. Arthur Tappen became its President in 1831. Much money was expended in magnifying and exagger- ating the abuses of slavery. This party declared that all the laws of the government that recognized slavery were utterly null and void. As they grew stronger and became more aggressive their influence steadily increased. In . 1844 the Abolitionists openly avowed that their object was to effect a dissolution of the Union and form a Northern republic. They declared that a union with slavery was a league with perdition and a covenant with death. They were the first secessionists and they remained so until the late Civil War. The troops they furnished and the money they so freely contributed were not for the maintenance of the Union. but to effect the freedom of the slaves. In 1860 William H. Seward spoke from Faneuil Hall and said there was a higher law than the Constitution.
9. When Nathaniel Hawthore was asked in 1861 if he was not in favor of the war, he replied: "Yes, I suppose so, but really I don't see what we have to fight about." It seemed to him that the South in seceding had done just what the Aboli- tionists desired her to do. This being the case, the intensified hostility of this party toward the South is difficult to explain.
IS9
THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.
Only a few years had elapsed since New England had emanci- pated the slaves they had not sold. It was less than twenty years since England had emancipated hers, and neither Ten- nessee nor any of her sister States was ready for the change. Was this cry for abolition an earnest sympathy for the slaves, or political hatred for their masters? Or was it both-for, as Judge Tuargee says in his "Fool's Errand": "The South has controlled the government for fifty years. " Many politicians at the North were jealous, jealous to exasperation, and slavery was but the shibboleth that intensified their animosity. Even in New Eng- land there were men who made no war upon the slave trade, but rather winked at it and enjoyed its rich returns. This is not an idie assertion, but an established fact. if Northern historians are to be believed.
Io. In 1820 Justice Story. the great jurist, charged the grand juries of his New England circuit in the following words: "We have but too many undeniable proofs from unquestionable sources that the African slave trade is still carriedcon among us with all the implacable ferocity and insatiable rapacity of former times. Avarice has grown more subtle in its invasion of the law. It watches and seizes its prey with an appetite quickened rather than suppressed. . American citizens are steeped up to their very mouths in this iniquity."
II. W. W. Story, his gifted son, in writing the biography of his father, says: "The fortunes of many men of prominence were Secretly invested in this infamous practice. Slavery itself had hardly disappeared in New England when the slave trade took on new life and was winked at. A man might still have position in society and claim consideration as a gentleman, nay, as a Christian, while his ships were freighted with human cargo and his commerce was in the blood and pain of his fellow creatures. This practice was abstractly inveighed against, but was secretly indulged in. The chances of great fortunes inflamed the cupidity of men in my father's circuit. It is notorious that many large
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THE HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
fortunes were the blood money of the slave trade, and owed ti!". existence to the wretched cargoes that survived the horror the middle passage. But this charge of my father to the gran juries of Massachusetts and Rhode Island seemed only to arou -. the passions of those engaged in the traffic. The newspapers i the day publicly denounced my father, and one paper in Bo-a. declared that any judge who would deliver such a charge ought to be hurled from the bench."
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