Amid the economic turmoil, Native American warfare, and political unrest following the Revolutionary War, the leadership of the Tennessee Valley declared their region independent from North Carolina and formed the state of Franklin. In The Lost State of Franklin: America's First Secession, Kevin T. Barksdale chronicles the rise and fall of the ill-fated Franklin statehood movement. Barksdale describes the dramatic four years in which the Franklinites crafted a backcountry bureaucracy, expanded their regional market economy, and nearly eradicated the southwestern frontier's Native American population, all with the goal of becoming America's fourteenth state. Although the Franklin statehood movement collapsed in 1788, East Tennesseans still regard Franklin as a symbol of their rugged individualism, regional identity, and civic dignity.

Kevin T. Barksdale is assistant professor of history at Marshall University.

Reviews:

"Dr. Barksdale writes with admirable clarity, explaining convoluted events with engaging and accessible prose, a straight-forward organizational structure, and a rare sense of passion." -David Hsiung, Juniata College, author of Two Worlds in the Tennessee Mountains: Exploring the Origins of Appalachian Stereotypes

"The Lost State of Franklin speaks to a range of important issues in Southern history, issues that transcend narrow debates about North Carolina and Tennessee history. No scholar has done more to delineate the myths surrounding Franklin's statehood from the bitter political battles that animated southern frontier society." -Peter S. Carmichael, Eberly Professor of Civil War Studies, West Virginia University, author of The Last Generation: Young Virginias in Peace, War, and Reunion

"I was glad to see a study like this in print, and I recommend it to everyone interested in the eighteenth century or the southern frontier. Thanks to Barksdale's work, we now have a much clearer picture of this brief but fascinating episode in Tennessee history than we've ever had before. The "Lost State of Franklin" didn't endure, but in terms of scholarship, it isn't lost anymore."-Past in the Present, (pastinthepresent.wordpress.com)

"Barksdale has provided a nuanced and insightful examination of the state of Franklin. The book will serve as a must-read for students of the "lost" state and of the frontier experience more broadly."-Kristofer Ray, Ohio Valley History

"Kevin Barksdale presents the first scholarly study of the so-called "lost state" of Franklin since Samuel Cole Williams took up the subject in 1933."-John R. Maas, North Carolina Historical Review

"Barksdale's careful deconstruction of both the myths and realities of the "lost" state of Franklin should make this book a standard reference for future scholars.-American Historical Review

"The book will be valuable for regional specialists and students interested in frontier politics, as well as Appalachian history and memory more broadly."-Bob Morrissey, West Virginia History

"In the twentieth century, the story of Franklin appeared in memorials and exhibits and even inspired an outdoor drama and two romance novels. The story of Franklin deserves to be explored for its legacy in all three centuries."-Christopher E . Hendricks, Register of the Kentucky Historical Society