Talk:Watauga Association
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This page claims "The Watauga Association was intended to serve as the sovereign government for the region, independent of any existing state", compares the Articles of Association with the Declaration of Independence, and makes other references to the association as a sovereign nation, like "effectively became the first independent republic on American soil"
But according to the Tennessee Encyclopedia, http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=W028 -- says that while the association was the first non-Indian government in Tennessee, "Nevertheless, the association was not intended as a deliberate renunciation of British sovereignty, or an early attempt at independence. The lease of Indian lands specified a ten-year term, and the Watauga constitution was written in conjunction with the lease. The petition of 1776, while affirming allegiance to the rebellion against England, made no claim that the Wataugans had declared independence in 1772."
Also, the story about the Cherokee attack on Fort Watauga is told differently by different historians and few if any primary source documents can resolve the conflicting stories. Much of it is probably myth (like the part about women milking cows). Even the location of Fort Watauga is not known. It is usually said to be near the confluence of Gap Creek and the Watauga River, and there is evidence that some kind of fortified structure was there. But other evidence points to the mouth of the Doe River. It is possible that there were several blockhouses and forts in the vicinity.
Pfly 02:27, 4 August 2006 (UTC)
