William Blount

William Blount (born March 26, 1749 in Windsor , Bertie County , Province of North Carolina , † March 21, 1800 in Knoxville , Tennessee ) was an American politician . Between 1790 and 1796 he was governor of the Southwest Territory . He was a member of the Continental Congress and from 1796 to 1797 US Senator for the state of Tennessee.

Early years

William Blount grew up during the British colonial era and attended schools in New Bern . During the Revolutionary War in 1777 he was paymaster for the Continental Army in North Carolina. Blount was also involved in an important battle in defense of the city of Philadelphia . Between 1780 and 1784 he was a member of the House of Representatives from North Carolina ; from 1782 to 1787 he sat several times in the continental congress. In 1787 he was a member of the commission that drafted the United States Constitution. Later he was also one of the signatories of this document. Between 1788 and 1790 Blount was a member of the North Carolina Senate .

Governor of the Southwest Territory

In 1790, William Blount was named governor of the newly created Southwest Territory by President George Washington . This area later became the state of Tennessee. Blount held this office until the founding of Tennessee in 1796. Governor Blount moved the capital of the territory to Knoxville. Simultaneously with his work as territorial governor Blount also officiated as Indian commissioner of the federal government in his territory. Prior to the founding of Tennessee, Blount was chairman of the constituent assembly of the future state in 1796.

US Senator

After serving as Territory Governor, William Blount was elected as the Democratic Republican Party candidate for the first Class 2 Senator of the State of Tennessee in Congress . He took up this mandate on August 2, 1796. At the same time, he ran into financial difficulties due to bad speculation in land purchases in western Tennessee. Then he was actively involved in a plan according to which the Creek - and the Cherokee Indians should help the British to conquer the then Spanish west Florida . This plan was exposed and interpreted as treason against the United States. As a result, Blount was expelled from the Senate on July 7, 1797. As a result of this exclusion, impeachment proceedings that were initiated subsequently became irrelevant.

Another résumé

Blount's grave in Knoxville

Despite this incident, Blount was elected to the Tennessee Senate in 1798 and became its president. He died in Knoxville on March 21, 1800. The William Blount Mansion named after him is now a memorial in Knoxville. The Blount County , Tennessee was also named after him. In addition, some schools still bear his name today.

family

William Blount was married to Mary Grainger Blount, after whom Grainger County in Tennessee was named. The son William Grainger Blount represented the state of Tennessee in Congress between 1815 and 1819 and was a member of the State House of Representatives. His half-brother Willie was Governor of Tennessee from 1809 to 1815, his brother Thomas was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and between 1793 and 1812 multiple Congressman of the State of North Carolina.

literature

Buckner F. Melton: The first impeachment: the constitution's framers and the case of senator William Blount . Mercer University Press, Macon 1998. ISBN 0-86554-597-9 .

Web links

William Blount in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

personal data
SURNAME	Blount, William
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	March 26, 1749
PLACE OF BIRTH	near Windsor , North Carolina
DATE OF DEATH	March 21, 1800
Place of death	Knoxville , Tennessee