1772 - May; The white settlement of Watauga Tennessee formed the "Association" drew up Articles relating to their own government and established rules and regulations designed to make their own self-government a fact not a theory, appointing officers and courts and constabulary necessary for that purpose.

The "Articles of Association" have long ago been lost.  But it is known that they elected 13 "Commissioners" and those were:
William BEAN;
Jacob BROWN;
John CARTER;
John JONES;
Zachariah ISBELL;
Robert LUCAS;
Charles ROBERTSON;
George RUSSELL;
John SEVIER;
James SMITH;
William TATHAM;
Jacob WOMACK

 It was here, in 1772, that the first majority-rule system of American democracy, The Watauga Association, was established.  The "Articles of the Watauga Association" established an independent government, based on democracy as we know it today, four years before the American Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson.

Four years later, many of the signers of the "Articles" would petition the state of North Carolina to be part of the state government.

Watauga Petition

To the Hon. the Provincial Council of North Carolina:

The humble petition of the inhabitants of the Washington District, including the River Wataugah, Nonachuckie, &c., in committee assembled, Humbly Showeth, that about six years ago, Colonel Donelson, (in behalf of the Colony of Virginia), held a Treaty with the Cherokee Indians, in order to purchase the lands of the Western Frontiers; in consequence of which Treaty, many of your petitioners settled on the lands of the Wataugah, &c., expecting to be within the Virginia line, and consequently hold their lands by their improvements as first settlers; but to their great disappointment, when the line was run they were (contrary to their expectation) left out; finding themselves thus disappointed, and being to inconveniently situated to move back, and feeling an unwillingness to loose the labour bestowed on their plantations, they applied to the Cherokee Indians, and leased the land for a term of ten years, before the expiration of which term, it appeared that many persons of distinction were actually making purchases forever; thus yielding a precedent, (supposing many of them, who were gentlemen of the law, to be better judges of the constitution than we were,) and considering the bad consequences it must be attended with, should the reversion be purchased out of our hands, we next preceded to make a purchase of the lands, reserving those in our possession in sufficient tracts for our own uses, and resolving to dispose of the remainder for the good of th community. This purchase was made and the lands acknowledged to us and our heirs forever, in an open treaty, in Wataugah Old Fields; a deed being obtained from the Chiefs of the said Cherokee nation, for themselves and their whole nation, conveying a fee simple right to the said lands, to us and our heirs forever, which deed was for and in consideration of the sum of two thousand pounds sterling (paid to them in goods,) for which consideration they acknowledged themselves fully satisfied, contented and paid; and agreed for themselves and their whole nation, their heirs, &c., forever to resign, warrant and defend the said lands to us, and our heirs, &c., against themselves, their heirs, &c.

The purchase was no sooner made, than we were alarmed by the reports of the present unhappy situation between Great Britain and America, on which report, (taking the new united colonies for our guide,) we proceeded to choose a committee, which was done unanimously by the consent of the people. This committee (willing to become a party in the present unhappy contest) resolved (which is now in our records) to adhere strictly to the rules and orders of the Continental Congress, and in open committee acknowledged themselves indebted to the united colonies their full portion of the Continental expense.

Finding ourselves on the Frontiers, and being apprehensive that, for the want of a proper legislature, we might become shelter for such as endeavored to defraud their creditors; considering also the necessity of recording Deeds, Wills, and doing other public business, we, by consent of the people, formed a court for the purposes above mentioned, taking (by desire of our constituents) the Virginia laws for our guide, so near as the situation of affairs would admit; this was intended for ourselves, and was done by the consent of every individual, but wherever we had to deal with people out of our district, we have ruled them to bail, to abide by our determinations, (which was, in fact, leaving the matter of reference,) otherways we dismissed their suit, lest we should in any way intrude on the legislature of the colonies. In short, we have endeavored so strictly to do justice, that we have admitted common proof against ourselves, on accounts, &c., from the colonies, without pretending a right to require the Colony Seal.

We therefore trust that we shall be considered as we deserve, and not, as we have (no doubt) been many times, represented, as a lawless mob. It is for this very reason we can assure you that we petition; we now again repeat it, that it is for want of proper authority to try and punish felons, we can only mention to you murderers, horse thieves and robbers and are sorry to say that some of them have escaped us for want of proper authority. We trust, however, that this will not long be the case; and we again and again repeat it, that it is for this reason we petition to this Honorable Assembly.

Above we have given you and extract of our proceedings, since our settling on Wataugah, Nolachuckie, &c., in regard to our civil affairs. We have shown you th causes of our first settling and the disappointments we have met with, the reason of our lease and of our purchase, the manner in which we purchased, and how we hold of the Indians in fee simple; the causes of our forming a committee, and legality of its election; and same of our court and proceedings, and our reasons for petitioning in regard to our Legislature.

We will now porceed to give you some account of our military establishments, which were chosen agreeable to the rules established by convention, and officers appointed by the committee. This being done we thought it proper to raise a company on the District service, as our proportion, to act in the common cause on the sea shore. A Company of fine riflemen were accordingly enlisted, and put under Captain James Robertson, and were actually embodied, when we received sundry letters and depositions, (copies of which we now enclose to you,) you will readily judge that there was occasion for them in another place, where we daily expected attack. We therefore thought proper to station them on our Frontiers, in defence of the common cause, at the expense and risque of our own private fortunes, til farther public orders, which we flatter ourselves will give no offence. We have enclosed you sundry proceedings at the station where our men now remain.

We shall now submit the whole to your candid and impartial judgement. We pray your mature and deliberate consideration in our behalf, that you man annex us to your Province, (whether as County, district, or other division,) in such manner as my enable us to share in the glorious cause of Liberty; enforce our laws under authority, and in every respect become the best members of society; and for ourselves and constituents we hope, we many venture to assure you, that we shall adhere strictly to your determinations, and that nothing will be lacking or any thing neglected, that may add weight (in the civil or military establishments) to the glorious cause in which we are now struggling, or contribute to the welfare of our own or ages yet to come.

That you may strictly examine every part of this our Petition, and delay no time in annexing us to your Province, in such a manner as your wisdom shall direct, is the hearty prayer of those who, for themselves and constituents, as in duty bound, shall ever pray.
 

John Carter, Chn	Zach Isbell	Jacob Brown	George Rusel
Charles Robertson	John Sevier	Wm. Bean	Jacob Womack
James Robertson	Jas. Smith	John Jones	Robert Lucas

The above signers are members in Committee assembled.
Wm. Tatham, Clerk, P.T.
 

Jocob Womack	James Easley	John I. Cox	Joud.Bostin, sen.
Joseph Dunham	John Haile	John Cox, jr	Henry Bates, jun
Rice Duncan	Elijah Robertson	Abraham Cox	Will'm Dod
Edward Hopson	William Clark	Emanuel Shote	Groves Morris
Lew. Bowyer	John Dunham	Thomas Houghton	Wm. Bates
Joseph Buller	Wm. Overall	Joseph Luske	Robert Mosely
Andw. Greer	Matt. Hawkin	William Reeve	Ge. Hartt
Jaob Mitchell	John Brown	David Hughes	Isaac Wilson
Gideon Morris	Jos. Brown	Landon Carter	Jno. Waddell
Shadrach Morris	Job Bumper	John McCormick	Jarret Williams
William Crocket	Isaac Wilson	David Crocket	Oldham Hightower
Thomas Dedmon	Richard Norton	Edward Cox	Abednago Hix
David Hickey	George Hutson	Tho's Hughes	Charles McCartney
Mark Mitchell	Thomas Simpson	Wm. Roberson	Frederick Vaughn
Hugh Blair	Valentine Sevier	Henry Siler	Jos. McCartney
Elias Pebler	Jonathan Tipton	Frederick Calvit	Mark Robertson
Jos. Brown	Robert Sevier	John Moore	Joseph Calvit
John Neave	Drury Goodan	Wm. Newberry	Joshua Houghton
John Robinson	Richard Fletcher	Adam Sherrell	John Chukinbeard
Chris. Cunningham	Alexander Greea	Sam. Sherrell, Jr	James Cooper
Jas. Easley	Joseph Greear	Sam. Sherrell, Sr	William Brokees
Ambrose Hodge	Andrew Greear, Jr	Ossa Rose	Julius Robertson
Dan'l Morris	Teeter Nave	Henry Bates,jr	John King
Wm. Cox	Lewis Jones	Jos. Grimes	Michael Hider
Crs.Cunningham,sr	John Davis	Joshua Barten,sr	John Barley

In May of 1772 the Watauga Association drew up Articles relating to their own government and established rules and regulations designed to make their own self-government a fact not a theory, appointing officers and courts and constabulary necessary for that purpose. Some go so far as to say they were the first government erected beyond the Allegheny mountains, and the first independent self-government with a written constitution.

After the Battle of Alamance in 1771, many North Carolinians refused to take the new oath of allegiance to the Royal Crown and withdrew from the province. Instead of taking the new oath of allegiance, James Robertson, in 1771, led a group of some twelve or thirteen families from near where the City of Raleigh now stands to the headwaters of the Watauga River beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains into what then was Indian Territory where all of the land belonged to the Cherokee Nation. The group, led by Robertson, was joined in route by Daniel Boone and his brother, Squire Boone, from the Yadkin Valley near where the Town of Taylorsville now stands. Earlier they had been joined in route at Hillsborough by a group of dissenters from the Sandy Creek Baptist Church Community in Orange County (now Randolph) who sought to escape the tyranny of the Royal Government. Finding themselves in North Carolina Indian Territory where all of the land, by Royal Proclamation, had been ceded to the Indians, and being without a government of any kind, they elected delegates and, in 1772, under the leadership of James Robertson, they established a government of their own, the first free and independent self-government with a written constitution by Americans.
The "Articles of Association" have long ago been lost. But it is known that they elected 13 "Commissioners".

The Watauga Government continued to function as an independent self-governmental unit until after American Independence where its petition to the provincial Congress for annexation to the State of North Carolina was accepted.

The Watauga settlers defied both North Carolina and the Crown, by adopting the laws of Virginia and by ignoring Governor Josiah Martin's proclamation (March 26, 1774) "requiring the said settlers immediately to retire from the Indian Territories."

On May 23, 1776, they petitioned Virginia for admission to that state but were ignored.

On July 5, 1776, a petition was drawn up to be sent to NC asking to be admitted to that state as a county.

In July, 1776, the settlers at Fort Watauga, withstood a two weeks siege by the Cherokees, led by Old Abrams.  I don't know if this delayed the sending of the petition to North Carolina.

By July 1776 the Indians were ready with 700 warriors for a three-pronged attack: Dragging Canoe at Long Island, Old Abram (Abraham) at Fort Lee and Fort Caswell (Fort Watauga) and the Raven at Carter's Valley. ... The Wataugans with so few men (some sources say forty, others seventy-five) could not go after the estimated 350 Indian warriors under Old Abram and consequently stayed in the fort. On the morning of July 21st the women had gone out to milk when they spotted the Indians, ran screaming back to the fort, and roused the men. One of the young women had her way to the gate blocked by the Indians and tried to scale the wall. John Sevier reached over the wall to help her into the fort. This was Catherine Sherrill, who became Sevier's "Bonny Kate" when he married her four years later, after the death of his first wife. Another woman, Ann Robertson, sister of James, helped the cause by getting the women to pour boiling water from their wash pots over Indians who got close to the wall. The Indians were repelled. Old Abram stayed in the area conducting small raids but withdrew when he heard that Dragging Canoe had been wounded and the warriors defeated.

Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina sent men to aid the settlers, but the Indians had already been routed. The troops met in September 1776 and General Griffith Rutherford of North Carolina led 2,400 men down the French Broad River where he met 1,200 men under Colonel Andrew Williamson of South Carolina. They combined forces to destroy the Cherokees' Middle and Valley Towns. The Cherokees asked for peace, the negotiations were set for mid-1777 at Long Island and the agreement was signed July 20, 1777.

The settlements elected John Sevier, and John Carter ... as representatives to the North Carolina Provincial Assembly meeting at Halifax, November and December 1776. ... Some time just prior to this the people also entered another petition very similar to the earlier petition.

The settlements elected John Sevier, John Carter, Charles Robertson, Jacob Womack and John Hail as representatives to the North Carolina Provincial Assembly meeting at Halifax, Nov. & Dec. 1776. Womack did not attend. The others were seated and signed North Carolina's first Constitution and Bill of Rights which contained this provision: "That it shall not be so construed as to prevent the establishment of one or more governments westward of this State by consent of the Legislature." Some time just prior to this the people also entered another petition very similar to the earlier petition. It mentions that by the advice "of the honorable the Council of Safety of said province,[we] have ventured to choose Messers John Sevier, Jacob Womack, Charles Robertson, John Carter and John Hail, delegates to represent us in the provincial Congress." They ended the petition by asking that "these our delegates be received and admitted to vote ... and that part of the county now called Washington District may be erected into a separate county of North Carolina ...". Those signing the petition were: Felix Walker, ... Michael Hider (Hyder),...
The only action North Carolina took at this time was to recognize Washington District as an official part of North Carolina. ...

The year 1778 saw the coming of religion to the frontier, as two very influential preachers began preaching and establishing churches. The Reverend Tidence Lane came from North Carolina and established the Buffalo Ridge Baptist Church. ... Samuel Doak, Princeton gradfuate and Presbyterian minister, challenged by frontier life, in 1780 established Salem Presbyterian Church. ...

The men returned home (from King's Mountain) just in time to foil a planned Indian attack. Instead of waiting for the Indians, Sevier went asfter them. He gathered his trusted riflemen who slaughtered the Indians without mercy at Boyd's Creek. They went on to Echota where they defeated the Indians, but spared the town because it was the home of Nancy Ward. All other towns along the Tellico, Hiwassee, Chickamauga and Little Tennessee rivers were burned. The Indians' alliance with the British was bringing them unpleasant consequences. The Wataugans' chief purpose was to send the message to the Indians that attacks on the Watauga settlement were ill advised, which purpose was served to some extent, as this ended assaults by armies of Indians in the Upper East Tennessee area. Although from time to time there were scattered forays and attacks, the frontier was moving West and with it, major battles. The Indians sued for peace and on January 4, 1781 Colonels Arthur Campbell and John Sevier ... and Major Joseph Martin dictated treaty terms.

It is noted that although Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown and the Revolutionary War was officially over Oct. 9, 1781, skirmishes in Georgia, South Carolina and New Your did not end for another year. A preliminary treaty was signed Nov. 30, 1782 in Paris and the final Treaty of Paris was signed Sept. 3, 1783.
 

You can find more information from :
J. G. M. Ramsey's Annals of Tennessee, pp. 134-138, by Sandra Ratledge.
"The First American Frontier, The Annals of Tennessee to the End of The Eighteenth Century...," J.G.M. Ramsey, A.M., M.D., Lippincott, Grambo & Co., Philadelphia, 1853)
"Early History of Carter County 1760-1861", by  Frank Merritt
"History Of Washington County Tennessee 1988" by Watauga Association of Genealogists

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