Cumberland Compact

Cumberland Compact

The Cumberland Compact was a forerunner of the Tennessee State Constitution, signed on May 13, 1780, by settlers when they arrived on the Cumberland River and settled Fort Nashborough, which would become Nashville, Tennessee. In 1846 the only surviving copy was discovered in a trunk that once belonged to Samuel Barton.This copy now in Tennessee State archives is slightly damaged, the first page is gone, and the second page ripped. Other than these blemishes, the document is intact and legible.

The Cumberland Compact was composed and signed by 256 colonists. Only one, Revolutionary War soldier James Patrick of Virginia, was illiterate and marked his name by an "X". This constitution called for a governing council of twelve judges who would be elected by the vote of free men 21 years of age or older. Unique to the times, the Compact included a clause that these judges could be removed from office by the people. Government salaries were to be paid in goods. Governorship was worth 1,000 deer skins. Secretary was to be paid 450 otter skins, and county clerk was valued at 500 raccoon skins. The constable received one mink skin for every warrant served. All males sixteen or older were subject to militia duty.

The compact did establish a contract and relationship between the settlers of the Cumberland region and limited the punishment that could be meted out by the judicial system. Serious capital crimes were to be settled by transporting the offending party to a location under the direct jurisdiction of the State of North Carolina for a proper trial. The compact remained in effect until Tennessee became a state.

Frontier law was brutal and effective. In 1788, at the first Court session in Nashville, a young red-headed lawyer, Andrew Jackson, was granted permission to practice law. He was immediately handed the job of prosecuting attorney. In 1793, Judge John McNairy sentenced Nashville's first horse thief, John McKain, Jr., to be fastened to a wooden stock one hour for 39 lashes, his ears cut off and cheeks branded with the letter "H" and "T". The first female convicted of stealing soap and thread was stripped to the waist and publicly whipped nine lashes. By 1800, the first divorce was granted between May and Nathaniel Parker. Henry Baker became the first capital punishment case in Davidson County with the first death sentence of "hanged by the neck until he is dead" for stealing a horse. These records survive in a heavy leather bound book in the care of the circuit court clerk.

Signers

The 256 signers included the following:[1]

  • Philip Alston
  • Thomas W. Alston
  • Colonel Samuel Barton
  • Isaac Bledsoe
  • James Cain
  • John Donelson
  • Andrew Ewing
  • Thomas Fletcher
  • William Gowen
  • Francis Hodge
  • James Leeper
  • George Leeper
  • Isaac Lindsay
  • William Loggins
  • Edward Lucas
  • John Luney
  • Peter Luny
  • James Lynn
  • Kasper Mansker
  • Amb's [Ambrose] Mauldin
  • Morton Mauldin
  • John Montgomery
  • William Overall
  • Nathaniel Overall
  • James Robertson
  • Daniel Ratletf
  • David Rounsavall
  • Isaac Rounsavall
  • James Russell (four men by this name)
  • Hugh Simpson
  • Nicholas Trammel
  • John Jonathon Crow
  • Samuel Hays

References

  1. ^ Will T. Hale and Dixon L. Merritt. 1913. A History of Tennessee and Tennesseans: The Leaders and Representative men in Commerce, Industry and Modern Activities. Chicago and New York: The Lewis Publishing Co. 94-97.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Cumberland Association — For the 1775 Cumberland County, North Carolina resolutions, see Liberty Point Resolves. The Cumberland Association was a legal governing body formed in 1780 to establish the efficient government of the early settlers along the Cumberland River in …   Wikipedia

  • Down to Earth and High Cumberland Jubilee compilations — American singer songwriter Jimmy Buffett s first two albums, Down to Earth and High Cumberland Jubilee, have been re released numerous times in their entirety and in part in compilations. These two albums were initially released on the now… …   Wikipedia

  • High Cumberland Jubilee — Infobox Album Name = High Cumberland Jubilee Type = Album Artist = Jimmy Buffett Released = 1974| Recorded = 1971 at Creative Workshop in Berry Hill, Tennessee Genre = Folk rock Length = 37:26 [Varèse Sarabande compact disc time is 40:58] Label …   Wikipedia

  • Tourism in Cumberland, Maryland — The historic downtown of Cumberland, Maryland is an attraction for locals and tourists alike. The heart of the downtown area is Baltimore Street. Formerly the main thoroughfare through the city, Baltimore Street is now a brick pedestrian mall.… …   Wikipedia

  • Chickamauga Wars (1776–1794) — The Chickamauga Wars (1776–1794) were a series of raids, campaigns, ambushes, minor skirmishes, and several full scale frontier battles which were a continuation of the Cherokee (Ani Yunwiya, Ani Kituwa, Tsalagi, Talligewi) struggle against… …   Wikipedia

  • Kasper Mansker — (1750 1820) was one of middle Tennessee s first European explorers and settlers. He was born of German parents on a ship bound for the new world about 1750. His parents settled in America, but due to poor recordkeeping there are vague and… …   Wikipedia

  • Samuel Barton — Colonel Samuel Barton (May 1749 January 1810) was a pioneer and Patriot of the American Revolution (1775 1783) but is remembered more for the exploration and settlement of what was to become Nashville, Tennessee. Little is known of his early… …   Wikipedia

  • Fort Nashborough — was the stockade for the settlement that became the city of Nashville, Tennessee. A reconstruction today stands on the banks of the Cumberland River near the site of the original fort.PreparationsNo attempt had been made to permanently settle the …   Wikipedia

  • Davidson County, Tennessee — Davidson County Courthouse in Nashville, Tennessee …   Wikipedia

  • Tennessee — /ten euh see /, n. 1. a state in the SE United States. 4,590,750; 42,246 sq. mi. (109,415 sq. km). Cap.: Nashville. Abbr.: TN (for use with zip code), Tenn. 2. a river flowing from E Tennessee through N Alabama, W Tennessee, and SW Kentucky into… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”