The Almost 14th State

The Constitution for Franklin

Through the Articles of Confederation, Congress was extremely weak and in severe debt. Thus, North Carolina, to help the struggling government, offered to cede 29 million acres of land to Congress. The US government was given the time frame of 2 years to accept the deal. However, due to the fears of Western settlers, North Carolina eventually retracted the offer. 

The territory that would've been Franklin

However, with North Carolina's new settlement in the area, the settlers that lived there were furious. They had come to enjoy their independence from either entity (the US government and North Carolina), and they wanted to establish their own territory. They wanted to call the independent state "Frankland." Delegates from all the counties even met to discuss it and draft a state constitution. They then sent it to be evaluated. However, only seven out of thirteen of the states voted in favor, which was less than the 2/3rds majority detailed by the Articles of Confederation. 

The territory of Franklin

Frankland leaders then changed the name to Franklin, thinking that it would get them more support from founding father Benjamin Franklin. Unfortunately, the name change did nothing to help them, and they were still rejected. However, they still lived as "Franklinites" for several years afterwards until North Carolina reasserted their power and eventually ceded the territory to Congress once again. Ultimately, Franklin was a bold attempt for independence that didn't end up landing.