Companion Joe
Premium Member
(all quotes are fictitious and made up for the sake of the story)
Late in the Revolutionary War when every colony was roiled in controversy and divided on one side or the other of the contemporary political landscape, the people who lived west of the Appalachian Mountains in the Watauga Settlement - the area which would ultimately become Tennessee - were minding their own business. They preferred to be left alone to conduct their business as they saw fit. However the rest of the country conducted its business was fine with them, too.
Finally, the British issued an order that the future Tennesseans must declare for one side or the other. The response was, "We aren't interested in your politics. You do your thing the way the majority of your citizens see fit, and we'll do the same. Mind your own business. You really don't need to be taking a stand when you don't know the whole story of what we've got going on."
The British commander, Major Patrick Ferguson, then issued an edict that if the future Tennesseans didn't immediately declare that they would bow to political pressure and join the wave of the minority Loyalists' will, he would start hanging people and lay waste to their homes with sword and fire.
The future Tennesseans decided it was time for them to get into the national debate. They gave Ferguson an answer at the battle of King's Mountain. They completely annihilated the red coats, including killing Ferguson himself. Then, they went back home and minded their own business for the remainder of the war, just as they had requested in the first place.
The moral of the story: when outside influences start issuing orders and making threats to Tennesseans, you turn fence sitters and folks who really don't care one way or the other into enemies, and the result you get is not the one you want.
Late in the Revolutionary War when every colony was roiled in controversy and divided on one side or the other of the contemporary political landscape, the people who lived west of the Appalachian Mountains in the Watauga Settlement - the area which would ultimately become Tennessee - were minding their own business. They preferred to be left alone to conduct their business as they saw fit. However the rest of the country conducted its business was fine with them, too.
Finally, the British issued an order that the future Tennesseans must declare for one side or the other. The response was, "We aren't interested in your politics. You do your thing the way the majority of your citizens see fit, and we'll do the same. Mind your own business. You really don't need to be taking a stand when you don't know the whole story of what we've got going on."
The British commander, Major Patrick Ferguson, then issued an edict that if the future Tennesseans didn't immediately declare that they would bow to political pressure and join the wave of the minority Loyalists' will, he would start hanging people and lay waste to their homes with sword and fire.
The future Tennesseans decided it was time for them to get into the national debate. They gave Ferguson an answer at the battle of King's Mountain. They completely annihilated the red coats, including killing Ferguson himself. Then, they went back home and minded their own business for the remainder of the war, just as they had requested in the first place.
The moral of the story: when outside influences start issuing orders and making threats to Tennesseans, you turn fence sitters and folks who really don't care one way or the other into enemies, and the result you get is not the one you want.
lol
