On December 22, 1789, North Carolina took a historic step by ceding its six westernmost counties—Washington, Sullivan, Greene, Davidson, Sumner, Hawkins, and Tennessee—to the federal government. These counties were organized into the Territory South of the River Ohio, better known as the Southwest Territory.
This new territory marked an important chapter in America’s early expansion, laying the groundwork for what would become the state of Tennessee. In just seven short years, the Southwest Territory transitioned from frontier land to full statehood, officially joining the Union in 1796 as the 16th state.
