Once upon a time, there was America’s 14th state: Franklin. If you haven’t heard of Franklin, it’s probably because it only existed for four years and was never recognized as a state by Congress. During its struggle for legitimized statehood, residents of Franklin lived, fought, and died for the principles the State of Franklin represented.
Source: visitmysmokies.com
In 1784, before Tennessee was drawn on a map, there were unhappy people in three counties in western North Carolina: Washington, Sullivan, and Greene. These small towns were isolated from the rest of the state, separated by the Southern Appalachian mountain range. Residents were very aware of how much the mountains around them alienated them.
This is what happened to the long lost state of Franklin.