In the next installment of Uncommon History, Daniel Hurt speaks with Brent Taylor, West Kentucky Community and Technical College associate professor of history, about a curious piece of Kentucky history. In 1788, Kentucky's statehood convention sent a letter to Congress in New York City expressing frustration about the pace of the process of joining the Union. According to Taylor, "It got dragged out for years just because of all the red tape, and you've got to get Virginia on board, and you've got to get Congress on board and the federal government, even in the 18th century, was at a glacial pace."
“So they say, ‘the representatives of the good people of Kentucky and convention assembled pursuant to an act of the General Assembly of Virginia entitled, an act concerning the erection of the district of Kentucky into an independent state have determined that it is expedient that the said district should be erected into a sovereign independent state,’” Taylor said. “So, they're saying we want this attention nationally because we're getting the two states to try to agree to it."
The letter continues, invoking classic themes and language of the Declaration of Independence, the first statement by the Continental Congress declaring official separation from the British Empire in July 1776. Those words, written by Thomas Jefferson, were inspired by the philosophy of Enlightenment philosopher John Locke, who is widely recognized as the father of liberalism. "Happiness we all eagerly and incessantly pursue," Taylor continues. "Why not appeal to the Declaration of Independence?"
“‘This is the mark to which our aim is, and while we continue to be rational creatures will forever be directed. If the inhabitants of the district of Kentucky connected with the great Commonwealth of Virginia cannot for the peculiarity of their situation and all that obtain this great object, it is natural and reasonable to wish for a separation,” Taylor said. “So, you see, they are kind of setting up this separation, politically and physically, of course being on the opposite side of the mountains.”
But Taylor also said the tone of the letter changes, with a more veiled threatening tone, possibly suggesting that the self-described Kentuckians would do whatever they wanted even if Congress did not act based on what their representatives wanted.
“We anxiously desire to affect in the regular constitutional mode prescribed in the laws under which we act,” Taylor said. “But so great are our present sufferings, which must grow with our growth and increase in our population, that should we be unsuccessful in this application, we shall not consider ourselves in any manner answerable for the future conduct of our constituents.”
Taylor said it is not clear what exactly the authors of the letter from the statehood convention meant with their language, but that it suggested that the writers saw themselves as reasonable representatives of the new territory but that the actions of the pioneers in the region might not adhere to the political and slow pace of federal bureaucratic function. “I always think of this as, ‘Hey, you're dealing with the reasonable Kentuckians, but you don't understand these people.’” Taylor said. “I say holding them back. But it's like they don't know how much longer they can do it.”
Kentucky would eventually gain statehood in 1792 as the 15th state in the Union after Vermont had the year prior. Taylor said the state flag has some interesting symbolism relating to the rugged nature of how Kentuckians were perceived to be, as well as recognizing times changing and people evolving. “You've got the frontiersman shaking hands like the new banker, merchant class. Like handing the torch off,” Taylor concludes.
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