John Sevier, "warts and all"...

Sir Peter Lely's portrait of Oliver Cromwell,
"warts and all."

Legend has it that when Oliver Cromwell sat before the painter Sir Peter Lely for a portrait he said, "Paint me as I am, warts and all!" Though the actual source and exact wording of this quote is in dispute, the sentiment is particularly relevant to the study of history. Years ago, a former history professor of mine used this anecdote in a class to describe how one should study our past, with a "warts and all" approach to the subject. History is full of contradictions and it is those contradictions that make the study of history so compelling.

For me, John Sevier is a compelling subject for the same reason that history is compelling. He is a man of contradictions. On the one hand, he was a hero of the American Revolution, having fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain, and was a legend on the frontier. He was politically savvy, having led an unsuccessful effort to carve a state from the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, but undeterred, he eventually guided Tennessee to statehood and became its first governor. And even in the twilight of his years, John Sevier was compelled to serve his country in the backwoods where his reputation as a fearless Indian fighter was made many years before. He died in relative obscurity in the woods of Alabama, only to have his legend resurrected generations later by those who would find his life's exploits worthy of honor and recognition.

But on the other hand, John Sevier was also someone whom the pages of history shows was not perfect. He was accused of treason for conspiring with Spain in his effort to create the State of Franklin. He encroached on Native American lands and led armies in the slaughter of hundreds of people in his drive to claim the western edge of the Appalachians. A compelling argument can also be made that John Sevier provoked Andrew Jackson into a duel by insulting his wife, behaved like a coward in the face of threats of retaliation, and actually feared Jackson to such an extent that "Old Hickory" invaded his dreams.

John Sevier Statue inside
National Statuary Hall.

I say all of this in light of a recent barrage of e-mails that I received over the weekend from one angry reader who took me to task over my blog series on John Sevier. Specifically, this person -- an apparent descendant of John Sevier -- accused me of being interested in making too much of the “bad things” that John Sevier did, questioned my “motive for doing so,” called me a liar, and accused me of using history to further a "particular ideological agenda.” This exchange actually reminded me of a story in which an archivist says about genealogy, "In some cases we’re enriching people’s family stories, and in other cases we’re kind of destroying family myths."

This thought-provoking encounter actually gave me an opportunity to consider the larger issue of how history has been corrupted by politicians and well-meaning citizen activists who see their idyllic world crumbling all around them, and in an effort to understand what is happening to our nation, they reach into the past for answers from America's heroes. In the process, they place these heroes on an unreachable pedestal where they are no longer considered human beings. To them, they are gods.

Perhaps I can best explain my take on John Sevier this way: I have never claimed to be a Sevier scholar, but I do have an avid interest in this subject. So, in my effort to learn as much as I can about John Sevier, I have endeavored to read as many historical accounts about him as possible. The narrative that I have found in the biographies of John Sevier in particular -- written primarily by lawyers and antiquarians who were admirers of John Sevier and who had little or no training in the study of history -- is effusive with praise for "Nolichucky Jack," with absolutely no reference to Sevier's flaws.

Sevier's biographers are, in many instances of his life, our only link to his past. Over time, the memory that has built up around these narratives has become the primary source of information for those who wish to study John Sevier. In many ways, the memory of John Sevier as chronicled by his biographers is as intriguing as the man himself.

John Sevier was an important figure in the early history of Tennessee and deserves further recognition and study. A more scholarly biography of John Sevier is certainly long overdue. Perhaps one day, someone will take on this subject and give John Sevier a complete and up-to-date biography. In the meantime, I cannot view history through rose-colored glasses. I would rather know the truth of what happened in the past. That is my motive, "warts and all."

Gordon Belt is an information professional, archives advocate, public historian, and founding editor of The Posterity Project. Gordon is the Director of Public Services for the Tennessee State Library & Archives, and past president of the Society of Tennessee Archivists. On The Posterity Project, Gordon blogs about archives, local history, genealogy, social media advocacy for archives and cultural heritage organizations, and occasionally writes about the convergence of history and memory.