Nellie Glass, age 15, of Pittsfield, Mass., for her question:

WHAT WAS THE WATAUGA ASSOCIATION?

The Watauga Association was a group of early American settlers. In 1772, they drew up one of the first written constitutions in North America.

In 1769, a part of settlers established a colony on the banks of the Watauga River in what is now the state of Tennessee. The men thought  their settlement fell within the boundaries of the colony of Virginia.

In 1771, the Watauga settlers discovered that their territory lay within the limits of the colony of North Carolina. North Carolina refused to give legal protection to the settlers so the Watauga pioneers decided to keep order by organizing their own government.

In 1772, the Watauga settlers became the first group of American born men to form a free and independent community. They drew up a document which they called the Articles of the Watauga Association.

In 1776, the Watauga community sent representatives to the assembly of North Carolina. Later, it becme part of the state of Tennessee.