John Sevier was an early American soldier and statesman. As a soldier he fought some thirty-five battles or skirmishes, including the controversial Battle of Kings Mountain. His political career started as a representative to the Provincial Congress during the Revolutionary War. He helped organize the State of Franklin, which collapsed after a battle between his faction and the opposing Tipton Family faction in February 1788. This battle tarnished his reputation and, after his arrest for taking part in a brawl in 1788, he fled to hide in the mountains. His way back to political respectability was by strongly supporting the ratification of the national Constitution. In 1789 he was pardoned upon election to the North Carolina Senate. In 1789, Sevier was elected to Congress for the 1789-1791 term as the representative of North Carolina's Western district.

With the cession of western lands to the Federal government, Sevier became active in the politics of the new territory, serving in the Territory's legislative council. With statehood in 1796, Sevier became the first governor of Tennessee. For 1796-1801 he served three consecutive terms and returned to the position two years later for three more terms in office from 1803-1809. In 1809 he was elected to the state Senate and in 1811 he was again elected to the U. S. House of Representatives. Here he served until his death in 1815, while on a mission to survey the boundary of the Indian peace treaty.