Difference between revisions of "Maury County, Tennessee"

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Maury County was relatively prosperous in the early nineteenth century due to its rich soils.<ref name="Tennessee Encyclopedia article on Maury County" /> Important products included cotton, tobacco and livestock. Maury County was the third most populous county in Tennessee in 1830<ref name="1830 Census">[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100872310 U.S. Department of State. ''Abstract of the Fifth Census of the United States, 1830.'' Washington, The Globe Office, 1832 Web (hathitrust.org). 22 Jan. 2021.]</ref> and the second most populous (behind only Davidson County) in the 1840 Census.<ref name="1840 Census">[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/101976232 U.S. Department of State, ''Compendium of the enumeration of inhabitants and statistics of the United States.'' Washington, Thomas Allen, 1841. Web (hathitrust.org). 22 Jan. 2021]</ref><ref name="Tennessee Encyclopedia article on Maury County" /> Before Nashville was chosen in 1843, locals hoped that [[Columbia, Tennessee | Columbia]] (which is near the geographical center of the state) might become the state capital.<ref>Turner, ''supra'' at 16.</ref><ref>[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001874458 Robbins, D.P. ''Century Review: 1805-1905, Maury County, Tennesssee.'' Columbia,  Board of Mayor and Aldermen, 1905. Web (hathitrust.org). 22 Jan. 2021.</ref>  
 
Maury County was relatively prosperous in the early nineteenth century due to its rich soils.<ref name="Tennessee Encyclopedia article on Maury County" /> Important products included cotton, tobacco and livestock. Maury County was the third most populous county in Tennessee in 1830<ref name="1830 Census">[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100872310 U.S. Department of State. ''Abstract of the Fifth Census of the United States, 1830.'' Washington, The Globe Office, 1832 Web (hathitrust.org). 22 Jan. 2021.]</ref> and the second most populous (behind only Davidson County) in the 1840 Census.<ref name="1840 Census">[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/101976232 U.S. Department of State, ''Compendium of the enumeration of inhabitants and statistics of the United States.'' Washington, Thomas Allen, 1841. Web (hathitrust.org). 22 Jan. 2021]</ref><ref name="Tennessee Encyclopedia article on Maury County" /> Before Nashville was chosen in 1843, locals hoped that [[Columbia, Tennessee | Columbia]] (which is near the geographical center of the state) might become the state capital.<ref>Turner, ''supra'' at 16.</ref><ref>[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001874458 Robbins, D.P. ''Century Review: 1805-1905, Maury County, Tennesssee.'' Columbia,  Board of Mayor and Aldermen, 1905. Web (hathitrust.org). 22 Jan. 2021.</ref>  
  
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[[Slavery in Maury County|The labor of enslaved African-Americans]] was a key ingredient to the county's early success.<ref name="Wikipedia Article on Maury County" /> By the eve of the Civil War, there were nearly as many enslaved people in Maury County as free citizens.<ref name="1860 Census">[https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1864/dec/1860a.html Kennedy, Joseph C.G. ''Population of the United States in 1860.'' Washington, Government Printing Office, 1864. Web (census.gov). 22 Jan. 2021.]</ref> Hundreds of families claimed ownership of enslaved people, with many owning only one or a few. But several families (including the Polk family) owned dozens or hundreds.<ref>https://maurycountyafricanamericanblackhistory.org/timelines/ "Maury County Timeline." Undated. Web. 22 Jan. 2021]</reF> Several prominent families, such as the Cheairs family of [[Rippavilla Plantation]], built large estates during the antebellum period on exploitation of enslaved people<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rippavilla_Plantation Wikipedia contributors. "Rippavilla Plantation." ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.'' Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 Oct. 2020. Web. 23 Jan. 2021.]</ref><ref>[https://www.williamsonhomepage.com/spring_hill/community/spring-hill-hopes-to-attract-rippavilla-tourism-with-truth-about-its-history-of-slavery/article_8beb4d7f-1e60-5f4d-a474-5fed6e24acab.html Blais, Matt. "Spring Hill hopes to attract Rippavilla tourism with truth about its history of slavery." ''Spring Hill Home Page.'' 19 Jan. 2018. Web. 22 Jan. 2021]</ref>
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[[Slavery in Maury County|The labor of enslaved African-Americans]] was a key ingredient to the county's early success.<ref name="Wikipedia Article on Maury County" /> By the eve of the Civil War, there were nearly as many enslaved people in Maury County as free citizens.<ref name="1860 Census">[https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1864/dec/1860a.html Kennedy, Joseph C.G. ''Population of the United States in 1860.'' Washington, Government Printing Office, 1864. Web (census.gov). 22 Jan. 2021.]</ref> Hundreds of families claimed ownership of enslaved people, with many owning only one or a few. But several families (including the Polk family<ref>[https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-enslaved-households-of-james-k-polk Mann, Lina. "The Enslaved Household of President James K. Polk." 3 Jan. 2020. Web. 22 Jan. 2021]</ref>) owned dozens or hundreds.<ref>https://maurycountyafricanamericanblackhistory.org/timelines/ "Maury County Timeline." Undated. Web. 22 Jan. 2021]</reF> Several prominent families, such as the Cheairs family of [[Rippavilla Plantation]], built large estates during the antebellum period on exploitation of enslaved people<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rippavilla_Plantation Wikipedia contributors. "Rippavilla Plantation." ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.'' Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 Oct. 2020. Web. 23 Jan. 2021.]</ref><ref>[https://www.williamsonhomepage.com/spring_hill/community/spring-hill-hopes-to-attract-rippavilla-tourism-with-truth-about-its-history-of-slavery/article_8beb4d7f-1e60-5f4d-a474-5fed6e24acab.html Blais, Matt. "Spring Hill hopes to attract Rippavilla tourism with truth about its history of slavery." ''Spring Hill Home Page.'' 19 Jan. 2018. Web. 22 Jan. 2021]</ref>
  
 
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Revision as of 23:44, 22 January 2021


Maury County is a county in the State of Tennessee. The county seat is Columbia. The estimated population of Maury County in 2019 was 96,387.[1]

History

Antebellum Period

Maury County was established by an act of the Tennessee General Assembly dated November 16, 1807.[2][3][4][5] Maury County was created out of parts of Williamson County and the act creating it also instructed its first county commissioners to found the town of Columbia on the Duck River to serve as its seat.[6] Maury County is named after Abram Maury, Jr., a planter who served as a state senator from Williamson County, who was also a founder of the town of Franklin, Tennessee.[3][7] Prior to 1806, title to the lands of the Duck River valley were held by the Cherokee Nation; their claims were relinquished by the Third Treaty of Tellico (1805) and the Treaty of Washington (1806).[4][8] Giles, Lawrence, and Lewis Counties were later carved out (in part or whole) of Maury County land.[9]

Maury County was relatively prosperous in the early nineteenth century due to its rich soils.[3] Important products included cotton, tobacco and livestock. Maury County was the third most populous county in Tennessee in 1830[10] and the second most populous (behind only Davidson County) in the 1840 Census.[11][3] Before Nashville was chosen in 1843, locals hoped that Columbia (which is near the geographical center of the state) might become the state capital.[12][13]

The labor of enslaved African-Americans was a key ingredient to the county's early success.[2] By the eve of the Civil War, there were nearly as many enslaved people in Maury County as free citizens.[14] Hundreds of families claimed ownership of enslaved people, with many owning only one or a few. But several families (including the Polk family[15]) owned dozens or hundreds.[16] Several prominent families, such as the Cheairs family of Rippavilla Plantation, built large estates during the antebellum period on exploitation of enslaved people[17][18]

Population of Maury County, 1820-1860
Free White (%) Slaves (%) Free Colored Persons (%) Other Total
1820[19] 15,620 (70.5%) 6,420 (29.0%) 49 (0.2%) 52 (0.2%) 22,141
1830[10] n/a 9,434 (34.1%) n/a n/a 27,665
1840[11] 17,090 (60.6%) 11,002 (39.0%) 94 (0.3%) 0 (0.0%) 28,186
1850[20] 16,759 (56.8%) 12,670 (42.9%) 91 (0.3%) 0 (0.0%) 29,520
1860[14] 17,701 (54.5%) 14,654 (45.1%) 143 (0.4%) 0 (0.0%) 32,498

The early history of Maury County is closely tied to the Polk family;[3] the petition to form Maury County was signed by several members of that family, including Samuel Polk,[21] the father of President James K. Polk.[22] Several historic properties including the James K. Polk House (built 1816) on West 7th Street in Columbia, Tennessee are associated with the Polk family.[23]

Communities in Maury County

See the Category:Communities page for a complete listing of articles.

References

  1. ↑ "Quick Facts - Maury County, Tennessee." U.S. Census Bureau, Undated. Web. 22 Jan. 2021..
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wikipedia contributors. "Maury County, Tennessee." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 20 Jan. 2021. Web. 22 Jan. 2021.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Lightfoot, Marise. "Maury County." Tennessee Encyclopedia. Tennessee Historical Society, 1 Mar. 2018. Web. 22 Jan. 2021
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Turner, William Bruce. History of Maury County, Tennessee. Nashville, Parthenon Press, 1955, pp. 12 -13. Web (hathitrust.org). 22 Jan. 2021]
  5. ↑ "An Act to reduce Williamson county to constitutional limits and to form a new county on the south and southwest of the same." Acts passed at the First Session of the Seventh General Assembly of the State of Tennessee. Knoxville, William Moore, 1808, pp. 149-154. Online through Vanderbilt Library. 22 Jan. 2021.
  6. ↑ Act of 16 Nov. 1807, cited supra, at p. 151.
  7. ↑ | "Abram Maury", Williamson County Historical Society, Undated. Web. 22 Jan. 2021
  8. ↑ | "Broken Treaties." Tennessee State Museum. Undated. Web. 22 Jan. 2021
  9. ↑ Turner, supra at 15.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 U.S. Department of State. Abstract of the Fifth Census of the United States, 1830. Washington, The Globe Office, 1832 Web (hathitrust.org). 22 Jan. 2021.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 U.S. Department of State, Compendium of the enumeration of inhabitants and statistics of the United States. Washington, Thomas Allen, 1841. Web (hathitrust.org). 22 Jan. 2021
  12. ↑ Turner, supra at 16.
  13. ↑ [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001874458 Robbins, D.P. Century Review: 1805-1905, Maury County, Tennesssee. Columbia, Board of Mayor and Aldermen, 1905. Web (hathitrust.org). 22 Jan. 2021.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Kennedy, Joseph C.G. Population of the United States in 1860. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1864. Web (census.gov). 22 Jan. 2021.
  15. ↑ Mann, Lina. "The Enslaved Household of President James K. Polk." 3 Jan. 2020. Web. 22 Jan. 2021
  16. ↑ https://maurycountyafricanamericanblackhistory.org/timelines/ "Maury County Timeline." Undated. Web. 22 Jan. 2021]
  17. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. "Rippavilla Plantation." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 Oct. 2020. Web. 23 Jan. 2021.
  18. ↑ Blais, Matt. "Spring Hill hopes to attract Rippavilla tourism with truth about its history of slavery." Spring Hill Home Page. 19 Jan. 2018. Web. 22 Jan. 2021
  19. ↑ Adams, J.Q. (secretary of state). Census for 1820. Washington,. Gales & Seaton, 1821. Web (census.gov). 22 Jan. 2021.
  20. ↑ DeBow, J.D.B. The Seventh Census of the United States: 1850. Washington, Robert Armstrong, 1853. Web (census.gov). 22 Jan. 2021.
  21. ↑ Turner, supra, at 16.
  22. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. "James K. Polk." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 23 Jan. 2021. Web. 23 Jan. 2021.
  23. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. "President James K. Polk Home & Museum." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 19 Dec. 2020. Web. 23 Jan. 2021.

External links

Retrieved from "https://maurypedia.com/w/index.php?title=Maury_County,_Tennessee&oldid=204"