Founding of Memphis, Tennessee (1819)

Memphis, Tennessee, was founded on May 22, 1819, by John Overton, James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson. The city was established on land previously ceded by the Chickasaw to the United States in the Treaty of Tuscaloosa. The founders purchased the site, which had strategic significance in the late 18th century, and laid out the city shortly after the U.S. government acquired the territory.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. The site of Memphis was a strategic point for European powers in the late 18th century. In 1796, it became the westernmost point of Tennessee. The United States government paid the Chickasaw for land following the Treaty of Tuscaloosa, signed in October 1818 and ratified in January 1819. This cession allowed the founders to establish the city on land they owned.

Founders. John Overton, a judge and advisor to Andrew Jackson, owned land with Jackson and James Winchester. Winchester, an entrepreneur and statesman, served in the Tennessee State Senate and was appointed Speaker. He also served on a commission regulating the boundary between Tennessee and the Chickasaw in 1819. The three men are recognized as the city's founders.

Establishment. Memphis was laid out as a city less than five months after the U.S. takeover of the territory. The founders purchased the land that became Memphis. The city was incorporated later, on December 19, 1826. The establishment followed the ratification of the Treaty of Tuscaloosa, which ceded Chickasaw territory in Western Tennessee to the United States.

People involved

Sources

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