During the Revolution Kentucky was harassed by British and Indian attacks from be. yond the Ohio. Many settlers went away bet others remained and a few even joined Clarke at the Falls for his expedition to Vincennes. Louisville and Lexington were laid off in 1779 and Lexington colonists founded Cincinnati. In November 1780 Kentucky was divided into Fay ette, Jefferson and Lincoln counties, thus losing its name for three years. Indian attacks in 1782 were severe: Estill's defeat and Lower Blue Licks proving disastrous for the whites, and leading to Clarke's retaliatory attack on the Miami towns. Kentucky was born with the Republic in the decade 1782-92. Despite In dian depredations, population rose to 30,000 in a few years. Danville was the seat of the new judicial district of Kentucky. The failure of Virginia on numerous occasions to protect the growing 'settlements from Indian attack' so alienated the people that rumors of separation were rife; moreover, most of the settlers were from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Carolina. Reports of a Cherokee attack in 1784 led to demand for separation by a convention at Danville, delegates being chosen according to population. Nine other conventions voiced this demand in petitions to Virginia and Congress. Will-inson and Spanish agents thought this sentiment might be turned to Spain's advantage; economic conditions pointed the same way; but the Kentuckians did not respond. On 1 June 1792 the State was admitted with a constitution full manhood suffrage — one of the earliest in the Union. For six months Lexing ton was the capital; then Frankfort replaced her. Kentucky was from the first fiercely dem ocratic• and, like all frontier States, sensitive to complaints of injustice and discrimination. The difficulty of shipping produce to the sea board seemed to support the plots of Wilkinson and Burr. Similarly, the harsh aspects of the Alien and Sedition Acts'• of Adams drew forth the spirited response of the Kentucky Resolu tions of 1798 and 1799. Clay and other young leaders so fanned the embers of their fathers' bitterness against British and Indian warfare that the State raised for the War of 1812 7,000 soldiers though her quota was 5,500. Her troops saw service at the Raisin, the Thames and at New Orleans. In 1818 the western boundary was extended to the Mississippi through the purchase by the United States of the Chickasaw lands west of the Tennessee. This area extended. into Tennessee, so that t' southern bnundary also required accurate ad instment., This was eft cted by a joint coat-' minion: financial depression after. 1818 created a. large debtor to which the lature promised relief. This it did by charter ing the Bank of the Commonwealth and making its notes a legal' tender. Opponents, called the Anti-Relief party, secured a decision of the courts declaring the act unconstitutional. Un daunted, the Relief party elected a legislature pledged to destroy the court and create a new court in its place. After five years' struggle the obi judges were restored in 1826. The census of 1820 reported 564,317 inhabitants, which gave Kentucky the sixth place. Keenly alive to the need of an outlet for produce, the.
Blue Grass built the first railroad west of the mountains, between Lexington and Frankfort, ruhning the first train in 1835. Under the leadership of Clay the State voted the Whig and American tickets to 1855. In the Mexican War the State again exceeded her allotment of troops, offering 10,000 for her quota of 2,400.
The diverse elements of Blue Grass and mountains created sharp differences of •senti ment on slavery. Families were often divided, and furnished both presidents of the opposing sections — Lincoln and Davis. Gov ernor MagoWin refused to honor Lincoln's call for troops; yet the State sent 80,000 men to the Union amities, while 40,000 joined the Con federacy. Bragg's invasion of 1862 and Mor gin's•frequent attacks caused much suffering.
An attempt to install a Confederate govern ment preceded the severe battle of Perryville, rafter. which Bragg retreated. leaving the State in Federal control. The emancipation of slaves without the compensation which Lincoln often recomniended, caused a loss of $150,000000; and the harsh•measures of Burbridge and other commanders turned many Union men against the government so that the Democrats have carried every election except those of 1895 and 1907. In 1896 the. Republicans secured 12 of the 13 presidential electoral votes. Kentucky rejected the XIII,'XIV, XV and XVII amend ments to the Constitution. The Goebel Election Law of 1898 put the supervision of elections in the bands of three commissioners appointed by the legiilature. After' the election of 1899 these commissioners certified that Taylor had a' plurality of 2,383 votes over his opponent Goebel. Irregularities in Louisville and else where Gamed one commissioner to dissent from this --decision, and the Democratic candidates gyve notice .after Taylor was seated that they would contest his election before the legisla ture. Two contest committees were appointed, one from each Hottse,•and Taylor's supporters, alarmed at the prospect of his losing his seat, gathered in Frankfort. On 30 Jan. 1900 Goebel Was mortally wounded by a concealed rifleman. The legislature assembled the next day to hear the report of its committees, which declared Goebel and Beckham had received a plurality gof • the legal votes." They took the oath of office the same nightGoebel ser. ing as gover nor until he• died, 3 February. These events caused much excitement and confusion, the con sequences of which cannot be related here.
The disorders of the Civil War period have died hard. Survivals of guerilla bands appeared in the Regulators of 1868 and in the of 1871. In 1897 sporadic uprisings against toll gates on the highways •ultimately resulted in freeing the roads of tolls in most counties. In 1907 the Night Riders, endeavoring to obtain fair prices for their tobacco, precipitated an other crisis during which barns were burned and a •costly fire visited Hopkinsville. During the Great War •tbe same spirit was more profit ably and patriotically devoted by similar bands to the suppression of German sympathizers. Kentucky fully maintained her military reputa tion in our, recent wars. The call for volun teers for the Spanish-American War attracted more men than were needed. Lexington was the concentration camp, from which after a period of preliminary training the men were moved to Chickamauga. Of the four regiments organized, the First took part in the conquest of Porto Rico, while the Third was sent to Cuba. Under the Selective Draft Act of 1917 volunteer units were merged in the National army, making it impossible to trace the fortunes of former commands. As in the previous war, Lexington was again made the preliminary camp, though Winchester received the Second Regiment. Upon the completion of the canton ments, however, most of these soldiers were sent to Camp Shelby. The largest camp, Zachary • Taylor, was prepared at Louisville for the training of infantry; while artillery ranges were provided at West Point and Camp Knox. The various drafts took 58,330 men into the army; 13,934 enlisted in the army and 5,619 in the navy; a total of 77,883. Of these nearly 3,000 made the supreme sacrifice for their country. The civilian population loyally sus. tained the government in Red Cross work, the sale of bonds and all other activies. A list of Kentucky's distinguished sons would include Joel T. Hart, sculptor; Ephraim McDowell, surgeon ; N. S. Shaler, geologist ; Theodore O'Hara, elegiac poet; Henry Clay (born in Virginia), J. J. Crittenden and J. G. Carlisle, statesmen. Several living authors also enjoy a wide reputation in letters and science.