James Wilkinson

:This article is about the American general. For other uses, see James Wilkinson (disambiguation).

Kentucky ventures

He resigned from the army amid accusations of corruption. He became Brigadier General of the Pennsylvania militia in 1782 and state assemblyman in 1783. He moved to the Kentucky District in 1784 and was active there in efforts to achieve independence from Virginia.

Related Topics:
Brigadier General - Pennsylvania - 1782 - 1783 - Kentucky - 1784 - Virginia

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In 1787, Wilkinson undertook a highly controversial trip to New Orleans, then a colony of Spain. At that time, Americans were not allowed to trade in New Orleans. Wilkinson met with the Spanish Governor Esteban Rodriguez Miro and managed to convince him to allow Kentucky to have a trading monopoly over trade on the Mississippi River; in return he promised to promote Spanish interests in the west. In August 1787, Wilkinson signed an expatriation declaration, and swore allegiance to the King of Spain.

Related Topics:
1787 - New Orleans - Spain - Esteban Rodriguez Miro - Mississippi River

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Upon returning to Kentucky in February 1788, Wilkinson vigorously opposed the new U.S. Constitution. Kentucky had very nearly achieved statehood under the old Articles of Confederation and there was widespread disappointment when this was delayed due to the new constitution.

Related Topics:
1788 - U.S. Constitution - Articles of Confederation

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Leading up to Kentucky's seventh convention regarding separation from Virginia in November 1788, Wilkinson attempted to gauge the support for Kentucky to seek union with Spain. At the convention, Wilkinson was elected chair, and he advocated seeking independence from Virginia first, and then consider joining the Union of states as a second step. For many, joining the Union was conditional upon the Union negotiating free navigation on the Mississippi with Spain, a contentious point which many Kentuckians doubted the eastern states would act upon.

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Unable to gather enough support for his position at the convention, Wilkinson instead took his own initiative and approached Miro with a proposal to grant them 60,000 acres (243 km²) in the Yazoo lands at the junction of the Yazoo River and the Mississippi (near present-day Vicksburg, Mississippi). The land was to be payment for Wilkinson's efforts on behalf of Spain and also to serve as a refuge in the event he and his supporters had to flee from the United States. Wilkinson asked for and received a pension of $7,000 from Miro and also requested pensions on behalf of a number of prominent Kentuckians, including: Harry Innes, Benjamin Sebastian, John Brown, Caleb Wallace, Benjamin Logan, Isaac Shelby, George Muter, George Nicholas, and even Humphrey Marshall (who at one time was a bitter rival of Wilkinson's).

Related Topics:
Yazoo lands - Yazoo River - Vicksburg, Mississippi - Harry Innes - Benjamin Sebastian - John Brown - Caleb Wallace - Benjamin Logan - Isaac Shelby - George Muter - George Nicholas - Humphrey Marshall

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However, by 1788 Wilkinson had apparently lost the support of officials in the Spanish mainland. Miro was not to grant any of the proposed pensions and was forbidden from giving money to support revolution in Kentucky. However, Wilkinson continued to secretly receive funds from Spain for many years.

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