History of Kentucky

The first permanent establishment in Kentucky was made by James Harrod at Harrodsburg in 1774 followed by the exploration of the region by Daniel Boone in 1767.

The history of Kentucky dates back to several thousand years. The region was inhabited by nomadic hunters for many years, who were followed by the semi-nomadic Woodland and Adena cultures (1000 BC - AD 1000). Archeological evidences indicate that farmers dwelled in villages around 1000-1650 AD. The area was first explored by British-American surveyors Thomas Walker and Christopher Gist in 1750 and 1751. At the time, the Shawnee and Cherokee tribes inhabited the region.

In 1776, Kentucky was made a county of Virginia. Thereafter, new settlers started coming in the region through the Cumberland Gap. These settlers were in continuous conflict with the native Americans. The rapid increase in the population of Virginia became a serious problem and demands for a separate state began. A number of constitutional conventions were held at Danville between 1784and 1791 demanding statehood for Kentucky. In 1790, the delegates accepted Virginia's terms of separation, and a state constitution was drafted at the final convention in April 1792. On June 1, 1792, the Commonwealth of Kentucky became the fifteenth state to be admitted to the union. Isaac Shelby was elected the first Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Slavery was forbidden in the first half of the nineteenth century. But by 1850, the legislature repealed this restriction, and Kentucky was converted into a huge slave market for the lower South.

Kentucky went through a tough phase during the Civil War as it had to choose sides between the Union, and this created bitterness among friends, neighbors and family members. The union was led in the north by Abraham Lincoln, and the Confederacy, led in the South by Jefferson Davis. Finally, over 30,000 Kentuckians fought on behalf of the Confederacy, while about 64,000 served in the Union ranks. The collapse of slavery, guerrilla warfare and partisan feuds were some of the events that rocked Kentucky. The abuse of black people persisted till the Reconstruction period until the legislature brought about laws that restricted the violence of Ku Klux Klan. These changes in the 1870s gave civil rights to the people.

After the Civil War, Kentucky underwent rapid industrial growth that was aided by increased railroad construction. The technological advancements, however, caused unrest among the farmers. The one-crop (tobacco) system was a serious problem. At the turn of the century, the price of tobacco fell and this resulted in a feud between buyers and growers. This quarrel came to be known as the Black Patch War. "Night riders," a vigilante wing terrorized farmers who sold their goods at low prices and decided to stage an effective boycott against the monopolistic practices of buyers. The conflict continued and there was lawlessness in the state for more than a year. The situation improved only when the Kentuckian army led a truce in 1908 and the Black Patch Tobacco War came to an end.

There was a boom in the mining industry during the First World War. However, production fell after the war came to an end. Nevertheless, the economy continued to grow as new highways were constructed. Tourism, development of state parks and construction of turnpikes contributed to the development of the state. The supply for coal increased during the 70s and 80s and this revived the mining industry.