PerhapsthelurkingsmileonJohnSevier’sfacewasaflickerofmirththatthereshouldbefoundanyman，redorwhite，withtemerityenoughtotryconclusionswithhim。Noneeverdid，successfully。
ThehistoriansofTennesseestatethattheWataugansformedtheirgovernmentin1772andthatSevierwasoneofitsfivecommissioners。Yet，asSevierdidnotsettleinTennesseebefore1773，itispossiblethattheWataugaAssociationwasnotformeduntilthen。Unhappilythewrittenconstitutionofthelittlecommonwealthwasnotpreserved；butitisknownthat，followingtheUlsterman’sideal，manhoodsuffrageandreligiousindependenceweretwoofitsprovisions。Thecommissionersenlistedamilitiaandtheyrecordeddeedsforland，issuedmarriagelicenses，andtriedoffendersagainstthelaw。TheybelievedthemselvestobewithintheboundariesofVirginiaandthereforeadoptedthelawsofthatStatefortheirguidance。Theyhadnumerousoffenderstodealwith，formenfleeingfromdebtorfromtheconsequenceofcrimesoughtthenewsettlementsjustacrossthemountainsasasafeandadjacentharbor。TheattemptofthesementopursuetheirlawlessnessinWataugawasonereasonwhytheWataugansorganizedagovernment。
WhenthelinewasrunbetweenVirginiaandNorthCarolinabeyondthemountains，WataugawasdiscoveredtobesouthofVirginia’slimitsandhenceonIndianlands。ThiswasinconflictwiththeKing’sProclamation，andAlexanderCameron，BritishagenttotheCherokees，accordinglyorderedtheencroachingsettlerstodepart。TheIndians，however，desiredthemtoremain。ButsinceitwasillegaltopurchaseIndianlands，Robertsonnegotiatedaleasefortenyears。In1775，whenHendersonmadehispurchasefromtheCherokees，atSycamoreShoalsontheWatauga，RobertsonandSevier，whowerepresentatthesalewithotherWataugacommissioners，followedHenderson’sexampleandboughtoutrightthelandstheydesiredtoincludeinWatauga’sdomain。In1776
theypetitionedNorthCarolinafor\"annexation。\"AstheywerealreadywithinNorthCarolina’sbounds，itwasrecognitionratherthanannexationwhichtheysought。Thispetition，whichistheonlyWataugandocumenttosurvive，isundatedbutmarkedasreceivedinAugust，1776。ItisinSevier’shandwritinganditsstylesuggeststhatitwascomposedbyhim，forinitsmannerofexpressionithasmuchincommonwithmanylaterpapersfromhispen。ThatWatauganswerealaw-lovingcommunityandhadformedtheirgovernmentforthepurposeofmakinglawrespectedisreiteratedthroughoutthedocument。Asshowingthequalityofthesefirstwesternstatemakers，twoparagraphsarequoted：
\"Findingourselvesonthefrontiers，andbeingapprehensivethatforwantofproperlegislaturewemightbecomeashelterforsuchasendeavoredtodefraudtheircreditors；consideringalsothenecessityofrecordingdeeds，wills，anddoingotherpublicbusiness；we，byconsentofthepeople，formedacourtforthepurposesabovementioned，taking，bydesireofourconstituents，theVirginialawsforourguide，sonearasthesituationofaffairswouldpermit。Thiswasintendedforourselves，andWAS