Friday, October 10, 2025

Question: Why was William Blount expelled from the Senate in 1797?

Answer: William Blount, who served as one of Tennessee’s first two senators beginning in 1796, was expelled from the Senate for treason a year later after President John Adams uncovered an incriminating letter. In the document, Blount detailed a scheme to help Great Britain seize Spanish-controlled Florida and Louisiana by inciting Native American attacks.