The Overmountain Men were American frontiersmen from west of the Blue Ridge Mountains who took part in the American Revolutionary War.  While they were present at multiple engagements in the war’s southern campaign, they are best known for their role in the American victory at the Battle of King’s Mountain in 1780. The term “overmountain” arose because their settlements were west of, or “over”, the Blue Ridge, which was the primary geographical boundary dividing several of the 13 American states from the Native American lands to the west. The Overmountain Men hailed from parts of  Virginia, North Carolina and what is now Tennessee and Kentucky.  

The efforts of the Overmountain Men helped to solidify the existence of the fragile settlements in the Watauga, Nolichucky and Holston river valley. Many Overmountain Men, including John Sevier, John Rhea, and Issac Shelby, went on to play prominent roles in the establishment of the states of Tennessee and Kentucky. The foothold they gained on the frontier helped open the door to mass westward migration in ensuing decades.