Before statehood, the area now known as Kentucky was the western frontier of Virginia. As settlers moved west through the Cumberland Gap in the late 1700s, the region's population grew rapidly. The residents pushed for independence from Virginia due to the difficulty of travel and governance from Richmond.

Between 1784 and 1792, Kentucky held nine conventions to draft its state constitution and negotiate separation from Virginia. On June 1, 1792, Kentucky officially became the first state west of the Appalachian Mountains to join the Union.