Located in the East South Central part of the United States, the state of Tennessee lies between the Mississippi River on the west and the Appalachian Mountains on the east. Tennessee is the border state between the North and the South. Tennessee joined the United States Union on June 1, 1796 as the 16th state.
Tennessee had an internal conflict that took roots during the American Civil War. While the south was for the union, the north seceded. This difference is at times still apparent in the time tested difference between the lowland and upland.
Other interesting facts about Tennessee are:
1) Tennessee acquired its name from the word “Tanasi”, a word in the Cherokee language and the name of a village on the river of Little Tennessee. The river is rumored to be named after the village and the region was named Tennessee after the river.
2) The eastern part of Tennessee is a rugged terrain that is green and dense with forest and bush. This area was settled mainly by pioneering and independent yeoman farmers. It was an isolated territory until the early 20th century. The west at that time flourished with cotton farming and was linked to the rest of the country through the Mississippi River. The central region also had good connections and thus developed a thriving economy.
3) Tennessee is divided into three grand divisions where each has its own regional center:
East Tennessee Chattanooga and Knoxville
Middle Tennessee – the capital, Nashville – largest metropolis
West Tennessee – Memphis – biggest city on the basis of population
4) The state of Tennessee is also known as the Volunteer State, in recognition of the display of valor by volunteers that came from the state during the historic wars in the 18th and 19th centuries. Tennessee was first explored by Europeans and was inhabited by the Cherokee after driving away the Uchee. Cherokee ultimately claimed East Tennessee and the Choctaw claimed the central region with the Shawnee laying claim to lower Cumberland area. The West Tennessee enclosed between the rivers (Tennessee and Mississippi) was claimed by the Chickasaw.
5) Then came the British and organized the Ft. Loudon in 1756. This was located in east Tennessee and the Treaty of Hard Labour in 1763 made way for the settlement of Virginians and North Carolinians. The first government of Tennessee was formed in 1771 and was called the Watauga Association.
6) After getting the statehood, Tennessee’s history was linked with the military career of Andrew Jackson and his campaigns in the Indian Wars and the Battle of New Orleans. The Chickasaw were brought over by the United States government as a matter of policy and were relocated to Oklahoma. Tennessee for its part of the American Civil War saw about 400 battles being fought within its confines and a wide range of epidemics took their toll on its populace after the war.
With such a leading role in American Civil War and formation of United States of America, Tennessee is a place to visit and explore the American history and culture. Not only this, Tennessee has much to offer in terms of its rich cowboy culture, western way of life, country music, whiskey and its beautiful landscape. Pack your bags, cowboy boots and accessories and relive the past. Let your kids bring along their cowboy hats and kids John Deere boots so that they too can be a part of this adventure.
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