Tennessee

Early Inhabitants and European Exploration

Evidence of Paleo-Indians in the area now known as Tennessee dates back 12,000-15,000 years ago, with artifacts found primarily in the western valley of the Tennessee River and the Central Basin. 

By approximately A.D. 800, many Native American villages existed in the region, but many inhabitants are believed to have died from disease. When Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, the first European to explore the area in 1540, arrived searching for gold, the most prominent were the Cherokee in the southeastern part of the state and the Chickasaw in the west. 

By the late 17th century, French and English traders had established posts in the area, leading to increased settlement. The arrival of Europeans and growing conflict over the fur and deerskin trade and land led to violence and a series of broken treaties. Diseases brought by Europeans and inter-tribal fighting also devastated the state’s Native American population. 

The Cherokee and all other tribes living in Tennessee, named after the Cherokee village Tanasi, were forced to cede their land and leave the state under the 1830 Indian Removal Act. When many Cherokees refused to relocate, government troops were deployed to force them to travel more than 1,200 miles on the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma, with thousands dying from weather, disease and starvation during the trek. 

The American Revolution and Path to Statehood

Tennessee wasn’t yet a state during the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) as it was initially part of North Carolina. However, several significant battles occurred there, including the battles of King’s Mountain and Boyd’s Creek, during which the Cherokee allied with the British.

After the war, North Carolina ceded its western lands (present-day Tennessee) to the federal government in 1784, leading to the short-lived State of Franklin, which collapsed and was reverted to North Carolina before becoming the Southwest Territory in 1790. A census followed, showing that its population met the standard for statehood, and on June 1, 1796, it became the 16th state in the Union, with Knoxville selected as the first capital. 

Tennessee’s population increased quickly as the cotton and tobacco industries grew, as did its enslaved population, which by 1810 was more than 20 percent. 

The War of 1812, the Civil War and Reconstruction

Tennessee earned its nickname “The Volunteer State” from the overwhelming volunteer response of its citizens at the start of the War of 1812. One of the most notable figures from the state was Andrew Jackson, who led the Tennessee militia and later served as the first U.S. representative for the state and two terms as the U.S. president. Jackson’s soldiers won the pivotal battles of Horseshoe Bend in the Mississippi Territory and New Orleans.

A slave state, Tennessee was the final state to secede from the Union, with East Tennessee supporting the Union and West and Middle Tennessee favoring the Confederacy. Approximately 187,000 soldiers fought for the Confederacy and 51,000 for the Union during the Civil War. Its location made it a strategic battleground, with combat occurring in every county. The battles of Shiloh and Nashville both marked turning points in the war.

Reconstruction at the war’s end brought challenges to the state, which was the first to return to the Union. Despite being the only Confederate state to initially ratify the 14th Amendment, strong divisions remained between abolitionists and those resisting an end to slavery. The Ku Klux Klan was founded in Pulaski in 1865, spreading violence, including lynchings. Segregating Jim Crow laws were enforced, and poll taxes and literacy tests suppressed the rights of Black voters. 

Notable Events in Tennessee

• The 1925 Scopes Trial, better known as the Scopes Monkey Trial, took place in Dayton and quickly gained national attention. In this landmark case, prosecutor William Jennings Bryan faced off against defense attorney Clarence Darrow. The trial centered on the accusation that high school teacher John T. Scopes violated the state’s Butler Act, which prohibited teaching theories denying the biblical account of creation. Scopes was found guilty. 
• Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968, while standing on a second-floor balcony at the Lorraine Motel. The day before, he had delivered a speech supporting a sanitation workers’ strike. He ended his speech with the now-iconic words: “I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” 
• The 1982 World’s Fair, officially called the Knoxville International Energy Exposition, was held in Knoxville and attracted more than 11 million visitors. Its theme was “Energy Turns the World,” and it featured a 266-foot tower known as the Sunsphere, which has an observation deck open to the public. 

Industrial, Economic and Cultural Growth and Development

While agriculture played a significant role in Tennessee’s economy after reconstruction, industrial growth increased with the rise of steel, iron, textile and lumber production. Railroad development and steamboats made the transfer of goods and resources accessible, and distilleries, paper mills, cotton processors and sawmills drew both workers and investors. Companies like DuPont, Eastman Kodak and Alcoa all had factories in the state. 

Today, Tennessee’s economy is driven by the auto industry, with major Nissan, General Motors, and Volkswagen plants located there, along with agriculture, with top crops like soybeans, corn and cotton and health care companies, including HCA Healthcare.

Tourism is also important to the state, with popular attractions such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Graceland and the Grand Ole Opry contributing to the economy, as do cities like Nashville and Memphis, drawing millions of fans of country, blues and sports annually. 

Quick Facts

• Date of Statehood: June 1, 1796
• Capital: Nashville
• Population: Approximately 6.9 million (2020 Census)
• Size: 42,144 square miles
• Nickname: The Volunteer State
• Motto: Agriculture and Commerce
• Tree: Tulip Poplar
• Flower: Iris
• Bird: Mockingbird

Interesting Tennessee Facts

Notable Tennesseeans: Presidents Andrew Jackson, James Polk and Andrew Johnson; Vice President Al Gore; musicians Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Tina Turner, Justin Timberlake; authors Robert Penn Warren, James Agee, Alex Haley and Ida B. Wells; athletes Wilma Rudolph, Pat Summitt; entertainers Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Morgan Freeman; and frontiersman Davy Crockett and John Sevier.

Ruby Falls in Chattanooga is the nation’s tallest underground cave waterfall, standing 145 feet more than 1,000 feet below ground. 

Tennessee is home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, NHL’s Nashville Predators, NFL’s Tennesee Titans, and MLS’s Nashville Soccer Club. 

Elvis’s home, Graceland, is the second most-visited private residence in the U.S. (the White House ranks in at No. 1). 

Mountain Dew, cotton candy, the tow truck, mini golf, touchscreen technology and typewriter ribbon were all Tennessee inventions. 

Tennessee has 10 official state songs, including “Rocky Top,” “Tennessee Waltz” and “A Tennessee Bicentennial Rap.”

Dr. Margaret Rhea Seddon flew on three Space Shuttle missions and was the first Tennessean in space. She was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2015. 

Sources

The Land and Native People, Tennessee State Library and Archives.
How Tennessee Became a State, Tennessee State Museum.
From Territory to Statehood, Tennessee State Library and Archives.
Tennessee 225th Anniversary of Statehood (1796): June 1, 2021, United States Census Bureau.
Essential Tennessee, The Tennessee Historical Society.