TENNESSEE HISTORY

Tennessee State Seal Tennessee State Flag

TENNESSEE INFORMATION State size: 42,144 square miles (34th in size) State Capital: Nashville (named after Francis Nash a Revolutionary war General) Major cities: Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville Population: 5,797,289 (16th in size) The Population of Tennessee lives in both Rural (country) and Urban (city) areas.

Admission to union: The 16th State Date entered the union: June 1, 1796 Origin of state name: Named after the Indian village "Tanasi". Nicknames: The Volunteer State

Bordering states: Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Arkansas State bird: Mockingbird State flower: Iris State tree: Yellow Poplar Motto: Tennessee - America at its Best

Tennessee Government

Governor Bill Haslam Tennessee’s Current Governor

Tennessee State Government Executive Branch: Governor Judicial Branch: State Supreme Court Legislative Branch:House of Representatives and Senate

House of Representatives consist of 99 members who serve a 2 year term in office. There are 99 representatives, one for each county. State Legislative Branch

Senate consist of 33 members who serve a four year term in office. The state is divided into 33 senatorial districts from which each senator is elected. Legislative Branch

Education Police State Highways Trade inside the state Collect taxes Set up banks Set up courts Borrow money State Government Powers

Tennessee is divided into the Three Grand Divisions West Tennessee Middle Tennessee East Tennessee

West Tennessee Major City: Memphis known for being a center of shipping and trade for the South. Home of Elvis Presley, and Oprah Winfrey. Mississippi River is a major water route for the south which is located in West Tennessee.

Middle Tennessee Major City: Nashville which is the capitol city of Tennessee and known for being the road way to country music. Home of Andrew Jackson, Fred Thompson, and Al Gore, Jr.. Cumberland River and Tennessee River are tributaries to the Mississippi River.

East Tennessee Major Cities: Knoxville (Home of the UT Vols) and Chattanooga, which is known for the Chattanooga Cho and Look Out Mountain. Home of Davey Crockett and Dolly Parton. Rivers include the Holston River and the Tennessee River. It is also home to the most visited National Park in the United States, “The Great Smokey Mountains”.

Important Figures of Tennessee History

John Sevier 1 st Governor of Tennessee and a Revolutionary War Hero. Pioneer, Statesman, and one of the founders of the republic, Governor of the state of Franklin, six times Governor of Tennessee, four times elected to Congress, a typical pioneer who conquered the Wilderness and fashioned the State, a projector and hero of King's Mountain, fought thirty- five battles, won thirty-five victories, his Indian War Cry: "Here they are! Come on boys!" Sevier County named after him!

3 Presidents from Tennessee #7 Andrew Jackson #11 James K. Polk #17 Andrew Johnson

Andrew Jackson Founder of the Democrat Party 1 st President from Tennessee. (Jackson, Polk, Johnson. He was the 7th President of the United States. 1 st President from the “common” people, he was not from a rich family. As a Senator, representing Tennessee, from 1823 to 1825 He was given the nickname, “Old Hickory”, representing his toughness as a soldier and a man.

Andrew Jackson Jackson was born in 1767 in Waxhaw, South Carolina, to Scotch-Irish immigrants. He fought as a boy in the Revolutionary War, studied law, and in 1788 moved west to Nashville. He served as a Tennessee prosecutor, judge, congressman, and senator. He won fame as a major general in the War of 1812 in the Battle of New Orleans. As commander, he defeated a superior British force. It was actually 2 weeks after the end of the war. He was known to dual often. He is on the $20 bill.

James K. Polk nd president from Tennessee. (Jackson, Polk, Johnson.) 11 th President of US: 1845 Moved to Tennessee in 1795 with his family from North Carolina. As a young lawyer he entered politics, served in the Tennessee legislature, and became a friend of Andrew Jackson. Governor of Tennessee: 1839 During his office America extended its western border to the Pacific Ocean under the idea of “Manifest Destiny.”

Polk - Pre-Civil War Cause? He presided over the Mexican War, which added Texas, California, and other territory to the U.S. President Polk added a vast area to the United States, but its acquisition precipitated a bitter quarrel between the North and the South over expansion of slavery.

Andrew Johnson Five days after the war ended, President Abraham Lincoln was killed. His Vice President, Andrew Johnson of Tennessee became the seventeenth President of the United States. He led our country through the Reconstruction Period.

Andrew Johnson Born in Raleigh, NC. Lived in TN most of his life. Party in voting was: national union. Age when he was elected: 56

State of Franklin Prior to Tennessee becoming a state, the people in northeast Tennessee wrote a constitution to become a state named Franklin, after Benjamin Franklin. It was not widely recognized and would soon disband.

When young ran away to live with indians and took the name the “Raven.” School Teacher: He began a school in 1812 in Blount County, TN. Soldier: Joined Andrew Jackson during the war of Was a great General in the Texas Revolution – won TX independence by defeating a superior Mexican Army. Was like a son to Andrew Jackson Tennessee Governor: in 1827 President of Texas: 1836 Only person to be governor of two states, TN and TX. Sam Houston

Davy Crockett David Crockett August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) American folk hero, referred to as the “King of the Wild Frontier.” He was born and raised in East TN. He represented Tennessee in the U.S. Congress, served in the Texas rebellion, and died at the Alamo.

David Crockett: Frontiersman Born in Northeastern Tennessee in 1786 As a young man he was a crafty Indian fighter and hunter. The young Davy no doubt heard tales told by many a westbound traveler - tales which must have sparked his own desire for adventure in the great western territories.

David Crockett: Politician & Volunteer Involved in local and Tennessee state politics from , headed to Texas to explore the frontier. In March, 1836, Davy Crockett, with 139 others, were fighting for Texas and was massacred at the Alamo.

Nancy Ward Born, 1728 in Chota, Tennessee The Cherokee nation's last "Beloved Woman." Nancy was a devout believer in peaceful co- existence with the whites. Nancy constantly traveled the territory diverting conflict between the European settlers and her people, and was the driving force behind many peace agreements - she was a true politician.

Peace Unraveled Nancy was instrumental in negotiating the very first treaty between the white government and the Cherokee. During the years, Nancy watched her work being destroyed as treaty after treaty was broken, and she became increasingly suspicious of the white government. She began to speak out against the continuing sale of Cherokee lands to the whites. Nancy was able to escape the Trail of Tears by fleeing into Tennessee.

Sequoyah wrote the Cherokee alphabet. Born in 1770 and he died in children with the 1 st wife, and 3 with the second. He was a Silver Smith. He only had a mother no father. Originally given the name George Gist - an early hunting accident caused him to be crippled and was given the name, Sequoyah -which means "pig's foot“, in Cherokee.

He was a long hunter who traveled all across TN. He blazed a trail through the Cumberland Gap to Kentucky. First long hunter of TN. Carved on a tree that he killed a bar in the year1760.

He was born on December 13, 1887and he died on September 2, He was a famous World War 1 hero. He was born in a two room Dog Trot cabin. He was 3 rd oldest of a family with 11 kids. He wrote on his draft card “Don’t want to fight.” He captured more than 100 Germans in WW1.

Martin Luther King, Jr. A Civil Rights Activist who is most famous for his speech “I Have A Dream” King was killed in Memphis, TN on April 4, 1968 by James Earl Ray

First American overland expedition through the Pacific Coast and back. The expedition was from 1803 to They explore the Lousinia Purchase.

Sacagwea was born in 1788 and she died on December 20, She helped Lewis and Clark on their expedition. She was nicknamed Janey by Clark. Her picture is on the Sacagwea dollar. She is a shoshone women.

Rosa was born in 1913 and she died in Mother of modern day civil rights. She was born in Alabama. She was 92 when she died. Rosa was 42 when she went to jail because she refused to give up her seat.

Bibliography Links Andrew Jackson: American President American President Sam Houston: The Life of Sam Houston The Life of Sam Houston James Polk: American President American President Sequoyah: Inventor of the Cherokee Alphabet Inventor of the Cherokee Alphabet David Crockett: American West American West Nancy Ward: Nancy Ward: Cherokee Nancy Ward: Cherokee