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

Nicknames: The Volunteer State 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

Tennessee’s Current Governor Governor Phil Bredesen Tennessee’s Current Governor

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

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

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.

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

The Three Grand Divisions of Tennessee

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

West 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

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

East Tennessee Major Cities: Knoxville (Home of the UT Vols) and Chattanooga, which is known for the Chattanooga Choo Choo 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”.

Tennessee Population

Tennessee Population Today Population (2002): 5,797,289 (16th in size) The Population of Tennessee lives in both Rural (country) and Urban (city) areas.

Tennessee Statehood

Statehood June 1, 1796 Tennessee became the 16th state to join the United States of America.

Important Figures of Tennessee History

John Sevier

John Sevier Tennessee voters chose Sevier to be their first governor. He was governor for 12 years. He directed the government to build roads, worked with Native American tribes to gain more land for settlers. He is for whom Sevier County is named after.

Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson Jackson played a role in founding the city of Memphis and won election to the United States Congress. During the war of 1812 he volunteered to fight and earned the nickname “Old Hickory”. Jackson was elected 7th president of the United States in 1828 and elected a second time in 1832 because he was a war hero. Jackson was seen as a strong, independent man of the people-a common man who stood up for the common people.

Andrew Johnson

He led our country through the Reconstruction Period. 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.

James K. Polk

James Polk James Polk was a United States Representive and a speaker of the House. He was elected to be the 11th president of the United States. During his office America extended its western border to the Pacific Ocean.

Austin Peay Governor of Tennessee

AUSTIN PEAY Governor of Tennessee 1901-1927 Native of Kentucky and the first and only Governor of Tennessee to die while in office. Austin Peay University is named after him. Was known for his work towards the transportation(roads) in Tennessee

Nashville native and women's suffrage (womens’ right to vote) leader Anne Dallas Dudley Nashville native and women's suffrage (womens’ right to vote) leader

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

Nancy Ward

Nancy Ward born as a member of the Cherokee tribe sometime around 1738, her Cherokee name was Nan’yehi. as European settlers took over parts of Tennessee, she began to blend into the white world, and she became known as Nancy Ward. She was known to help keep the peace between Cherokee people and the European settlers.

Nancy Ward Nancy Ward, the famed Beloved Woman of Chota, rests in a small hilltop cemetery overlooking the Ocoee River, where U.S. Highway 411 crosses near the ancient ford of the Warrior's Path and the old Federal Road.