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Tennessee in Pictures
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Explorers & Early Settlers
Middle Tennessee West Tennessee East Tennessee Tennessee Facts Slavery Famous Tennesseans Civil War Native Americans Explorers & Early Settlers
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West Tennessee Middle Tennessee East Tennessee
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East Tennessee Bordered by the Appalachian Mountains
Includes Great Smokey Mountains Clingman’s Dome is highest elevation in Tennessee
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East Tennessee Cities Knoxville Chattanooga
Tri-Cities consisting of Bristol, Johnson City, and Kingsport Knoxville Click to return to main menu Chattanooga
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West Tennessee Middle Tennessee East Tennessee
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Middle Tennessee Nashville is capital of Tennessee
Center of Tennessee government
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Middle Tennessee Largest Grand Division
Geographic center of state in Murfreesboro Contains Rutherford County and Smyrna
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Middle Tennessee Raising livestock and farming make it agricultural center Click to return to main menu Shelbyville (Bedford County) known for Tennessee Walking Horse.
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Middle Tennessee East Tennessee West Tennessee
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West Tennessee Major cities Memphis and Jackson
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West Tennessee Main agricultural region of the state
Major crop is cotton Soybeans also grown
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West Tennessee Western boundary of Tennessee is Mississippi River
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Tennessee Flag Each star represents one of the three Grand Divisions
Circle around stars shows the three Divisions are united
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Tennessee Seal 1796 shows year Tennessee became state
Roman numeral XVI shows that Tennessee was 16th state State motto “Agriculture and Commerce” shows that both equally important
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State Bird—Mocking Bird
State Flower--Iris
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State Wild Animal--Raccoon
State Fish—Largemouth Bass
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State Tree— Tulip Poplar State Insect-- Ladybug
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Important Rivers Duck River
Cumberland River Clinch River Duck River Tennessee River flows from TN into Alabama and back into TN. Click to return to main menu
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Presidents from Tennessee
Andrew Jackson James K. Polk Andrew Johnson
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Andrew Jackson 1767-1845 Got the nickname “Old Hickory” in War of 1812
7th president elected in 1828 & 1832 Known as a man of the people Home in Nashville named the Hermitage
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James K. Polk 1795-1849 11th president elected in 1845
Led U. S. in war with Mexico over Texas Gained Texas, New Mexico, California, and Oregon for U.S.
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Andrew Johnson Became 17th president in 1865 when Lincoln was assassinated Had served as Lincoln’s vice president President during Reconstruction after Civil War
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Davy Crockett 1786-1836 Helped settle West Tennessee
Hunter, soldier, author, and member of U.S. Congress Volunteered to help Texas fight against Mexico for independence Killed at the Battle of the Alamo
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Sam Houston 1793-1863 Governor of Tennessee in 1827
Went to Texas in 1832 General in Texas revolution against Mexico Became first governor of Texas Houston, Texas named after him
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Sam Davis 1842-1863 Grew up in Smyrna, Tennessee
Confederate scout in Civil War Captured by Union Army and refused to reveal information about Confederate positions Hanged by Union army as a spy
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Casey Jones 1864-1900 Railroad engineer
Saw a parked train ahead of his speeding locomotive He applied the brakes but although Jones was killed; the passengers were saved. Popular song was written about him Casey Jones
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Alex Haley Tennessee author of Roots, a story based on his family history Haley traced his roots back to African Kunta Kinte who was kidnapped into slavery Wrote about his ancestors in slavery and after the Civil War Click to return to main menu
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Slavery in Tennessee African settlers were important part of those moving to Middle and West Tennessee By 1791 about one-tenth of state’s population was of African ancestry. Most were slaves
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Slavery in Tennessee Slaves are people who are held against their will and forced to work for no pay Slave jobs included: Planting & harvesting crops Raising farm animals Slaves worked hard for owners They were often treated badly Some ran away to the North where slavery was illegal
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Free Blacks in Tennessee
By 1860 more than 7,300 free Africans lived in Tennessee Had same political freedoms as white men at the time Owned farms and businesses
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Abolition in Tennessee
Some people wanted to abolish (end) slavery. Elihu Embree started first abolitionist newspaper in U.S. in Jonesborough, Tennessee Newspaper was caller The Emancipator. As more land in Tennessee was used for farming, slavery increased. Click to return to main menu
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Hernando de Soto Led 600 Spanish soldiers
Found many natural resources, but not the gold they hoped to find First Europeans to arrive in Tennessee
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Jacques Marquette & Louis Joliet
Marquetts—Catholic priest Joliet—fur trader French explorers Led group of explorers from Canada to West Tennessee in 1673
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James Needham &Gabriel Arthur
In 1673 and 1674, they traveled from North Carolina into Tennessee to establish trade with the Cherokee Indians.
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Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
French explorer led expedition from Canada to Gulf of Mexico Built fort near where Memphis is today
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Dr. Thomas Walker 1715-1794 Explorer, surveyor, statesman & physician
First to record information about the existence of Cumberland Gap
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James Robertson Led first group of pioneers to East Tennessee in 1771
Settled the community known as the Watauga Association Helped write the Watagua Compact, the state’s first constitution In 1779 traveled to Middle Tennessee Helped settle Ft. Nashborough James Robertson
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William Blount Moved to what became Tennessee in 1790
Appointed governor of the Territory South of the River Ohio (which included Tennessee) and also as Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Southern Department Presided over constitutional convention to create state of Tennessee William Blount
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John Sevier Led a group of pioneers from what would become Tennessee who went (Overmountain Men) to fight the British in Battle of King’s Mountain British defeated and Sevier became hero Was elected first governor of Tennessee Click to return to main menu
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Native Americans in Tennessee
Chickasaw Indians lived in West Tennessee Shawnee Indians lived in Middle Tennessee. Creek Indians had several large villages in southeastern Tennessee. Cherokee Indians lived in East Tennessee in the Appalachian Mountains.
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Comparison of Native American Tribes in Tennessee
Similarities Skilled hunters, farmers, and fishers Built homes using natural resources from forest around them Similar dress Differences Each tribe had own language, culture, and traditions Often fought wars for control of land and its resources
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Nancy Ward, Cherokee Peacemaker
Cherokee leader named Nanye’hi and later called Nancy Ward As young woman saw her Cherokee husband Kingfisher killed in battle against Creeks. She picked up his gun and took his place in battle. Cherokees won battle and made her a Beloved Woman to show thanks. She then had right to be heard in tribal council. Nancy Ward, Cherokee Peacemaker
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Nancy Ward Married an English trader and became known as Nancy Ward
Worked for peace between settlers and Cherokee Warned Watauga settlers in 1776 that Cherokees planned attack which saved lives of most of settlers Helped Cherokee Nation reach agreement with U.S. government in 1785. Died in 1824
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Sequoyah, Creator of Cherokee Writing System
Created a written language for Cherokee Born in Tennessee of Cherokee mother and Virginia fur trader Did not read or write English but fascinated that English settlers could read and write
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Sequoyah Spent 12 years on his writing system called a syllabary
Had 85 characters or symbols Each character stood for a sound in the Cherokee language Cherokees could write down their laws, publish books, and print newspapers.
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Trail of Tears During 1800s settlers wanted to gain control of more Native American land. Passed Indian Removal Act of 1830 that said all Native Americans living east of the Mississippi River had to leave their lands and move west.
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Trail of Tears Cherokee were forced from their homes by soldiers
Had to march 1,200 miles to Indian Territory where Oklahoma is today.
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Trail of Tears Journey called Trail of Tears passed through Tennessee including area around Murfreesboro and Smyrna About 4,000 Cherokees died along the way Those who lived suffered from hunger, cold, and sadness at being driven from homes. Click to return to main menu
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Tennessee in the Civil War
Lincoln elected president in 1861 Many thought he would try to end slavery. Southern farms depended on slave labor. Southern states wanted to decide about slavery for themselves. Tennessee in the Civil War
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Civil War The struggle seemed likely to turn into a civil war
A civil war is between people of the same country. After Lincoln’s election, seven states decided to leave the United States or Union Union states Border states Confederate states
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Civil War These states created their own government called the Confederate States of America or Confederacy After Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to fight for the Union, four more states joined the Confederacy. Tennessee was the last of these states to leave the Union Union states Border states Confederate states
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Tennessee Divided by War
Many in Tennessee did not want to join the Confederacy People in 26 counties in East Tennessee were so unhappy that they tried to separate from the state, but their plan did not work Tennessee regions, towns, and even families were divided
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Tennesseans fight on opposite sides
About 60,000 Tenesseans, including 20,000 African Americans, fought for the Union.
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Tennesseans fight on opposite sides
As many as 135,000 Tennesseans fought for the Confederacy.
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War in Tennessee Each side in the Civil War wanted to make use of Tennessee’s location and resources Confederacy needed Tennessee’s crops, livestock, and iron work.
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War in Tennessee The Union wanted to control Tennessee’s rivers and railroads They also wanted to control Chattanooga which would open the way to Atlanta, the railroad center of the Confederacy. Both sides needed gunpowder produced in Tennessee
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War in Tennessee Tennessee was focus of much fighting Thousands died in battle Tennessee was one of most divided and damaged by war It took many years for the state to recover from the Civil War. Click to return to main menu
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