State of Tennessee
Flag Seal Nickname(s): Volunteer State Motto(s): Agriculture and commerce
Official language(s)	English
Demonym	Tennessean
Capital	Nashville
Largest city	Memphis
Largest metro area	Nashville Metropolitan Area
Area	Ranked 36th in the US
- Total	42,169 sq mi (109,247 km²)
- Width	120 miles (195 km)
- Length	440 miles (710 km)
- % water	2. The flag of Tennessee consists of an emblem on a field of red with a strip of blue on the fly. The Great Seal of the State of Tennessee is the official insignia of the U This is a list of US state nicknames, including officially adopted Nicknames and other traditional nicknames for individual states of the United States. Here is a list of state Mottos for the states of the United States of America. The United States does not have an Official language; however the majority of the population speaks English as a native language (about 82% English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Washington DC has been the capital of the United States since 1800 This is a list of the largest cities of US states by population Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|Table of United States Core Based Statistical AreasIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB has produced The Nashville-Davidson – Murfreesboro – Franklin, TN Metropolitan statistical area in Middle Tennessee is the 39th largest Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. This is a complete list of the states of the United States and its major territories ordered by total area, land area, and water area The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand 2
- Latitude	34° 59′ N to 36° 41′ N
- Longitude	81° 39′ W to 90° 19′ W
Population	Ranked 17th in the US
- Total	5,689,283
- Density	138. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology This is a list of states of the United States by population (with inhabited non-state jurisdictions included for comparison as of July 1, 2007, according to the This article is a list of the 50 US States ordered by Population density. 0/sq mi  53. 29/km² (19th in the US)
Elevation
- Highest point	Clingmans Dome[1] 6,643 ft  (2,026 m)
- Mean	900 ft  (280 m)
- Lowest point	Mississippi River[1] 178 ft  (54 m)
Admission to Union	June 1, 1796 (16th)
Governor	Phil Bredesen (D)
Lieutenant Governor	Ron Ramsey (R)
U.S. Senators	Lamar Alexander (R) Bob Corker (R)
Congressional Delegation	List
Time zones
- East Tennessee	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
- Middle and West	Central: UTC-6/-5
Abbreviations	TN Tenn. US-TN
Website	www.tennessee.gov

Tennessee (IPA: /ˌtɛnɨˈsiː/) is a state located in the Southern United States. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below --> Clingmans Dome (or Clingman's Dome) is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, in the southeastern United States The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of U Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1796 ( MDCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government Philip Norman "Phil" Bredesen (born November 21, 1943) is the 48th Governor of Tennessee, having served since 2003 This is a complete and current List of United States Lieutenant Governors. Ronald Lynn "Ron" Ramsey (born November 20, 1955) is the current Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee and Speaker of the Tennessee State Senate The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Andrew Lamar Alexander (born July 3, 1940) is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and a member of the Republican Party Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker Jr (born August 24, 1952) is the junior United States Senator from Tennessee. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses These are tables of congressional delegations from Tennessee to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. This is a list of United States of America States by time zone East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the state of Tennessee, one of The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America Daylight saving time ( DST Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions in the US state of Tennessee. The Central Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC during standard time ( UTC−6) and five hours during Daylight saving Daylight saving time ( DST The traditional abbreviations for US states and territories were widely used in mailing addresses prior to the introduction of two-letter U ISO 3166-2US is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United States of America. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the Union. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The capital city is Nashville, and the largest city is Memphis. Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County.

Contents 1 Geography 1.1 East Tennessee 1.2 Middle Tennessee 1.3 West Tennessee 1.4 Public lands 1.5 Climate 2 History 2.1 Early history 2.2 Statehood 2.3 Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow 2.4 20th century 3 Demographics 3.1 Religion 4 Economy 5 Transportation 5.1 Interstate highways 5.2 Airports 5.3 Railroads 6 Law and government 6.1 Lethal injection ban 6.2 Politics 6.3 Law enforcement 7 Important cities and towns 8 Education 8.1 Colleges and universities 9 Sports 9.1 Professional teams 10 Name origin 10.1 Nickname 11 State symbols 12 See also 13 References 14 Further reading 15 External links

Geography

Tennessee borders eight other states: Kentucky and Virginia to the north; North Carolina to the east; Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi on the south; Arkansas and Missouri on the Mississippi River to the west. The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Tennessee ties Missouri as the states bordering the most other states. The state is trisected by the Tennessee River. The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. The highest point in the state is the peak of Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet (2,025 m),^[1] which lies on Tennessee's eastern border, and is the highest point on the Appalachian Trail. Clingmans Dome (or Clingman's Dome) is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, in the southeastern United States The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply The A The lowest point is the Mississippi River at the Mississippi state line. The geographical center of the state is located in Murfreesboro. Murfreesboro is a city in and the County seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States.

The state of Tennessee is geographically and constitutionally divided into three Grand Divisions: East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee. The Grand Divisions are geographic cultural and legally recognized regions each constituting roughly one-third of the State of Tennessee. East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the state of Tennessee, one of Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions in the US state of Tennessee. Tennessee features six principal physiographic regions: the Blue Ridge, the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region, the Cumberland Plateau, the Highland Rim, the Nashville Basin, and the Gulf Coastal Plain. The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. The Highland Rim is a geographic term for the area in Tennessee surrounding the Central Basin. The Nashville Basin is a term often used to describe the area surrounding Nashville Tennessee. The Gulf Coastal Plain extends from the Florida Parishes of Louisiana over most of Mississippi, some of western Tennessee and Kentucky Tennessee is home to the most caves in the United States, with over 8,350 caves registered to date.

See also: List of counties in Tennessee

East Tennessee

Main article: East Tennessee

The Blue Ridge area lies on the eastern edge of Tennessee, bordering North Carolina. ImageTennessee_population_mappng|450px|right|poly 4 198 64 199 68 156 62 154 61 153 56 153 53 155 27 153 23 157 24 162 18 163 18 169 25 171 25 175 22 177 24 182 19 180 16 182 13 190 6 East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the state of Tennessee, one of The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division This region of Tennessee is characterized by high mountains, including the Great Smoky Mountains, Chilhowee Mountain, the Unicoi Range, and the Iron Mountains range. The Great Smoky Mountains are a major Mountain range in the southern part of the Appalachian Mountains, the second ridge line forming a north-south running mountain Chilhowee Mountain is a low ridge stretching for between the Little Tennessee River to the west (specifically the Chilhowee Dam impoundment and the Little Pigeon ----The Iron Mountains are a minor range of the Appalachian Mountains. The average elevation of the Blue Ridge area is 5,000 feet (1,500 m) above sea level. Clingman's Dome is located in this region. Clingmans Dome (or Clingman's Dome) is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, in the southeastern United States

Stretching west from the Blue Ridge for approximately 55 miles (88 km) is the Ridge and Valley region, in which numerous tributaries join to form the Tennessee River in the Tennessee Valley. The Tennessee Valley is the Drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U This area of Tennessee is covered by fertile valleys separated by wooded ridges, such as Bays Mountain and Clinch Mountain. In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is Bays Mountain is a Ridge of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians, located in eastern Tennessee. Clinch Mountain is a Mountain Ridge in the US states of Tennessee and Virginia, lying in the ridge-and-valley section The western section of the Tennessee valley, where the depressions become broader and the ridges become lower, is called the Great Valley. The Great Valley, also called the Great Appalachian Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. In this valley are numerous towns and the region's two urban areas, Knoxville, the 3rd largest city in the state, and Chattanooga, the 4th largest city in the state.

Middle Tennessee

Main article: Middle Tennessee

To the west of East Tennessee lies the Cumberland Plateau; this area is covered with flat-topped mountains separated by sharp valleys. Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. The elevation of the Cumberland Plateau ranges from 1,500 to 1,800 feet (450 to 550 m) above sea level. West of the Cumberland Plateau is the Highland Rim, an elevated plain that surrounds the Nashville Basin. The Highland Rim is a geographic term for the area in Tennessee surrounding the Central Basin. The Nashville Basin is a term often used to describe the area surrounding Nashville Tennessee. The northern section of the Highland Rim, known for its high tobacco production, is sometimes called the Pennyroyal Plateau and is located in primarily in Southwestern Kentucky. The Pennyroyal Plateau, or as it is more commonly called in Kentucky, the Pennyrile, is a large area of the state that features rolling hills Caves and The Nashville Basin is characterized by rich, fertile farm country and high natural wildlife diversity. Middle Tennessee was a common destination of settlers crossing the Appalachians in the late 1700s and early 1800s. An important trading route called the Natchez Trace, first used by Native Americans, connected Middle Tennessee to the lower Mississippi River town of Natchez. The Natchez Trace, a 440-mile-long path extending from Natchez Mississippi to Nashville Tennessee, linked the Cumberland, Tennessee and Natchez is the county seat of and the largest and only incorporated city within Adams County, Mississippi, United States. Today the route of the Natchez Trace is a scenic highway called the Natchez Trace Parkway. See also Blue Ridge Parkway Loveless Cafe

Many biologists study the area's salamander species because the diversity is greater there than anywhere else in the U. S. This is thought to be because of the clean Appalachian foothill springs that abound in the area. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. Some of the last remaining large American Chestnut trees still grow in this region and are being used to help breed blight resistant trees. The American Chestnut ( Castanea dentata) is a large Deciduous tree of the oak family native to eastern North America Blight refers to a specific Symptom affecting Plants in response to infection by a Pathogenic Organism.

West Tennessee

Main article: West Tennessee

West of the Highland Rim and Nashville Basin is the Gulf Coastal Plain, which includes the Mississippi embayment. West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions in the US state of Tennessee. The Gulf Coastal Plain extends from the Florida Parishes of Louisiana over most of Mississippi, some of western Tennessee and Kentucky The Mississippi embayment is a physiographic feature in the south-central United States, part of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The Gulf Coastal Plain is, in terms of area, the predominant land region in Tennessee. It is part of the large geographic land area that begins at the Gulf of Mexico and extends north into southern Illinois. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. In Tennessee, the Gulf Coastal Plain is divided into three sections that extend from the Tennessee River in the east to the Mississippi River in the west. The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to The easternmost section, about 10 miles (16 km) in width, consists of hilly land that runs along the western bank of the Tennessee River. To the west of this narrow strip of land is a wide area of rolling hills and streams that stretches all the way to Memphis; this area is called the Tennessee Bottoms or bottom land. Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. In Memphis, the Tennessee Bottoms end in steep bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. To the west of the Tennessee Bottoms is the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, less than 300 feet (90 m) above sea level. The Mississippi River Alluvial Plain is an Alluvial plain created by the Mississippi River on which lies parts of seven states from southern Louisiana This area of lowlands, flood plains, and swamp land is sometimes referred to as the Delta region. The Mississippi Delta is the distinct northwest section of the state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers Technically

Most of West Tennessee remained Indian land until the Chickasaw Cession of 1818, when the Chickasaw ceded their land between the Tennessee River and the Mississippi River. The Jackson Purchase is a region of western Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky, bounded by the Tennessee River on the east and the Mississippi River The Chickasaw' are Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States (Mississippi Alabama Tennessee The portion of the Chickasaw Cession that lies in Kentucky is known today as the Jackson Purchase. The Jackson Purchase is a region in the state of Kentucky bounded by the Mississippi River

Public lands

Areas under the control and management of the National Park Service include:

• Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Greeneville
• Appalachian National Scenic Trail
• Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area
• Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
• Foothills Parkway
• Fort Donelson National Battlefield and Fort Donelson National Cemetery near Dover
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Natchez Trace Parkway
• Obed Wild and Scenic River near Wartburg
• Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail
• Shiloh National Cemetery and Shiloh National Military Park near Shiloh
• Stones River National Battlefield and Stones River National Cemetery near Murfreesboro
• Trail of Tears National Historic Trail

Fifty-four state parks, covering some 132,000 acres (534 km²) as well as parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cherokee National Forest, and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park are in Tennessee. The National Park Service ( NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation Andrew Johnson National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in Greeneville Tennessee maintained by the National Park Service. Greeneville is a town in Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply The A The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area preserves the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and its tributaries in northeastern Tennessee and southeastern Established on June 11, 1940, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located at the border The Foothills Parkway is a National parkway which if completed will traverse the foothills of the northern Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee Fort Donelson National Battlefield preserves Fort Donelson and Fort Heiman, two sites of the American Civil War Forts Henry and Donelson Campaign in which Fort Donelson National Battlefield preserves Fort Donelson and Fort Heiman, two sites of the American Civil War Forts Henry and Donelson Campaign in which Dover is a city in Stewart County, Tennessee, United States, 67 miles (108 km westnorthwest of Nashville on the Cumberland River. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains See also Blue Ridge Parkway Loveless Cafe The Obed River is a Stream draining a part of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. Wartburg is a city in Morgan County, Tennessee, United States. The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (OVHT is part of the U Shiloh National Military Park preserves the American Civil War Shiloh and Corinth Shiloh National Military Park preserves the American Civil War Shiloh and Corinth Stones River National Battlefield, at 3501 Old Nashville Highway in Murfreesboro Tennessee, along the Stones River, preserves the site of the American Civil Stones River National Battlefield, at 3501 Old Nashville Highway in Murfreesboro Tennessee, along the Stones River, preserves the site of the American Civil Murfreesboro is a city in and the County seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The Trail of Tears was the forced relocation of Native Americans from their homelands to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma in the Western United States The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Cherokee National Forest is a large National Forest operated by the U Established on June 11, 1940, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located at the border Sportsmen and visitors are attracted to Reelfoot Lake, originally formed by an earthquake; stumps and other remains of a once dense forest, together with the lotus bed covering the shallow waters, give the lake an eerie beauty. Reelfoot Lake is a shallow natural Lake located in the northwest portion of Tennessee and extending into Fulton County Kentucky, United States of

See also: List of Tennessee state parks

Climate

Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate, with the exception of the higher mountains, which have a humid continental climate. This is a list of State parks in the US state of Tennessee Bicentennial Mall State Park (Historic Park Big Humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa or Cwa) is a climate zone characterized by hot humid summers and chilly to mild winters The humid continental climate is a Climate found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between The Gulf of Mexico is the dominant factor in the climate of Tennessee, with winds from the south being responsible for most of the state's annual precipitation. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world Generally, the state has hot summers and mild to cool winters with generous precipitation throughout the year. On average the state receives 50 inches (130 cm) of precipitation annually. Snowfall ranges from 5 inches (13 cm) in West Tennessee to over 16 inches (41 cm) in the higher mountains in East Tennessee. ^[2]

Summers in the state are generally hot, with most of the state averaging a high of around 90 °F (32 °C) during the summer months. Summer nights tend to be cooler in East Tennessee. Winters tend to be mild to cool, increasing in coolness at higher elevations and in the east. Generally, for areas outside the highest mountains, the average overnight lows are near freezing for most of the state.

While the state is far enough from the coast to avoid any direct impact from a hurricane, the location of the state makes it likely to be impacted from the remnants of tropical cyclones which weaken over land and can cause significant rainfall. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding The state averages around 50 days of thunderstorms per year, some of which can be quite severe. Tornadoes are possible throughout the state, with West Tennessee slightly more vulnerable. A tornado is a violent rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a Cumulonimbus cloud or in rare cases the base of a Cumulus ^[3] On average, the state has 15 tornadoes per year. ^[4] Tornadoes in Tennessee can be severe, and Tennessee leads the nation in the percentage of total tornadoes which have fatalities. ^[5] Winter storms are an occasional problem—made worse by a lack of snow removal equipment and a population which might not be accustomed or equipped to travel in snow—although ice storms are a more likely occurrence. Fog is a persistent problem in parts of the state, especially in much of the Smoky Mountains. Fog is a cloud that is in contact with the ground Stratus clouds are usually the only clouds that touch the ground

Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Tennessee Cities (F)
City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Chattanooga	49/30	54/33	63/40	72/47	79/56	86/65	90/69	89/68	82/62	72/48	61/40	52/33
Knoxville	46/29	52/32	60/39	69/47	76/56	84/64	87/68	86/67	81/61	70/48	59/39	50/32
Memphis	49/31	54/36	63/44	72/52	80/61	88/69	92/73	91/71	85/64	75/52	62/43	52/34
Nashville	46/28	51/31	61/39	70/47	78/57	85/65	89/70	88/68	82/61	71/49	59/40	49/32
Oak Ridge	46/27	52/30	61/37	70/44	78/53	85/62	88/66	87/65	81/59	71/46	59/36	49/30
[2]

History

Main article: History of Tennessee

Early history

The area now known as Tennessee was first inhabited by Paleo-Indians nearly 11,000 years ago. Paleo-Indians or Paleo-Americans were the ancient peoples of the Americas who were present at the end of the last Ice Age. The names of the cultural groups that inhabited the area between first settlement and the time of European contact are unknown, but several distinct cultural phases have been named by archaeologists, including Archaic (8000-1000 B. C. ), Woodland (1000 B. C. - 1000 A. D. ), and Mississippian (1000-1600 A. The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern D. ), whose chiefdoms were the cultural predecessors of the Muscogee people who inhabited the Tennessee River Valley prior to Cherokee migration into the river's headwaters.

When Spanish explorers first visited the area, led by Hernando de Soto in 1539–43, it was inhabited by tribes of Muscogee and Yuchi people. This article is about the Spanish explorer soldiers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuriesfor other uses see Conquistador (disambiguation A Conquistador The Yuchi, also spelled Euchee and Uchee, are a Native American Indian Tribe previously living in the eastern Possibly because of European diseases devastating the Native tribes, which would have left a population vacuum, and also from expanding European settlement in the north, the Cherokee moved south from the area now called Virginia. The Cherokee (ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ a-ni-yv-wi-ya, in the Cherokee language) are a people native to North America, who at the time of European contact As European colonists spread into the area, the native populations were forcibly displaced to the south and west, including all Muscogee and Yuchi peoples, the Chickasaw, and Choctaw. The Chickasaw' are Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States (Mississippi Alabama Tennessee The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States ( Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana)

Early during the American Revolutionary War, Fort Watauga at Sycamore Shoals (in present day Elizabethton) was attacked in 1776 by Dragging Canoe and his warring faction of Cherokee (also referred to by settlers as the Chickamauga) opposed to the Transylvania Purchase and aligned with the British Loyalists. The Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War was the central area of operations in the second half of the American Revolutionary War Sycamore Shoals is a stretch of the Watauga River near Elizabethton Tennessee, USA offering a ford crossing of the river Elizabethton is a city in and the County seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Dragging Canoe (c 1738 &ndash March 1 1792 was an American Indian war leader who led a dissident band of young Cherokees against the United States in Transylvania was a short-lived colony primarily in what is now the U The lives of many settlers were spared through the warnings of Dragging Canoe's cousin Nancy Ward. Nanye-hi ("One Who Goes About" known in English as Nancy Ward (c The frontier fort on the banks of the Watauga River later served as a 1780 staging area for the Overmountain Men in preparation to trek over the Appalachian Mountains, to engage, and to later defeat the British Army at the Battle of Kings Mountain in North Carolina. The Watauga River is a Stream of western North Carolina and East Tennessee. The Overmountain Men were American colonial militiamen in the American Revolutionary War from west of the Appalachian Mountains, mainly in areas that The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The Battle of Kings Mountain, October 7, 1780, was an important Patriot victory in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States

Eight counties of western North Carolina (and now part of Tennessee) broke off from that state in the late 1780s and formed the abortive State of Franklin. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States The State of Franklin was an autonomous, Secessionist United States territory created not long after the end of the American Revolution, from Efforts to obtain admission to the Union failed, and the counties had re-joined North Carolina by 1790. North Carolina ceded the area to the federal government in 1790, after which it was organized into the Southwest Territory. The Southwest Territory, formally known as the Territory South of the River Ohio, was a historic Organized territory of the United States corresponding In an effort to encourage settlers to move west into the new territory of Tennessee, in 1787 the mother state of North Carolina ordered a road to be cut to take settlers into the Cumberland Settlements—from the south end of Clinch Mountain (in East Tennessee) to French Lick (Nashville). Clinch Mountain is a Mountain Ridge in the US states of Tennessee and Virginia, lying in the ridge-and-valley section The Trace was called the “North Carolina Road” or “Avery’s Trace,” and sometimes “The Wilderness Road”. Avery's Trace was the principal road used by settlers to reach Tennessee from 1788 to the mid-1830s It should not be confused with Daniel Boone's road through Cumberland Gap. "Cumberland Gap" is also the informal name for a section of the A74 in England; the name of a song by Skiffle artist Lonnie Donegan

Statehood

Tennessee was admitted to the Union in 1796 as the 16th state. The state boundaries, according to the Constitution of the State of Tennessee, Article I, Section 31, stated that the beginning point for identifying the boundary was the extreme height of the Stone Mountain, at the place where the line of Virginia intersects it, and basically ran the extreme heights of mountain chains through the Appalachian Mountains separating North Carolina from Tennessee past the Indian towns of Cowee and Old Chota, thence along the main ridge of the said mountain (Unicoi Mountain) to the southern boundary of the state; all the territory, lands and waters lying west of said line are included in the boundaries and limits of the newly formed state of Tennessee. Part of the provision also stated that the limits and jurisdiction of the state would include future land acquisition, referencing possible land trade with other states, or the acquisition of territory from west of the Mississippi River.

During the administration of U.S. President Martin Van Buren, nearly 17,000 Cherokees were uprooted from their homes between 1838 and 1839 and were forced by the U. Martin Van Buren (December 5 1782 July 24 1862 was the eighth President of the United States from 1837 to 1841 S. military to march from "emigration depots" in Eastern Tennessee (such as Fort Cass) toward the more distant Indian Territory west of Arkansas. Fort Cass, established in 1835, was an important site during the Cherokee removal known as the Trail of Tears. The Indian Territory, also known as The Indian Country, The Indian territory or the Indian territories, was land set aside within the United States During this relocation an estimated 4,000 Cherokees died along the way west. ^[6] In the Cherokee language, the event is called Nunna daul Isunyi—"the Trail Where We Cried. Cherokee (ᏣᎳᎩ Tsalagi) is an Iroquoian language spoken by the Cherokee people which uses a unique syllabary writing system " The Cherokees were not the only Native Americans forced to emigrate as a result of the Indian removal efforts of the United States, and so the phrase "Trail of Tears" is sometimes used to refer to similar events endured by other Native American peoples, especially among the "Five Civilized Tribes. Indian Removal was a nineteenth century policy of the government of the United States to ethnically cleanse Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi The Five Civilized Tribes is the term applied to five Native American nations the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and " The phrase originated as a description of the earlier emigration of the Choctaw nation. The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States ( Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana)

Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow

Tennessee was the last border state to secede from the Union when it joined the Confederate States of America on June 8, 1861. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Many major battles of the American Civil War were fought in Tennessee—most of them Union victories. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Ulysses S. Grant and the U.S. Navy captured control of the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers in February 1862. Ulysses S Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27 1822 &ndash July 23 1885 was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States They held off the Confederate counterattack at Shiloh in April. Shiloh or Shilo may refer to People Shiloh (given name Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, daughter of Angelina Jolie Memphis fell to the Union in June, following a naval battle on the Mississippi River in front of the city. The First Battle of Memphis was a Naval battle fought on the Mississippi River immediately above the city of Memphis on June 6 1862, during Capture of Memphis and Nashville gave the Union control of the western and middle sections; this control was confirmed at the battle of Murfreesboro in early January 1863.

Confederates held East Tennessee despite the strength of Unionist sentiment there, with the exception of extremely pro-Confederate Sullivan County. Sullivan County is a County located in the US state of Tennessee. The Confederates besieged Chattanooga in early fall 1863, but were driven off by Grant in November. Many of the Confederate defeats can be attributed to the poor strategic vision of General Braxton Bragg, who led the Army of Tennessee from Perryville, Kentucky to Confederate defeat at Chattanooga. Braxton Bragg (March 22 1817 &ndash September 27 1876 was a career United States Army officer and then a General in the Confederate States Army, a The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the Kentucky Campaign of 1862 Situated between the Southern states of Tennessee and Virginia and the Northern states of Illinois

The last major battles came when the Confederates invaded Middle Tennessee in November 1864 and were checked at Franklin, then totally destroyed by George Thomas at Nashville in December. George Henry Thomas ( July 31, 1816 &ndash March 28, 1870) was a career United States Army officer and a Union The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting in the Western Theater of the Meanwhile the civilian Andrew Johnson was appointed military governor of the state by President Abraham Lincoln. Andrew Johnson (December 29 1808 – July 31 1875 was the seventeenth President of the United States (1865-69 succeeding to the Presidency upon the assassination The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal

When the Emancipation Proclamation was announced, Tennessee was mostly held by Union forces. The Emancipation Proclamation consists of two executive orders issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. Thus, Tennessee was not among the states enumerated in the Proclamation, and the Proclamation did not free any slaves there. Slavery in the United States began soon after English colonists first settled Virginia in 1607 and lasted until the passage of the Thirteenth Nonetheless, enslaved African Americans escaped to Union lines to gain freedom without waiting for official action. Old and young, men, women and children camped near Union troops. Thousands of former slaves ended up fighting on the Union side, nearly 200,000 in total across the South.

Tennessee's legislature approved an amendment to the state constitution prohibiting slavery on February 22, 1865. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year ^[7] Voters in the state approved the amendment in March. ^[8] It also ratified the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (abolishing slavery in every state) on April 7, 1865. The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution officially abolished and continues to prohibit Slavery, and with limited exceptions such as those Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

In 1864, Andrew Johnson (a War Democrat from Tennessee) was elected Vice President under Abraham Lincoln. Andrew Johnson (December 29 1808 – July 31 1875 was the seventeenth President of the United States (1865-69 succeeding to the Presidency upon the assassination He became President after Lincoln's assassination in 1865. Under Johnson's lenient re-admission policy, Tennessee was the first of the seceding states to have its elected members readmitted to the U. S. Congress, on July 24, 1866. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Because Tennessee had ratified the Fourteenth Amendment, it was the only one of the formerly seceded states that did not have a military governor during the Reconstruction period.

After the formal end of Reconstruction, the struggle over power in Southern society continued. Through violence and intimidation against freedmen and their allies, white Democrats regained political power in Tennessee and other states across the South in the late 1870s and 1880s. Over the next decade, the white-dominated state legislature passed increasingly restrictive laws to control African Americans. In 1889 the General Assembly passed four laws described as electoral reform, with the cumulative effect of essentially disfranchising most African Americans in rural areas and small towns, as well as many poor whites. Legislation included implementation of a poll tax, timing of registration, and recording requirements. Tens of thousands of taxpaying citizens were without representation for decades into the 20th century. ^[9] Disfranchising legislation accompanied Jim Crow laws passed in the late 19th century, which imposed segregation in the state. The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enacted primarily but not exclusively in the Southern and border states of the United States between 1876 and 1965 In 1900, African Americans made up nearly 24% of the state's population, and numbered 480,430 citizens who lived mostly in the central and western parts of the state. ^[10]

In 1897, Tennessee celebrated its centennial of statehood (though one year late of the 1896 anniversary) with a great exposition in Nashville. The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition was a World's Fair staged between May 1 and October 31 of 1897 in Nashville. A full scale replica of the Parthenon was constructed for the celebration, located in what is now Nashville's Centennial Park. The Parthenon in Nashville Tennessee is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. The Parthenon ( Ancient Greek:) is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis Centennial Park (Nashville is a large urban Park located approximately two miles (three km west of Downtown Nashville Tennessee, across

20th century

On 18 August 1920, Tennessee became the thirty-sixth and final state necessary to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which provided women the right to vote. Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar The Nineteenth Amendment ( Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution prohibits each of the states and the federal government from Disfranchising voter registration requirements continued to keep most African Americans and many poor whites, both men and women, off the voter rolls.

The need to create work for the unemployed during the Great Depression, a desire for rural electrification, the need to control annual spring flooding and improve shipping capacity on the Tennessee River were all factors that drove the Federal creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA is a federally owned Corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide Through the power of the TVA projects, Tennessee quickly became the nation's largest public utility supplier.

During World War II, the availability of abundant TVA electrical power led the Manhattan Project to locate one of the principal sites for production and isolation of weapons-grade fissile material in East Tennessee. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The World War II Manhattan Project developed the first Nuclear weapon (atomic bomb In Nuclear engineering, a fissile material is one that is capable of sustaining a Chain reaction of Nuclear fission. The planned community of Oak Ridge was built from scratch to provide accommodations for the facilities and workers. A new town, planned community or planned city is a City, Town, or Community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically Oak Ridge is an incorporated City in Anderson and Roane Counties in East Tennessee, USA, about 25 miles northwest of These sites are now Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y-12 National Security Complex, and the East Tennessee Technology Park. Oak Ridge National Laboratory ( ORNL) is a multiprogram science and technology National laboratory managed for the United States Department of Energy by The Y-12 National Security Complex is a United States Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration facility located in Oak Ridge Tennessee

Despite recognized effects of limiting voting by poor whites, successive legislatures expanded the reach of the disfranchising laws until they covered the state. In 1949 political scientist V. O. Key Jr. argued that "the size of the poll tax did not inhibit voting as much as the inconvenience of paying it. County officers regulated the vote by providing opportunities to pay the tax (as they did in Knoxville), or conversely by making payment as difficult as possible. Such manipulation of the tax, and therefore the vote, created an opportunity for the rise of urban bosses and political machines. Urban politicians bought large blocks of poll tax receipts and distributed them to blacks and whites, who then voted as instructed. "^[11]

In the post-war era of progress, in 1953 state legislators approved a new state constitution that finally removed the poll tax. In many areas both blacks and poor whites still faced subjectively applied barriers to voter registration that did not end until after passage of national civil rights legislation, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Background See also [[Disfranchisement after the Civil War]] The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865 after the Civil War, abolished and prohibited ^[12]

Tennessee celebrated its bicentennial in 1996. With a yearlong statewide celebration entitled "Tennessee 200", it opened a new state park (Bicentennial Mall) at the foot of Capitol Hill in Nashville. Bicentennial Mall State Park is an urban State park located in the shadow of the State Capitol in downtown Nashville Tennessee.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	35,691		—
1810	261,727		—
1820	422,823		61. 6%
1830	681,904		61. 3%
1840	829,210		21. 6%
1870	1,258,520		—
1880	1,542,359		22. 6%
1900	2,020,616		—
1910	2,184,789		8. 1%
1920	2,337,885		7%
1930	2,616,556		11. 9%
1940	2,915,841		11. 4%
1950	3,291,718		12. 9%
1960	3,567,089		8. 4%
1970	3,923,687		10%
1980	4,591,120		17%
1990	4,877,185		6. 2%
2000	5,689,283		16. 7%

The center of population of Tennessee is located in Rutherford County, in the city of Murfreesboro [3]. In Demographics, the center of population of a region is the geographical point nearest to all the inhabitants of that region on average Rutherford County is a County located in the US state of Tennessee. Murfreesboro is a city in and the County seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States.

According to the U. S. Census Bureau, as of 2006, Tennessee has an estimated population of 6,038,803, which is an increase of 83,058, or 1. 4%, from the prior year and an increase of 349,541, or 6. 1%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 142,266 people (that is 493,881 births minus 351,615 deaths) and an increase from net migration of 219,551 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 59,385 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 160,166 people. American immigration ( emigration to the United States of America) refers to the movement of non-residents to the United States.

Demographics of Tennessee (csv)
By race	White	Black	AIAN*	Asian	NHPI*
2000 (total population)	82. 08%	16. 81%	0. 69%	1. 22%	0. 08%
2000 (Hispanic only)	1. 99%	0. 14%	0. 05%	0. 03%	0. 02%
2005 (total population)	81. 53%	17. 22%	0. 69%	1. 47%	0. 09%
2005 (Hispanic only)	2. 81%	0. 17%	0. 06%	0. 03%	0. 02%
Growth 2000–05 (total population)	4. 11%	7. 37%	3. 86%	26. 24%	12. 40%
Growth 2000–05 (non-Hispanic only)	3. 02%	7. 23%	2. 41%	26. 26%	12. 66%
Growth 2000–05 (Hispanic only)	48. 16%	24. 52%	22. 34%	25. 23%	11. 23%
* AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native; NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

In 2000, the five most common self-reported ethnic groups in the state were: American (17. The ancestry of the people of the United States is widely varied and includes descendants of Populations from around the World, some presumably extinct 3%), African American (16. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa 4%), Irish (9. Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. 3%), English (9. English Americans (occasionally known as Anglo -Americans although this may have a wider cultural meaning are Citizens of the United States whose ancestry 1%), and German (8. German Americans ( German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of Ethnic German ancestry 3%). [4]

The state's African-American population is concentrated mainly in rural West and Middle Tennessee and the cities of Memphis, Nashville, Clarksville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. Clarksville is a city in Montgomery County Tennessee, USA Clarksville is the county seat of Montgomery County and is Tennessee 's fifth largest city

6. 6% of Tennessee's population were reported as under 5 years of age, 24. 6% under 18, and 12. 4% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51. 3% of the population.

Religion

The religious affiliations of the people of Tennessee are:

• Christian – 82%
  • Baptist – 39%
  • Methodist – 10%
  • Church of Christ – 6%
  • Roman Catholic – 6%
  • Presbyterian – 3%
  • Church of God – 2%
  • Lutheran – 2%
  • Pentecostal – 2%
  • Other Christian (includes unspecified "Christian" and "Protestant") – 12%

• Other Religions – 3%
  • Islam – 1%^[13]
  • Judaism – 0. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Roman Catholicism in the United States has grown dramatically over the country's history from being a tiny minority faith during the time of the Thirteen Colonies Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut 5%^[14]

• Non-Religious – 9%

Source: American Religious Identification Survey (2001). 5% of the people surveyed refused to answer.

Tennessee is home to several Protestant denominations, such as the Church of God in Christ, the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The Church of God in Christ Incorporated is a Christian church in the Pentecostal tradition The Church of God (Cleveland is a Pentecostal Christian denomination, with headquarters in Cleveland Tennessee. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a moderately large (almost 50000 active members and about 800 congregations theologically moderate Presbyterian body spawned by The Southern Baptist Convention maintains its general headquarters in Nashville, where its Sunday School Board, along with publishing houses of several other denominations, is also located, along with publishing houses of several other denominations. The Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC) is a United States -based mostly conservative Christian denomination

The state's small Roman Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish communities are mainly centered in the metropolitan areas of Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion American Jews, or Jewish Americans

Economy

According to U. S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2005 Tennessee's gross state product was $226. 502 billion, making Tennessee the 18th largest economy in the nation. In 2003, the per capita personal income was $28,641, 36th in the nation, and 91% of the national per capita personal income of $31,472. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country In 2004, the median household income was $38,550, 41st in the nation, and 87% of the national median of $44,472. Household income is a measure of current private income commonly used by the United States government and private institutions

Major outputs for the state include textiles, cotton, cattle, and electrical power. As proof of interest in beef production, Tennessee has over 82,000 farms, and beef cattle are found in roughly 59 percent of the farms in the state. [5] Although cotton was an early crop in Tennessee, large-scale cultivation of the fiber did not begin until the 1820s with the opening of the land between the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers. The upper wedge of the Mississippi Delta extends into southwestern Tennessee, and it was in this fertile section that cotton took hold. Currently West Tennessee is also heavily planted in soybeans, focusing on the northwest corner of the state. ^[15]

Major corporations with headquarters in Tennessee include FedEx Corporation, AutoZone Incorporated and International Paper, all based in Memphis. FedEx Corporation ( is a Logistics services company based in the United States. AutoZone ( is a Fortune 500 corporation based in Memphis Tennessee which is engaged primarily in the business of the retail sale of automotive parts and accessories International Paper ( is an American pulp and paper company, the largest pulp and paper company in the world

The Tennessee income tax does not apply to salaries and wages, but most income from stocks, bonds and notes receivable is taxable. All taxable dividends and interest which exceed the $1,250 single exemption or the $2,500 joint exemption are taxable at the rate of 6%. The state's sales and use tax rate for most items is 7%. A sales tax is a Consumption tax charged at the Point of purchase for certain goods and services A use tax is a type of Excise tax levied in the United States. Food is taxed at a lower rate of 5. 5%, but candy, dietary supplements and prepared food are taxed at the full 7% rate. Local sales taxes are collected in most jurisdictions, at rates varying from 1. 5% to 2. 75%, bringing the total sales tax to between 8. 5% and 9. 75%, one of the highest levels in the nation. Intangible property is assessed on the shares of stock of stockholders of any loan company, investment company, insurance company or for-profit cemetery companies. Intangible property, also known as incorporeal property describes something which a person or Corporation can have ownership of and can transfer ownership of to another person The assessment ratio is 40% of the value multiplied by the tax rate for the jurisdiction. Tennessee imposes an inheritance tax on decedents' estates that exceed maximum single exemption limits ($1,000,000 for deaths 2006 and after; [6]). Estate tax and Death duty redirect here Inheritance tax, estate tax and death duty are the names given to various taxes which

Tennessee is a right to work state, as are most of its Southern neighbors. Right-to-work laws are Statutes enforced in twenty-two US states mostly in the southern or western U Unionization has historically been low and continues to decline as in most of the U. S. generally.

Transportation

Interstate highways

Interstate 40 crosses the state in an east-west orientation. Interstate 40 (I-40 is a major west-east Interstate highway in the United States Its branch interstate highways include I-240 in Memphis; I-440 and I-840 in Nashville; and I-140 and I-640 in Knoxville. Interstate 240 (abbreviated I-240) is an Interstate highway in the U Exit list State Route 840 is a State highway, a limited-access expressway being built around Nashville Tennessee, and directed by the Tennessee Department of Transportation Interstate 140 (abbreviated I-140) is a Spur route of Interstate 40 near Knoxville, Tennessee. Interstate 640 (abbreviated I-640) is a bypass of Interstate 40 running north of Knoxville Tennessee. I-26, although technically an east-west interstate, runs from the North Carolina border below Johnson City to its terminus at Kingsport. Interstate 26 (I-26 is a nominally east-west (but physically more north-south main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington Counties in the U Kingsport is a city in Hawkins and Sullivan counties in the U I-24 is the other east-west interstate crossing Tennessee. Interstate 24 (I-24 is an Interstate highway in the eastern United States.

In a north-south orientation are highways I-55, I-65, I-75, and I-81. Interstate 55 (I-55 is an Interstate highway in the central United States. Interstate 65 (I-65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. Interstate 75 (I-75 is a major north-south Interstate Highway in the midwest and southeastern United States. Interstate 81 (abbreviated I-81) is an Interstate highway in the eastern part of the United States. Interstate 65 crosses the state through Nashville, while Interstate 75 serves Knoxville and Interstate 55 serves Memphis. Interstate 81 enters the state at Bristol and terminates at its junction with I-40 near Jefferson City. Jefferson City is a City in Jefferson County, Tennessee, United States. I-155 is a branch highway from I-55. Interstate 155 (abbreviated I-155) is an east-west spur beginning in far southeast Missouri.

Airports

Major airports within the state include Nashville International Airport (BNA), Memphis International Airport (MEM), McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) in Knoxville, Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA), and Tri-Cities Regional Airport (TRI). Nashville International Airport is an airport in southeastern Nashville Tennessee. Memphis International Airport is a public Airport located three miles (5 km) south of the Central business district of Memphis, a city McGhee Tyson Airport is a joint civil-military public Airport serving the Knoxville metropolitan area and located approximately 10 miles (16 km south of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, also known as Lovell Field, is a public Airport located five miles (8 km east of the Tri-Cities Regional Airport, also known as Tri-Cities Regional Airport TN/VA, is a public Airport located adjacent to Blountville, Tennessee Because Memphis International Airport is the major hub for FedEx Corporation, it is the world's largest air cargo operation. FedEx Corporation ( is a Logistics services company based in the United States. World's busiest airport is a claim that is fiercely fought over by the owners of the world's largest Airports The definition of busiest has been specified by the Airports Council

Railroads

Memphis and Dyersburg, Tennessee, are served by the famed Amtrak train, the City of New Orleans on its run between Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana. Dyersburg is a city in and the County seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States, 77 miles (124 km north-northeast of The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 For the city itself see New Orleans Louisiana. The City of New Orleans is a nightly Passenger train operated by Amtrak Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana

Law and government

Tennessee's governor holds office for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms. The governor is the only official who is elected statewide, making him one of the more powerful chief executives in the nation. The state does not elect the lieutenant-governor directly, contrary to most other states; the Tennessee Senate elects its Speaker who serves as lieutenant governor. A Lieutenant Governor is a high officer of state whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction

The Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature, consists of the 33-member Senate and the 99-member House of Representatives. The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U The Tennessee Senate is the Upper house of the Tennessee state Legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly The Tennessee House of Representatives, is the Lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state Legislature of the U Senators serve four-year terms, and House members serve two-year terms. Each chamber chooses its own speaker. The speaker of the state Senate also holds the title of lieutenant-governor. Most executive officials are elected by the legislature.

The highest court in Tennessee is the state Supreme Court. It has a chief justice and four associate justices. No more than two justices can be from the same Grand Division. The Supreme Court of Tennessee also appoints the Attorney General, which is not found among any of the other 49 states in the Union. The Court of Appeals has 12 judges. The Court of Criminal Appeals has 12 judges. ^[16]

Tennessee's current state constitution was adopted in 1870. The Constitution of the State of Tennessee defines the form structure activities character and fundamental rules (and means for changing them of the U The state had two earlier constitutions. The first was adopted in 1796, the year Tennessee joined the union, and the second was adopted in 1834. The Tennessee Constitution outlaws martial law within its jurisdiction. This may be a result of the experience of Tennessee residents and other Southerners during the period of military control by Union (Northern) forces of the U. S. government after the American Civil War.

Lethal injection ban

On September 20, 2007, United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee Judge Aleta Trauger ruled that prisoners were not properly anesthetized before lethal injection administration. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee is the federal trial court for most of Middle Tennessee. A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of She banned this execution as a form of cruel and unusual punishment. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. Tennessee is among 11 states that have delayed executions because of controversy over injections. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. A controversy or dispute is a commencement of a conflict between statements of accepted fact and a new or unaccepted proposal that disagrees with argues against ^[17]

Politics

Tennessee politics, like that of most U. S. states, is dominated by the Democratic and Republican Parties. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Like nearly all Southern states, Tennessee tends to be politically conservative and currently tilts towards the Republican Party. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined

While the Republicans control slightly more than half of the state, Democrats have strong support in the cities of Memphis and Nashville and in parts of Middle Tennessee (although declining, due to the growth of suburban Nashville) and in West Tennessee north of Memphis. The latter area includes a large rural African-American population. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Historically, Republicans had their greatest strength in East Tennessee prior to the 1960s. It was one of the few areas of the South with a Republican voting history, a legacy from the region's support for the Union during the Civil War. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Much of East Tennessee has not elected a Democrat to Congress since then. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses

In contrast, long disfranchisement of African Americans and their proportion as a minority (16. 45% in 1960) meant that white Democrats generally dominated politics in the rest of the state until the 1960s. The GOP in Tennessee was essentially a sectional party. In the decades following the Civil Rights Movement and a concomitant reaction against cultural liberalism, the Republican Party and its candidates have gained strength in the conservative suburbs of Memphis and Nashville, and increasing support among rural voters elsewhere in West and Middle Tennessee (especially the former Grand Division). See also Protests of 1968 Historically the civil rights movement was a concentrated period of time around the world of approximately twenty years (1960-1980 in South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. These patterns are in keeping with those of other Southern states.

In the 2000 Presidential Election, the majority of Tennessee voters voted for Republican George W. Bush rather than Vice President Al Gore, a former U.S. Senator from Tennessee. The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Democratic candidate Al Gore, then Vice President, and Republican George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Albert Arnold Gore Jr (born March 31 1948 is an American environmental Activist, author Businessperson, former Politician, and former The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Tennessee support for Bush increased in 2004, with his margin of victory in the state increasing from 4% in 2000 to 14% in 2004. Southern Democratic nominees (e. g. , Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton) usually fare better in Tennessee, especially among split-ticket voters outside the metropolitan areas. James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr (born October 1 1924 was the thirty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981 and the recipient of the 2002 William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States

Tennessee sends nine members to the US House of Representatives, of whom there are five Democrats and four Republicans. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate.

The Baker v. Carr (1962) decision of the US Supreme Court, which established the principle of one man, one vote, was based on a lawsuit over rural-biased apportionment of seats in the Tennessee legislature. Baker v Carr, 369 US 186 (1962 was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that retreated from the Court's Political question The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. " One man one vote " is a slogan used in pointing out a perceived imbalance in a given voting system The significant ruling led to an increased (and proportional) prominence in state politics by urban and, eventually, suburban, legislators and statewide officeholders in relation to their population within the state. The ruling also applied to numerous other states long controlled by rural minorities, such as Alabama. Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America.

See also: List of Tennessee Governors, U.S. Congressional Delegations from Tennessee, Maps of congressional districts

Law enforcement

The State of Tennessee maintains two dedicated law enforcement entities, the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), as well as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Tennessee State Parks department. These are tables of congressional delegations from Tennessee to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. This is a complete list of congressional districts for representation in the United States House of Representatives. The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP is the Highway patrol agency for the U The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (also known as TWRA) is an independent state agency of the state of Tennessee with the mission of managing the state's The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, or TBI is the criminal investigative arm of the state government of Tennessee.

The Highway Patrol is the primary law enforcement entity that concentrates on highway safety regulations and general non-game state law enforcement and is under the jurisdiction of the Tennessee Department of Safety. The TWRA is an independent agency tasked with enforcing all wild game and fisheries regulations outside of state parks. The TBI maintains state-of-the-art investigative facilities and is the primary state-level criminal investigative department. Tennessee State Park Rangers are responsible for all activities and law enforcement inside the Tennessee State Parks system. A Park ranger is a person in lead of protecting and preserving parklands - national state or provincial parks

Important cities and towns

See also: List of cities and towns in Tennessee

The capital is Nashville, though Knoxville, Kingston, and Murfreesboro have all served as state capitals in the past. There are 347 incorporated municipalities in the state of Tennessee. Kingston is a city in and the County seat of Roane County, Tennessee, United States, and is adjacent to Watts Bar Lake. Murfreesboro is a city in and the County seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. Washington DC has been the capital of the United States since 1800 Memphis has the largest population of any city in the state, but Nashville has had the state's largest metropolitan area since circa 1990; Memphis formerly held that title. Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central Chattanooga and Knoxville, both in the eastern part of the state near the Great Smoky Mountains, each has approximately one-third of the population of Memphis or Nashville. The city of Clarksville is a fifth significant population center, some 45 miles (70 km) northwest of Nashville. Clarksville is a city in Montgomery County Tennessee, USA Clarksville is the county seat of Montgomery County and is Tennessee 's fifth largest city Murfreesboro is the sixth-largest city in Tennessee, consisting of some 100,500 residents. Murfreesboro is a city in and the County seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States.

Major cities Chattanooga Clarksville Knoxville Memphis Murfreesboro Nashville Secondary cities Bartlett Bristol Cleveland Collierville Cookeville Franklin Germantown Hendersonville Jackson Johnson City Kingsport Morristown Oak Ridge

Chattanooga Clarksville Cleveland Knoxville Memphis Morristown Murfreesboro Nashville

Education

Colleges and universities

Main article: List of colleges and universities in Tennessee

American Baptist College Aquinas College (Tennessee) The Art Institute of Tennessee- Nashville Austin Peay State University Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences Belmont University Bethel College Bryan College Carson-Newman College Christian Brothers University Columbia State Community College Crichton College Cumberland University East Tennessee State University Fisk University Free Will Baptist Bible College Freed-Hardeman University Johnson Bible College King College Knoxville College Lambuth University Lane College Lee University LeMoyne-Owen College Lincoln Memorial University Lipscomb University Martin Methodist College Maryville College Meharry Medical College

Memphis College of Art Memphis Theological Seminary Middle Tennessee State University Milligan College Motlow State Community College Nashville School of Law Nashville State Community College O'More College of Design Pellissippi State Technical Community College Rhodes College Roane State Community College Sewanee: The University of the South Southern Adventist University Southern College of Optometry Southwest Tennessee Community College Tennessee State University Tennessee Technological University Tennessee Temple University Tennessee Wesleyan College Trevecca Nazarene University Tusculum College Union University University of Memphis University of Tennessee System University of Tennessee (Knoxville) University of Tennessee Health Science Center (Memphis) University of Tennessee Space Institute University of Tennessee at Chattanooga University of Tennessee at Martin Vanderbilt University Volunteer State Community College Watkins College of Art and Design

Sports

Professional teams

Club	Sport	League
Memphis Redbirds	Baseball	Pacific Coast League (Triple-A)
Nashville Sounds	Baseball	Pacific Coast League (Triple-A)
Chattanooga Lookouts	Baseball	Southern League (Double-A)
Tennessee Smokies	Baseball	Southern League (Double-A)
West Tenn Diamond Jaxx	Baseball	Southern League (Double-A)
Elizabethton Twins	Baseball	Appalachian League (Rookie)
Greeneville Astros	Baseball	Appalachian League (Rookie)
Johnson City Cardinals	Baseball	Appalachian League (Rookie)
Kingsport Mets	Baseball	Appalachian League (Rookie)
Memphis Grizzlies	Basketball	National Basketball Association
Tennessee Titans	Football	National Football League
Nashville Predators	Ice hockey	National Hockey League
Knoxville Ice Bears	Ice hockey	Southern Professional Hockey League
Nashville Metros	Soccer	USL Premier Development League

Tennessee is also home to Bristol Motor Speedway which features NASCAR Sprint Cup racing two weekends a year, routinely selling out more than 160,000 seats on each date. Clarksville is a city in Montgomery County Tennessee, USA Clarksville is the county seat of Montgomery County and is Tennessee 's fifth largest city Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. Murfreesboro is a city in and the County seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. Bartlett is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and a suburb of the Memphis metropolitan area. Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. Cleveland is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. Collierville is a town in Shelby County Tennessee, and a suburb located in the Memphis metropolitan area. Cookeville is a city in Putnam County, Tennessee, United States. Franklin is a city in and the County seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. Germantown is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. Hendersonville is a city in Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, on Old Hickory Lake. Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington Counties in the U Kingsport is a city in Hawkins and Sullivan counties in the U Morristown is a city in and the County seat of Hamblen County, Tennessee, United States. Oak Ridge is an incorporated City in Anderson and Roane Counties in East Tennessee, USA, about 25 miles northwest of Clarksville is a city in Montgomery County Tennessee, USA Clarksville is the county seat of Montgomery County and is Tennessee 's fifth largest city Cleveland is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. Morristown is a city in and the County seat of Hamblen County, Tennessee, United States. Murfreesboro is a city in and the County seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The University of Tennessee (also known as UT) sometimes called the University of Tennessee Knoxville ( UT Knoxville, or UTK) is the flagship Vanderbilt University is a private, Nonsectarian, Coeducational Research University in Nashville, Tennessee, This is a list of Colleges and universities in Tennessee. This list also includes other educational institutions providing Higher education, meaning American Baptist College (also known as American Baptist Theological Seminary or ABTS is a small predominantly African American Liberal arts college Aquinas College is a Roman Catholic institution of higher learning located in Nashville, Tennessee, named in honor of Saint Thomas The Art Institute of Tennessee — Nashville, is one of The Art Institutes a system of over 42 For-Profit Colleges located in major cities throughout North America all owned and operated Austin Peay State University is an accredited public university located in Clarksville Tennessee, and operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. Baptist College of Health Sciences is a private Coeducational, specialized College in Memphis, Tennessee. Belmont University is a private, Coeducational Liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States Bethel College is a Cumberland Presbyterian college in McKenzie Tennessee. Introduction Bryan College is a nationally competitive non-denominational liberal arts college located in Dayton TN Carson-Newman College is a historically Baptist Liberal arts College located in Jefferson City, Tennessee. Christian Brothers University is the oldest collegiate degree-granting institution in the City of Memphis. Columbia State Community College is a two-year college located in Columbia Tennessee. Crichton College is a private Christian, Liberal arts College located in Memphis Tennessee. This institution is unrelated other than by similarity of name to University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg Kentucky or Cumberland School of Law East Tennessee State University ( ETSU) is an accredited American University, founded October 2, 1911 and located in Johnson Fisk University is a historically-black university in Nashville, Tennessee, U Free Will Baptist Bible College is a private four-year College in Nashville Tennessee affiliated with the National Association of Free Will Baptists Freed-Hardeman University is primarily an Undergraduate university in Henderson Tennessee in the United States of America. Johnson Bible College is a private co-educational college located six miles southeast of Knoxville Tennessee. Founded in 1867 King College is an independently governed institution with covenant affiliations to the Presbyterian Church (U Knoxville College is a historically black college in Mechanicsville, Knoxville, Tennessee, founded in 1875 by the United Presbyterian Church Lambuth University is a small co-educational Liberal arts University located in Jackson Tennessee. Lane College is a four-year accredited historically black college associated with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, located in Jackson Tennessee Lee University is a private coeducational University located in Cleveland, Tennessee. LeMoyne-Owen College is a fully-accredited four-year private Historically black college located in Memphis Tennessee, affiliated with the United Church of Christ Lincoln Memorial University is a private four-year co-educational Liberal arts College located in Harrogate Tennessee. Lipscomb University is a Liberal arts University in Nashville, Tennessee. This article is about Maryville College in Maryville Tennessee Meharry Medical College, located in Nashville Tennessee, is a graduate and professional institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church whose mission is to Memphis College of Art, known before the 1980s as the Memphis Academy of Arts, is a small private college of art and design located in Memphis, Tennessee Memphis Theological Seminary is an Ecumenical theological Seminary. Middle Tennessee State University (founded September 11, 1911, and commonly abbreviated as MTSU) is an American University located Milligan College is a Christian Liberal arts College founded in 1866 and located immediately outside of Elizabethton in Carter County Tennessee The slogan “Education for Life!” properly describes the teaching and learning community at Motlow State Community College. The Nashville School of Law is an independent night law school specializing in legal education for non-traditional and part-time students Nashville State Technical Community College is a Community college in Nashville Tennessee operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents O’More College of Design, founded as O'More School of Interior Architecture and Design in 1970 is located in the historic district of Franklin Tennessee, in the United Pellissippi State Technical Community College ( Pellissippi State or PSTCC) is one of 13 member Community colleges operated by the Tennessee Board of Rhodes College is a four-year private perennial top tier liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee. Roane State Community College is a two-year college located in eastern Tennessee. The University of the South is a private Coeducational liberal arts college located in Sewanee, Tennessee. Southern Adventist University is a Liberal arts University located in Collegedale Tennessee. The Southern College of Optometry is a noted college of Optometry in the United States. Southwest Tennessee Community College is a Community college operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents in Memphis Tennessee, USA. Tennessee State University (TSU is a comprehensive urban coeducational Land-grant university founded in 1912 Tennessee Technological University, popularly known as Tennessee Tech, is an accredited Public university located in Cookeville Tennessee, US Tennessee Temple University is a four-year private Christian University located in Chattanooga Tennessee, and loosely identified with the Independent Tennessee Wesleyan College is a small Liberal arts college founded in 1857, located in the East Tennessee city of Athens. Trevecca Nazarene University (TNU is a private Christian Liberal arts college located in Nashville, Tennessee. Tusculum College is a Coeducational private College affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA with its main Campus in Union University is a four year institution in Jackson, Tennessee, with an additional campus in Germantown Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis The University of Memphis is an American public Research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee The University of Tennessee system ( UT system) is one of two Public university systems in the state of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee (also known as UT) sometimes called the University of Tennessee Knoxville ( UT Knoxville, or UTK) is the flagship The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC in Memphis includes the Colleges of Allied Health Sciences Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences Medicine The University of Tennessee Space Institute, also known as UTSI, is a Satellite campus of the University of Tennessee located near Tullahoma The University of Tennessee at Martin is a campus in the University of Tennessee system Vanderbilt University is a private, Nonsectarian, Coeducational Research University in Nashville, Tennessee, Volunteer State Community College is a publicly-supported two-year Community college located in Gallatin Tennessee and operated under the auspices of the Watkins College of Art&Design is a four year art and design college located in Nashville Tennessee. The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A Minor league baseball affiliate of the St Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each The Pacific Coast League (PCL is a Minor league baseball league operating in the West and Midwest of the United States. Part of the History of baseball series Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of Professional baseball leagues in North The Nashville Sounds are a Minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga Tennessee, USA. The Southern League is a Minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. Part of the History of baseball series Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of Professional baseball leagues in North The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in the Knoxville Tennessee metropolitan area. The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx are a Minor league baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The Elizabethton Twins are a Minor league baseball team in Elizabethton Tennessee, USA. The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956 Part of the History of baseball series Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of Professional baseball leagues in North The Greeneville Astros are a Minor league Baseball team in Greeneville, Tennessee, USA. The Johnson City Cardinals are a rookie league team based out of Johnson City, Tennessee. The Kingsport Mets are a Minor league baseball team based in Kingsport, Tennessee, United States. The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional Basketball team based in Memphis Tennessee. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville Tennessee. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The Nashville Predators are a professional Ice hockey team based in Nashville Tennessee. Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America The Knoxville Ice Bears are a professional Ice hockey team The team competes in the Southern Professional Hockey League. The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL is a low-level professional Ice hockey league with teams located in the southeastern United States. Nashville Metros are an American Soccer team based Nashville, Tennessee founded in 1989. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered History In 1995 the USISL split into two leagues one professional and one amateur Bristol Motor Speedway, originally known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track located in Bristol

Name origin

The earliest variant of the name that became Tennessee was recorded by Captain Juan Pardo, the Spanish explorer, when he and his men passed through a Native American village named "Tanasqui" in 1567 while traveling inland from South Carolina. Juan Pardo may refer to Juan Pardo (explorer, 16th century Spanish explorer and conquistador J Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. European settlers later encountered a Cherokee town named Tanasi (or "Tanase") in present-day Monroe County, Tennessee. Tanasi (also spelled Tanase, Tenasi, Tenassee, Tunissee, and other such variations is a historic Overhill Cherokee village site in Monroe County is a County located in the US state of Tennessee. The town was located on a river of the same name (now known as the Little Tennessee River). The Little Tennessee River is a tributary of the Tennessee River, approximately 135 miles (217 km long in the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern It is not known whether this was the same town as the one encountered by Juan Pardo, although recent research suggests that Pardo's "Tanasqui" was located at the confluence of the Pigeon River and the French Broad River, near modern Newport. This article describes the Pigeon River which flows from western North Carolina into East Tennessee. Newport is a city in Cocke County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7242 at the 2000 census ^[18]

The meaning and origin of the word are uncertain. Some accounts suggest it is a Cherokee modification of an earlier Yuchi word. The Cherokee (ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ a-ni-yv-wi-ya, in the Cherokee language) are a people native to North America, who at the time of European contact The Yuchi, also spelled Euchee and Uchee, are a Native American Indian Tribe previously living in the eastern It has been said to mean "meeting place", "winding river", or "river of the great bend". [7][8] According to James Mooney, the name "can not be analyzed" and its meaning is lost (Mooney, pg. James Mooney (1861-1921 was an American Anthropologist who lived for several years among the Cherokee. 534).

The modern spelling, Tennessee, is attributed to James Glen, the governor of South Carolina, who used this spelling in his official correspondence during the 1750s. In 1788, North Carolina created "Tennessee County", the third county to be established in what is now Middle Tennessee. Tennessee County was a subdivision of the territory of North Carolina that later became the state of Tennessee. (Tennessee County was the predecessor to current-day Montgomery County and Robertson County). Montgomery County is a County located in the US state of Tennessee. Robertson County is a County located in the US state of Tennessee. When a constitutional convention met in 1796 to organize a new state out of the Southwest Territory, it adopted "Tennessee" as the name of the state. Alternative meaning Constitutional convention (political custom A constitutional convention is a gathering for the purpose of writing a new The Southwest Territory, formally known as the Territory South of the River Ohio, was a historic Organized territory of the United States corresponding

Nickname

Tennessee is known as the "Volunteer State", a nickname earned during the War of 1812 because of the prominent role played by volunteer soldiers from Tennessee, especially during the Battle of New Orleans. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815, and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. ^[19]

State symbols

Main article: List of Tennessee state symbols

State symbols include:

• State bird - "Mockingbird,"
• State game bird - "Bobwhite Quail,"
• State wild animal - "Raccoon,"
• State sport fish - "Largemouth Bass,"
• State commercial fish - "Channel Catfish,"
• State horse - "Tennessee Walking Horse,"
• State insect - "Lightning Bug and the Lady Bug"
• State flower - "Purple Iris,"
• State wild flower - "Passion Flower,"
• State tree - "Tulip Poplar,"
• State fruit - "Tomato,"

See also

• List of Tennessee-related topics

References

Further reading

External links

• State Government Website
• Tennessee State Databases - Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Tennessee state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
• Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
• Tennessee State Library and Archives
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Tennessee
• U.S. Census Bureau
• Tennessee Blue Book - All things Tennessee
• Timeline of Modern Tennessee Politics
• Tennessee State Facts
• Tennessee landforms
• Interactive Tennessee for Kids
• The Annals of Tennessee to the End of the Eighteenth Century - a history by J. G. M. Ramsey, 1853
• "BillHobbs.com" Tennessee's best-known and longest-running political news and commentary blog focused primarily on Tennessee politics and media.
• Tennessee at the Open Directory Project

Preceded by Kentucky

List of U.S. states by date of statehood Admitted on June 1, 1796 (16th)

Succeeded by Ohio

The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of U Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1796 ( MDCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads

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