Tennessee: The Volunteer State

Tennessee: The Volunteer State — page 1 — 4 TENNESSEE With more than 800 miles of trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park hiking and camping enthusiasts are sure to find adventure INTRODUCTION If you have an ear for the blues Tennessee is the place to visit Memphis the most populous city in Tennessee was an important location during the blues music craze that occurred in the United States during the early 1900s Beale Street was Memphis main music district made famous by blues composer W C Handy Known as the Father of the Blues Handy released his first hit song Memphis Blues in 1912 The blues a style of African American folk music was relatively unknown to many people in the United States Handy’s songs and Beale Street brought these soulful tunes into the limelight In fact Memphis is mentioned in many other popular songs Although the name Tennessee is synonymous with the blues it also brings to mind the songs of Elvis Presley and Nashville country music as well as the Great Smoky Mountains the Tennessee Valley Authority frontiersman Davy Crockett President Andrew Jackson and the American Civil War Blues legend B B King opened a blues club in Memphis in 1991 Nashville officially known as Nashville-Davidson is the capital of Tennessee Tennessee has more state songs than any other state reflecting the importance of music in its history The seven official state songs are My Homeland Tennessee When It’s Iris Time in Tennessee My Tennessee Tennessee Waltz Rocky Top Tennessee and The Pride of Tennessee In the 2000 census Tennessee ranked 16th in population in the United States with almost 5 7 million people The Copper Basin in Tennessee is so different from the surrounding area that it has been recognized by astronauts from space The barren landscape was caused by mining in the 1800s

Tennessee: The Volunteer State — page 2 — INTRODUCTION 5 Tennessee is bounded by the Appalachian Mountains on the east and the Mississippi River on the west It shares its borders with eight other states Kentucky lies to the north Virginia and North Carolina border the east Georgia Alabama and Mississippi lie to the south and Arkansas and Missouri border the west The key transportation centers in Tennessee are Memphis Nashville Knoxville and Chattanooga Barges navigate the Tennessee River but the state’s main port is on the Mississippi River near Memphis Tennessee has more than 87,000 miles of highways and roads The main highway in Tennessee is Interstate 40 an east-west route that links the state’s main cities Large freeways that run north-south include Interstates 24 65 and 75 The Memphis trolley system transports more than 900,000 passengers per year Tennessee Location Map Tennessee’s railroad system is extensive with more than 2,500 miles of track Tennessee’s rivers all lie within the Mississippi River system Nashville International Airport was opened in 1937 as Berry Field The largest recorded earthquake in the history of the United States occurred in Tennessee and surrounding states Known as the New Madrid earthquake it shocked the residents of Tennessee during the winter of 1811 It helped form Reelfoot Lake located in the northwest Until the 1940s farming was the most important economic activity in the state Many National Guard soldiers were deployed from Tennessee for the Gulf War efforts in 1991 and 2003 Capital Nashville Interstate highways 0 30 60 48 0 Population 5,689,283 Mi Km 96 Scale Size 42,145 square miles Highest peak Clingmans Dome 6,643 feet

Tennessee: The Volunteer State — page 3 — 6 TENNESSEE The name Tennessee attests to the historical significance of Native Americans in the state Tennessee is derived from a Cherokee word Tanasi It means a bend in the river Tanasi was a major Cherokee village It was situated on the banks of the Tennessee River a river that bends to such an extent that it flows through the state twice Over the years Tennessee has been given several nicknames but the most popular is the Volunteer State The nickname originated during the War of 1812 against the British Many brave volunteer soldiers from Tennessee fought in the battle of New Orleans under General Andrew Jackson These soldiers prevented the British from gaining access to the Mississippi Valley This battle marked the beginning of Tennessee’s great military tradition Tennessee is often considered a divider state between the North and the South During the American Civil War Tennessee’s loyalties were divided as well Tennessee was the last state to leave the Union and the first to return As the site of many major battles during the American Civil War Tennessee stages many historical reenactments Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses more than 500,000 acres and is almost entirely covered by forests Nashville’s original name was Fort Nashborough It officially became Nashville-Davidson in 1963 Tennessee became the 16th state to join the Union on June 1 1796 Shelby Farms in Memphis is one of the largest urban parks in the United States Pioneer Davy Crockett was born near Greeneville A replica of his log cabin stands there today The raccoon is Tennessee’s state animal

Tennessee: The Volunteer State — page 4 — INTRODUCTION 7 More than one third of Tennessee is rural and the state’s economy was until recently largely based upon agriculture Although some Tennesseans still work on farms most people work in offices retail outlets and factories Tennessee became more industrialized during the 20th century The state’s largest move toward industrialization occurred in the 1930s with the development of the Tennessee River basin under the Tennessee Valley Authority TVA The TVA’s programs attracted a number of diverse industries such as the federal government’s atomic energy program at what became the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Although the state has changed over the years it has retained much of its original charm Tennessee is still a picturesque state known for its friendly people rich musical origins and lush forested mountains Nashville covers Davidson County an area of 530 square miles This makes it one of the nation’s largest cities in area Tennessee’s country music developed in rural areas in the Appalachian Mountains Nashville has been called both the Country Music Capital of the World and Music City U S A Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry is the longest-running live radio program in the world It has been broadcast every weekend evening since 1925 Nashville has many buildings in the Greek classical style including a full-scale replica of the Parthenon David Crockett State Recreational Park honors that Tennessee pioneer The city of Murfreesboro lies in the exact geographic center of the state

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