History of Tennessee

The U.S. State of Tennessee was admitted as the 16th state of the union on June 1st, 1796.  Like much of North America, the people of several ancient indigenous civilizations inhabited the land comprising modern day Tennessee.  For over ten thousand years these civilizations lived in the region prior to European exploration.  The Spanish were the first Europeans to make contact with the Native Americans living in the region at the time in the mid-1500’s.  Several expeditions were made into the region throughout the 1540’s and 1560’s, with an expedition led by Juan Pardo in 1567 helping to solidify the name of Tennessee when he came into contact with Native Americans who called the region, Tanasqui.  At the time, the Muscogee, the Cherokee, and the Choctaw were the prominent Native American nations in the region.

As the years went on, continuous European migration to the area forced many Native American tribes to relocate out of modern day Tennessee.  By the mid-1700’s the British had arrived in the region and wanted to establish a formal settlement.  In 1756, the British constructed Fort Loudoun, near present day Vonore.  This fort served as the westernmost outpost in the New World for the British and would go on to serve an important role for them during the American Revolution.

After receiving their independence from Great Britain, the newly formed United States of America organized the area of modern day Tennessee into what would become the first federally authorized territory, the Southwestern Territory.  After several initiatives were taken to help drive populations from the eastern seaboard towards the new territories, population surged enough to warrant a pitch for statehood.  On June 1st, 1796, Tennessee was formally admitted as the 16th state of the union.

Present – Tennessee

Currently, the state of Tennessee ranks 36th among the fifty states in terms of land area and 16th in terms of population.  The city of Nashville currently serves as the capital of Tennessee as well as its largest city and metropolitan area.  In 2017, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of Tennessee to be 6,715,984, with the cities of Nashville and Memphis acting as homes to over one million citizens of Tennessee.

Tennessee has a multifaceted economy that supports an agriculture sector that specializes in cattle and cotton, a textile industry, and an electrical power industry.  In addition, the state of Tennessee generates large revenue through tourism.  With the Great Smokey Mountain National Park and Lookout Mountain, tourists looking to spend time enjoying the natural sites of the Midwest are seldom disappointed.  In addition, both Nashville and Memphis have exciting down towns full of rich history and southern culture.  In addition, both cities maintain their status in the music world as important contributors to country, folk, rock n roll, blues, and rockabilly music.

Politics of Tennessee

Traditionally, since the early 2000’s, Tennessee has strongly favored the Republican Party candidate in Presidential elections.  In addition, both of Tennessee’s U.S. Senate Representatives are members of the Republican Party, while seven of the nine-member delegation to the United States House of Representatives are members of the Republican Party.

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