Reference
- Tennessee(Volunteer State) became the sixteenth state in the Union on June 1, 1796. (See maps: United States Physical Features and United States Political Features.) It received its appellation because over thirty thousand men volunteered to fight in the Mexican War in 1846. During the Civil War its divided loyalties were apparent: Tennessee was the last state to secede from the Union and the first to return. The largest cities include the capital, Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. Nashville is a mecca for fans of country western music, with the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Graceland, Elvis Presley's home in Memphis, has become a national shrine. The Tennessee Valley Authority, created in 1933, provides irrigation, electric power, and flood control on the Tennessee River. Leading products are tobacco, wood, textiles, chemicals, and clothing. Noted Americans born in Tennessee include Davy Crockett, Cordell Hull, and W. C. Handy.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
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Credo Reference is an easy-to-use tool for starting research. Gather background information on your topic from hundreds of full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, quotations, and subject-specific titles, as well as 500,000+ images and audio files and over 1,000 videos.
Historical Map
- AtoZ The USA This link opens in a new window
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AtoZ the USA is a resource for information about the people, culture, geography, government, history, indigenous peoples, food, and symbols of the US states and the United States itself. The database covers 110 topics for each state, territory, and the District of Columbia, and 118 topics for the USA as a country.
Perspectives
Tennessee
Tennessee -- A Political History is a richly detailed history of the political events and personalities that have shaped the Volunteer State. It examines the divergent evolution of politics in Tennessee's three geographical divisions -- East, Middle, and West -- in an easily accessible style.Arranged chronologically, the book focuses on Tennessee's campaigns and elections, and the politicians who lived them: the state's three presidents -- Andrew Jackson, James Knox Polk, and Andrew Johnson -- and the legendary figures who have become integral to the country's folklore, such as David Crockett, Sam Houston, and Sgt. Alvin York. Also included are the lesser known but equally colorful personalities who make politics so fascinating and unpredictable.
Every Day in Tennessee History
James Jones is a public historian for the Tennessee Historical Commission and State Historic Preservation Office. He began collecting little known and unknown historic narratives "one entry at a time" at the library during his lunch hours. As his database grew, so did his appetite for the curious and colorful events that comprise Tennessee's past. Before he knew it, a full-length book emerged and the rest of us can benefit from over four years of his "lunch time" research. Maintaining the calendar form, Every Day In Tennessee History features multiple entries on each day in the calendar year, generously illustrated with archival photographs. While many of the entries deal with famous personalities and events, the majority found their way into the collection because they were not famous or well-known, including Ida B. Wells' account of her first baseball game, the nuptials of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, the completion of a hydroelectric dam, the closing of a red-light district, and hundreds more diverse and fascinating historical "tidbits". -- Midwest Book Review
The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
This definitive encyclopedia offers 1,534 entries on Tennessee by 514 authors. With thirty-two essays on topics from agriculture to World War II, this major reference work includes maps, photos, extensive cross-referencing, bibliographical information, and a detailed index.
A History of Tennessee Arts
The harmonies of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, the measured brush strokes of painter Lloyd Branson, the intricate basket weaving of Maggie Murphy, the influence of the Agrarian literary movement, and the theater barnstorming of actor-manager Sol Smith--such are the sounds, images, and expressions of Tennessee's arts legacy. Through its interlocking themes of tradition and innovation, A History of Tennessee Arts: Creating Traditions, Expanding Horizons traces the story of the arts in Tennessee from its formal, more academic side to its vernacular expressions of culture, self, and community. Both the formal and the vernacular contribute to an understanding of what the arts mean to Tennesseans and, in turn, what Tennesseans have to offer the culture of the state, the region, and the nation. A history of the arts in the Volunteer State becomes, then, an evolving barometer of not only where we have been as a culture, but also how we have matured as a society. This richly illustrated book, cosponsored by the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Tennessee Historical Society, covers the varieties of art in Tennessee in five parts. The visual arts and architecture section includes chapters on vernacular and high style architecture, sculpture, painting and photography, while the section on craft arts celebrates folk arts such as woodcraft, silversmithing, pottery, and textiles. The section on Tennessee's rich literary history includes such writers as James Agee, Robert Penn Warren, and Evelyn Scott, while the performing arts are represented by a wealth of storytellers along with two centuries of stage history. Finally, Tennessee is home to--and originator of--much of the music that we know as distinctively American. Contributors to the music section examine gospel, blues, rock, soul, and, of course, country music. From prehistoric cave paintings to the "cow punk" of Jason and the Scorchers, from the elegant capitol building of William Strickland to Ballet Memphis, and from the unique cantilevered barns of East Tennessee to the chronicles of Alex Haley, the arts in Tennessee truly celebrate traditions and strive to expand our horizons. The Editor: Carroll Van West is director of the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University and senior editor of the Tennessee Historical Quarterly.
The History of Hamilton County and Chattanooga, Tennessee
This first volume in the set details the history of Hamilton County and Chattanooga through 1861, the beginning of the Civil War. The work begins with Hernando de Soto's contact with the area and then explores the Indian natives’ early beginnings and lifestyles as they are known through the archaeological study of the mounds they built in the area. Extensive discussion is given to the Cherokee and Chickamauga Indians, the rise of conflict between their people and the white settlers and government, and their eventual removal west. Included are many biographical sketches of Indians who were influential in the area, with an entire chapter devoted to Chief John Ross.
Take a tour of the Tennessee State Capitol
- Take a tour of the Tennessee State CapitolThe Tennessee State Capitol stands today much as it did when it first opened in 1859, and is a magnificent tribute to the people of Tennessee. This graceful structure was designed by noted architect William Strickland who considered it his crowning achievement...
Online Resources
- Historical TimelineView AtoZ The USA's historical timeline for Tennessee as a state. Note important events in history for the state.
- Library of Congress: TennesseeSelected Library of Congress Resources for Tennessee
- Tennessee: Civil Rights TrailTennessee makes for an exciting travel itinerary not just for its choice attractions, world-renowned entertainment and unique vibe, but also for its historical significance. Tennessee, like most Southern states, faced many obstacles in the struggle for equality. Experience the legacy of the people, places and events that defined the Civil Rights Movement in the state by exploring historic sites such as Clark Memorial United Methodist Church in Nashville, the Green McAdoo Cultural Center and Clinton 12 statues in Clinton, and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis featuring the Lorraine Motel, the site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.
- Tennessee Electronic Library Primary SourcesIncludes links to several primary source databases for Tennessee.
- Tennessee Historical SocietyWebsite of the Tennessee Historical Society.
Flag
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During the American Civil War, most of the flags flying in Tennessee were regimental flags. A proposal modeled on the Confederacy's Stars and Bars, with the Tennessee seal in the blue canton instead of the ring of stars, came before the state legislature during the war but was probably never passed. The first official state flag did not come into being until 1897. That flag had red, blue, and white diagonal stripes overlaid with the state nickname, The Volunteer State, and the number 16 to show that Tennessee was the 16th state. The lettering was in yellow.
LeRoy Reeves, a lawyer and captain of the Tennessee Infantry's Third Regiment, designed the state flag that flies in Tennessee today. His symbolism and design were carefully thought out. He used white fimbriations to provide contrast to the red and blue, and added the blue stripe to the fly so that the flag would not look like an unrelieved expanse of red when there was no wind. The state legislature adopted his design in 1905.
Databases
- Ancestry.com (Tennessee Only) This link opens in a new window
Access to the Tennessee collection of Ancestry.com. This database includes books, official records, and private manuscripts on Tennessee genealogy.
- Chattanooga Times Free Press This link opens in a new window
Access the full-text of Chattanooga's daily newspaper, the Chattanooga Times Free Press. You will find full-text coverage of today's news plus back issues since 1995.
- Digital Library of Tennessee This link opens in a new window
The Digital Library of Tennessee provides access to rare and unique primary sources housed in libraries, archives, and museums in the state of Tennessee. Explore photographs, letters, diaries, oral histories, maps, original art, music, material culture, and archival material that documents the cultural heritage of the state of Tennessee from the Pre-Columbian era to the present.
- Tennessee Electronic Library This link opens in a new window
The Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) is a virtual library of free resources available to all Tennesseans. The TEL databases include articles from newspapers and magazines, and a variety of reference sources, with information on health, business, authors, literature, and general reference, as well as Spanish language materials.
- Tennessee Founding and Landmark Documents This link opens in a new window
Tennessee Founding and Landmark Documents database contains primary documents of Tennessee history. The series will continue with future installments of Tennessee’s recorded heritage from the 1830s to the Civil War and beyond.
- TeVA: Tennessee Virtual Archive This link opens in a new window
TeVA provides a searchable array of historical records, photographs, documents, maps, postcards, film, audio and other original materials of enduring value. This database provides access to a variety of primary source materials related to Tennessee history.
The Official Salute to the Flag of Tennessee
- The Official Salute to the Flag of TennesseeToday is Statehood Day. Tennessee officially became a state on June 1, 1796.
Watch Tennessee's former longest-serving state senator, the Honorable Douglas Henry, lead the...
Open the Door to Adventure | Tennessee State Parks
- Open the Door to Adventure | Tennessee State ParksOpen the door to the moments you've been missing. Explore and book campsites, cabins, and lodge rooms at Tennessee State Parks across Tennessee at https://tnstateparks.com/ and start planning your naturally distant vacation.