Tennessee earned the nickname “The Volunteer State” early in its history due to a strong tradition of military service by sending thousands of troops to fight in the War of 1812.[1] Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina, and later the Southwest Territory, before its admission to the Union as the 16th state on June 1, 1796.[2] Tennessee occupies an area of 42,144 square miles (109,247 square kilometers).[3] As of 2023, the estimated population of Tennessee is approximately 7,126,489.[4]
As of 2020, Tennessee had a gross state product of $364.5 billion4. In the 3rd quarter of 2023, the real GDP growth rate for Tennessee was 5.2% per year. The state’s economy ranks 16th in size among states and Washington, DC.[5] Tennessee’s economy is diverse, with a mix of industries including manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, and tourism.[6] The state is home to several major corporations, including FedEx, the largest courier company in the world, and AutoZone, the largest retailer of auto parts in the United States.[5] Agriculture is an important part of the economy of Tennessee, with the state ranking among the top producers of soybeans, tobacco, and cotton in the United States.[7]
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the U.S., attracting millions of visitors each year. Other attractions include Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
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History of TennesseeHistory of Tennessee
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The first European explorations in what is now Tennessee took place in 1540, when a Spanish expedition under the command of Hernando de Soto entered the region from the southeast.[8] William Bean is accepted by historians as the first permanent European American settler of Tennessee.[9] In 1762, Bean set camp close to the junction of Boone’s Creek and the Watauga River, near present-day Johnson City during a long hunting excursion. In 1769, he constructed a cabin at this site and relocated his family. Shortly after the cabin’s completion, Lydia Bean gave birth to a son, Russell Bean, who is historically accepted as the first European American born in present-day Tennessee.[10]
Tennessee was the last state to join the Confederacy in 1861.[11] Tennessee soldiers served in both the Union and Confederate armies.[11] During the 19th Century, Tennessee transitioned from an agrarian economy based on tobacco and cotton, to a more diversified economy. Slavery played a major role in Tennessee’s rapid expansion.[12] As the 20th century began, Tennessee was troubled by conflicts between the values of its traditional agrarian culture and the demands of an increasingly urban world.[13] As the 20th Century progressed, Tennessee transitioned from an agrarian economy based on tobacco and cotton, to a more diversified economy. This was aided in part by massive federal investment in the Tennessee Valley Authority created in the 1930s by the New Deal.[14]
The rapid advancement of technology during the later half of the 20th Century saw the population shift from rural agricultural to the big cities. By 1960, the state had a greater urban population than rural and by 1963, the state ranked as the sixteenth-largest industrial state.[15]
Demographics of TennesseeDemographics of Tennessee
The demographic distribution of Tennessee is as follows:[16]
- White: 75.78%
- Black or African American: 16.48%
- Two or more races: 3.81%
- Asian: 1.83%
- Other race: 1.81%
- Native American: 0.22%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.06%
Most common surnames in TennesseeMost common surnames in Tennessee
Researching family history in TennesseeResearching family history in Tennessee
The National Archives at Atlanta has historical records from federal agencies and courts in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The Tennessee State Library and Archives has extensive county and state records. The Tennessee Genealogical Society has significant resources and partners with dozens of local county genealogy societies and libraries. The Tennessee Historical Society and the Tennessee State Museum have documents and manuscripts dating back to colonial days. The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture is a joint project of the Tennessee Historical Society and the University of Tennessee Press and has over 2,000 fully searchable entries.
Tennessee County ListTennessee County List
Tennessee has 95 counties:
| Anderson | Bedford | Benton | Bledsoe |
| Blount | Bradley | Campbell | Cannon |
| Carroll | Carter | Cheatham | Chester |
| Claiborne | Clay | Cocke | Coffee |
| Crockett | Cumberland | Davidson | Decatur |
| DeKalb | Dickson | Dyer | Fayette |
| Fentress | Franklin | Gibson | Giles |
| Grainger | Greene | Grundy | Hamblen |
| Hamilton | Hancock | Hardeman | Hardin |
| Hawkins | Haywood | Henderson | Henry |
| Hickman | Houston | Humphreys | Jackson |
| Jefferson | Johnson | Knox | Lake |
| Lauderdale | Lawrence | Lewis | Lincoln |
| Loudon | Macon | Madison | Marion |
| Marshall | Maury | McMinn | McNairy |
| Meigs | Monroe | Montgomery | Moore |
| Morgan | Obion | Overton | Perry |
| Pickett | Polk | Putnam | Rhea |
| Roane | Robertson | Rutherford | Scott |
| Sequatchie | Sevier | Shelby | Smith |
| Stewart | Sullivan | Sumner | Tipton |
| Trousdale | Unicoi | Union | Van Buren |
| Warren | Washington | Wayne | Weakley |
| White | Williamson | Wilson |
See alsoSee also
Explore more about TennesseeExplore more about Tennessee
MyHeritage.com has 37 specific collections of records from South Carolina. These include Tennessee Marriages, Tennessee Deaths, Tennessee Divorces, and Service Records of Confederate Soldiers. There are many other records in the Tennessee Collections Catalog.
References
- ↑ Volunteer State
- ↑ How Tennessee Became a State
- ↑ How Big Is Tennessee? See Its Size in Miles, Acres, and How It Compares to Other States
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Tennessee
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Economy of Tennessee Statistics and Data Trends: GDP ranking, unemployment rate, and economic growth | USAFacts
- ↑ Tennessee's Economy
- ↑ IBISWorld - Industry Market Research, Reports, and Statistics
- ↑ Early Exploration
- ↑ William Bean
- ↑ National Park Service - Colonials and Patriots (Other Sites - Tennessee)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Civil War
- ↑ Tennessee’s Coming of Age | A History of Tennessee Student Edition
- ↑ Early Twentieth Century | A History of Tennessee Student Edition
- ↑ About TVA
- ↑ Modern Tennessee | A History of Tennessee Student Edition
- ↑ Tennessee Population 2024 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)[1]
- ↑ Most Common Surnames in Tennessee, With Meanings