Motivation is the No. [217] A small part of north-central Tennessee is in the Green River watershed. Fog is a persistent problem in some areas, especially in East Tennessee. It owns 79 acres (32ha) in Henning, which the tribe placed into federal trust in 2012. choose the site nearest you: chattanooga; clarksville; cookeville; jackson; knoxville; memphis; nashville; tri-cities [16] The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nation's most visited national park, is in eastern Tennessee. The Highland Rim is Tennessee's largest geographic region, and is often split into eastern and western halves. [16] Tennessee ranks 12th in the nation for the number of cattle, with more than half of its farmland dedicated to cattle grazing. [141] In 1925, John T. Scopes, a high school teacher in Dayton, was tried and convicted for teaching evolution in violation of the state's recently passed Butler Act. WebTennessee Back to Help Center BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee General Inquiries 1-423-535-5600 BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee 1 Cameron Hill Circle Chattanooga, TN 37402 www.bcbst.com Customer Service 1-423-535-5707 1-800-572-1003 Weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time Precertification 1-800-228-2096 [197], Stretching west from the Blue Ridge Mountains for about 55 miles (89km) are the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also known as the Tennessee Valley[c] or Great Valley of East Tennessee. [361] According to the most recent data, Tennessee spends $9,544 per student, the 8th lowest in the nation. [156] On April 4, 1968, James Earl Ray assassinated civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis. [448], The state is also home to eight minor league teams. WebTre Hargett was elected by the Tennessee General Assembly to serve as Tennessees 37th secretary of state in 2009 and re-elected in 2013, 2017, and 2021. [68] The Southwest Territory recorded a population of 35,691 in the first United States census that year, including 3,417 slaves. [120] Because Tennessee had ratified the Fourteenth Amendment before its readmission to the Union, it was the only former secessionist state that did not have a military governor during Reconstruction. [95][14] Due to its central location, Tennessee was a crucial state during the war and saw more military engagements than any state except Virginia. ORNL conducts scientific research in materials science, nuclear physics, energy, high-performance computing, systems biology, and national security, and is the largest national laboratory in the Department of Energy (DOE) system by size. [114] On February 22, 1865, the legislature approved an amendment to the state constitution prohibiting slavery, which was approved by voters the following month, making Tennessee the only Southern state to abolish slavery. [235], Most of Tennessee has a humid subtropical climate, with the exception of some of the higher elevations in the Appalachians, which are classified as a cooler mountain temperate or humid continental climate. [318] Tennessee is home to the two newest civilian nuclear power reactors in the U.S., at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Rhea County. [147] The TVA built several hydroelectric dams in the state in the 1930s and 1940s, which inundated communities and thousands of farmland acreage, and forcibly displaced families via eminent domain. This area consists of linear parallel ridges separated by valleys that trend northeast to southwest, the general direction of the entire Appalachian range. The capital was previously in three other cities. [399], Tennessee's highest court is the state Supreme Court. In East Tennessee, most people favored remaining in the Union. The TWRA is an independent agency tasked with enforcing all wildlife, boating, and fishery regulations outside of state parks. Rapid civilizational development occurred during the Mississippian period, when Indigenous peoples developed organized chiefdoms and constructed numerous ceremonial structures throughout the state. Senator from Tennessee, failed to carry his home state, an unusual occurrence but indicative of strengthening Republican support. [286] Since 2016, Tennessee has had no inheritance tax. WebTennessee Back to Help Center BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee General Inquiries 1-423-535-5600 BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee 1 Cameron Hill Circle Chattanooga, TN 37402 www.bcbst.com Customer Service 1-423-535-5707 1-800-572-1003 Weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time Precertification 1-800-228-2096 [257][258] In 2019, about 5.5% of Tennessee's population was foreign-born. km, the State of Tennessee is located in the South-Eastern region of the United States. WebThe University of Tennessee is comprised of the statewide Institute of Agriculture and Institute for Public Service Institute of Agriculture The UT Institute of Agriculture delivers real life solutions through $54.5 million in research, educational outreach to 3.3 million people and veterinary services to more than 21,000 animals annually. Small sections of the Huntsville, Alabama and Paducah, Kentucky-Cape Girardeau, Missouri-Harrisburg, Illinois markets also extend into the state. [365], In 2014, the Tennessee General Assembly created the Tennessee Promise, which allows in-state high school graduates to enroll in two-year post-secondary education programs such as associate degrees and certificates at community colleges and trade schools in Tennessee tuition-free, funded by the state lottery, if they meet certain requirements. [409] Tennessee has more than 340 municipalities. Webchoose the site nearest you: chattanooga; clarksville; cookeville; jackson; knoxville; memphis; nashville; tri-cities [52] The next year, after an unsuccessful petition to Virginia, North Carolina agreed to annex the Washington District to provide protection from Native American attacks. Nearly threefourths of the state is in the Central Time Zone, with most of East Tennessee on Eastern Time. [75][76] Tennessee was admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796, as the 16th state and the first created from federal territory. [53], In 1775, Richard Henderson negotiated a series of treaties with the Cherokee to sell the lands of the Watauga settlements at Sycamore Shoals on the banks of the Watauga River. [202] The Cumberland Mountains, with peaks above 3,500 feet (1,100m), comprise the northeastern part of the Appalachian Plateau in Tennessee, and the southeastern part of the Cumberland Plateau is divided by the Sequatchie Valley. [40][41] In 1739, the French constructed Fort Assumption under Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville on the Mississippi River at the present location of Memphis, which they used as a base against the Chickasaw during the 1739 Campaign of the Chickasaw Wars. WebPaleo-Indians are believed to have hunted and camped in what is now Tennessee as early as 12,000 years ago. With the help of Northern investors, Chattanooga became one of the first industrialized cities in the South. Local courts include general sessions, juvenile and domestic, and municipal courts. The highest recorded temperature was 113F (45C) at Perryville on August 9, 1930, while the lowest recorded temperature was 32F (36C) at Mountain City on December 30, 1917. [139] On July 9, 1918, Tennessee suffered the worst rail accident in U.S. history when two passenger trains collided head on in Nashville, killing 101 and injuring 171. Discover the best road trip destinations, new places to eat and more in your free printed guide or e-guide. Culturally, most of the state is considered part of the Upland South, and the eastern third is part of Appalachia. [218] Its tributaries are the Obion, Forked Deer, Hatchie, Loosahatchie, and Wolf rivers. [268] Most Tennesseans who self-identify as having American ancestry are of English and Scotch-Irish ancestry. [457] The state has one minor league ice hockey team: the Knoxville Ice Bears, which began play in 2002 and are members of the Southern Professional Hockey League. [321] Tennessee is the nation's leading producer of ball clay. [213] This flat 10 to 14 miles (16 to 23km) wide strip is commonly known as the Mississippi Bottoms, and contains lowlands, floodplains, and swamps. [357] The state also has many private schools. The current governor is Bill Lee, a Republican. [94] Tennessee provided more Union troops than any other Confederate state, and the second-highest number of Confederate troops, behind Virginia. [31] Cherokee peoples in Tennessee were known by European settlers as the Overhill Cherokee because they lived west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. [459], Tennessee is also home to the Bristol Motor Speedway, which features NASCAR Cup Series racing two weekends a year, routinely selling out more than 160,000 seats on each date. [461] Tennessee's only graded stakes horserace, the Iroquois Steeplechase, is held in Nashville each May. It is tied with Missouri as the state bordering the most other states. [249] In addition to the major cities, the Tri-Cities of Kingsport, Bristol, and Johnson City are considered the sixth major population center. [60] The next year, the settlers signed the Cumberland Compact, which established a representative government for the colony called the Cumberland Association. Lee's 2nd term inauguration scheduled for Jan. 21. [328] Iron ore was another major mineral mined in Tennessee until the early 20th century. [286], The state's sales and use tax rate for most items is 7%, the second-highest in the nation, along with Mississippi, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Indiana. A new state park that traces the state's history, Bicentennial Mall, was opened at the foot of Capitol Hill in Nashville. The Bulldogs jumped out to a fast start and were clearly motivated after getting shell-shocked by Tennessee a few games ago. Tennessee is geographically, culturally, economically, and legally divided into three Grand Divisions: East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee. The most pleasant months of the year for Tennessee are May, September and October. WebMap of the United States with Tennessee highlighted Country United States Before statehood Southwest Territory Admitted to the Union June 1, 1796; 226 years ago (June 1, 1796)(16th) Capital (and largest city) Nashville[2] Largest metroand urbanareas Nashville Government Governor Bill Lee(R) Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally(R) Legislature Tennessee's population as of the 2020 United States census is approximately 6.9 million. [303] Ford is constructing an assembly plant in Stanton that is expected to be operational in 2025. The first has been in Republican hands continuously since 1881, and Republicans or their antecedents have held it for all but four years since 1859. [301] Nissan's assembly plant in Smyrna is the largest automotive assembly plant in North America. [284] The first $1,250 of individual income and $2,500 of joint income was exempt from this tax. km, the State of Tennessee is located in the South-Eastern region of the United States. [203], West of the Cumberland Plateau is the Highland Rim, an elevated plain that surrounds the Nashville Basin, a geological dome. [155] Between February and May 1960, a series of sit-ins at segregated lunch counters in Nashville organized by the Nashville Student Movement resulted in the desegregation of facilities in the city. [91][92], At the onset of the American Civil War, most Middle and West Tennesseans favored efforts to preserve their slavery-based economies, but many Middle Tennesseans were initially skeptical of secession. [23] The names of the cultural groups who inhabited the area before European contact are unknown, but archaeologists have named several distinct cultural phases, including the Archaic (80001000 BC), Woodland (1000 BC1000 AD), and Mississippian (10001600 AD) periods. Tennessee, constituent state of the United States of America. [19][20][21] The modern spelling, Tennessee, is attributed to Governor James Glen of South Carolina, who used this spelling in his official correspondence during the 1750s. [462] The WGC Invitational is a PGA Tour golf tournament that has been held in Memphis since 1958. [4] Between 2010 and 2019, the state received a natural increase of 143,253 (744,274 births minus 601,021 deaths), and an increase from net migration of 338,428 people into the state. [266] In 2020, Non-Hispanic or Latino Whites were 70.9% of the population, compared to 57.7% of the population nationwide. Following Reconstruction, Tennessee continued to have competitive party politics, but in the 1880s, the White-dominated state government passed Jim Crow laws, one of which imposed a poll tax requirement for voter registration. [218] The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operate many hydroelectric dams on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers and their tributaries, which form large reservoirs throughout the state. [394] The legislature convenes at noon on the second Tuesday in January and meets for a total of 90 days over two sessions, usually adjourning in late April or early May. [118] The Radical Republicans seized control of the state government toward the end of the war, and appointed William G. "Parson" Brownlow governor. Secretary Hargett is the chief executive officer of the Department of State with oversight of more than 300 employees. [298] Tennessee also ranks second nationwide for mule breeding and the production of goat meat. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor for single-handedly capturing an entire German machine gun regiment during the MeuseArgonne offensive. [295] Tennessee farmers are also known worldwide for their cultivation of tomatoes and horticultural plants. Tennessee State Government - TN.gov The Tennessee Conservationist Holiday Offer Request Your Free 2022 TN Vacation Guide Find a COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Hub for Learning and Teaching Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget The Tennessee Conservationist Holiday Offer Save on Conservationist Magazine Subscriptions! [107], During the Chattanooga campaign, Confederates attempted to besiege the Army of the Cumberland into surrendering, but reinforcements from the Army of the Tennessee under the command of Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, and Joseph Hooker arrived. [392] Knoxville was the capital from statehood in 1796 until 1812,[392] except for September 21, 1807, when the legislature met in Kingston for a day. WebTennessee's third-largest city perfectly blends outdoor recreation with urban amenities. This amendment was invalidated by the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court case Obergefell v. [309], Tennessee's commercial sector is dominated by a wide variety of companies, but its largest service industries include health care, transportation, music and entertainment, banking, and finance. [65] North Carolina ceded the area to the federal government in 1790, after which it was organized into the Southwest Territory on May 26 of that year. [113], When the Emancipation Proclamation was announced, Tennessee was largely held by Union forces and thus not among the states enumerated, so it freed no slaves there. [227] The Nashville Basin is renowned for its diversity of flora and fauna. [310][311], Since the 1990s, the geographical area between Oak Ridge and Knoxville has been known as the Tennessee Technology Corridor, with more than 500 high-tech firms in the region. [22] The constitution was completed on February 6, which authorized elections for the state's new legislature, the Tennessee General Assembly. Who has the largest auto factory in the U.S.? [434], Beginning in the early 21st century, Tennessee transitioned into a solid Republican state, primarily due to rural white voters who have rejected the increasing liberalism of the Democratic Party. In every county except Davidson, the sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer. For areas outside the highest mountains, the average overnight lows are generally near freezing. [211] The plain begins in the east with low rolling hills and wide stream valleys, known as the West Tennessee Highlands, and gradually levels out to the west. [106] The next summer, Rosecrans's Tullahoma campaign forced Bragg's remaining troops in Middle Tennessee to retreat to Chattanooga with little fighting. The driest months, on average, are August to October. Get It Now Start Planning Tap Add to Trip on anything you like. The husband of the Tennessee police officer fired for having sex with six of her coworkers is standing by his wife, the Daily Mail reported Friday. [234] The state ranks second in the nation for the diversity of its freshwater fish species. Numerous African Americans were elected to local offices, and some to state office. [63], Three counties of the Washington District broke off from North Carolina in 1784 and formed the State of Franklin. [89] Cotton also took hold in the Nashville Basin during this time. Wells, Nikki Giovanni, Shelby Foote, Ann Patchett, Ishmael Reed, and Randall Jarrell. Paleo-Indians are believed to have hunted and camped in what is now Tennessee as early as 12,000 years ago. [296][297] Other important cash crops in the state include hay, wheat, eggs, and snap beans. [115][116] Tennessee ratified the Thirteenth Amendment, which outlawed slavery in every state, on April 7, 1865,[117] and the Fourteenth Amendment, which granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to former slaves, on July 18, 1866. [179] The Tennessee River forms most of the division between Middle and West Tennessee. [336], The National Park Service preserves four Civil War battlefields in Tennessee: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Stones River National Battlefield, Shiloh National Military Park, and Fort Donelson National Battlefield. [261] The state has been a top destination for people relocating from Northeastern and Midwestern states. 1 thing for teams, and Mississippi State had plenty. [397] Each chamber chooses a Speaker, who is elected by a joint session of the legislature. Tennessee Firearms Classifieds Choose City/Region Chattanooga Clarksville Cookeville Jackson Knoxville Memphis Murfreesboro Nashville Tri-cities Tullahoma Choose a category: All Categories Firearms Antique Firearms Handguns Muzzle Loaders NFA Firearms Rifles Shotguns Firearm Accessories Ammo Gun Parts Gun Safes Holsters Magazines Optics Reloading [407][408], Tennessee is divided into 95 counties, with 92 county governments that use a county commission legislative body and a separately elected county executive. [184], Marked by a diversity of landforms and topographies, Tennessee features six principal physiographic provinces, from east to west, which are part of three larger regions: the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, and Cumberland Plateau, part of the Appalachian Mountains; the Highland Rim and Nashville Basin, part of the Interior Low Plateaus of the Interior Plains; and the East Gulf Coastal Plain, part of the Atlantic Plains. Along with projectile points common for this period, archaeologists in Williamson County have uncovered a 12,000-year-old mastodon skeleton with cut marks typical of prehistoric hunters.. [178] Tennessee is trisected by the Tennessee River, and its geographical center is in Murfreesboro. [312] The research and development industry in Tennessee is also one of the largest employment sectors, mainly due to the prominence of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the Y-12 National Security Complex in the city of Oak Ridge.