Tennessee Fun Facts

The Only One Man Alphabet Go to index
The only alphabet ever known created by a single individual was created in East Tennessee by the Cherokee Chief Sequoyah. It was the first written alphabet created for Native Americans. The town of Vonore has a museum dedicated to Sequoyah.

First Constitution of Americal in 1796? Think again! Go to index
The first constitution written for the purpose of self government of America was written in what is now Tennessee in 1792. It was written by a group known as the Watauga Association at Sycamore Shoals near Elizabethton, Tennessee. It was based on the Iroquois Federation's laws.

Famous Tennessee People Go to index
Tennessee has produced three U.S. presidents: Andrew Jackson, 1829-37; James K. Polk, 1845-49; and Andrew Johnson, 1865-69. Other famous Tennesseans include frontiersman Davy Crockett, Admiral David Farragut, cavalry officer Nathan Bedford Forrest, U.S. Register of the Treasury James Carroll Napier (appointed 1911 by President William Howard Taft), World War I hero Alvin York, and Cordell Hull (secretary of state under Franklin D. Roosevelt).

The Women's Right To Vote Go to index
August 21, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th amendment, giving the nation's 17 million women the right to vote.

Abolition Go to index
The first abolitionist publications in the country devoted exclusively to the abolition of human slavery, The Manumission Intelligencer and the Emancipator, were published in Tennessee's oldest incorporated town of Jonesborough.

Oldest Town in Tennessee Go to index
While most people believe that Jonesborough is the oldest town in Tennessee, Trade, Tennessee in the Northeast corner of the state is the oldest town and has been a pow wow site since the early 1700s. Jonesborough is the oldest incorporated city.

How Nashville Became the Music Center of the World Go to index
The Jubilee Singers of Fisk University in Nashville introduced to the world the Negro spiritual which became the basis for other genres of American music. It was because of their tours to raise funds for the university during the 1870s that Nashville became known for its music. Other Tennessee musicians include Bessie Smith from Chattanooga, Memphis musician W. C. Handy, and Elvis Presley. But oddly very few people realize that the first music recording in Tennessee was not done in Nashville. The honor of being the birthplace of country music can be claimed by Bristol, Tennessee. The first country music recording studio was located in that city. In the 1920's this studio recorded such names as: The Carter Family, Jimmy Rogers, Ralph Perr-Victor and the Stonemans.

Tennessee's other musical mediums, include Appalachian, drawn from Irish and Scottish roots. Some refer to this music as bluegrass. Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt are just some of the early musicians who captured and offered bluegrass to the nation. "Sleepy" John Estes of Brownsville was a premier jazz guitarist of his time. Many country artists, including Tennessee Ernie Ford, Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Loretta Lynn, Minnie Pearl and Dolly Parton, contributed to the popularity of country music that now reaches an international audience.

Nashville's Grand Ole Opry is the longest continuously-running live radio program in the world. It has broadcasted every Friday and Saturday night since 1925.

Where Was Davy Crockett Born? Go to index
Davy Crockett was not born on a mountaintop in Tennessee, regardless of what the song says. He was born on the banks of Limestone Creek near Greeneville,where a replica of the Crocketts' log cabin stands today.

Tennessee and the Civil War Go to index
More Civil War battles were fought in Tennessee than any other state except Virginia. The four national military parks in Tennessee are Chickamauga-Chattanooga in Chattanooga, Stones River in Murfreesboro, Shiloh near Savannah, and Fort Donelson near Dover.

Tennessee was the last state to secede from the Union during the War Between the States and the first state to be readmitted after the war. East Tennesseans were strongly pro-Union, while West and Middle Tennesseans were primarily on the side of the Confederacy.

Most Visited National Park Go to index
It's not Yellowstone. The most visited National Park in America is The Smoky Mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was named for the smoke-like bluish haze that often envelopes these mountains. It had nothing to do with a bear. The highest point is Clingman's Dome, at 6,643 feet. The park measures just over 500,000 acres.

Tennessee contains all or part of nine national parks, historic sites and recreation areas, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,the most visited national park in the United States. In addition, Tennessee has more than 50 state parks, providing a wide range of recreational opportunities.

Tennessee (Chatanooga) Aquarium Go to index
The Tennessee Aquarium is the largest facility of its kind to focus on fresh water habitat. It features 7,000 animals and 300 species of fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals.

Underground Lake Go to index
The Guinness Book of World Records lists the "Lost Sea" in Sweetwater as the largest underground lake in the U.S.

Worst Earthquake in American History Go to index
The worst earthquake in American history didn't occur in California. The worst known earthquake occurred in the winter of 1811-12 in northwestern Tennessee. The earthquake caused a vast land area to drop several feet and caused tidal waves on the Mississippi River. The river flowed backward into the depression, creating what is today known as Reelfoot Lake. During the winter months, Reelfoot Lake has the largest population of American bald eagles in the eastern United States.

Casey Jones Go to index
The legendary railroad engineer Casey Jones, who was killed when his train crashed on April 30, 1900, lived in Jackson, Tennessee. Today there is a museum in his honor located in Jackson.

Oak Ridge Go to index
Oak Ridge, the secret city created in the 1940s, was instrumental in the development of the atomic bomb. Today, because of constant energy research,it is known as the "Energy Capital of the World." It is the home of the American Museum of Science and Energy.

The Volunteer State Go to index
Tennessee earned its nickname by its remarkable record of furnishing volunteers in the War of 1812 and in the Mexican War. Tennessee also ranks number one among other states in the total number of soldiers who fought in the War Between the States.

Information from this page taken from the Tennessee Blue Book, Guiness Book of World Records, Fodor's Guide to Tennessee, The American Almanac, and The Tennessee State Homepage.

The Name Tennessee Go to index
The name "Tennessee" originated from the old Yuchi Indian word, "Tana-see," meaning "The Meeting Place." White men traveling in the area in the 1700s associated the word with the name of a Cherokee village and as the name of a river in Cherokee Territory.

Great Lakes or Bust Go to index
If you are in Memphis, the state of Tennessee is so long that you are closer to the Great Lakes than to the Eastern tip of Tennessee.