Tennessee was settled by the Cherokee and Chickasaw Native American tribes.
Eastern Tennessee became the State of Franklin in 1784, but lasted until 1788. Tennessee became a U.S. state on June 1, 1796.
Tennessee became the last southern state to join the Confederacy in June of 1861. Men from Tennessee went to fight on both North and South of the war including 187,000 to the South and 51,000 to the North.
In the 1920s, Nashville, Tennessee became known for country music and the Grand Old Opry music show. Nashville has been the country music capital of the world with the nickname "Music City."
The Cherokee Alphabet
Sequoyah (c.1770-1843) was born in the eastern hills of Tennessee to a Cherokee mother and a English father. He never attended school, but while working as a silversmith, he became interested in written language by European settlers an decided to make a language for his own people.
Elvis Presley!!!
In the 1900s Elvis Presley (a.k.a. king of Rock 'n' Roll) helped put Memphis on the music map. Elvis Aaron Presley grew up in poverty as an only child, his twin brother having died at birth. The Presley family moved to Memphis in 1948.