Tennessee

Tennessee became the sixteenth state to join the United States on June 1, 1796. Known as the Volunteer State, it has Nashville as both its capital and largest city. Its geography stretches from the Mississippi River and fertile western plains to the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee River Valley and Great Smoky Mountains in the east.

Tennessee played an important role in westward expansion and became a major battleground during the Civil War. During the twentieth century, the Tennessee Valley Authority transformed much of the state through flood control, electrification and economic development, while Oak Ridge became an important center of atomic research. Tennessee is also closely associated with American music through Nashville’s country music industry, Memphis blues and soul, and the development of rock and roll.