Tennessee – The Volunteer State

Greetings from Tennessee Postcard. Available at Legends' General Store.

Greetings from Tennessee Postcard. Available at Legends’ General Store.

 

Welcome to Tennessee Legends

What is now Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina and later part of the Southwest Territory. Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state on June 1, 1796.

Dominating the eastern part of the state are the majestic Appalachian Mountains, and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the nation’s most visited national park, can be found here. Here, can also be found a section of the Appalachian Trail, which roughly follows the Tennessee-North Carolina border. In the eastern part of the state is also the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park commemorating a vital early phase in the westward movement. The terrain drops down to the west to the lowlands and the Mississippi River, which forms the state’s western border.

The Volunteer State was heavily involved in the Civil War, and a number of battle sites and museums can be visited. Other major tourist attractions include the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, the Sunsphere in Knoxville, Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, the Parthenon, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and Elvis Presley’s Graceland residence and tomb in Memphis.

Kathy R. Weiser-Alexander
Owner/Editor

©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated February 2024.

Also See:

Destinations Across America

National Parks

United States Geography

U.S. States