Tennessee's Flag - The three stars on the flag represent the three different land forms in Tennessee. Mountains in the east,
highlands in the middle and lowlands in the west. On the flag these regions are bound together in an unbroken circle. The field is
crimson with a blue background for the stars. The final blue strip relieves the sameness of the crimson field and prevents the flag
from showing too much crimson when it is limp. Here, in Tennessee, we refer to East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee
almost as if it were three different states. I live in East Tennessee with the mountains and I can't imagine living anywhere else.
History of Tennessee - First visited by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540, the Tennessee area would later be
claimed by both France and England as a result of the 1670s and 1680s explorations of Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet,
sieur de la Salle, and the Englishmen James Needham and Gabriel Arthur. Great Britain obtained the region following the
French and Indian Wars in 1763. It was rapidly occupied by settlers moving in from Virginia and the Carolinas. During 1784–87,
the settlers formed the “state” of Franklin, which was disbanded when the region was allowed to send representatives to the North
Carolina legislature. In 1790 Congress organized the territory south of the Ohio River, and Tennessee joined the Union in 1796.
Although Tennessee joined the Confederacy during the Civil War, there was much pro-Union sentiment in the state, which was
the scene of extensive military action. The state is now predominantly industrial; the majority of its population lives in urban
areas. Among the most important products are chemicals, textiles, apparel, electrical machinery, furniture, and leather goods.
Other lines include food processing, lumber, primary metals, and metal products. The state is known as the U.S.
hardwood-flooring center and ranks first in the production of marble, zinc, pyrite, and ball clay. Tennessee is one of the leading
tobacco-producing states in the nation. Its farming income is derived from livestock and dairy products, as well as corn, cotton,
and soybeans. With six other states, Tennessee shares the extensive federal reservoir developments on the Tennessee and
Cumberland River systems. The Tennessee Valley Authority operates a number of dams and reservoirs in the state. Among the
major points of interest are the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site at Greeneville, the American Museum of Atomic Energy at
Oak Ridge, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Hermitage (home of Andrew Jackson near Nashville), Rock City Gardens
near Chattanooga, and three National Military Parks. Info from: Information Please,
a Division of Family Education Company. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Greeneville TN
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