Over the Appalachians and to the Mississippi: The Emergence of the State of Tennessee

The state we know today as Tennessee was originally part of North Carolina and the Southwest Territory. Tennessee was admitted into the Union as the 16th state on June 1, 1796. Prior to the arrival of white settlers, the land was home to Indigenous tribes, the largest of which were the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Shawnee nations. As more settlers moved into areas inhabited by these tribes, the federal authorities selected Indian agents to negotiate treaties to acquire land, hunting rights, and peace among the parties. Soon, tribes were being pushed farther west with a great loss of land, creating tension with the white settlers. The James Robertson Papers, the Andrew Jackson letters, and those of early townspeople provide glimpses into life on the Tennessee frontier. This rugged life persisted through the early 19th century and produced two U.S. presidents: Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk.