Tennessee - home of Country Music

Tennessee is located in the Southeastern United States and is bordered by 8 States - Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri. The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern part of the state, and the Mississippi River forms the state's western border. Tennessee's capital and second largest city is Nashville, which has a population of more than 624,000.  Memphis is the state's largest city, with a population of more than 655,000.

Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state on June 1, 1796. Tennessee was the last state to leave the Union and join the Confederacy at the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War in 1861 and the first state to be readmitted to the Union at the end of the war. Tennessee furnished more soldiers for the Confederate Army than any other state and more soldiers for the Union Army than any other Southern state. Tennessee is known as the "Volunteer State," a nickname earned during the War of 1812 because of the prominent role played by volunteer soldiers from Tennessee, especially during the Battle of New Orleans.

Tennessee has played a critical role in the development of many forms of American popular music, including rock and roll, blues, country, and rockabilly. First and foremost, it is known as the home of country music and the rise of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1930s helped make Nashville the center of the country music recording industry.  

Some major tourist attractions are Dollywood, the Parthenon, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Ryman Auditorium, the Jack Daniel's Distillery and Elvis Presley's Graceland residence.

This postcard from Jane Russell (10 April 2014) shows the State Capitol Building and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Musuem, a map of Tennessee, the State Flag, the State Bird (the Mockingbird) and the State Flower (Iris).