The today's flag of Tennessee was introduced on 17th of April in 1905. It shows a big plain red ground and at the waving end of the flag a narrow vertical blue stripe separated from the red area by a thin white stripe. In the centre of the red area is placed a blue disc or circle with a white border and three white five-pointed stars. The circle in the centre stands for unity. The three stars represent the three geographical regions of the country: the mountains in the east, the Highlands in the centre and the Lowlands in the west. The creator of the flag, LeRoy Reeves of the 3rd Tennessee Infantry Regiment (Tennessee National Guard), described the circle as an "indissoluble trinity". The colours are not exactly defined, but Reeves described the red even as purple. Many reproductions use the colours of the US flag: Old Glory Red and Old Glory Blue. The vertical stripe at the waving end is explained by Reeves as follows: "The final blue bar relieves the sameness of the crimson field and prevents the flag from showing too much crimson when hanging limp". The flag is said to be reminiscent of the flag of the Confederate States of America (CSA). LeRoy Reeves is not known to have made any comments on this. The colours blue, white and red are the national colours of the CSA, but also of the USA. Today, the colours are assigned the following meaning: Blue stands for idealism, white for purity and red for Tennessee itself and its glorious history. When Tennessee left the USA on 16th of May in 1861 and joined the CSA on 24th of July in 1861, the first flag of its own was to be introduced. But the country almost immediately became embroiled in the fighting of the Civil War, and by mid-1862 two thirds of the country was occupied by the northern states, so that the flag was never introduced. It was to resemble the "Stars and Bars" flag of the Confederacy in its appearance, but the state seal of Tennessee was to be placed in the blue upper corner. A first state flag had then been introduced on 1st of May in 1897. It showed three diagonal stripes in red, blue and white. In the blue field was the state's nickname in gold: "The Volunteer State". It goes back to the numerous volunteer fighters in the War of Independence against United Kingdom. In the white field of the flag, at the waving end, was a blue "16". This was a reminder that Tennessee became the sixteenth state to join the USA in 1796. Another design for this flag has also survived, which arranges the colours differently, blue, white and red, with the oblique "The Volunteer State" in blue in the central white field. The "16" appeared in white in the top corner.
early times/antiqutiy · settlement by Indians (Muskogee, Cherokee, Yuchi, ...)
1539–1540 · the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto explores the region
1665 · the east of today's Tennessee is part of the English colony of Carolina, but no settlement or Colonization
1729 · the Carolina colony is officially divided, today's Tennessee is formally part of North Carolina
1757 · first British colonists settle beyond the Alleghenies, and thus in today's Tennessee
1775–1783 · War of Independence of the colonies against United Kingdom
22nd of August 1776 · today's Tennessee is officially a part of North Carolina as Washington County
1785–1790 · State of Franklin in the north of today's Tennessee, not recognized by the U.S. government
26th of May 1790 · North Carolina cedes Washington County to the federal government of the USA because of administrative problems, establishment of the Southwest Territory
1792 · Knoxville is capital
1st of June 1796 · Tennessee is the 16th state to join the USA
1812 · Nashville is capital
1815 · Knoxville is capital
1817 · Murfreesboro is capital
1843 · Nashville is capital
6th of May 1861 · Tennessee announces its resignation from the USA
1861–1865 · Civil War: the country was conquered in 1862 by troops of the US-General Grant, and the country becomes plundered and devastated by murdering and pillaging troops of the US-General Sherman in 1862, Tennessee is scene of numerous battles and skirmishes: Chattanooga, Shiloh, Murfreesboro
9th of April in 1865 · General Lee surrenders at Appomattox (Virginia) as commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, the other CSA Armies capitulate gradually until July 1865
1865–1877 · "reconstruction", forced return of the CSA states in the USA
22nd of February 1865 · new constitution
24th of July 1866 · reentry into the United States
The origin of the name "Tennessee" knows two theories: A) The name "Tennessee" comes from the native Indian Cherookee word "Tanasie" what has been the name of a single Indian settlement on the Little Tennessee River. B) The word "Tanasie" comes from the language of Cherookee, meaning "settlement on the River", a word with which the Cherookee called all their villages on the Little Tennessee River, the name was transfered to the river, later to the whole country.
