History

As of the 17th century, Tennessee was the middle ground for several peoples. Along the Mississippi River was the Chickasaw & Choctaw peoples, and inland of them were the Coushatta-- all three were part of the Muskogean language family. Before European contact, they were supposedly all a loose collection of Mississippian culture city-states with their own leaders, but upon contact with Europeans, they merged into larger nations, spread out and adopted a European lifestyle, earning many of them the title of the "Civilized Tribes." During the height of the Mississippians, hundreds of walled cities extended throughout the American south from Louisiana to the east coast, up the Mississippi into Wisconsin & a few fringe cities along larger rivers on the Great Plains. They had complex society & agriculture. They did not build with stone, but made plenty of examples of sculpture work in clay, stone & copper. Most of what remains of these cities, however, are large, pyramidal, earthen hills (upon which chiefs & upper-classmen would build their homes) and artful burial mounds. These people did not develop the Mississippian culture, however, but adopted it from the Caddo people west of the Mississippi River.

To the east were the Yuchi & Iroquoian Cherokee, divided along the Tennessee River. In the north-central region of the state were the Algonquian Cisca.They later moved northeast and merged with the Shawnee, but were briefly replaced with a second native nation known as the Maumee, or Mascouten which were driven south during the Beaver Wars (1640-1680) from southern Michigan. They later merged with the Miami of Indiana & were, once again, replaced by the Shawnee. The Shawnee controlled most of the Ohio River Region until the Shawnee Wars (1811-1813). 

There are no federally reognized tribes in Tennessee today.

French explorers and traders, led by Robert de La Salle, entered the region in 1682 at Fort Prudhomme. France briefly (1739–1740) established a presence at Fort Assumption during the Chickasaw Wars.

Government under North Carolina.

In the days before statehood, Tennesseans struggled to gain a political voice and suffered for lack of the protection afforded by organized government. Six counties had been formed as western counties of North Carolina between 1777 and 1788.

After the American Revolutionary War, North Carolina did not want the trouble and expense of maintaining such distant settlements, embroiled as they were with hostile tribesmen during the Cherokee - American wars, and needing roads, forts, and open waterways. Nor could the far-flung settlers look to the national government; for under the weak, loosely constituted Articles of Confederation, it was a government in name only.

Southwest Territory  26 May 1790, - 1 June, 1796,

When North Carolina ratified the Constitution of the United States in 1789, it also ceded its western lands, the "Tennessee country", to the Federal government. Congress designated the area as the "Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio", more commonly known as the Southwest Territory.

Admission to the Union

In 1795, a territorial census revealed a sufficient population for statehood. A referendum showed a three-to-one majority in favor of joining the Union. Governor Blount called for a constitutional convention to meet in Knoxville, where delegates from all the counties drew up a model state constitution and democratic bill of rights.

The voters chose Johm Sevier (†1815) as governor. The newly elected legislature voted for Senators and a Congressman.

Tennessee leaders thereby converted the territory into a new state, with organized government and constitution, before applying to Congress for admission. Since the Southwest Territory was the first Federal territory to present itself for admission to the Union, there was some uncertainty about how to proceed, and Congress was divided on the issue.

Nonetheless, in a close vote on June 1, 1796, Congress approved the admission of Tennessee as the sixteenth state of the Union. They drew its borders by extending the northern and southern borders of North Carolina, with a few deviations, to the Mississippi River, Tennessee's western boundary.

The seal

Each of the three constitutions of Tennessee says that “there shall be a seal of this state, which shall be kept by the governor, and used by him officially, and shall be called the “Great Seal of the State of Tennessee.’” [1]

John Trotwood Moore, the late State Librarian and Archivist, says that “there is no evidence that any action 1796, when the General Assembly passed  an act authorizing the governor to procure a seal for the use of the state.” [2]

A committee was appointed by the legistlative bodies of Tennessee to devise and report on a suitable State seal on September 26, 1801.[3] The report of this committee was made and adopted on November 14, 1801, which provided that “’the said seal be a circle, two inches and a quarter in diameter, that the circumference of the circle contain the words THE GREAT SEAL OF TENNESSEE, that in the lower part of said circumference be inserted Feb. 6th, 1796, the date of the constitution of this state; that in the inside of the upper part of said circle be set in numerical letters xvi, the number of the state in chronological order; that under the base of the upper semicircle, there be the word AGRICULTURE; that above said base, there be the figure of a plough, sheaf of wheat and cotton plant; that in the lower part of the lower semicircle, there be the word COMMERCE and said lowere semicircle, shall also contain the figure of a boat and boatman.’” [4]

The Arms

After the Civil war it was attempted to make a design of a coat of arms of Tennessee. This showed the charges of the seal of 1801 but was never accepted.

Æ See illustration in the head of this article.

Police

Tennessee Army National Guard

Crest

Blazon

That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Tennessee Army National Guard:  From a wreath of colors, upon a mount Vert a hickory tree Proper charged with three mullets one and two Argent.

Symbolism

The hickory tree refers to Andrew Jackson who was known as "Old Hickory" because of his toughness as a fighter.  The three white stars which appear on the State flag allude to the three grand divisions or areas of the State:  East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee.

Background

The crest for color bearing organizations of the State of Tennessee was originally approved on 28 May 1923.  It was amended to add symbolism on 1 April 1974.

Shoulder Sleeve Insignia

Description

A disk 2 3/8 inches (6.03 cm) in diameter with a blue 3.2 mm) border edged with 1,6 mm) of white inner border, and a red center 5.08 cm) in diameter, bearing on a wreath of six twists, alternating white and red, upon a green mound, a green hickory tree, charged with three white stars, one and two.

Symbolism

The hickory tree refers to Andrew Jackson who was known as "Old Hickory" because of his toughness as a fighter.  The three white stars which appear on the State flag allude to the three grand divisions or areas of the State:  East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee.  The white and red twists of the wreath refer to the English origin of the original settlers.

Background

The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Tennessee Army National Guard on 29 May 1950.  It was amended to add symbolism of the design on 1 April 1974.  The insignia was redesignated on 30 December 1983, for Headquarters, State Area Command, Tennessee Army National Guard.  It was redesignated effective 1 October 2003, for the Tennessee Army National Guard Element, Joint Force Headquarters and amended to update the description. (TIOH Dwg. No. A-1-179)

Distinctive Unit Insignia

Description

A Silver color metal and enamel device 2.30 cm in height overall consisting of the crest for the Tennessee Army National Guard blazoned as follows:  On a wreath Argent and Gules, upon a mount Vert a hickory tree Proper charged with three mullets, one and two Argent.

Symbolism

The hickory tree refers to Andrew Jackson who was known as "Old Hickory" because of his toughness as a fighter.  The three white stars which appear on the State flag allude to the three grand divisions or areas of the State:  East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee.  The white and red twists of the wreath refer to the English origin of the original settlers.

Background

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for State Staff and all noncolor and nonstandard bearing units, Tennessee National Guard on 20 January 1932.  It was redesignated for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment and noncolor bearing units of the Tennessee Army National Guard on 4 October 1968.  It was amended to add symbolism to the design on 1 April 1974.  The insignia was redesignated effective 1 March 1983, for Headquarters, State Area Command, Tennessee Army National Guard.  It was redesignated effective 1 October 2003, for the Tennessee Army National Guard Element, Joint Force Headquarters and amended to update the description.