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Tennessee became the 16th state on June 1, 1796. Here is its history in one place: 66 historic sites you can visit (26 free), 32 National Historic Landmarks, 36 historic tours and trails, 33 history events and a 60-event timeline, each checked against an official page.
Header photo: The Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville about 1901; its cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1845. Credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.
- 179616th state (June 1, 1796)
- 66historic sites to visit
- 32National Historic Landmarks
- 36tours and trails
- Tennessee history by era
- Historic sites by region
- Tours and trails
- History events
- Markers, archives, America 250
Tennessee’s story runs from the self-governing Watauga Association of 1772 and the 1780 Overmountain muster at Sycamore Shoals, through Cherokee removal from Red Clay and the Civil War’s western battles, to the Lorraine Motel and the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge.
Tennessee History by Era
The short version, era by era. Every date is on the full 60-event timeline with its source.
- over 10,000 years ago: People used the entrance of Dunbar Cave from the end of the last ice age onward.
- 300 B.C. to A.D. 900: The Woodland Period, when Pinson Mounds and the Old Stone Fort were built.
- 1756: The British began building Fort Loudoun on the Little Tennessee River, named for the Earl of Loudoun.
- 1772: Settlers along the Watauga River formed the Watauga Association to govern themselves.
- 1779: North Carolina chartered Jonesborough, the oldest town in Tennessee; it was laid out in 1780.
- September 25, 1780: The Overmountain Men mustered at Sycamore Shoals before marching to the Battle of Kings Mountain.
- 1790: Governor William Blount set up the territorial office at William Cobb’s home, Rocky Mount, the first territorial capital.
- June 1, 1796: Tennessee became the 16th state, the first created from territory under federal jurisdiction.
- 1828: Andrew Jackson of the Hermitage was elected president of the United States.
- May 1838 to March 1839: The Cherokee were forcibly removed from their homelands on the Trail of Tears; the roundup began in May 1838 under General Winfield Scott.
- April 6-7, 1862: The two-day Battle of Shiloh produced more than 23,000 casualties around Shiloh Church and Pittsburg Landing.
- November 30, 1864: The Battle of Franklin left some 9,500 soldiers killed, wounded, captured or missing in about five hours; Carnton became the largest field hospital.
- January 9, 1866Fisk Free Colored School, forerunner of Fisk University, opened in Nashville to educate formerly enslaved people.
- May 1-2, 1866During the Memphis race riot of May 1-2, 1866, some forty-six African Americans and two whites died.
- July 1866Tennessee ratified the Fourteenth Amendment and was readmitted to the Union before Congressional Reconstruction began.
- 1878: A yellow fever epidemic infected over 17,000 people in Memphis and killed 5,150.
- 1888 and 1892: The Union Gospel Tabernacle, later Ryman Auditorium, was built between 1888 and 1892.
- August 18, 1920The Tennessee House voted to ratify the 19th Amendment, making Tennessee the 36th state needed for woman suffrage.
- May 18, 1933President Franklin Roosevelt signed the act creating the Tennessee Valley Authority.
- September 1942Gen. Leslie Groves came to East Tennessee for the Manhattan Project; land for the Clinton Engineer Works (Oak Ridge) was taken that fall.
- August 20, 1956: Twelve African American students registered at Clinton High School, beginning court-ordered desegregation.
- April 4, 1968: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel while supporting the strike.
- 1991: The National Civil Rights Museum opened to the public at the former Lorraine Motel.
- 1996: Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park was dedicated on Tennessee’s 200th birthday.
Historic Sites to Visit, by Region
The highlights in each region. Hours, admission and every site are on historic sites in Tennessee.
Historic Tours and Trails
36 ways to see Tennessee history on foot, by car or with a ranger. All of them: historic tours in Tennessee.
| Tour or trail | Where | Price | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trail of Tears National Historic Trail (Tennessee routes) | Southeast to Middle and West Tennessee | Free (sites vary) | Year-round |
| Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail | Sycamore Shoals (Elizabethton) and route through VA, TN, NC, SC | Free | Year-round |
| U.S. Civil Rights Trail – Tennessee (Memphis, Nashville, Clinton) | Memphis; Nashville; Clinton | Free (sites vary) | Year-round |
| Memphis Heritage Trail | Memphis (South Memphis, Downtown; links to Orange Mound, Soulsville USA) | Free | Year-round |
| Nashville Sites walking and driving tours | Nashville | Free | Year-round |
| Battle of Franklin Trust battlefield and specialty tours | Franklin | $29 per person (90-minute specialty tours); classic house tours $22 adults/$14 kids 6-15 | Daily; specialty tours at set times Mon-Sat (e.g. Carter House battlefield tour 11 am Mon-Thu, 11 and 2 Fri-Sat) |
| DOE Public Facilities Bus Tour (Oak Ridge) | Oak Ridge | $20 standard; $30 special dates | 2026 season ends November 20, 2026; departs 9:00 am from AMSE |
| Cades Cove Loop Road | Great Smoky Mountains NP (Townsend) | Free; parking tag required to stop over 15 min ($5 daily) | Sunrise to sunset; closed to vehicles Wednesdays typically May-Sept |
History Events Coming Up
Reenactments, living history and candlelight tours with dates the organizers have posted. All 33: history events in Tennessee.
| Event | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| Information Nation exhibit (Tennessee America 250) | Nashville | Feb 27, 2026 to Feb 21, 2027 |
| Tennessee America 250 Trail at the Museum of Appalachia | Clinton | Mar 25, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026 |
| Free admission at the Museum of East Tennessee History (“Lines Were Drawn”) | Knoxville | Jun 1, 2026 to Feb 14, 2027 |
| “Tracing Silhouettes” exhibit | Knoxville | Jun 19, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026 |
| Death and Disease Park Tour | Nashville | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Polk Home Free Day (James K. Polk birthday) | Columbia | Nov 1, 2026 |
| Battle of Johnsonville 162nd Anniversary Event | New Johnsonville | Nov 7, 2026 |
| A Walk in Their Boots | Johnson City | Nov 7, 2026 |
Historical Markers, Archives and America 250
| Program | Run by | What it is | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Historical Markers Program | Tennessee Historical Commission | State roadside historical markers program begun in the late 1940s; applications through THC (“has erected over 2,000 markers”) | Official page |
| National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee | Tennessee Historical Commission (SHPO) with National Park Service | Nation’s list of places worthy of preservation; every Tennessee county has at least one listing (THC: “over 2000 entries”; NPS Tennessee page: 2,197 listings) | Official page |
| State Historic Sites Program | Tennessee Historical Commission (daily operations by partner organizations) | State-owned historic properties such as Carter House, Polk Home, Rocky Mount and Wynnewood (17 state-owned properties listed) | Official page |
| Tennessee State Library and Archives | Tennessee Secretary of State | State library and archives for research and genealogy; Statehood Day and Family History Day programs | Official page |
| Patriot Paths | Tennessee State Library and Archives | Interactive GIS map of Revolutionary War veterans who settled in Tennessee, from pension applications filed 1818-1836; updated for America 250 (July 2, 2026) (More than 2,200 veterans) | Official page |
| Tennessee Historical Society | Tennessee Historical Society (nonprofit) | Statewide historical society; state affiliate of National History Day; co-publisher of the Tennessee Encyclopedia (Over 8,300 National History Day students) | Official page |
| Tennessee Encyclopedia (online) | Tennessee Historical Society and University of Tennessee Press | Free online edition of the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture (THS: “over 2,000 entries”; encyclopedia About page: “over 1,500 entries”) | Official page |
| Tennessee America 250 (Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial) | Tennessee Commission for the U.S. Semiquincentennial (staffed through the Tennessee State Museum) | Plans and coordinates Tennessee’s commemoration of the nation’s 250th; grants, education resources, site directory and statewide event calendar (Sites directory shows 75 sites on its first page (7 pages)) | Official page |
| Tennessee America 250 event calendar | Tennessee America 250 | Statewide calendar; most events listed are not officially sponsored by the commission | Official page |
| Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area | MTSU Center for Historic Preservation | Only national heritage area covering an entire state; designated by Congress 1996; Civil War and Reconstruction 1860-1875 (“over 400 trails markers across the state” (Civil War Trails)) | Official page |
National Historic Landmarks
Tennessee has 32 National Historic Landmarks on the National Park Service list. See every Tennessee National Historic Landmark by region, with which ones you can visit.
What We Could Not Verify
- Some former websites for Tennessee history places and events, including the old Alex Haley Museum, Exchange Place and Secret City Festival sites, now show for-sale or unrelated pages. We link the official state or operator pages instead, or leave the place unlinked.
We re-check these when the source pages change. Spot something we missed? Use the corrections page.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Tennessee become a state?
Tennessee became the 16th state on June 1, 1796, the first state created from territory under federal jurisdiction. The Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville marks Statehood Day each year, and 2026 is the state’s 230th birthday year. (source: Celebrate Statehood Day at the Library and Archives (Tennessee Secretary of State)).
What is the oldest town in Tennessee?
Jonesborough is the oldest town in Tennessee. North Carolina chartered it in 1779, before Tennessee existed, and the town was laid out in 1780. In 1784 frontier leaders meeting at Jonesborough began the movement for the separate State of Franklin. (source: Jonesborough (Tennessee Encyclopedia); State of Franklin (Tennessee Encyclopedia)).
What is Tennessee’s link to the American Revolution?
It centers on Sycamore Shoals in Elizabethton. In 1772 settlers there formed the Watauga Association, which the Tennessee Encyclopedia calls the first majority-rule system of American democratic government, and on September 25, 1780 the Overmountain Men mustered there before marching to the Battle of Kings Mountain. (source: Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area (Tennessee Encyclopedia)).
How is Tennessee marking America 250?
Tennessee America 250, the state commission for the U.S. Semiquincentennial, is staffed through the Tennessee State Museum and keeps a statewide event calendar. The State Library and Archives also updated its Patriot Paths map on July 2, 2026; it traces more than 2,200 Revolutionary War veterans who settled in Tennessee. (source: Tennessee America 250; Celebrating America 250: TSLA Launches Updated “Patriot Paths” Resource (Tennessee Secretary of State)).
How many historical markers does Tennessee have?
The Tennessee Historical Commission says its marker program “has erected over 2,000 markers” since it began in the late 1940s. The commission takes applications for new markers, but its page does not link an official searchable database of marker texts. (source: Historical Markers (Tennessee Historical Commission)).
Is all of Tennessee a Civil War heritage area?
Yes. Congress designated the whole state as the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area in 1996, the only national heritage area that covers an entire state. It interprets the Civil War and Reconstruction from 1860 to 1875, and it counts over 400 Civil War Trails markers across Tennessee. (source: Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area (NPS); Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area).
Last checked October 20, 2026 by the It’s Tennessee editors against each operator’s, agency’s or organizer’s own page.
Sources
- Celebrate Statehood Day at the Library and Archives (Tennessee Secretary of State)
- National Park Service: places in Tennessee
- National Park Service: National Historic Landmarks program
- Dunbar Cave State Park – Highlights (Tennessee State Parks)
- Archaic Period (Tennessee Encyclopedia)
- Woodland Period (Tennessee Encyclopedia)
- Mississippian Culture (Tennessee Encyclopedia)
- C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa (University of Memphis)
- Chickasaws (Tennessee Encyclopedia)
- Tennessee Historical Markers Program
- National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee
- State Historic Sites Program
- Tennessee State Library and Archives
- Patriot Paths
- Tennessee Historical Society
- Tennessee Encyclopedia (online)
- Tennessee America 250 (Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial)
- Tennessee America 250 event calendar
- Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area
Cite this page: It's Tennessee, “Tennessee History: Historic Sites, Landmarks, Tours and Timeline”, itstennessee.com/history/ (updated ). By the It's Tennessee editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.