Tennessee belonged to the territory of North Carolina while a colony, and was settled by emigrants from it in 1757. They built Fort Loudon in East Tennessee, but were destroyed, or driven away, by the Indians, in 1760. Settlement was soon resumed, but continually harrassed by Indian attacks. In 1774 Col. Lewis and Capt. Shelby attacked and defeated them. They remained quiet until after the Declaration of Independence, when the Cherokees were stirred up by British emissaries. From 1776 to 1779 three several expeditions were made against them, the Indians being decisively defeated each time. The Cherokees and Shawnees were warlike tribes, and continued, for some years, to make occasional attacks on the settlements, which did not, however, prevent their steady growth.

In 1789 North Carolina renounced her claim to the territory, and in 1790 it became a separate province, being admitted into the Union as a Sovereign State in 1796, making the sixteenth, or the third admitted after the Revolutionary war—Vermont, in 1791, being the first; and Kentucky, in 1792, the second.

This State has an area of 45,600 square miles, or 29,184,000 acres. It had a population in 1870 of 1,257,983.

Tennessee is very agreeably diversified with mountain, hill and dale, containing within its limits fertility of soil, beauty of scenery, and a delightfully temperate climate. The State is generally healthy. The soil in the main is good, and while among the mountains it is not arable, it is favorable for grazing, and stock is largely exported.

Indian corn, tobacco, and cotton are the great staples.

Gold has been found in the south-east portion of the State. Among the other minerals found here are iron in abundance, some lead, silver, zinc, marble of very fine quality, and various others. The State is entitled to ten Representatives in Congress; is in the sixth judicial circuit; has three judicial districts; and has two ports of delivery—Memphis and Knoxville.

Nashville is the capital. The State election is held on the first Monday in August, and the Legislature meets on the first Monday in October, once in two years. The Legislature consists of a Senate of twenty-five members, and a House of Representatives of seventy-five members.

The enacting clause of the laws of this State is: “Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee.”

UNITED STATES SENATORS.
William Blount,from1796to1797.
William Cocke,”{1796”1797.
1799”1805.
Andrew Jackson,”{1797”1798.
1823”1825.
Joseph Anderson,”1797”1815.
Daniel Smith,”1797”1809.
Jenkin Whiteside,”1809”1811.
George W. Campbell,”1811”1818.
Jesse Wharton,”1814”1815.
John Williams,”1815”1823.
John H. Eaton,”1818”1829.
Hugh L. White,”1825”1840.
Felix Grundy,”1829”1840.
Ephraim H. Foster,”{1838”1839.
1843”1845.
A. O. P. Nicholson,”1840”1843.
Alexander Anderson,”1840”1841.
Spencer Jarnagin,”1841”1847.
Hopkins L. Turney,”1845”1851.
John Bell,”1847”1853.
James C. Jones,”1851”1857.
Andrew Johnson,”1857”1863.
David T. Patterson,”1865”1869.
J. S. Fowler,”1865”1871.
William G. Brownlow,”1869”1875.
Henry Cooper,”1871”1877.
Andrew Johnson,”1875”1881.