Tennessee State Day, Motto, and Nickname

STATE DAY June 1 STATUS Unofficial DATE OF ADMISSION TO UNITED STATES June 1, 1796 RANKING IN STATE ADMISSION 16th FORMER DESIGNATIONS Southwest Territory   HISTORY In 1789, the federal government took control of the lands that now comprise the State of Tennessee, naming the new territory the Southwest Territory. By 1795, after numerous territorial disputes and considerable political infighting, the Southwest Territory had fulfilled all of the requirements necessary to seek statehood. A census that same year indicated that the residents of the territory were in favor of attaining statehood by a margin of three to one. A constitutional convention was convened and a state constitution and bill of rights were created. The Southwest Territory was the first federal territory to request statehood. On June 1, 1796, Congress approved the admission and set the permanent state boundaries. Tennessee became the 16th state of the Union. MOTTO "Agriculture and Commerce" The phrase was adopted for the Great Seal of the State of Tennessee in 1801. In 1987, it was adopted as the official state motto. NICKNAMES "The Big Bend State," "The Butternut State," "The Hog and Hominy State," "The Mother of Southwestern Statesmen," "The Volunteer State" Many Tennessee nicknames are derived from Native Indian origins, such as "Big Bend State." This refers to the Indian name for the Tennessee River, which means "The river with the big bend." During the Civil War, Tennessee soldiers wore tan uniforms, which led to the state nickname of "Butternut State." Pork and corn were traditional economic products of the state, produced in such quantities at one time that Tennessee became known as the "Hog and Hominy State." Tennessee has produced some of the most famous statesmen in the history of the country, including three presidents. This has led to the stated being referred to as the "Mother of Southwestern Statesmen." The nickname "The Volunteer State" dates back to the War of 1812, when the volunteer soldiers of Tennessee won fame. Later the appellation became famous for collegiate athletic teams.  -World Trade Press