A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....09-05-03...."Tennessee ~ America at its Best"

Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

Please join us as we take a cyber-tour of another great state in this Union of ours. As we discover and spotlight each of our 50 states we also salute the proud FReepers who call their state 'home'.

Over the coming months each "Finest" hostess will profile her own home state - I will be presenting all the other states in random order. Please FReepMail me if you would like to participate in spotlighting your state. I would love to have your input on what you would like to see highlighted.

To date I have presented Alabama, Maryland, Vermont, Utah and Nevada. Billie has taken us on a cyber-tour of her home state, Texas, and FreeTheHostages has presented Washington D.C. Today we are visiting "The Volunteer State".

Mama_Bear

...and the firefly who wouldn't stay
put in the state symbols graphic above. LOL.

We are in for a real treat today as we tour this colorful state, but first, our mandatory (but brief) history lesson...





Tennessee was admitted into the Union in 1796, but the official state flag was not adopted until April 17, 1905. This flag was designed by LeRoy Reeves of the Third Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry. The three white stars in the center symbolize the three different geographical regions of Tennessee: the Great Smoky Mountains (in eastern Tennessee), the highlands (in central Tennessee) and the lowlands (in western Tennessee, by the Mississippi River). The white circle binds them together. The blue stripe along the margin was added for distinction when the flag is hanging.

One of the focal points in the history of Tennessee, like most of the south, is the many battles and skirmishes fought during the Civil War. Sadly, over the course of this war that pitted brother against brother, much Union and Confederate blood was shed throughout Tennessee. The list of battlefields in this state is long and I won't list them all here, but this website, The Tennessee Civil War Home Page is an excellent resource for those interested in that chapter in Tennessee's history.

King of the Wild Frontier

A rather colorful figure from the pages of Tennessee history is Davy Crockett, who, as those of us old enough to remember the song know, was "born on a mountain top in Tennessee" and went on to become a larger than life legend in his own time and one of our most interesting Congressmen.

He was commander of a battalion in the Creek Indian War in 1813-1814. He was a member of the Tennessee legislature in 1821-1822 and again in 1823-1824, and of the twentieth Congress of the United States in the years 1827-1829, in the twenty-first Congress, 1829-1831 and again, in the twenty-third Congress, 1833-1835. To be a representative in the Tennessee legislature and then serve honorably as a member of Congress of the United States, was quite a feat for one with less than six months schooling. His motto was,

"Be always sure you are right, then go ahead."


If you have not read Congressman Crockett's inspiring speech before the House of Representatives, click the link below. It is long, but well worth the time it takes to read. It is a reminder that, once upon a time, our country was governed by men of principle.

Not Yours to Give

(...would that our Representatives today exercise such honor and integrity in the stewardship of our tax dollars.)

Davy Crockett is buried near his birthplace in Limestone, Tennessee; his tombstone reads:

"Davy Crockett, Pioneer, Patriot,
Soldier, Trapper, Explorer, State Legislator,
Congressman, Martyred at The Alamo. 1786 - 1836"

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A bit of Trivia. Did you know...

...that Tennessee has SEVEN state songs? - My Homeland Tennessee, The Tennessee Waltz, When It's Iris Time in Tennessee, My Tennessee, Rocky Top, Tennessee, and The Pride of Tennessee.

...that the "Blues" got it's start in Tennessee? - W.C. Handy, B.B. King, and others all helped the blues grow from rowdy bar music to world wide appreciation - On Beale street in Memphis

...that three of John Grisham's novels are set in Tennessee? - "The Firm", "The Rainmaker", and "The Client" all take place in Memphis.

...and finally, did you know that Elvis Presley's home, "Graceland", is the second most visited home in the country? - It ranks only behind the White House in terms of visitors per year.

********************

Nashville is the national center of country music, and the Grand Ol' Opry is definitely on our itinerary. Then it is off to Memphis to tour Graceland, but first we'll stop at Dollywood, tour Great Smoky Mountains National Park, The Hermitage (home of Andrew Jackson near Nashville), and Rock City Gardens near Chattanooga. There is so much to see and do in Tennessee!

Are ya' ready for some football???

While we are here we can take in a game; either a University of Tennessee "Volunteers" football game (BTW, Tennessee beat Fresno State 24-6 in their season opener Saturday. I suppose, since it is not good form to 'boo' a team from a state I am profiling, I will just say "congratulations Vols" and, "better luck next time, Bulldogs". LOL!),



or, one of the Tennessee Titans games...



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Finally, with fall right around the corner,
let's take a look at Tennessee dressed
in her spectacular autumn colors.

A preview of coming attractions...







********************

Thank you to the following websites for information and graphics:
The Tennessee Civil War Home Page
Tennessee History and Trivia
Smoky Mountain Slide Show

I hope you have enjoyed our cyber-tour of Tennessee.
Have a nice FRiday and a great weekend!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 08-30 thru 9-01-03 Labor Day Weekend 09-02-03 FReeper Pet weinie (Lonestar) 09-03-03 To LBGA - With Love 09-04-03 John's Two Cents - JohnHuang2

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[Billie]

It was in the fall (October) and on Wednesday or Thursday. We saw license plates from every state in the United States - but not many Tennessee ones. LOL! It was so congested we could hardly wait to get out of there. The drive through the Smoky Mountains State Park was bumper to bumper - literally. (See, I believed the brochures the Chamber of Commerce sent us! Had NO idea it was so commercial in Gatlinburg! We suspected Pidgeon Forge was because of Dollyville!) I didn't even 'think' about the Fall Colors and THAT would be the draw at that particular time.

[Pippin]

And don't forget Andrew Jackson!

[Pippin]

......Or Andrew Johnson either!

[Mama_Bear]

this is a beautiful presentation of one of the prettiest states I've ever visited.

Thanks Billie. :-) It is pretty, as I recall. It was a long time ago when we drove through on one of our trips across country, but I remember how beautiful the Smoky Mountains were. And, coming down out of the mountains into Nashville, everything was so lush and green.

[MEG33]

I hear caution is required but he is kinda cute in a Wolfish way!I will take all advice very seriously...;)

[Pippin]

Okay! :O)

welcome to the Finest! :O)

[Constantine XIII]

Rocky Top Bump!

Fact: The congressional district in which Knoxville resides hasn't sent a Democrat to Washington since before the Civil War. :p

[MEG33]

Thank you..I just got lucky and found you one day.

[Libertina]

EXCELLENCE in a Thread BUMP! What a pleasure to read and to view :) Great job all, and what a speech by Mr. Crockett. It makes me even more determined to make my next vacation and American one! Have a great day and I hope to pop in now and then during the day.

[Pippin]

I would move to Tennessee in a heartbeat the first chance I got, only, I'd go to Knoxville! :O)

[Mama_Bear]

Andrew Jackson's home, The Hermitage, was on the tour today, but I did leave out Andrew Johnson. So, here is my tribute to President Johnson, another native North Carolinian who migrated to Tennessee.......

Andrew Johnson....
another famous Tennessean.

[Libertina]

I have a friend who lives in Knoxville. Funny, she didn't tell me how amazing is is. (She's way too involved in corporate stuff LOL)More and more I realize that the right side of the country is pretty great too ;)

[Mama_Bear]

Rocky Top Bump!

Thank you!!

Rocky Top Bump! Fact: The congressional district in which Knoxville resides hasn't sent a Democrat to Washington since before the Civil War. :p Fact: The congressional district in which Knoxville resides hasn't sent a Democrat to Washington since before the Civil War. :p

Really? Well, that is something to be proud of! Wish I could say the same of my congressional district.

Thanks for coming by, and for the BUMP. :-)

[The Thin Man]

LOL! I'm glad Mr. Polk finally got his due.

While we're at it, in your opening.......

          We're having fun and hope you are!

~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

What happened to the new hostess? Was it an oversight, or is she just too mean to wish us fun?

:-)

[Mama_Bear]

"EXCELLENCE in a Thread BUMP! What a pleasure to read and to view :) Great job all, and what a speech by Mr. Crockett." Thank you, dear Libertina.

You know, many people feel that Davy Crockett was over-rated as a frontiersman and as a Congressman. I've also heard that he was somewhat less than brave when defending the Alamo. But, he did accomplish a great deal for a man with almost no formal education. I have always felt that he was one of the more colorful people in American history.

Have a great day and I hope to pop in now and then during the day.

You have a great day too.

[The Thin Man]

YEEEEEEEEEEE! HAAAAAAAAAAA!

Hi Pippin, I'm kind of annoyed with you. Your extremely loud "yeeee haaaaa" woke me up this morning. :-)

[JustAmy]

Beautiful Thread, beautiful State, Mama_Bear!!

Now I must see Tennessee!!! I love visiting these states.

I will also refrain from booing the University of Tennessee! Well almost ..... BOO! I'm not sure whether he is on the acitve roster but Fresno State's Billy Volek, is with the Titans. Go Volek!!

[Mama_Bear]

What happened to the new hostess? Was it an oversight, or is she just too mean to wish us fun? :-)

Okay, you got me there. Would you believe that Free is shy and doesn't want the recognition? LOL.

Okay, well the truth is, I just copied that entire table from Billie's post yesterday, so technically, it isn't my fault. Now, I'm not saying it's Billie's fault, but I'm pretty sure you will. ;-)