[Captain Shady]

In the 1920s, Tennessee was leaning conservative Republican turf. Probably explains why Clinton and Carter easily won their "conservative" home states but TN threw out but Al Bore Sr. and Jr. after seeing their "leadership" in action.

I think eastern Tennessee was pro-Republican and pro-Unionist even in Civil War days.Not much slavery was going on in the mountains.

[Torie]

You are correct, and that is also true for parts of the Kentucky mountains, as well as some counties in NC. Ditto the Ozarks. Indeed, the poorest county in the nation in 1960, also had the highest percentage vote for Nixon, something like 93%. That was Jackson County, Kentucky.