Sheila Hickman: Happy 226th Birthday, Tennessee
On June 1, 1796, Tennessee became the 16th state, the last state to be admitted to the Union, while George Washington was president.
Washington appointed William Blount as governor of the Southwest Territory. In 1795, the census revealed that the population was sufficient to apply for statehood and a referendum on statehood passed three to one. Blount called for a constitutional convention in Knoxville. Delegates drew up a model constitution and a bill of rights and appointed John Sevier governor.
A great resource for Tennessee history is the Blue Book published by the Department of State’s Publication Division under the auspices of the Secretary of State. The history of blue books began in the 15th century when large volumes covered with blue velvet were used for record keeping by the English Parliament. The Official and Political Manual of the State of Tennessee was published in 1890.
The first blue book was published in 1929. Every two years, a new edition of the book is printed. A new Blue Book was published in January 2022.
The book for 2019-2020 is not blue, but yellow, to honor the suffragists who wore yellow roses in to encourage the Tennessee legislature to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment allowing women to vote. At a special General Assembly session in August 1920, Tennessee provided the vote that added the amendment to the US Constitution. The vote was close with 49 against and 47 for passage. Then Harry Burn had received a letter from his mother encouraging him to vote aye. He did and the resolution passed 50-46.
The Blue Book is an imposing source of information about our state. The yellow copy has 880 pages, and every page has some relevant information about Tennessee. Of course, the first sections are devoted to the three branches of our government: legislative, executive, and judicial.
There are pictures of senators and representatives with short biographical sketches. The book is divided into sections, and each section has chapters. Almost anything one would want to know about Tennessee is found in this volume. There are pictures of former governors with dates and information. There are pictures of people who hold important state positions. There are illustrations and even maps accompanying the text. Section VIII is devoted to statistics for state and local elections.
Chapter 45 called About Tennessee begins with Symbols and Honors. Our state seal has been changed slightly since 1801. The seal which we know was adopted in 1987 and bears The Great Seal of The State of Tennessee and 1796 in a circle. Inside the circle are XVI, a plough, a sheaf of wheat and a cotton plant. Underneath in bold letter is the word AGRICULTURE. Below is a boat floating along a stream. The circle is completed with COMMERCE in bold letters.
State Flags are in this chapter too.
The oblong flag we know and love was adopted because its predecessor was unpopular. In 1905 LeRoy Reeves, a National Guard Infantry captain, submitted the present design with its three stars on a blue field encircled in white on a red field accented by a small white stripe and finished with a blue stripe. Since the flag has no definite top or bottom, it is sometimes hung upside down. The highest star should be the one nearest the upper portion of the flag. There are two other Tennessee flags. We seldom see the red, white and blue General Assembly flag or the governor’s flag which is red bearing the crest of the National Guard.
We know that our legislators are charged with passing important legislation for our citizens, but they also have acted on less serious matters at times.
Every one of the following plants, beverages, bird, or fish and wild animal, horse, game bird, state dog, and state pet required legislative action.
In 1933 the mockingbird, a singer with ability to imitate other bird’s songs, was chosen by the state Ornithological Society and confirmed by the General Assembly.
In 1971, the raccoon, which seems to wear a mask, became the state’s wild animal. The channel catfish was designated as the state’s commercial fish, and the bobwhite became the state’s game bird in 1988. The Tennessee Walking Horse appropriately was named the official state horse. In 2003, the tomato became our official fruit, not our official vegetable. The state sport fish is the smallmouth bass selected in 2005.
Milk was awarded status as the official state beverage in 2009. In 2013, The University of Tennessee was selected to establish an official state botanical garden. Beginning in 2014 the state pet honor can be given to any dog or cat adopted from an animal shelter. Concluding the list is the state’s dog, the bluetick coonhound. These dogs have been a part of our history since pioneer days for hunting bear and wild animals now they are also popular for field trials.
Six insects have become official thanks to the General Assembly. They are the firefly or lightning bug, the ladybird beetle or lady bug, the honeybee, and the zebra swallowtail butterfly. Tennessee also has two state reptiles: the Tennessee cave salamander and the eastern box turtle.
Since Tennessee is so closely connected to music, it is fitting that the General Assembly has chosen several state songs. Some of those chosen are My Homeland, Tennessee, When It’s Iris Time in Tennessee, and My Tennessee. The most familiar one, The Tennessee Waltz by Stewart and King, was adopted in 1965. The melodious waltz tells a sad story of lost love. In 1982 Rocky Top by Boudleaux and Felice Bryant was added to the list of Tennessee songs. Almost every Tennessean knows that “Rocky Top will always be home sweet home to me.”
Anyone may obtain a copy of the most current Blue Book by calling Secretary of State, Tre Hargett’s office or asking your state representative or senator.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Sheila Hickman: Happy 226th Birthday, Tennessee
