Tennessee

Tennessee was founded in 1796, making it the 16th state to be admitted to the Union. During the American Civil War, its allegiances were sharply divided, though the state government did secede from the Union. Quickly falling back into Union hands, it was one of the first Confederate states to rejoin the Union. The state has been the home of American icons including former President Andrew Johnson and entertainer Dolly Parton. However, it has also been home to such unsavory characters as Jesse James, and Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, a prominent, post-war leader of the first Ku Klux Klan. Many native Tennesseans speak in the dialect of the American South. This dialect changes slightly as you cross through each region, and is especially pronounced in rural areas Generally speaking, it is accepted that people in the South speak more slowly and carefully than those from the North. In particular, visitors from larger cities will have to adjust to the different pace of speech if they visit Tennessee's smaller mountain towns; speaking quickly and bluntly can be perceived as inconsiderate and may engender a negative response. Some Tennesseans in especially rural or mountainous areas may be difficult to understand by those not familiar with American South or Appalachian colloquialisms, slurring or speech cadence. Interstate 40 criss-crosses the state from west to east, connecting Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and the Smoky Mountain Region....