Tennessee Place Names

This important new history chronicles the formation of Tennessee from indigenous settlers to the end of the end of the frontier in 1840, signaled by the removal of the Cherokee along the "trail of tears." Two major themes emerge in the book: "access to opportunity," the belief of frontier people that North America offered unique opportunities for social and economic advancement; and the continuing tension between local autonomy and central authority, marked by the resistance of frontier people to the imposition of outside controls, even as they expected government to provide such assistance as acquiring land from Indians or foreign nations, providing military protection, or constructing internal improvements. It is a fascinating story, well told by the author, who along the way introduces the famous names of Tennessees frontier history: Attakullakulla, Nancy Ward, Daniel Boone, John Sevier, Davy Crockett, Andrew Jackson, and John Ross, among others. They remind us that this is the story of real people dealing with real problems and possibilities in often difficult circumstances.