Nashville

=**Nashville**=

Nashville was founded during 1779-1780. It was originally constructed as a fort called Fort Nashborough. The fort was named after North Carolina's Revolutionary War hero, General Francis Nash. The original settlers were lead by James Robertson and Colonel John Donelson. The name changed from Nashborough to Nashville in 1784 because of the anti-British feelings after the Revolutionary War. The settlers continued to develop the city by building churches, schools, stores, doctor's offices, and other public buildings. Finally in 1796, Tennessee was admitted to the Union.
 * __Brief History__**

Nashville continued to grow and flourish. It earned some fame after Andrew Jackson, who lived in Nashville, was elected as the seventh president of the United States. The city was made the official capitol of Tennessee in 1843, and with this new title came new buildings such as the state captiol building. Nashville became an important port city as traffic on the Cumberland River increased. Other developments in the mid 1800's included the Adelphi Theater, a medical school, and a train depot.
 * __Early 19th Century__**

The state was a border state of the Confederacy, making it very important to both the Union and the Confederacy. The Union state Kentucky was right next door. In the beginning of the war, Nashville was a supply arsenal for the South, but that did not last long. The Union troops captured the city and held it for three years. They took control of both the river and the railroad, blocking the shipment of supplies to southern troops. Nashville was the site of the last major battle in the Civil War. The South made one final attempt to recapture the city and change the course of the war in December 1864, but failed to do so.
 * __Civil War__**

Tennesse was the site of many battles during the Civil War. Over 64,000 Confederate soldiers and 59,000 Union soldiers died within the states borders. In 1866, Tennessee was one of the first southern states to be readmitted to the Union, therefore escaping federal military control in the state. The biggest change in Tennessee after the Civil War was the abolition of slavery. They continued to expand rights for freed slaves and granted blacks the right to vote in 1867. The state was forced to rebuild structurally and culturally after the war as well. Things went well in Tennessee until the Conservative Republicans and Confederates regained power in the state. They reversed and restricted many of the laws the Radical Republicans had implemented. For example, they created a poll tax, taxing people to vote. Because of this tax, many poor blacks and whites could not vote.
 * __Reconstruction__**

Agriculture and industry were both greatly affected by the war. Agriculture faced the issue of labor as well as destruction. Many of the fields had been destroyed during the war. Soldiers also took farm items, like corn and livestock, as they traveled throughout the state. Many of the farmers also served in the army, abandoning their farms. Agriculture also faced the issue of labor. Before abolition, the work force consisted of slaves. After the slaves were freed, they refused to work in the fields with overseers. Instead, the share-cropping system was implemented. The Reconstruction era had a different effect on industry. Although industries that existed before the Civil War, like tobacco processing and steel, had slow recoveries, industry flourished during Reconstruction. Industry increased 107% between the years 1860 and 1870. As industry increased, many people were drawn to the state. As a result, cities, including Nashville, grew.

[|Timeline of Nashville]

Jacob Fletcher
 * __Guest Book__**

Here is a link to a website with lots of pictures of [|**Historic Nashville**].


 * __Bibliography__**
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