TheGrand Divisions are three geographic regions in theU.S. state ofTennessee, each constituting roughly one-third of the state's land area, that are geographically, culturally, legally, and economically distinct. The Grand Divisions are legally recognized in the state constitution and state law and are represented on theflag of Tennessee by the flag's three prominent stars.[1]
The Grand Divisions,East,Middle, andWest Tennessee, are sometimes referred to as "the three states of Tennessee" or "the three Tennessees".[2]
The three Grand Divisions,East,Middle, andWest Tennessee, are formally defined in state law at Tennessee Code Annotated Title 4, Chapter 1, Part 2 ("Grand Divisions and State Capital")[3] as the "eastern, middle, and western" Grand Divisions of the state. The law lists the counties in each region.
The boundary between East Tennessee and Middle Tennessee is on theCumberland Plateau, which was a major barrier to travel and commerce during much of the state's early history.[4] The boundary is close to the line between theEastern andCentraltime zones.[5] All but three counties of East Tennessee (Bledsoe,Cumberland, andMarion) are in the Eastern Time Zone, while Middle and West Tennessee are entirely in the Central Time Zone. The reach of theTennessee River that flows northward toKentucky fromMississippi andAlabama demarcates the boundary between Middle and West Tennessee starting from the northern border ofHardin County, which is bisected by the Tennessee River but is located wholly in West Tennessee.
The assignments of counties can be changed by the state legislature, but few changes to the boundaries between the Grand Divisions have been made since the earliest legal reference to them, inThe Acts of Tennessee 1835-1836, Chapter 3, "An Act to establish a Supreme Court in pursuance of the 2nd sec., art. 6, of the Constitution of the United States".[6] The most recent adjustment to the boundaries of the Grand Divisions occurred in 1965, whenPerry County was shifted from West Tennessee to Middle Tennessee.[7] Earlier in the 20th century, there were definitional changes that shifted the assignments ofMarion,Sequatchie, andCumberland Counties between East and Middle Tennessee (Sequatchie moved from East to Middle Tennessee; Marion and Cumberland counties moved from Middle to East Tennessee).[6]
| Grand Division | Population[8] (2020 census) | Largest city | Area inmi2 (km2) | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Tennessee | 2,470,105 | Knoxville | 13,558 sq mi (35,120 km2) | 33 (list) |
| Middle Tennessee | 2,883,086 | Nashville | 17,009 sq mi (44,050 km2) | 41 (list) |
| West Tennessee | 1,557,649 | Memphis | 10,650 sq mi (27,600 km2) | 21 (list) |
| State of Tennessee | 6,910,840 | Nashville | 41,217 sq mi (106,750 km2) | 95 (list) |
The three regions are geographically and culturally distinct.[9] East Tennessee's landscape is dominated by theAppalachian mountain chain, including theGreat Smoky Mountains on the eastern border of the state, theridge-and-valley region where East Tennessee's principal cities (Knoxville,Chattanooga, and theTri-Cities) are located, and the ruggedCumberland Mountains. East and Middle Tennessee are separated along theCumberland Plateau. Middle Tennessee, which includes the state's capital city ofNashville, is dominated by rolling hills and fertile stream valleys. West Tennessee, located between theTennessee and theMississippi Rivers, is the lowest-lying of the three Grand Divisions. It is part of theGulf Coastal Plain physiographic region, characterized by relatively flat topography. Except for theMemphis metropolitan area, land use in this region is mostly agricultural. Historically, cotton was West Tennessee's dominant crop.[4]
The physiographic and economic differences between the three regions resulted in major divisions withinTennessee in the Civil War. Theplantation agricultural system associated withcotton production meant thatslavery was very important to the economy of West Tennessee, where voters strongly supportedsecession. Support for secession was not as strong in Middle Tennessee, where plantation agriculture was present but less important. In mountainous East Tennessee, where plantation agriculture was largely absent and slavery was not economically important, voters strongly opposed secession. Although the entire state seceded fromthe Union and joinedthe Confederacy, East Tennessee remained an area ofpro-Union sentiment and activity throughout the Civil War and afterward. TheRepublican Party dominated politics in the region. Before and during the Civil War, there was a movement in East Tennessee to counter-secede from the Confederacy and re-join the Union as theState of Nickajack, together with other Union-friendly Southern areas, such asNorth Alabama.[10]
Partly because of West Tennessee's history of slavery, it has had a higher concentration ofAfrican Americans in the population. In thecensus in 2000, West Tennessee's population was found to be 37% black, while in Middle and East Tennessee, black people made up 12% and 6% of their respective populations.[11]
TheTennessee State Constitution mandates that no more than two of the five justices on the state'ssupreme court can be from any one Grand Division. The court must also meet regularly in each division in the cities ofJackson in West Tennessee,Nashville in Middle Tennessee, andKnoxville in East Tennessee.[12] Similar rules apply to some other state institutions. For example:
In describing his design for the Tennessee state flag, which was adopted in 1905,LeRoy Reeves wrote, "The three stars are of pure white, representing the three grand divisions of the state." He explained the placement of the stars inside a blue circle as symbolic of "three bound together in one—an indissoluble trinity."[1]
The state formerly featured the Grand Divisions intourism promotions. In the 1960s,billboards at the state's borders greeted visitors with the words, "Welcome to the Three States of Tennessee".[15][16] The slogan was abandoned during the governorship ofWinfield Dunn (who was from Memphis, but as a Republican got his strongest vote from East Tennessee), due to concerns that it might encouragesectionalism.[16]
The Tennessee commemorativequarter issued by theU.S. Mint in 2002 was designed to honor the musical heritage of the three grand divisions,[17] each of which is strongly associated with a particular style of music. East Tennessee is known for Appalachianbluegrass, Middle Tennessee forcountry music and theGrand Ole Opry, and West Tennessee for theDelta blues.[18] Below a trio of stars that represent the three grand divisions, the quarter depicts aguitar for thecountry music of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, afiddle and a book of music for thebluegrass tradition of East Tennessee, and atrumpet for theblues music of Memphis and theMississippi Delta (part of West Tennessee).[17]
