Why Tennessee is the beating Heart of the United States

It’s not necessarily normal to have temperatures hovering above 35 degrees at the end of September anywhere. It is the norm in Tennessee this September though. And no signs of it changing any time soon.

For the many revellers partaking in the musical delights on Lower Broadway, Nashville, it didn’t seem to make any difference. Cowboy hats, cowboy boots and lots of country western music at full volume. You can’t really escape it. You’ve arrived in the heart of the U.S.

It’s not all Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson, or Kings of Leon. There is much more to the Music City. Huge convention centres, towering business centres and several top-quality sports stadiums are dotted across the city. There is also the fantastic Cumberland River. One of the many huge U.S. rivers that I have passed on my travels so far.

There are also buskers on street corners playing their guitars. The city is clean. There isn’t much rubbish lying around, just a lot of country western music fans and some locals.

The history of Tennessee might not be as significant as Greece or Egypt, but there still is plenty of it. Nashville was occupied by Union forces during the Civil War. However, most Tennesseans were on the side of the South during the Civil War. Huge battle fields like Franklin or Shiloh were fought in Tennessee. Two of the bloodiest battles of the whole Civil War. It has left a left a lasting impression on the locals. Many of whom are devout Nashvilleans or Tennesseans.

Many of them watch the influx of workers into the Volunteer State (Tennessee to those who aren’t aware of this name) with some misgivings. The majority extend the infamous Southern hospitality to all newcomers.

The Civil War and its impact on Tennessee

So, I had to visit Franklin and Shiloh, didn’t I? As a history graduate from the college by the motorway services on the M6 that was the least I could do. Entering the Carter House prominently perched overlooking Franklin, I was the only foreigner to be part of several guided tours around the property. Our tour guide was a descendant of one of the few survivors of what was the largest number of United States soldiers killed in five hours in history. Even more than on D-day!

I also found the most bullet holes in a Civil War building. Quite something to see in person.

Randy was one of the highlights of my tour around the United States so far. A hugely popular tour guide in Franklin. Randy also has a whole host of anecdotes about different states that he shares openly with his audience. Partially because so many different battalions represented the different states at the battle of Franklin, except for places like California, of course. A state that he possibly had the most anecdotes to share about. Them and Illinois that is.

Shiloh was only slightly less distressing to hear about. Generals Sherman and Grant of the Union army made their names in battles like the Shiloh. Resting upon an ancient native American settlement the battlefield is 13 miles of guided tours. One needs to visit it in a car and the whole battlefield takes over 3 hours to tour, in a car. One can only guess how many hours it would take by foot. Something that I was getting used to by now.

Everyone goes everywhere by car! Everywhere!

And there is air conditioning everywhere too. In every house. Every car. And every building you might visit. There is also a lot of new houses being built. Out of wood. With what amounts to strengthened cardboard on the exterior. Not great for those of us used to opening our windows at home. Most hotels in the U.S. have windows, yes, but you can’t open them. God forbid you let in the heat.

They are also very concerned about littering the freeways and other roads. Signs about fines in the $1000s of dollars for littering the highway are pronounced everywhere. More than any adverts that you might see. And there are also phone numbers listed for good citizens to call the authorities in case they witness any of this littering. These little differences all add up. Before you know it you start to see things differently. Which is exactly the point. Sometimes you need to.

There is another consideration about Tennessee. There is no income tax. Something that you hear about in Florida or Texas, but did you know that the same applies in Tennessee? Add to that the gun laws and the number of small houses dotting the state. Off the highway, on the outskirts of towns, there are small holdings dotted across the entire state. Why? Because there is still so much land available. And at very decent prices.

When you take a drive down the Natchez Trace Parkway there is a strange serenity to the drive. Once used by native Americans predominantly, today the parkway is a one lane affair that stretches for hundreds of miles. Many of them through Tennessee. The parkway is like a metaphor though. A metaphor about the trading links of the past and the future of trade in the U.S.

Nashville and Tennessee are at the heart of the U.S. Near the huge Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, one can get to any part of the U.S. within twelve or so hours of driving. Not many places offer this level of ease when it comes to transport.

Maybe you should have a look at some of the local ‘joints’ too though? Catfish is popular, but my favourite place to visit whilst I was there is definitely the Outpost in Pickwick Dam near Savannah. The collection of old cars was only an afterthought. The place screams traditional cornbread and southern hospitality.

Oh, and Graceland? Busy, very busy. Memphis too. But there is only so much time for a story. So Elvis has to wait till next time.

Where next? Find out soon in our next story about the United States with #DisruptionBanking

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