Elementary Geography 4 - Tennessee History for Kids

ELEMENTARY GEOGRAPHY
Three Grand Divisions

The Tennessee flag

Now we're going to learn about Tennessee's Three Grand Divisions.

Tennessee's Three Grand Divisions are West, Middle and East Tennessee. The three stars on the Tennessee flag represent the Three Grand Divisions.

West Tennessee runs from the Mississippi River, along the state's western border, to where the Tennessee River runs from south to north through the state. (The Mississippi River is roughly the state's western boundary, but not exactly -- read about this oddity of geography here.)

This Grand Division has a culture and history distinct from the rest of the state. The entire Grand Division of West Tennessee, for instance, became part of Tennessee in 1818, when the U.S. government purchased it from the Chickasaw Indian Nation.

West Tennessee is the flattest part of Tennessee. Take a look at this photograph of a farm in Dyer County. Not a hill in sight, is there?

A cotton field in West Tennessee

The soil and climate of West Tennessee are great for growing cotton. Because of this, West Tennessee evolved into the part of the state most dominated by large farms, once known as plantations. These plantations had many African-American slaves. Therefore, to this day, West Tennessee has a higher percentage of African-American residents than the other two Grand Divisions.

Middle Tennessee goes from the Tennessee River, on its west side, roughly to the edge of the Cumberland Plateau on its eastern side. It is the largest of the Three Grand Divisions.

Middle Tennessee isn't as flat as West Tennessee, but it isn't as mountainous as East Tennessee. Here's a photograph we took of a farm in Dickson County. See what we mean?

The intersection of the Cumberland and Obey rivers, near Celina, in Middle Tennessee.

Middle Tennessee has three important rivers: the Cumberland and Tennessee, which eventually flow into the Ohio River, and the Duck River, which merges with the Tennessee River. Of Tennessee's Three Grand Divisions, Middle Tennessee probably has the best river system in terms of navigability. Because of this, Middle Tennessee developed better trade than the other two parts of the state. Nashville, for instance, was once considered the flour milling capital of the South.

East Tennessee goes from the Cumberland Plateau to the eastern boundary of the state. As you no doubt remember from Fourth Grade history, East Tennessee was the first part of the state settled by Europeans.

Although some parts of East Tennessee are steeper than others, it is safe to say that East Tennessee is the most mountainous of the Three Grand Divisions.

Because of the steep terrain, there are parts of East Tennessee that are hard to reach, even today. This has created more of an isolated culture in East Tennessee.

Here's a photograph taken in Hawkins County of East Tennessee. Notice the boulders and the steep terrain. Can you imagine how hard it would be to grow crops in this part of the state?

A stream in East Tennessee

One other thing about East Tennessee: With big mountains, fresh mountain streams and a slightly cooler climate than the rest of the state, East Tennessee is considered to be a nice place to visit. As tourism has grown over the years, East Tennessee has gotten more of it than other parts of the state. The huge popularity of places like Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge has everything to do with the geography of East Tennessee.

QUIZ

Match each statement with a Grand Division

a) West Tennessee; b) Middle Tennessee; c) East Tennessee

1. This Grand Division is bordered by the Mississippi River one side and the Tennessee River on the other.
2. This Grand Division contains Chattanooga.
3. This is the most mountainous Grand Division.
4. This Grand Division contains the most counties.
5. This Grand Division contained the most slaves before the Civil War.
6. This Grand Division contains Nashville.
7. This Grand Division contains the Cumberland River.
8. This is the flattest Grand Division.

For answers, click here.

An overlook in Middle Tennessee. The Harpeth River can be seen below.

Speaking of crops, click here for the next part.