Memorial Day and "The Volunteer State"

On this Memorial Day, we remember our fellow Tennesseans who gave their lives in service to our country. Tennesseans have served our nation’s armed forces with a long tradition of selfless volunteerism that earned our state the nickname, “The Volunteer State.”

Most Tennessee historians now agree that the nickname “Volunteer State” is derived from the War of 1812, although the phrase was never actually used during that conflict. Tennesseans exhibited a strong voluntary spirit during the War of 1812, incorporating the word “volunteer” into many of their military unit designations (“Tennessee Volunteers” or “Mounted Volunteers,” for example).

"The Battle of New Orleans," ca. 1861
Tennessee Historical Society Picture Collection

This reputation for volunteering was strengthened during the Mexican War of 1846-1848 and it had been generally thought by some that the expression “Volunteer State” originated at that time. But, in fact, Tennessee had been referred to as the “Volunteer State” at least a decade before the Mexican-American conflict.

1st Tennessee Infantry, USV
The Presidio, San Francisco, CA, 1898
Library Photograph Collection

You can learn more about the beginning of this tradition of service at our newest online exhibit, “Answering the Call: Tennesseans in the War of 1812.” An acknowledgement of Tennessee’s wartime contributions is also chronicled in another online exhibit entitled, “The Volunteer State Goes to War: A Salute to Tennessee Veterans.”

Visit both exhibits at the following links on our website:

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/exhibits/1812/index.htm

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/exhibits/veterans/index.htm

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.