This book is not just a history of a state, it is also filled with the stories of specific influential people. Such stories make it more than a historical source, but instead a nuanced text. It acts even as a window into the way people at that time viewed the formation of the state, the events that mattered, and the people that made it happen.

For example, Carpenter writes: “The hardy and courageous race which had grown to manhood amid the horrors of an unceasing warfare now exchanged the rifle for the plough and found leisure almost for the first time to cultivate the amenities of life.”

The book chronicles the European discovery and exploration of the Tennessee region, and how the territory was initially colonized. Carpenter illustrates how the history of the state is connected with its founding peoples, their cultures, and the surrounding region.

The History of Tennessee is an invaluable read for those interested in United States history, the people of the past, and in particular, the unique history of Tennessee.