Tennessee Declamation
Nashville, Tennessee - Photo by Josh Beasley
History of the Tennessee Declamation
House Joint Resolution No. 171 of the 95th General Assembly included a com-mendation of Major Hooper Penuel for writing the declamation “I Am Tennessee”which had been read at the inauguration of Governor Ned R. McWherter. The Assembly concluded their lengthy commendation by stating “Whereas, this General Assembly is pleased to honor and recognize Major Penuel, a lifelong resident of Middle-Tennessee, a man who serves his state everyday in every way, who was ableto express so touchingly what most of us can only feel; now, therefore, be it resolvedby the House of Representatives of the Ninety-Fifth General Assembly of the Stateof Tennessee, the Senate concurring, that the following text, which is ‘I Am Tennessee’ by Major Hooper Penuel, is hereby designated as the official state declamationof Tennessee, to wit:”
I Am Tennessee By Major Hooper Penuel
My name came from Tanasi, the name of an Indian Cherokee village in the region. Early explorers once passed over and through my mountains and forests. Europeans fought to decide who should own me.
I AM TENNESSEE
Pioneers from the east crossed my mountains to settle in the wilderness. They formed their own governments in my region before any other independent governments existed in North America.
I AM TENNESSEE
Whose pioneers brought with them the spirit of independence and daring that has become part ofmy history. I gained statehood on June 1, 1796. President George Washington signed the bill that made me the sixteenth state of the union. John Sevier was my first Governor. My first United States Senators were William Blount and William Cocke. At this time my only seat in the House of Representatives was held by Andrew Jackson.
I AM TENNESSEE
My boundaries range from the mountains of North Carolina to Arkansas in the west. I link the north with the south. I was the last state to leave theunion, and the first to return. I touch eight states,more than any other state in the union.
I AM TENNESSEE
Tennesseans like John Sevier in the Revolutionary War, Andrew Jackson in the War of1812, and Alvin C. York in World War I, establisheda military tradition of honor and bravery that continues to this day.
I AM TENNESSEE
I felt more battles on my soil than any other state except Virginia, my neighbor to the east. I have produced three Presidents: Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson. All distinguished themselves in the true Tennessee tradition.
I AM TENNESSEE
Two of my early residents – Davy Crockett and Sam Houston – became heroes of the Texas Revolution. Each carried the true Tennessee Volunteer spirit. I’m known worldwide as the Volunteer State. John Sevier called for 100 goodmen. 200 answered the call. For this I will alwaysbe grateful.
I AM TENNESSEE
Today, we have 19,000 Guard men and women serving as volunteers in the Tennessee National Guard, once known as the Militia. Each one is ready to answer the call of the Governor or the President to defend this great land.
Smokey Mountains, Tennessee - Photo by Carl Wycoff
I AM TENNESSEEMy land is rich with mountains and thick forests in the eastern and central region. It produces excellent recreation for hunters, campers, and sightseers. The majestic beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains attracts 6 million visitors every year. My lakes and rivers provide excellent boating and fishing or just for relaxing.
I AM TENNESSEE
My fertile soil, thick forests, temperate climate,water supply, and an abundance in minerals makesmy state rich in natural resources. Manufacturing, agriculture, and mining are all important parts of my makeup. TVA generates my electricity. Earlyin my history, between 1800 and 1860, private companies built turnpikes and collected tolls to keep them up. In 1913 my leaders passed legislation to construct major highways. Today I have over 8,000 miles of highways and roads. I have about125 airports, almost 6,000 miles of track for trains, and barges float my major rivers, The Cumberland, The Mississippi, and The Tennessee.
I AM TENNESSEE
My music is heard around the world. Blues, souland rock and roll from the Memphis Delta, Country from Nashville, and the unique sound of the dulcimer from Appalachia. Yes, my history is a proud one. From my early beginnings as an unsettled territory until today as aleader and a state that looks toward the future.
I AM TENNESSEE
Memphis, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and the Capital City of Nashville are my largest cities, butI couldn’t survive without the 3,000 communities and the 95 counties in-between. From the delta river banks of Memphis to Bristol, and from Frog Mountain near Copperhill to the Reel foot Lake near Tiptonville, 4.6 million residents keep me going.
I AM TENNESSEE
For almost two centuries I have held my own.My future looks bright. I am a great place to live.I am a Volunteer.
I AM TENNESSEE
Glossary Note: declamation
- recitation of a speech from memory with studied gestures and intonation as an exercise in elocution or rhetoric
- APA style
- Tennessee Declamation. (2010, July 18). In State Reports by ClassBrain. Retrieved 17:50, May 18, 2012, from http://www.statereports.us/2010/07/tennessee-declamation/
- MLA style
- Cynthia Kirkeby, “Tennessee Declamation.” State Reports by ClassBrain. 18 July 2010, 02:28 UTC. . 18 May 2012 <http://www.statereports.us/2010/07/tennessee-declamation/>.
- MHRA style
- Cynthia Kirkeby, 'Tennessee Declamation', State Reports by ClassBrain, 18 July 2010, 02:28 UTC, <http://www.statereports.us/2010/07/tennessee-declamation/> [accessed 18 May 2012]
- The Chicago Manual of Style
- Cynthia Kirkeby, “Tennessee Declamation.” State Reports by ClassBrain, http://www.statereports.us/2010/07/tennessee-declamation/ [accessed May 18, 2012].
- CBE/CSE style
- Cynthia Kirkeby, Tennessee Declamation [Internet]. State Reports by ClassBrain; 2010 July 18, 02:28 UTC [cited 2012 May 18]. Available from: http://www.statereports.us/2010/07/tennessee-declamation/.
- Bluebook style
- Tennessee Declamation, http://www.statereports.us/2010/07/tennessee-declamation/ (last visited May. 18, 2012).
- AMA style
- Cynthia Kirkeby, Tennessee Declamation. State Reports by ClassBrain. July 18, 2010, 02:28 UTC. Available at: http://www.statereports.us/2010/07/tennessee-declamation/. Accessed May 18, 2012.