Tennessee Roots Archaeologists believe that the first Americans were the Paleo Indians with their Old Stone Age culture. Followed then by the Archaic Indians,  Woodland Indians, and then the Early Mississippi Indians. Before the time of written records, the Native Americans, who walked this land long before us, relayed their history in stories passed down from generation to generation. Unlike our gossip of today, the stories remained the same. The first white man to look over the Mississippi River in 1540 at what would later become Tennessee, was the Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto. He would then be followed 25 years later by Juan Pardo. Neither would leave behind any beneficial information on their encounters with the Native Americans. The Tennessee Indians had a late Mississippi culture and were called by tribal names that have survived to this day. The tribes of that time were the Creeks , Yachi, Shawnee, & the Cherokee. After the expulsion of the others in the early 1800's the Cherokee were the only indians to occupy land in Tennessee. As colonist of New England were building their towns, a new breed of explorers were blazing new trails into the then unmapped Western Frontier. Men who would later become American Legends first made their mark in Tennessee. Among those were, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, & John Sevier, whose lasting monuments still stand in Tennessee to forever showcase the bravery and resourcefulness of these legendary frontiersmen. Originally apart of the North Carolina Territory, Tennessee would later become the 16th state in 1796. In the following 70 years, Tennessee would send 3 presidents to Washington, D.C. Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, & Andrew Johnson. Today Jackson's "Hermitage", James K. Polk's home, & Andrew Johnson's home and tailor shop, serve as major attractions. Tennessee has seen its share of blood shed. During the Civil War, more battles were fought here then in any other state, except Virginia. Great tales of victory, defeat, bravery, & heroism are seen in the battles at Shiloh, Fort Henry, Chickamauga, Franklin, and Nashville. To the soldiers who gave their lives on both sides, lasting tributes in the form of National Military Parks now stand. From the sites of the famous battles of Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Fort Donelson, Shiloh, and Stone's Fort. There you can imagine the scenes of those days as you walk through the battlefields and see the cannons. When the war ended, Tennessee was the first state to re-enter the Union. During World War II, it became the cornerstone of the Atomic Age. In top secrecy the first uranium purifying plant was built in Oak Ridge, Campbell County, TN. It was instrumental  to the "Manhattan Project" (codename for the first atomic bomb). In 1949, The "American Museum of Atomic Energy" at Oak Ridge was opened to the public. From the Great Smoky Mountains in the east to the Mississippi River Flatlands in the west, Tennessee takes great pride in it's rich blend of of history, cultures, crafts, & resources.