It’s no secret that the state of Tennessee is rich in history. Even some of America’s most well-known public figures and representatives have roots in our great state. Have you ever wondered what United States presidents have Tennessee ties? Tennessee has produced three presidents: Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson. Read more about their Tennessee lives below.
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was in office from 1829-1837. Though he was born in South Carolina in 1767, he crossed the Great Smoky Mountains and moved to Tennessee as a young man. Jackson was the first man elected from Tennessee to the House of Representatives and in 1797 he served a year in the US Senate before resigning and becoming a Tennessee Supreme Court judge.
Jackson had a fiery personality and is a controversial name in American history: He once killed a man in a duel while defending his wife’s honor. His estate near Nashville, called the Hermitage, is visited by hundreds of history buffs each year.
James K. Polk
Like Jackson, James Knox Polk is also originally from the Carolinas. Born near Charlotte, N.C., in 1795, Polk moved to Nashville, Tenn., with his family at age 11. He eventually studied law and politics, eventually becoming good friends with Jackson. He went on to serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives between 1835 and 1839, and only left to become Governor of Tennessee. In 1845 at age 49, he became the youngest man to assume the presidency up to his time.
Although he only served one term, his presidency is often associated with massive expansion: He helped the U.S. grow to include much of what’s now Texas, Oregon, California and more.
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson might be Pigeon Forge’s most “local” president. Like both Polk and Jackson, Johnson was also born in the Carolinas in 1808. However, he ran away from home at age 16 and settled right here in the Smokies in the small city of Greenville, Tenn., (just 50 miles northwest of Pigeon Forge). He worked as a tailor before entering politics. His was elected governor of Tennessee, serving from 1853 to 1857, and was then served in the U.S. Senate and served from 1857 to 1862.
Even though his home state joined the Confederacy, Johnson was a staunch Union supporter and became Abraham Lincoln’s Vice President in 1865. He became the 17th President on April 15, 1865, upon Lincoln’s death. His presidency was marked with scandal, and was impeached. Though he was later found not guilty, his political career was over. He returned to East Tennessee and the Smokies, and he died at home in Carter’s Station, Tenn., in 1875.
Honorable Mention: Roosevelt
Even though he’s not from Tennessee, we have to mention Franklin D. Roosevelt. The 32nd President of the United States not only pulled the country out of the Great Depression and lead us through WWII, but FDR also paved the way for the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! He dedicated the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on September 2, 1940, “for the permanent enjoyment of the people.”
Rockefeller Monument
