Tennessee State Nickname: The Volunteer State
Fact-checked • Updated December 16, 2025
"The Volunteer State"
Also Known As:
About the Nickname The Volunteer State
Tennessee's state nickname is The Volunteer State. Soldiers from Tennessee earned this name during the War of 1812 when thousands volunteered to fight. General Andrew Jackson led Tennessee troops who showed up in large numbers for multiple military conflicts during the 1800s.
Meaning of 'The Volunteer State'
The Tennessee nickname the Volunteer State comes from military service during the War of 1812. President James Madison asked for troops to defend New Orleans against British forces. Tennessee responded by sending 1,500 volunteer soldiers under General Andrew Jackson's command, far more than most other states contributed at the time.
This pattern continued during the Mexican-American War in 1846. The federal government requested 2,800 soldiers from Tennessee. About 30,000 men volunteered instead, which forced military officials to turn away most who tried to enlist. Tennessee's population was much smaller then, making these volunteer numbers especially remarkable.
The state of Tennessee nickname stuck because citizens kept volunteering for military service throughout the 1800s. During the Civil War, Tennessee sent soldiers to both Union and Confederate armies. More than 145,000 Tennesseans served in Confederate forces while roughly 51,000 joined Union regiments. This tradition of military service shaped how people across America viewed Tennessee and its residents.
Other Nicknames
The Big Bend State
People started using Big Bend State because of how the Tennessee River flows through the state. The river makes a large sweeping curve, bending south into Alabama before turning north again back into Tennessee. Early settlers and boatmen noticed this distinctive geographic feature. Maps from the 1800s show how the river creates what looks like a giant U-shape across the landscape. Flatboat operators and traders used the Big Bend as a landmark when describing routes. The nickname appeared in newspapers during Tennessee's early statehood years but faded as the Volunteer State became more widely known.
The Hog and Hominy State
Tennessee earned the nickname Hog and Hominy State because of what farmers grew and raised during the 1800s. Corn production dominated agriculture across middle and west Tennessee. Farmers ground dried corn into hominy, which became a staple food for families throughout the state. Hog farming also thrived because pigs could eat corn and forage in wooded areas. Together, hogs and hominy represented Tennessee's agricultural economy before cotton became the main cash crop. People used this nickname less formally than the Volunteer State, often in jokes or casual conversation about Tennessee's rural character.
The Mother of Southwestern Statesmen
Tennessee gained this nickname because many political leaders who moved west came from the state. Three presidents were born in Tennessee: Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson. Davy Crockett served in Congress before moving to Texas. Sam Houston governed Tennessee before leading Texas to independence from Mexico. These men and others carried Tennessee's political influence across the expanding nation. Writers and newspapers in the mid-1800s used Mother of Southwestern Statesmen to acknowledge how Tennessee-born leaders shaped territories and new states. The phrase fell out of common use after the Civil War changed political dynamics across the South.
Interesting Facts
Fact 1 of 6
Tennessee sent 30,000 volunteers during the Mexican-American War even though only 2,800 were requested.
Sources & References
This article has been researched using authoritative sources to ensure accuracy and reliability.
Official Tennessee government explanation of how the state earned the Volunteer State nickname through military service during the War of 1812 and Mexican-American War
Detailed historical analysis of Tennessee's volunteer military tradition and the origins of the state nickname during early American wars