Tennessee State Symbols, Motto, and Historical Background

Tennessee's official state symbols, motto, and historical record are defined through acts of the Tennessee General Assembly and codified in Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA). These designations carry legal standing, appear in official state documentation, and reflect the geographic, cultural, and political identity of the state's 3 Grand Divisions. Researchers, educators, and government professionals reference these designations when producing official materials, curricula, and public communications.

Definition and Scope

Tennessee's state symbols are statutory designations enacted by the Tennessee General Assembly and codified primarily in TCA Title 4, Chapter 1. Each symbol requires legislative action — a bill passed by both chambers and signed by the Governor — to be added, modified, or repealed. The category spans biological symbols (state bird, tree, flower, animal), cultural symbols (state song, dance, gem, rock), and institutional symbols (state motto, seal, and flag).

The state motto — "Agriculture and Commerce" — was adopted by the General Assembly and appears on the Tennessee State Seal alongside the Roman numeral XVI, denoting Tennessee as the 16th state admitted to the Union (June 1, 1796). The number 16 appears on the seal, the state flag (in the form of three stars representing the three Grand Divisions), and in official historiography.

Scope and coverage: This page addresses official state-level symbols and historical designations under Tennessee state authority. It does not address municipal or county-level emblems, federal designations, or symbols of the Cherokee Nation or other sovereign entities that hold separate legal standing. Disputes over symbol status are adjudicated under Tennessee state law, not federal statute. Content on this page does not extend to Nashville, Memphis, or other municipal governments, which maintain distinct civic identities outside the scope of statewide designations.

How It Works

The legislative process for adopting a state symbol follows the standard bill-passage procedure under Article II of the Tennessee Constitution. A legislator introduces a bill designating a specific symbol; the bill proceeds through committee review, floor votes in both the House and Senate, and executive signature. Designation is then enrolled into TCA.

Key categories and their designations under TCA include:

  1. State Bird — Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), designated by TCA § 4-1-303
  2. State Tree — Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), designated by TCA § 4-1-304
  3. State Flower — Iris (genus Iris), designated by TCA § 4-1-302
  4. State Animal — Raccoon (Procyon lotor), designated by TCA § 4-1-306
  5. State Wild Animal — White-tailed Deer, designated by TCA § 4-1-319
  6. State Gem — Tennessee Pearl, designated by TCA § 4-1-308
  7. State Rock — Limestone, designated by TCA § 4-1-310
  8. State Songs — Tennessee recognizes 9 official state songs, including "My Homeland, Tennessee" and "Tennessee Waltz," the largest collection of official state songs of any U.S. state
  9. State Motto — "Agriculture and Commerce," codified in TCA § 4-1-301
  10. State Slogan — "Tennessee — America at Its Best," adopted by the General Assembly

The Tennessee Secretary of State maintains official records of these designations and publishes them in the Tennessee Blue Book, a biennial reference document produced since 1852.

Common Scenarios

State symbols appear in identifiable operational contexts across government and institutional practice:

Official Publications and Seals: All state agency documents bearing the Tennessee State Seal must conform to specifications maintained by the Secretary of State's Office. Unauthorized reproduction or alteration of the seal is addressed under TCA § 39-16-602.

Education and Curriculum: The Tennessee Department of Education incorporates state history standards that include knowledge of state symbols, the 1796 Constitutional Convention, and Tennessee's path to statehood as part of K–12 social studies benchmarks.

Historical Context for Legislative Records: Tennessee's admission as the 16th state on June 1, 1796, followed a period as the Southwest Territory (1790–1796) established by the U.S. Congress under the Southwest Ordinance. The 1796 Tennessee Constitution, the first state constitution drafted west of the Appalachian Mountains, provided the governing framework ratified by 55 delegates. This historical record forms the basis of reference materials produced by the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Three Grand Divisions: Tennessee law formally recognizes East, Middle, and West Tennessee as the 3 Grand Divisions under TCA § 4-1-201. This tripartite structure is represented by the 3 stars on the state flag, designed by LeRoy Reeves of the Third Tennessee Infantry and adopted in 1905.

Decision Boundaries

The distinction between official statutory symbols and informal or commemorative designations is operationally significant.

Statutory vs. Commemorative: A symbol codified in TCA carries legal status and may be cited in official documents. A symbol recognized through a General Assembly resolution — but not enrolled into TCA — carries commemorative standing only and does not hold equivalent legal weight.

State vs. Federal Designation: The Tennessee Walking Horse, recognized under TCA § 4-1-316 as the official state horse, is a state designation. Federal protections for the breed fall under the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. § 1821 et seq.), administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — a separate regulatory authority not governed by TCA.

Historical Claims vs. Enacted Law: Unofficial historical narratives, regional traditions, and promotional materials distributed by tourism agencies do not constitute legal designation. Only acts enrolled into TCA through the process described in Tennessee's constitutional framework carry statutory authority.

Researchers requiring comprehensive state government context should consult the Tennessee Government Authority index for the full scope of state agency and institutional coverage relevant to these designations.

References