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Tennessee has had many nicknames, including “Big Bend State” and “Hog and Hominy State,” but the most enduring is “Volunteer State.” It earned this nickname during the War of 1812 due to the large number of Tennesseans who volunteered to serve. Famous volunteers include Davy Crockett and Alvin York. The University of Tennessee athletic teams are also known as the Volunteers.
Because of its natural resources and the products it produces, the state of Tennessee has had many nicknames, including the “Big Bend State” and the “Hog and Hominy State.” At one time she was even nicknamed “The Mother of Southwestern Statesmen” due to her preponderance of government leaders over the years. But the “Volunteer State” is by far the most enduring nickname for Tennessee.
By most accounts, Tennessee earned its nickname of the Volunteer State during the War of 1812 due to the large number of Tennesseeans who volunteered to serve in battle against Great Britain. Although the men never faced battle, General Andrew Jackson drove the soldiers home at his own expense. Later, Jackson led 2,000 Tennessee volunteer soldiers in a successful battle against the British in 1815 at the Battle of New Orleans. As a result of that success, as many as 30,000 Tennesseeans volunteered again in the Mexican War.
Over the years, Tennessee residents have been called “Big Benders,” “Butternuts,” and “Volunteers.” The name “Butternuts” referred to the color of Tennessee soldiers’ uniforms during the Civil War. “Big Benders” refers to the area of the Tennessee River called Big Bend River by Native Americans. In reference to the voluntary status, the volunteer nickname is often abbreviated to “vols”.
Davy Crockett is one of the volunteer state’s most famous volunteers. Known as the “King of the Wild Frontier,” Crockett was a politician and soldier. He first enlisted as a rifleman in 1813. Later, Crockett entered politics. In the first quarter of the 19th century, he served two terms in the United States House of Representatives. Another famous volunteer state resident is Alvin York, who was influential in World War I. York was responsible for capturing and killing many enemy troops.
Tennesseans continued to be avid volunteers in World War II, both in the war and on the home front in nearby Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where the Manhattan Project produced the first atomic bomb. One of the earliest known references of the volunteer nickname is from Jacob Hartsell, a captain in the 2nd East Tennessee Militia. He wrote a poem, The Brave Volunteer, based on his experience with his Tennessee companions in battle.
In addition to the volunteer state nickname, the University of Tennessee athletic teams are also known as the Volunteers. The university’s student yearbook was first called The Volunteer in 1897. The football team was first identified as the Volunteers by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1902 when referencing a game between the University of Tennessee and Georgia Tech. In 1905, Tennessee announced the Volunteers as the official name of the sports team. Women’s sports teams are nicknamed the “Lady Volunteers.”
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