From the formation of the Watauga Association—a governing body created even before Tennessee’s statehood—to the gubernatorial administrations of modern times, author Margaret I. Phillips gives readers an in-depth look at the men whose lives helped form both Tennessee’s history and our American culture. Prefatory remarks on native American life and factual data on concurrent events in the state’s development help readers put the tenures of each governor in their historical perspective.
This meticulously researched work, the fourth volume in Pelican’s Governors of the States Series vividly documents the impact of Tennessee’s strong, dynamic governors, including such leaders as the charismatic John Sevier, who served six terms as Tennessee’s first governor, the near-legendary Sam Houston, and two men who later became President of the United States, James K. Polk (1845-1849) and Andrew Johnson (1865-1869). Especially poignant is Phillips’s recounting of Andrew Johnson’s rise from civic-minded tailor to state legislator, governor, vice-president, and finally to the highest office in the land, only to have a political misunderstanding lead to his near-impeachment
Other notable figures who occupied the statehouse include the scholarly Archibald Roane; William Blount, the patriotic zealot; William Carroll, the “pioneering Babbitt”; Joseph McMinn, the “peaceful negotiator”; tart-tongued James (“Lean Jimmy”) Jones; and Robert Love Taylor, the “pardoning governor.”
In an ironic twist of history, two sets of brothers campaigned for the governorship of Tennessee, and each had his turn in the state’s top executive office. Among these brothers were Robert Love Taylor and Alfred Taylor, who, while apparently sharing the same speechwriter, ran opposing campaigns for the same governorship.
With this second edition, Phillips reveals the successes, failures, ambitions, shortcomings, and the vision of the Volunteer State’s chief executives through the present day. Phillips’s closing remarks emphasize the state’s ability to adapt from an agrarian to urban culture, and back again to a “retreat-to-the-land” phase. Photos or renderings of each governor are included, as well as an outstanding bibliography.