The Baltimore Elite Giants were a professional baseball team that played in the Negro leagues from 1920 to 1950 . The team was established by Thomas T. Wilson , in Nashville, Tennessee as the semi-pro Nashville Standard Giants on March 26, 1920. The team was renamed the Elite Giants in 1921 , and moved to Baltimore, Maryland in 1938 , where the team remained for the duration of their existence. The team and its fans pronounced the word "Elite" as "ee-light".
60-535: The Nashville Standard Giants were formed as a semi-professional all-Negro team in Nashville, Tennessee , on March 26, 1920. The club was chartered by Thomas T. Wilson, T. Clay Moore, J. B. Boyd, Marshall Garrett, Walter Phillips, W. H. Pettis, J. L. Overton, and R. H. Tabor. The team's origins lie in that of two of Nashville's local negro amateur baseball teams: the Nashville Maroons (formed in 1909) and
120-573: A metropolitan government . The membership on the Metro Council, the legislative body, was increased from 21 to 40 seats. Of these, five members are elected at-large and 35 are elected from single-member districts , each to serve a term of four years. As Nashville evolved in the 1960s, its music scene diversified, welcoming rock , pop , and other genres and the 'Nashville Sound' transformed into ' Countrypolitan '. Artists like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash came to Nashville to record, reflecting
180-835: A 21–24 record. In 1937 , the Elites finished in third place with a 27–17 record. The team moved again in 1938 to Baltimore, Maryland and became the Baltimore Elite Giants . In 1939 , the Elites won the Negro National Title, defeating the Homestead Grays . In 1948 , they won the first half, but lost the championship to second half winners, the Homestead Grays. In 1949 , the Negro National League ceased operations, and
240-618: A 39–47 record. The Elite Giants joined the Negro Southern League , where they played in 1931 and 1932. A second incarnation of the Negro National League was formed in 1933 , where the Elite Giants played for the following two seasons. Nashville finished the 1933 season in fifth place with a 29–22 record and tied as winners of the second half of the season with the Pittsburgh Crawfords . Nashville lost
300-511: A broader sit-in movement in the southeastern United States as part of an effort to end racial segregation of public facilities. On April 19, 1960, the house of Z. Alexander Looby , an African American attorney and council member, was bombed by segregationists. Protesters marched to the city hall the next day. Mayor Ben West said he supported the desegregation of lunch counters, which civil rights activists had called for. In 1963, Nashville consolidated its government with Davidson County, forming
360-584: A council member, Barry had officiated at the city's first same-sex wedding on June 26, 2015. In 2017, Nashville's economy was deemed the third fastest-growing in the nation, and the city was named the "hottest housing market in the US" by Freddie Mac realtors. In May 2017, census estimates showed Nashville had passed Memphis to become most populated city in Tennessee. Nashville has also made national headlines for its "homelessness crisis". Rising housing prices and
420-542: A destination for jazz and blues musicians, and remained so until the federal government split the area by construction of Interstate 40 in the late 1960s. In 1925, the establishment of the Grand Ole Opry marked the beginning of Nashville's journey as the 'Country Music Capital of the World', drawing musicians and fans alike to the city and setting the stage for its future as a country music powerhouse. In 1950,
480-415: A group of French traders under the command of Charles Charleville established a settlement and trading post at the present location of downtown Nashville, which became known as French Lick. These settlers quickly established an extensive fur trading network with the local Native Americans, but by the 1740s the settlement had largely been abandoned. In 1779, explorers James Robertson and John Donelson led
540-539: A lower-income, predominantly minority community. Rapid suburbanization occurred during the years immediately after World War II , as new housing was being built outside city limits. This resulted in a demand for many new schools and other support facilities, which the county found difficult to provide. At the same time, suburbanization led to a declining tax base in the city, although many suburban residents used unique city amenities and services that were supported financially only by city taxpayers. After years of discussion,
600-522: A music recording and production center. With the United States Supreme Court ruling in 1954 that public schools had to desegregate with "all deliberate speed", the family of student Robert Kelley filed a lawsuit in 1956, arguing that Nashville administrators should open all-White East High School to him. A similar case was filed by Reverend Henry Maxwell due to his children having to take a 45-minute bus ride from South Nashville to
660-722: A party of Overmountain Men to the site of French Lick, and constructed Fort Nashborough . It was named for Francis Nash , the American Revolutionary War hero. Nashville quickly grew because of its strategic location as a port on the Cumberland River , a tributary of the Ohio River ; and its later status as a major railroad center. By 1800, the city had 345 residents, including 136 enslaved African Americans and 14 free African Americans. In 1806, Nashville
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#1732776444190720-560: A population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census . Nashville is the 21st most populous city in the United States , and the fourth most populous city in the southeastern U.S. Located on the Cumberland River , the city is the center of the Nashville metropolitan area , and is one of the fastest growing in the nation. Named for Francis Nash , a general of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War ,
780-477: A referendum was held in 1958 on the issue of consolidating city and county government. It failed to gain approval although it was supported by the then-elected leaders of both jurisdictions, County Judge Beverly Briley and Mayor Ben West . Following the referendum's failure, Nashville annexed some 42 square miles of suburban jurisdictions to expand its tax base. This increased uncertainty among residents, and created resentment among many suburban communities. Under
840-593: A significant center for African American music and culture, laying the groundwork for the city's enduring musical legacy. In 1873, Nashville suffered another cholera epidemic, along with towns throughout Sumner County along railroad routes and the Cumberland River. This was part of a larger epidemic that struck the Mississippi Valley system and other areas of the United States, such as New York and towns along its major lakes and rivers. The epidemic
900-687: A three-game playoff with Pittsburgh for a spot in the league championship game. In 1934 , the Elite Giants finished in fourth place with a 20–28 record. In 1935 , the team moved to Columbus, Ohio and became the Columbus Elite Giants . They played only one season in Columbus, 1935, finishing in fourth place with a 16–17 record. In 1936 the team moved to Washington, D.C. and became the Washington Elite Giants . In their first season, they finished in fifth place with
960-634: A vehicle exploded on Second Avenue , killing the perpetrator and injuring eight others. On March 27, 2023, a gunman killed three children and three staff at the Covenant School, before getting killed by police. On December 9, 2023 , tornadoes caused considerable destruction and left three people dead. Nashville lies on the Cumberland River in the northwestern portion of the Nashville Basin . Nashville's elevation ranges from its lowest point, 385 feet (117 m) above sea level at
1020-534: Is also the home of many colleges and universities including Tennessee State University , Vanderbilt University , Belmont University , Fisk University , Trevecca Nazarene University , and Lipscomb University . Nashville is sometimes referred to as the " Athens of the South" due to the large number of educational institutions. The city is also a major center for the healthcare, publishing, banking, automotive, and technology industries. Entities with headquarters in
1080-523: Is estimated to have killed around 1,000 people in Nashville, and 50,000 total. Meanwhile, the city had reclaimed its important shipping and trading position and developed a solid manufacturing base. The post–Civil War years of the late 19th century brought new prosperity to Nashville and Davidson County. Wealthy planters and businessmen built grand, classical-style buildings. A replica of the Parthenon
1140-609: The Bridgestone Arena , and Nissan Stadium . Nissan Stadium (formerly Adelphia Coliseum and LP Field) was built after the National Football League 's (NFL) Houston Oilers agreed to move to the city in 1995. The NFL team debuted in Nashville in 1998 at Vanderbilt Stadium , and Nissan Stadium opened in the summer of 1999. The Oilers changed their name to the Tennessee Titans and finished
1200-599: The Ku Klux Klan was founded by Confederate veteran John W. Morton . He was reported to have initiated General Nathan Bedford Forrest into the white-sepremacist organization. The latter became Grand Wizard of the organization, which had chapters of this secret, insurgent group forming throughout the state and across the South. They opposed voting and political organizing by freedmen , tried to control their behavior by threats, violence and murder, and sometimes also attacked their White allies, including schoolteachers from
1260-554: The Montgomery Grey Sox (of the minor league Negro Southern League ) in a four-game championship series to win the right to declare themselves the Southern Colored Champions. They continued to play independently until joining the Negro Southern League in 1926. Nashville completed its first season in the league with a 15–15 (.500) record. In 1929, Nashville was granted an associate membership in
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#17327764441901320-613: The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum . A number of future major leaguers wore the uniform of the Elite Giants, including Hall of Famers Roy Campanella and Leon Day (who played in with the team in the non-major league years of 1949-50). Also a member of the Elite Giants were two future National League Rookie of the Years in Junior Gilliam (1953) and Joe Black (1952), each who played with Campanella for
1380-492: The Negro National League . The team finished in eighth (last) place with a 10–20 (.333) record. That same year, Wilson built a new ballpark for his team, Tom Wilson Park , which also served as a spring training site for other Negro league teams, as well as white-only minor league teams, such as the Southern Association 's Nashville Vols . Babe Ruth , Lou Gehrig , and Roy Campanella are known to have played at
1440-486: The Pittsburgh Penguins , 4 games to 2, in the best-of-seven series. On January 22, 2009, residents rejected Nashville Charter Amendment 1 , which sought to make English the official language of the city. Between May 1 and 7, 2010, much of Nashville was extensively flooded as part of a series of 1,000 year floods throughout Middle and West Tennessee. Much of the flooding took place in areas along
1500-474: The 1970s, the city and county have undergone tremendous growth, particularly during the economic boom of the 1990s under the leadership of then-Mayor and later- Tennessee Governor , Phil Bredesen . Making urban renewal a priority, Bredesen fostered the construction or renovation of several city landmarks, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum , the downtown Nashville Public Library ,
1560-548: The Athens of the South." His brother, Henry Grizzard, had been lynched and hanged on April 24, 1892, in nearby Goodlettsville as a suspect in the same assault incident. From 1877 to 1950, a total of six lynchings of Blacks were conducted in Davidson County, four before the turn of the century. By the turn of the century Nashville was home to numerous organizations and individuals associated with revisionist Lost Cause of
1620-571: The Brooklyn Dodgers. The Elite Giants also added the first known professional baseball player of Cape Verdean descent, Joe Campinha to their roster in 1948. Nashville, Tennessee This is an accepted version of this page Nashville , often known as Music City , is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County . Located in Middle Tennessee, it had
1680-565: The Confederacy pseudohistory, and it has been referred to as the "cradle of the Lost Cause." In 1893, the magazine Confederate Veteran began publication in the city. In 1894, the first chapter of United Daughters of the Confederacy was founded in the city, and it hosted the first two conventions of the organization. Prominent proponents of the mythology, the so-called "guardians of the Lost Cause," were concentrated Downtown and in
1740-627: The Cumberland River, to its highest point, 1,163 feet (354 m) above sea level in the Radnor Lake State Natural Area . Nashville also sits at the start of the Highland Rim , a geophysical region of very hilly land. Because of this, Nashville is very hilly. Nashville also has some stand alone hills around the city such as the hill on which the Tennessee State Capitol building sits. According to
1800-530: The Cumberland and Harpeth Rivers and Mill Creek , and caused extensive damage to the many buildings and structures in the city, including the Grand Ole Opry House , Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center , Opry Mills Mall , Schermerhorn Symphony Center , Bridgestone Arena , and Nissan Stadium . Sections of Interstate 24 and Briley Parkway were also flooded. Eleven people died in
1860-685: The Elite Giants joined the Negro American League . In their first season with the new league, Baltimore captured the Eastern and Western Division titles, earning them a second Negro National Title. In thirteen seasons in Baltimore, of the eleven which have available standings, the Elite Giants finished in the top three during nine of those seasons. In dire financial straits, the club played one final season in 1950 before dissolving. These Baltimore Elite Giants alumni have been inducted to
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1920-549: The Elites (formed in 1913). Their home games were played at Sulphur Dell and Greenwood Park , the African American community's local park. The Standard Giants welcomed any and all competition, including white-only teams, but played independently of any organized leagues until the mid-1920s. The team was renamed the Nashville Elite Giants (pronounced EE-light ) in 1921. That same year, they swept
1980-619: The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (now WeGo Public Transit ) by a 2 to 1 margin. On September 28, 2019, John Cooper became the ninth mayor of Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. On March 3, 2020, a tornado tracked west to east, just north of the downtown Nashville area, killing at least 25 people and leaving tens of thousands without electricity. Neighborhoods impacted included North Nashville, Germantown, East Nashville, Donelson, and Hermitage. On December 25, 2020,
2040-501: The Nashville area as a result of the flooding, and damages were estimated to be over $ 2 billion. The city recovered after the Great Recession . In March 2012, a Gallup poll ranked Nashville in the top five regions for job growth. In 2013, Nashville was described as "Nowville" and "It City" by GQ , Forbes , and The New York Times . Nashville elected its first female mayor, Megan Barry , on September 25, 2015. As
2100-520: The North and Freedman's Bureau officials. Whites directed violence against freedmen and their descendants both during and after the Reconstruction era . Two freedmen, David Jones and Jo Reed , were lynched in Nashville by White mobs in 1872 and 1875, respectively. Reed was hanged from a bridge over the river, but survived after the rope broke and he fell into the water. He successfully escaped
2160-699: The West End, near Centennial Park . At the same time, Jefferson Street became the historic center of the African American community, with similar districts developing in the Black neighborhoods in East and North Nashville. In 1912, the Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial and Normal School was moved to Jefferson Street. The first Prince's Hot Chicken Shack originated at the corner of Jefferson Street and 28th Avenue in 1945. Jefferson Street became
2220-463: The city include AllianceBernstein , Asurion , Bridgestone Americas , Captain D's , Concord , Gideons International , Hospital Corporation of America , LifeWay Christian Resources , Logan's Roadhouse , and Ryman Hospitality Properties . In 1689, French-Canadian trader Martin Chartier established a trading post on the Cumberland River, near the present-day site of the city. In 1714,
2280-532: The city soon thereafter. In the aftermath of the Civil War, the Fisk Jubilee Singers of Fisk University in Nashville emerged as a beacon of hope and cultural pride. By 1871, this ensemble began touring the U.S. and Europe, earning international acclaim for their performances of Negro spirituals . Their success not only provided vital funding for their university but also marked Nashville as
2340-538: The city was founded in 1779 when this territory was still considered part of North Carolina. The city grew quickly due to its strategic location as a port on the Cumberland River and, in the 19th century, a railroad center. Nashville as part of Tennessee seceded during the American Civil War ; in 1862 it was the first state capital in the Confederacy to be taken by Union forces . It was occupied through
2400-407: The city's expanding influence in the music industry. In 1960, Time reported that Nashville had "nosed out Hollywood as the nation's second biggest (after New York ) record-producing center." In 1957 Nashville desegregated its school system using an innovative grade a year plan, in response to a class action suit Kelly vs. Board of Education of Nashville . By 1966 the Metro Council abandoned
2460-623: The city's position in state government, Nashville is home to the Tennessee Supreme Court 's courthouse for Middle Tennessee , one of the state's three divisions . As of 2020, Nashville is considered a global city , type "Gamma" by the GaWC . The city is a major center for the music industry , especially country music . It is home to three major professional sports teams : the Predators , Titans , and Nashville SC . The city
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2520-498: The city. By 1860, when the first rumblings of secession began to be heard across the South , antebellum Nashville was a prosperous city. The city's significance as a shipping port and rail center made it a desirable prize for competing military forces that wanted to control the region's important river and railroad transportation routes. In February 1862, Nashville became the first Confederate state capital to fall to U.S. troops, and
2580-538: The differing jurisdictions within the large metro region. In the early 1960s, Tennessee still had racial segregation of public facilities, including lunch counters and department store fitting rooms. Hotels and restaurants were also segregated. Between February 13 and May 10, 1960, a series of sit-ins were organized at lunch counters in downtown Nashville by the Nashville Student Movement and Nashville Christian Leadership Council, and were part of
2640-438: The grade a year plan and completely desegregated the entire school system at one time. Congress passed civil rights legislation in 1964 and 1965, but tensions continued as society was slow to change. On April 8, 1967, a riot broke out on the college campuses of Fisk University and Tennessee State University, historically Black colleges , after Stokely Carmichael spoke about Black Power at Vanderbilt University . Although it
2700-470: The new charter, African American attorneys Z. Alexander Looby and Robert E. Lillard were elected to the city council. During the mid-1950s, Nashville underwent a musical transformation with the emergence of the ' Nashville Sound ,' which was characterized by "smooth strings and choruses", "sophisticated background vocals" and "smooth tempos" associated with traditional pop . The new sound broadened country music's appeal and solidified Nashville's status as
2760-425: The north end of the city. These suits caused the courts to announce what became known as the "Nashville Plan", where the city's public schools would desegregate one grade per year beginning in the fall of 1957. Urban redevelopment accelerated over the next several decades, and the city grew increasingly segregated. An interstate was placed on the edge of East Nashville while another highway was built through Edgehill,
2820-509: The opioid crisis have resulted in more people being out on the streets: as of 2018 , between 2,300 and 20,000 Nashvillians are homeless. On March 6, 2018, due to felony charges filed against Mayor Barry relating to the misuse of public funds, she resigned before the end of her term. A special election was called. Following a ruling by the Tennessee Supreme Court , the Davidson County Election Commission set
2880-422: The park. The 8,000 (or 4,000) seat facility featured a single-decked, covered grandstand. The ballpark was centrally located in Nashville's largest black community, known as Trimble Bottom, near the convergence of Second and Forth Avenues, just north of the fairgrounds. In 1930 , the team gained admission into their first organized league, the Negro National League . The Elite Giants finished in seventh place with
2940-708: The season with the Music City Miracle and a close Super Bowl game. The St. Louis Rams won in the last play of the game. In 1997, Nashville was awarded a National Hockey League expansion team; this was named the Nashville Predators . Since the 2003–04 season, the Predators have made the playoffs in all but four seasons. In 2017, they made the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history, but ultimately fell to
3000-642: The second charter for metropolitan government, which was approved in 1962, two levels of service provision were proposed: the General Services District and the Urban Services District, to provide for a differential in tax levels. Residents of the Urban Services District had a full range of city services. The areas that made up the General Services District, however, had a lower tax rate until full services were provided. This helped reconcile aspects of services and taxation among
3060-413: The south for iron production. The cholera epidemic that struck Nashville in 1849–1850 took the life of former U.S. President James K. Polk and resulted in high fatalities. There were 311 deaths from cholera in 1849 and an estimated 316 to about 500 in 1850. Before the Civil War, about 700 free Blacks lived in small enclaves in northern Nashville. More than 3,200 enslaved African Americans lived in
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#17327764441903120-519: The special election for May 24, 2018, to meet the requirement of 75 to 80 days from the date of resignation. David Briley , who was Vice Mayor during the Barry administration and Acting Mayor after her resignation, won the special election with just over 54% of the vote, becoming the 70th mayor of Nashville. On May 1, 2018, voters rejected Let's Move Nashville , a referendum which would have funded construction of an $ 8.9 billion mass transit system under
3180-579: The state legislature approved a new city charter that provided for the election of city council members from single-member districts , rather than at-large voting. This change was supported because at-large voting required candidates to gain a majority of votes from across the city. The previous system prevented the minority population, which then tended to support Republican candidates, from being represented by candidates of their choice; apportionment under single-member districts meant that some districts in Nashville had Black majorities. In 1951, after passage of
3240-430: The state was occupied by the U.S. Army for the duration of the war. Many enslaved African Americans from Middle Tennessee fled as refugees to Union lines; they were housed in contraband camps around military installations in Nashville's eastern, western, and southern borders. The Battle of Nashville (December 15–16, 1864) was a significant Union victory and perhaps the most decisive tactical victory gained by either side in
3300-430: The streets." Auction blocks and brokers' offices were part of the slave market at the heart of the city. It was the center of plantations cultivating tobacco and hemp as commodity crops, in addition to the breeding and training of thoroughbred horses, and other livestock. For years Nashville was considered one of the wealthiest southern capitals and a large portion of its prominence was from the iron business. Nashville led
3360-464: The war. After the war, the city gradually reclaimed its stature. It became a center of trade and developed a manufacturing base. Since 1963, Nashville has had a consolidated city-county government, which includes six smaller municipalities in a two-tier system. The city is governed by a mayor, a vice-mayor, and a 40-member metropolitan council. Some 35 of the members are elected from single-member districts , while five are elected at-large . Reflecting
3420-528: The war; it was also the war's final major military action in which Tennessee regiments played a large part on both sides of the battle. Afterward, the Confederates conducted a war of attrition , making guerrilla raids and engaging in small skirmishes. Confederate forces in the Deep South were almost constantly in retreat. In 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War, the Nashville chapter of
3480-484: Was incorporated as a city and became the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee . In 1843, the city was named as the permanent capital of the state of Tennessee . Knoxville, Kingston & Murfreesboro were prior locations of the state capital. The city government of Nashville owned 24 slaves by 1831, and 60 prior to the Civil War . They were "put to work to build the first successful water system and maintain
3540-486: Was constructed in Centennial Park , near downtown. On April 30, 1892, Ephraim Grizzard , an African-American man, was lynched in a spectacle murder in front of a European-American mob of 10,000 in Nashville. He was a suspect in the assault of two white sisters. His lynching was described by journalist Ida B. Wells as: "A naked, bloody example of the blood-thirstiness of the nineteenth century civilization of
3600-539: Was viewed as a "race riot", it had classist characteristics. In 1979, the Ku Klux Klan burnt crosses outside two African American sites in Nashville, including the city headquarters of the NAACP . Historically, Nashville zoning permitted the construction of duplex housing. In the 1980s and 1990s, Nashville lawmakers downzoned sections of Nashville to exclusively permit single-family housing . Proponents of these downzonings said they would raise home values. Since
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