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24-455: The body consisted of three commissioners, one from each of the state's three " Grand Divisions " ( East , Middle , and West Tennessee ). While one member of the body was required to be from each Grand Division, each was elected on a statewide basis to staggered six-year terms, resulting in the election of one commissioner in each even-numbered year. This body was somewhat less powerful than some similar bodies in most other states in that, with

48-428: A Republican got his strongest vote from East Tennessee), due to concerns that it might encourage sectionalism . The Tennessee commemorative quarter issued by the U.S. Mint in 2002 was designed to honor the musical heritage of the three grand divisions, each of which is strongly associated with a particular style of music. East Tennessee is known for Appalachian bluegrass , Middle Tennessee for country music and

72-658: Is dominated by the Appalachian mountain chain, including the Great Smoky Mountains on the eastern border of the state, the ridge-and-valley region where East Tennessee's principal cities ( Knoxville , Chattanooga , and the Tri-Cities ) are located, and the rugged Cumberland Mountains . East and Middle Tennessee are separated along the Cumberland Plateau . Middle Tennessee, which includes

96-544: Is mostly agricultural. Historically, cotton was West Tennessee's dominant crop. The physiographic and economic differences between the three regions resulted in major divisions within Tennessee in the Civil War . The plantation agricultural system associated with cotton production meant that slavery was very important to the economy of West Tennessee, where voters strongly supported secession . Support for secession

120-659: The Grand Ole Opry , and West Tennessee for the Delta blues . Below a trio of stars that represent the three grand divisions, the quarter depicts a guitar for the country music of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, a fiddle and a book of music for the bluegrass tradition of East Tennessee, and a trumpet for the blues music of Memphis and the Mississippi Delta (part of West Tennessee). Flag of Tennessee Too Many Requests If you report this error to

144-413: The flag of Tennessee by the flag's three prominent stars. The Grand Divisions, East , Middle , and West Tennessee, are sometimes referred to as "the three states of Tennessee" or "the three Tennessees". The three Grand Divisions, East , Middle , and West Tennessee , are formally defined in state law at Tennessee Code Annotated Title 4, Chapter 1, Part 2 ("Grand Divisions and State Capital") as

168-517: The "eastern, middle, and western" Grand Divisions of the state. The law lists the counties in each region. The boundary between East Tennessee and Middle Tennessee is on the Cumberland Plateau , which was a major barrier to travel and commerce during much of the state's early history. The boundary is close to the line between the Eastern and Central time zones . All but three counties of East Tennessee ( Bledsoe , Cumberland , and Marion ) are in

192-556: The 1930s the commission lost its jurisdiction over electric utilities; street railways were removed from commission jurisdiction in 1943. The commission's name was changed to the Public Service Commission in 1955. Once the Tennessee Supreme Court was changed to being confirmed by a yes-no vote (the "Modified Missouri Plan " or " Tennessee Plan ") rather than being chosen by an actual election,

216-668: The Civil War and afterward. The Republican Party dominated politics in the region. Before and during the Civil War, there was a movement in East Tennessee to counter-secede from the Confederacy and re-join the Union as the State of Nickajack , together with other Union-friendly Southern areas, such as North Alabama . Partly because of West Tennessee's history of slavery, it has had a higher concentration of African Americans in

240-820: The Eastern Time Zone, while Middle and West Tennessee are entirely in the Central Time Zone. The reach of the Tennessee River that flows northward to Kentucky from Mississippi and Alabama demarcates the boundary between Middle and West Tennessee starting from the northern border of Hardin County , which is bisected by the Tennessee River but is located wholly in West Tennessee. The assignments of counties can be changed by

264-517: The PSC members became the only government officials in Tennessee other than the governor who were elected statewide. During the entire life of the body, all of its members were Democrats . The process was tainted by allegations of corruption. The general public showed very little interest in the office, despite its potential for considerable impact on their daily lives, with total votes cast in races for

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288-503: The Regulatory Authority began operation the following day. Grand Divisions of Tennessee The Grand Divisions are three geographic regions in the U.S. state of Tennessee , each constituting roughly one-third of the state's land area, that are geographically, culturally, legally, and economically distinct. The Grand Divisions are legally recognized in the state constitution and state law and are represented on

312-614: The Tennessee Public Service Commission, although such attempts were occasionally made, such as in 1994 when Frank Cockran and Steve Hewlett ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic Gubernatorial Primary. Election-related scandals and charges of favoritism, together with the fact that no Republican was ever elected to the office of Public Service Commissioner, led the administration of Governor Don Sundquist to move to abolish

336-471: The cities of Jackson in West Tennessee, Nashville in Middle Tennessee, and Knoxville in East Tennessee. Similar rules apply to some other state institutions. For example: In describing his design for the Tennessee state flag, which was adopted in 1905, LeRoy Reeves wrote, "The three stars are of pure white, representing the three grand divisions of the state." He explained the placement of

360-550: The exception of the Kingsport area, it had no jurisdiction over electric rates since the vast majority of the state received its power from the Tennessee Valley Authority , which as part of the federal government was not subject to state regulation. The Tennessee Public Service Commission originated in 1897 as an elected three-member state Railroad Commission, vested with the authority to investigate

384-728: The office in 1995. The Tennessee General Assembly acted that year to abolish the Public Service Commission, replacing it with the Tennessee Regulatory Authority , consisting of three members, with one member each appointed by the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor , and the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives . The Public Service Commission ceased operation on June 30, 1996, and

408-419: The office often amounting only to two-thirds or less of the numbers cast for governor, senator , or President in the same election, and most people largely or entirely unaware of the duties and functions of the commission. Nearly all campaign donations came from the industries which were regulated by the PSC, their representatives, and persons involved with them. No one was ever elected to higher office from

432-461: The population. In the census in 2000 , West Tennessee's population was found to be 37% black, while in Middle and East Tennessee, black people made up 12% and 6% of their respective populations. The Tennessee State Constitution mandates that no more than two of the five justices on the state's supreme court can be from any one Grand Division. The court must also meet regularly in each division in

456-706: The rates and practices of railroads and to approve rail tariffs. In 1919 the Railroad Commission's responsibilities were expanded to include the regulation of street railways and public utilities, and the Tennessee General Assembly changed the body's name to the Railroad and Public Utilities Commission. Jurisdiction over motor carriers was added in 1933. With the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority in

480-529: The stars inside a blue circle as symbolic of "three bound together in one—an indissoluble trinity." The state formerly featured the Grand Divisions in tourism promotions. In the 1960s, billboards at the state's borders greeted visitors with the words, "Welcome to the Three States of Tennessee". The slogan was abandoned during the governorship of Winfield Dunn (who was from Memphis, but as

504-595: The state legislature, but few changes to the boundaries between the Grand Divisions have been made since the earliest legal reference to them, in The Acts of Tennessee 1835-1836 , Chapter 3, "An Act to establish a Supreme Court in pursuance of the 2nd sec., art. 6, of the Constitution of the United States". The most recent adjustment to the boundaries of the Grand Divisions occurred in 1965, when Perry County

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528-590: The state's capital city of Nashville , is dominated by rolling hills and fertile stream valleys. West Tennessee, located between the Tennessee and the Mississippi Rivers, is the lowest-lying of the three Grand Divisions. It is part of the Gulf Coastal Plain physiographic region, characterized by relatively flat topography. Except for the Memphis metropolitan area , land use in this region

552-419: Was not as strong in Middle Tennessee, where plantation agriculture was present but less important. In mountainous East Tennessee, where plantation agriculture was largely absent and slavery was not economically important, voters strongly opposed secession. Although the entire state seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy , East Tennessee remained an area of pro-Union sentiment and activity throughout

576-441: Was shifted from West Tennessee to Middle Tennessee. Earlier in the 20th century, there were definitional changes that shifted the assignments of Marion , Sequatchie , and Cumberland Counties between East and Middle Tennessee (Sequatchie moved from East to Middle Tennessee; Marion and Cumberland counties moved from Middle to East Tennessee). The three regions are geographically and culturally distinct. East Tennessee's landscape

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