Cherokee, Chickasaw and Shawnee Native American tribes were the earliest inhabitants of the Nashville area. Spaniard Hernando DeSoto passed through the area in the 16th century, but no settlements were formed until French fur traders established a trading post in 1717. The first permanent settlement of pioneers, established in 1784, was called Fort Nashborough in honor of Gen. Francis Nash, an acclaimed American Revolution officer. Nashborough was incorporated as a city under the North Carolina legislature and renamed Nashville in 1784. When Tennessee was admitted to the Union in 1796, Nashville became the State Capital.
Tennessee was the last southern state to join the Confederacy and the first to rejoin the Union after the Civil War. In 1897, the city gained international attention as host for the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition. With Nashville leading the way, Tennessee was one of the pivotal votes in passing the 19th Amendment, allowing women to vote. During the Civil Rights Movement, initial sit-in and protests gave way to Nashville emerging as a leader in integration and equal rights. Today, Nashville continues to lead the way in the South as a progressive and proactive city, protecting its heritage while moving enthusiastically into the future.
