Author Description

"Perhaps the history of no State in the Union contains more events of adventurous interest than that of Tennessee." -William Henry Carpenter Historian William Henry Carpenter (1813-1899) was the author of history books on ten different states. In 1857 Carpenter published "The History of Tennessee: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time." In introducing his book, Carpenter writes: "Perhaps the history of no State in the Union contains more events of adventurous interest than that of Tennessee. Settled originally by a rough border population, surrounded by vindictive and subtle enemies, upon whose territory they had established themselves in defiance of opposition and in contempt of danger, the long and bloody wars which followed encroachments repeatedly renewed have no parallel except in the annals of Kentucky. Yet this sturdy people, separated from the older States by intervening mountains, not only sustained themselves against the incessant assaults of their adversaries, but righted their own wrongs, assisted to repel invasion, and finally evolved order and prosperity out of tumult and disaster."