NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For more than two centuries, Tennessee has been known as The Volunteer State. Yet, the nickname was never documented in state law.
That change on Feb. 21 after Governor Bill Lee signed Senate Bill 1552 into law, which officially designates the state as "The Volunteer State." It had passed in the Senate on Feb. 3.
Another bill passed in the House of Representatives, House Bill 1562. It was introduced by Representative Jason Zachary.
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Tennessee earned the nickname during the War of 1812. The state was asked to send 1,500 troops to defend the lower Mississippi region. Instead, Tennessee sent 30,000 troops.
Since then, the state was known as The Volunteer State.