THE
BACKSTORY
Understanding how we became who we are.
Tennessee’s rich history informs how we’ve become who we are. Complex characters, conflicts, innovations — they are all part of our story.
In honor of the state’s 230th birthday (and America’s 250th), WPLN is rolling out “The Backstory” to connect the dots between stories of the past and our present day.
Credits
Host: Nina Cardona
Producer: Alexis Marshall
Editor: Tony Gonzalez
This project is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee administered by the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial.
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4 tales from Tennessee election history to read during early voting that may surprise you
The NashVillager podcast rounds up four of the most influential and insightful election stories from Tennessee’s history.
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Drugs, monkeys, squirrels and a hoax: 5 eyebrow-raising moments in Tennessee history
We’re taking a look at oddities in Tennessee history from an archaeological hoax to drug smuggling and literal monkey business.
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The mysterious tablet of Bat Creek
How did one Tennessee find turn out to be a hoax? Plus, the local news for Aug. 25, 2026.
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Partisan evolution in Tennessee politics
How did Tennessee turn from a Democratic stronghold to reliably red? Plus, the local news for August 7, 2026.
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Tennessee’s history of poll taxes, both overt and hidden
How does Tennessee still show echoes of the old poll taxes?
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4 times Tennessee’s early leaders behaved badly
Nobody’s perfect. That’s true even for people in public office. For as long as there have been politicians, there have been political scandals and controversies. And Tennessee is no exception.
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The real origins of the Scopes Monkey Trial
What did tourism have to do with a high-profile court case about evolution? Plus, the local news for July 10, 2026.
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5 times Tennessee influenced the USA as it celebrates 250 years
From constitutional amendments to airport security, see how Tennessee history has shaped the nation as we know it.
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Tennessee’s Congressional maps keep on changing (except for when they didn’t)
How long have Tennessee’s political maps been gerrymandered?
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Redistricting the site of the Memphis Massacre
How did a vicious attack on Black people in Tennessee relate to landmark constitutional protections?
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Nashville’s homegrown drug smuggling king
How did a boy from Belle Meade become a notorious drug runner? Plus, a roundup of the news for April 20, 2026.
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How a pet monkey became the face of an illegal pharmacy kickback scheme
How did a monkey center in a Tennessee opioid lawsuit that just ended? Plus the local news for February 19, 2026.
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How a hijacking threat to Oak Ridge changed airport security forever
What role did Tennessee play in the advent of airport security?
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How has Tennessee’s tax code changed? From animal control to grocery tax
How Tennessee used to combine tax collections with pest control.
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Sam Houston’s rowdy reputation before Texas
Was Sam Houston the most temperamental early Tennessee leader? Plus, the local news for September 5, 2025.
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Founding father William Blount gets busted for treason
How did a founder of Tennessee make history as the first U.S. Senator expelled from office? Plus, the local news for July 8, 2025.
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NashVillager Podcast: How Metro was made
Would there even be a Metro Nashville if there wasn’t a 40-member Metro Council? Plus, the local news for June 18, 2025.
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Remembering the Trail of Tears
Why is there so little to remind us of the way Native nations were displaced via Tennessee routes?
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When John Sevier and Andrew Jackson (almost) dueled
What happened when Sevier and Jackson met to duel? Plus, the local news for February 25, 2025.
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NashVillager Podcast: The morning after
How are things feeling post-Election Day? Plus the local news for November 6, 2024.
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The Confederate ghost who won’t stop haunting Middle Tennessee
When will we be honest about what monuments to Nathan Bedford Forrest are honoring? Plus the local news for August 28, 2024.
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When Tennessee was the test case for a divided nation
Why was Tennessee once the prime example of how the United States should (or shouldn’t) handle a major issue?
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From anxiety to embrace, Fort Campbell’s changing relationship with Clarksville
What does Fort Campbell mean for life in Clarksville?
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Remembering Where Civil Rights leaders left their mark on Nashville
What are we doing to keep the connections to Nashville’s civil rights past alive?
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