Twentieth Century Nashville

Over the course of the Twentieth Century, Nashville, Tennessee saw huge changes that started here and spread across the country and the world.

At the start of the century, the city, like the rest of the South, was segregated. But following WWII, a consciousness, begun in some of the city's historically black universities, began to spread. The trailhead to the Freedom Trail was established when students began sit-ins at local diners that were refusing them service. These brave acts soon spread across the South and championed a cause that would change an entire culture.

Construction of the Coliseum - home to the Tennessee Titans - began in 1997

About this same time, a powerful local radio station with the call letters WSM, was seeking filler for a time slot following it's traditional Saturday night opera music, and began broadcasting live programming featuring talented regional vocalists and acoustic instrumentalists. The show could be heard hundreds and even thousands of miles away on clear nights and caught the ears of delighted listeners across the nation who demanded more of the same. Country music as a popular genre was born.

Towards the end of the century, in 1997, Tennessee celebrated its 200th year as a state, and in celebration, built a large mall park which today is visited by thousands to see its rich interpretive history of the state. That same year, a large sports coliseum was built across the river from downtown.

• Civil Rights / Freedom Trail
• Country Music Hall of Fame
• Bicentennial Mall
• The Coliseum

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