Eastern Tennessee is an interesting place. It is one of the only places in the South that has been staunchly Republican since the civil war, having voted against secession. If it were to have been made into a separate state like West Virginia, it would certainly have major cultural and political impacts both in the entire state. So is it possible for East Tennessee to become its own state? And what impact would it have as a loyal Republican bastion in the Solidly Democratic South?
Would it become a place of refuge for blacks fleeing Jim Crow?