For centuries, the land was the home of indigenous people. In particular, the Native American Chickasaw tribe held significant control of the bluffs, a great port for river traffic.
The spanish explorer Hernando de Soto explored the land in 1541. Later, the French built Fort Assumption in 1739 to solidify dominance towards the Chickasaw.
In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase caused the land to come under American control. The Chickasaw had to move westward, causing a cession of the bluffs.
In 1819, the city was officially founded by John Overton, Andrew Jackson, and James Winchester.
The city was named "Memphis" after the ancient Egyptian capital, located on the famous Nile river, to signify its potential as a river city.
The cotton trade transformed Memphis into the South's largest city and a vital commercial hub where they bought, sold, and shipped cotton produced in the Mississippi Delta.
In 1826, Memphis was incorporated as a town but began to grow into a major southern city.
After West Tennessee's forests were cleared, it didnt take long for farmers to plant crops. Cotton grew wonderfully in West Tennesee, therefore large cotton plantations were established.
These plantations needed labor, and that largerly meant enslaved labor. In the 1820s and 1830s enslaved people from Virginia, Maryland, and East Tennessee were sold and forced to move west. By the 1850s, West Tennessee had more slaves than the other two Grand Divisons of the state.