Memphis (Tennessee)

History

The area of Memphis was in the beginning inhabited by the Amerindian S Chickasaw. It was then explored by Europeans, initially by the Spanish Conquistador Hernando de Soto in 1540. It is in 1680, that a French forwarding carried out by Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur of the Room built Strong the Industrial tribunal, on the site of current Memphis. 70 years later, the English settled there, thus marking their installation in the east of Tennessee. The territory remained very badly organized during a broad part of the 18th century. The borders of Tennessee were much broader than currently. They included the North Carolina and the South Carolina. These outposts in the grounds were more in the west of the State.

Memphis was officially founded in 1819 by John Overton, James Winchester and Andrew Jackson and was regarded as city in 1826. The city was named in the honor of the old capital of Egypt on the the Nile.

In the time of the American Civil War, Memphis was a very important city because of the Mississippi river (commercial connection) and of its railway lines (particularly that between Memphis and Charleston inaugurated in 1857). Tennessee made secession with the Union in June 1861 and the city became briefly a confederated bastion. The forces of the Union took Memphis with confederated at the time of the battle of Memphis on June 6th, 1862 and the city remained under their control throughout the war. Memphis represented a base of provisioning and continued to thrive. The epidemic of yellow fever in the years 1870 devastated the city. At that time, it had not been understood yet that the vector of this disease was the mosquito and thus the efforts of fight against this one were useless. There were so much deaths and people fleeing the epidemic that Memphis lost its statute of city until in 1893. Thereafter, measurements of hygiene made it possible to start again the population growth. The pyramid of Memphis was set up in 1897 at the time of the centenary of the State of the Tennessee. Memphis continued to grow and developed the largest cotton market of the the United States (40% of the cotton trade of the country) and the largest wood market intended for construction. Memphis is also known as the place where Martin Luther King was assassinated, on April 4th, 1968 in Lorraine Motel.La city is well-known for its contribution to the culture of American of the South, in particular from the culinary and musical point of view. Many large musicians of Blues grew in Memphis as of the years 1900. One quotes there in particular Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf. The first radio Afro-américain E was created in the city in 1947 per Bert Ferguson and John Pepper and had for DJ B.B.King . Moreover, of a very rich musical heritage, Memphis asserts several culinary specialities as the famous Barbecue S. the barbecue of Memphis is characterized by the only presence from pig. Every years, in May, the city organizes a championship of cooking on barbecue.

Geography and Climate

Geographical location

The city occupies a surface of 763 km ² including 40 km ² of water and is localized on bank is the Mississippi. The city is on a rise overhanging the river in west in the state of the Tennessee. Like its homonymous antique of Egypt, the city is upstream top of the delta of the river. Memphis is the hyphen between two radically different Americas : in the south the firm poor of the Dixie, the Bayou S marshy of Louisiana and this harbor big city with the European sense of smell which is the Orleans News; In north and the west, firm rich person of the plains of the midwest and cities of the north industrialized like Chicago and Strait. The city is located in the zone of a tri-state , where three states meet: the Tennessee, the Arkansas and the the Mississippi.

Town planning

Memphis is structured in 5 major districts: The Downtown , Midtown , Memphis-North , Memphis-South , Memphis-Is . During the last decades, the city extended by annexing surrounding territories. Except for Washington D.C, all the American big cities have their typical scrapes-ciels and Memphis does not escape the rule.

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Climate

Memphis is in the north of a zone of subtropical climate wet, with four distinct seasons. The summer months (of at the end of May at the end of September) are generally hot (between 20 and 35°C) and wet because of the tropical influences coming from the Gulf of Mexico. The storms are then very frequent but generally short (they last only seldom more than one hour). The beginning of the autumn is drier and it can be hot until the end of October but the temperatures can know sharp declines. The end of the autumn is generally rainy and colder. The winters are much more cold and are characterized by periods of diurnal freezing. These periods are generally of short duration (two to three days). The record of the lowest temperature of -25°C , is raised on December 24th 1963. Snow is not abundant but fall each year. Spring starts in general between at the end of February and the beginning of March, with more pleasant temperatures. The spring known for its Tornade S which appears especially in April, is accompanied by hail and strong winds. The total duration of sunning in Memphis accounts for 64% of time.

Demography

Population

According to a census made in 2006, the city counted 680.782 inhabitants. The population is divided into several communities including 61,4% Afro-Americans, 34,4% of white, 3% the Hispanic ones and 1,5% the Asian ones.

There are, in Memphis, approximately 250.000 households of which 31,3% lodge children of less than 18 years; 34,1% are married couples and approximately 30% are people alone (8% of more than 65 years).

The average revenue for a household is of 322 85$ and the average revenue for a family is of 377 67$. A man gains on average 312 36$ whereas a woman gains only 251 83$. The income per capita is of 178 38$. 17,2% of the families and 20,6% of the population live below the poverty line, 30,1% of them are old of less than 18 years and 15,4% have more than 65 years.

Criminality

In 2004, Memphis has known its rate of acts qualified violent one low for a decade, but the tendency changed. In 2005, Memphis was recognized fourth city of more than 500.000 inhabitants most dangerous of the the United States. The crimes increased in 2005 and knew a critical rate in first half of the year 2006. At the national level, one can say that the big cities also follow this rise. The criminologists and the experts quote the intensive recruitment of the gangs and the reduction of 66% of the funds intended for the police force of Memphis like leading causes of this growth.

In first half of the year 2006, the flights in the companies climbed of 52,5%, the flights at the private individuals of 28,5% and the homicides of 18% for the same period in 2005. The department of the police force of Memphis reacted by starting the operation CRUSH (reduction of the crime using the statistical data), which aims at neuralgic points of the crime and the recidivists. Memphis finished the year 2005 with 154 murders and the year 2006 with 160 murders. In 2006, the metropolitan zone of Memphis was the second most dangerous city of the the United States.

In 2007, after the rebont of criminality which touched the United States, Memphis was the fourth the American city most dangerous with a rate of criminality of 19.9 (for 1.000 inhabitants), behind Detroit (24.2), Saint-Louis (24.8) and Flint (26) reigning sadly with the signal of the American cities most criminal.

The metropolis

The town of Memphis is 17th larger the United States and the first of Tennessee with a population of 672 277, however its urban surface of 1 274 704 inhabitants is exceeded by that of Nashville and its some 1 455 097 inhabitants, thus respectively 41e and 39e urban surface of the United States in 2006. The urban surface includes the counties of the Tennessee of Shelby, Tipton and Fayette, as well as the counties of the the Mississippi of DeSoto, Marshall, Tate and Tunica, just as the county of Crittenden in Arkansas.

Culture

Cultural events

The cultural event of great width is “ Memphis in may ”. Throughout May are held various activities on the topic of the cultural heritage of Memphis. Each year, a different country is put at the honor in order to propose the culture and the history of this nation. Since its creation, “ Memphis in may ” has an economic impact and educational very important. The event includes a certain number of as various activities the ones as the others: one can quote the festival of music of street of Beale, the championship of the world of cooking on barbecue or the tournament of golf of St Jude.

The carnival of Memphis (formerly known under the name of “carnival of cotton”) celebrates the various aspects of the city like its industries for example. A king and a queen of the carnival are designated.

The festival of art of Cooper-Young (intersection of two avenues of Memphis) attracts artists come from all North America. In its nineteenth year now, this festival one of is more awaited from Memphis. More than 50.000 people will come to admire the few 300 craftsmen present on the site.

Because of the Hurricane Katrina, in August 2005, Memphis accommodated the festival of music voodoo which normally is one of the most important events of the festival of Halloween to the New-Orleans.

Music and photography

Memphis is the place where began or settled many kinds of American music like the Blues, Gospel, the Rock'n'roll Roll and the country music. Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and B.B. King are those which knew there their beginnings in the Fifties grace in particular to Sun Records. Many of other singers or musicians grew or began in Memphis like the Box Signals, the Grifters, Aretha Franklin, Carl Perkins, John Lee Hooker, Justin Timberlake, Howlin' Wolf, Bobby " Blue" Band, Charlie Rich, Al Green, Muddy Toilets, Big Star, Tina Turner, Roy Orbison, Willie Mae Ford Smith, Sam Cooke, Booker T. and the MG' S, Otis Redding; the Blackwood Brothers, Isaac Beam, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Shawn Lane, The Sylvers, Anita Ward and " the father of Blues" W.C. Handy.

Memphis is also known for its very famous photographers like William Eggleston, the father of photography color.

One finds, in the city, much of art galleries which have flowered for one decade.

Theater and Spectacle

Memphis is the cradle of several of the largest organizations of live performances such as the Symphony orchestra of Memphis. Ballet Memphis is the only professional company of ballet of the area and occurs in Orpheum Theater. The Fondation Ford rewarded it like one for the most prestigious challengers in 2001 and honoured it as a national treasure with the cultural world. Opera Memphis, the company of opera of the area, occurs with the Clark Opera Memphis Center . Other major theaters such Playhouse, Memphis Theater, and Works Theater to quote only them.

Religion

Since its foundation, Memphis was the host of a multitude of religions. Today, of the places of worship Christian, Jewish, Moslem, Buddhist and Hindu exist.

The synagog of Baron Hirsch, who was founded at the end of the 19th century, attracts the greatest number of orthodoxe Jews of the the United States. The church Baptist of Memphis has 27.000 members. The general headquarter of the Church off God in Christ, one of most important the sects Christian women, is also in Memphis.

Economy

The center of the city undertook the development of the economy. Located on the river the Mississippi, with the intersection of two highways " inter-États" and of seven major highways, Memphis is ideally placed for import-export. Memphis has the most important airport-cargo liner of the world (in term of tonnage) and in particular thanks to Fedex which installed its principal terminal of export there. Moreover, Memphis is regarded as a major pole of the industry of the textile, material of heating, piano, car and trucks.

Memphis is the house where grew of many national companies and international, which includes approximately 150 companies of 22 different countries. One finds there the general headquarter of Fedex but also of AutoZone Incorporated and International Paper . The airport of Memphis has a daily connection towards the Europe, towards Amsterdam more precisely.

Cinema industry took a considerable rise with Memphis. Many films were turned in Memphis these last years: Mystery Train in 1989, Great Balls off Fire! the same year, the Firm in 1993, Larry Flynt in 1996, Only in the world in 2000, 21 grams in 2004, Hustle & Flow and Walk the line in 2005 and Black Snake Moan in 2007 with in guest the native: Justin Timberlake (native of Memphis).

The city seems 8th of the 50 the best metropolitan surfaces where to begin and develop a company according to Inc stores. (2000). Southern Business and Development stores place, as for him, Memphis like the first economic development model of the south and also recognized it like one of the 10 primary markets of these last decades.

Transport

Public transport of Memphis in the name of the Memphis Area Transit Authority which manages in particular drunk and Trolley S, is envisaged besides with an expansion of the network to all the area.

A great number of railway freight passes by Memphis of leave two crossings railroads the Mississippi and the convergence of the rails East-West with those North-South . Memphis had formerly two major stations, the Memphis Union shaven Station in 1969 and the recently renovated Memphis Central Station where a Amtrak serving passes Chicago to the New-Orleans.

The airport of Memphis is, as for him, the first of the world for the freight, which rose in 2003 to 3,3 million tons.

The highways Interstate I-40 (which crosses the United States of is in west), I-240 and I-55 are the principal ones in the surroundings of Memphis. The latter, with I-40, spans the Mississippi by the city in direction of the Arkansas. Future the I-22 and I-69 will converge towards Memphis.

Bridges

Four railway and highway bridges cross the Mississippi in Memphis. They are - by order of construction - the Frisco , the Harahan , the Memphis-Arkansas and finally the bridge Hernando de Soto .

Frisco Bridge (1892) was longest of North America when it was inaugurated under the name of Great Bridge At Memphis (Le Grand Bridge of Memphis). This steel bridge for railroads was built of 1888 with 1892. It barrel creates by George S. Morison, with whom one owes also Taft Bridge of Washington D.C.

Harahan Bridge (1916) is another bridge with railroad to which was added plus-tard a road to one way on with dimensions one of the bridge to make it possible the cars of to circulate there. However, in 1928, of the sparks of a train put fire at this way (made in planks of wood). Since only the trains use Harahan Bridge but it is envisaged to update at it a way pedestrian and cycle.

Memphis-Arkansas Bridge (1949), in the beginning the E.H. Crump Bridge , is the passage over the river of the highway Interstate 55 and has a way pedestrian. It is indexed like the longest bridge of the the United States of the style Warren Truss.

Hernando de Soto Bridge' (1973) with its steel arcs supports the Interstate I-40. In 86 one added lights to it to form a " M" become one of attractions of the city. The Livre Guinness of the records mentions it for its single structure in form of " M" with the round curves.

Tourism

Museums

Memphis has a consequent number of museums due to a very rich history and a culture which takes root in the city. Among the major museums one can mention in particular the National Civilian Rights Museum located in an old motel where Martin Luther King was assassinated where all the history of the movement of the American civic rights is recalled there, in particular abolition of slavery to the more recent movement LGBT. Memphis Brooks Museum off Art, founded in 1916, is largest and old museum of the Art schools of the Tennessee. The permanent collection of Memphis Brooks Museum includes/understands works of the Renaissance and Italian Baroque with the Impressionism British and French and with more recent artists in particular Carroll Cloar, originating in the city. The museum is located in Overton Park where is also the zoo of Memphis, Overton Shell Auditorium, and the University of Arts of the city. One also finds in Downtown Memphis Peabody Place Museum, the largest collection of Chinese art of the 19th century of the the United States. As for Art Museum at the University of Memphis has the largest Egyptian collection of antiquities of the American south.

Graceland , or the old residence of the legend of the rock'n'roll Elvis Presley, is the second most visited house of the United States (after the White House) attracting more than 600.000 American visitors like foreigners per annum. One can admire there, between-other, two of the private aircrafts of Elvis, his impressive collection of cars and motor bikes and more still… Elvis and other members of his family like her mother and her father, are buried beside Graceland in the Garden Meditation. Each year proceeds Graceland Christmas lighting ceremony in November, the birthday of Elvis in January and the Elvis Week in August to commemorate the life and the career of Elvis Presley at the time of the birthday of her death. the Heartbreak Hotel was named according to one of its most popular songs. Graceland is definitively an at the same time national and historical monument.

Mud Island To rivet Park and the Mississippi River Museum are both on Mud Island. The park is famous for its Rivetting Walk: one finds there also a model reduced of part of the Mississippi of Cairo in the Illinois with the Orleans News as well as the Gulf of Mexico. Also, Victorian Village is a historical district of Memphis presenting a series of residences of the victorienne type of which some are opened with the public like museum.

Others

The fans of Blues must visit the Beale Street , a street where many clubs and restaurants always in the spirit pile up very rock'n'roll and blues, if expensive at the city. Many people are found there who play in this mythical street and the bars and the clubs often offer the lives ones. Us days, Beale Street is the first attraction of the Tennessee and is regarded as the most borrowed street American south after the street Bourbon of the Vieux French square of New-Orleans.

To also see, the Sun studios where Elvis recorded for the first time " My Happiness" and " That' S When Your Heartaches Begin". Other artists made to their beginnings in Sun such in particular Johnny Cash, Rufus Thomas, Charlie Rich, Howlin' Wolf, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The zoo of Memphis has a rich person collection of mammals, birds, Amphibians and fish of all planet. Memphis has also its Walk off Famed located in Beale Street whose design follows that of Hollywood but which remains dedicated exclusively to the musicians, to singers, to writers and to type-setters of Memphis. These elected officials count W.C. Handy, B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, and Alberta Hunter among others.

Sport

The Pyramid Arena is a general sports room located on the edges of the Mississippi. Its capacity is of 20.142 places for the Basket-ball and more than 21.000 for the concerts, moreover it has 28 continuations of luxury and 1.000 seats of club. Its tenants were the Grizzlies de Memphis (NBA) and the male team of university basketball, the Memphis Tigers (NCAA).

Since November 2004, Pyramid Arena left its place to new the FedExForum. Since the construction of this last, the arena does not accommodate any more any sporting frankness.

Personalities

Justin Timberlake chantor born in 1981
Ben Browder, actor born in 1962
Dee Dee Bridgewater chanteuse of jazz
8Ball & MJG groupe of hip-hop américain
Fred Smith fondator and chairman of the company Fedex
George Hamilton actor born in Memphis in 1939
Aretha Franklin chanteuse born in 1942
B.B. King consideré like the King of the Blues
Sam Phillips fondator of Sun Records
Morgan Freeman actor born in 1937
Anita Ward née into 1956 which was success thanks to its famous title disco music Ring My Bell of 1979
Elvis Presley mort in Memphis (1977) , to which it returns any sound prestige.
Jeff Buckley chantor died in Memphis (May 29th, 1997), of a drowning in Mississippi.
Martin Luther King defensor of the blacks in the USA, assassinated the April 4th 1968

Twinning

The city is twinned with two other cities:

Kanifing, Gambia
Kaolack, Senegal

See too

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