The state further solidified its nickname during the Mexican-American War of 1846, when President James K. Polk called for 2,600 volunteers and a staggering 30,000 Tennesseans responded.

People from Ohio have been called Buckeyes since the 1700s, even before Ohio became the state. The name originates from Native Americans calling the 6-4 Col. Ebenezer Sproat "Buckeye" due to his large ...