In fact, several nationally controversial “liberal” institutions, from The New York Times to the Federal Reserve Board to the ultra-environmentalist Wilderness Society to even—gasp—the United Nations, have East Tennessee fingerprints on them.

Of course, I personally don't think there's anything controversial about having a functioning environment, and the Fed is controversial because it's run by conservatives now. That's beside the point of this fascinating look at how Knoxville "invented" Liberalism.

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