Methodist Episcopal Church, and embracing a college department, a normal department, an industrial department, and departments of English, commerce, law, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, music, bible training, nurse training and domestic science. The Baptist, the Methodist Episcopal (South), the Cumberland Presbyterian, and the African Baptist and the African Methodist Episcopal churches have publishing houses in Nashville.
The leading manufactures of the city are flour and grist mill products (valued at $4,242,491 in 1905), lumber and timber products—Nashville is one of the greatest hard wood markets in the United States, and in 1905 the value of lumber and timber products was $1,119,162 and of planing-mill products, $1,299,066—construction and repair of steam railway cars ($1,724,007 in 1905), tobacco ($1,311,019 in 1905), fertilizers ($846,511 in 1905), men’s clothing ($720,227 in 1905), saddlery, harness, soap and candles. The total value of the products of the factories increased from $15,301,096 in 1900 to $23,109,601 (16·8% of the entire factory product of the state) in 1905, amounts greater than those of any other city in the state. Nashville has a large trade in grain, cotton, groceries, dry goods, drugs, and boots and shoes. The water-works and the electric lighting plant are owned and operated by the municipality.
Nashville was founded in 1780 as “the advance guard of western civilization” by a company of two hundred or more pioneers under the leadership of James Robertson, the nearest settlement being at the time about three hundred miles distant. When first settled it was named Nashborough in honour of Abner Nash (1716–1786), who was at the time governor of North Carolina, or more probably in honour of the Revolutionary general, Francis Nash (1720–1777), a brother of Abner, killed at Germantown; but when, in 1784, it was incorporated as a town by the North Carolina legislature the present name was substituted. In 1806 Nashville was chartered as a city. Although it was not made the capital of the state until 1843, the legislature met here from 1812 with the exception of the period from 1815 to 1826. Many of the pioneers of Nashville were slain by the Creek and Cherokee Indians, and at times the settlement was saved from destruction only by the heroism of Robertson, but in 1794 the savages were dealt a crushing blow at Nickojack on the lower Tennessee and much more peaceful relations were established. On the 3rd of June 1850 a convention, known as the Southern or Nashville Convention, whose action was generally considered a threat of disunion, met here to consider the questions at issue between the North and the South. Since such a meeting had first been proposed by a state convention of Mississippi, the famous Compromise Measures of 1850 had been introduced in Congress and the support of the movement had been greatly weakened thereby except in South Carolina and Mississippi. Nine states, however, were represented by about 100 delegates, mostly Democrats, and the convention denounced the Wilmot Proviso, and, as “an extreme concession on the part of the South,” promised to agree that, W. of Missouri, there should be slavery only in the territory S. of 36° 30′ N. lat. At an adjourned meeting in November it expressed its dissatisfaction with the Compromise Measures of Congress, and asserted the right of the South to secede.
During the Civil War Nashville was at first held by the Confederates, but early in 1862 it was occupied by the Federals, who retained possession of it to the end. The battle of Nashville was fought on the 15th and 16th of December 1864 between the Union army under Major-General G. H. Thomas and the Confederates under General J. B. Hood. The Union defences extended in a semicircle round Nashville, the flanks on the river above and below. Hood’s army was to the south-east, lightly entrenched, with its flanks on two creeks which empty into the Cumberland above and below Nashville. This position he desired to maintain as long as possible so as to gather recruits and supplies in safety. If Thomas, whose army was of motley composition, attacked, he hoped to defeat him and to enter Nashville on his heels. Thomas, however, would not strike until he had his army organized. Then, on the 15th, he emerged from the entrenchments and by a vigorous attack on the Confederate left forced back Hood’s line to a second position 112 m. to the south. Hood, having detached a part of his army, desired to gain time to bring in his detachments by holding this line for another day. Thomas, however, gave him no respite. On the 16th the Union army deployed in front of him, again over-lapping his left flank, and although a frontal attack was repulsed, the extension of the Federal right wing compelled Hood to extend his own lines more and more. Then the Federals broke the attenuated line of defence at its left centre, and Hood’s army drifted away in disorder. The pursuit was vigorous, and only a remnant of the Confederate forces reassembled at Columbia, 40 m. to the south, whence they fell back without delay behind the Tennessee.
NASI, JOSEPH (16th century), Jewish statesman and financier, was born in Portugal of a Jewish (Marano) family. Emigrating from his native land, he founded a banking house in Antwerp. Despite his financial and social prosperity there, he felt it irksome to be compelled to wear the guise of Catholicism, and determined to settle in a Mahommedan land. After two troubled years in Venice, Nasi betook himself to Constantinople. Here he proclaimed his Judaism, and married his beautiful cousin Reyna. He rapidly rose to favour, the sultans Suleiman and Selim promoting him to high office. He founded a Jewish colony at Tiberias which was to be an asylum for the Jews of the Roman Campagna. In 1566 when Selim ascended the throne, Nasi was made duke of Naxos. He had deserved well of Turkey, for he had conquered Cyprus for the sultan. Nasi’s influence was so great that foreign powers often negotiated through him for concessions which they sought from the sultan. Thus the emperor of Germany, Maximilian II., entered into direct correspondence with Nasi; William of Orange, Sigismund August II., king of Poland, also conferred with him on political questions of moment. On the death of Selim in 1574, Nasi receded from his political position, but retained his wealth and offices, and passed the five years of life remaining to him in honoured tranquillity at Belvedere (Constantinople). He died in 1579. His career was not productive of direct results, but it was of great moral importance. It was one of the tokens of the new era that was to dawn for the Jews as trusted public officials and as members of the state.
See Graetz, History of the Jews (Eng. trans.), vol. iv. chs. xvi.-xvii.; Jewish Encyclopedia, ix. 172. (I. A.)
NASIK, a town and district of British India, in the central
division of Bombay. The town is on the Godavari river, connected
by a tramway (5 m.) with Nasik Road railway station,
107 m. N.E. of Bombay. Pop. (1901) 21,490. It is a very holy
place of Hindu pilgrimage, being 30 m. from the source of the
Godavari. Shrines and temples line the river banks, and some
stand even in the river. In the vicinity there are a number
of sacred caves, among which those of Pandu Lena are the most
noteworthy. They are ancient Buddhist caves dating from the
3rd century before Christ to the 6th century after. There are
numerous inscriptions of the highest historical value. Nasik
has manufactures of cotton goods, brass-ware and mineral
waters.
The District of Nasik has an area of 5850 sq. m. With the exception of a few villages in the west, the whole district is situated on a tableland from 1300 to 2000 ft. above sea-level. The western portion is hilly, and intersected by ravines, and only the simplest kind of cultivation is possible. The eastern tract is open, fertile and well cultivated. The Sahyadri range stretches from north to south; the watershed is formed by the Chander range, which runs east and west. All the streams to the south of that range are tributaries of the Godavari. To the north of the watershed, the Girna and its tributary the Mosam flow through fertile valleys into the Tapti. The district generally is destitute of trees, and the forests which formerly clothed the Sahyadri hills have nearly disappeared; efforts are now being made to prevent further destruction. and to reclothe some of the slopes. The district contains several old hill forts, the scenes of many engagements during the Mahratta wars. Nasik district
