Kentucky - Knowledge

1808:, and Kentucky was officially admitted into the Confederacy on December 10, 1861, as the 13th Confederate state with full recognition in Richmond. The Confederate shadow government was never popularly elected statewide, though 116 delegates were sent representing 68 Kentucky counties which at the time made up a little over half the territory of the Commonwealth to the Russellville Convention in 1861, and were occupied and governed by the Confederacy at some point in the duration of the war, and Kentucky had full representation within the Confederate Government. Although Confederate forces briefly controlled Frankfort, they were expelled by Union forces before a Confederate government could be installed in the state capital. After the expulsion of Confederate forces after the Battle of Perryville, this government operated in-exile. Though it existed throughout the war, Kentucky's provisional government only had governing authority in areas of Kentucky under direct Confederate control and had very little effect on the events in the Commonwealth or in the war once they were driven out of the state. 2192:, rainy summers, and moderately cold and rainy winters. Mean maximum temperatures in July vary from 83 to 90 °F (28 to 32 °C); the mean minimum July temperatures are 61 to 69 °F (16 to 21 °C). In January the mean maximum temperatures range from 36 to 44 °F (2 to 7 °C); the mean minimum temperatures range from 19 to 26 °F (−7 to −3 °C). Temperature means vary with northern and far-eastern mountain regions averaging five degrees cooler year-round, compared to the relatively warmer areas of the southern and western regions of the state. Precipitation varies north to south with the north averaging of 38 to 40 inches (970 to 1,020 mm), and the south averaging of 50 inches (1,300 mm). Days per year below the freezing point vary from about sixty days in the southwest to more than a hundred days in the far-north and far-east. 3754:, had a population of 447,457 in 2018. The metropolitan areas of Louisville, Lexington, and Northern Kentucky have a combined population of 2,402,958 as of 2018, which is 54% of the state's total population on only about 19% of the state's land. This area is often referred to as the Golden triangle as it contains a majority of the state's wealth, population, population growth, and economic growth, it is where most of the state's largest cities by population are located. It is referred to as the Golden triangle as the metro areas of Lexington, Louisville, and Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati outline a triangle shape. Interstates I-71, I-75, and I-64 form the triangle shape. Additionally, all counties in Kentucky that are part of an MSA or CSA have a total population of 2,970,694, which is 67% of the state's population. 9768: 3386: 5926: 8513: 1637: 6431: 4325: 8890: 2815: 5542: 144: 9151: 6047: 5460: 2123: 1063: 3333: 1950: 6716: 4317: 1711: 8774: 5907: 87: 6179: 5032: 983: 75: 2997: 470: 20540: 17338: 6568: 3396: 3343: 19268: 18564: 10098: 999: 3008: 728: 714: 5839: 5759: 9715: 3904: 2914: 2063: 9622: 6915: 3731:(CSA) had a population of 1,569,112; including 1,209,191 in Kentucky, which means more than 25% of the state's population now lives in the Louisville CSA. Since 2000, over one-third of the state's population growth has occurred in the Louisville CSA. In addition, the top 28 wealthiest places in Kentucky are in Jefferson County and seven of the 15 wealthiest counties in the state are located in the Louisville CSA. 2157:). Temperatures in Kentucky usually range from daytime summer highs of 87 °F (31 °C) to the winter low of 23 °F (−5 °C). The average precipitation is 46 inches (1,200 mm) a year. Kentucky has four distinct seasons, with substantial variations in the severity of summer and winter. The state's highest recorded temperature was 114 °F (46 °C) in 6602:, the lieutenant governor assumes the duties of the governor only if the governor is incapacitated. (Before 1992 the lieutenant governor assumed power any time the governor was out of the state.) The governor and lieutenant governor usually run on a single ticket (also per a 1992 constitutional amendment) and are elected to four-year terms. The current governor is 3819:, have been historical pillars of the region's economy. Due to a decline in the area's industrial base, Ashland has seen a sizable reduction in its population since 1990; however, the population of the area has since stabilized with the medical service industry taking a greater role in the local economy. The Ashland area, including the counties of 5728:. Though it was meant to embrace southern values, many Kentuckians rejected the slogan as cheesy and generic. It was seen that the slogan did not encourage tourism as much as initially hoped for. So government decided to create a different slogan to embrace Kentucky as a whole while also encouraging more people to visit the Bluegrass. 8617:) in 1992 and 1996. In the twenty-first century presidential elections, the state has become a Republican stronghold, supporting that party's presidential candidates by double-digit margins from 2000 through 2020. At the same time, voters have continued to elect Democratic candidates to state and local offices in many jurisdictions. 1687:, thus establishing it as the new framework of governance for the United States. In light of this development, Congress thought that it would be "unadvisable" to admit Kentucky into the Union, as it could do so "under the Articles of Confederation" only, but not "under the Constitution", and so declined to take action. 9118:

is home to Renfro Valley Entertainment Center and the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and is known as "Kentucky's Country Music Capital", a designation given it by the Kentucky State Legislature in the late 1980s. The Renfro Valley Barn Dance was where Renfro Valley's musical heritage began, in 1939, and

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Mirroring a broader national reversal of party composition, the Kentucky Democratic Party of the twenty-first century primarily consists of liberal whites, African Americans, and other minorities. Although most of the state's voters have reliably elected Republican candidates for federal office since

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million advertising budget more effective. The resulting "Unbridled Spirit" brand was the result of a $ 500,000 contract with New West, a Kentucky-based public relations advertising and marketing firm, to develop a viable brand and tag line. The Fletcher administration aggressively marketed the brand

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during the war and has consistently supported Republican candidates. The central and western portions of the state were heavily Democratic in the years leading to the Civil War, were pro-secessionist and pro-Confederate during the Civil War, and in the decades following the war. Kentucky was part of

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Ending the tolls some seven months ahead of schedule was generally agreed to have been a positive economic development for transportation in Kentucky. In June 2007, a law went into effect raising the speed limit on rural portions of Kentucky Interstates and parkways from 65 to 70 miles per hour (105

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As of July 1, 2016, Kentucky had an estimated population of 4,436,974, which is an increase of 12,363 from the prior year and an increase of 97,607, or 2.2%, since the year 2010. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 73,541 people (that is 346,968 births minus 273,427 deaths) and

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was larger than the state of Kentucky today, encompassing most of today's West Virginia and (vaguely) part of southwestern Pennsylvania. Notable expeditions were Batts and Fallam 1671, Needham and Arthur 1673. Dr. Thomas Walker and surveyor Christopher Gist surveyed the area now known as Kentucky in

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to adopt a civil rights measure. With only one dissenting vote, the state Senate approval a bill outlawing racial discrimination in public accommodations and employment that is stronger than the federal act of 1964. It sailed through the House 76 to 12 last week. A milder bill had failed to get out

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have heavily influenced Kentucky culture, and are present in every part of the state. As of the 1980s the only counties in the United States where more than half the population cited "English" as their only ancestry group were all in the hills of eastern Kentucky (and made up virtually every county

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and the remaining classes are subject to the full local rate, which includes the tax rate set by the local taxing bodies plus all voted levies. Real property is assessed on 100% of the fair market value and property taxes are due by December 31. Once the primary source of state and local government

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June 16, 1774, James Harrod founded Harrod's Town (modern Harrodsburg). The settlement was abandoned during the conflict period of Dunmore's War, and resettled in March 1775, becoming the first permanent European settlement in Kentucky. It was followed within months by Boone's Station, Logan's Fort

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in the surrounding valleys and brought up to the summit. These sites and artifacts were sometimes explained as being the remnants of a "lost" white race, or some variously identified ethnic group predating and distinct from the Native Americans. More recent scholarship identifies the mound builders

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A persistent myth, perpetuated in many popular and scholarly works, alleges that Native Americans never lived permanently in Kentucky, but rather used it only as a "hunting ground." According to early Kentucky historians, early European settlers encountered extensive evidence of permanent, advanced

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Kentucky's population has grown every decade since records began, though during most decades of the 20th century there was net out-migration from the state. Since 1900, rural Kentucky counties have suffered a net loss of more than a million people to migration, while urban areas have experienced a

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systems in the western and central parts of the state more similar to the plantations developed in Virginia and North Carolina than those in the Deep South, and never had the same high percentage of African Americans as most other slave states. While less than 8% of the total population is Black,

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The "Commonwealth" term was used in citizen petitions submitted between 1786 and 1792 for the creation of the state. It was also used in the title of a history of the state that was published in 1834 and was used in various places within that book in references to Virginia and Kentucky. The other

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Nevertheless, during the 19th century, Kentucky did receive a substantial number of German immigrants, who settled mostly in the Midwest and parts of the Upper South, along the Ohio River primarily in Louisville, Covington and Newport. Only Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia have higher German

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offering one of the nation's only Space Science degrees. UK is the flagship and land grant of the system and has agriculture extension services in every county. The two research schools split duties related to the medical field, UK handles all medical outreach programs in the eastern half of the

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was near this area, causing the Mississippi River to flow backwards in some places. Though the series of quakes changed the area geologically and affected the small number of inhabitants of the area at the time, the Kentucky Bend is the result of a surveying error, not the New Madrid earthquake.

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thirty-six years earlier. At this time the executive branch had grown to over 60 departments and agencies and 210 boards and commissions falling under the jurisdiction of the governor. Governor Ford issued a reorganization report creating six cabinet departments and a framework for an executive

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The term was used for Kentucky as it had also been used by Virginia, from which Kentucky was created. The term has no particular significance in its meaning and was chosen to emphasize the distinction from the status of royal colonies as a place governed for the general welfare of the populace.

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The University of Kentucky (UK) and the University of Louisville (UofL) have the highest academic rankings and admissions standards although the regional schools are not without their national recognized departments – examples being Western Kentucky University's nationally ranked

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European explorers arrived in Kentucky possibly as early as 1671. While French explorers surely spied Kentucky during expeditions on the Mississippi, there is no evidence French or Spanish explorers set foot in the lands south of the Ohio, notwithstanding speculations about Hernando de Soto and

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production, and fourteenth in corn production. While Kentucky has been a long-standing center for the tobacco industry, its economy has diversified into non-agricultural sectors including auto manufacturing, energy production, and medicine. Kentucky ranks fourth among US states in the number of

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As the state is bounded by two of the largest rivers in North America, water transportation has historically played a major role in Kentucky's economy. Louisville was a major port for steamships in the nineteenth century. Today, most barge traffic on Kentucky waterways consists of coal that is

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culture appeared in eastern Kentucky. While the two had many similarities, the distinctive ceremonial earthwork mounds constructed in the former's centers were not part of the culture of the latter. Fort Ancient settlements depended largely on corn, beans, and squash, and practiced a system of

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to the north. Average temperatures for the entire state range from the low 30s in January to the high 80s in mid-July. The annual average temperature varies from 55 to 60 °F (13 to 16 °C): of 55 °F (13 °C) in the far north as an average annual temperature and of 60 °F

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Although only one town in the "Tri-Cities" (Somerset) currently has more than 12,000 people, the area has been experiencing heightened population and job growth since the 1990s. Growth has been especially rapid in Laurel County, which outgrew areas such as Scott and Jessamine counties around

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further from the sphere of European influence. Around the end of the French and Indian War, as European settlers began to claim parts of the Bluegrass, Native Americans abandoned their larger, more permanent villages south of the Ohio River and continued to maintain only small or transient

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from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 40,051 people, and migration within the country produced a net decrease of 13,916 people. As of 2015, Kentucky's population included about 149,016 foreign-born persons (3.4%). In 2016 the population density of the state was 110

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Kentucky's cuisine is generally similar to and is a part of traditional southern cooking, although in some areas of the state it can blend elements of both the South and Appalachia, mixing Appalachian with the native Southern cuisine of the area. One original Kentucky dish is called the

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system. All classes of property, unless exempted by the Constitution, are taxed by the state, although at widely varying rates. Many of these classes are exempted from taxation by local government. Of the classes that are subject to local taxation, three have special rates set by the

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The first archaeological evidence of human occupation of Kentucky is approximately 9500BCE, and it was Clovis culture, primitive hunter-gatherers with stone tools. Around 1800 BCE, a gradual transition began from a hunter-gatherer economy to agriculturalism. Around 900 CE, a

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Robert de la Salle. The terrain in those days was not surveyed, so there is some uncertainty whether and to what extent the early English explorers out of Virginia set foot on the land. Confounding the issue is that the region south of the Ohio/Allegheny later known as

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as having the most "anomalous" plant life of the whole Eastern United States. Kentucky's natural environment has suffered greatly from destructive human activities that began after European colonization, particularly the conversion of natural habitat to farmland and

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Kentucky's regions (click on image for color-coding information; contrary to the map, regions do not follow county lines and the Western Coal Field is not as extensive as indicated. The outer part of it is the Clifty Area, which contains no coal but has bituminous

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1 of each year. The Kentucky intangible tax was repealed under House Bill 272. Intangible property consisted of any property or investment that represents evidence of value or the right to value. Some types of intangible property included: bonds, notes, retail

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are among the most tradition-rich college men's basketball teams in the United States, combining for 11 National Championships and 24 NCAA Final Fours; all three are high on the lists of total all-time wins, wins per season, and average wins per season.

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settlements. This upheaval likely led the settlers to believe that Kentucky was a hunting ground contested by multiple tribes but not permanently inhabited, when in reality it had only recently been abandoned due to social and political turmoil.

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million) exceeds the state's population. Bourbon has been a growing market – with production of Kentucky bourbon rising 170 percent between 1999 and 2015. In 2019 the state had more than fifty distilleries for bourbon production.

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suggests that European diseases were also introduced. By the eighteenth century, epidemics of disease had destabilized and changed the indigenous groups that inhabited Kentucky, causing some to reassemble into multi-tribal towns, and others to

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Kentucky has played a major role in Southern and American literature, producing works that often celebrate the working class, rural life, nature, and explore issues of class, extractive economy, and family. Major works from the state include

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in Louisville. The Derby Festival features many events, including Thunder Over Louisville, the Pegasus Parade, the Great Steamboat Race, Fest-a-Ville, the Chow Wagon, BalloonFest, BourbonVille, and many others leading up to the big race.

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and Urban County Mayor, respectively. Although the counties still exist as subdivisions of the state, in reference the names Louisville and Lexington are used to refer to the entire area coextensive with the former cities and counties.

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celebrate their city's ties to the honey industry by celebrating the Clarkson Honeyfest. The Clarkson Honeyfest is held the last Thursday, Friday and Saturday in September, and is the "Official State Honey Festival of Kentucky".

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became the first Republican to ever carry the county, and he did so in a 44-point landslide, highlighting the modern Republican Party's dominance among rural whites and many ancestrally Democratic, socially-conservative voters.

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as the Mississippian and Fort Ancient peoples, which were distinct from the indigenous cultures encountered by settlers, although sharing the same origin in Paleoindian groups that inhabited the area for at least 12,000 years.

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According to the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, the primary state agency in Kentucky responsible for creating new jobs and new investment in the state, new business investment in Kentucky in 2012 totaled nearly $

16494: 5395:, known as a social activist, worked to reconcile Christianity with other major religions, had converted to Catholicism as a young man, and became a Trappist monk; he lived and worked here from 1941 until his death in 1968. 1819:

and a continued loyalty to the Unionist cause that was prevalent in other areas of the South such as in East Tennessee, West Virginia, Western North Carolina, and others. Despite this, some 21st-century Kentuckians observe

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species, including some of the most extensive cave systems in the world. 102 known species are endemic to the state. The Bluegrass region, which is believed to have once been a lush open woodland environment similar to

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ancestry, while most of Kentucky's Asian residents are of Chinese and Indian heritage. There is also a Vietnamese community in Lexington and Louisville, and Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Lao populations in Bowling Green.

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The Court said that the question whether the land lay within the State of Kentucky or of Indiana...and reached the conclusion that the boundary between the states was at low water mark on the northwest side of the

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in the 1670s; however, by the time that European colonial explorers and settlers began entering Kentucky in greater numbers in the mid-18th century, there were no major Native American settlements in the region.

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In 2023, Kentucky launched a regulated local and online sports betting industry. Taxing sportsbooks at 9.75% (in person) and 14.25% (online), the first two months of action saw the state collect $ 7.94 million.

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billion, with the creation of more than 14,000 new jobs. One such investment was L'Oréal in Northern Kentucky, which added 200 jobs on top of the 280 already in existing facilities in Florence and Walton.

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in 1799) and due to the high calcium content of the soil in the Bluegrass region quickly became a major horse breeding (and later racing) area. Today Kentucky ranks 5th nationally in goat farming, 8th in

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monopoly, tobacco farmers in the area were forced to sell their crops at prices that were too low. Many local farmers and activists united in a refusal to sell their crops to the major tobacco companies.

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Also, Norfolk Southern's main north-south line runs through central and southern Kentucky, starting in Cincinnati. Formerly the CNO&TP subsidiary of Southern Railway, it is NS's most profitable line.

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in the 1950s, after reportedly having fewer than 900. Once nearly extinct, wild turkeys thrive throughout Kentucky. Hunters reported a record 29,006 birds taken during the 23-day season in spring 2009.

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is notable for having held the longest streak of any county in the United States voting Democratic. Founded in 1869, Elliott County supported the Democratic nominee in every presidential election from

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since the passage of the Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997, commonly referred to as House Bill 1. Before the passage of House Bill 1, most of these colleges were under the control of the

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in the state's eastern counties, which had been extirpated from the area for over 150 years. As of 2009, the herd had reached the project goal of 10,000 animals, making it the largest herd east of the

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to admit both Black and white students, doing so from its very establishment in 1855. A state law in 1904 ended integration, and the law was upheld by the United States Supreme Court in the case of

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at home, a small decrease from 98% in 1990. Speech patterns in the state generally reflect the first settlers' Virginia backgrounds. South Midland features are best preserved in the mountains, with

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sections of forest to create ideal habitat for wild game, relocating villages every 10–30 years, and continually shifting the location of fields to maintain plots of land in various stages of

16799: 12292: 14110: 13376: 5858:, in Lexington, hosts two major meets, the Spring and Fall running. Beyond hosting races Keeneland also hosts a significant horse auction drawing buyers from around the world. In 2019 $ 360 8820:

ancestry percentages than Kentucky among Census-defined Southern states, although Kentucky's percentage is closer to Arkansas and Virginia's than the previously named state's percentages.

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estimated that the state government's debts exceeded its available assets by $ 26,300 per taxpayer as of 2011, ranking the state as having the 5th highest such debt burden in the nation.

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between 1784 and 1792. One petition, which had Virginia's assent, came before the Confederation Congress in early July 1788. Unfortunately, its consideration came up a day after word of

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elsewhere, these officers are required to complete Police Officer Professional Standards (POPS) training at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training Center on the campus of

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branch that would be more manageable and accountable. As of 2012, this has grown to eleven cabinet departments with three additional cabinet-rank members under the office of Governor

8768: 6559:). Kentucky holds elections for these offices every four years in the years preceding Presidential election years. Thus, Kentucky held gubernatorial elections in 2015, 2019 and 2023. 1840:, the 14th and youngest-ever Vice President was born in Lexington, Kentucky at Cabell's Dale Farm. Breckenridge was expelled from the U. S. Senate for his support of the Confederacy. 1554:

This period was the time of Daniel Boone's legendary expeditions starting in 1767 through the Cumberland Gap and down the Kentucky River to reach the bluegrass heartland of Kentucky.

15237: 6809: 5854:, the home of the Derby, is a large venue with a capacity exceeding 165,000. The track hosts multiple events throughout the year and is a significant draw to the city of Louisville. 14511: 6895: 6891: 5557:

Kentucky has historically been a major coal producer, but the industry has been in decline since the 1980s, and the number employed dropped by more than half between 2011 and 2015.

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Politics in the Border States: A Study of the Patterns of Political Organization, and Political Change, Common to the Border States: Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri

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production, and 14th in corn production. Kentucky has been a long-standing major center of the tobacco industry – both as a center of business and tobacco farming.

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professional wrestlers from 2000 until 2008, when WWE moved its contracted talent to Florida Championship Wrestling. OVW later became the primary developmental territory for

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is also a native of the state. Since the later part of the 20th century, several writers from Kentucky have published widely read and critically acclaimed books, including:

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There are 173 school districts and 1,233 public schools in Kentucky. For the 2010 to 2011 school year, there were approximately 647,827 students enrolled in public school.

21022: 8880:; as a result, nearly thirty African American students entered UK graduate and professional programs in the summer of 1949. Kentucky integrated its schools after the 1954 13308: 12698: 9873:

As in many states, especially those without major league professional sports teams, college athletics are prominent. This is especially true of the state's three Division

20576: 14690: 14394: 13734: 10028:, was announced. The team made its debut in 2015, playing home games at Louisville Slugger Field. In its first season, Louisville City was the official reserve side for 4909:) descent. In the 1980s, the only counties in the United States where over half of the population cited "English" as their only ancestry group were in eastern Kentucky. 4844:, totalling 20.2%. In 1980, before the status of ethnic American was an available option on the official census, the largest claimed ancestries in the commonwealth were 3828: 17123: 16830: 13334: 12587: 1561:

did not settle in Kentucky, they hunted there. They relinquished their hunting rights there in an extra-legal private contract with speculator Richard Henderson called

15738: 6372:, its international air-sorting hub. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is the largest airport in the state, and is a focus city for passenger airline 5618:, the largest office building in the state at nearly 900,000 square feet (84,000 m) opened at Fort Knox. The complex employs nearly 4,300 soldiers and civilians. 17248: 17239: 16294: 13039:"Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States" 10408: 6250:

passes through the Central and Southern parts of the Commonwealth, via its Cincinnati, New Orleans, and Texas Pacific (CNO&TP) subsidiary. The line originates in

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Lexington or Shelby and Nelson Counties around Louisville. London significantly grew in population in the 2000s, from 5,692 in 2000 to 7,993 in 2010. London landed a

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Voters in the Commonwealth have supported the previous three Democratic candidates elected to the White House in the late 20th century, all from Southern states:

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In 1996 the Center for Interfaith Relations established the Festival of Faiths, the first and oldest annual interfaith festival to be held in the United States.

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The Hispanic and Asian populations in Kentucky are small, but have grown significantly since the late 20th century. Most of Kentucky's Hispanic residents are of

2015:; however, the official border is based on the courses of the rivers as they existed when Kentucky became a state in 1792. For instance, northbound travelers on 10553: 10459: 16743: 3093:. Includes one of the largest concentrations of rare and endangered species in the state, as well as a 60-foot (18 m) waterfall and a Kentucky Wild River. 1189: 1169:

Previously part of Virginia, Kentucky was admitted into the Union as the fifteenth state on June 1, 1792. It is known as the "Bluegrass State" in reference to

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serves as the Secretary of State. The commonwealth's chief prosecutor, law enforcement officer, and law officer is the Attorney General, currently Republican

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Unlike federal judges, who are usually appointed, justices serving on Kentucky state courts are chosen by the state's populace in non-partisan elections.

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Beginning in the seventeenth century, before indigenous groups in Kentucky made direct contact with Europeans, articles of European origin such as glass

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Kentucky has been known to have unusually high political candidacy age laws, especially compared to surrounding states. The origin of this is unknown.

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in most other areas of Kentucky, but some common to Midland and Southern are widespread. After a vowel, the /r/ may be weak or missing. For instance,

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Kentucky's economy has expanded to in non-agricultural terms as well, especially auto manufacturing, energy fuel production, and medical facilities.

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in both the public and private sectors. Since that time, the "Welcome to Kentucky" signs at border areas have an "Unbridled Spirit" symbol on them.

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In 1991 the Land Between the Lakes partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Red Wolf Recovery Program, a captive breeding program.

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The climate varies markedly within the state. The northern parts tend to be about five degrees cooler than those in the western parts of the state.

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The fertile soil in the central and western parts of the state led to the development of large tobacco plantations similar to those in Virginia and

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hosts multiple events throughout the year, including international equestrian competitions and also offers horseback riding from April to October.

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than registered Democrats, with 45.19% of the state's voters registered as Republicans, 45.12% registered as Democrats, and 9.69% registered with

1358:, translates as "Land of Our In-Laws", thus making a fairer English translation "The Land of Those Who Became Our Fathers". In any case, the word 20569: 18738: 15708: 13038: 12284: 6793:

of the Commonwealth. The chief justice is appointed by, and is an elected member of, the Supreme Court of Kentucky. The current chief justice is

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became the second-longest pedestrian-only bridge in the world. The longest pedestrian-only bridge is also found in Kentucky – the

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tributary) terminating at the North Carolina border (today Tennessee) extending to the Mississippi River, previously most of what was known as

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shipped from both the Eastern and Western Coalfields, about half of which is used locally to power many power plants located directly off the

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sympathies of a majority of the Commonwealth's citizens who were split between the struggle of Kentucky's sister Southern States fully in the

974: 15316: 10624: 9886: 5893: 4434: 2046:. Road access to this small part of Kentucky on the Mississippi River (populated by 18 people as of 2010) requires a trip through Tennessee. 15034: 9870:

was the location for the Bengals' summer training camp, until it was announced in 2012 that the Bengals would no longer use the facilities.

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is in Paducah. It hosts QuiltWeek, an annual competition and celebration of that attracts artists and hobbyists from the world of quilting.

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The executive branch is organized into the following "cabinets", each headed by a secretary who is also a member of the governor's cabinet:

16516: 15229: 11751: 10219: 6306:. When the bridge's Indiana approach ramps opened in 2014, completing the pedestrian connection across the Ohio River, the Big Four Bridge 5215: 2965:

Kentucky has been part of two of the most successful wildlife reintroduction projects in United States history. In the winter of 1997, the

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In 2016, Republicans won control of the House for the first time since 1922. The party currently holds supermajorities in both chambers.

6423:, or Delta Air Lines Flight 5191, sometimes mistakenly identified by the press as Comair Flight 5191. The lone survivor was the flight's 6287:

in 1987, guests are served a four-course meal as they make a two-and-a-half-hour round-trip between Bardstown and Limestone Springs. The

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Kentucky has an expansive park system, which includes one national park, two National Recreation Areas, two National Historic Parks, two

2586: 2173:; temperatures rarely drop below zero degrees Fahrenheit or rise above 100 degrees. Rain and snowfall averages about 45 inches per year. 408: 15973: 15342: 13708: 11871: 11811: 11219: 20562: 19865: 19860: 19498: 18948: 13828: 13380: 11931: 11598: 6644: 5615: 740: 143: 102: 15581: 7000:

and murder of Lischia Edwards. Irregularities with the execution led to this becoming the last public execution in the United States.

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The state's second-largest city is Lexington with a 2018 census population of 323,780, its metro had a population of 516,697, and its

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was chased out of southern Michigan. The vast majority of them moved to Kentucky, pushing the Kispoko east and war broke out with the

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to individuals in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to a community, state or the nation. The sitting

7056: 2778: 1780:. Though the state had dueling Union and Confederate state governments, Kentucky was never an official component of the Confederacy. 17663: 14472: 6261:

As of 2004, there were approximately 2,640 miles (4,250 km) of railways in Kentucky, with about 65% of those being operated by

3385: 2083:(a Mississippian-age plateau that is divided into eastern, central and western sub-regions, the latter known as the Pennyrile); the 19958: 19196: 18825: 17896: 17565: 17302: 13662: 13338: 12894: 12048: 9926: 9902: 9796: 8567: 8566:

From 1964 through 2004, Kentucky voted for the eventual winner of the election for President of the United States; however, in the

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Kelly, Andrew, Ed. "Kentucky by Design: The Decorative Arts and American Culture". Lexington, University Press of Kentucky, 2015.

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The Kentucky Project: A Comprehensive Report on the Planning, Design, Construction, and Initial Operations of the Kentucky Project

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but added Juneteenth as a holiday by proclamation of Governor Andy Beshear in 2024. The biggest day in American horse racing, the

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Kentucky's 90,000 miles (140,000 km) of streams provides one of the most expansive and complex stream systems in the nation.

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cocktail. Also, Western Kentucky is known for its own regional style of Southern barbecue. Central Kentucky is the birthplace of

8764: 6965: 6655: 5993:, located at the extreme southern edge of the Bluegrass below the Cumberland Plateau, was the first coeducational college in the 5454: 2809: 2746: 1877: 113: 18910: 17316: 15913: 14355: 13967: 13466: 5475:

Early in its history, Kentucky gained recognition for its excellent farming conditions. It was the site of the first commercial

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and their printing press. Reflecting late 19th, 20th and 21st-century immigration from different countries, Louisville also has

3247:) are unique in that their city councils and county Fiscal Court structures have been merged into a single entity with a single 20104: 19361: 19176: 18870: 18748: 15064: 12694: 12021: 11961: 8527:

candidates for most federal political offices, and, more recently, for state-level office as well. The state leaned toward the

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As of March 2024, the state's unemployment rate is 4.5%. In 2014 Kentucky was the most affordable U.S. state in which to live.

5227: 3086: 827: 20153: 18812: 15828: 14866: 14686: 14515: 14386: 13742: 12864: 12314: 11083: 20054: 19366: 19341: 19336: 19221: 19186: 18928: 18774: 17177: 17163: 17116: 17062: 16702: 16684: 15943: 15200: 14446: 13061: 12583: 12241: 12181: 12127: 11631: 11365: 11054: 10972: 10354: 10160: 9938: 9934: 9894: 6832: 5203: 5120: 4753: 4585: 3739: 2887:). Kentucky Lake's 2,064 miles (3,322 km) of shoreline, 160,300 acres (64,900 hectares) of water surface, and 4,008,000 2712: 2664: 1873: 1241: 507: 190: 17330: 16822: 15730: 15420: 15004: 14733: 14161: 13273:

Lieberson, Stanley & Waters, Mary C. (1986). "Ethnic Groups in Flux: The Changing Ethnic Responses of American Whites".

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Kentucky was originally styled as the "State of Kentucky" in the act admitting it to the Union and its first constitution.

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is today America's second-oldest continually broadcast radio program of any kind. It is broadcast on local radio station

7009: 6981: 6929:(KRS), were enacted in 1942 to better organize and clarify the whole of Kentucky law. The statutes are enforced by local 6684: 4863: 3012: 13993: 10587: 10549: 2094:

The Bluegrass region is commonly divided into two regions, the Inner Bluegrass encircling 90 miles (140 km) around

1923:. In the later period of their operation, they were known to physically assault farmers who broke the boycott. Governor 20369: 19018: 18890: 18840: 18697: 17582: 17516: 17464: 17423: 16706: 15394: 13798: 13593: 10111: 9650: 8849:

Kentucky has a relatively significant rural African American population in the Central and Western areas of the state.

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for certain murders defined as heinous. Those convicted of capital crimes after March 31, 1998, are always executed by

6218:(trains 50 and 51) is the line that offers Amtrak service to Ashland, South Shore, Maysville and South Portsmouth. The 5724:

unveiled the state slogan "It's that friendly", in the hope of drawing more people into the state based on the idea of

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Kentucky is the only state to have a continuous border of rivers running along three of its sides – the

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As more settlers entered the area, warfare broke out with the Native Americans over their traditional hunting grounds.

16326: 16246: 15368: 15294: 11241: 9767: 9292:(who has been compared to Monroe) all hail from Kentucky. The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum is located in 5941:

Kentucky maintains eight public four-year universities. There are two general tiers: major research institutions (the

21080: 20296: 18900: 18880: 18789: 17032: 17004: 16983: 16904: 16488: 13945: 11700: 11679: 11655: 11013: 10710: 10466: 9946: 9754: 8845: 6752: 5930: 5833: 5802: 5657: 5403:, the third-oldest Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States. The city holds the headquarters of the 5358: 1758:, with Louisville becoming a major slave market and departure port for slaves being transported down the Ohio River. 1354:. Folk etymology translates this as "Land of Our Fathers". The closest approximation in another Algonquian language, 1105: 1070: 603: 567: 315: 230: 16733: 16598: 1660:

Counties in 1780, but continued to be administered as the District of Kentucky even as new counties were split off.

20875: 20463: 20422: 20211: 19226: 19216: 19088: 18923: 18885: 18850: 17496: 17474: 16242: 13712: 12642: 9277: 9110: 8697: 8682: 8556: 8528: 8524: 7116: 7107: 6813: 6748: 6611: 6337: 6102: 6021:(KERA) the following year. Years later, Kentucky has shown progress, but most agree that further reform is needed. 5897: 5883: 5704:, accounts receivable, trusts, enforceable contracts sale of real estate (land contracts), money in hand, money in 5603: 5026: 4383: 3116: 344: 259: 226: 16378: 16160: 13259:

Stanley Lieberson and Lawrence Santi, 'The Use of Nativity Data to Estimate Ethnic Characteristics and Patterns',

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ancestry are present throughout the entire state. Many residents claim Irish ancestry on account of Scotch-Irish (

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In about the 10th century, the Kentucky native people's variety of corn became highly productive, supplanting the

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In the 2000 census, some 20,000 people (0.49%) in the state self-identified as Native American. The state has no

3762: 1588: 1237: 269: 16447: 15633: 14896: 12610: 12207:, Technical Report No. 13 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1951), pp. 1–12, 68, 115–116, 509. 10931: