Who was the first European explored to come Tennessee?

The first European explorer known to have come to Tennessee was Juan Pardo. He was a Spanish conquistador who arrived in the area in 1567 and built Fort San Juan on the banks of the Tennessee River. Pardo's expedition was part of a larger effort by the Spanish to explore and claim the interior of North America. While he was in Tennessee, Pardo met with several Native American tribes, including the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Yuchi. He also explored the area around the present-day cities of Nashville, Knoxville, and Memphis. After his expedition, Pardo returned to Spain, but his reports about the wealth and natural resources of Tennessee helped to attract other European explorers to the region.