While numerous families held enslaved African Americans as workers, they were a minority of the population.

When President Abraham Lincoln demanded that Tennessee provide troops to fight against the Southern states in April 1861, it was viewed as a violation of Article 3, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution.

[5] Men from Warren County and surrounding upper Cumberland region formed and served in many units in Tennessee's defense, including the 16th Tennessee Infantry [6] Archived February 14, 2017, at the Wayback Machine led by McMinnville resident Col. John Houston Savage.

The Confederate monument [7] next to the county courthouse is dedicated in the memory of the men who served and died in the 16th and lists their names.

Men from Warren County and upper Cumberland area joined the 16th TN Infantry Regiment, among others.

Cardwell Mountain is an imposing natural feature located five miles due east of McMinnville.

Rock Island State Park is located on the northeastern border with White County.

This park is the site of the Tennessee Valley Authority's Great Falls Dam, includes many hiking trails, and offers whitewater rafting.

Cumberland Caverns, located east of McMinnville under Cardwell Mountain, is Tennessee's largest show cave.

The cave is owned by the Nature Conservancy and it is securely gated to protect the bats, which are an Endangered Species.

Falcon Rest, an 1896 Victorian mansion in McMinnville built by local manufacturer Clay Faulkner, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

[23][24] Donald Trump won Warren county in 2016[25] by 42%, compared to Mitt Romney's margin of 25% in 2012.