Kentucky first attracted attention in the aftermath of the French and Indian War, when the famous frontiersman Daniel Boone made it his home. After the American Revolution, settlers flooded Kentucky, which separated from Virginia and was admitted as the 15th state on June 1, 1792. Its capital is Frankfort.

The second-largest tobacco producing state, the Commonwealth of Kentucky also grows corn and soybeans in quantity. Coal mining and hydroelectricity are found in the Appalachian eastern part of the state. The automotive industry and heavy manufacturing also contribute heavily to the economy, as well as forestry and livestock, especially horse breeding.

Kentucky is perhaps most famous for its horse country concentrated in the "Bluegrass" region, in the vicinity of the largest city, Lexington. The Kentucky Derby, held on the first Saturday of every May, is a race of 3-year-old Thoroughbreds at Churchill Downs and among the most famous such races in the world.