Greeneville is a town in Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 15,198 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Greene County. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene. Incidentally, it is the only town with this spelling in the United States, although there are numerous U.S. towns named Greenville. The town was the capital of the short-lived State of Franklin in the 18th-century history of the Tennessee region. Greeneville is notable as the town where President Andrew Johnson (1808–1875) began his political career when elected from his trade as a tailor. He and his family lived there most of his adult years (except for his residency in political service in capitals). It was an area of strong abolitionist and Unionist views and yeomen farmers, an environment which influenced Johnson's outlook. The U.S. Navy Los Angeles-class submarine USS Greeneville (SSN-772) was named in honor of this town. The town officially hosts the Greeneville Astros baseball club of the Appalachian League, though the club actually plays in nearby Tusculum.