Tennessee Historical Society

Tennessee Historical Society The Tennessee Historical Society is a non-profit, membership organization.
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Established in 1849, the Society's purpose is to "promote interest in and preservation of all matters relating to the history of Tennessee.

Nikki Giovanni, prolific poet and activist, died December 9, 2024. Giovanni’s political activism in combination with her...
12/12/2024

Nikki Giovanni, prolific poet and activist, died December 9, 2024. Giovanni’s political activism in combination with her creative writing brought her to the forefront of the Black Arts Movement, and her work was frequently recognized and honored. Click here to learn more about her life and work from the Tennessee Encyclopedia: https://tr.ee/CQWOnwgiqR

Giovanni spent much of her early life in Tennessee. She graduated from Knoxville’s Austin High School before entering Fisk University in Nashville, her grandfather’s alma mater. Giovanni’s celebrated 1970 poem “Knoxville, Tennessee,” can be read here: https://tr.ee/yAv3h6vKU2

This painting by Carroll Cloar (1913-1993), Story Told By My Mother (1955), is in the collection of the Brooks Museum.Le...
12/07/2024

This painting by Carroll Cloar (1913-1993), Story Told By My Mother (1955), is in the collection of the Brooks Museum.

Learn more at our upcoming session of Tennessee 101, "The Crossroads of Memory: Carroll Cloar and the American South." On Wednesday, December 11, Dr. Stanton Thomas, chief curator at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Florida, will discuss how Cloar drew upon family stories, photographs of ancestors, rural scenery, and memories of his childhood to create some of the most haunting and beautiful evocations ever made of the American South. Click here to register: https://tennesseehistory.org/ths-events/session-2-the-crossroads-of-memory-carroll-cloar-and-the-american-south/

This Giving Tuesday, visit the Tennessee Historical Society's Bonfire storefront. This merch represents THS and Tennesse...
12/03/2024

This Giving Tuesday, visit the Tennessee Historical Society's Bonfire storefront. This merch represents THS and Tennessee History Day with a variety of designs!

Dedicated to the preservation and promotion of all aspects of Tennessee history through new research and education.

Click here to sign up for the next session of Tennessee 101! Williamson County historian Rick Warwick and chairmaker Cur...
11/12/2024

Click here to sign up for the next session of Tennessee 101! Williamson County historian Rick Warwick and chairmaker Curtis Buchanan will discuss chairmaking traditions and the life of Dick Poynor, the most prolific nineteenth century chairmaker in Williamson County.

Richard (Dick) Poynor (1802–1882), an enslaved man who purchased his freedom with his earnings, became the most prolific nineteenth century chairmaker in Williamson County. Many samples of his work survive today. Curtis Buchanan has been making Windsor chairs full-time since 1984, from his worksho...

This chair was crafted some time between 1850-1870 by Richard (Dick) Poynor, the most prolific nineteenth century chairm...
11/08/2024

This chair was crafted some time between 1850-1870 by Richard (Dick) Poynor, the most prolific nineteenth century chairmaker in Williamson County, Tennessee. Poyner was an enslaved man who purchased his freedom with his earnings.

In this upcoming session of Tennessee 101: Arts and Crafts, Williamson County historian Rick Warwick will discuss Tennessee chairmaking traditions, the life of Dick Poynor, and the experience of a contemporary craftsman alongside Curtis Buchanan: Windsor Chairmaker. Buchanan has published numerous articles on chairmaking and has taught in craft schools. His chairs are in the collections of the Tennessee State Museum, Southern Highland Craft Guild and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.

Click here to register for our FREE webinar session to learn more: https://tr.ee/NOTQsB1m4S

11/06/2024

Don’t miss out! It’s not too late to register for tomorrow’s History Day Starter Pack webinar!

Join Lisa Oakley, East Tennessee History Day Regional Coordinator and Curator of Education at the East Tennessee Historical Society as we discuss “Contest 101.” How can you prepare your students for attending a contest? What should each category expect? What should you keep in mind as you map out logistics? Tune in Thursday, November 7 at 5:30 PM CT / 6:30 PM ET.

If you can’t make it Thursday, we still have one more webinar to support your History Day experience. Join us for “Facilitating and Using Feedback Effectively” in December. You can also view all previous session recordings and receive credit! Register today by using the form linked below:

https://ow.ly/zXm750TjmBt

10/31/2024

Need some tips on how to compose your annotated bibliography for Tennessee History Day? Learn what an annotated bibliography is, how to cite sources, and see an in-depth explanation of the annotation requirements for your project by checking out the Annotated Bibliography Guide provided by NHD. Follow this link to see how frightfully easy a bibliography can be!

https://nhd.org/en/resources/annotated-bibliography/

10/24/2024

Important! With the disruptions schools have experienced across northeast Tennessee, Tennessee History Day has decided to extend the registration deadline for both District 1 and 2. All guides are updated to reflect this change. The Northeast 1 contest will also be transitioning to a virtual event this year. More details on this will be shared soon.

STUDENT REGISTRATION DEADLINE:
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2024 MIDNIGHT ET

UPDATE: The Tennessee 101 webinar, The Crossroads of Memory: Carroll Cloar and the American South, previously scheduled ...
10/08/2024

UPDATE: The Tennessee 101 webinar, The Crossroads of Memory: Carroll Cloar and the American South, previously scheduled for Wednesday, October 9, 2024, has been postponed until Wednesday, December 11, 2024. If you have already signed up, you do not need to register again. We apologize for the delay; Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton have affected our ability to transmit the program at this time.

Visit our website for more info: https://ow.ly/Wsmp50TEHmO

10/06/2024
10/04/2024

Thank you to all the educators, administrators, and education professionals that stopped by our booth at the Tennessee Council for History Education conference on Thursday! We enjoyed getting to speak with you. To check out some of the resources we mentioned or to sign up for the Starter Pack series, please visit: https://padlet.com/TennesseeHistoryDay/thdtoolkit

10/01/2024

Our hearts are broken at the tremendous loss and devastation cause by hurricane Helene. We are aiming to be resource to help facilitate the recovery of historical objects and documents, but in the immediate sense we wish to support our friends in Northeast Tennessee. If you are in Knox County and want to help, please see these different options:
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2024/09/29/how-to-help-hurricane-helene-flood-victims-in-tennessee/75443858007/

Also, if you want to donate, please see:

https://easttennesseefoundation.org/

This pie safe, attributed to John Wolfe, was created between 1850-1870 in Sullivan County. Tennessee Furniture: Selectio...
09/11/2024

This pie safe, attributed to John Wolfe, was created between 1850-1870 in Sullivan County. Tennessee Furniture: Selections from the Tennessee State Museum Collection tells the story of the state and its people through furniture.

In the first session of Tennessee 101: Arts and Crafts, TSM senior curator of fine and decorative art Candice Roland Candeto will examine the materials, the makers, and the artistry of Tennessee furniture design. Click here to join us for session 1 and learn more: https://ow.ly/p5Ey50TjvEh

In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, East Tennesseans raised more than $950,000 to purchase a 95-foot towe...
09/11/2024

In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, East Tennesseans raised more than $950,000 to purchase a 95-foot tower ladder vehicle for the New York City Fire Department. The Freedom Engine went into service in March 2002.

The first two images were taken during a segment of NBC’s Today Show highlighting the Freedom Engine fundraising campaign. In the second image, Katie Couric stands with Knoxville mayor Victor Ashe. Ashe can also be seen in the third image speaking at a dedication ceremony in East Harlem.

The truck went into reserve status in 2013. Some artifacts from the Freedom Engine are now on display at the East Tennessee History Center in Knoxville through September 15. Click here to learn more: https://ow.ly/jUXY50TkM9K

Images: https://ow.ly/nchK50TkM9H

This secretary desk was crafted by John C. Burgner in 1819 in Greene and Washington Counties, while the Okra Tri-Pod Tab...
09/10/2024

This secretary desk was crafted by John C. Burgner in 1819 in Greene and Washington Counties, while the Okra Tri-Pod Table was Craig Nutt’s creation in 1900 in Kingston Springs. Learn more about these historic pieces from session 1 of Tennessee 101: Arts and Crafts, “Tennessee Furniture: Selections from the Tennessee State Museum Collection.”

This webinar series is generously sponsored by the Tennessee Arts Commission and is free with advance registration. Click here to sign up now: https://ow.ly/p5Ey50TjvEh

The Tennessee Historical Society is excited to present a new addition to our online lecture series, Tennessee 101: The H...
09/09/2024

The Tennessee Historical Society is excited to present a new addition to our online lecture series, Tennessee 101: The History of Tennessee Arts and Crafts. This free webinar series traces the story of our state through the works of its artists and craftspeople. From Carroll Cloar to Bessie Nicely, furniture to needlework, each session focuses on a unique aspect of Tennessee's history through the lens of arts and crafts. This series is generously sponsored by the Tennessee Arts Commission!

Click here to learn more and register for Session 1: https://ow.ly/lFsQ50TjaiA

Address

Ground Floor, War Memorial Building, 305 6th Avenue North
Nashville, TN
37243

Website

http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/

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