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Junior Curators

Each week on the Junior Curators blog, we travel back in time to a different place in Tennessee history. Stories may be about a famous person, place or event from Tennessee’s past. They will include things like priceless artifacts, pictures, videos, and even some games. Be sure to better understand the story by answering the questions at the end of each post.

After learning the story, be sure to share what you've learned with your parents, family, or friends. Try making your own exhibit about it, shooting a movie, or writing a story about it. Let your creativity run wild!

9-29-20

Tennessee Women in the Civil War

by Jennifer Watts Tennessee women played a big part in the American Civil War. Even though they were not allowed to fight, they found other ways to serve. They worked in their homes and towns, clothed soldiers, and became nurses. Some even worked as smugglers and spies. Other Tennessee women broke the social rules and disguised themselves as men to serve as soldiers in the war. Back then, traditional women’s roles included jobs done in the home like cooking, cleaning, sewing, and taki... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-29-20
Civil War Women's History

9-25-20

Digging History: Archaeology Month in Tennessee

by Lauren Grizzard Have you ever wondered how we learn about the past? How do we know about the people living before there was a written language? One of the ways we learn about the past is through archaeology. Since September is Archaeology Month in Tennessee, we thought we’d let one of Tennessee’s State Archaeologists explain not only what it is, but how it impacts our history and daily life: Now that you know a little more about archaeology, are you ready to piece together ... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-25-20
Prehistoric Tennessee

9-22-20

Interview with an Archaeologist

by Matthew Gailani Hello Junior Curators! My name is Matthew and it’s September, which means archaeology month in Tennessee! This week we are going to learn all about archaeology and some of the oldest artifacts in our collection. But what is archaeology? What do archaeologists do? Why should we care about archaeology? To answer these questions and more we’ve brought in an expert to interview. Her name is Debbie Shaw and she is not only a curator at the Tennessee State Museum, bu... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-22-20
Prehistoric Tennessee

9-18-20

Go See Tennessee: Ducks on Parade

by Emilee Dehmer West Tennessee - Peabody Hotel, Memphis There are so many cool and exciting places in Tennessee. So many, that you might not know about them all. That’s what Go See Tennessee is all about. We’re here to tell you about places we think are neat and that you might want to visit too. It might be helpful to make a “Go and See” List, and whenever you read about a place that sounds cool, write it down, to help you remember it for the future. Ready... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-18-20
Modern Tennessee Tennessee in the 20th Century

9-15-20

What Does a Soldier Eat?

by Grace Allen Do you get tired of eating the same thing over and over? I am sure you’ve had to eat leftovers that weren’t too exciting. During the Civil War, Union and Confederate Soldiers didn’t have a lot of options.  They had to make do with the food they were given, called rations. Food was not always easy to get because of the war. Most soldiers were just happy to get food, even if it was the same thing, again and again. The most common food given to soldiers wa... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-15-20
Civil War

9-10-20

Sports in Tennessee

by Lauren Grizzard Tennessee athletes have played in championships, won gold medals, fallen short a few times, but had loyal fans cheering them on all the way. Whether you love to play, or you love to watch, sports have allowed Tennesseans to shine. Let’s see what you know about sports in Tennessee! Click the link below to take the Sports in Tennessee Quiz: Sports in Tennessee Quiz   Lauren Grizzard is the Scheduling Coordinator at the Tennessee State Museum.  Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-10-20
Modern Tennessee Tennessee in the 20th Century

9-9-20

What is Suffrage?

by Christopher Grisham Suffrage has been something that people have fought for throughout Tennessee’s history, but what is it? The word doesn’t sound very nice. It sounds like suffering, and why would anyone want that? It turns out that suffrage means the right to vote. If you have suffrage, that means you have a voice. You get to help choose the people that make rules and laws for everyone else. This is necessary to make sure the things that are important to you are important to... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-9-20
African American History Native American History Women's History

9-3-20

Ratified! Statewide!

by Lauren Grizzard Did you know that Tennessee has 95 counties? Now, did you know that all 95 counties had a part in the women’s suffrage story? Using the State Museum’s Ratified! Statewide! link below, see if you can click your way through the state to see how each county shaped the 19th amendment (women’s vote) journey: https://tnmuseum.org/Ratified-Statewide Challenge! If you are up for an extra challenge, see if you can find the answers to the questions below: Find ... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-3-20
Communities Women's History

9-1-20

“I Am A Man” Dr. King and The Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike

by Matthew Gailani On February 12, 1968, 1,300 Black sanitation workers went on strike in Memphis, Tennessee. This meant that they refused to do their job of picking up trash throughout the city until their demands were met. But why did the men go on strike? The men were forced to work in dangerous conditions. They were paid very little. They were not allowed to form into groups called unions. They were even treated worse and paid less than their white co-workers just because of the col... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-1-20
African American History Tennessee in the 20th Century

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