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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!

 

11-24-20

What Is in A Name? How Tennessee and Its Cities Got Their Names

by Matthew Gailani Have you have ever lived in, traveled through, or seen Tennessee on a map? If you have, you know that it is home to many cities, towns, and communities. From McMinn County to Lake County, and Bucksnort to Hohenwald, each place has its own unique name and story. But what is in a name? Why do we call Nashville, Nashville? Why is Memphis, Memphis and not Salt Lake City? This week, on the Junior Curators’ Blog, we are going to learn how a few cities in Tennessee got thei... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 11-24-20
Communities

11-19-20

Go See Tennessee: The G.O.A.T of Tennessee Festivals

by Emilee Dehmer The G.O.A.T of Tennessee Festivals Middle Tennessee: Goats, Music, and More Festival, Lewisburg 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, wri... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 11-19-20
Communities Modern Tennessee

11-17-20

Dots, Dashes, and a Polk

by Christopher Grisham In the early 1800s, the world shrank. Boats and trains became faster with the invention of the steam engine. This allowed people to travel farther than ever before. But the telegraph connected more people than any other invention. The telegraph let people send messages across the entire country by using dots and dashes in place of letters. All you needed was a telegraph machine and a telegraph line. Telegraph 1840-1865, Tennessee State Museum Collection. Sam... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 11-17-20
Innovations Jacksonian Tennessee

11-10-20

Child Labor in Tennessee

by Jennifer Watts How would you feel if you did not have to go to school today? Excited? Upset? What if I told you that instead of school you had to go to work? This was true for thousands of Tennessee children in the past. It has only been in the last 100 years or so that compulsory education has been law. For hundreds of years, children played important roles in the survival of the family. Children worked in a variety of jobs. They worked on family farms, were apprentices learning a trade,... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 11-10-20
Communities

11-3-20

The Emancipation Proclamation in Tennessee

by Matthew Gailani Have you heard of the Emancipation Proclamation? On September 22, 1862, in the middle of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln said, “all persons held as slaves within any states…in rebellion against the United States, shall be…free.” This led to the Emancipation Proclamation being enacted a few months later, on January 1, 1863. This meant any enslaved person in a state fighting against the United States was now free. This was a very important ... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 11-3-20
Civil War and Reconstruction

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