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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!

 

Category: Statehood/Early Tennessee

5-1-23

A Tale of Two Constitutions: The United States and Tennessee

By Philip Staffelli-Suel  Welcome back Junior Curators! Today we are going to discuss how the first Tennessee State Constitution and the United States Constitution are alike. The United States document was written in 1787 while Tennessee’s was written in 1796. That is only nine years apart! The people who wrote the first Tennessee State Constitution looked to the U.S. Constitution as an example. We are going to look at the legislative, executive, and judicial br... Read More
Posted by Christopher Grisham at 5-1-23
Statehood/Early Tennessee

1-17-23

Manifest Destiny and Tennessee

By Philip Staffelli-Suel Welcome back Junior Curators! Today we are going to learn about an important topic in U.S. history, Manifest Destiny. This was the belief that the United States should grow and expand all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The phrase was coined, or created, in 1845 and became very popular. Do you know who was president in 1845? James K. Polk, a Tennessean! Tennesseans played an important role in the idea of Manifest Destiny. Today we are going to look at three Tennesseans... Read More
Posted by Christopher Grisham at 1-17-23
Statehood/Early Tennessee

11-3-22

Four Tennesseans That DIDN’T Become President

By Christopher Grisham Most students across Tennessee can probably list the three U.S. presidents that came from Tennessee.  Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson are the only people from our state (so far) that have served in the highest office of government. But they are not the only people from Tennessee that ran for president. There have been a few others that came close but didn’t quite make it. Andrew Jackson Okay, so this first one is a little bit of a cheat. ... Read More
Posted by Stephanie Davis at 11-3-22
Statehood/Early Tennessee Tennessee History

3-1-22

The First Railroad in Tennessee

By Emilee Dehmer Okay, well maybe not the first railroad in Tennessee. The first railroad to operate a train in Tennessee award belongs to the LaGrange and Memphis Railroad who started in 1842. Our railroad for today, the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, was chartered in 1845. We say it is the first railroad in Tennessee because it was the first complete line to operate. The Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad (N&C) was established in 1845, thanks to the help of John Overton and Repr... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 3-1-22
Civil War and Reconstruction Communities Statehood/Early Tennessee

2-8-22

TN225: William Strickland, The Capitol’s Architect

By Jennifer Watts Can you image being 225 years old?! In 2021, Tennessee celebrated its 225th birthday on June 1st. To commemorate the event, the Tennessee State Museum is highlighting one hundred artifacts throughout the state’s history. One of those artifacts is a portrait of William Strickland. He was the architect of the Tennessee State Capitol. Let’s take a closer look at the man behind the painting and one of the most historic buildings in the state.   Portrait of W... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 2-8-22
Statehood/Early Tennessee

1-24-22

TN225: Tennessee’s First Governor’s Pocket Watch

By Jennifer Watts Can you imagine being 225 years old?!  On June 1, 2021, Tennessee celebrated its 225th birthday.  To commemorate the event, the Tennessee State Museum is highlighting one hundred artifacts throughout the state’s history. Let’s take a closer look at the story behind one of those artifacts, the pocket watch of Tennessee’s first governor. John Sevier’s Pocket Watch, TSM Collection When Tennessee became a state in 1796, the people elected... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 1-24-22
Frontier/Before Statehood Statehood/Early Tennessee

1-10-22

Lewis and Seaman?

By Emilee Dehmer In the late 1700s, there were many colonial towns and cities all throughout the eastern part of the United States. After American independence, and as more and more people arrived in America, settlers began to push westward. They did this to find new land and begin new settlements, even though people were already living there. Tennessee is an example of this westward expansion and was granted statehood in 1796. All the official states though were east of the Mississippi Rive... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 1-10-22
Statehood/Early Tennessee

11-16-21

Go See Tennessee: The Enduring Gift that will Live Forever

By Emilee Dehmer East Tennessee: Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, Vonore 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 fu... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 11-16-21
Innovations Southeastern Indian History Statehood/Early Tennessee

11-2-21

John Ross: Principal Chief of the Cherokee People

By Jennifer Watts There are times when you need a leader. A person to guide you and keep you moving forward. In the early 1800s, the Cherokee people needed such a leader. A man to fight for their Nation and its people.  That man was John Ross, but who was he? How did he become the great leader the Cherokee needed when times were getting tough? John Ross was not born in Tennessee. He was born October 3, 1790 in northern Alabama. He moved to Tennessee when he was seven years old with his... Read More
Posted by Jennifer Watts at 11-2-21
Southeastern Indian History Statehood/Early Tennessee

10-26-21

The Nashoba Community: A Tennessee Utopia?

By Katie Yenna What do you think an “intentional community” means? Well, the name speaks for itself! It is a planned community where people with similar beliefs and values decide to live and work together as a team. These communities usually have a goal for their residents, much like the Nashoba establishment in Tennessee. This Nashoba Community was established in 1825 by Francis Wright, an abolitionist from the United Kingdom. Her intention was to create a “utopian” ... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 10-26-21
Black History Communities Statehood/Early Tennessee Women's History

10-5-21

War of 1812: Things you didn’t know happened during the war

By Katie Yenna Did you know that only 29 years after we gained our independence from England, they decided to pick another fight with us? Beginning in 1812, we entered what some historians call our “Second War for Independence” with Great Britain. After it officially ended in 1815, it left us with a new feeling of national pride and freedom from England. It also began traditions, created legends and national symbols that are still recognized today. Keep reading to find out what t... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 10-5-21
Statehood/Early Tennessee

9-21-21

Go See Tennessee: The Middle of It All

by Emilee Dehmer    Middle Tennessee: Geographic Center of Tennessee, Murfreesboro 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 h... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-21-21
Statehood/Early Tennessee

9-14-21

Tennessee 225: The 13-Star U.S. Flag

by Jennifer Watts On June 1, 1796, Tennessee became the sixteenth state in the United States of America. It has been two hundred and twenty-five years since that date. As part of our state’s anniversary, the Tennessee State Museum is highlighting some of our artifacts on display that tell the story of Tennessee’s people, history, and culture. The artifact we would like to highlight today is the thirteen-star U.S. flag currently displayed in the ‘Forging a Nation’ gall... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-14-21
Statehood/Early Tennessee

8-11-21

The Chickasaws and Tennessee Part 3

by Lauren Grizzard Hello Junior Curators and welcome to the latest blog post! This year, 2021, marks the 225th year of Tennessee statehood. That means it has been over two centuries since Tennessee became the 16th state in the United States of America on June 1, 1796. However, while this is an important point in Tennessee’s history, there were groups of people living here long before statehood in 1796. These groups were known as Southeastern Indians. Their histories, languages, and cul... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 8-11-21
Southeastern Indian History Statehood/Early Tennessee

5-11-21

The Chickasaw and Tennessee Part 2

by Matthew Gailani Hello Junior Curators and welcome to the latest blog post! This year, 2021, marks the 225th year of Tennessee statehood. That means it has been over two centuries since Tennessee became the 16th state in the United States of America on June 1, 1796. However, while this is an important point in Tennessee’s history, there were groups of people living here long before statehood in 1796. These groups were known as Southeastern Indians. Their histories, languages, and cul... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-11-21
Southeastern Indian History Statehood/Early Tennessee

5-4-21

The Chickasaw and Tennessee Part 1

by Matthew Gailani Hello Junior Curators and welcome to the latest blog post! This year, 2021, marks the 225th year of Tennessee statehood. That means it has been over two centuries since Tennessee became the 16th state in the United States of America on June 1, 1796. However, while this is an important point in Tennessee’s history, there were groups of people living here long before statehood in 1796. These groups were known as Southeastern Indians. Their histories, languages, and cul... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-4-21
Southeastern Indian History Statehood/Early Tennessee

1-19-21

Who, What and Why? The Causes of the War of 1812

by Katie Yenna After winning our independence from Great Britain during the Revolutionary War, we were trying to figure out how to function as our own nation. We were rebuilding our military and navy, finding people to trade with, and organizing our government – We were busy! Meanwhile, Great Britain had their hands full fighting Napoleon in France, but they still had time to pick another fight with us. That fight officially began in 1812, but why did it happen? Read on to find out. T... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 1-19-21
Statehood/Early Tennessee

6-1-20

How Tennessee Became a State

by Christopher Grisham When Tennessee became a state on June 1, 1796, it was the end of a long process. The idea to create a state from the land west of the Appalachian Mountains wasn’t new. When the British were in control, the land was reserved for Native American peoples only. No one else was allowed to settler here. So what happened when the British lost the American Revolution? The state of North Carolina claimed all the land between the mountains and the Mississippi River. People... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 6-1-20
Statehood/Early Tennessee

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