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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: Tennessee in the 20th Century

5-10-22

Captured: Part Five

by Emilee Dehmur The American soldiers were shouting louder than they normally did, and their tones were harsher. “Hurry up. Get in there!” they yelled as they led all the prisoners into the movie theater. They were forced to sit on the floor. The lights dimmed and the clacking of the film reel hummed behind them as it began to play. The images on the screen were gruesome. It was from allied liberators in Germany. They were filming their entrance on the Jewish concentration... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-10-22
Communities Modern Tennessee Tennessee in the 20th Century

5-3-22

Captured: Part Four

by Emilee Dehmur The first few prisoners to help were chosen. The guards gripped their guns tightly and opened the door to the outside world. This was the first time the Germans had set foot outside of the camp since they arrived. Each German had two American soldiers by their sides. As they arrived at the first farm, the men jumped out eager to do work outside the camp. They worked until the sun went down and were closely guarded until they were safely back behind the walls of Crossville. ... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-3-22
Communities Modern Tennessee Tennessee in the 20th Century

4-19-22

Captured: Part Three

by Emilee Dehmer Indeed, life at Crossville was not what any of the officers had thought it would be. No one could have dreamt that when they were captured in Africa that their life in America would be like this. After all, Crossville had an infirmary, bathhouse, dining hall, rec hall, fire station, post office, and store. They even had tennis and soccer fields! The Germans called their new home “Camp Country Club”.  Colonel Harry E. Dudley Papers, 1916-1966, Tennessee S... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 4-19-22
Communities Modern Tennessee Tennessee in the 20th Century

4-11-22

Captured: Part Two

by Emily Dehmer As the Germans unloaded from the bus, the bright spotlights from the guard towers lit up the night. The men, in a single-file line, were led into the medical tent. There they were showered, deloused, and given a fresh pair of clothes. A team of doctors and nurses looked over those who arrived, most suffering from battle wounds or diseases. After they were done in the medical tent, they made their way to their new homes. As they filed out of the tent, they were led to a large... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 4-11-22
Communities Modern Tennessee Tennessee in the 20th Century

2-1-22

Diane Nash: A Civil Rights Legend

By Philip Staffelli Welcome back Junior Curators! February is Black History Month! So, in this blog we are going to learn about someone important to Black History, Tennessee History, and United States History. Today we are going to explore the life of Civil Rights activist, Diane Nash. Diane Judith Nash was born in 1938, in Chicago, Illinois. She was raised a Catholic and attended public and Catholic schools. Nash even considered becoming a nun. After graduating high school, she first atten... Read More
Posted by Matthew Gailani at 2-1-22
African American History Tennessee in the 20th Century

9-7-21

More Tennesseans in Space

by Jennifer Watts Many people dream of becoming an astronaut. I know I have. As of 2021, seven Tennesseans have made that dream come true. In the first “Tennesseans in Space” blog, we learned about Dr. Margaret Rhea Seddon and Barry “Butch” Wilmore. Today we are going to learn about the other five. In 1992, three of them were part of the same flight crew and went to space together! Autographed photo of the STS-52 Crew, Tennessee State Museum Collection. (Pil... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-7-21
Innovations Tennessee in the 20th Century

8-17-21

Highlander Folk School

by Oliver Arney The Highlander Folk School was unlike any school that you have seen today. If you could visit today, you would not find classrooms full of children, no large gyms holding P.E., and no playgrounds. That is because the Highlander Folk School did not teach children, it was a school for adults. The school was founded in the middle of the Great Depression and became a center of learning during the Civil Rights Movement.  Myles Horton from SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordina... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 8-17-21
African American History Communities Tennessee in the 20th Century

5-18-21

Underwater Ghost Towns of Tennessee

by Jennifer Watts Tennessee is known for its many beautiful lakes. What people don’t know is some lakes have a secret. Under the sparkling waters are sunken towns. Whole communities were flooded by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in the 20th century.  The rivers of Tennessee have a long history of flooding. These floods destroyed farms, washing away crops and homes. In the 1930s, the United States government wanted to help stop this from happening. They also wanted to aid fa... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-18-21
Communities Tennessee in the 20th Century

3-30-21

An American Nurse The Story of Catherine G. Sinnott

by Matthew Gailani In 1917, just over 100 years ago, the United States officially entered World War I. This was a major moment in American history. America was entering a large war with terrible fighting between many different countries. To help the Allies and the United States win the war, American women served in different roles, both at home and overseas. For example, many women filled jobs in their hometowns that were left by men serving in Europe. This included many jobs in factories an... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 3-30-21
Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

3-23-21

The Secret City

by Lauren Grizzard Hey you! Yeah, you! Can I let you in on a secret? It’s a very big secret. The size of an entire city type of secret. That’s because this secret WAS an entire city. A city that didn’t exist when Pearl Harbor was bombed and was built entirely by the government in 1942: Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Before 1942, Oak Ridge looked like the landscape often seen in East Tennessee: large plots of land with many hills and valleys. For that reason, it became the site ... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 3-23-21
Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

2-25-21

The Fastest Woman in the World: Wilma Rudolph

by Lauren Grizzard Did you know that a Tennessean was an Olympic athlete? Do you know where “The Fastest Woman in the World” was from? To learn the answers and more, check out five things to know about Wilma Rudolph below! 1. Wilma Rudolph was born in St. Bethlehem (now Clarksville), Tennessee on June 23, 1940. If you visit Clarksville today, you will see a street and buildings named after her, and even a life sized statue!          ... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 2-25-21
African American History Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

2-16-21

Professor Cameron

by Matthew Gailani World War I and the Story of Henry Alvin Cameron On April 6, 1917, the United States of America officially entered World War I. The war itself started in 1914, shortly after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The United States managed to stay out of the war until 1917 despite terrible fighting around the world. This changed for a few reasons. Americans were being killed on ships sunk by German U-boats in the Atlantic Ocean. The most infamous example of this wa... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 2-16-21
African American History Tennessee in the 20th Century

2-9-21

The Tigers of Tennessee

by Matthew Gailani  A History of Tennessee State University Tennessee has many colleges, universities, and schools, each with its own history. Nashville, the state’s capital, is home to several campuses. One of them is Tennessee State University, or TSU. TSU is a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) and was founded over 100 years ago in 1912. Its first name was the Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State Normal School for Negroes.* It was a public school built to teac... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 2-9-21
African American History Modern Tennessee Tennessee in the 20th Century

1-26-21

The Story of Piggly Wiggly: The First Supermarket

by Oliver Arney Have you ever entered a supermarket or a grocery store and been overwhelmed at the selection you can make? The candy aisle alone has hundreds of selections that YOU can pick from. Isn’t that wonderful? Let us take a step back in time and learn how a Tennessean named Clarence Saunders created the first supermarket, Piggly Wiggly. Piggly Wiggly sign today, from pigglywiggly.com. Before we learn about Piggly Wiggly, let us first read about what a grocery store looked... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 1-26-21
Innovations Tennessee in the 20th Century

1-12-21

"The Head Ball Coach"

by Matthew Gailani The Story of Steve Spurrier Sports, from football to basketball, are very popular across the state of Tennessee. The Volunteer State has been home to many athletes and coaches at both the professional and college level. Few, however, are as well-known or successful as the “Head Ball Coach,” Steve Spurrier. Stephen Orr Spurrier was born in Miami Beach, Florida at St. Francis Hospital on April 20, 1945 to Reverend J. Graham Spurrier Jr. and Marjorie Orr Spurrie... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 1-12-21
Modern Tennessee Tennessee in the 20th Century

1-5-21

Happy New Year!

by Morgan Byrn How one Tennessean changed how we celebrate New Year’s Eve When I was a kid, my favorite thing about New Year’s Eve was staying up till midnight. We would turn on the TV to watch the ball drop at 12:00 AM in Times Square. Others would gather in their cities to wait for fireworks or their own ball drop. Here in Nashville, the city lowers a music note at the stroke of midnight. No matter how you bring in the New Year, watching from your home or outside with others, ... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 1-5-21
Innovations Tennessee in the 20th Century

12-8-20

“December 7, 1941 – A Date Which Will Live in Infamy."

by Lauren Grizzard It was a clear morning on December 7, 1941 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The weather conditions were perfect for Tennessee native, Cornelia Fort, to take a student out for a flying lesson. Cornelia was the first female pilot in Nashville and had taken a job in Honolulu, Hawaii as a flight instructor earlier that year. When Cornelia first applied to be an instructor, they wrote back to “Mr. Fort” thinking she was a man. Because of the lack of trained pilots in World ... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 12-8-20
Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

10-20-20

Tennesseans in Space

by Jennifer Watts Have you ever dreamed of going into space? To be like astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first men to walk on the moon? Dr. Margaret Rhea Seddon and Barry “Butch” Wilmore are two Tennesseans who made their dreams of space travel come true. Combined they have spent 208 days in space and have orbited the earth 3,296 times. Dr. Margaret Rhea Seddon, Tennessee State Museum Collection. Dr. Rhea Seddon was born in Murfreesboro, TN in 1947. When she w... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 10-20-20
Modern Tennessee Tennessee in the 20th Century

10-13-20

From Chattanooga to the “Empress of the Blues”

by Matthew Gailani You may already know that Tennessee is famous for its music. Nashville is “Music City,” Memphis is the “Home of the Blues,” and Bristol is the “Birthplace of Country Music.” Tennessee artists have been so important to the history of music in the United States that many of them are known just by their nicknames. Elvis Presley was known as the “King.” W.C Handy was known as the “Father of the Blues.” Johnny Cash was... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 10-13-20
African American History Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

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

9-10-20

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

9-1-20

“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

8-27-20

The War of the Roses in Tennessee: Woman Suffrage turns 100

  by Grace Allen One of my favorite events in Tennessee history happened 100 years ago on this very month, Aug. 18, 1920. It has all the parts of a great story: a fight for equality, a last-minute letter, and a decision that changed the country. It’s the true tale of how women got the right to vote in the United States.  Tennessee State Museum Collection. Did you know women couldn’t vote in some places in the United States until 1920? Women fought for the right... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 8-27-20
Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

8-25-20

Cats, Colors and Causes: How Symbols Won the Vote

by Katie Yenna How do you express yourself to the world? Do you wear brightly colored clothes, wild hair or big jewelry? These are all symbols of ourselves. They tell others who we are and what we believe is important. This idea was certainly true during the women’s suffrage movement in the United States, and Tennessee. Suffragists carefully chose colors, objects and clothing to communicate to others. One of the most well-known ways these suffragists expressed themselves, and their vi... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 8-25-20
Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

8-18-20

Showdown in Nashville

by Christopher Grisham The final fight to ratify the 19th Amendment occurred in Nashville, Tennessee, in August 1920.  The Tennessee State legislature was called into special session. Their one job was to vote on the 19th Amendment to the Constitution giving women the right to vote. The amendment had been passed by Congress the year before. Under the U.S. Constitution, it needed to be approved by 36 states. Thirty-five states had approved it by the spring of 1920. S... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 8-18-20
Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

8-17-20

Tennessee to Commemorate Ratification of the 19th Amendment with Reenactment of Historic Vote on the House Floor

Happening tomorrow, August 18th at 9:30CT, be sure to watch a reenactment of the historic events that took place here in Tennessee 100 years ago!  Watch the reenactment! Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 8-17-20
Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

8-11-20

“Lifting as We Climb” Mary Church Terrell and the 19th Amendment

by Matthew Gailani August 18, 2020 will be 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment, or change, to the Constitution says that, “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” In other words, you can’t keep someone from voting just because they are a woman. While this still did not mean everyone could vote at the time, it was a big st... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 8-11-20
African American History Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

7-28-20

The Clinton 12: The Integration Story of Tennessee’s Public Schools

by Mamie Hassell  Do YOU love school? Smart teachers, cool computers, a fun playground, art class, fancy instruments for music class, a big library, wonderful sports, and a tasty cafeteria for lunch. Are these some of your favorite things about it? Well what if your school had all this cool stuff, but another school in your town did not? Do you think this would be fair? Sadly, schools were not always equal. Black students were not given rights because of the color of their skin. Many B... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 7-28-20
African American History Communities Tennessee in the 20th Century

7-21-20

Meet me at the Fairy Floss Stand! Tennessee’s Sweet History of Cotton Candy

by Morgan Byrn In 1904, people were introduced to Fairy Floss at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. What is Fairy Floss? That was the original name for cotton candy. So how does all of this relate to Tennessee history? Let us dive into the sweet, sugary past of cotton candy. William Morrison and John C. Wharton lived in Nashville, Tennessee in the late 1800’s. Mr. Morrison was a dentist, and Mr. Wharton was a candy maker. Can you believe that a dentist and a candy maker we... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 7-21-20
Innovations Tennessee in the 20th Century

6-23-20

You Can Be an Oral Historian

by Jennifer Watts Have you ever heard someone say, “When I was a kid things were different?” I know I have. One of my dad’s favorite things to do was telling me what it was like when he was my age. At the time, it was something I had to listen to. Now I know those stories were important. Life was different for him as a child. Historians use stories, or records, like his to learn about life in the past. You can too! The stories my father told me are called oral histories. H... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 6-23-20
Communities Tennessee in the 20th Century

5-28-20

Gardening for Victory

by Jennifer Watts Have you ever asked your parents, “What’s for dinner?” I know I have. During World War II, making a healthy, delicious meal was difficult. A lot of the food grown by the United States was needed to feed soldiers fighting overseas. Not much was left for the people at home. So what did the people on the home front do? The answer was simple and something we can still do today. Grow your own food! Victory gardens, were an easy solution.  Your War Gard... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-28-20
Tennessee in the 20th Century

5-19-20

Marathon Motor Works: The First Cars Made in Tennessee

by Christopher Grisham                                                                 In 1913, the first transcontinental highway across the entire United States was finished. They named it the Lincoln Highway and it went from New York City to San Francisco.  A sudden boom in people buying a new invention called the “... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-19-20
Innovations Tennessee in the 20th Century

5-5-20

The WASP That Doesn't Sting

by Lauren Grizzard Doris Brinker Tanner was a WASP. No, not the insect that flies around and stings. WASP stands for Women Airforce Service Pilot. During World War II, most men were needed as soldiers. Because of this, the military turned to women for help. One of these ways was to become a pilot! Doris Tanner Many women in Tennessee served as WASPs. One of them was Doris Tanner. Doris learned to fly planes in college. She went to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. When World War... Read More
Posted by Joseph Pagetta at 5-5-20
Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

4-22-20

How Young W.C. Handy Grew Up to Become “The Father of the Blues”

by Jeff Sellers The day finally arrived.  For weeks young W.C. Handy had worked odd jobs. He picked berries. He made soap. He saved and saved. Now he had enough money to buy the guitar he always wanted.  Young W.C. loved music. I mean really loved music. He played every chance he could get. Every Sunday he played at church where his father was the local pastor. When he proudly showed the guitar to his mother and father, they were displeased, or unhappy. W.C. Handy’s boyho... Read More
Posted by Joseph Pagetta at 4-22-20
African American History History of Music/The Arts Tennessee in the 20th Century

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