One of my impressions: Tennessee still hasn't figured out how to portray its historical relation & attitude to people like Sam Davis, so valorous in the Confederate cause. But, kudos for acknowledging TN as birthplace of the KKK and hotbed of resistance to the full extension of rights & citizenship to all of its people.
I'd like to see them expand the Scopes Trial exhibit.
Did any of you pin any thoughts on an index card? Most of the ones I noticed were pretty inane-"I like turtles" etc.
Have any of you encountered other state museums as good?
The museum's setting and the day of our visit were so pretty, I had to snap these shots before leaving:
The museum's setting and the day of our visit were so pretty, I had to snap these shots before leaving:
Postscript. Did y'all see the Ida B. Wells exhibit? Jy 13 is her day, but our benighted Governor proclaims it Forrest Day instead. Reprehensible.
Hey @GovBillLee, July 13 will be Ida B Wells and Z. Alexander Looby Day for me.— Learotha Williams (@learothawms) July 12, 2019
I won’t be celebrating the legacy of a war criminal (See Fort Pillow) and leader of a cowardly white supremacist/terrorist organization.
I encourage you and all Tennesseans to join me. https://t.co/dj0wIw1ynh
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ReplyDeleteOne of the significant things to me was the wall of pictures of confederate soldiers. There were many last names that were the same as family names of folks In my hometown.
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ReplyDeleteIt was my first visit to the museum at the new location and it was impressive. Unfortunately, for groups, I am someone who likes to read as much as possible and consequently, I only got to the Reconstruction period. As I toured the facility, I wondered how other visitors identified with Tennessee's historical figures. When I parked, I notice several cars with Oklahoma license plates and I wondered if any of those individuals were descendants of Native-Americans forcibly removed who walked along the Trail of Tears. How would they have identified what was written about their ancestors? I read one post that said, "Early US Policy assumed Indians would want to be Americans. Instead Southeastern Indians fought to keep their identity, territory and sovereignty." I wrote down the names of several geological sites and plan to visit them in the near future. I would love to find some fossils. As I mentioned to Sidney, it is really difficult to conceive of time when it is mentioned in thousands of years, let along millions. The rising of mountain ranges and their erosion is difficult to envision in our short time on earth along with the fossils of leaves and aquatic organisms including tracks of horseshoe crabs trapped in the sediment for millions of years. The diversity of Native American tribes throughout the state made me wondered how they co-existed during the time. How defined was tribal identity? Another display that I found very interesting was a map by Joseph Purcell in 1792. How was he able to draw it with so much detail? It looked like something that would require an aerial view which of course he did not have, did he? :-) I was also intrigued by the division within Tennessee before the Civil War. They only pointed out the vote in June for secession, but failed to note that in February of that year, the majority of Tennesseans voted to remain in the Union. It was only through the efforts of Gov. Isham Harris that the second vote was held. The Nathan Bedford Forrest display plotted his routes but unless I missed it, it did not include his presence at Fort Donelson. For those who are not familiar with the battle, Forrest found a breach in the Union encirclement and was able to escape with his cavalry during the night but they did not go back to try and rescue other Confederate soldiers, but abandoned them to be captured under the command of Gen. Buckner who was the scapegoat who courageously stayed with his troops. Forrest tried to rewrite history before the review board but the other officers did not remember his version of events. His quote of getting there first with the most should be slightly revised to leaving first when it looks like you're going to lose. One of those soldiers he abandoned was my wife's great grandfather who was captured and shipped to Fort Douglas in Chicago. Instead of skedaddling to Nashville, if he had gone back and extracted only a portion of the nearly 13,000 troops surrendered, they could have fought a delaying action and possibly prevented Union soldiers from advancing on Nashville with little resistance and could have possibly changed the outcome of the war because I believe other confederate troops were in route from Kentucky to support them. Also, it would have been nice if Anna Ella Carroll had been mentioned. She wrote a memorandum to Assistant Secretary of War Thomas A. Scott and Attorney General Edward Bates in late November 1861, advocating that the combined army-navy forces change their invasion route from the Mississippi to the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. This strategy led to the attacks on Fort Henry and Fort Donelson.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Forrest was the scoundrel we've come to know and revile, if his quick exit really did turn the tide of war!
ReplyDeleteOne of the post-Reconstruction exhibit did note Forrest's role in founding the KKK. When will his name come off of the ROTC building on our campus?! (not to mention the dozens of streets in middle TN that share his dishonored moniker)...
Bedford co. Is named after him. It is really unlucky. I am unsure if or when things will change...
DeleteLuckily, Bedford County is named after a Revolutionary War officer. I've heard that McPhee plans to replace the ROTC building since they won't allow it to be renamed.
DeleteNow I know. Many people think otherwise. Spread the knowledge.
DeleteI have not been to the new location. My dad use to work in the building of the old museum and I remember looking down at the exhibition. When I was in 4th grade we learned about Tennessee History (something that does not exist anymore and it is a shame. I loved it... my a but history fan in the classroom. You only learn dates and such. Not fun, but I love the Tennessee history because it was around me). I went with my class and many other historical place as field trips.
ReplyDeleteI was very impressed by the museum. I didn’t read everything, but I hope to go back to explore more sections.
One piece that interested me was an artist, Willie Betty Newman. She was from M’boro and studied in France in 1891-5. Why have I never heard of her? Or more Tennessee artists?
There are many impressive things in the new state museum but the thing that most impressed me about our visit was Don taking the time to look up some of our family histories!
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
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