"Battle of Franklin, Nov. 30, 1864"This postcard depicts the Battle of Franklin, which was fought on November 30, 1864, and is considered one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.
Despite launching multiple attacks, the Confederate army was unable to break through Union forces and prevent the Union’s strategic movement into Nashville. The battle is considered to be one of the worst for the Confederacy, resulting in a devastating loss of more than 6,000 men, including six generals and many other top commanders.
This source could be used to describe the significance of the Battle of Franklin and Tennessee’s role in the Civil War as a whole.
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2025-2026 Educator Workshop SeriesJoin us for this free professional development experience, where we will collaboratively explore strategies for teaching topics such as Prohibition, the Scopes Trial, popular culture, the causes of the Great Depression, and more through activities aligned with the Tennessee social studies curriculum standards.
Our upcoming workshop dates:
To register, click on the location and date above most convenient for you.
To view a comprehensive list of all workshops on our website, click here.
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Join us for Family History Day at the Library & Archives!Learn how to uncover your family stories at the Tennessee State Library & Archives’ Family History Day on Saturday, October 11, at 9:30 a.m., with expert research assistance available all day.
This year’s featured speaker is MerryAnne Pierson, a nationally recognized genealogist and longtime Tennessee resident, who will present “Researching Your Revolutionary War Patriot.”
Pierson will guide attendees through a wide range of resources available for discovering Revolutionary War ancestors, including digital archives, military records, land grants, published genealogies, and more.
Her presentation will emphasize research strategies for identifying patriots from the original 13 colonies and will highlight contributions from Indigenous peoples, enslaved and free Black soldiers, and other often-overlooked figures of the Revolutionary era.
To register, please visit our website here.
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Tennessee 250 UpdatesThe Tennessee 250 Commission is funding a series of three summer Teacher Institutes for K-12 educators in Tennessee to assist them in teaching Tennessee 250 concepts and history. In summer 2025, the first Institute was held at Sycamore Shoals Historic State Park. The summer 2026 Institute, which is currently being planned, will be held in Middle Tennessee, and the summer 2027 Institute in West Tennessee.
The Institutes are created by the Discover Tennessee History Consortium, a group of history educators from the Tennessee State Museum, Tennessee State Library & Archives, Teaching with Primary Sources—Southern Region (MTSU), Tennessee Historical Society, and East Tennessee Historical Society. Registration will open later in the 2025-26 school year. Check our social media, newsletter, and website for updates. To sign up for the Tennessee 250 Commission’s newsletter, visit TN250.com.
The Tennessee State Library & Archives has other resources related to Tennessee 250, including our American Revolution DocsBox and its companion video, which was filmed at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. You do not have to request the DocsBox to view the video.
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Meet our newest Education Outreach Staff member!Hi! My name is Molly Dorris, and I am the new Education Specialist here at the Tennessee State Library & Archives! Some of you may remember me from my time as an intern during the summers of 2023 and 2024. Now that I have graduated from UTK with my master's, I am back full-time! I will be assisting with the DocsBox program, field trips, and workshops. I can’t wait to meet you all and help you bring primary sources to your classrooms and libraries.
Feel free to reach out with any questions!
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Activity BankTeachers, be sure to check out our online Activity Bank! Created with funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the Activity Bank includes short, primary source-based activities developed by educators across the state that cover Tennessee social studies standards in the 4th, 5th, 8th, and high school grade levels.
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Tennessee History Day Starter Pack SeriesJoin Tennessee History Day and special guests in an introductory webinar series on the basics of the National History Day program and earn up to 6 hours of professional development credit. Sessions will take place at 5:30 PM CT / 6:30 PM ET on select Thursdays during the fall semester.
The upcoming session for Thursday, October 23, is titled “Where is my argument? How to make an evidence-based point,” presented by Dr. Susan O’Donovan, a Professor of History at the University of Memphis and the West Tennessee History Day Coordinator.
Teachers can register here.
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DocsBox Companion VideosIf you haven't used one of our DocsBox videos, now is a great time to check them out! Through a partnership with Tennessee State Parks, we bring our documents to the places where these events occurred, making history come alive! These documentary-style videos show students living history interpreters and allow them to hear stories from park rangers. Each video is approximately 10 minutes long and comes with a set of questions to generate discussion.
We have created four videos covering the topics of the Civil War (Civil War DocsBox), the American Revolution (American Revolution DocsBox), World War I (World War I DocsBox), and the French and Indian War (8th Grade Review DocsBox).
You do not have to request a DocsBox to view the videos.
You can view all four videos here.
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