A fond look back, and the road ahead...

It's been more than a decade since I published the first blog post on The Posterity Project way back in 2008. What began as an experiment in social media, sharing links and stories about archives and public history in Tennessee, has grown into an author platform, gaining attention of interested readers from across the state and beyond its borders. Ultimately, the attention we received through our blog led us to our publisher, The History Press, and the publication of our first book, Onward Southern Soldiers: Religion and the Army of Tennessee in the Civil War. Three years later, we published John Sevier: Tennessee's First Hero, a subject that has been a centerpiece of attention here on The Posterity Project for much of this blog's lifespan.

Your interest in our work and our books has provided us with so many opportunities to visit readers, bookstores, heritage and lineage societies, colleges and universities, and historic sites to speak about our books beyond the limited confines of online conversation. We've met a lot of wonderful people who share our passion for history and we're grateful for each opportunity we have to engage with the public. After all, public history is by its very definition a "public" endeavor. I've long believed that social media should be a tool to facilitate public engagement in the real world. As much of our online public discourse has devolved into fits of name-calling, snark, and sarcasm, we need more "social" and less "media," in my opinion.

As we begin work on our third book, we plan to spend more time focused on writing and research. This means stepping away from social media for a while as we read the letters, diaries, journals, legends, and folktales of Tennessee's earliest pioneers and learn more about their interactions with native peoples who arrived at "America's First Frontier" long before them. Posts to The Posterity Project will be far and few between as we explore this topic in greater detail.

Before I sign off, I want to express how grateful we are for the support we've received for our writings on this blog and in our books. It has been a labor of love to share this history with you. We're extraordinarily grateful for your shared interest in the past.

Thank you!

Gordon Belt and Traci Nichols-Belt are a husband and wife team of authors and public historians. Together, they have collaborated on two books. Traci Nichols-Belt is the author of Onward Southern Soldiers: Religion and the Army of Tennessee in the Civil War. Her book explores the significant impact of religion on the Army of Tennessee, C.S.A., on every rank, from generals to chaplains to common soldiers. Gordon Belt is the author of John Sevier: Tennessee’s First Hero, which focuses on the life and legend of Tennessee’s first governor, John Sevier. Both books are published by The History Press, an award-winning publisher of local and regional history titles from coast to coast. Gordon and Traci’s writings focus specifically on stories from their home state of Tennessee.

Sevierville's "First Hero"...

In January, The High Road Agency approached me requesting permission to use some of my writing describing the life of John Sevier: Tennessee's First Hero for a new exhibit at the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce Visitor's Center. That exhibit is now on display and open to the public. I'm eager to see it in person.

I've accepted an invitation to a book signing at the Visitor's Center on Friday, April 27, 2018. The event will take place from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET. Visitor's Center is located at 3099 Winfield Dunn Parkway, Kodak, Tennessee. Be on the lookout for details about that event published in local media outlets. I hope to see you there!

In the meantime, Carroll McMahan, Sevier County Historian and member of the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce, graciously shared the following photograph of the exhibit with me. I'm grateful to Carroll for permitting me to publish this image here...

Image courtesy of Carroll McMahan, Sevierville Chamber of Commerce

I'm glad that my book helped to inform and inspire this exhibit. One of my goals in writing a book about John Sevier was to draw public attention to a long-neglected historical figure I've devoted several years of my professional life to studying. I hope that this exhibit also accomplishes that goal. I'm also pleased to learn that historical artifacts from Marble Springs, John Sevier's plantation home, are currently on loan to the Visitor's Center and on display.

The exhibit will remain open through 2018, so if you find yourself traveling near Sevierville, I encourage you to visit this display and learn something new about "Tennessee's First Hero."

UPDATE:

I'm grateful for the opportunity to visit Sevierville, namesake town of “Tennessee’s First Hero,” John Sevier. Here are a few photos from my April 27th book signing. Thanks to Carroll McMahan and the staff at the Sevierville Visitor's Center for their gracious hospitality, and many thanks to those who turned out to purchase a signed copy of my book on this special occasion...

Thankful for Carroll McMahan’s kind invitation. He is the Sevier County historian and host for this event.

Copies of John Sevier: Tennessee's First Hero on display.

These panels feature some of my scholarship, excerpted from our book, John Sevier: Tennessee’s First Hero.

I had to do a double take looking at this portrait. It looks a lot like William Blount, but it’s actually John Sevier, another depiction painted by Charles Willson Peale.

John Sevier’s walking stick alongside a bust of his image, on loan from Marble Springs Plantation.

This small trunk, also on loan from Marble Springs, is engraved with Sevier’s name. It’s made from wood and covered in deer skin. For three months in 1796, it held the treasury for the newly formed state of Tennessee.

 

Gordon Belt is an information professional, archives advocate, public historian, and author of The History Press book, John Sevier: Tennessee's First Hero, which examines the life of Tennessee's first governor, John Sevier, through the lens of history and memory. On The Posterity Project, Gordon offers reflections on archives, public history, and memory from his home state of Tennessee.

An interview with Pat Nolan on INSIDE POLITICS...

On Friday, August 19th, I had the opportunity to chat with Pat Nolan for an interview that aired on NewsChannel5+ later that evening. In that interview, Pat and I talked about 'John Sevier: Tennessee's First Hero' and how writers viewed his life through the lens of history and memory.

Pat Nolan, NewsChannel5 Political Analyst, hosts INSIDE POLITICS, a weekly political interview show, and CAPITOL VIEW, a weekly on-line political commentary, airing on NewsChannel5+ and online. A friend and colleague pointed out to me that Pat is also the former president of the Friends of the Nashville Metro Archives, and he has spoken at Society of Tennessee Archivists annual meeting.

I'm honored by the kind words Pat shared with me after the interview...

"Thanks for coming on the show, Gordon! You've written a fascinating book about a legendary and critically important person in Tennessee's early history as well as how John Sevier's legacy has waxed and waned in the public's mind over the last two centuries."

I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to meet Pat and to have had this conversation. I'm also grateful to my Library & Archives colleague, Blake Fontenay, who arranged this interview along with NewsChannel5's Executive Director Rick Casebeer. Research gathered at the Tennessee State Library & Archives played a crucial role in the telling of this story, so I'm always happy to return the favor as an advocate for this venerable institution.

And now, I'm happy to share our interview with you here on The Posterity Project. The interview airs in three parts. Visit the NewsChannel5 website to view our conversation HERE.



 

Gordon Belt is an information professional, archives advocate, public historian, and author of The History Press book, John Sevier: Tennessee's First Hero, which examines the life of Tennessee's first governor, John Sevier, through the lens of history and memory. On The Posterity Project, Gordon offers reflections on archives, public history, and memory from his home state of Tennessee.