Resources in African American

History

at the Tennessee State Library & Archives

Slave auctions

http://www.tn.gov/tsla  

Fisk University, 1868

From the Merl Eppse Papers

The Fisk Jubilee Singers helped make the nation aware of African American

achievement.

The 15th Amendment generated many political cartoons.

Images from TSLA Photo Database

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/

This CarteThis Cartede Visite de Visite shows a shows a child with child with her slave her slave

nurse.nurse.

Civil War

Jack Knox Cartoons

TSLA also has important photos and TSLA also has important photos and documents from the Civil Rights era.documents from the Civil Rights era.

Images from TSLA Photo Database

Nat Turner’s Rebellion as portrayed Nat Turner’s Rebellion as portrayed in newspapers of the timein newspapers of the time

Wessyngton Plantation, Robertson County

TeVA:

The Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA) contains a wealth of

historic images from the treasures in our collection.

It is accessible from our main web page.

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/

The Harry Mustard Collection pictures The Harry Mustard Collection pictures Rutherford County in the mid-1920s.Rutherford County in the mid-1920s.

The Mustard Collection focuses on The Mustard Collection focuses on health issues, as in this photo of health issues, as in this photo of children receiving vaccinationschildren receiving vaccinations

and this delightful photo of a child and this delightful photo of a child visiting a health clinic.visiting a health clinic.

Mustard’s images brought changes Mustard’s images brought changes in Tennessee health standards.in Tennessee health standards.

Other relevant TeVA images may be found in “Early 20th Century Schoolhouses”

The Rosenwald schools, a vital part of early black education in Tennessee,

were funded by a private foundation, as well as by contributions from

private donors and some state funds.

Bells School, Crockett County

Other TN Rosenwald schools

Crockett County

Gibson County

Lauderdale County

White County

Many other TSLA collections Many other TSLA collections contain remarkable photographs.contain remarkable photographs.

Photo of Brushy Mountain Prison from Samuel Robert Simpson Papers

Sketches and drawings can provide important

information about life in earlier times. Here are

some details from a Harper’s article about

the prison experience.

Prisons housed both male and female inmates.

This drawing foreshadows the Brushy Mountain Prison photograph seen earlier in

the presentation.

Our Cartes de Visite

collection is full of

treasures like this lovely portrait.

Our online “Exhibits” area Our online “Exhibits” area showcases the stories of the showcases the stories of the

14 African American legislators 14 African American legislators who served in the who served in the

Tennessee General Assembly Tennessee General Assembly during the 19during the 19thth century. century.

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/

Early Tennessee legislators:Early Tennessee legislators:

The Education Outreach area The Education Outreach area of the TSLA website featuresof the TSLA website features“Teaching American History,” “Teaching American History,”

a set of digitized primary a set of digitized primary sources (with interpretive text) sources (with interpretive text) linked to the 10 eras of history linked to the 10 eras of history

designated by the Statedesignated by the StateDepartment of Education.Department of Education.

Tennessee Supreme Court, 1894

One of the most interesting One of the most interesting photo collections at TSLA photo collections at TSLA

can be found can be found in the Merl Eppse Papers, in the Merl Eppse Papers, featuring images of cultural, featuring images of cultural,

educational, andeducational, andrecreational life in Tennessee.recreational life in Tennessee.

Businesses of the 1940s and 1950s

A Pearl High School basketball team

Business class at Tennessee A&I

Young stenographers Young stenographers (undated photo)(undated photo)

The Tennessee A&I History Study Club traveled to

the ChicagoWorld’s Fair

in 1933

Ceremonies

Social gatherings

The Eppse The Eppse collection also collection also

includes photos includes photos of several of several

famous African famous African Americans, Americans,

including Hattie including Hattie McDaniel, Louis McDaniel, Louis Armstrong, and Armstrong, and

Jackie Robinson.Jackie Robinson.

TSLA holdings include a number of TSLA holdings include a number of drawings and political cartoons,drawings and political cartoons,

1866 Memphis riots

Fire in Freedmen’s Schoolhouse, Memphis, 1866

This This Harper’s Harper’s WeeklyWeekly cartoon cartoon

shows Hiram shows Hiram Revels, the first Revels, the first

black Senator, black Senator, elected to elected to

Jefferson Davis’s Jefferson Davis’s former seat.former seat.

From Harper’s Magazine,

May 5, 1866:

“Colored Orphan Asylum,

Memphis.”TSLA Photo Database

The Earl S. Miers River Photographs The Earl S. Miers River Photographs are part of the rich TeVA Collection.are part of the rich TeVA Collection.

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/

RoustaboutsRoustabouts

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/

This is a favorite from the Miers Collection.

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/

The Fisk University scrapbook of W.H. Fort Jr. contains many historically valuable images.

These photos show Langston Hughes on campus and a Nashville flood in 1926.

Our photographic database,

accessible from the TSLA home

page, contains a wide variety of

historic images.

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/

Images from TSLA Photo Database

Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954)

Ray Perkins Calvert photo, 1899

Sumner County, 1950

from Photo Database

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/

Pikeville School for Colored Boys, 1930s

Did you know that

Tennessee did not ratify

the 15th Amendment until 1997?

Visit us soon – we have many more surprises!

__________________

Tennessee State Library & Archives 403 7th Avenue North, Nashville 37243