Celebrate Statehood Day at the Tennessee State Library & Archives

The Tennessee State Library & Archives will celebrate 227 years of statehood by hosting free events on Statehood Day, Thursday, June 1, and a family-friendly celebration event on Saturday, June 3. 

“The Library & Archives displays Tennessee’s three original constitutions once a year to celebrate statehood,” said Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “This is an opportunity for Tennesseans to see the original documents that still to this day provide the foundation of our state government. There will be so much for visitors to explore on Statehood Day and at our family-friendly celebration on June 3. I hope Tennesseans join us for either or both days of celebration.” 

On Statehood Day, June 1, Debbie Mathis Watts will perform her song, “The Tennessee in Me,” an official state song of Tennessee, starting at 8 a.m. The Library & Archives, with assistance from the Tennessee Highway Patrol Honor Guard, will transfer Tennessee’s three priceless original constitutions from 1796, 1834 and 1870, typically protected in a vault, to the Library & Archives’ lobby. The constitutions will remain on display until 4:30 p.m. 

The Library & Archives will also feature rarely seen historical documents, including the Cumberland Compact, Governor John Sevier’s Address to the first Tennessee General Assembly, the Cherokee Nation 1827 Constitution and the founding documents of the State of Franklin. 

In addition to viewing Tennessee’s original founding documents, guests can pick up free historical craft kits and receive a Passport to Tennessee History. The free Passport to Tennessee History features information about the Library & Archives, Tennessee State Museum, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and the Tennessee State Capitol and space to collect a distinct stamp from each location. 

“The Library & Archives team is excited to welcome visitors during our two days of Statehood Day celebrations,” said Tennessee State Librarian and Archivist Jamie Ritter. “We hope parents bring their children to our family-friendly event celebration on Saturday, June 3, and have some fun while learning something new about the history of Tennessee.” 

On Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Library & Archives is hosting a family-friendly Statehood Day Celebration event with a children’s scavenger hunt, games, crafts and historical interpreters. On June 3, Tennessee’s three original constitutions and other founding documents will be displayed publicly in the Library & Archives lobby from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

The Library & Archives is joining Bicentennial Mall State Park and the Tennessee State Museum for a variety of events to celebrate Statehood Day. Park Rangers will offer a free guided tour of Bicentennial Mall State Park starting outside the Tennessee State Library & Archives at 9 a.m. For more information, visit tnstateparks.com. 

The State Museum is celebrating Statehood Day with a children’s story time, statehood artifacts on display, family crafts and a Statehood Anniversary Commemoration at noon on June 1. For the Tennessee State Museum’s full schedule of Statehood Day activities visit, TNMuseum.org/Statehood. 

The Library & Archives’ Statehood Day Celebration events will take place at our building, 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N., on the northeast corner of the Bicentennial Mall State Park in Nashville. No reservations are required. 

For more information about the Library & Archives Statehood Day Celebration, visit sos.tn.gov/tsla/statehoodday.

The Tennessee State Library & Archives is a division of the Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett.

Celebrate Statehood on Tennessee's 225th Birthday!

Join the Tennessee State Library and Archives on June 1st to celebrate Tennessee's 225th Birthday! We encourage visitors to stop by our new location at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way North to view all three of the state’s original Constitutions, to see interactive exhibits documenting state history, to tour our new state-of-the-art building, and to learn more about how the Library & Archives serves Tennesseans! 

Click the link below for a schedule of activities on this historic day! 

 https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/education-outreach-upcoming-events

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is a division of the Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett

Tennessee’s State Constitutions on Display for Statehood Day

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is celebrating 225 years of statehood on June 1, 2021, with a one-day-only public display of Tennessee’s three original constitutions.

The state's constitutions, first written in 1796 and revised in 1834 and 1870, will all be on display in the lobby of the new Library and Archives building located at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N. on the northeast corner of the Bicentennial Mall State Park in Nashville on Tuesday, June 1 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CDT.

In addition to viewing these priceless documents, which the Tennessee Highway Patrol Honor Guard will safeguard, guests can explore the interactive exhibits in the Library and Archives lobby and take a tour of the new building. Library and Archives staff will give tours every half hour from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“Tennessee’s three constitutions are the foundation of our state government,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “I encourage my fellow Tennesseans not to miss this opportunity to make history come alive by seeing these irreplaceable documents up close."
The Library and Archives, a division of the Department of State, is responsible for collecting and preserving books and records of historical, documentary and reference value, focusing on items related to Tennessee. Tennessee’s constitutions are the highest valued and most historically significant items in the collection.

“The Library and Archives strives to be a resource for researchers, historians, librarians, archivists, genealogists, lawyers, students and anyone interested in Tennessee history,” said Chuck Sherrill, Tennessee State Librarian and Archivist. “Our staff is excited to welcome visitors to our new building and to share our state’s three constitutions and other interactive exhibits."

The Library and Archives is joining Bicentennial Mall State Park and the Tennessee State Museum for a variety of events to celebrate Tennessee’s 225th Statehood Day.

Bicentennial Mall State Park is celebrating Statehood Day and its 25th anniversary on June 1 with a special event at 10 a.m. in the Amphitheater followed by guided tours and educational programs led by park rangers. For more information about the 25th-anniversary celebration, visit tnstateparks.info/BiMall25thAnn.

To celebrate Tennessee’s Statehood, the Tennessee State Museum launched Tennessee at 225: Highlights from the Collection, a self-guided tour and online exhibition showcasing artifacts that tell a story about Tennessee, from its First Peoples to the present day. Learn more at tnmuseum.org/TN225.

The Statehood Day events at the Library and Archives, Bicentennial Mall State Park and the Tennessee State Museum are free. Reservations are not required.

For the latest information from the Library and Archives, follow their social media channels: Facebook: Tennessee State Library and Archives and Instagram: @tnlibarchives and the Secretary of State's Twitter account: @SecTreHargett.

For more information about the Library and Archives and the other divisions of the Department of State, visit sos.tn.gov.

About the Tennessee State Library and Archives
The office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett oversees the operations of the Tennessee State Library and Archives. By law, it is required to preserve Tennessee's legal and civic history by housing the archives of state government and records from families, churches, businesses and organizations. The Library and Archives is home to several notable historical documents, including Tennessee's Constitutions, letters from Tennessee's three presidents, Civil War diaries, records of 55 past Governors of the State and original records and maps of the State of Franklin. The collections include copies of virtually every book published about Tennessee and Tennesseans. The Library and Archives preserve original documents from court cases and legislation, along with audio recordings of legislative proceedings since 1955. Records from every Tennessee courthouse and all surviving Tennessee newspapers can also be viewed in the library's collections.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is a division of the Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett

Tennessee Celebrates 224 Years of Statehood

On June 1, 2020, Tennessee celebrates 224 years of statehood. In this time of social distancing, we're finding creative ways to mark this anniversary and share our state's history.

On our Facebook page, our Education Outreach staff is highlighting historically significant moments in the history of the 16th state through a series of trivia questions. These questions are designed to get you to think about our state's history and to inspire you to learn more. We will post answers the next day with links to primary sources from our collections on the Tennessee Virtual Archive and our website.

We're also looking back to our state's founding documents. These documents helped transform Tennessee from a frontier territory to a state whose history reflects our nation's economic and cultural progress and challenges.

We hope you'll follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and here on the blog for updates.

In the meantime, let's look at this photo collage from the Library and Archives' first Statehood Day event in 2017.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is a division of the Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett

State Library and Archives Celebrates Statehood Day with Original Constitutions and Special Lecture

Tennessee celebrates its 223 birthday Saturday, June 1! The Tennessee State Library and Archives will put all three of the state’s original constitutions on display to the public in commemoration of Statehood Day. The constitutions are typically protected in a vault, but all three versions will be in the Library and Archives’ lobby for viewing May 30 to June 1 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CDT.

As part of the celebration, the Library and Archives will also host a free lecture on Tennessee’s constitutional history. On June 1 the Honorable Judge Andy D. Bennett of the Tennessee Court of Appeals will present the history of each of Tennessee’s constitutions. Patrons can expect to learn details about the historical documents and what they meant for Tennesseans during that time in history.

"I'm thrilled the Library and Archives will again display our three state constitutions during the Statehood celebration, said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. "We're honored to have Judge Bennett join in the festivities for a lecture on the purpose of these documents, the impact they had on the earliest settlers of Tennessee and how they continue to influence state lawmaking today."

Before joining the Court of Appeals in 2007, Judge Bennett served in the Tennessee Attorney General’s office for 25 years, the last ten as Chief Deputy. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Bicentennial Foundation, 1993-1997, which put together the festivities for Tennessee’s Bicentennial celebration. Besides being a member of the Tennessee Bar Association, Judge Bennett is a past president and the current president-elect of the Tennessee Supreme Court Historical Society, and is the current president of the Tennessee State Library and Archives Friends organization. He has authored several legal and historical articles and received numerous awards during his distinguished career. Judge Bennett also helped create the Tennessee Judiciary Museum in 2012. He has had a long interest in the Tennessee Constitution, not only lecturing about it, but litigating about it as well.

The lecture will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. CDT Saturday, June 1, in the Library and Archives auditorium. The Library and Archives is located at 403 Seventh Ave. N., directly west of the Tennessee State Capitol in downtown Nashville. Free parking is available around the Library and Archives building.

Although the lecture is free and open to the public, registration is required due to seating limitations in the auditorium. To reserve seats, please visit https://tnstatehood2019.eventbrite.com.

Viewing the state constitutions is free. No reservation is required.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is a division of the Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett

Original Constitutions, Workshop Planned for Statehood Celebration

The Tennessee State Library and Archives will put all three of the state’s original constitutions on display to the public in commemoration of Statehood Day. The constitutions are typically protected in a vault, but all three versions will be in the Library and Archives’ lobby for public viewing June 1 to 2 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CDT.

“Seeing these wonderful documents makes Tennessee history come alive,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “Not many Tennesseans can say they’ve seen one of our constitutions up close, much less all three. Hopefully, this exhibition will demonstrate how the Library and Archives works tirelessly to protect and chronicle our great state’s history.” 

As part of this celebration, the Library and Archives will also host a free lecture on Tennessee’s first governor John Sevier and Tennessee’s road to statehood. Gordon Belt, Library and Archives Public Services director and author of the book John Sevier: Tennessee’s First Hero, will discuss how Tennessee became a state and the prominent role Sevier played in Tennessee's early history, eventually becoming the state’s first governor.

The lecture will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. CDT Saturday, June 2, in the Library and Archives auditorium. The Library and Archives is located at 403 Seventh Ave. N., directly west of the Tennessee State Capitol in downtown Nashville. Free parking is available around the Library and Archives building.

Although the lecture is free and open to the public, registration is required due to seating limitations in the auditorium. To reserve seats, please visit sevierstatehood.eventbrite.com.

Viewing the state constitutions is free. No reservation is required.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is a division of the Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett

Tennessee's Constitutions on Display!

By Heather Adkins

From June 1 to June 3, Tennessee’s constitutions will be on display at the Library & Archives. We are proud to present all three constitutions for the first time in the current building. However, it is not the first time a Tennessee constitution has been on display. The state constitutions have a long history of exhibition during times of change and celebration.

Chattanooga Times, Aug. 14, 1949, Newspapers on Microfilm

The constitutions once resided at the Tennessee Capitol Building. John Trotwood Moore and Mary Daniel Moore, who each served as State Librarian and Archivist, kept them in a safe, which Mrs. Moore believed was captured from the Germans during World War I and put into use by Mr. Moore, according to an article printed in the Chattanooga Times Aug. 14, 1949. Mrs. Moore, during her tenure, periodically aired the constitutions. At the time of the 1949 article, it had been several years since Mrs. Moore had brought out the 1870 Constitution. Up until the 1950s, the 1870 Constitution was noted as the oldest, unamended state constitution in the country. On the 1949 occasion, amendments were on the horizon. Upon studying the signatures, Mrs. Moore stated, “I feel like they’re all old friends. I’ve read and studied about them so much.” She was the great-great-great granddaughter of James Rody, one of the signatories.

Nashville Tennessean, Nov. 29, 1953, Newspapers on Microfilm

As the 1953 amendments took effect, the 1870 Constitution was once again brought out. Assistant State Archivist Robert T. Quarles, Jr. stood guard at that time. It was a historic moment, adding eight new amendments to a constitution that hadn’t been amended in 83 years. Governor Frank Clement announced that the amendments would be recorded on parchment similar to that of the original constitution and they would be preserved with it.

Nashville Tennessean, May 30, 1971, Vertical Files

Statehood Day 1971 marked another occasion for display of the constitutions. It was the state’s 175th birthday. Festivities included a fireworks display, a rock group, square dancers, a watermelon feast (40,000 pounds of watermelon), an anvil firing and special exhibits. An array of celebrities like Dolly Parton and Minnie Pearl were in attendance. Among the records exhibited were the 1796 constitution and several letters of Governor John Sevier and Senators William Blount and William Cocke – three of Tennessee’s founding fathers. The celebration was jointly sponsored by the Tennessee Historical Commission and the Tennessee Arts Commission. A birthday cake, 10 feet long and weighing 300 pounds, shaped like the state, was served.

“Tennessee Treasures: Old Hickory to Elvis, A Bicentennial Traveling Museum brochure, 1993-1994

In the early 1990s, the Tennessee constitutions and the archivists that protect them became road-wise travelers. The state was gearing up for its bicentennial in 1996. To celebrate, a statewide tour called Tennessee Treasures was constructed by the Tennessee 200 State Bicentennial Commission and Tennessee State Museum under the auspices of Governor Ned McWherter. From 1993 to December 1994, over 130 artifacts would be on display, including the 1796 constitution. All 95 counties had the opportunity to host the exhibit.

Nashville Tennessean, Dec. 5, 2012

Most recently, all three constitutions were on display at the Tennessee Supreme Court Building in Nashville for the opening of the Tennessee Judiciary Museum. The dedication of the museum in December 2012 marked two special occasions: the culmination of the work and partnership it took to open the museum, and the first time for the three constitutions to be on display together. The display of the constitutions in the most prestigious court of Tennessee visually reinforced their import as the pillars of Tennessee’s government and law. Although the constitutions’ stay at the Supreme Court was brief, their appearance together had great impact.

We hope you’ll join us this June in celebrating Tennessee’s statehood. The constitutions are available for public viewing June 1 and 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and June 3 from 9 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State

Celebrate Statehood Day at the Library and Archives

When Tennessee became a state June 1, 1796, only about 77,000 people lived here. Tennessee was the country's 16th state and the first to be created from territory that had been under federal jurisdiction. Since its humble beginnings, Tennessee has become home to millions of people and shares borders with eight other states - tied with Missouri for most in the nation.

People of all ages can learn more about Tennessee's rich history during a special event June 3 at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. The free event, called "Tennessee Celebrates Statehood," will give visitors the opportunity to view all three of the state's original constitutions, see presentations by historical interpreters and listen to music from the 1700s. There will be lots of activities for children, including early American games on the Library and Archives lawn and stations where kids can get temporary tattoos of the state flag or make birthday cards for Tennessee. And, since it's a birthday celebration, of course there will be cake!

Historical interpreters will tell visitors what it was like to be a fur trapper on the Tennessee frontier, an early land surveyor or a civil rights activist. The state's constitutions - the first adopted in 1796 and revisions adopted in 1834 and 1870 - will all be on display in the Library and Archives lobby.

The Library and Archives will be open for normal business from 8 a.m. until noon June 3. Then the building will temporarily close while the staff prepares for the "Tennessee Celebrates Statehood" event, which will be 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. that day.

"Part of our mission is to make our state's history accessible to a wider audience beyond scholars and researchers," Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. "This event will be fun and educational for the whole family. We are also very pleased to make all three of the original constitutions available for display. History truly comes alive when you see those documents up close."

The Library and Archives typically keeps the constitutions stored within its vault, but this is the first time all three documents will be publicly displayed at the building. For people who cannot attend the event June 3, the constitutions will also be on display June 1 (the actual anniversary of Tennessee's statehood) and June 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. They will also be on display from 9 a.m. until noon before the "Tennessee Celebrates Statehood" event begins June 3.

Although "Tennessee Celebrates Statehood" is free and open to the public, reservations are required due to space limitations in the building and on the grounds outside. To make a reservation, please go to: https://tnstatehood2017.eventbrite.com

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State

On Statehood Day, We Highlight Some of Our Oldest Tennessee Materials

On this date in 1796, Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state. For those who would like to know more about Tennessee's early history, pre- and post-statehood, documents from Washington County may be particularly helpful.

Washington County was the state's first county - and it actually existed as part of North Carolina prior to Tennessee's acceptance as a state. The Tennessee State Library & Archives holds many of Washington County's early documents, including land claims, tax assessments, will probates and road construction plans. Some of the paperwork even details acts of bribery. We also have a receipt issued when Andrew Jackson paid for his law license, pictured below...

The records from the Cumberland frontier are also very useful to researchers. These records include committee meetings of what was once called North Carolina's "Cumberland District." Among the people who attended one of those meetings included a man named Thomas Molloy, a surveyor who would later to draw the lines that formed the city limits of Nashville.

To read more about these historical resources available at the Library & Archives, visit: http://share.tn.gov/tsla/history/manuscripts/findingaids/ths25.pdf.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State

Tennessee Gets Its Start With "Least Imperfect" Founding Document

Tennessee’s first constitution went into effect on this date in 1796, following a process that was full of political intrigue. A group of leaders who lived in the region met in Knoxville for a constitutional convention beginning in January of that year. They came up with a founding document that was eventually ratified by the United States Congress, officially making Tennessee the nation’s 16th state.

Tennessee's first constitution, adopted in 1796. Handwritten in ink on paper.
Tennessee Founding and Landmark Documents
Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA)

That first constitution was remarkable for several reasons.

Although it was approved by Congress, the document was never put to a popular vote of the people who were living within the territory that would become the state of Tennessee.

The new constitution granted voting rights to anyone 21 or older who met certain property ownership and residency requirements. This included free black men, although their rights to vote were later rescinded when the state adopted a new constitution in 1835.

The original constitution was criticized by some as giving too much power to the legislative branch of government and not enough to the executive branch.

Congressional support hadn’t come easily, though. At the time, there was a political battle between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Since Tennessee was viewed as likely to support Anti-Federalists, like Jefferson, the Federalists in Congress were reluctant to grant statehood.

However, that didn’t stop Tennesseans from forming its own legislature, which met May 28, 1796 and chose William Blount and William Cocke as its first U.S. senators.

In Washington, a dispute over the census used to determine Tennessee’s representation in Congress was resolved and the federal government voted in favor of statehood, effective June 1, 1796.

On that date, Blount and Cocke’s appointments as senators became official and Andrew Jackson was selected as the state’s lone member in the U.S. House of Representatives. The new state constitution provided for two-year terms for governors with the right to serve "not...more than six years in any term of eight." John Sevier was elected to serve as Tennessee's first governor.

The 1796 constitution became obsolete when Tennesseans approved a new constitution in a public referendum nearly four decades later.

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.