Independence Day Reading Suggestions from the Tennessee Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

This Independence Day marks the 240th anniversary of the date the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring the 13 original colonies free from British Empire.

Celebrated as a national holiday across the United States and its territories, the day is commonly associated with picnics, parades, family reunions, and fireworks. It is also a day to contemplate just what signing the Declaration of Independence meant for those 56 men who put ink onto parchment to assert their freedom.

The Tennessee Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (TLBPH) offers some book suggestions for those who want to learn more about Independence Day:

• Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence, by Denise Kiernan, discuses the many strange fates that awaited the signers of the Declaration of Independence. For example, one was poisoned by a family member, one killed in a duel and one was lost at sea. This book is available for loan from TLBPH in audio format.

• For a look at the battles following the signing of the Declaration, you may want to read David McCullough’s 1776, available in audio and large-print formats. Another book about that era with the same title but a different perspective is Thomas J. Fleming’s 1776, Year of Illusions, which studies both the realities and impressions Americans held about themselves that historic year. This title is available from TLBPH in audio format.

• The full text of both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the twenty-seven amendments to the Constitution, is available in The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, available in audio format.

TLBPH is a section of the Tennessee State Library & Archives, a division of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s office. For more information about the library, go to the website at: http://sos.tn.gov/tsla/lbph.

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

TSLA Closed July 3 and July 4 for Independence Day

In observance of the Independence Day holiday, the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) will be closed on Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4. TSLA will reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 7. With the exception of holidays, TSLA's normal operating hours are from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Celebrating Independence Day is a time-honored tradition, but it's also usually a 'hot and thirsty' tradition. This photo from July 4, 1923 shows a refreshment booth at an event in Loudon.

Enjoy this photographic look back at previous 4th of July celebrations on our blog: http://tslablog.blogspot.com/2014/07/tsla-celebrates-our-independence.html and have a safe holiday!

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

TSLA celebrates our independence...

Independence Day offers us an opportunity to celebrate our nation's freedoms and recognize the important historical events that have shaped our nation since its founding.

On this Independence Day, we offer a photographic look back at previous events and Independence Day celebrations that took place on the 4th of July, with a special emphasis on images held in the collections of the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Enjoy!

Defend Your Country
Words by John W. Bratton, music by Leo Edwards, copyright 1940
Rose Music Collection, TSLA

This patriotic song, published in the interest of national defense, was inspired by the famous United States Army poster, “Defend Your Country,” painted by Major Tom B. Woodburn, USA, noted artist, who collaborated on the song with the composers.

This image from the U.S. Army Signal Corps is entitled with the caption, "Soldiers of the Three hundred and twenty-fifth Infantry, Eighty-second Division, presenting arms while the band plays the Star-Spangled Banner. July 4 celebration."

The fall of Vicksburg marked a crucial turning point in the American Civil War, as Confederate General John C. Pemberton's surrender to Ulysses S. Grant on July 4, 1863, opened up the Mississippi River again for the Union. As a result of the surrender on this date, Vicksburg did not celebrate the 4th of July for 81 years.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives has a wealth of material related to this battle digitized in our Looking Back at the Civil War in Tennessee Collection, including this wonderful tintype of the Ammons Brothers, Benjamin and Raiford, who served in Company L, 1st Tenn., CSA, until the unit's surrender at Vicksburg.

Jefferson City, Tennessee. Hattie Massengill and Mattie Vesser pose for pictures in crepe paper dress for a Fourth of July celebration in Jefferson City, Tennessee in 1904. They won a prize for their costumes.
Looking Back at Tennessee Collection, Tennessee State Library and Archives.

This street scene Lenoir City, Tennessee shows a childrens' Fourth of July parade in 1924. They are in costume and are carrying signs. One says "Patriotic through all the year" and the others name the months.
Looking Back at Tennessee Collection, Tennessee State Library and Archives.

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

Picnics are an Independence Day tradition

Picnics are an Independence Day tradition. They are as much a part of the celebration of the birth of our nation as fireworks, parades, and proud displays of Old Glory.

Here at the Tennessee State Library and Archives, we wanted to celebrate America's birth by inviting you to our own picnic table. Here are a few images from our Department of Conservation Photograph Collection, fondly recalling days gone by, and hoping they inspire you to get outside with friends and family to enjoy the freedoms that we have earned throughout our nation's rich history. Happy Independence Day everyone!

Along the roadside... A picnic and roadside scene in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Department of Conservation Photograph Collection, 1954.

A watermelon cutting at Peabody College in Nashville. Department of Conservation Photograph Collection, 1961.

A few folks found a nice secluded spot for a picnic alongside their Jeep on Roan Mountain. Department of Conservation Photograph Collection, 1947.

A family having a picnic in the Chickasaw Forest Park. Department of Conservation Photograph Collection, 1938.

Ladies first... A picnic for delegates to the National State Parks Conference held on a small island in Norris Lake. Department of Conservation Photograph Collection, 1938.

A family having a picnic near the lake at the Cumberland Mountain State Park. Department of Conservation Photograph Collection, 1950.

Looking for a scoop... The Newspaper Travel Editors tour having lunch in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, "Chimneys" camp ground. Department of Conservation Photograph Collection, 1954.

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