Mark R. Cheathem Gordon Belt, John Sevier, Tennessee history, William Blount

The Posterity Project

One of the great things about blogging and Tweeting the past few months has been uncovering resources that I never would have encountered otherwise. One such resource is Gordon Belt's blog, The Posterity Project. I've never met Mr. Belt in person, but I have enjoyed reading his blog, which focuses on Tennessee history and archival topics. … Continue reading The Posterity Project

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Andrew Jackson Donelson, Connie Lester, Dissertation writing, John F. Marszalek, Richard B. Latner, Tennessee history, William E. Parrish

The Dissertation Process, Part 2

(Part 1 of this series can be found here) LENGTH OF DISSERTATION My dissertation was 16 chapters long, or, to put it in perspective, 488 pages, sans bibliography. It could have been much longer; I eliminated over 100 pages of text during the drafting stage. (Yes, I tend to overwrite. People who know me as … Continue reading The Dissertation Process, Part 2

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Andrew Jackson Donelson, Connie Lester, Dissertation writing, John F. Marszalek, Mississippi State University, Tennessee history, White House Historical Association

The Dissertation Process, Part 1

Last year, I wrote a Facebook note outlining the process that I went through to write my dissertation in 2001-02. I thought it might be useful to post it here for readers who might be graduate students who are pre-comps or who are just beginning the process. I've edited my original note to remove some personal … Continue reading The Dissertation Process, Part 1

Mark R. Cheathem Caroline Janney, Civil War, Civil War memory, Lost Cause, Organization of American Historians, Tennessee Conference of Historians, Tennessee history

2010 Tennessee Conference of Historians

The 2010 Tennessee Conference of Historians will meet on the campus of Cumberland University on 10-11 September 2010. This year's keynote speaker will be Dr. Caroline Janney, Associate Professor of History at Purdue University. An OAH Distinguished Lecturer, Dr. Janney is the author of Burying the Dead but Not the Past: Ladies' Memorial Associations and the … Continue reading 2010 Tennessee Conference of Historians

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Charles Dickinson, Dueling, Rachel Jackson, Southern honor, Tennessee history

Charles Dickinson’s Reinterment

I had the pleasure of attending Charles Dickinson's reinterment in late June. Dickinson was the young lawyer who was killed in a duel with Andrew Jackson in 1806. The story of how Dickinson's grave was discovered is a testament to hard work and persistence, by both Charles Miller, Dickinson's great-great-great-grandson, and Fletch Coke, a well-known historic preservationist in Nashville. Most people who … Continue reading Charles Dickinson’s Reinterment

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Early Republic, Gordon Wood, Jacksonian politics, Robert V. Remini, Tennessee history

Biographies That Need Writing

In a 1997 essay entitled "American Political Biography," Robert V. Remini assessed the state of the field and found it wanting: "Old-fashioned political biographies of 'dead white males' that are 'character-driven narratives' seem to have little appeal for graduate students. . . . These biographies could be written by doctoral candidates and would add significantly to our … Continue reading Biographies That Need Writing