More Landmarks of Tennessee History (review)

book reviews359 ing to read a well conceived edited work which holds one's interest and, in the language of today's students, is "relevant." Ruchames' Racial Thought in America is more than a group of articles quickly tossed together. In brief, the selections are designed to "illustrate the diverse conflicts and problems at stake in American race relations and racial thought" and to present "a balance of historical views on the subject." The more than seventy-odd readings vividly catalog the ideas of a cross section of the American populace from the colonial period to the eve of the Civil War, and they encompass practically every major consideration in black history prior to the breakup of the Union. Clearly, the focus of the book has been limited to black-white relations to keep the manuscript "within manageable proportions." Thus, it is understandable that only two selections deal with the Indians, John Eliot's famous "Protest," and Daniel Gookin's "Historical Collections of the Indians in New England." Although the author has allowed the participants to "speak for themselves ," Ruchames has made his own valuable contribution to scholarship . Each of his ten chapters contains a brief introductory statement and often times an extended essay which reflects critical thought and careful analysis. The most striking example is his excellent synthesis, "The Sources of Racial Thought in Colonial America" which he has included in his introduction to Part I. One regrets that the author did not offer a summary of equal quality for the other two major divisions. That aside, Professor Ruchames has edited a laudable set of documents which may be used profitably by those in the social sciences and the humanities . Jimmie L. Franklin Eastern Illinois University More Landmarks of Tennessee History. Edited by Robert M. McBride. (Nashville: Tennessee Historical Commission, 1969. Pp. viii, 393. $6.50.) This volume consists of nineteen articles which originally appeared in the Tennessee Historical Quarterly as part of a cover series on historic sites in Tennessee. The editor of the book, Robert McBride, is also the editor of the Tennessee Historical Quarterly, and all but five of the articles have appeared in that quarterly since the editorship has been under his direction. More Landmarks is a companion volume to the earlier Landmarks of Tennessee History, jointly edited by McBride and William T. Alderson, former editor of the Tennessee Historical Quarterly, which was published in 1965. That work included fifteen articles which had originally appeared as cover articles in the Tennessee Historical Quarterly, went through two printings and received an Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History. McBride defines a "historic site" as "an area, a building, or a place of 360CIVIL WAR HISTORY significant historical interest; one which is owned and/or maintained by a public or private organization responsible for its maintenance and interpretation; and one which is open to the public at regular specified times." There are four articles included in this work which do not completely meet all these requirements: "The Governor's Mansions of Tennessee ," "Nashville's Ryman Auditorium," "The Architecture of [Nashville 's] Union Station," and "Tennessee's Covered Bridges—Past and Present." These places have been of considerable significance and widespread public interest, thus justifying their inclusion. The nineteen articles appear in alphabetical order and are generally well researched and well written. Most of them will be of interest to the student of the Civil War and the Middle Period in American history , as well as those who are especially interested in Tennessee history. Directly concerning the Civil War are articles about Fort Donelson, Stone's River National Military Park, and the Sam Davis Home. Anyone interested in the Middle Period will want to read such articles as "The Tennessee State Capitol," "David Crockett and His Memorials in Tennessee ," "The Hermitage Church," "Travellers' Rest: Home of Judge John Overton," and "Tulip Grove: Neighbor to the Hermitage." Persons interested in later Tennessee history will be pleased with articles about "The Parthenon and the Tennessee Centennial," "Tennessee's Rugby Colony," and "The Fontaine House of the James Lee Memorial." More Landmarks, with its coverage of more historic sites, extensive illustrations including three beautiful color photographs...