Gordon Belt
Author Gordon T. Belt will speak at the Col. Benjamin Cleveland Chapter of the Tennessee Society of the Sons of the American Revolution at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Elk’s Lodge. Mr. Belt will speak on John Sevier’s life.
Mr. Belt said, "A celebrated soldier, admired politician and founding father of the state of Tennessee, John Sevier led an adventurous life. He commanded a frontier militia into battle against British Loyalists at King’s Mountain. He waged a relentless war against the Cherokees in his effort to claim America’s first frontier. He forged the 'State of Franklin' from the western lands of North Carolina, and later became Tennessee’s first governor.
"Following his death, Sevier’s accomplishments faded from public memory, but years later, writers resurrected his image through romanticized accounts of his exploits, relying heavily on folktales and recollections from aging pioneers. Thus, life and legend intertwined."
Gordon and Traci Nichols-Belt are a husband and wife team of authors and public historians who have collaborated on two books. Ms. Nichols-Belt is the author of “Onward Southern Soldiers: Religion and the Army of Tennessee in the Civil War.” Her book explores the significant impact of religion on the Army of Tennessee, C.S.A., on every rank, from generals to chaplains to common soldiers.
Mr. Belt authored “John Sevier: Tennessee’s First Hero,” which focuses on the life and legend of Tennessee’s first governor, John Sevier. The History Press, an award-winning publisher of local and regional history titles from coast to coast, published both books. Both Mr. and Ms. Belt's writings focus specifically on stories from their home state of Tennessee.
Mr. Belt is the founding editor and publisher of “The Posterity Project.” He has had a lifelong passion for history, and has worked in special collections libraries and archives in the "Volunteer State" since 1995. He is currently the director of Public Services for the Tennessee State Library & Archives. Previously, Mr. Belt worked as the library manager for the First Amendment Center, a non-partisan think tank based in Nashville and Washington, D.C.
Mr. Belt received his master’s degree in History in 2003 with a concentration in archival administration from Middle Tennessee State University, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 1994 from UTC. He is a past president of the Society of Tennessee Archivists, and holds memberships in the Society of American Archivists, National Council on Public History, and the Tennessee Historical Society.
Mr. Belt has written several articles for the First Amendment Center website on legislative issues and history. Historical works include, “George Mason: Honoring a Forgotten Founder,” “Remembering the Father of the Constitution: James Madison and the First Amendment,” “Public Access to Presidential Records: Historical Perspective, Recent Controversies,” “Sedition Act of 1798: A Brief History of Arrests, Indictments, Mistreatment & Abuse,” and “The First Amendment in the Colonial Newspaper Press.”
In his role as director of Public Services for the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Mr. Belt conducted interviews and contributed research support to the documentaries, “Tennessee State Capitol: Grounded in Tradition” and “Senator Douglas Henry: Tennessee Statesman.” He also writes, edits and creates content for the State Library and Archives blog and social media outlets.
Elks Lodge No.1944 is located at 235 2nd St. NE in Cleveland. Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $12 at the door. There is no charge to attend only the program.