Traci Nichols-Belt

Traci Nichols-Belt is the author of Onward Southern Soldiers: Religion and the Army of Tennessee in the Civil War, and co-author of John Sevier: Tennessee's First Hero, published by The History Press. She is an ordained and licensed minister and holds a Master's degree in history from Middle Tennessee State University and a Bachelor's degree in political science from Anderson University. Her principal research interest is the Civil War, with a particular focus on the impact of religion on the military. Traci Nichols-Belt has appeared on radio and television to speak about the role of religion in the Civil War. In June 2012, Traci was among several religion and history scholars interviewed for the Nashville Public Television documentary, "Crisis of Faith," part of NPT's "Tennessee Civil War 150" series, a multi-part project coinciding with the Sesquicentennial anniversary of the Civil War. In 2012, Traci and her husband, Gordon T. Belt, appeared on NPT's "A Word on Words with John Seigenthaler," and co-authored an article also titled "Onward Southern Soldiers" for The New York Times Civil War blog, "Disunion." Additionally, Traci Nichols-Belt has also written for the Tennessee Historical Quarterly, and has authored two National Register nominations for the Johnsonville Historic District in New Johnsonville, Tennessee, and the Historical AME Church and Cemeteries in Alexandria, Tennessee.