Browse Exhibits (3 total)

Why was the Union more successful than the Confederacy within the Atlanta Campaign during the Civil War? A big part of their victory in winning the Civil War and shaping modern day America came right here in the state of Georgia during the Atlanta Campaign in 1864. The Atlanta Campaign started in May of 1864 and lasted all the way until September of that same year. The Atlanta Campaign was one of the final nails in the coffin for the struggling Confederacy, once Atlanta was taken from their grasp it was all but over for the South. One thing that the story of the Atlanta Campaign lacks, though, is perspective. Most people view the Civil War through the eyes of the Union, because history is written by the victors. However, there are some perspectives that get lost, such as the war through the eyes of a Confederate soldier and even through the eyes of a Union army General.

This exhibit looks at Savannah, Georgia, throughout three major time periods from different perspectives. Beginning with the Antebellum Period, a letter from a young woman to her father describes the south as seen by a northerner. During the Civil War, General Sherman is seen traversing through Georgia on his March to the Sea. After the war, Savannah enters Reconstruction, as looked at through a government perspective in terms of city mapping and land ownership. Through these varying perspectives of three different time periods, a more knowledgeable mindset can be taken on when looking at Savannah, Georgia today.