7 notable features to see at Atlanta History Center’s new Civil War exhibit

Together, the two galleries will comprise more than 15,400 square feet of interpretive space, almost doubling the footprint of the center’s “Turning Point: The American Civil War,” which was recently retired after 30 years.

Once complete, Atlanta History Center’s Civil War offerings, including existing features like “Cyclorama: The Big Picture,” will span more than 30,000 square feet.

There are seven essential items to see on your visit to “More Perfect Union,” though they’re not a complete reflection of the exhibition. There are around 900 artifacts and counting in the exhibit, according to Gordon L. Jones, the senior military historian and curator at Atlanta History Center.

Original copy of ‘What, to the Slave, Is the Fourth of July?’ by Frederick Douglass

Credit: handout Atlanta History Center

Credit: handout Atlanta History Center

In the first gallery of the exhibit, the story of a pre-Civil War America is told through the perspectives of freed slaves, budding abolitionists and slave owners.

“In 1861, you had those different versions of what the Union was,” Jones said. “Some people are going to envision a free republic, cleansed of slavery. Some are thinking about a breakaway republic in which enslavement is key.”

There is a case to the right of the entrance that explores American life through patriotism and the 4th of July. Blink, and you will miss one of the gallery’s rarest items.

The document, titled “Oration,” is one of 15 surviving copies of the Frederick Douglass speech, “What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?” The speech, according to Jones, was akin to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech at the time in its importance and fame.

While standing at the case, visitors can hear the audio of the speech where Douglass criticizes Americans celebrating freedom while millions remain enslaved.

The ‘Second Founding’ film

Credit: Kaitlyn Harvey

Credit: Kaitlyn Harvey

Before moving to the second portion of the exhibit, visitors are met with a 360-degree film recounting the war. The film uses wording from documents and diaries, rather than verbal narration, to tell the story of the Civil War.

“Here’s the presentation where we say, ”All right, what happened?" Jones said. “If you don’t know anything about Civil War, don’t worry, you’re fine. Have a look at this. Here’s the big takeaways.”

Craney Island Flag

Jones noted that he did not want the second portion of the exhibit to be just “guns and uniforms” and looked for acquisitions that continued to show the humanity behind the war. This flag, flown at a refugee camp in Craney Island, Virginia, helps display the significance of freedom.

Within the refugee camp, slaves could finally legally recognize their children and marriages, plus own simple items like clothes. The flag is tattered not just due to age, but also because refugees cut pieces of the flag as keepsakes.

“When you saw this flag flying in the distance, and you’re trying to make it out of captivity, this is what you’re aiming for,” Jones said “This is the freedom that you’re aiming for.”

List of enslaved Africans that landed in Cuba

When the Civil War is discussed, attention is often not paid to the international impacts of the war. There is a case in the exhibit’s second gallery dedicated to this topic, including a list of slaves who landed in Cuba.

While Americans were fighting in the war, slavery was still happening internationally. Even though the Spanish-colonized Cuba made slavery illegal in 1820, the illegal slave trade still prospered. This document shows what a national decision on slavery in one of the world’s biggest empires at the time could mean for other territories.

“They give their names, ages and they have distinguishing marks,” Jones said. “The distinguishing marks include the brands, like cattle brands, that were put on by the various enslavers in Africa to mark their property. This is just a reminder of what was at stake, not just for us, but for the world.”

‘Barnard’s Photographic Views of the Sherman Campaign’

Credit: Kaitlyn Harvey

Credit: Kaitlyn Harvey

This book displays some of the most famous photos of Atlanta and the Civil War, documenting Gen. William T. Sherman’s army in 1864. This was Sherman’s personal copy and bears the signature of Sherman’s son, Philemon, on the first few pages.

Viewers can see digital versions of the photos on an interactive screen, as the original copy is kept in a display case.

Consolidated 6th/9th Tennessee Regiment flag

Credit: Handout Atlanta History C

Credit: Handout Atlanta History C

This flag represents the 6th/9th Regiment, made up of the 6th and 9th regiments after both lost many members in the war. It was flown over Georgia on Kennesaw Mountain. The flag is a new artifact acquired specifically for this exhibit.

‘Our American Experiment’

The final section of the exhibit, called “Our American Experiment,” explores the modern impact of the Civil War, from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s to the iconography of the Confederate flag seen in the South.

In a room at the end of the exhibit, visitors are invited to sit and think about their own education on the Civil War and their own idea of what a “more perfect union” may be.

“We’re asking folks to think about cemeteries, monuments and how does all this relate to today,” Jones said.