The Civil War at the Atlanta History Center

     Timed perfectly for the sesquicentennial, there are two Civil War exhibits now on display at the Atlanta History Center. One is a permanent exhibit called 'Turning Point: The American Civil War,' the other is a temporary exhibit called 'War in Our Backyards: Discovering Atlanta, 1861-1865.'

     'Turning Point' is an exhibit that covers the Civil War from a broad, two sided perspective, starting from before the war and running until the end of Reconstruction. Many of the displays give information through a North vs South perspective. Topics include the daily lives of soldiers, women's roles, emancipation, ammunition, and battle plans. This exhibit gives a great overview of the war in a way that would engage everyone.

     The temporary exhibit, 'War in Our Backyards,' is about the Civil War in Atlanta. I really loved this exhibit because of all of the maps. It's filled with maps, maps and more maps. It's great to explore historic maps, filled with information about Civil War battles and plans, and compare them to today. The best map was an interactive digital one that used Google Maps. You could pull up different types of civil war information and explore then on a contemporary map. Aside from maps, there were also photos and artifacts.

     If you are in the Atlanta area I highly recommend these exhibits. They provide a great perspective on the Civil War, especially for genealogist who have been researching their Civil War ancestors.