Atlanta’s Place in Historical Ignorance

Zoe Hatsios

Would you have expected that one of the most populated southern cities in America was almost barren land in the late 19th century?

Atlanta, Georgia was a major commerce and manufacturing center before the civil war because of the myriad of railroads that passed through and over the land. The city became a critical ammunitions hub for the Confederacy, with a twelve-mile fortification ring surrounding it. However, these characteristics combined created a disastrous formula when Sherman’s Union army attacked. 

After the Union utilized flanking and psychological maneuvers to center in towards the city, an approach of cutting supply lines was used to avoid the fortifications. This meant destroying railroad lines, which was done successfully in a series of attacks. However, what is notable about the Atlanta Campaign is not how the Union won, but rather what followed and the unnecessary horrors of the attack. 

At the end of July 1864, Sherman began bombarding civilians in a chain of firing that persisted for five weeks. The citizens were terrified and some wealthy Atlantans even dug bomb-proof shelters. This tactic did not affect the Confederate army capabilities, but was a distracting move in that when the shelling stopped, a loophole was open to destroy the last railroad into Atlanta. After victory was dealt, the Union expelled all citizens from their homes, showing no mercy. What had not been touched in the firing campaign was destroyed shortly after, when the army burned everything and cut further into the railroad lines.

The photo below taken by Georgia Governor Joseph Brown demonstrates what was left of the land; more than three thousand buildings were destroyed, including hospitals and schools. 

However, looking at Atlanta today, this history is trampled over with the infrastructure that has grown in the past couple of decades. The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest in daily passenger flights, and is a large banking and business center. In the past two decades in particular, Atlanta has grown by 40 percent and new skyscrapers have dotted the skyline. 

Additionally, the city is commonly known for its place in the civil rights movement, with many leaders having pushed for a New South.

This is how we see Atlanta today: a fast-growing urban city with the novelties seen in northern states, such as New York City. The history of Atlanta’s place in the Civil War has faded, and the vast reconstruction efforts have passed over the heads of Americans. Yet, we remember the turmoil caused by the 9/11 attacks which were foreign-led. Will we too forget these recent attacks in the future? Or rather, do we ignore the destruction of Atlanta because the Union army prevailed? Do domestic conflicts have less weight than foreign attacks? 

These are some questions that may have no answer now, but will remain critically important as we move forward, namely in a country that continues to experience domestic terrorist threats.