Atlanta History
Civil War
When the Civil War erupted, Atlanta was a town of less than ten thousand inhabitants, but it had already billed itself as the “Gate City of the South.” The moniker was a bit of self promotion but was grounded in truth: the region’s major railways converged in the city.
Apparently, Union Army General William Tecumseh Sherman believed the city’s promoters and recognized Atlanta's strategic importance. He laid siege to the city in July 1864, and after more than a month of fighting, succeeded in capturing it. Atlanta was later burned before Sherman and his troops began their infamous “March to the Sea.”
Forward March
Today the city’s seal includes a fiery phoenix rising from ashes. After the Civil War the city was indeed rebuilt from ashes, and with tireless work and promotion by its residents, Atlanta continued to prosper and grow. It became the capital of Georgia in 1868.
Emory College moved to Atlanta from Oxford, Georgia, in 1915. By the 1920s city leaders aggressively recruited businesses and industries to Atlanta. By the mid-twentieth century, the city was of national importance. Few things illustrate this more than Atlanta's role in the civil rights movement. For many years, the city has had one of the nation’s most influential, affluent and well-organized African American communities. In the 1950s that community nurtured many civil rights movement leaders. Chief among them was Martin Luther King Jr.
World-Class City
In 1959 mayor William Hartsfield called Atlanta the “city too busy to hate,” and indeed desegregation proved a relatively peaceful process for the city. Though there have been unfortunate exceptions during its history, on the whole, Atlanta has been and remains a progressive and welcoming community.
In 1990 Atlanta won the bid to host the 1996 Centennial Olympic games. This feat announced to the world that the city was not a regional center and not a city of mere national importance. Atlanta proclaimed itself an international city. The Olympic bid was once again a combination of reality and aspiration, but the dreamers made it happen. Today the city is truly one of international importance.
Regardless of what city or town you call home, we invite you to visit Emory and Atlanta to see why we’re so proud to call Atlanta our hometown.
Much of the information used in the above narrative comes from the Atlanta History Center and its Atlanta History Timeline.