Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park - Kennesaw State ...

2. Civil War and Civil Rights
The Civil War was a signifi cant event
leading towards Civil Rights.
Civil War and Civil Rights includes
these points:
Slavery was a critical issue over
which the Civil War was fought. The
outcome was the abolition of slavery
and thus, for African Americans,
the war represented “Jubilee”, or
emancipation.
Out of a legacy of enslavement,
through the crucible of the Civil
War, the promise of Reconstruction,
the retrenchment of Jim Crow
segregation, to the hope embodied
in the Civil Rights movement,
Atlanta and the nation have
struggled to live up to the ideals of
Civil Rights for all.
After the War, individuals such
as those involved in the Battle
of Kennesaw Mountain and the
Atlanta Campaign participated in
a social system in which African
Americans were often precluded
from achieving economic
independence.
Following the Emancipation
Proclamation, Union victory
in the Civil War, and post-war
constitutional amendments, greater
personal freedom and rights were
accorded to African Americans,
only to be undermined by
subsequent state legislation.
Out of necessity, the role of women
changed during and after the Civil
War, gradually leading to their
educational, economic, and social
advancement.
Foundations
3. People: Life in the Shadow of
Kennesaw Mountain
The story of Kennesaw Mountain
changes with the interaction of the
people, the mountain itself, and its
surrounding landscape.
People: Life in the Shadow of Kennesaw
Mountain includes these points:
The Kennesaw Mountain area,
home to the Cherokees and
other tribes for centuries, was
transformed when European-
Americans, African American slaves,
and free blacks settled this area in
the 1830s. Competition for land
and the discovery of gold led to the
Cherokees being forcibly removed
in 1836 and 1838.
European-Americans, African
American slaves, and free black
settlers labored on these lands as
they cut trees, grew crops, built
houses, and constructed railroads in
the 1830s, 1840s, and 1850s.
In late June and early July of 1864,
hundreds of slaves were forced to
help the Confederates build miles
of earthworks around Kennesaw
Mountain to hold back the invading
Union army.
On June 27, 1864, thousands
of soldiers fought and died at
Kennesaw Mountain, committed to
their respective causes.
After the battles on and around
Kennesaw Mountain, thousands of
civilian refugees struggled to rebuild
their homes and lives.
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefi eld Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I
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