Opening July 10
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When you first step inside More Perfect Union: The American Civil War Era, you are immediately swept away by the political storm that engulfed the nation in the years leading up to the Civil War. Photographs, headlines, political cartoons, and other imagery flash across multiple screens, while period voices collide in a cacophony of socio-political debate. These are the words of real Americans, revealing the deep divisions, conflicting opinions, and uncertainty that defined the era..
More Perfect Union goes beyond stories of the battlefield to explore how the Civil War defines American identity — from the seeds of conflict sown at America’s founding, to how the war reverberated through all aspects of American life, and finally to how its resolution continues to impact our present day. Through immersive storytelling, personal accounts from people who were there, deeply researched interpretation, and rare and never before seen artifacts, the exhibition examines the central questions that shaped the nation: Who was included in the promise of American democracy? Who was excluded? What does a more perfect union look like?
This new exhibit also allows us to share with you one of the most comprehensive Civil War collections in the world. Many artifacts have never before been displayed publicly. Among the featured objects are an original copy of Frederick Douglass’ speech, “What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?”, the Confederate flag that flew over Atlanta at the time of the city’s surrender, and the battle flag of the 127th U.S. Colored Troops bearing the words “We will prove ourselves men”.
More Perfect Union also incorporates personal stories drawn from the journals, letters, photographs, and everyday objects of the people who lived through the war. Throughout the exhibition, thoughtfully integrated technology elevates the collection and allows visitors to engage more deeply with the scale, geography, and human impact of the Civil War era. Interactive digital maps, immersive films, projection timelines, and searchable databases provide historical context and allow visitors to explore stories and connections at their own pace, while keeping original artifacts and primary-source interpretation at the center of the experience.
More Perfect Union offers a deeper, more inclusive, and truth-centered understanding of America’s Civil War. It will challenge myths, confront difficult truths, and offer visitors an invitation to not just look back, but to reflect on how history informs the present and future.
Collection Highlights
This regimental standard belonged to Philadelphia’s 127th Regiment of the United States Colored Infantry, and it’s one of the premier artifacts that will be displayed in More Perfect Union: America’s Civil War Era.
Learn more about Atlanta History Center’s U.S. Colored Troops collection of Civil War-related items.
