A Changing Wind: Commerce and Conflict in Civil War Atlanta

A compelling exploration of what real life was like for residents of Civil War era Atlanta

In 1845, Atlanta was the last stop at the end of a railroad line, the home of just twelve families and three general stores. By the 1860s, it was a thriving Confederate city, second only to Richmond in importance. A Changing Wind is the first history to explore the experiences of Atlanta s civilians during the young city s rapid growth, the devastation of the Civil War, and the Reconstruction era when Atlanta emerged as a New South city.

A Changing Wind vividly brings to life the stories of Atlanta s diverse citizens white and black, free and enslaved, well-to-do and everyday people. A rich and compelling account of residents changing loyalties to the Union and the Confederacy, the book highlights the unequal economic and social impacts of the war, General Sherman s siege, and the stunning rebirth of the city in postwar years. The final chapter of the book focuses on Atlanta s historical memory of the Civil War and how racial divisions have led to separate commemorations of the war s meaning.