Political, Cultural, and Social Movements

The Rose Library collects materials that document the history, culture, and politics of Atlanta, Georgia, and the South. These collections highlight the remarkable changes in the region since the end of the Civil War.

Atlanta and the South emerged from the war defeated and out of step with the national mainstream. During the 20th century, activists, artists, athletes, business leaders, elected officials, journalists, and organizations challenged and transformed the region into a bellwether for American politics, culture, and the country’s economy.

At the Rose Library, you can examine a Ron Sherman photograph to see how Atlanta’s skyline has changed, read Dr. Jesse R. Peel’s journals to understand how to confront a public health crisis, learn how to respond to a church bombing by pouring over Eugene Patterson’s newspaper columns, or analyze the plays of Rebecca Ranson to understand how to live a life of art and activism. These are some of the stories you can discover about our city and our South in our library.